House-Wife-ing 101

So. My entire living with Stephen life, I have not been any kind of house-wife. I worked, usually two jobs, and, by the time I arrived home, the last thing I wanted to do was work. He mostly felt the same. Our house wasn't filthy, or grimy, but it was cluttered, and there was always at least  a few dishes in the sink and a few loads of laundry we'd yet to even start. Dog hair was on every article of clothing we owned, and doggy nose art decorated the windows. A stray paw-print often found its way onto our sheets, and the closest I came to being domestic was to light a few candles and be sure the counters stayed swiped clean.

Since the loss of my job, I've felt it was really important for me to contribute in other ways. Namely, if he's going to support us and the house we've come to love, then the least I could do was keep up with the house-work. Easy-peasy, right? After all, I've watched my mother do this for years. How bad could it be?

Yeah, right.

What I've learned is that I've learned nothing about keeping house in the 23 years I've been alive. The dishes and the laundry seem a constant uphill battle; why does anyone ever cook, when they've just washed all those pans? And, how did that splatter of macaroni and cheese get on the stove I just wiped? And paw-prints shouldn't be on sheets, and these clothes just came out of the dryer, how are they already covered in white and black and fawn and grey hair? And, the trash! It piles up in two or three days! (Usually Stephen has dealt with the trash, so that was kind of a shock.) I read a book once, and, in it, a woman bemoans that, according to her mother's rules, she's "failed, because the kitchen floor is dirty." I know exactly how she feels! Every day, when Stephen leaves for work, I make a list of things/projects I need to accomplish before he returns: Take Grammy to the library, sweep the floors, start a load of a laundry, dishes, Dad's physical therapy appointment, those library books are due back at the end of the week, and have the bills been organized and paid? Our calender is still on Janurary...and I've felt so overwhelmed. When my husband gets home at night, sometimes I just want to cry, because my list is still a mile long. We've not even hardly discussed a nursery, I can't even keep up with the rest of the house...how am I going to do this all once school is back in and I have a baby?? How do you ladies do it?? I know ya'll have tips, I've read your blogs! It looks like you all juggle everything so well, and I'm desperate to know how you manage it!

Tips, tricks, anything, please!