Why Can't I Be a Neat-Freak?

I really find it unfair that some people have no trouble keeping a house clean and orderly. They just seem to always have it together. Then there's me. I can clean from morning til night and at the end of the day, there is no evidence of my labor. Now I like to blame the husband and the children for messing up the joint, but the truth is, other people have husbands and children. And I doubt that every time someone comes over they have to grab armloads of crap and dump it in the bedroom and then shut the door and pray the kids don't rat them out. Nothing gets me in a fury quite like having someone drop by unannounced and see my house looking like a hurricane blew threw. Whenever that happens, which is not completely uncommon, the children who are home at the time get a tongue lashing from me while I feverishly tidy up. (Which is stupid, because by then it's too late.) "This house is a disgusting mess, and I am sick of living in squalor! I will no longer tolerate toys being brought out here to the living room! If you want to play with toys, you play in your bedroom! That's what it's for! And you are not allowed to eat in the living room so I don't understand why there are crumbs all over the floor! Andrew, if you leave one more cup in here, I will kill you! Why are there toys all over the kitchen counter?? How am I supposed to work in here? Who didn't clear their dishes?? If you don't have clean pants to wear, that's your fault, because you don't put your clothes away and then they end up in the dirty laundry..." It goes on and on. So if other people have children and husbands, why is it only my house that is continually unfit for visitors? It can only be one of two things... One, I have the absolute messiest and slovenly children and husband in the world, or two, I don't follow through with all those rules that I yell out in frustration. I think it must be number two. If I don't allow toys in the living room, I ought to be firm and consistent to make sure it doesn't happen.
Another thing I do is let my kids' friends and cousins come over and play, but not make them help clean up. And then I end up with this:







The best part of that mess was separating the popcorn from the Battleship pegs. So...two new resolutions for me. I will enforce the no toys in the living room or kitchen rule. And I will make my kid's guests help clean up before they leave. And I will beat anyone who leaves a mess for me to clean up. Oh, that's three things. That's ok, they're all good.