I have these memories of my mother.  I remember her frantically running around the house before company (read  -extended family) with a broom and a dustpan, getting frustrated with me and my brother if we left messes around the house.  My brother and I would look up at her with confused looks on our faces, because she was usually so fun.  We'd look around the house, and not see anything wrong, the toys on the floor were just evidence of our fun.
Fast forward 20 years.  I am EXACTLY like my mother.  Today for example.  James was supposed to have his "team" from work over this evening for a bbq.  I sent Drew to my in-laws for the afternoon and cleaned like a mad-woman for seriously 4 hours (Hunter slept for 2 of those, and then I just cleaned around him).  I have this fear of what people will think of me and my messy house.  The thing is, it wouldn't induce such a panic if I just cleaned on a regular basis....did a little bit at a time, instead of a whole house, mad-dash clean when we have people coming over.  It's not like I don't clean ever, I just choose to play with my kids instead of scrubbing the floors, or vacuuming the carpets.  Each time the panic happens, I vow to make cleaning more apart of my routine, and this time, I really will...promise!  I'm a bad housewife, there I said it.