You know those Martha Stewart magazines or Crate and Barrel catalogs that have really nice photos of the cozy living room with perfectly fluffed pillows on the couch and a well dusted coffee table...you know, the ones with the cleanest kitchen, everything in it's place, everything white, nothing on the counters, not a dish in sight....the bedroom with the comfiest bed, 10 decorative pillows and not one dirty piece of laundry on the floor....yeah, well...Sometimes I think it'd be nice to have a home like that. Sometimes I wish my house looked like that even for a single day. Yeah, maybe I've accomplished it before...like when guests are coming over, or when the in-laws pay a visit. But on a regular basis...it looks a little different. See, I have 2 small children and having the decorating magazine home is not reality....well, maybe it is for you but not for me....at least, not on a regular basis. I wouldn't say my house is a pigsty. Let's get this straight, I'm a clean freak, so it's clean and sanitary...oh, and I hate clutter, so I'm constantly putting away, throwing away...but it doesn't last long cause when Jude wakes up from his nap he takes all the toys out again or if I'm making dinner, Ella needs to occupy herself with stuff and these days it's craft galore people. Let's just say she's mastered cutting with scissors...hear what I'm saying.
I have one or two corners that are mine...like my dinning room table...this is my space..for the most part. My sweet little ones can't really reach up this high to leave toys on my table, well at least Jude can't..It's still my little space and my sweet hubby cuts little roses from the back yard for me for something pretty to look at.
But you know what...I'm ok with it...now I am. Yes, it's still a struggle sometimes because I want NEAT! Again, not a reality. But it's for a season...a very precious season. I was listening to Dr. Laura one day and she said that when her son was little she had the play pin in the living room and toys everywhere. Her friend came over and made a stink that her home was so cluttered with kid stuff and Dr. Laura told her "Ahhh, excuse me, MY KID LIVES HERE!" Can't you just hear her say this. This stuck with me and I think about it every time I get frustrated that there is a trail of toys from the front door to the back. Yes, excuse me, MY KIDS LIVE HERE. This is there home and their playground. A precious season. Sometimes John-Mark and I will climb into bed at night and find blocks in our bed, children's books on our nightstand and little tiny socks on the floor of our room. We smile and we love that there are trails of our children all over our house...because you know what? There will come a day when we will miss the smashed cheerios on the carpet, the bath toys in the tub and blocks in the bed. So Mamas, and you know who you are, next time you roll your eyes at your cluttered house..remember Children live there ...It's not a mess, it's a precious season and you'll miss it when it's gone. Yes? Yes.
But you know what...I'm ok with it...now I am. Yes, it's still a struggle sometimes because I want NEAT! Again, not a reality. But it's for a season...a very precious season. I was listening to Dr. Laura one day and she said that when her son was little she had the play pin in the living room and toys everywhere. Her friend came over and made a stink that her home was so cluttered with kid stuff and Dr. Laura told her "Ahhh, excuse me, MY KID LIVES HERE!" Can't you just hear her say this. This stuck with me and I think about it every time I get frustrated that there is a trail of toys from the front door to the back. Yes, excuse me, MY KIDS LIVE HERE. This is there home and their playground. A precious season. Sometimes John-Mark and I will climb into bed at night and find blocks in our bed, children's books on our nightstand and little tiny socks on the floor of our room. We smile and we love that there are trails of our children all over our house...because you know what? There will come a day when we will miss the smashed cheerios on the carpet, the bath toys in the tub and blocks in the bed. So Mamas, and you know who you are, next time you roll your eyes at your cluttered house..remember Children live there ...It's not a mess, it's a precious season and you'll miss it when it's gone. Yes? Yes. 
5 comments:
Amen, Sister!
Love it. Nice post babe!
you speak from my soul!!!! your post was very encouraging! thanks mad!
Yes! Yes! I agree completely! That was a wonderful post and very fun to read. We miss our kids (you guys) every day so enjoy them thoroughly each and every day, like you said. Not that there aren't days when you look forward to time for yourselves!!! And, Dad and I are making the most of our time together now. But, there's the part about being a part of your kids' lives on a regular basis that we really miss! Love you all!
Mom
I love this post. Before kids, we used to say things like "well, they'll just have to learn what is okay to touch and what's not. But we're not putting away our things." And then we had kids. HA! Needless to say, there isn't a precious knick-knack within reach, and all those lovely candles we used to love lighting have been given away. And that's okay - cause you know what? It makes our life easier! We don't have to constantly take things out of a toddler's hands and say "NO!" This is Greta's space too, and it works better for everyone if we make it work for her! And I love that you love it, too. :)
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