I am the first to admit….my house is 110% lived in. There are 3943 pairs of cleats/cowboy boots/rubber boots/crocs/dudes/ariats… all when you walk in the door. Backpacks, softball/baseball bags, sweaters, hats…. you name it, it’s there, ready to be grabbed as one of us runs out the door.
I have attempted and always have grand ideas of how perfect I want it to be and to look. Jon built me an amazing bench along with hooks and shelves so that everything had a home. Well, it has a home, it just moves around a lot, lol There will come a day when I miss all the stuff laying around, I know there will. I have made a choice to not let it completely destroy my day. I refuse to.
Do I like the house vacuumed, yes. Do I like the countertops cleared’ish, yes. Do I like the blankets to be folded on the back of the couch, yes. Do I like the laundry to be caught up, yes. Do I like to have all my paperwork in the correct slots, yes. Does this always happen, no.
Things that do not happen every day: Mopping, dusting, scrubbing stove/oven, cobwebs in corners (just some), perfectly cooked meal. When you live on a small farm with a gravel driveway…. animals, dogs, kids……and all of those in and out of the house numerous times a day, you learn to choose your battles. The kids’ friends know they can come over and make a mess while baking a cake, or 4 dozen cookies…. or whatever creative idea they can come up with. I love hearing the noise and the giggles, the free spirit of doing projects and just plain having fun.
I spend a lot of time doing bookwork for our business, working at the salon, taking care of my grandpa, running kids to and from practices/school/games, park board stuff, normal household errands……you name it. So, when I have down time, I will not spend it doing things I despise doing, especially if they do not HAVE to be done! It will get done in its own time, and the world will not fall apart because my floor hasn’t been mopped.
My kids are very close to 15 and 12. They have their chores that they are expected to do every day. Ellies chore is the dishes. Now, she likes to let them set in the sink for days before she touches them. I have no problem letting them sit there and pile up. I think she’s waiting to see just how many days can go by before i touch them. Little does she know I have absolutely no problem going out and purchasing paper plates and plastic silverware if needed. Alot of women would not be able to handle that. I guess that’s where I’m just made differently. I know how badly it’s going to stink when it comes time for her to want to go somewhere or see her boyfriend as the weekend draws closer. Then I will have the pleasure of reminding her how many days it took for her to do the 1 chore she has. And believe me, I’ll say it with a smile 🙂 I refuse to nag her about it, that only exhausts me…. she will learn on her own and she will end up being the upset one.
Your true friends do not care if they walk in your house and it’s a bit chaotic. They know it is lived in and lived in with love. Keep those friends close by.
Keep It Real. Keep It Simple.
Beth