.......So........Welcome to my day!
There's more pictures to be seen of the tornado-like rooms in the house. However, the camera battery died so you are all spared having to look at it, and I am somewhat spared of the shame that would be attached to those pictures.
I know having a clean home is not everything. HOWEVER.....here's some few differing cents on the matter.....
Cleanliness IS next to Godliness.
Cluttered house...cluttered mind (my mom used to say this one, and BOY is it true for me!)
And for whatever reason, I feel like the current condition of the house is in direct correlation to how I'm doing as a stay-at-home-mom. So, if it's been quite a week (which it has been), and the living conditions are less than spectacular - It makes me feel somehow lacking in the art of housewifery.
It will NEVER cease to amaze me how QUICKLY things fall apart here. It seems to be a problem that perpetuates itself, too. For example, if the kitchen counter has not been cleared off for whatever reason, it's as if the whole of the kitchen magically transforms into a barn, and it no longer matters what happens there. You could be wearing an apron, for example, (because you were perhaps cooking in your easy bake oven). (But I'm not pointing fingers). And when you are done, the quite logical thing to do would be to drop your apron on the floor. You're friends apron should also go there. And if you drop some garbage a bit before you actually reach the garbage can, well, that's alright, because apparently as you look around - things aren't in the most spectacular order anyway. So either a)no one will notice, or b) no one will care, or c) you really truly forgot that aprons and/or garbage don't actually GO on the floor....in which case we would forgive you readily.
.....Then this self-perpetuating problem bleeds into nearly every room in the house, until suddenly - less than 48 hours since your last fabulous cleaning, it looks as if you may have 22 messy little gnomes living in your house.
DOES THIS HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE......OR IS IT REALLY TRULY JUST OUR FAMILY??????
Off my to-do list I will cross "buy new toothbrush". I did get that done. And we did go to the park for 45 minutes or so. And as soon as I post this blog I will go atleast start the first load of dishes. I don't know that I could even tell you what happened to this day, it just didn't quite happen the way I set out for it to happen.
Joy in the journey. These kind of days are the ones that I think that statement is HOLLERING at me to stop, and re-visit my priorities, and where I'm spending more time than I should be, where I'm not spending quite enough time, and mostly just learning to find the joy - in a clean kitchen or not, picked up family room or not, mopped or sticky floors, dirty or clean laundry.
I love how President Monson added "Now" at the end of that statment - "Find Joy in the Journey now". Too often I think "I'll find joy as soon as the dishes are done." or when this section of the house is organized, or when this is clean. That's not how it works, and I know that - I truly do.....I just haven't been able to get past it yet.
So that's my goal this week - finding joy right now. Where-ever and what ever situation I happen to be in.
Wish me luck :)
11 comments:
As soon as you figure out how to "enjoy now" let me know. I struggle with this one a lot!
I LOVE that you started your post with a true "Ange-ism"-- the word 'drat'! You are so funny and I love reading your blog. Laughed out loud at the word 'barn'-- it is exactly how I would describe things around here... especially considering baby's latest episode of being a bit "loose in the caboose"! I wish you all the luck in the world, but it sounds to me like you already have your head on straight and are taking strides in the right direction-- towards making the house clean, but more importantly towards having your head in a good place. You're FABULOUS!
I must say you have one of the most entertaining blogs. One of the reasons I shouldn't have invited you to view mine. All of your post look like essays for a creative writing class, mine look like a rough drafts for a 2nd grader. Next time you need a tooth brush just walk across the street. We have tons and floss.
Oh, I know this problem oh so well! No, you are most definately not the only family that goes through this.
And I love the "cluttered house...cluttered mind" bit. This is why I always have a cluttered mind, I can never get on top of my to do's.
I feel your frustration. I have the "Enjoy the Journey Now" quote right on my counter in my kitchen to look at every day in hopes that one day I will figure out how to do it.
I hear ya!! Girl! I can totally relate. I am so slacking on blogging...so I'm impressed on your post, someday you will look back and enjoy reading what you wrote....your a great writer by the way. Young Womens is super busy too! I miss primary, it came in spurts of business. You can always pull an idea out of a hat and run with it...I have to be alot more prepared and those girls can really make me nervous.
Thanks for sharing..I'm going to try to Find Joy Now....
ditto. ditto. ditto. and an AMEN for good measure!
Okay, how great it was that I stumbled upon your blog. I should be working but, I LOVE your thoughts. What I would give to have even half of your inspiration.
When my house is a disaster and I feel like a poor homemaker, that's when I like to remember that silly little poem that says something about not worrying so much about sweeping but make time for your kids because babies don't keep (okay, that was a really poor summarization). My guess is your house looks that way because you've been busy doing more important things--and I've noticed when I clean my house, no one comes anyway--so what's the point?:) I stopped by today, by the way, but you weren't home--or maybe you were pretending to not be home so I didn't see your piles of laundry:) Either way, hope to see you soon!
I have an idea. You could come and clean my house! and I'll do your house. My house is alot smaller than yours so it won't take you very long and i've hardly ever seen your house with a speck of food on the floor so i know it won't take me very long so that way we can get back to enjoying the best things in life- playing with our kids!!!! What do you think? Hey think of it this way, it would be a fun vacation for you. You can always go to the beach when you're done! Tee Hee! I know just how you feel. I just had to accept that my house will never be a model house because spending time with Jaxen is more important to me. It's still frustrating at times to look around and have things a mess, but then I look at the funny things that Jaxen does or starts to do and it makes me smile so much that I forget about the mess. So little bits at a time get done around here. But that's what works best for us. Love ya sis!
I smiled the whole time reading your blog and remembering how you couldn't stand to have even 1 item in the laundry basket. Thanks for letting us know you're human! YES, we all have days and weeks like the one you described.
I thought I had commented on this post, but in re-reading realized I hadn't.
I applaud you for being willing to photograph and share your un-mentionables pile with the blogging world.
And I agree, thank you for showing us all you are human.
You and Trish are always a tough lovely-well-decorated-perfect-looking-homes act for me to follow, so every now and then it is nice to see that you let things slide too ;)
Post a Comment