The Chaos I gladly call my life

My house is a mess. 

Case in point…..

  The play closet.

The culprits.

The answer.

“Children, you have 10 minutes to clean up or everything goes in this trash bag…..”

That got my little cleaners moving!

Ah, beautiful.

   Today has been a chaotic day to say the least.  I don’t know if it’s because we are coming off a super busy weekend, or because I have lost some of my organization skills when we added baby #4 to the family?  Whatever the reason, we are off schedule and out of sorts today!

  See, when you live in Tonya-land, you are expected to operate on a beautifully crafted, well-balanced schedule.   The sun is always shining, the birds always singing. Everyone gets along, as they hug each others shoulders and sing “Kumbaya”.   Haha~ not! But, there are a few house rules…..

  Everything has a place and a place for everything. Beds need to be tidy. Pj’s hung up on their appropriate hooks. Bathroom counters and sinks must be clean after you brush your teeth or wash your hands. 1 basket of toys must be put away before another is brought out.  All morning chores must be completed before you may use your alloted 1 hour of TV time. Lunch is at 11, nap time at 12:15 and on we go. 

Except, none of that happened today!  Paxton was gassy and didn’t nurse good, which meant he was too hungry to sleep and too sleepy to eat.  He fussed most of the morning….

Unless he could see me, then he would immediately stop crying and do this…..

Oh, there you are.

Hi Mommy!

What a stinker!

  Lunch didn’t get over until 1:26, which sets back nap time by a long shot.  Which means when 3:15 rolls around and we have to go get big sis from school, my little ones will all still be sleeping, which means they get woke up, which means they are cranky, which makes for a super long evening. 

Oh, the joys of being off schedule! 

  This is my sink.

  If you know me, you know my sink NEVER, EVER looks like this.  It’s just not acceptable and totally against the rules in Tonya-land!  I am a “don’t got to bed until the house is perfect” kinda gal.  Recently, as in 2 months ago when Pax was born, I have slacked a bit on this rule, and DO go to bed with dishes in the sink sometimes. BUT here is my compromise: they are perfectly rinsed and stacked neatly in order by size, ready to load in the dishwasher the next morning.  🙂  I told you I was a bit anal.  (Man I hate that word. What’s a better one: picky? OCD? meticulous?)

  Anyhow, last night I was at parent teacher conference, and then Wal-Mart getting groceries until 10.  And, after putting away groceries,  I was too tired to deal with the horrifying sink!  Guess that’s part of having 4 kids, you have to learn to let some things go.  You know, like your body, your house, your privilege to take a shower or go to the bathroom uninterrupted etc etc…..

  So today, my world is not tidy.  It’s a little chaotic.  My To Do list is a mile and a half long.  The laundry room is full of dirty laundry.  The sink is full of dirty dishes.  I need to place several orders online and pay a stack of bills.  I wanted to post this note by 8 am, and I need to go vote. 

  How was I to find time to unload the dishwasher, when Paxton needed to nurse again, the dog was crossing her legs at the front door, begging to go out, the load in the washing machine desperately needed to be switched over to the dryer, and lunch needed to be made??????

 

    I wasn’t.  Sometimes it just doesn’t happen in the right order, or on time, and you just roll with it!  When life throws you lemons, chuck them back and demand chocolate!  🙂   No, really, try to make lemonade.  Take those moments and roll with them.  Don’t get stressed, and don’t stress your kiddos, momma.  You set the tone of the home for the WHOLE DAY!

  For me, learning to be a good mom, is learning to let go.  It’s hard for someone as picky as myself, but its been good for me to fail to achieve the perfection I often seek in my home.  

  Do you know what did happen?  I got to read to my kids, I got to coo at my sweet baby, and had the privilege of being a “listening ear” to a dear friend that needed to unload.  Today, THAT was my job.

 Oh, and an added bonus? I was fortunate enough to get a shower AND do my hair today…..before NOON no less!

Kids, the ladies manning the voting booth today thank you, as do I….. 🙂

~T

P.S.  You know those recipes I was going to post today?  The ones from the bonfire?  Let’s just wait until tomorrow, I gotta go tackle that sink full of dishes while the kids are still down.  🙂

The dog too…..