Usually people post these gorgeous pictures of their homes. They're supposed to be encouraging, as in, "you can get your home to look this great too!" but I find them to be discouraging. This is what my kitchen looks like right now. I hope everyone here notices that most of the dishes are done. But the clutter is overtaking me.
My bedroom is cluttered too. We went on vacation 2 weeks ago and I haven't even unpacked yet.
AND... the kids' room. But to be fair, this room ends up looking like this EVERY day until they clean it up. But did I get them to start cleaning it up before doing anything else??
Nope, they're watching SuperWhy in my cluttered living room.
I don't even want to talk about the spare room. (AKA craft room, diaper room, room with boxes, room that contains pictures to be put up on the walls someday in the elusive future, etc.)
READ: Having three children (one a newborn) and maintaining a home is no piece of cake. Here's what my week looked like:
Monday: managed to get all the laundry done
Tuesday: managed to get the kitchen cleaned, and I cooked a good meal.
Wednesday: got rid of a lot of clutter, went grocery shopping, but after all that the kitchen was dirty and the laundry piled up.
Thursday: I was gone all morning (from 9:30-2:30) to a doctor's appointment. We came home and crashed for a few hour before we picked my husband up from work. We ate out and came home for bed.
Friday: I was still tired from Thursday. We did school on Friday. I got the kitchen re-cleaned. I did a load of laundry.
Saturday: I haven't done anything today except be overwhelmed by everything to do, and analyze where I should start with everything.
You see, I start each morning well. I get up, nurse the baby, get dressed, get the kids dressed, fix breakfast, clean the kitchen (okay, I clean the kitchen SOME mornings), listen to a daily audio Bible, get teeth brushed (MOST mornings) and get the kids busy playing.... and by then the baby has to nurse again. And by the time she's done the kids have made a mess I have to help them clean up. And by then the phone rings. And then I get off and yell at the kids because they've made the same mess again. And then I remember the laundry... but can't get to it because I have to step in because my daughter bit my son because my son hit my daughter and they're both screaming and crying. And then it's lunch time. And nap time. And that's my favorite part some days.
And sometimes, just to be perfectly honest, I spend way too much time on the computer. Or on the phone. And I feel guilty about trying to escape from my little world, so I stop what I'm doing and spend the rest of the day playing make believe.
But then the house is still messy. And the baby needs to be fed again.
Sometimes I wonder what the point is. I'm here all day, every day. I don't have visitors. I don't have a vehicle to go and make visits. It's just me and the kids ALL DAY LONG.
And the mindless tasks never end. Laundry. Dishes. Cleaning. Organizing. Disciplining.
I'm not trying to complain, I'm just trying to express how CHALLENGING this whole stay-at-home mom thing is.
Why is it so hard?
I think it's hard because I'm selfish. I'm used to living for myself and doing what I like to do.
It's hard because I'm forced to die to myself.
Because I am learning patience. I am learning perseverance. I am learning to depend on God with every breath in me.
I'm also learning to slow down. To enjoy my imaginary tea and bologna that my children so lovingly prepare for me. To enjoy baby smiles and coos because I know my baby isn't going to be a baby forever.
And you know what? I don't have all the answers. Sometimes I still don't have a clue.
But I know all these struggles are worth it.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4
How about you? Do you ever struggle with the seasons of life God has given to you?
What a great post. Thanks for your honesty! I should add my own pictures :) I think I'm still unpacking from our vacation too! Hang in there and enjoy your beautiful family.
ReplyDeleteOh, you have just described my life the last few years. I am now pregnant with number 5, starting this homeschool year with two officially in school, while trying to keep up with my precocious 2 year and spend some time in there with my 4 year old. My house sometimes feels like it'll never be neat or clean or pretty again, but you know what? All this is just a season...it came TO PASS...and yes, I think your priorities are right on. Spend that time with your children, spend that time in the morning listening to God's Word...it's your life line!
ReplyDeleteMaybe to help with messes, have you tried to use nursing time for reading with the other two. Sometimes that worked for me, sometimes not. Many times, the others just ended up watching cartoons, AGAIN, while I nursed yet again.
I'm coming to realize that those days when nothing seems to go right, nobody actually "learns" anything, are the days that the Lord seems the closest when I remember to put Him first and ask Him for the help to keep on picking up, training, re-training, correcting, cleaning, intervening, etc. A momma's tasks are never done, but the love we give our children now, in these hard days, is what really matters. Showing them Christ's love by loving them is what matters.
Keep on keeping on, leaning on and looking to the Lord for every need. He will be faithful to carry you through these days.
AMEN!!!! This is JUST what my house looks like right now! I don't have a perfect school room, my kids DO make ginormous messes, and - though I try to keep my house clean and somewhat tidy - we LIVE here, PLAY here, and DO SCHOOL here. If it's messy, at least I know we're happy, educated, and loved! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this...it's exactly what we should ALL be sharing from time to time :)
Thank you! Im going to save this post in my faves!! :)
ReplyDelete