To my messy home,
Wow, you've really let yourself go lately. Granted, you weren't exactly in the best shape in the first place before we decided to introduce you to two children and some dogs. But now-a-days, well, you're looking a bit neglected to be honest. Nothing like those picture perfect images that I see in the backgrounds of the Instagram moms that I follow or Pinterest pins that I scroll through - perfectly displaying neatly stacked shelves, not a single stain on the carpet or piece of laundry in sight.
You. Well, you have tuffs of dog hair shoveled into the cracks between the couch that I discover often as I look for the baby's pacifier frantically. You have onesies stuffed in the kitchen drawer and whisks in dressers. Why? Because my son finds that those are where they should be I guess. Because apparently, whisks are much more exciting to play with than his sister's clothes that take up space in his room.
I'll be honest, on some days I forget that you even have a dining room table with more than enough room to eat on. Until I find it after finally making it to the end of the pile of continuously erupting clothes that needed to be folded today. And no, I'm not sorry that we don't use it quite as much these days, pulling the chairs over to the couch to act as a table more than using the actual table itself. I mean at least we aren't adding crumbs to the hair in the couch, right?
There are days that I leave you full of superheroes, cars, dinosaurs, and dolls scattered all over the floor to just make it out of the front door. To return with dirt, leaves, and mucky water to add to it as we make our way back into it.
But here's the thing. While I often poor maintain and overlook you over, you've allowed me to completely cherish the small miracles made within you.
You have witnessed a countless giggles coming from sweet smiles. A symphony of noises that turned into words, sentences, and one day memories to tell. First steps and tumbles to the floor. A toddler's gentle kisses as my stomach expanded. The beginning hours of labor as my water broke across the tiles.
You've been patient. Waiting so long for me to catch up on my to-do list of laundry, dishes, vacuuming, and sweeping. Giving my kids the allowance to fade your sofa cushions as they used them as a fort, landing pads, and trampoline. Graciously made way for a hefty double stroller to be permanently parked in your closet, muddy wheels and all. Letting rooms be transformed into racetracks, distressed cities to rescue, and a sea full of week-old laundry yet to be put away.
And when I look back at our time with you, I doubt that your lack in constantly being Pinterest-worthy readiness at any given moment will be what we remember. We will remember that near temper tantrum meltdowns being turned into the best dance parties. The perfect mornings spent letting my toddler mistakingly mix the pancake mix being turned into messy giggles. The feeling pure exhaustion being turned into pure joy as I woke up to my kids' smiling faces. The cleaning of formula shaken all over the floor being turned into learning experiences as my toddler let his curiosity and independence let loose.
I promise that a day will come where I will focus more on you. Where I won't have to sigh at the mere mention of people dropping by unexpectedly because you will already be tidy enough. Where I won't have to catch up on laundry or dishes because there will be none stacked on your dining room table or sink. Where you won't find dog hair collecting your couch cushions because I keep up on vacuuming it all up. Where the bathroom will be cleaned by proper cleaning supplies because I won't run out and have to use the baby wipes to hold you over. Where things will be where they belong because there will no longer be kitchen utensils in the kid's rooms or clothes in the kitchen drawers.
But, my home, I'm afraid that time is still a little further away from today. Because for now, my kids are far too busy having fun exploring and playing, and I'll take that over a picture perfect house any day.
Love always,
You overwhelmed SAHM owner.
*Real life morning picture of my living room couch overflowing with clean laundry that I should be putting away right now, but will probably wait another hour or two to do*
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