Honesty Day 2

I know I'm not totally alone in this because people tell me all the time that I'm not.

But really.

Does anyone else's house really get this messy?

And even if it does, does it really stay that way for months at a time?

And even if that does happen, does anyone else really sit down on the couch at the end of the day, turn on Netflix, and pretend like you didn't have to dump a bunch of stuff onto the floor in order to sit down on the couch?

My house hasn't been clean since I got pregnant with Roger.

Not that it was ever really clean before him, it's just reached new heights of messy.

Sure, there's been a day here and there that it's gotten clean enough. We hosted Easter in April and birthdays in July. So the house was clean for a minute then. And it took me a week at least of several meltdowns to prepare the house for those occasions.

I only clean the kids' bathroom when I know someone is coming over. I usually only clean our bathroom when it's so disgusting even the kids don't want to go in there. I hate cleaning bathrooms.

The master bedroom is the messiest room in the house.

Very recently the house was such a mess that you could not take more than one step without having to step over something… throughout the entire house.

My kitchen looks like this probably 4 times a week.

Now before any of my kind friends try to encourage me by saying I'm spending time with my kids and that's more important, let me clarify… sure I'm spending all sorts of time with my kids but not the kind of time you're thinking.

I'm wiping noses and butts. Feeding, disciplining, listening to endless chatter. These are very important things, I know. And I truly love every part of my calling. But I'm not even sort of the Pinterest mom who sits and plays tea party every day and puts on costumes and productions in the living room. Maybe on rare occasions, but mostly…

I'm just trying to survive.

And not ruin my children's childhood in the process.

I'm sure I'll get the hang of things eventually and it won't be quite so disgusting around here. But in the meantime I'm going to embrace the wisdom my mom passed along to me from her dear friend, Vicki: This is just a phase. It won't always be this way. And I don't want to waste away this phase by concerning myself (too much) with things that will not alter the course of eternity.

I have learned that sometimes I just need to let it go (that song is literally playing in Marie's room at this moment) because refusing my sis-in-law's company at a moments notice because of a messy house is sad and something I simply don't want to do. And I'm super thankful for friends and family who love me in the midst of the mess!