Wednesday 10 July 2013

I'm Out!

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It's Wednesday. Hump day. All downhill from here, right?

Except it's not. I haven't even touched the 'eighth wonder of the world' laundry pile, the kitchen looks like a tornado hit, and if I want to find out where the kids are, all I have to do is follow the trail of fruit snacks, taco chip shards, freezie wrappers and melted pop rocks which have taken up residence on my floor.

It's been a stressful week - heck, if I'm honest, it's been a stressful month - so instead of busting my butt cleaning house and taking care of s&^! like I usually do, I'm having a cocktail - or two - instead.

Except here's the thing. When I don't take care of s&^!, I get exhausted just looking at all the s&^! I'm not taking care of. I feel overwhelmed. I feel crabby. But mostly, I feel like I am failing to provide an amazing environment for my family.

My son provided me with a better perspective this afternoon though. As we were walking through the parking garage on our way out of the hospital, he suddenly stopped. I watched as he stood there with his eyes closed, shoulders rising as he slowly inhaled the scent of stale air, exhaust fumes, and dirt. Then he smiled, looked in my eyes, and said with delight ...

"It smells AWESOME in here ... why can't our house smell like this, Mom?!" His brother and sister were in full agreement.

I guess I can live with a little mess, piles of stinky laundry, and a crunchy floor for a little while longer. It's not like it's concerning my family in the least. In the meantime, I'm sending the kids to live in the garage. It smells better in there.

Bottoms up!



21 comments:

  1. I get that stressed out / cranky feeling when I just let things go too! This is a great reminder. Because while the amount of finger paint stains on my daughter's carpet may bug me, I'm reasonably sure she's not going to look back on her childhood and lament her lack of exposure to pristine carpeting.

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  2. haha you have to love the kids perspective

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    1. Yes, it always adds another dimension to things for sure :)

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  3. i was all bummed out but then your son brought a great smile. love it.

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    1. I'm so glad he could bring a smile to your face :)

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  4. Funny. I tend to put off chores for a while and have them sort of bothering me in the background, and then I will get a lot done in a burst of energy.

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    1. That's usually me too - and then I wonder why I didn't do it sooner lol! I think I need that extra bit of irritation to get my butt in gear ;)

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  5. I hate chores. Kellie will usually ask me if I want to help her clean up. If offered a choice, I always decline. That's when I learn that it wasn't really a question.

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    1. My husband has made this mistake too a couple of times - you're in good company ;)

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  6. I guess our definition of "amazing" does not match that of our children.

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    1. Indeed - but it certainly makes me feel less guilty about not dusting ;)

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  7. Ha! Our house smells like dog, which was my chief concern in getting said dog. Ugh. It's all I can do to keep up with the vacuuming and the pet carpet spray...

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    1. We thought about getting a dog for a while - then decided I couldn't keep up with the kids, let alone having an animal in the house ... probably wise on our part :)

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  8. Omg that's funny! Kids just kill me with some of the stuff they come up with!

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    1. I know, right? I wish my brain worked that way sometimes :)

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  9. People are always saying this - The laundry will wait! The kids will only be young once! But the laundry doesn't really wait, does it? It grows and multiplies and you still eventually have to do it because you can't just buy new underwear forever. Unfortunately my children have never breathed in the aroma of auto waste in joy. I need to work on them.

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  10. Ah, the futility of dirty dishes and laundry. They're just always there. Maybe you can find an exhaust-scented candle for your kids' rooms. :)

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  11. All that little nonsensical tidying & cleaning & the endlessness of laundry...you're right in that really, will the kids notice? Oh hell no. But then again...if I'm crabby because there are 3 days of crusty pots on the counter, then NO ONE IS HAPPY. I settle for imposing minimal order & a lot of "if I just put all this crap in a tidy pile, maybe it won't be so bad..."

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