I think an aeriel view video of the inside of our house on any given afternoon would be quite entertaining. Speed up the video and it would look like little tornadoes flying all around the house leaving a path of destruction behind. I think about what an outside observer would think if they were to just stop by and watch the chaos ensue in the afternoons.
Today was a typical day. It went like this.....
School dismisses at 3:00. I walk to my classroom and tell the boys to grab their backpacks and help shut down all the computers. I sign out and leave at 3:15. I run by the bank to deposit a check. Tapping my foot with impatience because I have to wait on two other cars to finish their transactions. The boys whine that they are hungry. They may starve to death while waiting. We leave the bank and arrive home at around 3:30, checking the mail on the way in. The mail gets piled on the stove to be looked at later. Shoes are discarded on the floor. Socks are thrown nearby. Backpacks are flung in the dining room. The cabinets are cleared of any available snacks. Empty packets from fruit snacks and cheese sticks are left on the counter tops. Drinks are poured into cups that are also eventually left discarded on the counter tops. It is now 3:45. Pages of school work from the day are pulled out and reviewed. Questions are asked about drawings and scores on classwork. The pages are left on the kitchen table and the counter top. There is no time to complete homework at home. It is already time to leave for Tucker's basketball game. Orders are given to the boys. "Grab your backpacks! We have to do homework on the way to the game. Get your shoes back on! Put on long sleeves, it's cold outside!" The short sleeved shirts are thrown on the floor and left there in the hurry to get back into the car. It is now 4:02. The game begins at 4:30. It is a 30 minute drive to the game. We will be late.
This is an average afternoon. This is the same afternoon we have every... single... day. There are a few variations, but it's the same basic story.
It is now after 8:00 pm and we are just now walking back into the house again.
This is what I walked into....
Dishes in the sink. They are also on the counter tops.
Beds are unmade. All of them.
Shoes are piled in the floor in the regular "shoe spot".
Laundry is everywhere. It's here in the laundry room. In the bathroom. In the floor of the boys rooms. And in the laundry baskets in the boys rooms.
Toys are left lying in the living room floor....and in the toy room floor...and in the bedrooms....and even in the kitchen.
We seem to be home just long enough to make a mess, but not long enough to ever clean it back up. Although I am a bit embarrassed to admit my lack of housekeeping skills, I accept that this is the life I chose. I could have an immaculate house that is dust free and spotless, but I would have to force the boys to give up some sports. There are times that this sounds like a spectacular idea! But most of the time, the thought never crosses my mind. Life is full of compromises. To allow the boys the sport filled life they yearn for, I have to be willing to give up the idea of having a home worthy of being photographed for Better Homes and Gardens. I will just have to compromise and settle for photographing the mess in my home for viewing on this little blog.
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