“This place is a disaster!” I yelled the other day. “I swear it was spotless yesterday morning!”
It’s frustrating to work so hard to clean the house, look back on it with pride and then wake up the next day and wonder why the hell you even wasted your time.
It’s a never ending circle of chores and messes.
But not long after, my kids took a trip with Grandma. Two whole nights away from me in fact.
And ya’ know what? My house was spotless. It didn’t get dirty once except for the two or three dishes my husband and I made.
I realized, like I should realize every day of my life, how much I actually adore my messy house.
Without this messy house my life would be boring and lonely.
Because the tiny gravel rocks I’m sweeping up off the floor for the third time this week… they’re there because she loves to dig in the dirt at her brother’s baseball games and it fills up in her shoes. Getting dirty like that makes her happy.
The pile of dirty dishes in my sink… it’s because we ate dinner around the table last night. They told me about their day and he laughed at her when she burped after a big drink.
The 17 stuffed animals on my living room floor… they have been placed there meticulously by a four-year-old who loves to perform and needs a willing audience.
The muddy paw prints tracking from the back door into my living room… they’re from the dog our kids love so much; the puppy they get to spend their childhood with.
The six pairs of shoes that are piled up at the front door… they are there because she changed her shoes four times yesterday. She continually played outside having the time of her life with some friends and every time she came in and took her shoes off, she grabbed a new pair.
That bedroom that makes me cringe every time I walk in… it’s only messy because they play in it. They build, the create, they argue and work through it. Isn’t that exactly what it’s for?
That kinetic sand that is shoved in the crevices of our coffee table… it’s there because they build sand castles for her ponies to live in.
The enormous pile of papers on my kitchen counter… it’s because he has brought home so much art work from Kindergarten that I am in love with and can’t let go. Maybe one day he’ll be an artist.
The dust on our shelves… well it’s there because I have better things to do than dust. I have books to read, games to play and parks to visit.
Here’s the thing…
I’m still going to get frustrated now and again and strive to keep my house in relative order, but I’m going to loosen the reigns. I’m going to keep reminding myself that one day my house will be spotless again, and it will be because they are grown and gone.
I’ll keep loving this messy house until then.
Liz is a just a mom trying to keep it real about how little she sleeps, how often she gets puked on and how much she loves them. You can find her here every day writing about real-mom moments.
Tracey says
Thank you for sharing this! I really needed to hear that there others mothers that go through the same things I go through! This story helped me so much to understand my messy house.
Tracey says
Thank you for sharing this! I really needed to hear that there others mothers that go through the same things I go through! This story helped me so much to understand my messy house. And Cherish these days more!
frederickgragg says
At Sunshine Plumbers, we pride ourselves on delivering top-notch plumbing services to the Hart, MI community. Whether you’re facing a leaky faucet, clogged drain, or need a complete system overhaul, our experienced team is here to help. We offer prompt, reliable service with a focus on quality and customer satisfaction. With state-of-the-art equipment and a commitment to eco-friendly solutions, we ensure your plumbing needs are met efficiently and effectively. Trust https://www.sunshine-plumbers.com/location/hart-mi for all your residential and commercial plumbing needs—experience the Sunshine difference today! Call us for a free estimate!
Flaubers says
There are some simple hacks that can really make a difference. One of the easiest is placing a few open boxes of baking soda around your home, particularly in the kitchen or bathroom, to neutralize any unwanted odors. Lastly, don’t forget to clean your air vents dust and grime can make the air feel stale, so a quick clean can help improve the freshness in your home. By the way, if you’re considering updating your floors as part of your refresh, it might be worth checking out Fifty Floor reviews. From what I’ve read in reviews, they offer a variety of options and reliable service for flooring upgrades that can make your home feel even fresher.
Billene Perdeaux says
Why the hell did I keep wasting money on rent and silently putting up with those bleak, alien walls and stupid curtains? Everything shifted the moment I started building the interior not like a catalog shot but like a story about myself. A scuffed cabinet from a flea market, warm light, books in stacks, ceramics from local artists. I could afford it all because I rented through real estate rent on the site without a deposit or bureaucratic crap. Freed up both my budget and my mind. The space came alive because I finally allowed myself to exist in it. No rules, no pretending. Who needs a designer when you’ve got a straight spine and taste that wasn’t taught by ads? 💥