Messy Monday
I’d love to say that the older I get the cleaner my house gets.
But that would be a lie.
I’d like to say that my kids do a better job at pitching in . . . and they are improving . . . but I’ve not trained my way out of a job yet.
I do enjoy cleaning more now than I used to. I have certain things down to a science and I have products I enjoy using (that is half the battle.)
And yet, there are still many messes made by both myself and the children all over this house!
Sad to say, this week’s messy spot has my name written all over it. (Actually, most of the hot spots in our house are my fault!)
This bookshelf is in the girls’ room. The top two shelves look decent. Mostly because the girls are short and have not quite mastered scaling the shelves. But see the top of the bookshelf . . .with the cute cowboy hats, craft supplies and a dolly in time-out? Yes. This is what every single bookshelf in our house looks like. Exiled games, DVDs, things we don’t want the girls to get at and numerous time out toys.
I need to do something about this. Really, it is no way to live when any decorative space in the house is a toy detention center.
And those bottom shelves? Ultimately my fault. Not only do I allow those silly girls to pull out 25,000 books at a time, I don’t insist that they put them away properly, and I don’t bother either. Eventually one of the little boys gets in trouble for some form of harassment and they get the “privilege” of tidying the shelves. Until then we also have purses, bunny ears and a light saber hanging out.
Do you have a mess in your house?
My dear friend and fellow mom of many, Emily, has started a weekly Monday link up to share our messy moments.
In her words:
One thing I have concluded from all these pictures and my own chaotic life-
the messes are not going away.
I can’t say I have accepted this. It is my job to fight against the messes, even though I will never completely win the war. I pray that God would help me (and you) as we fight the mess, and on days when we ARE the mess, that he would clean us and cover us with grace.
So go ahead, share your mess and link up!
Check out other Monday Messes here!
Pam, thanks so much for sharing this!
I sympathize with you about the bookshelves. I am the same way- I don’t teach them, and I don’t fix it. It is totally my fault. But you know what, there are more important things! So what if a few books have bent corners… or a few rips… or bite marks.
At least they’re reading.
(Or… eating. or something.)
Emily Cook recently posted..Messy Monday: Don’t get mad, grab your camera!
Twitter: weakandloved
Bookshelves. YES. I think I have my topic for next Monday. Sooooo….girls….what kind of Pastors’ wives link up are we going to do?
Twitter: EssieBurns
Lol! I have the very same book case and it looks exactly like yours in all ways. I think age is what helps us get over our qualms about less than perfect flat surfaces. If I were full of energy I would take a picture of my bookshelf to send to you.
)
Karin recently posted..Antiscreamotics
Karin, it makes me feel better to know that I’m not alone. When I’m in a spotless museum style house I begin to feel pretty inadequate as a wife!
Twitter: dakotapam
I’m come to accept our messes!!
lisacng recently posted..She loves
Twitter: lisacng
yes, acceptance is important. because, trust me, the messes are not going away. And we do not want our children’s memories to be full of mom running around straightening up all day!
Twitter: dakotapam
But we also want to teach them to be neat. They gotta be able to functional in society
lisacng recently posted..She writes
Twitter: lisacng
True! That is why I’ve not completely given up!
Twitter: dakotapam
Hi Pam! Maybe we have all same problem with our house.. Mine is our laundry and my shoe rack! It’s my fault too.. I have a fixing problem (I think).. Today I fix all the messy dirty clothes again and arranged my shoes. I’ll bet tomorrow or day after, it’s messy again! Gosh!
Oh, don’t get me started on shoes! There are 8 of us in this house, with no proper mud room!
Twitter: dakotapam
When I was a single gal, my house was pretty much spotless. And then I got a dog and a husband and now a toddler. And, let’s just say that I’ve come to peace differentiating between MESS and DIRT. My house is always messy, but only sometimes dirty. =)
Yes! Mess is much easier to deal with than dirt . . . and the worst is dirty AND messy!
Twitter: dakotapam
It’s hard to have a messy husband too! All you have to do is to follow all his mess around the house (and that’s what I’m doing everyday). The only consolation I get is he’s the best cook ever!
Ahh, my husband is pretty neat, so he gets pretty annoyed with the kids and me!
Twitter: dakotapam
My messy room is the kitchen where my girls pour water everywhere on the floor. Sometimes they even play with the dustbin…