The kids were home for two weeks over Christmas break. My house was mad, crazy, chaos. RC cars raced across my floors, my table (and floors) were covered with slime and all the ingredients to make slime. Endless amounts of slime. Tiny lego pieces were found in almost every corner of my living room. Every color of paint was splattered across two rooms by my tiny, blooming artists. Finger prints and dog nose prints coated the windows and doors, muddy foot prints in layers could be found on the mudroom floor.
There was yelling and fighting, giggling and laughing, music and video games played too loudly, on the tv, speakers, computers and tablets. I couldn’t wait for Monday to come so I could send them off to school, how I ever homeschooled I have no clue.
Monday was filled with grocery shopping, Tuesday was a snow day. This morning I woke up bound and determined to get the house clean again. I mean REALLY clean. I blasted the praise music on the speaker and got started. I washed the dishes, scrubbed the stove, oven and counters. Cleaned every corner of the bathroom (boys can be messy), then started scrubbing the floors. I mean the kind of scrubbing where you’re down on the floor with a scrub brush and a rag getting the floors clean.
As I got to the dinning room I noticed the paint that had been splattered on not just the floor, but the dresser we use for craft and office storage, I wondered how they even managed to do that. Then I started to wonder why I cared. Why does it matter if there are RC cars in the dinning room? And if there’s finger prints and nose prints on the door, does it mean I have a dirty house? If paint has been splattered on the floor does it mean people wont come visit? What about the nerf bullets that seem to multiply themselves until I find them in every crack, curtain, corner and couch cushion?
Why have I spend endless hours in the past 13 years erasing the evidence that kids not only live in my house, but have fun in my house? Does it matter that a game of monopoly is paused covering the dinning room table? What about the fact that there are two hair brushes on my end table?
I’m not sure I can instantly change the mindset I have had for the past 25 + years, but I’m going to try. I just wonder if anyone else needs to hear this. And if you come to my house and see dried glue on the table, nerf bullets scattered around the living room, and a game of monopoly on the table- don’t judge, pick up a nerf gun and join the fun. The kids will be gone one day and my house will be spotless then.
