Let's be Real

For right now in this moment, I need to be real. Real about life and being a grown up. 

I work full time outside of our home and I work full time inside of the home too. I wake up early 5 days a week and get into the shower. I get myself ready for the day. Then I wake up my children and struggle to get them ready for the day. After 30-40 minutes, I finally get them dressed and we come downstairs where I make their breakfast, my coffee, put the lunches in the lunchbox that I packed the night before, and ask them to put their shoes on, 25 times, and they finally put them on. We get our coats and get out in the car. I get them to daycare, hug and kiss them, tell them how much I love them, and then I go to work. After 8.5 - 9 hours in the office, I drive back to pick my kids up for the day and pray that they are ok with eating leftovers, breakfast foods, or whatever else I can pull together and call it dinner. This includes a fast food drive-thru every so many days too. We get home and eat and then some nights we play, or they play. Some nights we watch TV, or they watch TV. Some nights we rush for a bath and brush teeth and hurry for story and bed. It's safe to say that by 9:30 every night, I have completed the tasks I need to just to get through the next day. So then I have to think about laundry, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping and mopping floors, vacuuming, organizing, picking up toys, etc. But the reality is, by 9:30, all I want to do is go to bed and read a book or watch non-animated TV. Even if it's only for 10 minutes before I fall asleep doing one of these things. By Friday night at 9:30 the last thing I want to do is pick up the house, do laundry, dishes or anything other than veg on the couch. 

Don't judge me because my house is NOT organized and neat and orderly. I have STUFF. I have LOTS of stuff because I am an emotional person and I value the sentiment of these THINGS. My kids have lots of things because despite my husband and I BEGGING people to NOT buy any more toys for the kids, they have a playroom overflowing with toys. And I can't part with them all yet because they still play with them once in a blue moon. My home is lived in. And I do clean when I finally can't take it anymore. But the bottom line is, my house is a disaster at this very moment and all I can think about is, someone might come over and what will they think!?! 

So here's where I will be extremely real. I work full time outside of the home and I work full time inside of the home. I want a magazine house like the next person,  but at the end of the day, I am tired. I would rather live in an untidy house and adore my children than worry that someone will judge me. I would rather live in a cluttered mess than ignore my kids and spending time with them, even if it's just TV because mommy can't muster energy to have a tea party or run laps around the place. If someone reading this has the magic balance of how to make it ALL work, then I applaud you and I hope you will sell this magic. You will become a gazillionaire and the world will probably worship you in some way shape or form. The reality is, I left dishes in the sink this morning and tonight. I didn't empty the dishwasher from last night yet. I haven't folded the clothes sitting in the dryer for over 2 days now. The playroom looks like someone has ransacked the room for some item that cannot be found. My living room has clutter and toys all over. It goes on and on. 

AND I DON'T CARE. I finally don't care. 

It's 2015 and I vow to be present with my kids each and every day. I vow to pay attention to them and their needs. And if after I put them to bed I don't have the energy to do a damn thing around here, I won't. And it's ok. 

Life is short. Life is about being an example and role-model and being present. Life is about going after the things that matter to you and still having goals and ambitions for yourself after you become a parent. Life is not about how clean, tidy and organized your house is. 

I will take time to do a little at a time to make the clutter disappear. I will love my kids and my husband. I will play with them, and cuddle with them, and be present with them. I will not worry about if someone stops by and there is a pile of mail on the table. I will be an example for my kids and raise them up the best I can.

And my house will suffer. And it's ok.