Happy Thursday Everyone! How about this weather fellow Floridians? :) Hot, cold, hot, cold...yadda, yadda, yadda. Those of use who's wardrobes contain mostly flip flops and short-sleeved shirts have been COLD this winter. I'm ready for normalcy again. Can I get a "here, here!"?
Anyway, the topic today...bum, bum, bum...HOUSEWORK.
Here's how I roll on this topic. Is my house perfectly clean? Does my refrigerator stay finger-print free at all times? Do my toilets shine and sparkle? Do my floors glisten in the sun? Um. NO! Is it something that I'm ashamed of? NO. On the right-hand side of my site, there are GOALS for daily chores. Does this mean everything gets done. Heck no. It is a goal. I have a four-year-old, a two-year-old, and two infants that I oversee each day. The only child that is capable of producing a somewhat good outcome on chores is my four-year-old, but she's four. She has her morning chores licked and can do them in approximately 15 minutes. Right now, we're working on feeding the chickens. That takes a little extra time. We usually do that together. My two-year-old has just started consistently doing his own chore chart. He has 5 simple chores in the morning...eat breakfast and take plate to the counter, brush hair, brush teeth, get dressed and make bed. I help him with his chores and making the bed is something that only a four-year-old can really start doing, but we've started it with him to make it a habbit in our house. Those that have older children have more capable helpers and may be able to get more done in a day. Right now, it's solely me. Rob does help out with doing dinner dishes and helping with the kids' baths and getting ready for bed, but he can only do so much because he's not the one at home with the kids during the day.
In terms of other housework, like I said, I have goals. There are days when it's Friday and laundry has managed to stick around. Dishes never seem to dissappear from the sink. Not every piece of dust or dog hair will be invisable and off furniture or our floor. It's just impossible. Lately, I have juggled some things around and have tried to do more cleaning on certain days and keep other days for learning outings or activities (the park, open gymnastics, errands, etc.). I've also enjoyed keeping baking and food prep. to one or two days a week and doing it all on just those days. So, I guess I'm contimplating rearranging my chore days.
I also do feel as though there are busy days when you just need a "lunch break". A moment to crash on the couch, sit in God's presence and just pray. Moments to read your Bible is a must. I'm not a morning person. I've tried waking up early and running before, but I do struggle with being consistent. I've never regretted waking up early and running, but lately, it just hasn't happend.
I think it's funny when people ask, "How do you manage to get it all done?" I'm assuming they mean keep up with four little ones, gardening, chickens, housework and a blog. Simple really. I do what I can do and that's it. My kids come first during the day. It is my job to educate them and love on them and that's my first priority. Then come the chores and then the extra projects. At night, when the kids are in bed, it's Rob's and my time together. Ahh, bliss. Throughout all of the mayhem, I'm talking with my Lord and Savior during the day as I'm frustrated, excited, happy, sad, angry and low on patience. Most days, I do get in some Bible reading and quiet time. Life happens. Interruptions happen and I do find that days I don't get time in prayer with God, I struggle more. I'm a work in progress. What can I say?
It's interesting because Rob and I were talking last night about how if I waited until the house was perfectly clean all the time, no projects would ever get done (and we are definately 'project people')!!! We wouldn't have a garden. We wouldn't have chickens. We wouldn't be able to do some of the fun projects and family activities that we like to do.
So with that being said, my house is not a perfectly clean castle that glistens 365 days a year.
If you come over, you may find peas smashed on my kitchen floor most days of the week. You will definately find Cheerios at some point. You will see smudges on my walls and dust on shelves.
I have attempted before to keep a 'perfect' house. I was so drained emotionally, physically and spiritually. I had no time to spend in quiet with the Lord. I was exhausted and moody. Like anything in life, you need balance. Balance is key.
It does excite me to know that I won't be the only one maintaining the chores all the time, forever. My children will get older. I will reap what I have sewn in training my children to do chores properly. There will come a day. The only problem is that on that day, when it happens, they may not want to be hugged as much, read to as much, tickled as much or even hold my hand. So, I think I'll keep some Cheerios on my floor, smudges on the walls, baby toys on the floor, etc., etc., etc. My babies won't be babies forever. (heart)
Now on to more laundry. :)
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