Mommyhood

I've been reading several "mom" blogs lately and they're making me feel better about me and my parenting skills.  I'm always so hard on myself wanting to keep my house clean.  I know it's unrealistic to have everything in it's place all the time, but I feel like my house should look better than it usually does.  On any given day you'll find random piles of laundry on the floor outside of the laundry room, folded laundry on the couch waiting to be put away, shoes in any room of the house and on the stairs to be taken upstairs, toys from the front of the house to the back of my closet, pillows strewn about the furniture, toddler art supplies all over the kitchen, about 10 books on the bathroom floor (to keep Maddie entertained while she uses the potty), burp clothes EVERYWHERE, etc.  This list could go on and on but I'm sure by now my husband is thinking, "why is she telling people how bad our house looks?"  I tell you because I'm not the only person who's house looks this way :)  Anyone who has or had kids can tell you that.

I'm trying hard not to let myself stress over the way my house looks.  I'm trying to stop apologizing for the condition of my house if/when people come over.  The house looks the way it does because we LIVE here.  Maddie and I are eating about 18 hot meals a week which keeps my kitchen looking well loved.  We enjoy playing with games and puzzles in the playroom and Maddie enjoys cooking me "gourmet" meals in there too!  We like to snuggle under a blanket on the couch and watch a tv show.  We like to snuggle on the couch and read books.  Maddie is very creative and artistic in the kitchen with her crayons, markers and paints.  We are really enjoying life in our house.  Tonight Maddie and I had a dance party in the playroom that was SO MUCH FUN for both of us!  It only lasted about 20 minutes, but I felt like I had done a full hour of aerobics when we were done :)  These are the memories I want to keep of Maddie when she was a toddler.  I have been finding myself telling her "not right now" and "maybe later" so many times lately just so I could wash a dish or put away some towels.  I couldn't remember the last time I sat down to read her a book that didn't involve bedtime. 

I'll have plenty of time to keep things "perfect" when both girls are in school full time.  For now, I'm going to enjoy them and build a good foundation for a great mother-daughter relationship with both of my babies!!