I am a neat freak. I can't stand clutter. Things in my house have to be put away. I know I take it to extremes and I have slowly been working on letting more go. I now let the boys have the upstairs where their rooms are to be less structured. The downstairs where the gameroom and playrooms are? I tend to just stay out of there. There is a door that can be closed and I ask about once a week if they will just straighten things up to a manageable level. The main level of the house is my level and I still clutch my neat freak tendencies there.
But I guess since Colin turned 2 I have worked hard to come in from work and not start immediately cleaning or straightening but enjoying time with my boys. I am fortunate that I only work until 3PM so I'm home by 4PM each day. Tuesdays are guitar lessons and Wednesdays I'm gone to Celebrate Recovery much of the afternoon/evening. But the other days? Those are for my kids.
We play tag, build blocks, read books, watch a movie, snuggle on the couch, go to the lake and feed the ducks, draw on the driveway with chalk, ride bikes, play video games, get a shaved ice...lots of stuff that doesn't involve laundry or dusting or any number of things I know eventually will get done in my house.
Recently John had to travel out of town for work. Colin really wanted to do something the afternoon he was coming home so I suggested we write out a "Welcome Home, Daddy" message on the driveway.
That has been 2 weeks ago and Colin still says, "Mommy...that was so much fun. Let's tell Daddy to go away again so we can write him another message!" Not exactly what John wants to hear, but we have been working on other messages that don't involve Daddy having to go out of town.
Recognizing that housework will always be there but my kids won't always be kids is huge for me. Taking time to listen to them and find out what is going on in their worlds is so much fun...and I would miss that if I was busy cleaning a bathroom or wiping down blinds.
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