Caught Unaware

My Visiting Teacher stopped by today...I had totally forgotten that she was coming. The house was a mess. I don't think anyone has ever seen it quite like that (maybe not even Rene because I'm pretty good at doing a quick clean before he comes home). Lunch was still on the dining room table only because breakfast and school lunch makings were still on the counter. All cushions were off the couch and chair (she did sit on the one chair with immovable cushions). Toys were literally EVERYWHERE (I'm looking after a friend's kid this week so he'd been helping with that). Clothes were everywhere as the girls had decided to get dressed by the warm fire this morning. The front hall was full of hats/mitts/scarves/snowpants and other rejected winter items. I had to drive the girls to school this morning with 2 extra kids so the normal morning routine was thrown completely out of whack and I wasn't on top of them to pick up their own stuff. Bean bag chair, bouncy balls, books, laundry (clean and dirty), toys, food...it was all out.

As I saw her at the door and I realized there was no way around it I made a promise to myself to NOT apologize for any of it. She is a mom of 4 children and 10 grandkids so I know she's seen it before. And guess what, she didn't say anything! I did put the cushions back so we'd have somewhere to sit but I didn't clean anything else. IT WAS LIBERATING!!! I think I'm going to do it more often. I will always prefer a clean house over a disastrous one but I think we need to see more of each others' messes. Becca, don't take this the wrong way, but I love going to your house because it's honest - a busy family with kid lives here (along with other reasons as well of course). I have another friend who I know feels like her house is cluttered and messy but I think it's comfortable and lived in.

There's a balance. But I'm going to try really hard to not clean first (thus the blogging today!!). Normally I clean before I do anything else but usually it leaves me with a clean house and nothing else done. There are things I really want to do but never have time. I also don't think think the girls are going to remember what the house looked like but rather what it felt like.

The girls will still need to clean up after themselves. I will still do laundry and dishes and we'll still have Saturday chores (I'm not going to live in a barn!) but it'll be more the ongoing-all-the-time-picking-up I tend to do all day that I'm going to pull back on.

Here's to a new messier me. I will still pick-up before going to bed though - otherwise I might revert back into my midnight cleaning that Erica loved so much growing up.