Embrace the Mess

My mother-in-law gave me this framed picture and poem when my first child was born, 5 1/2 years ago. It has been hanging on the wall near my rocking chair ever since, reminding me what is most important. It reads, 

"Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow, for babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep. I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep."

This poem has been responsible for most of the messes in my home... and most of the laughter. I have three young, wild boys (5, 3, 2) and a baby girl (7m). I measure the success of my day by how much dirt remains on the bottom of the tub after the water drains. The more dirt, the better!

 

 

When my house is messy, I like to think, "Wow. We had a lot of fun today!"

So often when things get crazy in my house--when kids are spilling salt all over as they try to help me cook on the counter, when they are chucking endless mud balls at the fence, when they are stacking every single pillow and cushion in the house to make a tower to jump off of, or when they are using the entire bottle of soap to make a bubble wig on their heads, I smile and think, "I am going to miss this when my kids are all grown up!" So I grab my camera, take a picture, and try to EMBRACE THE MESS!

 

 Because one day, my kids will be older and my house will be clean, and I'll miss all those little mess-makers. I'll miss seeing the joy in their faces as they make those messes. I'll miss their laughter as they admire their handy-work. And I will wish that I had cherished each mess a little more.