Please Excuse the Mess...

Sorry my house is such a mess. I had hoped to get it looking a little better before you came over, but well, you know how it goes.

I was downstairs folding laundry when I heard a commotion upstairs, and went up to find my four year old sitting on top of my two year old. Or maybe it was my two year old sitting on top of my four year old. Well, either way, someone was crying, and I kind of forgot about the laundry.

I started doing the dishes, since the kitchen is right next to the living room. I thought they'd do better if I was just in the next room. And they did, for a minute. And then they decided to help me, by taking the dirty dishes out of the dishwasher as soon as I put them in. So, you know, I kind of gave up on the dishes.

I went upstairs to straighten their bedrooms, and actually got the boys room looking pretty good. And then I came out to find that, while I was in their room, they were in their sister's room. Trashing it.

I picked up her room, only to discover that they were in their room. The one I just cleaned. Trashing it.

I thought maybe more coffee would help, and then I thought maybe vodka in my coffee would help. But then I realized that people who drink in the morning AND have a trashed house often get their kids taken away, so I decided to stick with coffee.

Of course, I still have a trashed house.

I picked up some crayons from the dining room table.

 While they were dumping out blocks on the living room floor.

I picked up shoes from around the house.

While they were throwing their socks everywhere.

I managed to wash the kitchen floor.

Just before they smeared it with jelly.

And I finally managed to scrub the stove.

As they were painting the bathroom walls with toothpaste.

I was in the middle of trying to vacuum when someone hit their brother, and I had to put him in time out.

He did it again five minutes later, so I had to put myself in time out.

Eventually, someone asked me to sit down and read a book.

So I did.

And as I looked around at the blocks, and the socks, and the toothpaste on the walls, I realized that maybe I was just looking around too much.

Instead of looking at what was right in front of me.

So, please, excuse the mess. I'm sorry you have to step over those toys.

Yeah, I wish it was a little cleaner, but I've been pretty busy.

Reading a book to my kids, even though the book has seen better days.

Dancing around the kitchen, even though we almost slipped in the jelly.

Teaching them right from wrong, even though that meant leaving them alone in the room I just cleaned.

Learning to spend less time looking around.

And more time looking in front of me.

As I try not to trip over the shoes.