Blog Hop... what my house says

This weeks theme is encouragement.
there are so many things I could say
then I remembered this old post
back when I had 10 readers {and I think they were all friends and family}
and I knew I needed to share it again.

I could re-write it and go into more detail
and I really should
{because this was a life changing thing for me}
but for today I'll just share the original

what my house says

For years I've been fooled... If you've been to my house in the past you will know that our home is *almost* always picked up, I clean the toilet daily, the laundry is washed, folded & put away before lunch, the wood floors were swept and the tile was cleaned daily, I made all the beds every morning and picked up the toy room every night. So.... the house was clean. I thought that that made me... successful... like I had earned the right to be a mother & a wife because I could 'do it all'. I thought that if someone stopped by and saw a mess in my house they would think... it's because she's a young mom or it's because they have too many kids or it's because she's just lazy.

WOW! I was wrong! Some of you who visit frequently may have noticed a little 'change' in our home... and you may have even thought it was because we have a 4th child and I just can't keep up anymore... But really... it's the best thing ever! My house now says that I played with my kids, I gave them my time, I enjoyed just being with them, I let them help with the housework... even if it took 4 x's as long and didn't get done the way I usually do it. It says I spent time with my husband instead and doing my 'nightly routine' of picking up and cleaning the house so it's spotless for the morning. It says I can't do it all... without sacrificing my family. And besides... when the boys are grown what are they going to remember... some dirty laundry in the hall? I don't think so... but I do hope they remember all the fun we had and the love in our home.

Now... don't worry... I do still clean the toilets, sweep the floors, do the laundry, ect.... just not before I've given the best of me to my family. Which means I may not get it done everyday. :)

originally posted on Monday, August 20, 2007


MckLinky Blog Hop

18 comments:

  1. Love it!
    I am a mom of two boys....almost 3 and 5 months old. When my youngest was born I had major issues with letting go of all of the "house" stuff. Especially when I went back to work. Our house is usually a pig pen most days now. And I'm finally okay with that because if I were to clean it on a nightly basis, well lets just say I wouldn't see my kids at all! Some day I'll have a spotless house.......some day! but these days, we're just too busy living in it! Great post!

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  2. You are so right!

    I do struggle with this and after reading your blog today I AM going to change it!

    Family comes first always :)

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  3. This was such a GREAT post! Thank you for sharing it [again] with us. It is so beautifully written and really reminds me to slow down!! There are more important things than a spotless house and not one thing out of place. That makes life boring anyways. The "messes" in a person's home show all of the joys, struggles and fun times people have! And it makes a house a home!

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  4. Great post. My eyes got so big reading all the things that you do/did everyday! I think I would need to add computer should be closed more than open!

    Thanks for sharing.

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  5. I remember that post back then!

    So true

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  6. What a beautiful post...both then and now. It brought tears to my eyes and warmed my heart. I try to do something similar and I only take time to clean up everything while my girls are napping / having quiet time. I also have to clean up a bit after meals, but it only takes a few minutes, and sometimes when I let the laundry go for too long I have to fold a load or two while they're awake. But stop by my home anytime before or after naptime and the toys will be out, the beds might not be made, and it might not look tidy at all. Who cares! When my girls grow up they will never remember what shape our house was in...but they WILL remember Mommy taking time out to play with them, read to them and listen to them. I loved reading the eloquent way you said exactly how I feel :-) Thank you for some wonderful encouragement!

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  7. I have been really working on this lately and even though the OCD kicks in a little bit now and then and I am enjoying it and I know that Jackson and my hubby like the change.

    Why are we programed like this? I guess we teach our children by example so making thins change will help them when they have families!

    Thanks for a great post!

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  8. I struggle with this and I'm not even a mom yet! HA! I do babysit and I can't relax after the kids leave until everything is in it's place. How did you retrain yourself to see past it to see the important things in life, without the messy house getting out of control? I'd love to hear more about how you transitioned! I don't comment much anymore, but I'm still here reading and love every post!! Thanks for sharing your life Britany.

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  9. Thank you for sharing that... I needed to hear that right now! I'm still learning how to balance my own house and family! :) You're great!

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  10. Great post! I am a frequent reader of your blog but a not-so-frequent commenter. My husband and I don't yet hav any children and no immediate plans to start a family, but we are definitely moving in that direction :). We both have somewhat obsessive/compulsive personalities and our house is almost always quite clean. I think it's quite important for me to have read that post and to keep it in mind for when we do start a family...knowing my personality, I can see my obsessive need for order and cleanliness get in the way of spending quality time with my family. SO, thanks! :) I saved that entry in my favorites!

    Have a wonderful day, and thanks for writing! You'll never know how many people and families you've impacted with your blog :)

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  11. I love this post. I want the same thing!

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  12. What an encouraging blog. This is a constant struggle for me. Thank you for re-posting this!

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  13. I can tell you from experiance that the kids dont remember tripping over toys or having to grab something from the dirty clothes to wear cause we were too busy going to basball games and cheerleading practice to get it all done. I called my son and asked him what his favorite memory is and he said that I always helped him practice catching, and teaching them to swim, going to parks. My daughter says she remembers raking leaves and jumping in them, playing tea party, me french braiding her hair, going to see grandma and g-pa all the time. Neither one of them said they could remember the dishes in the sink, or the floors being dirty (and they were). Now my house is pretty clean Most days :0) but I still have my grandaughter here every day and we are doing the same things. Just today we had a grand tea party. her me and a few stuffed animals. It was the best!! I hope when she grows up she will know how much I love her and just how special she is to me. Way more important than a spotless house.
    keep up the good work, not alot of people "get it"

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  14. Love it, love it!

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  15. Love this post. It was such a great reminder to me. Thank you!

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  16. Thank You! I needed this today. As I was up all night ,not feeling well, then up at 4;45 am to get my Beloved off to work and up again at 6:30 am with my 2 yr old , I was thinking which chore to start with when all I really wanted to do was sleep and snuggle with my kiddos. Then I saw this. My chores will have to wait untill tomorrow :o)

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  17. my mom was the original mrs. clean. nothing would strike fear in her eyes like a declaration from my sister and i that we would be making cookies. visions of our family being carried out of our home on the backs of an army of ants would play through her mind, and all the color would drain out of her face.
    my mom missed alot of fun times with us because she was too stressed about being the perfect housewife.
    judge me by the tumbleweed-sized dust bunnies blowing across my hardwood floors. or by the dining room table strewn with the latest craft project the girls are into. or my sewing table laden with dorm-room-decor in progress.
    i am okay with that. a family lives here. and we're not competing for house beautiful. we're sharing memories and love around here.
    much like your house. great post!

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  18. I love the Mara Peasant Dress

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Thank you for blessing me with your words!

Brittany