Today...We Painted

Many stay-at-home moms will tell you that this is not an easy job.  In fact, this is the hardest job I have ever had in my life.  On the flip side - it is the most rewarding calling God has ever placed on my life.  I fail at it every single day.  At the end of most days I fall asleep to the thoughts in my head of everything that could have been done better that day.  Those thoughts are from Satan himself by the way...but sometimes it is hard to remember that.

When I first began my 'career as a mom', I had these high expectations...Like how my house would always be clean and the laundry always caught up...wonderful meals at 6 pm sharp each night. Yes, currently laughing while typing this looking, at a 7 foot train tent in the middle of the living room floor and toddler clothes hanging over the back of my chair.  

For those who know me at all, know I am not one to 'let things go'.  A house should be lived in, not a museum right?  I have never been able to wrap my mind around it.  Now, before you start thinking that I come to your house and judge it for it's tidiness, please know that is not the case.  This balance of living in your home but also taking pride and care of it is hard, especially with a husband, toddler, and dog.

I read an interesting 'article' (it was on Facebook so we can't exactly call it top news) today about the confessions of a stay at home mom...How we want you to notice when we put real clothes and make up on.  When you see us out of the house, we want you to tell us 'good job', because it's not easy.  The days out of the house don't seem to be as challenging to me as the days in.  Do I choose to stay in some days, absolutely (have you tried wrestling a toddler in the pouring rain running errands?), but providing enough structured play and 'ignoring' the chores around me while playing and teaching my son are sometimes hard.  I have realized, over the past 20 months, that the dishes will wait and the laundry will too.

So today...

We painted.  For the first time ever I got the washable (of course) paint out and we painted.

We ate cookies after we finished lunch.  

We farmed.  He has learned to turn all the animals on by himself, and will probably be driving a real tractor in the blink of an eye.

We sang.  My toddler loves 'la-la' (his word for music).  Current favorite song - Down in My Heart.

I appreciated his curly hair.  Funny how a week ago his hair cut was cancelled due to the snow storm...and today I am thankful he didn't get his curls cut off.

Slow down mama...there will be plenty of time for the dishes.
Slow down mama...there will be plenty of time for the laundry.
Slow down mama...you can pick the toys up after bed time...or leave them until tomorrow.
Slow down mama...there will even be time for hair cuts.
Slow down mama...because in a blink of an eye your infant has become a toddler...and you never really understood how people told you time would go so fast, until you actually became a mom.