Tiny Messes

As Mike and I were going through our nightly ritual of putting away toys, and cleaning up the kitchen for the last time of the day I was putting all of my frosting tips back in their little tackle box. Oliver had been playing with them while I was preparing dinner [or as Mike and I call it: "Oliver was re-organizing the Tupperware cabinet.." (the baking stuff happens to be in the same cabinet)] I said to Mike "I think it is a one-year-old's JOB to UN-do everything that is "done". Then, putting the frosting tips back below, I turned to put the bottles and sippy cups and all the little feeding devices that were drying on a towel next to the sink away into what used to be my spice cabinet.

All of this just another illustration to the phrase we may as well record, press play and hit the repeat button... "this is just the phase of life we are in"

Why am I blogging about this? Because.. "this is just the phase of life we are in". Before entering parenthood... it was so common to think "why can't they just get it together?" After experiencing the chaos of a home of small children. My oh my... I wouldn't say that I am a neat-freak... but I like organization. I don't like crap on my counters... not even appliances other than the coffee maker... it just drives me nuts to feel like I am amidst clutter in my own home. I am always striving to create a place for everything... I have always had my little piles, but they get sorted.

This whole small children thing... takes the challenge to a whole new level... Children come with things... things that have LOTS of parts... they also require every single ounce of time and energy that you never knew you even had. That is why our token phrase is "this is just the phase of life we are in" It's not our excuse for not getting things done... it's how we comfort ourselves in the fact that although we never stop moving and trying to get the laundry to where it needs to go or keep the pile of clothes that are not quite dirty... or the toys or the sippy cups or the toy-littered bath tub at bay.... and it appears as though we've "lost our touch" we're actually doing our best... and it could be a whole lot worse.

But at the end of the day, our job is to insert as much love and knowledge into our little treasures that God has gifted us with. After checking on their sweet sleeping faces before going to bed last night I said to Mike... "they're completely exhausting, but they're only this little for a little while" So I guess we just need to embrace the moment and trust that everything will get done... and it always does when it counts.