Wednesday, September 12, 2007

“If your house is really a mess and a stranger comes to the door greet him with, 'Who could have done this? We have no enemies.'”*

My children leave cars all over the steps and trains all over the floor.

I step on Legos in the middle of the night and more than once have nearly wiped out flat on my ass from stepping on a book.

Their hockey sticks and baseball gloves are scattered all over my back porch.

Their dirty clothes land everywhere but in their laundry basket.

When they eat, sometimes I think the dog actually gets more food than they do, they drop so much on the floor.

My bathtub is full of plastic boats and rubber fish.
My sink is cluttered with Cars toothbrushes and Winnie the Pooh toothpaste and little cardboard cups with animals on them.
My thirsty, thick blue towels are crowded on the rack by Nemo and Thomas.

None of this really bothers me.
I straighten up at the end of each day, and try to keep the place as uncluttered as possible for my own sanity.

But The Baby’s favorite thing in the whole wide world to do?
Is to take fistfuls of crayons, fling them into the air, and laugh uproariously.

And THIS drives me OVER THE EDGE.


********************
* Phyllis Diller

11 comments:

Amy A. said...

Sounds like my house, only I have older kids with bigger stuff. And polly-pockets do as much damage as legos.

You may have to become a crayon-less household for your own sake.

Badger said...

With me it's paper. Clothes and toys on the floor? I don't like it, but it doesn't make me homicidal. Little bits of paper EVERY FUCKING WHERE? Sends me into a berserker rage every time.

Kathy said...

What I couldn't stand at ALL -- not one little bit -- was Play Doh.

Stomper Girl said...

Mmm. What drives me to the edge is the fact that it is MY job and only my job to clear all of it away.

pussreboots said...

Sounds like my home except that here the baby likes the toss Crayola markers all over the room. LOL.

Sarah Louise said...

oh, I know it is so wrong to laugh. But I am. My problem is that I can only blame me for not doing the dishes, for all the piles of paper, clothing, for laundry not done...a few crayons might add color over here...I got to hold a baby yesterday...how's that for a segue?

Sarah Louise said...

oh, and I meant to say that is one of my absolute FAVORITE quotes ever.

delta said...

Ahhh... sounds like heaven! A house full of busy, happy, healthy children doing their thing and the exhusted mom who has to pick up after them. Seriously, while you may not think so now, you will look back on this time of your life with fondness and happiness. Enjoy your kids while they are still young. Trust me, they will not remember how clean or messy their house was when they were growing up. They will remember how much fun they had and how their mom spent time with them.

Major Bedhead said...

Ugh. Sorry, delta, I'm not trying to offend you, but I hate comments like that. "Someday you'll look back on this...." But what about the now, when it's the one thing in the now that's driving her nuts?

I get the same way. I can put up with the blocks and the puzzles and all the other toys, but when The Bug starts flinging her food on the floor, I just lose it. The dog loves it, though.

delta said...

I hate comments like that, too. I was partially being tongue in cheek and partially being optimistic. I am the mom of two boys. They are past the legos, cars, toys, and dropping food stage, but they leave a trail of clothes and stuff wherever they go. And I am constantly feeling TOTALLY NUTSO about all the mess. And they help clean stuff up (if I ask, beg, or demand it), but it doesn't seem to come very naturally. Sometimes I feel like I have to tell myself to take a chill pill. I have had people tell me "Some day you'll look back on this..." and they say it from genuine experience. I try to tell myself this now and again, sort of as a mantra, because I think it is probably true. You are right, though, what do we do in the here and now? I hate messes and I hate it when people leave their crap all over the place. At the same time, I think that is just the sign of a normal, healthy household full of kids. I mean, what would we do if all our kids picked up their legos and toy cars and put away all their stuff without us even telling them to? Or with little input from us? This is why we moms vent with one another. And at times drink heavily! ;)

Caterina said...

I have to agree with Stomper Girl....why is it the Mom that cleans it up? I don't expect my 6-month old to clean up after himself, but I know my husband won't do it because if he lets it all sit there long enough, I will do it! Grrrr.