Organization, clean houses, and a poem.

Does life ever get moving so incredibly fast that you start doing one thing, and five minutes later your thought process is redirected to something else. Sometimes I find it takes all day to complete the task I started at ten am, either because I forgot I started it, or that many more things have come up... and I just completely forgot!

How many people do you know that have 2 or more young children, and an immaculate home?

My husband works... full time and then some. In the next 60 days he'll be working twice as much. I'm the primary caregiver for our children. I'm their main source of entertainment. I kiss every boo-boo. Answer as many "Why's" as I can, and run until I can run no more! I'm always on the search for new activities... creative ideas, and clothes pins! For some reason, we always find loads of entertainment that involve clothespins.

Sometimes my biggest challenge is keeping them off one another. Gabriella loves to play mom, and she often smothers the other two. Other times, they are just plain sick and tired of each other.

Bottom line, my kids run me ragged! Planning activities for them, keeping them off one another, cooking meals with one on my hip and another at my ankle. Not to mention everything in between, potty training, diaper changing, bath time and household chores.

As a result bedtime is always my favorite time of the day. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my kids. But I like to shower by myself, use the "ladies room" with out someone barging in, and sit... for two minutes to carry out a complete thought!

After a long day of chasing my babies... I don't always want to do the dishes, scrub the carpet from the pop tart that got mushed in seventeen hours earlier. (Okay, not really that long, but you get the point.) Sometimes I'm just so tired, that I can't even sleep. How does that make sense!?

The only people who truly understand are those who are in the same position- the primary provider for three, ages three and under. I'd even say three four or five yeas, and under.

Some people can do it... some people can't. I still haven't figured it all out yet. How to do everything that needs to be done, and have time for me. Time to slap some make up on, blow out my hair, and... exercise. Chasing two and running back and fourth to another doesn't count as exercise, though it should.

Some aren't comfortable with the fact that I haven't figured it all out yet. They come into my home and criticize the toys on the floor, saying my children have learned to walk over them, in a condescending tone. They say I need to do a better job at picking up after my children. (I say MY children, but mean OUR children of course.)

I'm not sure if I should be insulted by such a comment or not... either way, I'm not. I believe a comment like that is made by someone who doesn't know, or understand what having three young children is like. Someone whose children led a very limited childhood because their mom was afraid of crumbs.

My girls are very happy. Extremely loved, and well cared for. Not to mention educated. I take every chance I can to teach them something new. Wether it's allowing them to cook with me or help with laundry. We sing the alphabet for a majority of the day, and count where ever possible. We sing songs, and use our imagination... they finger paint, "scrapbook", color and draw. They HAVE an imagination. They have spirit. They are happy! Isn't that the most important thing. If they are happy, I am happy. When I am happy, everyone is happy.


Anyways, Sunday I spent a while cleaning out the kids toys, clothes and stuffed animals. I threw away a garbage bag, chalk full of toys and stuffed animals. I'm proud to say, the clothes are hung, toys are in their place, and the books are upright! Believe it or not, I'm a freak for organization. I love KNOWING where everything is. Being able to find it WHEN I need it and not a moment later!

Here are some photos of my kids closet- examples of my organizational side!

The pile of clothes on the stack of two drawers is all stuff that needs to go! The little blue jacket, hanging on the rack by itself is Parker's. The closet is actually empty enough to have clothes in there for Parker too!! AMAZING!

Everything is in it's place. Each of the girls have three drawers for themselves. Pants, shorts, and pajamas. The two little drawers are for socks and 'underpants.' There is a box for puzzles. A 'gift bag' with the kids coloring stuff in it, paper, books, color wonder stuff etc. There is a gift bag with all their dolls and my little pony's. (Each have a ton of snap on pieces- so I limit the amount of things with in reach, which means, less mess.) In the blue 'bucket' there are GOBS and GOBS of little people by Fisher Price. (Ironically we don't have the Christmas set- I just used it as an example.) In another gift bag is the alphabet train station pieces.


The books are stacked nicely! And we have more winter tops then I thought. Now I just have to get some pants for the girls, and I'll be set. Parker, now he's another story!


This is what we have for summer next year. Looks like I've got some stocking up to do. I can't wait to shop for my children. The family, while I'm very grateful, has always bought the kids their clothes.


Here are some ways we save money on clothes-
*Gabriella can still wear 18 months. Even though she just turned three. Emmelia can also wear 18 months, and some 12 months. Some of the outfits that were dresses, I allow the girls to wear as shirts. Most of them are really cute with a pair of jeans, or leggings even. *I always, always, always, accept the clothes that are offered to us. Providing the person doing the offering is someone I know, or trust well enough to know I'm not going to get a bag of clothes that are stained or holey. Even then, I've not lost anything. We just donate them.


Another 'problem' I have with my kids... they LOVE to wash their hands. (Not the problem.) Because we have two bathrooms, I only allow the girls to use one- so the one bathroom is *kid* proof. I use to keep a soap container in the bathroom.



Then the girls started climbing onto the counter tops to wash their own hands, with out my knowledge. At times, they've COVERED themselves in soap. While you may think... NO BIG DEAL. It is a big deal to someone who has two others to take care of. With our most recent visitors they wanted us to have soap IN the bathroom. I completely forgot why we didn't do that, because we haven't had soap in there in so long. A few days ago- I got a friendly reminder. Just as fast as the soap was put it... it came right back out again! Anyone else have the same experience?

I wanted to share this poem. It's called:

Excuse the house.

Some house try to hide the fact that children shelter there.
Ours boasts of it quite openly,
The signs are everywhere...
For smears are on the windows.
Little smudges on the doors;
I should apologize, I guess for toys strewn on the floor.

But I sat down with the children,
And we played and laughed and read;
And if the doorbell doesn't shine,
Their eyes will shine instead.

For when at times I'm forced to choose
The one job or the other...
I want to have a tidy house,
But first I'll be a mother.