I haven’t always been the tidiest person. My bed always seems to have clothes piled on it, the ironing board is covered in clothes that I need to hang up and the floor around the bed is littered with socks, etc. I was never big on regular cleaning, but at least our home was clean.

Then we had kids. There are crumbs everywhere and I mean everywhere. It’s like going to the beach every day for a week and never dusting or shaking the sand off of your stuff. There are more dust bunnies in the hallway than days in a week. The dishes pile up faster than iTunes charges. The dining room table is a dumping ground for crafts, homework and non-perishable groceries. And the laundry! Please don’t let me even approach the soapbox about how underwear should be separated from the pants BEFORE being put into the (overflowing) laundry hamper. 

Once we were outnumbered and naps like unicorns, we had to start trying to clean while the kids were awake. Sometimes we succeeded, mostly we wound up with a bigger mess and really cute pictures. What I realized recently, however, is that however much I hate stepping on hardened noodles, bits of cheese and crusted hunks of burger, the time we spend with our kids making memories is far more important than any chores that need doing. Now, if my heart can communicate that the dust bunnies, that’d be great…