The End Of “Things”

I hate clutter. I don’t like messiness. It drives me crazy when there are little piles of stuff everywhere. And when you have 2 kids, you KNOW it’s gonna happen. I can’t help myself that I’m a neat freak. Truth be told…I’m not really a bonafide, completely 100% neat freak. Actually I’m only about 70% certifiable. Because I don’t mind dust or even messiness when it’s HIDDEN from my view (like in drawers, or closets, or under beds). I just don’t want to SEE it anywhere. So…having 2 kids and having issues with clutter is a problem. But I’ve been thinking lately that maybe I need to relax a little. Not get so stressed out when there is stuff laying around. Know why?

It ain’t gonna be around forever.

My kids are growing like weeds and eventually…I’ll wake up and they’ll be gone. All I hear is how fast kids grow and if the last 7 years are any indication…it’s true. Looking through photo albums and pictures on my computer and I see my son when he was a baby. He’s not a baby anymore. He’s playing football and hanging with the kids in the neighborhood. He’s one of the best readers in his class and he’s growing bigger and stronger every day. He likes playing the Wii more than playing with his pirate ship that he used to think was waaaaaay cool.

My daughter practically grew out of every piece of clothing she had this summer. Gone are the days where we could just let her go without wearing a shirt and shoes. Ava is very particular about what she wears. She has an opinion on everything and has learned that Daddy will pretty much do whatever she wants me too. She’s my little princess and she can make me wilt in the bat of an eye. It’s not something I’m proud of…but she has my number. And she has grown up so much in the past 6 months alone…I can’t imagine what it’s gonna be like in another year.

So we have stuff cluttering every corner. So there are toys on every step. So there is a box full of dolls in the hallway. So there are so many toys on the dresser that I can’t even see the top. What of it? It’s not gonna be here forever.

So what I need to do is this…enjoy it while I have it. I need to play with the kids and the toys and enjoy the time I get to see these high-priced pieces of plastic that line every nook & cranny of our house. Play with the stuffed animals and doll babies and things that make noises because all too soon they’ll be gone. They’ll be replaced with old pictures of the times when I SHOULD have enjoyed having them around. And then I’ll be kicking myself in the butt for not appreciating every single second that they were here, cluttering up my life and driving me crazy. I’ve got a long time before the end of “things”…but it’s not as far away as I’d like to pretend.

So this is me relaxing…and enjoying every, miserable little second of stuff everywhere that I can. And hopefully, someday, I’ll remember what it was like when I wanted to play. And I’ll be able to remember those times when I did.