It’s been getting to me lately.  With the 5 of us home every day all day (except Grace being in preschool 3 half days a week) I’ve been feeling so very defeated when it comes to the house.  I joke that it’s clean between the hours of 9:00 pm and 8:00 am…while the kids are sleeping. But I haven’t really been laughing at my own joke so much anymore. It’s exhausting.  It’s overwhelming.  I often feel like a failure.

But then there will be one of those moments.  When I’ll look over from the kitchen table where I’m working and see this:

It makes me stop, and my heart catches in my throat.  These messy little monsters make it so hard but it’s so worth it.  It literally wears me down somedays but there’s nowhere I would rather be than in our own beautiful mess.

So if you happen to stop by to say hi just be prepared for dishes in the sink (and on the floor because Luke likes to throw them), blanket forts where a family room should be (Jared has added fort building to his resume), cheerios in the toilet (we’re potty training Jack and trust me, it’s genius because boys like to shoot things) and try not to trip on my high heels (which will likely be strewn all over the house).

I have visions of what that window seat will look like someday.  It wont be filled with toys and fire trucks but instead I imagine I’ll have some comfy cushions.  I’ll finally hang something meaningful and beautiful on the walls there.  Maybe I’ll even put up a cool light or chandelier. It will be lovely to look at.

But I guess I’m not in any real hurry to realize that vision.  Once those cushions finally fill up that window seat, chances are her feet will actually be filling up my shoes too.

(This photo is also my Project 52 photo (week 11) which was a ‘wild card’)