I have always had this desire to have a perfectly clean house and perfect children, but the more children I have the more I have to laugh at this very unrealistic goal I established before I ever even had children. Also before I had children, I thought I would be the perfect mother to go along with the perfect children and perfect house. Little did I know that the more children I have, the more I would see all my flaws staring me right in the face.
Anyways, once upon a time before I had children, I bought a cross-stitch that really does idealize what this mothering thing is all about and the kind of mother I am really trying to be. I ran across this unfinished cross-stitch tonight as I was looking for something. It says:
Excuse This House
Some houses 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 last I'm forced to choose the one job or the other;
I want to be a homemaker
But first I'll be a mother.
I'm trying to remember this as I am learning to let go of my pride and just go ahead and open the door when my house is a mess because I have spent all day doing school with the kids, snuggling with a newborn, or working on some project. I do not need to apologize for choosing to do that which is really most important!
