Becoming a family of four has been both exciting and challenging. My biggest adjustment has been letting go of perfection. In the blogging world it’s hard not to get caught up in the photos of perfect homes, with perfect children, with perfect crafts and perfect recipes and cleanliness that makes the colour white look dingy. It’s pretty easy to feel, well, less than perfect.
I have been driving myself crazy with tasks to stay on top of the “mess”. Meanwhile, I’ve been feeling overwhelmed. I am quickly finding out that cleaning and caring for two children do not coexist in the same realm of reality. So, I’ve been letting go… bit by bit.
The perfection found on blogs is deceiving because it is the person behind the camera to chooses which photo to display. They choose which words to write and which story to share. They control what the reader sees.
I’m guilty of it. I admit I’ve taken a picture of my daughter and realized there was a mess in the background. I would remove the mess and then retake the picture.
I can’t be perfect, you can’t be perfect. Only God Himself is perfect. However, what better therapy than to take a moment and share my household “imperfections” with you.
This blogger shows what her house is really like. #imperfection Click To Tweet
I give you Exhibit A… bike hanging off of the deck.
The bike as you can see has a large rock in the basket.
Oldest child drives said bike off the deck and the bike gets stuck. Bystanders reported that the bike stayed this way for almost two weeks.
One day the bike finally tipped over onto the sidewalk and had to be moved. Who knows how long the bike would have stayed there if it wouldn’t have fallen onto the sidewalk?
Exhibit B… the junk drawer that overflows onto the counter above it.
Notice the basket behind the Kleenex box (the one overflowing with stuff)? This could be deemed as a feeble attempt at organization.
Exhibit C… the night table.
Notice the Kleenex box precariously balanced on the alarm clock? This is a “clean” day, as there’s only one glass of water on my bedside table (usually there’s at least 2).
And how about that stack of books and magazines? Too much time or too little time to read? What do you think?
Exhibit D… the disorderly play kitchen.
One of my most popular blog postings was on how my husband and I made this kitchen. This is what it looks like 97% of the time.
Exhibit D… dirty kid.
Yes, one of the many “cute” moments when child #1 colours self while mom is busy making supper, caring for child #2, or in this case, talking on the phone with Grandma.
Exhibit E… the coffee mug in the bathroom.
Now this is multi-tasking and not in the way you think! A cup of coffee and the application of makeup helps a busy mom feel human.
Unfortunately the hubby is grossed out by this (especially when the cup of coffee is half finished and left on the counter for the rest of the day… and the evening… and the following morning…).
And finally, Exhibit F… the overflowing laundry hamper.
At least the laundry is in the hamper! Don’t you just love the way the lid is propped on top? Like it’s going to “hide” the fact that laundry hasn’t been done for a while?
So that’s it… my imperfect home. It’s times like this I’m glad my grandmother doesn’t have Internet access. I think she would faint after realizing I aired my dirty laundry in public *BARUMP-CHA!* (Yes, that was my feeble attempt at humour).
Haha great pictures. I found myself eating toast in the shower one morning in a sleep deprived state… I have been known to drink coffee in the shower too, you do what you have to some days!
We need to see more honesty like this! My home looks just about the same .. cluttered. But messy is better than dirty.. any day.
http://www.clairemillersmile.blogspot.com
oh man this is funny…and so happens in my house all the time!!! Love the coffee cup…I think I have one up there right now!!
But… where are the pictures of the clean laundry??
You know, the clean laundry in the 1 or 2 baskets that find their place in the hallway, the living room, at the end of the bed, etc, and just diminish slowly over the course of days as people pick through them (swearing) to find two socks that match and a pair of clean underwear until the remainder gets dumped out onto the bed when the basket is needed to do another load of laundry and eventually gets folded and put away unless there isn’t time and then it just gets plopped on top of the new fresh clean laundry that’s just been laundered??
Just wonderin’.
:)
Ha! This is what my house looks like on a regular basis. It’s not always clean because we live here!
You are not alone! I am a perfectionist, but when it comes to clutter, I get overwhelmed quickly. I don’t even dare post photos of my junk drawer or the counter above it (which is worse than yours!) I have only met one person who keeps their house perfect all the time, even with kids. This person is obsessed with what other people think and that’s the only reason they do it. I definitely prefer to have piles of random clutter and messes to that. Besides, there are more important things to do than clean all the time. :)
Oh bless you for showing this…Seriously!!
I swear that blogging gives me a complex sometimes…like who’s home is that clean???
Thanks for being brave to show this!!!