Two out of Three Ain't Bad

This week we have been really busy. 7 of the 11 Petersons were in the church's Christmas play. It was fun to do as a family, but took quite a bit of time. Between that and trying to get to the end of Week 17 of school before Christmas break, wrapping gifts, setting up the tree, and scores of other things... my house has made a downhill slide into cluttered and not been picked up. If you look in the corners of my kitchen counters there are crumbs. Our vacuum is broken, so the house has not been vacuumed since Saturday. One child had not gotten his clothes in the laundry for who knows how long, and didn't have enough clean clothes to go to Cinci with Eric at the spur of the moment. (How's that for Reality Blogging?! I can't believe I just admitted that on the World Wide Web.)

As I sat in my recliner this morning, enjoying the lights on my tree and trying to ignore the mess on counters, etc. I reminded myself of something that I try to keep in mind all the time. TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD. I am sure you are asking what in the world I mean.

Let me explain.

I have multiple full time jobs...
- Train the children.
- Educate the children.
- Keep the house clean and everyone fed and in clean clothes

The list could go on, but these are my top three priorities in my home. I have found I can do TWO of the three, but cannot juggle all three successfully. I can keep the house spotless and decluttered, and keep up with school, but their discipline gets dropped. I can disciple my children wonderfully and keep up with school, but the house goes to pot.

In this season we are making memories, and trying to get school done, but the house is a bit less picked up than I would like. (That may well be the understatement of the year.)

And as my husband tells me quite regularly, "Get over it."

My children are healthy and happy. Hopefully they will have good memories of growing up in a large family. They are learning the Bible, and learning how to serve God and put others ahead of themselves. I need to get over the fact that my house never seems picked up. We could do all these things, but I would be a wreck if I tried to keep a spotless house too.

So my advice right now? This week? Said to you and also to myself? TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD. And GET OVER IT.

Forget the pile of dishes, and the desk you cannot see under papers, and go make cookies with your children. Enjoy them this season... it is short. They will grow up and be gone before we know it. The house will be perfectly decorated, and everything will stay exactly where I put it. Of course, Anna reminded me very clearly that by that time I won't be able to remember where it was put anyway, so I should just get used to not being able to find anything. Haha. Very funny.

We're off for a day of baking cookies (didn't happen yesterday), and having cookie cutter pancakes with ice cream topping syrup... shh... don't tell the nutrition police. The girls have decided they want to stay in their jammies all day.

And just for the record, I did not move ornaments from limbs that had four or five on one branch to fill in that big, glaring spot at the bottom which didn't have any at all... I'm getting over it. Aren't you proud of me?!?!