The house is a mess. There are piles of laundry waiting to be folded and put away. There are also piles that have been folded that have been dumped out of the baskets by children who "need" the baskets to play train. Dishes create mountains in the sink. Miraculously we have a couple of clean dishes in the cupboards. The living room floor is the exhibition hall for school work to be proudly displayed. Books are the pathway from the living room to my bedroom and from my bedroom to the kid's rooms. Books are also the blankets the kids choose to sleep with on occasion. The kitchen counter and the computer desk are the vases for the flower bouquets so lovingly collected by my children. The bathroom contains evidence of science experiments consisting of water, toothpaste, and soap. The walls contain evidence of budding artists.
Yep, this is the chaos that rules my house. I am overwhelmed, running on sheer exhaustion most days. Frustration and diminished levels of patience have been my friends. However, amidst the chaos is the peace. I find a certain peace in knowing my children are home, healthy, and taken care of. I never understood how one could find peace in chaos until I had children. I still don't totally understand how it happens, but when I need peace, it is there.
Most days I don't worry about the mess my house has become -- until the Relief Society president comes over! :) Why, I shouldn't even worry about that! I just have a house that is evidence of life well lived. I think when I die, the Lord won't ask me to account for a clean house. He'll ask me to account for what I taught my children and the time we spent together. I'm not going to stress about hiding our life from those we choose to share it with. Some days the mountains of dishes will disappear. The school work and paths of books may be picked up, only to be replaced by new adventures!
