Rome

Let's be honest.  Rome Wasn't Built in a Day.  And this Rome of a house, I'm afraid got a little cocky last posting; puffing a little too much on all the goings on here.  Don't get me wrong, there is A LOT of organization brewing, along with multiple cups of coffee.  But today I was a bit worried that I may have stressed out a few of my friends who have recently become mothers, leaving them wondering whether it's just them?  Or does everyone else have it together while they can't remember when their last shower was.  So here's my list.  My secret list that I pray will be kept secret (until of course, I got a blog:).  You know the one that all mom's have about how things happen in their houses once the doors are shut and they no longer worry about judgemental bystanders?  Yep, that one.
So here goes the, "I'm so not calm all the time, or have a clean house, and every closet in my house is maybe not so organized... list."
1. I usually don't shower until midnight.  (that means I look totally non-hot all day long).
2. I'm pretty sure I'm the worst dressed mom in the preschool pickup line.  In fact, I was told the other day that I actually make people feel better about the way they look.  Should I be worried?
3.  I sometimes have to strain to push my laundry door open due to the huge pile of dirty clothes behind the door.
4. My kids are very good at watching movies.  ie: practice makes perfect:)
5. I drove a whole 15 minutes yesterday before I realized I had brought the dirty bag of poop diapers in my passenger seat.  That smelled yummy.
6. Callie talks like a perfect Valley Girl on her fake cell phone. Wonder who she got that from?
7. I'm pretty selfish about the musical choices in the car.  I listen to more talk radio than kids praise music.  Mommy's friends are talking to her!
8. Tonight during dinner we forgot to pray, but listened to Justin Beiber and Katie Perry's California Gurls. 
9. I yell too much.  Working on it... but still too much.
10. Books without pictures?  I'm not familiar.
11. I Can't remember when my shower was cleaned last.  I just spray some Scrubbing Bubbles on it randomly and hope that does the job.
12. My idea of a stress relief is pulling into a fast food drive through, and sinking into a cheeseburger, hold the onions and pickles, fries, and a large Diet Coke.  I'm pretty sure I was programmed as a child to associate a good McDonald's run with World Peace.  Or at least Head Peace. 

There you have it.  Now, ask yourself.... do YOU feel better reading that?  Because now I have to go make sure my garage, and my front doors are closed.

Where You at Girl?

Things have been a bit busy in the Mitchell house lately.  Apparently you don't have to be pregnant to catch a drift of the "nesting" bug.  The crazy, hyperactive, uber-organizational birdie of a bug can hit any woman, any house, any day.  Although shhhhh... I have yet to see it hit a man:).  Just sayin'.  So obviously with the mad cleaning that has been going on here, the writing on this blog has taken a back seat.  But don't be too hurt.  My running has also been non-existent for the past 2 weeks.  It's sad when my three year old keeps asking to go the "Y"... and I keep telling her that Mommy's taking a week.. errrr.. 2 weeks of rest time.  (really.. I lost my ipod and running with no music is totally boring to me:).  
Needless to say, while my legs rest up (ha ha), I have attacked with a vengeance every cabinet, cupboard, and spare room in this joint.  Callie thought the throw, toss, keep activity of children's clothing was extra fun.  And nothing was better to me than perfectly stacking all of my sweaters into one neat and tidy master closet.  Oh yes, and perhaps the most exciting times of my weeks have been Wednesday mornings, hiding behind curtains to see if the trash man will indeed,  take that too.  And what he doesn't get to first, the crazy junk collector in the neighborhood has picked up.  I bet he has a LOT of plans for that metal crib frame.

It's probably the fear of 20+ people showing up here for Thanksgiving that I want every inch of space to be neat and clean.  Or it could be that I'm just nutty, and my husbands love of organization has finally rubbed off on me a bit.  Either way, the pantry, master closet, secret back room, kids rooms, and hall closet have all benefited.  So if you stop by my house now, I will be able to correctly point you in the direction of toilet paper, light switch covers, play-doh, and replacement stove vents.  Check back in a week, and the garage could even be clean.  At this rate, we should have family get togethers every week!

And I'll leave you with a teaser for the next upcoming post... Callie's birthday bedroom redo.  We finally got her the purple room she's been asking for every night... at 2am.  No joke.  Apparently pink is SO last years colors. 

(yeah.. that's not my pantry, but I wish it was).

A Thought

I knew that I wanted to be a mom from the time that I stopped babysitting.  I knew that if I didn't have to worry about a parent looking over my shoulder, I may start to enjoy the job.  I was correct.  Babysitting is so not like mothering. 

In the daily grind, it's wonderful to be able to stay home and be with my kids.  Although being a slight double edged sword (you love them, but you never get a break from them).. it is nonetheless a double edged sword with a blunt end.  It's totally worth every minute.  Yet sometimes encouragement is needed, when spirits are a bit low, and the purpose of the whole adventure has been lost amongst the laundry, cleaning, and tons of poo. 
That is where I consider myself a lucky girl, with a wise God and a smart husband.  A wise God that reveals peace to me in his Truth, and a smart husband who interprets a lot of that truth into ideas that I can understand while gulping coffee with my tired brain.  So whether or not my stress meter is controlled or not, my soul has been resting peacefully in the encouraging words of Jesus. 

Mark 9:37 "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."  And again, Mark 10:14 "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." 

It's an amazing and humbling task to be a mom.  If my job is also the gateway to introducing little ones to their heavenly Father, then bring on the laundry, the snacks, the crying, and the lessons.  My husband reminds me that in no other job can a family line be so impacted than the role of a parent.  Impact the lives of three loving children, who each have three more loving children, who each then have three more, and the world will soon be changed.  Not something that is usually recognized as the dishes are cleaned or the floors scrubbed.  But the kids are watching.  They are learning who my God is by watching who I am because of Him.  They will hopefully walk to His arms because we let them run to ours. 

So take heart tired moms.  There is a real purpose as to why we are doing what we are doing.  It might not make us money, and it might not be featured on Anderson Coopers 10 most amazing people of the year.  But it matters.  It matters so much that it can make an eternal difference. 

Happy dishes everyone.  Happy dishes. 

(You better believe that's me on the the trampoline.  I'm not ashamed.  No Way)

What's with all of this technology anyway?

As I write, I am halfway squinting, halfway head tilted, and expecting a headache due to the fun that my boys had with my computer screen about a month ago.  Two year olds and technology do not mix.  The main reason why I pride myself in carrying a "Go Phone" instead of a shiny new iphone or blackberry.  Lose the phone for a split second, and the first place I would check would be the toilet.  It's a lot cheaper to routinely replace a $20 phone than it is to replace an expensive App filled one.  Until they make an App that is indestructive against toddler boys, I will refrain from literally throwing my money down the drain. 
So through the 40 percent visual that I still have on my screen, I will admit that Kevin and I did finally bend to the pressure of part of the social media craze.  We pride ourselves on being a bit late to the game in many areas of life.  Not always having to have the latest and greatest the second the markets open.  A reason why we stuck it out with one gigantic (think the beginning of the PC days) TV for the first seven years of marriage.  We weren't sure those flat screens would really take off:).  But they did, and so we recently dipped our toes into another advancement: Texting.  Stop your snickering.  I really do HATE to text.  It's like watching a dinosaur press the keys every so slowly.  And you all who text with lightening speed just amaze me.  How do your fingers find the letters that fast?  Is it T-9? Is it a gift?  Am I just destined to... (gasp) Call you when I need you?  Because that would be crazy, I know. 
Leave it to a huge cell phone bill paying unconscionable prices per text to make us join that club in a hurry.  So now, thanks to the nice AT&T salesman, Kevin and I both now have a MAXIMUM (do not text me over or I will send you the bill:)... 200 texts each to message our friends and family.  But don't worry... I still prefer to call, so you can't get rid of my screaming, crazy, kid filled background noises just yet.  Now, if I could just find the send button through all of these broken pixels. 

The Not So Terrible Twos

Cue the chorus, Hallelujah, they are two.  And that makes this mom very happy.  I am a true believer that the "terrible twos" occur between 18 to 24 months, or in other words, BEFORE the child turns two.  At least that has been my experience three times over so far.  I find the six months before the second birthday to be extremely challenging, full of children who cannot find words and a mom and dad who cannot for all of their efforts please the needy kids.  They are hungry, they cry.  A toy is wanted, they cry.  They are hot, cold, tired, sick, bored, awake, poopy, or all around great... and they still cry.  Seeing that my kids begin to talk slightly later than most, this phase lasts a good six months, and lifts when they begin to talk... around 2 years.  

So although I realize that there are many crazy and difficult days ahead, I am choosing to right now be thankful for my sweet TWO year old little boys, and enjoy the new phase that we have now entered. 
Here are some fun pictures from a wonderful birthday party today, and our annul photo op with mom and dad to mark our growing boys.  (Can you imagine what these will look like when we are 50 and they are 24?... because I will for sure still be forcing them to take these!).

Week One

Year One

Year Two

Not so thrilled with the cupcakes

Birthday Friends

All of our families that traveled for the special day