This week Blaine has been off from work. We’ve continued with school, but it’s been an enjoyable week regardless. Blaine rebuilt my front porch bench with cedar. (It smells amazing!) We bought fifteen laying hens, and Blaine fixed up the coop for them. I got my hair cut for the first time in over a year, and we celebrated our fifteenth anniversary on Thursday. A friend took the kids for the day and we went out for lunch, to the chiropractor, grocery store, and out for supper. So very ordinary, but doing life together is what we do best.
We’re getting our place back to being a farm, slowly. The count is now at two dogs, a cat, a rabbit, and fifteen chickens. Goats to eat the brush down, a rooster, and perhaps a horse or two is next up. The kids are so, so excited. Pierce wants to gather eggs. Ruby wants to let them into their pen. Elliot wants to pet them. Stellan just stands and stares. “Bird! Bird!”
The chaos is getting to me. Clean something, give it ten minutes, and it’ll be filthy again. I scolded Charlotte for not cleaning up the bathroom as instructed. Turns out, she had. Like thirty minutes earlier. And then… children. I’m trying to create motivation for doing extra jobs above and beyond what is asked of them. It’s working… I think. I caught Charlotte, long past bedtime when I thought she was sleeping, sweeping the laundry room.
Amazing. I’ve sought for some time to find the secret to teaching children to see the mess. To step in and do something, even if it isn’t theirs. To just take care of it. Skills I have not figured out the secret to teaching just yet. One of the kids came to me because Stellan had grabbed a container of coconut oil and spilled it. She took care of it. She bathed him even. Then… I mopped the hardwood floor that had an impressive sheen to it. Because she cleaned up the baby. The floor… we’ll get there.
I was thinking this week that motherhood is so much harder than I expected. The mothers I knew when I was young made this look so easy. Mothers of my childhood, I salute you. You made this look so simple.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! How nice you two were able to spend the day together and go out to eat twice. You got it right, it ain’t easy. I admire you mothers with several children. You have something special I think.
My husband says he knows it has to be hard but bet you all have so much fun. Lots o f hard work but lots of fun thrown in too.
Hello, first time commenting. I don’t have children but living in a house with three adults and having the job of cleaning before bedtime because I’m afraid of pests invading the house– I, too, notice how quickly messes are made. It’s overwhelming even for me, I cannot imagine how it must be for you. That your children try to be of help is incredible, though. You’re doing something right!