Joy

Joy is something that I strive for every day, but I don’t always succeed. I try really hard to make every situation positive, but some days are hard. The mundane of my daily chores can catch up with me. I find it hard to complete any task since my boys feel as if WrestleMania is something that happens every single day. I feel like I’m doing the same thing over and over and over and over and over again. Oh, hey Brohdy, please lick the fridge right after I just wiped off your handprints for the thousand time. No, really Trey, please pee all over the floor after I just bleached the bathroom for the second time today…it’s never ending really.  There are days that I feel like I can’t complete a single chore, because the boys are either being stinkers or messing up what I just completed. It just feels like joy is out of reach sometimes.

I like my house to be clean. I don’t include laundry in this. Laundry is a beast in itself and I enjoy letting it sit on the top of the dryer for at least a day or two or three…. :) Back to my point…. I like a clean house. It makes me feel good inside. I’ve learned thought that it’s almost impossible to have a clutter free home with two boys. I’m not going to rob them from fun, because I don’t like looking at their hot wheels on my floor. It’s hard to ignore the many cars that are scattered on my floor during the day, but I try my best to do so. Nap-time brings me joy…. It’s the time where I pick up toys and enjoy the clean feeling of my house for the few hours that they’re sleeping, but it’s also the time when I run…catch up on a show…and if I’m feeling super crazy I will indulge in an extra coffee.  Nap-time is my most productive time of the day.  Then they wake up and the party starts all over again.  

Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always).
1 Thessalonians 5: 16

There are days that I let my desire to have a clean house steal my joy. I always feel the need to be doing something and I have a hard time sitting still during the day.  I forget that my boys are only little once. I also forget to turn to God when I’m feeling frustrated. I allow myself to get irritated by their constant need for attention when I’m trying to do the dishes.  It’s so silly and I hate it when I feel like that!  I don’t want to look back and regret not sitting on the floor and REALLY playing with them when they’re at this age. I’m also realistic and know that not every day is going to be perfect. I’m not always going to say the right things to my kids. I will lose my cool sometimes and I can’t beat myself up over it. It will just remind me that I need to try harder…pray more…read the Word more….

So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; He is most careful with you. 1 Peter 5:6

I have to remember that I’m not meant to be perfect. I’m going to mess up and my house is going to be messy.  This doesn’t mean that I’m going to let my house fall to shambles, because I do believe that it’s important to provide a clean and safe environment for my kids…and it is part of my daily job. :) This is the job that I chose…that God chose for me and I’m thankful that I know God doesn’t put anything in front of me that I can’t handle nor did he make me to be perfect.

Being a stay at home mom and homemaker isn’t an easy job. It can be exhausting and most nights I literally collapse on my couch at the end of the day, but it’s a job that I love and I’m in no hurry to quit.  I have two fantastic little boys running around that need me to show them what joy is all about.  Now I just need to teach them to do more chores with me and we are set. :) 

Thank you for reading my little rambling. I want to try to write a post a week about my thoughts on motherhood and life in general. I want my boys to know what was going through my mind as they were growing up…that I wasn’t perfect, so they don’t have to be either.