Reborn Out of This Mess

Where the are no oxen, the manger is empty,

but from the strength of an ox comes abundant harvest.

Maybe this was Solomon's way of saying, "Oh sure.  You can have your clean kitchen if you never turn the stove on!"


Because we home school, my house is constantly in use, so things are constantly out.  While I would joke that my house is only orderly and clean between the hours of 10pm and 8am, this is in fact the truth.


While the kids are awake, creative juices are flowing.  And for some reason that is unacceptable to me, creativity seems to only thrive in a cluttered environment.


Apparently a child can only get the picture just so if every single crayon, marker and paint tube is not only scattered around the table but also the floor with the caps off, naturally.  


Of course, toys are only more fun if played anywhere but the spot designated for them.  And kids never forget to incorporated into their game those random items that obviously were not meant to be used as toys.


Brushing teeth used to be so simple.  You think that one tooth brush is enough?  Fahgettaboutit. You see, in our house, each child must own 2 sometimes 3 toothbrushes in order to get the job done right.


So while I get a bit batty at times from the clutter that literally breeds faster than both our real and dust bunnies combined, I'm afraid that when I do obtain my clean-house-nirvana, I still won't be content because my little mess-makers won't be here to enjoy it with me.


Instead of pining for a home Martha Stewart would be comfortable in, I think I'll cling to Solomon's sage promise.  Out this ashen mess my children might very well arise to fly away strong due to their happily cluttered but creatively fun childhood.

See how happy they are? That's because the shelves are empty of more toys then they can play with.  The TV is home to some Littlest Pet Shop animals, table lamp is another home, and the scarves from the dress ups are part of the landscape. I just paste on my smile that Jack Nicholson borrowed for the making of The Shining.