A season of mess

We all go through seasons of life. There are the big concepts like becoming a newlywed, rasing a family, becoming grandparents. Then there are smaller concepts like raising babies, then toddlers, then school agers, and teens. But within each of these there are some more intricate, detailed seasons of change and growth that come based on the age and abilities of all family members involved. Currently my family is in a season of mess. At first I was not really aware of what was happening all around me, suddenly I was unable to keep up with any sort of household responsibilities. No clean laundry, a backseat full of shoes, dishes covering the countertops, no possible place to sit on the couch without a toy poking you somewhere unpleasant, no food that even remotely resembled a well-balanced meal and the list goes on. It really really goes on, just ask my husband. I thought I might be going insane or that maybe I had become incredibly lazy and just not noticed.

Well I think I figured it out. IF I remember correctly I have gone through something like this with each of my kids at around the age of 9 months. If I am not holding, feeding, changing, or giving 100% of my attention to the baby then she is crawling along behind me holding onto my leg and crying because she wants me to hold her, feed her, change her, or give her 100% of my attention. Or she is dumping out the dog's two gallon water bucket onto the kitchen floor, peeing on the carpet, falling and hitting her head as she attempts to walk along every unstable toy her siblings leave lying about, or emptying the dishwasher for me....


What makes this time around so much more difficult for me, I think, is the antics of the other two angels. I'll start with the 4 year old who truly does not ever stop talking. Which is wonderful, I love hearing his stories, but who can focus on anything with the constant obsession of costumes and characters ringing in your ears. Or the need to change clothes and costumes and dress up attire probably 8-10 times daily with no attempt at restoring the barely worn items to their rightful drawer.


Or it could possibly be that the little pink one has decided to demand that ever needed middle child attention so fervently in the last two weeks. I'll get that attention mom, I'll wait for you to clean up that sugar I just spilled on the counter and then I'll dump the cheerios on the floor, oh and if you give me a time out or spank me, don't worry I'll just pee my pants! And that was all before 8am. I was ready to tackle such issues in September when the baby was born. I was so proud at how smoothly we had breezed through the new sibling transition, but alas I write to you from the midst of the battle and ask only that you wish me good luck.... or send me some advice? What to do with such insanity. My plan, kick back, enjoy 'em while their young and delight in the opportunity to have a glorious excuse for such a messy house!