Saturday, February 13, 2010

taking her medicine

funny how i have a lot of pictures of my girls doing fun things, laughing and smiling. funny because the ratio of laughter to tears is probably somewhere around 50/50, with "50" being the number of times i yell before 10am and "50" being the number of times i am answered with a "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" truthfully, i'd have a lot more pictures of those cry faces {because sometimes they're hilarious}, if it didn't seem so insensitive to reach for the camera instead of the child.

the result is a very imperfect picture of daily life around here. i've been thinking of starting a series of posts entitled, "not our finest moment." i have a philosophy on housekeeping that seems to apply here, and there are only two rules: {1} provide guests with a comfortable atmosphere, if possible, and try always to keep the powder room clean; {2} don't clean up your house so completely that guests think it always looks like that.

number two comes from a personal insecurity; i am not a gifted housekeeper. to pretend that i keep it all together would kill me, and at the very least make my kids figurative {if not literal} orphans. my mom wasn't crazy about houskeeping herself. she liked things clean, but they often weren't. she was creative, funny, and there. she yelled and took naps and {at least once} chased me through the house with a wooden spoon.

i loved almost everything about her. with all my projects, i sometimes feel like i'm trying to make my kids fit into my former life--the single life. i want to be a part of their lives, and when i forget that, we all pay for it.

just some things that have been on my mind.

{what to do when you're sick in bed: play candyland}

{my Little sickie:}

{& her rosy red fever cheeks}

{valentime from dad. it does say "godchild." she picked it out herself.}

{making balentimes}

11 comments:

Jessica said...

First, I just need to say that you guys make adorable children.

Second, you're a great mom (with a rockin' house, by the way).

Nicea said...

Your photography skills are enviable, at the least. Your activities with the kids are creative, at the least. Your housekeeping is adequate for the times and completely satisfactory, at the least. Your header picture is adorable and marketably professional, at the least. You do your mom (and all of us) proud.

At the least.

Love. Love. Love. Love. A little bit for each of you. Enjoy your balentimes day tomorrow.

Natalie said...

Nicea took the works write out of my mouth. My heart belongs to grandchildren!

Janae said...

First of all...LOVE your header. How cute is that? Really the cutest thing ever.

I am not a great house keeper either. My goal is to keep it clean enough that it would pass an inspection from the Health Department.

Today I spent a few hours organizing the laundry/craft room. Now I can finally craft in there. What shall I make? I think once the kids are in bed, I will make some skirts.

Janae

P.S. You should post pictures of your projects, because I know you make a lot of great stuff and I know it is cute.

dietcokegrrl said...

I concur with Nicea!

Little looks so sickly in those pictures--poor thing. Glad you were able to get in a little balentimes fun, despite the sickies.

Hope she is feeling better!

Shawn said...

You do such a great job at everything you do. Those pictures of Little are so sweet. Just makes you want to snuggle. If they're not cranky when they're sick, they can be very cuddly and I love that part of it.

Meg said...

Sometimes you post things and I feel like you were somehow reading my mind and writing about our experiences here instead of your own, and though I wish all could be happy-go-lucky in your sweet little home, I am grateful I am not alone in feeling inadequate in similar ways:)
I am sorry for your sickie, but even as a sickie she looks darling and I just want to bring her a big lollipop.

Jamie said...

You are so eloquent, and one of my many role models for the kind of mom I want to be.

Liz said...

Gotta love the "balentimes". :)

Cute. Sooo cute. :)

Jana Brookes said...

candyland in bed! what a great idea! i will try it next time. hope she's doing better!

i told logan i can talk without yelling. i talk to autumn without yelling all the time. seems like that's the only way logan will listen!! ahhh, will i ever change. i challenged her to not whine or have any attitude a few days ago, and she did pretty well. i challenged her again for tomorrow. i'm will to be a little nicer, if she is too!!! he he!!

Steve and Sylvia Bushman Family said...

Krista,

I love your blog soooo much!!! I laugh and laugh and feel so close to you! I totally relate to the housekeeping!! I would rather be 'there' than cleaning! You make guest feel so comfortable! I can't stand a perfectly clean house....it is the most uncomfortable place to be! Though I wish my house was perfectly clean....but someone else doing it. Often I worry I'm just too lazy. I love your memories of your mom! She sounds wonderful. I do get crazy about the house sometimes....wish I could just not care...I make guests uncomfortable shuffling around trying to clean and that makes us all miserable. I love how both you and Daisie are with company....you just seem to relax. I'm going to be better! And not worry too much about my house....it is so empty of kid noise...which is terrible!!! Enjoy the noise while it lasts!