I must confess that I have been watching a little too much Downton Abby as of late. Who am I kidding, one can NEVER watch too much Downton Abby. If you have not jumped on the bandwagon....it is totally worth jumping on board. It is a such a wonderful show with great character development and rich stories that are set in historical England. I love a good story and Downton is full of good stories.
Watching this wonderful story gets me to thinking. What if I had Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson to run my household for me? Would it make me a better mother and wife? Perhaps. Or perhaps not.
Are there any other stay at home moms that have the same problem that I do? I can't seem to keep my house in order. It doesn't seem to matter how much (or little) time I put into keeping my house clean, it just won't stay clean! I am NOT a pack rat (in fact I seem to sway a little to the other side and throw too much out), but my house just seems to be overflowing with stuff. Perhaps it is the three little people that thwart my efforts. Part of that is my own fault. I need to be a little better about teaching my boys responsibility and cleaning up after themselves. Patience, however, is not a virtue that I possess and therefore, I find it easier to just do it myself.
I will say that it is getting a little easier. My kids are starting to be more interested in electronics and less in toys. It was refreshing/awesome (and a little sad) that my kids barely got any toys for Christmas this year. And as it is getting time to start cleaning out the house and preparing for selling some things at the St. Philip Preschool Sale, I am purging the toys (go here if you want information about the sale). I also cleaned out the sippy cup cupboard and got rid of all of the sippies except for one (for when little kids come to visit). I have been waiting for that day for YEARS!!! Those darn cups were the thorn in my side and every time I opened up the cupboard one or two would fall out. But, when the time came to throw them away (they were too nasty to give away/sell) I found myself getting a little sentimental. Crazy how that works!
I feel a little guilty saying that I need a house keeper. That is supposed to be my job, right? All I do is stay home and take care of the house and the kids right? Wrong. I am always going to meetings for room moms, women's minstry, worship team, preschool clothing sale, etc. I also substitute, run a photography business, blog......and the list goes on. But if I had a housekeeper would I be able to do more? Would I spend more time with the kids? Would I be less stressed? YES!
However, my mind keeps coming back to the movie/book "The Help". Those ladies were stay at home moms who had their "housekeepers". Did they spend more time with their kids? Did they spend any time with their kids? They just filled their time with more stuff and meetings and causes (guilty). Who ended up raising their kids? The women who they looked down upon and didn't count worthy of using the same bathroom with.
So, I am thinking that as much as it would simplify my life, I am going to have to leave Mrs. Hughes at Downton Abby and chose to be content with my crazy, messy life. I think that perhaps by having to roll up your sleeves and keep your house in order keeps you grounded. It keeps it "real" and makes you appreciate what you have and makes sure you keep yourself in your life and not above your life. (Side note: if I ever go back to work full time, it would be an amazing blessing to have a house cleaner come once or twice a month. I am not above a little help!) I am going to make more of an effort to "play" with the kids too.
Happy Monday Everyone! I have to go do some laundry now. And clean up the house.......again. But maybe with some appreciation for what I have and a little smile on my face.
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