Well, I am happy to report that I am slowly getting this whole 'mommy to three' thing down. Whew, it has been a rough few weeks! I know in my last post I joked 'What were we thinkin?!' and there have certainly been those moments!
However, I have settled into my groove, relaxed some, accepted that my day just has to start a bit earlier if I am going to get it all done, LOL, but I am enjoying many moments of it.
This mayhem that my house holds, well... it is beautiful! I love the comments on my last post from my friends Cheri and Heather... 'enjoy the beautiful chaos' and 'the world needed some more beautiful souls'!!!
I know these are tough times, I know these are days in which I feel house bound, tired of laundry, cleaning up spilt milk, pulling a biting son off a screaming daughter, 4 hour feedings, spit up and diapers.
Tired? Heck yeah, never been more tired in my life!!!
But the flip side is pretty awesome...
When I tuck Mikah in bed every night, she has to give me 3 kisses... Eskimo, butterfly and a big ole smack!!~
Whenever I get dressed every morning, even if it is a paint stained pair a sweats, she always says... 'mommy, you look beautiful' ~
She loves, loves, loves to dance with her daddy, makes him get on his knees and twirl her, dip her and dance with her~
She told me the other night, as we lay in bed watching a movie, that I was her best friend~
And Jett, my little helper, my little man. He feeds Gus every night, walking a bowl as big as him to the back door, drags the trash to the garage, it's the funniest thing, he actually grunts as he pulls it~
Each morning he shares the big chair with mommy and drinks from his own coffee mug~
He can't give a kiss without the "mmmuuu" sound to go with it~
And Presley, flourishing and smiling through it all...
It needs to be said that I am pretty neurotic. I am not content unless my house is spotless, laundry caught up, labels on food must face forward, only wood hangers in the closet and all evenly spaced apart. Seriously, I could use some major therapy in this area.
Lately though, those things seem a little less important. As I sat on the couch this afternoon and read "We're going on a bear hunt" with Mikah (thanks Zoey and fam, it is a new favorite!!) I realized in that moment just how beautiful and fleeting moments like that will be. The craziness of the past few weeks has helped me to understand that, kinda weird huh?
I am not super woman, and the thing is, no one even expects me to be super woman but me?!?! So, maybe I will hang up that cape, I don't know how easy it will be but I truly want to try!
I realize there might be a day that Mikah won't want to kiss me goodnight, much less give me 3 different versions!! And I have no doubt, Jett will groan and complain when I ask him to feed the dog or take out the trash. And Pres? Well, I would rather have her home more than a month before I start contemplating a future of her growing tired of me.
So, the mayhem that is my life, is indeed, beautiful chaos because of three beautiful souls!
24 comments:
Sounds like you are doing great! The days will STILL be extrememly hard with three little ones but enjoy them and don't worry about that house!
Slow and steady..... holds true for us as well,don't you think?You are doing a fabulous job Kele.Each time I talk to you you sound a little more relaxed.That doesn't mean there won't be days when things seem absolutely ot of control,that YOU don't feel absolutely out of control but on those days let things fall where they may because in the end ,there is much to be learned from "those days" as well.
As hard as it all can be at times...remember and enjoy it all because it will all be gone in a flash...one things for sure....the bads days you won't remember and it you sometimes do...they too will be fond memories:)
Alrighty,there are the pictures! You most have gotten my irate email.Don't let it happen again.Precious,each and everyone of them.
The clean house, laundry done and food labels facing out was my life before my kids. I remember the times I would fret over who may come and see my house "not clean." One day when my daughter was small I remember setting in the chair watching the morning news and seeing the Columbine Shootings. I froze. I don't know if it hit me so hard because I'm from Colorado or if it was because I sat there holding my infant daughter in my arms and wondering what kind of world we brought her into, but that was the day that changed my life. I decided then and there that life was short and who cared if I was a Martha Stewart wanna be, my kids were much more important than a clean house, laundry and labels in the pantry. They didn't care about things like that and surely wouldn't remember them as they grew older. My sweet husband came home and noticed that I was in the same clothes I was in when he left for work that morning, the dishes where still in the sink and the laundry still set on the washer waiting to be started. I was waiting to explain when he came and gave me a kiss and picked our daughter up off the blanket and said to her..."I see you and mommy had a great day, playing, reading books and telling stories, oh how proud I am of you and mommy for taking time to make each other so happy." I cried and he asked me what was wrong and I told him I thought he might be upset because nothing was done, to which he said..."You did excately what you were supposed to do, you loved our daughter and made her happy, everything else can be done later."
WHAT A MAN!!!! I'm so blessed to have him. My baby is now 9 1/2 and we no longer get to lay on the carpet and read books, play and tell stories all day, but how I wish we could.
Your doing an awesome job as mother, which is the most important thing right now. They will remember that you played with them and loved them but they won't remember if the house was not clean in the process. There will be days in the future when that is all you will have to do and you will long for the days with your kids and chaos.
Oh... that was fun to see my name in your post! :) I am glad things are settling in and you are able to take in all the little moments that make this chapter in our lives so incredibly sweet...the "grunting and dragging of the garbage bag and dog bowl"...too cute, and the 3 types of good night kisses...and dancing with Daddy on his knees (reminds me of the song Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman). I just imagine Presley in her oh so cozy looking swing just taking it all in...being absolutely content watching the activity... and being the recipient of her siblings kisses!!
I wouldn't trade this beautiful chaos in for anything, and I know you wouldn't either...even if it means getting up earlier to "try" to get everything accomplished and collapsing at the end of the day only to do it again the next day. But...the label thing...well, we need to talk about!! :) :) :)
I love, love, love your post!!! The pictures are wonderful and I'm so happy for all of you.
Love to read that you are doing well at home ;-) Isn`t that every mum´s chaos? A good friend of mine said to me, when I mentioned that I get nothing done at home, "You know, it`s ALL just temporary!" That helped me a lot! Enjoy yourself Kele,
Love
Claudia
hi kele, this is jessica, heather's daughter. caitlin wrote you a really nice comment and i heard that taylor made presley a cute little blanket, so it looks like i have some catching up to do haha. i check your blog everday right after i check my moms. it is almost obsessive. i check on most of the blogs that she has links to every once in a while but always always check on yours. your kids are beautiful! and has my mom told you how neurotic she is? she will only leave the house if everything is put away and clean, has to push in all of the chairs in the kitchen before she goes to bed, and used to put all of our little dolls in their beds in the doll house at night! so dont feel bad because im sure she is worse! haha
I guess nothing is sacred!Where's the loyalty Jess?Where's the loyalty?Any other family secrets you care to air dear first born?And Kele,I have been called out and yes I must admit ....all true!
I love the pic, what awesome kids you have, some people would give you lots of money for beautiful kids like yours :0) You need to enjoy every waking moment with them,your cleaning and the house work will be there. When your kids are grown like mine you would give anything if you could of done one more thing with them, played dress up one more time, one more story read or one movie watched with her in bed. You would give anything if you and your babies could lay in bed and cuddle together.
What beautiful smile your babies have because their parents have beautiful smile and lots of love to give them to make them happy. Love you all!
My heart just melted reading your update. I love your family!!!!! Your neuroticism will definitely undergo some Presley therapy. LOL That is one gift of many that Tarenne has given to me. Much love Kele!
Oh yeah, definitely worth all the mayhem. They are all just the cutest things ever. Children, especially those with special needs, certainly make you put life into perspective, and fast!
What a beautiful family. Children do tend to change our perspective of life and show us the more important things. You must be doing a great job - they all look like very happy kids.
Kele, I love the pictures that you have added! Your children are adorable, they have brought good tears to my eyes and smiles to my face. The abundant love and devition you have for them reflect on their faces, you have done very well Kele. Like some of the other moms you know, I too can be accused of being neurotic... and yes it does it get better and you figure out what is really important. I have to laugh about the food labels! I think my biggest vice wold have to be making my bed everyday and toys put up!
Life is beautiful is it not? Soon you will come to the realization that this is your new normal and you will forget the days of no mayhem.
I LOVE our mayhem. My house is a wreck but I LOVE our mayhem!!
Look at how HAPPY everyone is!! I love it!
Ohhh - what a beautiful post!!! I need to have some of that cleaning OCD - it would do my house some good :)
I just read "Going on a Bear Hunt" to Brady tonight for his bedtime story - he loves it :)
Presley is looking wonderful, and your house, and all the chaos is fabulous :) You are doing a GREAT job :)
Plus - being in control of your life? Highly overrated :)
Hugs!
Oh Kele, you know, people ask me "how can you do it..you're a much better person than me.." in regard to having 6 kids and of course the last having t21 and I said, "it's music to my ears". If there wasn't organized chaos around me I'm not entirely sure I'd be happy. I love your concept of beautiful mayhem. It's true. Let there be chaos, clutter, noise, LIFE.
I"m so glad Presley's doing so well..I've been following along..such a wonderful family you have there! ~Kitty
Every day it gets better!! hang in there, sounds like you are doing great!
HELLO FRIEND!
I am so glad to see that things are going so great. Your pictures are fabulous. Everyone looks so happy. As a mom of 3 myself, I can tell ya...Girl, it ain't easy. But it is SOOOOO worth it. I've thought of you often...I MUST get better about checking in and posting and all. How is football season? Give all the kids a hug for me, and give Little Miss Pres a kiss for me. Hope that all is well.
LOVE YOU!
AMY:)
I just LOVE Mikah's fashion sense, tiger stripes, tutu, boots, and all... and how Jett joins in by donning a pair of boots himself. I'm pretty sure the two of them are conspiring to find boots of some sort for Miss Pres!
You're so right - your chaos is beautiful. Enjoy it!
you are a super woman! did you hear the new Alicia Keys song? It was on OPRAH 10/2/08(not that you have time too watch:) She just sings that ALL woman are super woman!
Sorry we've missed checking your blog, but a guy named Ike paid us a visit and has kept us hoppin'! Picture me out in the eye of the storm dressed in a garbage sack trying to help Ed saw on our big old pine tree that fell on the street and blocked it. PTL it was the street because the alternative was the house.
I had to chuckle when I heard about Mikah, then LOL when I saw her picture, but Kele, she is YOU back when you were plain ole Kelly! I have countless photos to prove my point. What's the saying about your children being their grandparents revenge???
Now for serious. It took me two major knee injuries and a gazillion surgeries before I figured out that no one but you cares if the laundry's done, the cans are straight, etc. My revised yardstick? If someone's been stuck to the kitchen floor for more than a night... Let someone do something for you - it'll make them feel good and will free you up to do something else that you might WANT to do.
Blessings!
Cathi
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