My house is an absolute mess, but my family had the best weekend ever.  

This past week was one of the busiest of the year thus far.  My youngest turned one year old and we hosted a huge party in our backyard. My best friend was in town from out of state and we spent long afternoons cruising the river on her boat and evenings eating takeout and ice cream.  Our friends hosted a cookout and we let the kids run wild in the sprinklers and sandbox. The weather was sunny and warm and 90% of our days were spent outside. 

Guess what I didn’t do?  Clean.  At all.  When I woke up this morning I was suddenly very overwhelmed with the mess I had allowed to exist in our usually clean home.  Pizza boxes all over the countertops, gift wrap strewn in the corners, dog hair from lack of vacuuming.  And I don’t even want to think about all of the laundry that has accumulated.  Just as my brain was starting to spiral, my 2-year-old came into the room with the cheesiest smile on her face chatting on and on about her sissy’s birthday party.

Then it hit me.  These were the best few days we have spent together as a family in a long time. We created memories that I will cherish forever. My daughters spent time with our dearest family and friends experiencing all the best parts of childhood. Everyone had too much sugar and not enough sleep. But that’s okay!   

This shift in perspective is something that I am learning to come to terms with in these early years of motherhood. My house is a mess because I have a husband, two small children, and three dogs who live here. This is their space just as much as it is mine. They deserve to have a mother who is present and fun and not spending every free moment obsessively cleaning.  

My house will never be as clean and as organized as it was before children.  There is always going to be something to wipe down, vacuum, and scrub.  This is just my life now.  But dang, I am sure lucky to live this life.  

By Alyssa Dock for BlueWaterParent.com