More Lucy Than June

Welcome to transparency in blogging.

This is my sink.

This is my laundry hamper. Okay, okay…this is ONE of my laundry hampers.

Two days ago, as I was making yet another round through my house, picking up and wiping up and sweeping up and mopping up, I was swallowed up in my exasperation.

Would I ever be able to not have to keep picking things up? Why do I even bother mopping the floor? The minute I have it finished and dry, one of the girls spills some unknown sticky substance on it.

(Little side note here: I have resolved in my heart that anytime I serve rice, pasta, cous cous, or any other starchy and sticky substance, that I will let the fallen (or thrown) food lie on the floor till morning. That way it’s had time to dry instead of rolling up into little sticky balls when I try to sweep it off the floor. Yeah, it’s probably just asking for bugs. But I figure that’s part of why we pay the bug man to come every 3 months.)

Will the laundry ever be completely folded and put away?

And somewhere in between putting Elmo back in his place and retrieving my Easter-themed salt and pepper shakers from the toy shelf (they’re bunnies and McKenna thinks they’re hers), God quietly spoke to my heart.

Yes. One day. When the babies are grown.

There will be no more middle of the night wake-ups. You won’t need to clean the goldfish crackers out of the bottom of your purse. There will be no more bottles or sippy-cups to overrun your limited cabinet space.

And there will be no more sounds of Mickey Mouse or Elmo floating through your house. You can watch all the Dr. Phil and Good Morning America that you want to. 

There will be no little hands to grab your face and say, “Mommy, you’re a part of my family. And I love you.”

There will be no more broken crayons to trip over, and no more pictures to proudly display on the fridge.

No more diapers. No more wipes. No more….no more….

The thought brought tears to my eyes.

How often we want to run to the next phase in our life. We think that, then, it will be easier. And yes, after we have waded through the baby and toddler years, it will be easier in a sense. We will have more time to wash our dishes and fold our laundry.

But I pray that I don’t long for a clean house more than I do creating precious memories with my babies.

Kenny Rogers wrote, “You got to know when to hold ‘em, Know when to fold ‘em.”

Did he know what us mommies sometimes forget?

Know when to HOLD your babies…

Sometimes when Caia is having a cranky teething day, or Kenni wants to play Candyland while I’m trying to fold clothes, I sing that verse.

Know when to hold ‘em….the folding can be done later.

Much later.