It's is all about balance.

After yesterday's post about the Pop-Tart, I started replaying some of the meals we've had and things I've made my kids eat this week. You know what? I probably do give them proper exposure to nutrition on most days. They don't always eat it all, but they do have well-rounded diets. They get it in the zucchini bread that I bake all the time, they have fresh veggies and fruits at least everyday, and we go through milk and eggs as though my Dad still owned and operated a dairy farm. Which, sometimes I wish he still did. I miss walking through the barn- it would be especially fun now that my kids would be able to feed the baby calves and climb up in the hayloft. I was a pretty little kid roaming around Grandpa's farm down by the creek...those are memories I'll never forget. And yes, I was in 4-H while I was growing up, even though I didn't live on a farm at that time.
That's not exactly where I was going with my thoughts and pictures when I sat down at my kitchen counter just now (yes, I blog on the laptop on my kitchen counter...to keep an eye on the kids), but it's a good memory nonetheless.
In the pictures you see a mess in Wyndham's closet, and two very happy girls in the middle of it all. That was what I got for trying to sneak in a 7 minute shower in the middle of the day. Isabella was playing so well with the Thomas train stuff, and the other two were very content, after just having lunch, watching a video. Perfect, I thought, for me to get in and out of the shower. I should have skipped the 2 minute Maple Syrup body scrub part, because I'm sure that's when Ava opened up the closet and started tearing out all the {neatly, folded} clothes. Yep. I had just reorganized this closet last week- putting away most of the summer stuff and organizing the new back-to-school clothes in their place.
Being the great scrapbooker Mom that I am (remember...Creating Keepsake's Magazine Scrapbooker of the Year finalist?... =) ...just wanted to get that in there another time...only 2 and a half weeks left!), I grabbed my camera and snapped a few pictures of the chaos. I still have some clothes to put away, but hey, I've got some scrap inspiration too!
Then, there's the other two pictures...Bella heading off to preschool again, and then one of her reading Ava a bedtime story in her [Bella's] bed. Totally didn't expect to see that when I went to tuck Bell in last night. But, it was just the moment I needed. It helped me to realize that I'm on the right track. No, I don't do everything right around here. No, things aren't always pretty and picked up or healthy or happy, but that's okay. I realize that kids have their own agenda. They are learning and exploring and growing and figuring things out. I just need to know when they've had enough of something (good or bad) and help guide them as they go through the day. Seeing my girls all cozied up and reading a book made me realize that I'm blessed to be along for the ride. Motherhood (or I should say Parenthood) is a series of connected ups and downs, highs and lows, but I can say, that on any given day- whether it's been an 'up' or 'down' day, it's definitely worth every ounce of my effort. And to be honest with you, I actually have fun doing most of the chores each day. I figure someday my house will stay clean all day long and I'll miss the times like the ones pictured above- even if it is clothes spilling out of the closet all over the floor.
I didn't miss the opportunity in that- I made the girls put some of the clothes back in the dresser drawers, and they had to put their own clothes back on too.