But First I'll be a Mother

During a recent visit to my Aunt Kyle’s house, I read a poem on her bathroom wall that couldn’t be more fitting for our family and for me.  Ironically, I found out my mother gave it to her.

PLEASE EXCUSE THIS HOUSE

Some houses try to hide the fact
That children shelter there.
Ours boasts of it quite openly,
The signs are everywhere.

 For smears are on the windows,
Little smudges on the doors;
I should apologize I guess
For toys strewn on the floor.

But I sat down with the children

And we played and laughed and read,
And if the doorbell doesn't shine,
Their eyes will shine instead.

For when at times I'm forced to

Choose the one job or the other,
I want to be a housewife...
But first I'll be a mother.

Our days in the Phillips household are always busy ones.  With both of us working and the extracurricular activities of the kids, our time available to catch up on laundry, clean the house, mow the yard and plow the driveway is always limited. 

Above is a typical night of multi-tasking, with one kid in the bathtub, one on the potty, and washing dishes from dinner while Matt was out shoveling snow.  Apparently our sink does not have an automatic shut-off valve when it’s full.  It overflowed, resulting in momentary chaos.

So, as we continue to race against time, we also try to find that healthy balance of work outside of the home and work inside the home, and essential time with the kids.