An Unorganized House...

Those who are close to me can attest that I have OCD tendencies. I am a freak about keeping things organized, put in their place, and clean. I actually LIKE to clean and organize. I sometimes wish I had one of those TV shows where I go into cluttered and dirty homes and help the owner learn how to keep a home looking nice. A clean and neat home is one of the best feelings a person can have, in my opinion. It's so much easier to relax and be stress free in a clean environment. Everything in my house has a place. Matt definitely thinks I'm nuts about organization at times. He knows where generally everything in the house belongs, but sometimes, even if he puts the item in the exact right spot it's not exactly right in my mind. For example, he may place a picture frame back on the end table, but usually I need to adjust it so it's at the perfect angle. Oh and he always gets frustrated because I tell him there is a right and wrong way to put dishes in the dishwasher. Like I said, I can admit I have a touch of OCD.

In the last 12 weeks my organization game has been thrown off. We still do the basic house cleaning each week but the little extra organization that I do frequently has slowed way down. It's funny because if you would have asked me 3 years ago how I would feel if I couldn't keep my house in perfect shape I would say I'd be very stressed. However today it is bothering me a little bit but not as much as I once thought it would. My entire life I have been the over the top organizer type but I think while going through infertility stuff it came out even more. Personally I think at that time there was not much I could control so cleaning and such was where I kept the power in my life. Now that I have Cole I am finding it so much more important to spend time with him rather than clean. I don't want to miss any of his smiles so who really cares if there is a basket of laundry in my living room (at least the clothes are clean in the basket!) or dishes in the sink. I admit there is even a layer of dust on my furniture for the first time in years. My mom laughs because I now understand why her kitchen counter always had items on it when we were growing up. It would drive her crazy when I came into the kitchen, gathered everything up off the counter and put it in a basket. Sorry mom...

I know my house does not have to be perfect every day. I do not want Cole to grow up wishing I spent more time with him instead of cleaning the house. And I know that won't happen. I don't want to miss a minute with my little guy so if that means less organization then that's fine by me. But, I do think it's very important to teach kids how to be clean and neat. I want Cole to learn to keep his room in good order and I want him to understand the importance of a clean house. I think being neat and clean benefits kids in so many ways. I have a feeling down the road it'll be hard for me to not remake his bed after he does it to have it look just perfect. But I'll have to stop and remind myself that it's more important for him to learn how to do things on his own than for it to look perfect every time.

I'm glad I am finding a balance in life. Our house is clean and safe for a baby to grow up in. But if we have some clutter it's because we are smitten just watching Cole change every day. His smile makes me forget about that closet upstairs that needs to be organized or the fact that our garage needs to be swept out. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Now, if I could just get Matt to pick up his shoes and socks at the end of the day... I don't think I'll ever escape the annoyance of that!