My husband and I bought a new home a few years ago and have slowly been updating each room. Of utmost importance has been making it functional for our young children: the basement, a former taxidermist’s paradise with seriously more than a million nails on the walls, has become a safe and secure toy command center; the first floor laundry room has been converted into a much needed mud room with cubbies galore, able to stash anything from pint-size winter gloves to the endless school arts and crafts projects that seem to come home each and every day. All of this is great, and I love the practical improvements that we’ve made. But I love to decorate. It was kind of my thing before having children. I’m not an interior designer by any means, but I love to pull fun and eclectic pieces together to create a comfortable and inviting vibe in each room of my home. For the past six years my decor has pretty much consisted of Thomas the Train and Hot Wheels, with the occasional, lone, little person sock thrown in for good measure. Which is why, when I stumbled across the below ‘Family Rules’ canvas in the sale section of a local store, I was beyond excited! I just knew that I had the perfect spot for it: the landing in my front hall. It would welcome guests upon their arrival, and also serve as a little reminder to all of us to ‘Be Thankful, Be Happy, Be Grateful, Dream Big’. So I purchased the canvas, and my husband lovingly hauled out our ten foot ladder, climbed onto the landing and hung it up for me, taking care that it was level, secure and centered. It looked perfect….for about ten minutes.
Be Thankful
I know that I have a million things to be thankful for. The list is endless, really. But when my son took his stomp rocket launcher and blasted two rockets onto my newly decorated landing, I didn’t feel thankful. I was annoyed, and maybe even a little bit angry. The stomp rockets – clearly featured in the picture – knocked over and broke the flame-less candles that were so elegantly perched on three wrought iron candle holders. The candles were timed to go off every evening at twilight, giving our family room a cozy glow and lending an air of peace and relaxation to our busy and often chaotic household.
Be Happy
Joining the stomp rockets a mere two weeks later, was a mini airplane, launched with a rubber band. When that airplane stuck its landing, I certainly didn’t feel happy. I was irritated. My son – albeit the red-handed culprit – really had not intended to get his toy stuck on my precious landing. I knew that, and I wasn’t upset with him. This time, I was vexed with myself: why were those stomp rockets still on the landing, why hadn’t I taken the time to get them down?! Moreover, had my husband seen them, and if so why hadn’t he taken them down?
Be Grateful
The coup de grâce happened last week. The kids were winding down at the end of the day, changing into their pajamas. The boys decided to throw their clothes as far into the air as possible, competing with one another for the highest launch. And just like that: Bam! A dirty t-shirt joined the mix. This did not make me feel grateful. Instead, I felt exasperated: hadn’t I asked the boys to put their clothes in the hamper? Moreover, what was wrong with me that I still hadn’t cleared all of the clutter off of that landing?
Dream Big
Life with kids is messy. It just is. Today, my three-year-old decided to take a pen to my brand new rain boots. They were a birthday gift from my mother in law, worn once. Then there is my five-year-old, who habitually insists on playing with our label maker. He types the name to each and every object in our house – everything from his underwear to the cat – and slaps labels on them. In so doing, he leaves tiny bits of tape and sticky matter all over the floor, in perfect position for our eleven-month-old to pick up and put in her mouth.
I can choose to be annoyed, irritated and exasperated by these things, and I often am. But if I stop and think about it for a minute, there is beauty in the chaos. My five-year-old has some amazing gross motor skills; no one can wield a stomp rocket like that kid! Moreover, he loves to read, write and spell. Maybe he’ll be an author. Maybe my three-year-old will be an artist. At the very least, we certainly know that he’s developing his fine motor skills by using a pen. The jury is out on my eleven-month-old. Perhaps her current penchant for label maker tape is an indication of a fine palate in development: will she be a chef?
There will be time enough for me to decorate my home in the future, when my two little men and little lady have grown, matured and moved on with their own lives. Right now, my children find our home comfortable and inviting as it is. They are HAPPY here. They feel loved, safe and secure to laugh, play, explore and DREAM BIG in our home. For that I am eternally THANKFUL and GRATEFUL. And if I ever need a quick reminder, I need only glance up at my perfectly imperfect entryway landing, where my ‘Family Rules’ canvas remains level, secure and centered….and flanked by two stomp rockets, a mini airplane and a dirty t-shirt.
