Full transparency: 10 things

As I've "lived" in this blog land for 7 years now (I'm not sure how that is even possible that I have found 7 years of things to blog about - however, things have changed a LOT since then) and transformed from an engaged girl focused on planning a wedding to now more blogging about my kids, the folks who's blogs I read have changed and varied as well.  But here is one thing I feel like I've always tried to be - fully transparent.  Because this blog is the journey of my life and I want to look back on the good times AND the bad to remember all the moments.

So here are 5 things currently that I feel like you need to know that you will NOT find in my house:

1. Clean Floors - Nope they are not clean.  At all.  I mean I walk around barefoot a lot and am grossed out at my own house (you know it's bad).  But honestly - how the heck are you supposed to keep floors clean with 3 dogs tracking in mud, foot prints, grass, dog hair, etc. and then 2 kids - one of them that thinks it is funny to spit the food you make him on the floor (I might just smack him) and the other kid that has learned the concept of object permanence and likes to watch as she drops things (food) from her high chair onto the floor.  Just so you know, shoes and socks are not a requirement in our house, merely a strong recommendation if you don't want to be totally grossed out.  I keep telling myself that SOMEDAY my floors will be spotless, but that means my house will be empty, right?

2. Organized kids rooms - Let's get real here.  We are at work/school until at least 4:30, most days we roll in around 5PM.  By the time dinner is cooked and then cleaned up and we get some playtime/errand/something in...it's time for the mad dash called bed time.  Two kids to get bathed, one to pee and poop, another to nurse - sometimes toddler is hungry (hmmm - I wonder why, maybe he decided to not eat dinner!?!),  So you never ever know what you are going to find in their rooms.  Dirty diapers that have been sitting out for a few days (gross), books thrown all over, mix of dirty/clean clothes, random water bottles and even the occasional stale, half-eaten peanut butter sandwich.  Yes - that happened once - maybe twice.  At least our kid's rooms NEVER look like the pictures I post on the blog when they are first decorated - aka not lived in.

3. Put together and awesome home decor - For sure someone who is almost 30 that spent years decorating and DIY-ing her last home that has lived in their new home for almost 2 years now would have that long list of house projects complete and all the walls decorated and color schemes complete.  Ha - what a joke.  I seriously follow some Instagram accounts and just drool at their houses and how everything ties together and just long for that.  But other days, I'm happy with our crazy, messy house just the way it is.  Do I have a list?  YES - it's LONG. Do I have visions and ideas for each room?  ABSOLUTELY - that is long too.  But there is this little thing called time that is necessary to implement those plans, shop for those perfect pieces, build the furniture that I want to build.  And we have these little things called kids that are running around our house that pretty much take all of our time.  Like seriously - when do DIY bloggers find time to do this??  So lost on that one.  Especially the one with more kids and smaller kids than we have.  Oh - and then there is this little thing called money that is required to do all these wonderful plans.  Yeah - again we have these little things running around our house called kids that steal all of that too.  But I'm telling you, in like 5 years I might have that stencil that I bought on maternity leave with Maddie painted on the accent wall in the dining room.  But maybe not and I'd be ok with that too.

4. Organized laundry room - Pinterest and those pictures of such organized and gorgeous laundry rooms.  WHERE IS YOUR LAUNDRY?  I pin and pin and pin ideas on how to make mine "pretty" and "organized" and "bright" in hopes that maybe it will make me happier due to all the time I spend in there.  But nope - our laundry room will never look like that.  We literally do 1-2 loads of laundry a NIGHT people.  I never thought it would be like this either.  Never.  We were "we do laundry on Sunday" only people before we got married.  Now with work out clothes, work clothes, kids school clothes, kids that have multiple blow outs a day on their school clothes, kids that have potty training accidents in their clothes, kids that pee in their shoes and on their socks and on their blankets and on and on and on. LAUNDRY NEVER STOPS PEOPLE.  So nope, I need to get over the fact I will never have an organized laundry room.  At least for another 20 years.

5. A tidy house - this applies to random pictures that people take and post.  Where is all their STUFF?  Like where do people put all the stuff they use on a daily basis?  Like a lunch bag?  I throw that on top of the fridge every day - I mean not tidy or fancy, but I find it super inefficient to put it away in the pantry every afternoon just to get it right back out again.  What about like papers you reference everyday - where do those go?  I'm just amazed at how tidy people's houses are and then I wonder where all their stuff is and where I can just throw all mine? haha for reals.


But here are 5 things you will ALWAYS find in our house:

1. Dinner on the table every night.  My mom did this, Jimmy's mom did this and we do this.  We cook something every night and all sit down to eat dinner.  And we will do this as long as we can and we love it.  While it's not always possible with meetings, etc. and won't be once sports, activities, meetings, etc. start when our kids are older - we will take advantage of this time.  Already, Charlie has proved to be quite the dinner entertainment doing his silly walk up and down the bench and Maddie dangling her yum yums for the dogs.

2. Double bath fun.  This won't last forever - but for now we all gather in the kid's bathroom and enjoy some splashing and music.  Most of the time it ends in someone crying/screaming/peeing on something...but at least we tried and our kids are clean, right?

3. Parents who struggle daily with patience but love our kids uncontrollably.  Enough said.

4. Laughter.  While there is some toddler drama and infant tears, we have our fair share of belly laughs that come along with playing together, wrestling, playing with swords and princesses, etc.  I hope that never ever stops and I don't think it will.

5.  A kiss and a hug.  Every night.  Each night, after baths and Charlie and Maddie are in their pjs, Charlie cannot wait to run into Maddie's room and jump up on her chair to give her a kiss and hug and then give one of each to me too.  It's literally my favorite time of night.  Maddie is usually nursing and the lights are off in her room and he walks in with Jimmy and goes "GOT TO BE QUIET" but pretty much yells is and defeats the purpose, but it's still cute.

So there you have it - 10 things I feel like you needed to know - or that I needed to document in my life at this point in time.