We school primarily in our dining room, and by the end of the day, our table looks like this:
Even though we pick up thoroughly before each meal and bedtime, it’s quite possible that come three or four o’clock in the afternoon a small child has been lost in the disarray.
The swiftness with which this room can fall from order never ceases to surprise me. I have and odd affinity for all the mayhem though, maybe because it means life is taking place. Or I might just enjoy the excuse to shout out like my Grandma, “this room looks like the War hit it!” which always brings its own kind of joy.
That’s not to say the mess doesn’t drive me crazy. It does. I like neat and tidy living spaces, and it took me a long time to be comfortable with the daily fallout of eight people dwelling in one house. (And I can hardly complain. Our kids are awesome at cleaning it all back up.) But I’m finally at peace with the chaos; it’s okay for things to get messy, it’s okay for our homes to pulse with the lives that dwell within.
Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, right? But much increase comes from the strength of the ox.
Pockets of peace make all the difference for me, though, even pockets like this where the angel stands with broken wing.
What about you? Please tell me your school spaces, or child spaces, or–ahem-your own spaces erupt into chaos. When they do, how long do they stay that way? Are you frustrated by the mess, or does it bring its own source of joy? How do you cope with child-mess in particular, day in and day out?
Oh, so beautiful. I love your home and the rooms as they are.
Thank you, Silvia. I do too.
I have half as many kids as you do, and a far less tidy house! 😉
I love your pocket of peace. I have a couple, myself. My mantle is a good one. My office is supposed to be one, but it is a thoroughfare to the basement, and so lots of things make their way in here and stay. Once something is looking cluttered, my tendency to tidiness begins to dissipate drastically, and then I become part of the problem as well. 😉