Sunday, October 14, 2012

Girls, Toys, Dress-up Clothes, Messes,

A couple of weeks ago we had a family reunion at the Worley House. Since it is not far from here, several family members who hadn’t been out to Kenilworth yet rode over to take a look. I was very glad to have them and excited that they were even interested in seeing what we’ve been doing  - however the next time I invite a bunch of people over, I think it might be a good idea to give the house a once-over beforehand. 

I don’t think the girls’ rooms have ever looked so messy!  I hadn’t been upstairs at all that morning since I was preparing food for the reunion.

I swallowed hard when we walked into the little girls’ room. Oh my! It looked like 10 little girls lived in that room and were never allowed out!

But I’m sure it was a good lesson in humility – yes, I’m sure it was.

Of course I didn’t take a picture that day, but I’m sure it’s not hard to find one as a substitute… let’s see.. Oh yes – here’s one!  Nothing near so bad as that particular day of the reunion, but I think it works.  (excluding the little cuties who are always adorable! Focus on the room!)

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And one more…

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I learned a few years ago, that my penchant for tidiness was going to be challenged in a fun way.  I think God knew I was a little too.. unbending, a tad bit too….determined in my desire for orderliness.  So bit by bit, day by day, year by year, I have become much more “forgiving” of messes.  What a relief!  (for everybody!)  Don’t get me wrong – He also designed me in a way so that I thrive in a tidy environment, it just soothes me somehow.  But, when it comes to the kids’ rooms, I have tried to find a balance between teaching them to be good stewards of what they’ve been given, and the reality that sometimes the events of our day mean we go to bed at night, or leave the house for a while, with stuff strewn about.  And it’s ok.

Of course, it’s always a little more gratifying if the times we left things strewn about didn’t coincide with the times we have company. 

Well, like I said, it’s humbling.  And that’s always good. 

2 comments:

  1. Hope I can post this time!
    Were there messy rooms at your house? I seriously did not notice anything like that.
    I love order and space, but I can manage well enough in chaos. That is a very good thing, since we folded a farm-house of stuff into a home that already had a sufficiency of stuff. We also became the repository for the things we kept from Dave's folks. And, given that homeschoolers are notoriously saving of the written word.... Let's just say that we had about 4000 books when we moved in here 16 years ago. I refuse to count again.
    We really enjoyed seeing the reality of Kenilworth after following the blog. You have a wonderful creative bent to go with Glenn and Luke's practical skills. It has been a joy to follow the adventure!
    Florence

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  2. Isn't humility grand? I don't think messes in kids rooms count!

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