Wednesday, June 01, 2011

My Crazy, Chaotic Family

I love controlled chaos and whenever I forget, I make myself go watch the Cheaper by the Dozen movie just to get it all back in perspective again. Probably my favorite move EVER. In the general world kids are a complete nuisance and the house should be perfect at all times. Whenever I start freaking out about the house and get annoyed at the noise, I know it's time for me to get it back into perspective again.  The trailer of the movie sums it all up in what I mean by controlled chaos.  Sure, it's chaotic at times but in the end, everyone is safe, happy, and a team.



I can match the condition of the house in the video easily by pictures I have.  I haven't shared them before so people think my house always looks like what they see on my blog.  Here is a before chore time pics and after.

Controlled Chaos.  
Kids playing swords, Caleb was clomping around in his big brother's boots, Charles on computer, kids playing video games.  It was very loud and messy.  I don't even know why the high chair  and kid table was out.


An hour later (after chore time at 7pm)
So if any of my friend or family pop in before 7pm, most likely it's the top picture you'll see.  A full living room with playing kids and toys everywhere.  Plus, it'll be loud.

Ivy playing bow and arrow (in her underwear) with one of daddy's hangers, Caleb climbing on lawn chairs that somehow made it in there from the back yard.  "Not me" did it.


Ashley snuck into her brothers room and was bouncing on his bed.  He didn't know yet....  heh heh.  He has a big sign on his door that says "No girls.  Please knock".  Hopefully she didn't get caught.
Caleb crying in the hallway, needing a diaper change and spaghetti on his face.  Toys everywhere and marks in the wall from skating in the house.  I love this picture. You can see one of my girls riding her tricycle in her room.  This is one of the reasons I got tile in the house.  Kids can ride through the house and I don't have to clean carpets.

Charles wrestling kids

See?  To me, this is such a happy life.  So much better than worrying about a messy house, having quiet.  I had someone tell me they felt sorry for my kids because how they have to share time with us. We have so much fun together.  It's like a ready made party.  Other people may have to call friends to have a lively house but we don't have to.  There is plenty of us to have a wrestling match with cheerleaders, players for a board game, volleyball game in our backyard.  If one person doesn't want to play video games then they just ask another kid.  My kids ask me all the time when I'm gonna have another while the world is telling me enough is enough.  

World, try and beat that.  You can have your money and "things".  I'll take my chaos and fun.  This is a rockin' team.


8 comments:

hlclements said...

I LOVE this! So many people post about their perfect lives and clean, organized houses (only to find out that that pictures they posted was the one time in the past 3 months that their house actually looked that way)Your posts are REAL, your family is AWESOME, and I'm just so grateful to have found you! :)

Virginia Revoir said...

Wow! Thanks for the comment! I absolutely love hearing from my readers. :)

Tereza said...

I loved this post too! And my house looks like thaty 99% of the time:):):)Come over right after we cleaned up and you'll see tidy but with tell tale marks on the walls...come over an hour later and you'll get the real deal. I agree...I'd rather have it like this!

BekLovesJeremy said...

I love your blog. I had four children in four years. Oldest turned four a few days after my fourth was born. Very much crazy around here... My youngest is almost five months now and the last five months have been a wild ride!!! I love my life, but when I get exhausted sometimes it seems like a little peace, quiet and ORDER would be nice. Today was one of those days. Thanks for putting things back into perspective for me!

Zion said...

Looks great to me, before and after. The other day my house was in the worst condition ever and I snapped pics (I am not sure why). I think I could use them to get on one of those hoarders shows and maybe they would send out a team to help fix my house!

Chris H said...

I used to have a home like that... now so many of my kids have left home it's not the same.
Sad ...

Virginia Revoir said...

Messy Mom, believe me, it's gotten 10 times messier than that. That was just the only picture I had like that. ;)

Virginia Revoir said...

Chris, I get sad thinking about that too. :(