Did you hear that screaming a few minutes ago?
That was my organized self, the part of me that likes to be able to see the floor and find the scissors... she just had a visit with the calendar, and she started screaming. Because she knows what is coming...
Summer.
Eight weeks of fun, of kids and mama wanting to "seize the day," and every minute of every day, for that matter. Eight weeks of ditching the schedules and the order and the boring jobs for the sake of the sunshine, and for another walk down to the pond to catch a bullfrog. Eight weeks of travel, and camp, and fair projects. Eight weeks of crunchier-than-normal floors, and "how many times do I have to tell you to HANG up those TOWELS!"
Summer is coming, and I can feel myself getting twitchy because of the messes.
And so today, the messes return to the blog.
In truth, the messes never really left. But my appreciation for the messes has.. waned.
For some reason, when I look at the messes through the lens of a camera, my perspective changes.
This afternoon, we painted the sidewalk with cornstarch paint.
Sometimes, creative outlet can refresh me, even if it is on the sidewalk with kids everywhere, and not with my easel on the beach like I might perfer. I painted an iris. One boy painted "a people!" and another boy painted a bomb. My sweet daugther painted a heart.
I moved to a clean area and wrote some joy-filled words. As I went to get the camera, a little boy walked on it and spilled yellow paint everywhere.
Point taken, God.
This is the day, this is the mess, right here, right now. This is the moment God has made. Help me rejoice and be glad in it! Despite the splatters EVERYWHERE, and the sticky remote control, and the chocolate smears on the window!
Here are a few more recent messes...
"Look mama I painted me!"
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The dog water dish, used to make "stew."
The really good idea, right before we go grocery shopping...
(we didn't.)
"You chalked my what for me?"
Painted turtle
Sucker Bouquet
Shirtless bouquet
A flower he shouldn't have picked,
given with a genuine boy grab.
(made be think of this awesome boy post 10 boy Musts- read it!)
Clean up?
Bring it on, dad.
Mommas, will you join me?
This summer, let's embrace the mess!
By which I mean, not exactly embracing the MESS, but the children IN the mess...
who create the mess,
who are a mess...
So yes, embrace the mess.
And try not to twitch... at least not in front of them.
“Clutter and mess show us that life is being lived...
Tidiness makes me think of held breath, of suspended animation...
Perfectionism is a mean, frozen form of idealism,
while messes are the artist's true friend.
What people somehow forgot to mention when we were children
was that we need to make messes in order to find out who we are and why we are here.”
Any messes in your life?
I'd love to see your pictures!
I'll be doing this again next monday if all goes to plan- so please, email me your pictures or share them on my facebook page!
Now, tell me,
are you getting twitchy thinking about summer chaos?
What photo above is your favorite?
Favorite picture is the one with the cleansing garden hose !~! Hose personifies summer to me. Just two days ago my nearest neighbor was watering her yard; I was chasing the toddler and I asked her for a drink. She balked at first yet when I insisted that I have been drinking from the hose My Entire Life (and I'm nearly 57 !) she handed it to me with a "Yes, it is clean, isn't it? And cold here inNo Cal. OK."
ReplyDeleteThe mess does seem t'be overwhelming at times and yet if I didn't allow the mess, the Littles wouldn't be as comfy here as they are. They know where the toys are kept and where they want to be returned to at the end of the session. Considering they are all preschool aged, their clean-up skills will only improve with time.
Happy Summer to all of you.