These are the days...

I'm cleaning in the middle of the night, now; not wanting to fight with my little people over mopping and towels and such.  It's much more peaceful to put everyone to bed, even the dogs, then swab everything down. We have friends coming tomorrow, from Missouri AND Colorado, and that's part of the reason for the midnight mopping....I know it will still look shabby in the morning, but also clean, and that's good enough!  You see, we have friends with good hearts, who are happy with our hugs and steak, not concerned with our polish.  ( At least I hope they are...)

So, a little bit ago I went into the "guest/kids" bathroom to evaluate, then clean....
It's grim.
There are pirates and mermaids, cowboys and Barbies.
Rust stains threaten to overtake the tub, no matter what I souse on it or how hard I scrub.
The towels are clean, but well worn....we haven't invested in new ones since our wedding, in 1998.
And I felt very, very tired.

But, as I have been mopping on the kitchen, I've been thinking....
(This happens occasionally; don't expect big things, okay?)

These are the days of pirates and mermaids.
Of toads, lost in the toy room, then found again, with crows of delight!
These are the times of LEGOS underfoot, of lollipops half-shlurped stuck to the carpet in the closet. 
This is when the kittens wear dresses.
When the prize in the cereal box is all-consuming. 
When Superman jammies are left in the hall because the outdoors is calling so loudly.
These times are crayons in pockets and little footprints through the kitchen, looking for snacks.
Popsicle faces and Chicka-chicka-boom-boom.
Tears over broken trucks and mean sisters, giggles about farts.
And the most awful "knock-knock" jokes known to man-kind.

In the blink of an eye, we'll be in the world of Nike and IPods, so I don't want to miss this!

Today was sort of hard, for all of us....at least those of us who spend the day in this little home and yard.  We tried hard, but things didn't turn out the way we'd hoped. 
And that's okay.
Because tomorrow, our friends will be here!
Hugs! BIG hugs!  and catching up, and showing of life....CLEAN pirates and mermaids!
Hot dogs and marshmallows and "tell me about how you are, dear"s!
And more hugs!

I'm writing this so I don't forget that the little things are the big things.

The little things are the big things.

Now, where did I leave the darned mop bucket....!?!?
:)