We had our carpets steam cleaned yesterday. Several years of accumulated spills and grime removed in a few hours. Of course the cleaning meant that we had to pick up all the small stuff off the floor... so we stacked baskets from under the kids beds, toy hampers, little chairs, book baskets and all the other stuff my kids absolutely have to have in their rooms in our second bathroom. Everything else that was small and movable we piled in a corner of our family room. When we had finished there was a bed and a chest of drawers in each bedroom. Winter in Tasmania is probably not the best time to wash your carpets, despite the heater blasting away all day it was still a smidge damp underfoot last night. No problem, we left the piles of stuff for today. It looked spacious without all our usual stuff sitting around, which got me thinking of sorting and de-cluttering, maybe some redecorating...make it look fresh and new, change stuff around a bit.
This morning I awoke to find a grumpy boy. He was grouchy, he resisted everything I asked him to do. He snapped at his sister, dawdled through breakfast. Cried when I asked him to get dressed and find his shoes. We were running late. More tears when he realised this because he hates being late. I got frustrated, he got angry. Some yelling from both of us. Finally we were headed out the door and I paused to give him a hug. "Sorry for getting so mad" I said. "Me too" he replied. And then quietly, in a whisper, it all made sense to me... "Today can you put the house back the way it was please Mum, so it feels like home".
So I kissed this child of mine, the one who has never from the moment he was born liked change and took him to school. And then I put the house back the way it was. It may not look fresh and new, and it doesn't look as spacious...but the carpet is now clean, its tidy, there are stories to be found in the stuff we love... and it feels like home.
7 comments:
Awww, Jodie, you have such a sweet son. I liked how he said that it would "feel like home" when everything was back in its place.
Clean carpets are so nice! We need to have ours cleaned, but we are still trying to decide what we want to do w/ our floors. We're thinking of tearing out the carpet and putting down wood.... big decision. In the mean time we'll keep the carpets as they are.
Oh my gosh Jodie, J is absolutely adorable.
I know what you mean about the decluttering, but it's so hard to part with stuff, I find. Although a good Feng Shui tip is to clear everything out from under the bed and you'll have a better night's sleep.
But where do you put all the crap that can ONLY fit UNDER the darn bed?? LOL
That is a sweet story. I love how each child is so unique.
Ohhhhh, what a story ... I think you need to scrap this post! :)
i was vicariously thrilled at the thought of decluttering (my husband? a pack rat.), but then i got all emotional and just-this-side-of-teary at your boy's comment. poor thing. it's worth the clutter if your family feels like it's home!
awww... that is just gorgeous!!!! Clutter it right back up now you hear!
aww what a heart-warming post! thankyou
Post a Comment