Cherish the Chaos

“You’re gonna miss this, you’re gonna want this back, you’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast…” Some of you may know this song by Trace Adkins (“You’re Gonna Miss This”).

That is what I tell myself as I have just found the crayon masterpiece that my 2-year-old left behind on my freshly painted white walls. There are also the crayon marks that he has left on the arm of the couch to match (I mean, who doesn’t love a good matching set). Before you go saying, maybe you shouldn’t leave crayons out for him to get – I promise this child has a secret stash hidden! He is like a baby Houdini; there is not a crayon or writing utensil in sight and out of thin air, one will appear.

When I see toys strewn about and piles of laundry stacking to the height of what appears to be Mount Everest, I keep telling myself to cherish the chaos.

Maybe that is my new mantra – cherish the chaos!

I know that one day there will be a somberness in the house, no tiny handprints on all the glass windows/doors, the screams of “Mom” and “Mommy” will no longer ring through the house. I know for certain that I will want to go back to these days.

There are times that I swear I cannot even take a shower in peace. The moment the bathroom door closes, I hear the knocks and screams. One day you are going to miss it. Sure, maybe now you want that hot shower in peace. Soon enough your kids will be grown, and you will get the alone time that you have been craving. Just think, years down the line, we will probably be saying I wish that my kids needed me in the same way that they used to when they were young.

So just how do we as moms try to accept all the commotion?

For me, I have realized it does not matter that the toys are not put away – that just means my kids had a great time playing with one another. Sure, maybe the dishes are piled up in the sink but that probably means we just had a great day of eating together as a family. Trying to find the happiness and positivity behind all the chaos is what makes it easy for me.

Mustering the patience for “artwork” and messes seems rather simple, but some days, it seems harder than others. It is all just a phase that will pass and when it does, we as moms will wish that we could go back. We wish the time away and wish that the kids would grow through the stages relatively quickly. For now, maybe we should try to cherish the chaos!