I'm Growing

I consider my self a neat-nik and a clean freak, especially in my kitchen. It's my little piece of heaven, that place. Sadly, its the only room in the house I clean on a consistent basis besides the bathrooms. I do not like it when things aren't in place and put away in there. I even try hard to keep toys out of the kitchen.. that one's tough due to how life is these days, but I give it my best shot!

Lately Matthew has had his (not so) "Happy Hour" of the day right about 4-4:30pm. Usually right when I need to be thinking about dinner or getting it started. He is probably tired and hungry, and he is uber fussy, super clingy, and will just scream if I am not holding him. Good times. What's even better is when Doug gets home around 5:30.. he is happy as a clam. Stinker. Needless to say, getting dinner on the table has been no small feat as of late.

Today I was ready to start getting dinner going and right on cue, Matthew gets fussy. Evelyn was running around like a tornado (she took a loooong nap and was realllly wound up) and somehow I left the pantry door open. Usually its a cardinal sin to leave it open, knowing that my sweet boy will empty most of the contents he can reach onto the floor, which drives me batty (to have my kitchen floor cluttered, that is)!

BUT... today, instead of closing and locking the door quickly, I watched as both kids started pulling out and playing with the pantry goods together, laughing and having a great time. AND I LET THEM KEEP DOING IT!

Then.. the "pan holder" drawer below my stove came open and thing started flying out of there quickly, too. AND I LET IT FLY!




And I got dinner going. In peace. With both hands. With a BIG mess on my floor. It was wonderful!

I then got them doing something else in the living room and I cleaned up the carnage on the kitchen floor while dinner cooked.

Without grumbling and with a smile on my face.

I'm growing.