Still Snowing

Cleaning your house

While your kids are still growing

Is like shoveling the walk

Before it stops snowing.

Phyllis Diller

Toddler, sweet Toddler, sits cross-legged on the hard wood floor, surrounded by scattered strips of stickers. Strips of stickers I very systematically stacked and placed into a Ziploc baggie yesterday in preparation for our move. Baby runs between the kitchen and the living room wielding paint pens, one green and one purple. These are the paint pens I placed with all the sundry art supplies just yesterday.

Yesterday, after hours of effort, there was a pinch of order around here.

Today, on the eve of our migration, we are back to full-blown chaos.

This does not panic me as much it should. Rather, it makes me smile. Why? Because this is it. My life. Our life. A life with small children, growing and grabbing, oblivious to moments when organization is important. I smile because this reality of mess and magic will follow us there. Of course it will.

Today is box day. Everything will disappear behind cardboard walls. And I know this process won't be smooth. I know the kids will see it as a challenge. As things go in, neatly folded and carefully wrapped, I imagine a rush of giggles and little fingers. Today, as always, there will be steps forward and back, progress and regress. Today, as always, there will be silliness and sweet sabotage.

But we will get there. We will.

And so. This? This is a little morning ode to the snow of small children, to the exquisite flakes that fall and frustrate, and make life slippery. Today, we will shovel because we must. Because we have somewhere, somewhere good, to go.

And we will get there. We will.

One day, our floors might stay clean. One day, our walks might be free of snow.

Not yet though. Thankfully, not yet.

___________________________

• Do you agree that organization and small creatures do not go together?
• Does the prospect or reality of domestic chaos panic you or make you smile?
• Do you ever imagine a day in the future when more order will be possible? Does this make you happy or sad?
• Wish me luck on Box Day!