Clean or Play?

I love a clean house...I've got to admit that!

When things are tidy, I am happy.  

I have had to let the complete control of every room go in the last several years.  At the end of this past school year, I gloried in picking up the entire house and having it clean on most Monday's so that when the boys got home from school, they would be surprised at their clean room.

I will admit, as well, that the boys loved those surprises...they delightfully said thank you, layed on their beds and said, "AHHHHH...this is so nice!"

Since the boys are home 24/7 now, which I LOVE, there is no time for me to secretly go into their rooms and tidy things before they get home.

There are days when I wish it was so.

Today, I had to relax a bit.  By relaxing, I meant, clean!  By clean, I meant take breaks between homeschool, and by take breaks between homeschool, I meant CLEAN!!!!

I extracted the sofas, did all the laundry, mopped the floors, cleaned the dishes, and I even managed to feed the kids.  In the "break" time, as the kids call it, the said "kids" played their hearts away.  Being that every room except theirs and mine (because Steve has to sleep in it all day!) was beautifully cleaned, I offered them 4 chore bead for a clean room by the end of the night!  They were thrilled...then they started playing again, and soon enough...I was being bargained with!

Long story short...they won, and I delightfully stepped away as they played to their heart content.

I remember my room looking like this as a child. I remember wanting to cry when it was "cleaning" time because I had no idea how to organize everything how my mind wanted it to be!  I see that in my children...but I see a greater capacity as well!

 Believe it or not, children are sleeping in those beds!  

I am grateful the room looks like this tonight.....

......precisely because it meant that they did a whole lot of THIS today!

I cannot explain the power of play and imagination for children.  Since pulling the boys out of school, these kids have blossomed into social butterflies, tighter best friends, and so much more expresive and unique individuals!  I am pleased with the Lord's guidance for his babes....and my babes too!