Confession time.

I hang out at a cool message board for secular homeschoolers. There is a lively and interesting conversation happening there right now on how to achieve the balance between running an efficient household and finding time to smell the roses--with and without your darling offspring. The women at this message board have the added challenge of teaching their kids at home, in addition to all of the other things that must be done in a day. I find myself struggling every day to figure out how not to get buried under housework and still have fun and play with my kids. We have been helping each other out by supporting each other and offering helpful hints. Check it out for yourself. (I'll wait.)

In addition, we also want to reassure each other that ours is not the only home around to be in a constant state of disarray. The challenge has been given to take pictures of the common areas in the house as they are in their natural state; as opposed to the state they are in just before the inlaws come to visit.

Here is my confession:
These pictures show the areas in the house the kids play the most: the living room and Emmett's room. This is how they look most days of the week. Note the rack with bins designed to organize toys sitting empty with bins scattered around the room (there is a bin on the main floor too) The second I tidy any of these areas within minutes they look much like this again.
I have decided that clean is more important than tidy in my house so that means that the bathroom and kitchen get almost daily scrubbings, the floors get vacuumed a few times a week, and the toys stay where they are most of the time. I have started keeping track of how many days it's been since I've yelled at the kids. I have decided this is more important than how my house looks to outside eyes.

Click on any of these pictures to enlarge them, if you feel you must see my mess full-size.






Ok, how tidy is your house right now? Spill! Post pictures at your blog if you are brave enough.