I was cleaning during nap time one afternoon. Bend down, pick up a toy, raise up, put it away. Rinse and repeat about a thousand times. When all was in its place I plopped down on the couch with a diet coke and started reading. It didn’t keep my attention long so I looked up and just scanned the room for a minute.
Most of our house is painted builder’s grade beige. I wanted beige. I wanted calming colors that made my house look like Pottery Barn. I had grand plans to place decor all around and fill our walls with fancy paintings and frame galleries. Everything would look clean and inviting and perfect.
Perfect is such a silly word, isn’t it?
Right now our house is filled with toys. Instead of a gorgeous plant in the corner there is an orange drumset. Instead of pretty baskets in our bookshelves there are bins filled with hot wheels.
I look around and I’m surrounded by primary colors. It used to bother me but in that instant I realized it doesn’t really bother me at all anymore.
Because if I didn’t have my boys there wouldn’t be any primary colors. Our house, my life, would only be beige and boring. And who wants to live in a Pottery Barn page anyway? I’d like to live in Oz or in Wonderland or in Sesame Street. It seems like it would be more fun there anyway.
Red, orange, blue, yellow, green, purple, pink. Everywhere I look my kids are there too. Little reminders that I have the amazing privilege and blessing of being a mama.
Nothing is better than that.
The expensive lamps can come out when they leave for college. I’ll appreciate the primary colors in my house for as long as I have them.
Twitter: Kyleyleger
says:
Good reminder to appreciate what we have and not lust after the “perfect.” I choose to embrace the primary colors too!
Have you ever seen Elmo in Grouchland? When I saw the “Grouch colors” and all the eclectic messiness of Grouches, I realized I’d been mislabeled as a human.
Brandee recently posted..Slapped Cheeks
No, I’ve never seen that. I like eclectic messes
I was just thinking something like this yesterday. While trying to rearrange things in our living room I caught myself getting frustrated at things that didn’t match or I couldn’t find the perfect place for. Then I realized that 25 years from now I will miss having the toys and mats and baby equipment around, so now I’m so glad that’s it here.
Kimberly recently posted..The Real Reasons Why I Had Kids
Exactly, Kim. Let’s be thankful for the NOW instead of trying to live in perfection.
Twitter: momgosomething
says:
We had a dog and then we gave up. We figured that when he stopped chewing, we would re-do everything. He’s 9 and still an asshole.
Then we had a kid.
End of story.
Kimberly recently posted..Three Letters
Ha! I’ve kind of just given up too. For the time being anyway. I’d rather them have fun than have nice things
I actually LOVE primary, bold colors in my house—not necessarily for my walls, of course. But I do like the brights.
Beautiful post, Molly. Have been thinking of you with all of your snow!! It’s like you are an honorary Wisconsinite now! (Except we’d never have work closed for that long…insane and awesome!!)
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Yep. Our lives aren’t perfect (or like the Pottery Barn catalog) but they’re still pretty sweet. I’d love to have the walls painted around here too…I’m thinking a warm, golden yellow.
Sage Grayson recently posted..Kill Your To-Do List With a Sense of Urgency
I used to want a PB house too. Now I just want a comfortable, fun, happy-colored house. I love this.
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