My "lived-in" home!

So, this post is NOT for those of you who have wonderfully tidy and picked up homes. As a matter of fact, if your house is immaculate please don't look at the pictures that follow. And how DO you do it?-keep it tidy that is-please leave your comment and let me know how it is done!

The pictures that follow represent my well lived-in abode. It drives me crazy at times and at times I don't even see the clutter -I just step right over it! I know someday they will all be gone and my house WILL be immaculate....and lonely! I will wish for the days of dolls, cars, dirty socks and little voices yelling my name constantly. So for now, I will try to put my type A personality aside and lived thru the clutter that fills our days at present. After all, it isn't just a house, it is a home.....a well lived-in HOME!

This is our dining room. We have lived here for 5 yrs and have probably dined in it 8 -10 times. Instead it is a great place to do legos and set up the soccer stadium for "baby Xin" and "baby Jaida" to catch some pretend soccer games. Today the chairs were filled with the real Xin and Jaida too, along with their sunglasses and cell phones!

This is Ollie! Ollie was 1 yr old yesterday-note signs on pen and kitchen chair in back that state this fact. The kids celebrated his bday with treats and a new toy. He is in the pen, which by the way sits in the middle of my kitchen....for almost a yr now, because he chews, still, everything he can get his teeth on and he "pottys" still too. This way he can share "family" time and still be under my watch! Also note the play kitchen set-photo right-Xin and Jaida cook here with plastic food and dried beans which inevitably drop on the floor and get crunched under foot!

Ah.... the island. And a great view of the entire scene...cars, pen and clutter. This island collects junk,aka crap, constantly. We had a mudroom with desk and cubbies built so as to avoid this but alas..........sigh.........

WOW!!!!!!!

Notice the dirty socks on the stool, countless receipts for heaven only knows what, catalogs I THINK I am going to look at in my spare time-HA!-and the pile of recycle stuff to the left of the sink in back-"Al and Tipper Gore" here are doing our part for the environment! Actually, this happens to look pretty good-some days there is NO island to be seen under the mound of cr--.
Doesn't this make you want to stop over for a cup of coffee or better yet dinner. You could sit ON the dirty socks, amongst the legos or even in the stadium seating....that is if Xin and Jaida would share their chairs.