What Kind of Example is My Messy Room!?

"Why should I clean my room, Mommy, when your's is such a mess?"

My mouth dropped open. I'm sure a fly might have flown in, buzzed around a bit and left. Those were the words that came out of my oldest, my 6-year-old's, mouth. Sure, I might have been scream yelling at him to clean his room for the last few hours days prior to that question's utterance, just to get the house ready for guests. But, come on. Your 6, child!

How do you respond to a statement such as that? How do you combat the logic and reasoning presented to you by a 6-year-old mind? Because, it's true right? I mean, what have I shown my son besides a messy room? What kind of example am I leading?

We celebrated the baby's 1st birthday a few weeks ago. It was glorious. Funfetti cake with bright blue frosting... The kids were playing their little hearts out in the backyard... We spent the better part of a week cleaning the same parts of the house over and over again just to be ready in time.

As a friend of mine went through our master bedroom to use the bathroom (the guest bath was occupied) I cringed at the thought that she would have to traverse the tiny pathway and actually see the mess! Oh good gravy, the mess... The Mess... With all the yelling and watching and supervising, I never got to lay a finger on my own room.

How much time a day do you talk to your kids about cleaning up? I am pretty sure I tell my kids about 10 million times. Ok. Maybe not that many times. But, I'm sure it's a lot. I tell them to clean up if they want to watch tv, clean up if they want candy, clean up so they can drive their power wheel car outside, clean up for this, clean up for that. I am sure I say it 10 million times more than is absolutely necessary.

But, how often do they see you cleaning? I am pretty sure I spend most of my time standing at the sink washing the gazillion bowls they thought was necessary for breakfast. Apparently a kid needs more than one bowl for cereal in the morning. I don't understand their rationale, or how they manage to get the bowls. I place them high in the cupboard on purpose. They are ninjas... But, do they see me tidying up my own things? Not really. I leave them where I put them, set them down on the counter real fast so that I can pour a glass of milk and forget what I was doing in the 10 seconds the action of pouring milk takes. They don't see me clean.

After everyone at the birthday party went home, we were left behind to take in and absorb the shambles that only a really good birthday party leaves in it's wake. I walked into my kids' rooms and saw the mess. My son looked at me with defeat in his eyes. I just shook my head, shrugged my shoulders and gave him a hug. "did you have fun with your friends?". "yes" he told me. Then I walked to my bedroom and looked at the mess there. No one except my 1 friend went through there and it was worse than my son's room. What am I showing my son? What kind of example am I setting with my own room a mess?

Have you read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up (check out my initial review here) or ClutterFree with Kids (initial review here) or Allie Casazza's Blog? Even the multitude of the organizing/tidying/purging/cleaning facebook groups say to do the same thing when it comes to teaching your kids how to clean/tidy their own spaces. I'm sure if I search harder I could find it stated more. Lead by example. Eventually they will do it too. 

Really, that's what I need to do to get my kids to clean their rooms? Lead by example? At least that's the position we are in now. The towers of boxes and books and fabric and patterns all need to get torn down, purged/cleaned/organized. No matter how long it takes, I need to clean my own stuff and my kids need to see it being done by me. 

Maybe they might not clean it right away. Maybe they will find another excuse. But if I can get it under control at least I am leading by example, and they will learn through their interactions with me and my things. At least I wont hear him say "why should I if you don't."

My Craft Space

I am excited to show you my craft room, though right now it isn't nearly anywhere I want it to be. But hey, it's a craft room and it's usable! :)  And, it is a lot better than what it used to look like. Isn't it just the way that things seem to go, the craft room or spare room seems to turn into a catch all for stuff around the house when trying to clean... Maybe if we had spots for everything it would be easier, or not as much stuff.... ;)

So when you first walk into the craft room, to the left is the desk where my sewing machine is located. I love the size (though a little big for the room). We acquired it in the move into this house 5 months ago. Brandon wants to cut a portion off the table to set the sewing machine down into it, but I don't think that is going to happen and now I am not sure if I want it to. The red chair was an acquisition with the house too.

The drawers are filled with scissors, sewing notions, thread, bobbins, old eye glasses and other crafting supplies, even baby food jars!

On the other side of the desk is an old couch that folds out into a bed but I am not totally taking a picture of that as it is in need of reupholstering, not to mention is has a box of carousels in need of a home and my yarn supplies for crochet work.

One more look at my Huge desk... It's awesome...

I have my ironing board set up in front of the window. That window gets so hot during the day. I think this room is one of the hottest in the house! I would show the view, but it is of the broken trampoline and the chicken coop. Granted the mountains are awesome, but not the other things...

My one bookcase is crammed with fabric in photo boxes, books, papers, albums, crayons and markers... I think I need more bookcases, but there is no room for them. The small plastic containers holds my scraps and WOF cuts organized by size. I very much prefer having these sorted by size than by color. If I need something 1.5" then I go into that container. It's so easy! The photo boxes are organized by color. :)

Then it is my craft table. Brandon made it when we lived in the old house. It's great for scrapbooking when I am putting my layouts together. I like to spread out. Course now it spans almost the full length of the room! The unpainted top was supposed to be a second table, but I am not sure the plans with it now...

I like my little cork display above the table... and my music notes...

This just makes me happy...

My grandpa made this, and my grandma painted it. It will always be special, and hopefully the current children can keep all the pieces together!

My project wall. A simple fleece blanket pinned to the wall. It works for what it has been used for. Right now it is sporting the blocks I got from the baby shower. I am still waiting on a bunch and trying to figure out the layout which has changed many times and probably will again before it is actually pieced together...

Last but not least, my music notes above the door... :)

I am linking up at Ellison Lane: Studio Spotlight Linky Party! :) Check out the craft/sewing spaces of others for some inspiration, admiration, or just to snoop... ;)

Baby Shower, Swimming, and Other Things...

This last Sunday my good friends Beth and Arlene threw me a baby shower for Samara. I am just so thankful for all the people that came out, and sorry we missed the ones who couldn't make it (it's ok, we should get together later!)...

Nikolai and I went swimming on Monday in a blow-up pool that we bought last year (and hardly ever used) He is so cute and had so much fun!

I had a doctor appointment on Wednesday, and I have some news about that too! So... Here we go...

Yummy Cookies!

I am so thankful for Fridays because they start my weekend! Especially lately with feeling super tired every day after work, and the heat is starting to kick in. On Wednesday I swear I put a lot of miles on my shoes just running back and forth trying to keeping things somewhat calm in a crazy 5th grade classroom that had a sub. Substitutes are not good for some of the kiddos on my caseload because of lack of structure and the change. It doesn't help when outside forces add to the behaviors of those kiddos!

The Need to Craft

I feel as if I am going to go crazy! I have taken two scary naps today because I just sat down and passed out! Them being scary because Nikolai was up and awake. The first one he managed to dump left over cereal onto the floor. The second one he had managed to get into the candy container on the counter and sneak out a werther's original. But after a week with 2 stressfull IEPs, prep/planning and having a formal observation, and still trying to get stuff unpacked, I feel that I need to just do something that doesn't involve work, cleaning, unpacking and is just fun. I need to be creative and to be crafty!