Barely...

So if you talk to people who know me well at all, they might tell you I am a bit obsessive compulsive. I might tell you that I am completely obsessive compulsive. Since the birth of Dallin, I have been on function mode, but barely getting by. You see I am the kind of person who likes things done when I see that they need done: dusting, bathrooms, vacuum, etc. I can't stand messes and thus they rule my life because I am trying to constantly keep my house looking like a model home. I recognize that flaw in my personality...because really who cares? I have 4 kids...my house is going to have toys on the floor and sticky spots and dust, and pee on the toilet seats. So with that in mind I will continue. I have barely been functional since Dallin was born, I get things done, but not like I did when I just had 3. I did get the Christmas tree up but it doesn't look "pretty-" it looks like kids helped...and I'm glad about that...even for the knitted baby hat thrown at the top to sit by the angel. I decided in light of my disorder that I won't put everything out for Christmas, just the tree and stockings. I have 3 bins full of Christmas decor, but if I put it up, I have to take it down, and I don't have the energy.

Needless to say I have passed the OCDness on to at least 2 of my children. We constatly have a crisis...whether it be over the way the shoelaces hang on the shoes (Hunter), or if it is getting socks off in the perfect manner (Tyler).

If there is a silver lining to this nuroces (Nyur-oh-sees) ( I don't know if I spelled that right)...then it is that I have had children and this 4th one has helped me let lots of the crazy lady syndrome go by the wayside. For instance, I walk by my bookcases and see that they are dusty and think...I will do them later and I get them done within a few days of noticing rather than RIGHT THEN. I don't do laundry every day all day, it's okay to have dirty clothes in the dirty clothes bins when I go to bed at night. I still do clean my bathroom and the kids bathroom at least weekly, because well, I just won't compromise on that. However, I have decided that it's okay not to have the perfect house all the time, because my kids are getting big too fast and I'd rather play with them...

Now just so you understand, I am not healed by any means, but I have been enlightened and hopefully will continue to be. I will let the little things be, and they won't consume me, instead I will read books with my kids, make cookies, let them sleep in sheets that weren't washed that week- I can wash them the next week. So, during this holiday season, I am grateful for four kids who have helped me refine myself to be not so crazy.

Sock Trauma....it wouldn't come off right...

New Christmas dress from Ree....

Baby Blue eyes...

Texas kept getting in bed with Hunter, and Hunter kept coming in to tattle, finally Hunter quit coming in, we thought it was taken care of and Tex was in his bed, but when we checked them later here they were. Hunter told us the next day that he was too tired and didn't want Tyler to be sad so he just let him lay by him....:)