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That's what it smelled like in my house today.
My 2 boys and 2 neighborhood boys decided to escape the intense heat and come inside for a little while. Almost immediately, a rancid smell infiltrated my lavender-scented home. Even the cinnamon apples baking in the oven couldn't cover the stench. Seriously, I thought I might puke!
Is this what I can expect from now on since I have 2 growing boys. Is my house no longer going to smell princessy fresh?
Because I don't want my children playing in the neighbor's homes, I open mine up. So, I guess that means it's gonna stink. I mean, it probably wouldn't be very tactful to hand the kids a bar of soap while I escort them out back to the hose. I do make them take off their shoes--hmm, maybe today that was a mistake.
I really do desire to be a cheery, hospitable mom, and since God's strengths are made perfect in my weaknesses, I know He's going to bring me through. I am just not quite there, yet. I do love me a clean, quiet home!!
Oh how I miss hearing Jean share countless stories about raising boys. I have gleaned so many wonderful child rearing tips from her, including how to be a hospitable mom! If we were sitting at my kitchen table over a cup of tea, I know she'd tell me in that sweet, southern drawl, "Brandi, you're raising your kids not your house!"
Feel free to send me your best tips when it comes to inviting your kids' friends/neighbors into your home!!
7 comments:
This is just starting for us. Our doorbell rings almost daily as Emma's friends come over and ask if she can come out to play. So far, none of her friends smell bad though. I think it's a boy thing.
All I can suggest is to light a candle!
What is a "hospital mom?"
Jean sounds like a wise woman. Happy, healthy kids are more important than a spotless house. This too shall pass. Find ways to enjoy it while they last. All too soon they shall be in homes of their own & you will look back on the "stinky days" & remember them as some of the best times of your life! :-)
p.s. A handy container of wet wipes by the back door can be used to wipe off excessively stinky feet :-)
Wet wipes by the back door---now why didn't I think of that? I still buy those on a regular basis. Great tip!
I have been making my kids use wet towels, but the wipes would be a lot less messy. Not to mention my towel laundry might not pile up so quickly!
Oh, so a "hospital mom" is a "hospitable mom." I get it.
ragamuffin...she is gonna smack you. and..why don't you let your kids play at other people's houses?
I was going to inquire about "hospital moms" too but someone beat me to it!
I remember that, as a kid, there were certain neighborhood kids homes we couldn't go into (for very good reason) but the ones that our parents knew and trusted, we could go in and play at their homes, if their moms would allow it. Poor Suzanne Smith across the street, NO ONE could come into her house and play because her mom wouldn't allow one grain of sand or one blade of grass to enter her immaculate home! She LOVED coming to our house and playing in our rooms, making a big mess emptying the toybox and strowing things everywhere and having a good time (i.e being a kid!)! The one time I went into her house (not to play, Lord forbid, but just because she had begged her mom to let her come back inside to get something out of her room), she had a BEAUTIFUL bedroom, a "little girl's dream" as they say, with pretty bedding, lovely furniture, beautiful dolls standing on shelves, etc. I always thought, even at that young age, "wow, what an awesome room, too bad she can't play in here and have fun!"
I would never allow my kids into someone's home that I didn't know VERY WELL and know that they had the same standards, values and morals as my own family, and even then, you must be careful. I did read on Jean's blog (after linking from this post) a very wisely written entry about kids and sleepovers. She has a well balanced and common sense approach to that subject, which would also apply to "play-overs." I had not heard of her before but read a lot of her blogging and she sounds like a wonderful, Christian woman. I shall be reading more of her blogs in the future!
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