Accepting the change

So last year Fred and I forgot our wedding anniversary and 3 weeks later realized we got married sometime around this time of year. So I called my OCD Sister Emily who remembers every date in the world sister to find out when I got married. So even after forgetting our anniversary, even when I did remember I still didn't remember the day we got married. So seeing that I have set my phone to remind me every few days that I have a wedding anniversary coming up I've been thinking a lot about how my life has changed in 9 years.
When I got married I was a neat freak, and I was determined to stay that way even after having kids. I was not about to have a bouncing chaotic house, with toys and bumbos consuming my living room, or sticky stained floors. I think there was even a point that I thought I would never dishes in my cupboard that didn't match. I liked a clean house, perfect decorations, my bed made everyday just because it looked nice, I showered daily, and the list goes on. But then we brought our first child home and things started to change. I have to admit it took me a while to accept the change and the more kids we had the more it changed. I would change Tyler's cloths every time he drooled or spit up on his cloths. I would walk around the house trying to keep things perfectly organized. I hated bottles sitting on the counter, I liked them in the cupboard. Then I realized that if I was freaking out at every bottle sitting on the counter, or bumbo sitting in the middle of the living room floor, that I wouldn't enjoy mother hood. So as I sit here now we have 5 4 kids (I almost counted Fred as a kid:)my house is filled with chaos, bumbos, toys, bottles on the counter, in fact I think I have more bottles and sippy cups than I do regular cups:) and many stained, sticky floors. These are the days I look around and wonder will my house ever stay clean for more than 24 10 hours, will it ever be fully decorated the way I wished it would be... And I say yes... it will. This is just a season of my life. What will I remember about my kids when they are grown? Will I remember clean counter tops, or always being stressed about the the piles of laundry? Or better yet what will my kids remember most about me? That I was a good housekeeper, or always running around telling them to pick up after themselves, or how they have freshly washed sheets every week. Or will they remember me on the floor wrestling with them, or playing Mr. Potato head?
I have to admit that I do have my days where I'm pulling my hair out and yelling at everyone that I'm sick of the mess and tired of picking up after everyone...but then when my 2 year old looks at me and says "WHY MOM" it reminds me that it's not about the clean house, or about perfect decorations. I really do love having a clean, organized house! However, having small crazy sweet children has forced me to be creative, to de clutter, and I've definitely become more patient with my messes. I wake up some days saying that I'm not going to clean again and then a few hours later I get sick of the mess and go on a cleaning frenzy, but I also have those days where I just leave it the way it is.
I've been through the change, and realize that things just aren't as important to me as they were 9 years ago. I'm thankful for the change! :) I'm thankful for bouncing kids, and bumbos! Did I mention that I'm 20 lbs ok 50 lbs heavier than I was 9 years ago... I haven't quit excepted that change yet:)