Thanks Ma.

My amazing mother gave me this gentle reminder while she was here.  She was on the rocking chair pacifying Oliver and I was taking advantage of free hands to clean up the kitchen and bathroom.  I stopped in the nursery to make sure all was okay and she goes, "Do you remember that poem that I used to have hung up in the bathroom?  Something like..."Some houses try to hide the fact..." 

Trying to see if I could remember it and kind of showing off, I replied:

"Some houses try to hide the fact
That children shelter there,
Ours boasts it quite openly,
The signs are everywhere.

For smears are on the windows,
Little smudges are on the doors
I should apologize, I guess
For toys strewn on the floor.

But I sat down with my child
And we played and laughed and read
And if the doorbell doesn’t shine,
His eyes will shine instead.

For when at times I’m forced to choose
The one job or the other,
I’d like to be a housewife,
But first I’ll be a mother."

I looked up kind of expecting applause, and she goes, "So why are you cleaning?"

Ah....okay.

The poem is called "Excuse This House" by Anonymous and I found it here: http://www.nannydeprived.com/.