Clean Sweap

Maybe it was the pediatrician kindly reminding me that in the next 3 month S will be getting into everything. Especially one young man's toys.

Maybe it was the fact that I had stepped on five animals in a matter of minutes.

Maybe it was the passing thought of Christmas coming that reminded me we have nowhere to go with any toys for Sophie and with a playroom that doubles as an office, we aren't finding any room soon.

Maybe it was because today D and I went to an awesome zoo class with simple toys and just enjoyed the time together. (Really, he only want to play at the sensory table and circle time - I think he was just amusing me by attempting the craft)

Maybe it was just the desire to see a clear floor.

"D," I said as I walk with S toward the stair, "When I get down, we are sorting out your toys and putting some away for a while."

Now, I don't want to be the mom that just throws things away without asking, but D, could feel it too. He likes things in their place. He likes things tidy. (side note:: According to Eric, this is all because Eric has this neat gene. His desk at work is apparently spotless all the time. I like to say this is because he has a more technical computer job and I don't which is why my desk at work gets a quarterly sort at best.)

Regardless, D and I played a little Play Room Clean Sweep. I wasn't ready to toss things just yet, but I think if I had said that to Dylan, the result might have been the same. I started simple. Dumped all the cars into a pile and said, "D, please pick five for the put away bin and 5 to keep out." Changing the number just for counting practice. We moved fast REALLY FAST and I now have 3 LARGE plastic bins FULL of toys in the attic and the shelves here are still full - so much for finding room for Sophie's stuff!

My thought is that come late November, we'll pull some things out and perhaps have a conversation with D about giving some away. We are blessed with many things, a huge house with a mega playroom is not one of them. In some ways, I'm really grateful that we don't have this. If we did, I think we'd appreciate the toys less, and just accumulate more and more and more...

After sorting through S's clothes AGAIN, I also think when kids are under the age of 2 there is a constant sorting through of clothes. It seems like one day it fits and the next it doesn't. Things get more nebulous when it comes to toys, some fit, some don't but one really needs to pay attention to see what's really not fitting anymore and then boldly move it out.

My hope is that I can tone down on the quantity this Christmas (Eric and I did good with this last year) and just enjoy the time and space together. More stuff isn't going to do that for us... This year I am not dealing with bedrest and exhaustion in the same way. This year we can go for walks, enjoy the outdoors, play in the yard... less stuff, less to organize and toss and less feeling guilty for not playing with it all...

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On another note, S had her 6 month check up. She's doing just great. 26 inches (still, our measurement at 3 months appeared to be a bit off as it was also 26 inches) 14 pounds 8 ounces - so about 20th percentile for weight and 40th for height. She's eating solids - avocado, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, rice cereal, pears and peaches. The last two she really doesn't like all that much.

Pretty Girl, might be last outdoor photo on the grass like this!

Big brother smiled, smiley girl was all done by this point in the photo shoot.