Friday, June 3, 2011

I Love Their Toys More Than They Do.

My house looks like the toy isle at Wal-Mart threw up in it.  I'm at least several years behind when it comes to getting rid of what they no longer play with.  I'm quite sentimental about toys, even if the kids are obviously not interested in them anymore.  It's gotten to the point where it's stressful for me to have so much STUFF around, and yet it's hard for me to get rid of any of it.  I took the kids away last weekend and the spouse threw out a bunch of stuff that was broken, obnoxious or simply under layers of dust.  It was freeing to come home to a few clear shelves, but a little wrenching at the same time.  The Barbie Cruise ShipBARBIE Party Cruisehadn't been played with more than a handful of times it's entire life with us and yet I kind of miss it.  After all, Miss E spent all her  Christmas and Birthday money from Grandma on it.  In my twisted, nostalgic mind that made it "special".  But the ship wasn't special.  It was a pain in the butt that took up WAY more room than it was worth.  So, it's gone.  There are a few other things that I've noticed missing, but I'm trying not to think about them.  I'm going to be strong so I can reclaim my house from Fisher Price, Mattel and Hasbro.   I've given away a few things like the Pack-N-Play,Graco Element Pack 'N Play Playard with Bassinet, Splash the baby swing, Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Cradle Swing
and the Step and Play piano. Fisher-Price Piano - Little Superstar play setHowever, there's more. SO much more and it needs to find a new home.   This morning my goal is to get a couple of our larger things cleaned up so they can go to the consignment store.  I'll have to sneak them out the door and go to the store by myself because my kids are irrationally attached, too.  But, I'm consoling myself with the knowledge that it will be easier for the kids to enjoy the things they really love if there's less clutter and honestly, I doubt they'll ever miss it.  Plus, if I sell some of the nicer stuff it's always better to have a few bucks than more junk to take care of.

Mr. A NOT playing with one of the toys about to find a new home.  He loved it when it was his first gift from Santa, but now he just lines his cars up around it.

4 comments:

  1. I am SOOOOOO with you. Good Luck! Why do you figure we get so attached to "things"? They are unimportant when compared to what really matters, yet we have a hard time getting rid of them. I guess our perspective would be different if we found ourselves in a situation where we couldn't have anything. Maybe I should think about what I would keep if I had to live in my car. That would put a whole new spin on it.

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  2. I think it's A: because I was always a closet sentimentalist and B: because I associate all their toys with particular stages in their development which I want to always remember and C: because I hate to throw anything out that may be useful in the future. Those three things have conspired against me till I'm practically a hoarder! Consigning Mr. A's first gift from Santa was freeing though. Suddenly there is a huge category of "first" presents that I feel better about sending on to possibly be someone else's firsts. Have you heard of the guy who gave away all but 15 of his posessions? He's living out of a backpack for a year. I could never do that, but as someone who's large home is so stuffed it feels small, I know it's time to become more of a minimalist.

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  3. I laughed when I saw that 2 of your 3 biggest give-away items came to my house! We aren't currently using either, but with more kids on the horizon I think we will. I, too, have a hard time putting things away or getting rid of them because I know JP absolutely LOVED each toy for a minute and maybe he'll want to play with them again, right? Sheesh, what is wrong with us??

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  4. Oh Megan, you have no idea how happy I was to give those things to JP. It's SO much easier to give them to someone I also have an emotional attachment to. Alex's first gift from Santa just came up on the consignment store's facebook page and it almost killed me. I don't know what our problem is but I wish it would go away!

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