tonight's project

You guys totally owe me. I have been blogging quite a bit lately, and spilling some pretty good stuff if I do say so myself. I think there aught to be a quota.

I've added the label "confessions" to this blog. I have so many things to confess, and so few that I actually will! Today's confession is about the mess in my basement. I'll admit it, it's a bit of a disaster. Our basement is broken into multiple "areas." Half the basement is a wide open, carpeted rec-room. It's perfect for the kids. We put plug-in guards in the outlets and a lock on the door leading to the less savory half of the basement where the laundry room and storage areas are.

Now, I'm going to scatter the blame a little. Our kids are the only grand kids, niece and nephews of both sides of our family. This means that they end up getting really really spoiled when birthdays and Christmas and other holidays (or non-holidays) come around. All these toys have to go somewhere right? Also - you know those kids who actually keep similar toys together in their handy bins? Well mine don't do that. We have one of those bin racks. My kids dump them ALL out, and then line the bins up on the ground upside down so they can run back and forth along them. Or they heap them in a pile and use them to get closer to surfaces they're not supposed to get to - like bathroom cabinets, table tops, counters, stoves. You know, fun stuff that's completely off limits. As for the stuff in the bins, they just throw it around. You know the TV commercials and television shows where there are bubbles, leaves or money floating down around happy people? With my kids, it's hard wooden blocks, toy cars and lego. It's great. You know that commercial where the camera goes flinging down the stairs and the evil laughing child is watching it go down? You wouldn't have to engineer that kind of thing at my house. Just wait for it, it'll happen.

As a result, the basement is a disaster. I am including pictures based on the belief that you'll understand that I have a bunch of kids and a lot of toys, and not just assume I'm crappy at this whole stay-home-mom thing. I'm sure I was upstairs cooking a well-balanced dinner when this mess ensued.


Yes, that is a tractor. And yes, it should be outside.




There are more toys upstairs too. They have LOTS.

Tonight I will be sorting all this stuff into categories: (1) stuff to go back into their bedroom (2) stuff to stay in the basement (3) stuff to go outside (4) stuff that is broken or junky to be disposed of, and (5) stuff that is a little "redundant" and should make a home at one of the grandparents houses to be played with over there.

Good plan eh?

I've also been inspired by Jordan's nursery school. I'd like to arrange the room into little areas. For example; Jordan has kitchen stuff. She has a kitchen with a sink, stove and oven. She also has a picnic table, dolly high chair, some plastic food and dishes. If we built her a little shelf thing she could totally keep it all together (except for the habit of throwing things around - maybe it would excite and motivate her)! Tennyson has a Thomas the Train set that can be added to with kits later. Now, if only we had an "area" for this. See where I'm going here?

I know I can't do all this at once, but at least I can clean it up a little, sort toys and make boxes of stuff to store or take away right?

Wish me luck!