That’s Piled Bits and Junk, not peanut butter and jelly. Slowly but surely we’ve been bringing more stuff into this house than we’ve been taking out. It eventually got to me and I started looking around at all the stuff… now I’m not one of those pack rats with piled newspapers from 1946 forward, shoe boxes of twist ties and every rinsed out can we’ve ever opened. Nothing like that. But toys are so overrated. They were neatly stored in labeled plastic bins… but I finally clued in that no one has played with them in four blinkin’ years.
My meltdown was quickly followed by a plan of action. I gathered the boys, ages almost 10 and 12, into their rooms with garbage bags and empty packing boxes. Nothing was safe. I yanked every last Lego and Star Wars figure out of that closet and asked every single time, “Do you play with this?” 90% of the answers were no. I didn’t even argue if they said yes. I put the 10% back in the closet, still in their labeled plastic bins. The garbage bags were filled with broken, missing part and written on toys for the dump. Embarrassingly, two large bags emerged. The still-could-be-played-with toys went into boxes for a garage sale.
Where did it all come from? That is the question. I asked the boys periodically where they got certain toys. Seems they came from gifts or other garage sales. THERE IS THE PROBLEM! Why in the world are we buying other people’s junk so we can bring it home to be our junk???? We don’t go garage saling very often, but still. It just got crossed off my list of family-friendly activities.
And can I just say that my boys don’t need another Hot Wheel car for the rest of their lives? They started in small plastic tubs…. and as they accumulated… they advanced several times until reaching the largest uner-bed plastic box that we own. Good grief. BUT, the mother with PB&J meltdown says, they do play with them regularly. Don’t tell, but I did get rid of quite a few that had evidently had fender-benders or mishaps with a hammer and/or Sharpie pen.
Whew. I feel better with the junk gone. Now to hit the game closet, the craft closet, the linen closet and our closet before the BIG garage sale day when we sell our junk to other people so they can take it home and claim it as their junk. :o) This is recycling at its best.
Tags: fender bender, garage sale, house cleaning, Lego, mom, motherhood, raising boys, recycling, sanity, Star Wars
My Sister's Jar 
November 9, 2008 at 7:03 pm |
As you know, I am with you on this, sister. I am vowing in 2009 to not buy my children any toy or nik-nak other than on a holiday. Why can’t they play with what they get for a year before replacing with new toys? It’s a bargain – big deal! I must quit buying “great deals” – that goes for clothes, etc…. we are on a simple NEED TO HAVE plan. We’ll see how that goes…
November 9, 2008 at 7:18 pm |
I would like, SO MUCH, for you do come to my house. I can’t seem to get anything like this accomplished.
A few years ago, I actually rented a dumpster, but ended up just getting stuff she had in the attic out of there. It didn’t help…and now we have another kid.
November 9, 2008 at 9:35 pm |
Jill, Could you please pass this holiday list on to your girls for me: 2009 Holidays New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Innauguration Day, Valentine’s Day, Presidents Day, St. Patty’s Day, Palm Sunday, Easter, Passover, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Yom Kippur, Columbus Day, Halloween, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Just trying to be helpful. :o) Let’s make a non-PB&J pact.
MTAE, I’d love to come east… maybe next spring. My teenage daughter actually does go to peoples’ homes and help clean out the kids’ closets. It’s an international crisis.
November 10, 2008 at 9:41 am |
My dear, you need to purge every 6 months or so. Ask my family. :)
November 10, 2008 at 8:48 pm |
So…you just cleaned out for the Christmas toy deluge, right? Lol. That’s what we did recently, anyhow.
November 10, 2008 at 11:29 pm |
Don’t forget eBay!!! Do not forget your teachings, my young padiwan…your junk is someone else’s “I can’t believe I got that for $5” You know what loose legos go for?? Especially if you color sort. And I cleaned out the pantry today…5 bags of food of “oh, I don’t like that”. Who can you donate open food bags too?? I think I should do an experiment of not buying anything until everything has been eaten out of the pantry, except milk, bread and eggs…in fact we had eggs today, because last week I asked the kids if we had eggs in the outside fridge, they “checked” and said no, so I bought 2 18ners, you know, buy one, get one free….well, now I have FOUR 18ners…so I hardboiled one pack today and will probably make quiche tomorrow…love, obi-con
November 11, 2008 at 9:01 am |
I’m in on that pact Linda. In fact… let’s make it a challenge. Let’s see who has “down-sized” the most by the end of 2009. The one who has the least PB&J, wins.
November 13, 2008 at 9:59 am |
i hope you have not had the mishap where instead to eating the peanut butter and jelly they decide its shampoo! Love your stories! thanks for you comments they brightened my day!!!
-Jenna