I Finally Moved In!

Something has gotten into me. Is it Fall Spring cleaning? Maybe it's pregnancy "nesting" without the pregnancy. Or perhaps I am just tired of having boxes of my stuff in the basement. Regardless, I have finally decided to go through closets, drawers, cabinets, basements, garages and attics to clean out baby stuff, beat up kid stuff, mismatched Polly Pocket shoes, legless Barbies, ex-wife stuff, wedding gifts and wedding albums from Paul's first wedding. It has been quite an adventure! I found things that I didn't even know were stored in this house. I have had to make strange decisions like what do I do with a photo album from Paul's previous wedding? What about the wedding videos? What about the bridal shower videos? The kids will want to have them someday, right? Where do I store them in the meantime? I have filled a dumpster (no exaggeration) and have made so, so, so many trips to Goodwill. I have become a joke at work where I question my employees about their hobbies and hobbies of their family members so that I can bring them snow globes and baby stuff and extra clothes hangers. Weird stuff. I was in a crazy frenzy to get this house organized. I stayed up until 2 or 3 am just to finish a closet or a cabinet. I was beginning to feel cluttered in my house and in my head. I made the decision that if in the 4 years that I have been in this house I have never used something, or better yet, didn't even know what it was, then it was time to get rid of it! The end result? I have space! I have organization! I have my old stuff surrounding me again! I redecorated each kid's room by just moving things from one room to another or using things in different ways. Cassie was so excited about her new Littlest Pet Shop set-up (Christian's old train table) and her new reading lamp (Holly's old lamp-she had 4 others in her room!) that she reads at least 20 pages a night in her bed. She cleans her room every night and makes her bed every morning! We choose her outfits for the week and hang them in old sweater organizers that I found and now she doesn't have to have help trying to find something that matches every day!

See this little kitty?  Well, he is the size of a quarter.  He comes with a removable cast.  Did you hear that?  A removable cast.  That little, teeny, tiny white thing on its leg.  Yeah, it comes off.  Then must be found.  Usually smooshed in the carpet.  
In Christian's room, he and I went through all of his clothes and gave a friend 2 garbage bags of things he had outgrown. It meant that he only needed one dresser. Then we moved in a desk from Holly's room and brought in an art easel that I found in Cassie's closet. Now he goes up to his room to draw and color. He's a great artist and makes amazing things up there!
Holly's room is now free from baby dolls, Barbies, Disney Princesses, and any stuffed animals that do not hold sentimental value for her. We were able to create a really neat "sitting and talking on the phone" space for her.



Hannah's baby crib and changing table was given to a friend at work and now she has a toddler bed. Her baby clothes were boxed up to be donated to a local family in need. Holly's old baby doll bunk bed now contains Hannah's monkey and various "babies"! I pulled an old rolling laundry rack out of the basement and hung all the dress up gowns and costumes (that I didn't know we had!!) in the bonus room so that the girls can actually wear them now. This meant that last weekend both Hannah and Cassie were fairy princesses all weekend long!

The sunroom is an arts and crafts room. Supplies are organized in boxes labeled things like: Feathers, Googly Eyes, Buttons, Beads. I have an entire bin filled with nothing but Playdough!!


It finally feels like my home. It is starting to feel warm and cozy.

Then Paul asked me what I did with the CD protectors that were in this drawer right here. You know, those paper/plastic things that you buy at flea market by the hundreds? I didn't throw them away did I? Where did I put them? Why would I throw them away when he needs them? 

Then I beat him senseless with a Barbie leg. When he came to, he apologized.  I did not. 

The end.

Oh yeah, I'm tired. Really tired.