Skip to main content

The toys have taken over!

I'm so overwhelmed! Brooklyn deals with it by playing with whatever she wants and leaving it on the floor...in whatever room in the house she happens to be in.

I've been stewing over this for several days now, and I think I've come up with a plan to deal. Now obviously there is nothing new in this plan. It's all about taking what others say and customizing it to work for you. Here is what I'm thinking:

Brooklyn's toys can be divided into the following categories: Little people/barbie, dress up, home living "baby", home living "kitchen", puzzles/games, and art/school.  So this weekend, Brooklyn and I are going to sort her toys into those categories. We will then sort each category into "favorites" "donate" and "storage". The donated items will be donated to needy children or the trash (depending on the condition of the toy), favorites will be put away in her room and playroom (which are already semi organized to accommodate these categories, it's just overwhelmed by the volume), and stored items will be boxed and labeled, and put in the attic or garage until spring.

I'm thinking we'll use the fall/spring seasons as our switching point for several reasons. 1) this is when we sort through clothing, so it's easy to remember. 2) It coincides with Christmas and birthday -- a good time for evaluating our toy needs, replacing the old with the new, and the outgrown with the age appropriate. I'm also hoping we can use this opportunity to deal with character issues such as stewardship, taking care of our things, gratitude, being thankful for what we have, and assessing needs vs. wants. 

That's the blue print. We'll see how it plays out in the coming weeks!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Day in Jaime's Homeschool (ages 10, 6, and 4)

Our days in this season of life follow a very relaxed structure. Each day has such very different demands. While I would prefer to go with the flow, whatever that may be, my kids prefer a more defined plan. They like to know what to expect at any given moment. So our daily rhythm falls somewhere between these two extremes.  My day starts between 6:30 and 7:00 AM with coffee and my Bible. I love connecting through Hello Mornings because of its grace based approach to starting my day in submission to the Lord. Through accountability, community, and Bible study I get that flexible structure I need - a big theme in my life right now! My "early riser" (the four year old) will often join me on the couch while I read. My husband makes breakfast while I enjoy a second cup of coffee and supervise morning chores. By 9 AM he is out the door to work (except when he's not...because that would be too easy.) At this point I give my kids a warning that we will start our school day at 9...

In Which I Am Inspired

Two things really stand out to me at the end of this jam packed weekend.  First, my mom came into town to watch my kiddos while I attended a two day homeschool convention.  That act alone is not what inspires me, though I am so grateful for her willingness to help when I need her!  In the days leading up to the convention, she took us to the park to walk. We walked and rode bikes around Stoner and Overlook parks every day, sometimes twice! (we are all exhausted!)  When it comes to exercise, I have a million and one reasons not to do it. But walking around with my mom this last week I realized that it doesn't have to be complicated. I don't have to make any big commitments, or walk the track in a certain time frame, or wait for perfect weather conditions.  I just need to get out and move.  I DO need to remember to bring a first aid kit and to SHUT the doors of my car...but that's another set of issues all together. The second thing that inspired me was s...

Dear Grayson,

As I write this, you are about 18" long and 3.2 lbs. About the size of a head of lettuce.  We have approximately 8 weeks and 5 days to go before your scheduled debut.  But here's the fun of it. Daddy and I are planning a C-section, which is traditionally scheduled about a week before the due date. That makes the countdown 7 weeks.  Now we are also dealing with some blood pressure issues, and the doctors are just hoping to get us as far along as we can. The family is starting to take bets on when you will be born. Here is what's going on... Mommy's blood pressure is high.  It's staying around 140/80.  Since the first of the year, the doctors have had me on modified bed rest, meaning that I could get up and do a little around the house, but need to take it easy.  No going to work or hard partying ;0) It really hasn't been so bad. The first week I was able to do some work from home, which kept me busy.  Then last week Atlanta had a tremendou...