Who made this big mess!

I have come to discover that there is such a thing as too many toys! I've never been an amazing house keeper. I try to keep things livable and make sure we aren't sticking to the floor or that dirty dishes are getting washed etc. When I was single or even newly married my apartments were always a bit messy. I've always disliked the drop-in visits when I don't have time to straighten up. Well all of this had quadrupled with the addition of 2 children.

The girls have 2 toyboxes in the basement, that is the family room/ playroom etc. Ideally that would be where all the toys and mess would stay. Anyone with kids would understand that kids don't like to play alone in the basement while Mommy is upstairs. The toys gradually climb the stairs with the girls until you notice that the main floor is a disaster. It happens through the week until I look around and just feel like screaming. We have several little toys. These little toys, pieces of toys, games, puzzles get dropped on the table, floor then they crawl under the couch or coffee table. Sometimes they make their way under the area rug.

These toys, build up.. I find some as I go through them that should be put up so they end up on the diningroom table or the kitchen counter. We have a coffee table that has drawers just perfect for stuffing books and toys in. The table fills up fast. Yesterday I was filling up grocery bags with little tiny toys. The little People are supposed to be all in Lauren's room... they often show up in the livingroom... a basket full moved in on the weekend. So I walk around filling one bag for downstairs, one for upstairs. I can see the floor again. :o) Then I sit here and look under the couch..... why hello there everyone hiding under there. (My biggest piece of parenting advice right now would be to get a couch that goes all the way to the floor so toys can't hide under it)

Every once in awhile I fill garbage bags with toys to donate to charity. We just have too many. The crazy part is they play with a lot of them. I donate a bunch and the house looks great and then.... a holiday or birthday comes up and a truckload of toys fills the house back up. The girls love it and of course I'm grateful for the generosity of friends and family and that we have so much for the girls. Just days like today I feel overwhelmed with the cleaning. I want to vacuum but it seems everytime I do these days I think I have them all picked up and then I clog up the darn vacuum with something that was hiding. (Lots of fun with the central vac's long hose and tubing inside the walls. :o) )

This is just the floors..... the toys build up because it feels like I spend my days in the kitchen just loading and reloading the dishwasher, cooking, cleaning the cooking mess. Don't get me started on that whole thing.

The part that makes me even more crazy is that I have some lovely kids and when I get deep into the cleaning they are ignored. One of my Aunts who has 4 kids told me when Lauren was a newborn that she wishes she had spent less time worrying about the housework and more time with her kids. I've always remembered that and so I feel guilty when I plop Lainey infront of the tv so I can clean. I know I kinda have to clean so that we don't fall over the little toys on the floor or so that we don't have to eat off dirty dishes.

Lauren is 4 and knows how to clean up toys.. she just doesn't seem to be able to clean them as fast as she can dump a basket of them on the floor. Also Lainey will help clean sometimes, just not all that efficiently. :o) I was at my brother's yesterday and noticed a chore chart on their wall for their daughters. They are 10 and 12. They do some laundry, and other cleaning chores. I can't wait for that day. he he

Just a little grumpy rant.... also procrastination from cleaning after a messy weekend... doesn't help that I try to relax on weekends... the mess grows even more than normal... Arrrrrrg. Luckily when I get this upset about it I usually go crazy cleaning and feel better about it all.... Better get to it...