Sometimes you just gotta...

purge... toys that is.

Leah has a lot of "stuff." If you have little girls you know what I mean: hair ties, barrettes, necklaces, rings, earrings, lip gloss, My Little Ponies, Littlest Pet Shop, Barbies, Baby Dolls, Princesses, tea party equipment, play food, dress up clothes (and those damn plastic shoes), pastel colored Legos, AND all the accessories that go along with these fun toys.

Every so often I go through Lo and Le's toys and do a BIG clean out. I usually do this once in the summer and once in the winter... in between I do little purges here and there. And these MUST be done when the kids aren't home... or I am in big trouble. (Well, Logan is okay with it now and is happy to give his toys to kids that don't have as much as we do or kids that have to be in the hospital.)

Now, Leah's room somehow always gets filled up with junk, I mean, toys. She likes to get everything out, spread it all over and play. And play she does- she goes into her room and tells us not to come in and bother her because she is busy. How is that for independence??? Anyway, she's got a lot of crap. Yesterday, I got a new shelf/organizer thing for her room- and it fits perfectly in this one little corner. I got to work while the kids were downstairs with Anthony, after dinner. I dumped all her bins, boxes, crates, purses, and such onto her floor and organized. Ponies and animals over here, princesses over there, babies here, etc. And all their unnecessary accessories into one huge heaping pile.

In the process, I tossed a few things that had missing pieces or that we just didn't need. Ten baby bottles really isn't necessary. And does one need fifteen little plastic brushes?? So, my "garbage" pile wasn't big but I felt good about my work. I dumped the "outgoing" into the garbage and away we go.

First, let me say, that as soon as Leah went into her room, she started screaming. "I hate this thing. I want my bins back. Why are my toys in here?" (Meaning the new organizer." She took ALL, yes ALL of her newly put away toys out and threw them onto the floor. In case you were wondering, I was ignoring the whole thing and proceeding with the normal bedtime routine. She finally settled down and that was that. I left the toys... and she did put them away sometime today- not necessarily how I would organize them but they were all in the new organizer.

Now, the funny thing is... that when I got home from work this afternoon, I see all the toys that I had thrown out all over the living room!?!? WTF?? Apparently, Leah saw the toys in the garbage bag as Anthony was taking them out and threw a fit. Naturally, as any Dad would, he got the toys out of the bag and gave them to her!?!
Leah's story was, "I was crying so hard and so sad and I couldn't stop so Daddy got them all for me."

So, now I am back to square one...rounding up the toys that were initially thrown out and trying for a second time. This time, I am taking them out to the garbage pail myself- in a double knotted black garbage bag. And trust me, tomorrow, Leah will be fine... she won't even know!

As for the new organizer, at least the toys are in it!!

Video Games

What's wrong with video games? I mean, we're not talking about the "shoot you down, steal your car, kill you games" (although a little Star Wars Legos isn't that bad) but the games where you progress through mazes in order to get a treasure, drive the monster truck through a series of challenging tracks, or the ones where you create a virtual farm, amusement park, or city. And I do have to say, Club Penguin is my personal favorite.

Now, my boy... and those of you who know him will agree, I think... is an active boy. Not out of control (maybe, sometimes) but the kid likes to be on the go. All the time. So what's wrong with sitting him down on the computer to calm his little body? And if I may say, he knows exactly how to log on to his profile, open the browser, and sign on to one of many websites that we've introduced him to. Yes, we've started him on this virtual playground of video games. Now, he doesn't spend a ton of time on the computer, but so what if he did?? Is this bad? Will he not be as smart? Will he become isolated and unsocial? No, I don't think so. At all. Again, Logan is an extremely bright, articulate, and social little guy. If fact, I think the computer helps his overall being... it calms him down, enables him to focus his energy, and develops his fine-motor and visual-spatial skills, and overall eye-hand coordination. I think it's just fine if my boy wants to play the computer or XBox for just a slice of his day. If fact, I encourage it. After all, look at how much time we adults spend on the computer or in front of the box. I know I do my fair share.

UPDATES

Yes, it's been about three months since I've updated... I'm just so hooked on Facebook that I have very little time for other things... anyway, here's a few updates.

1- I read this in the paper today: "Leave the Kids at Home. Consumers accompanied by children bought 40% more items than consumers who were shopping by themselves. Children, bless their little hearts, tend to use a variety of techniques to coax their parents into buying more stuff." by Martin Lindstrom.

My thoughts (after laughing out loud): Duh... no, really? But, not in this household! Never... ha ha ha.

2- Jingle Bell Run: Yes, friends, I am "running" in the Seattle Jingle Bell Run. I have been "training"- if you care to call it that, and actually feel pretty good (although, I can barely walk at the present moment)! Check back with me in two weeks, after the event and wish me luck.

3- Leah had her 4th Birthday: Yes, it was great and yes, I am in denial... I just can't believe she is 4. I really don't want to talk about it, but I will let you know that she is the funniest, silliest, cutest, sweetest, and most stubborn little girl I've ever known. Happy 4th B-Day Sweet Leah. Keep on being the best Little Le that you are.

4- And, NO, I don't want anymore! Very happy and in love with my two... and that's plenty. (Kim, Karen, and others with 2+ kids- I bow down to you.)

5- A and I put up our Chirstmas lights today... and put up light we did! It only took about half the day but... the results are spectacular. As Logan said, "Wow, this is awesome, you guys." And Leah, "Our house is REALLY, fancy now. Really, really, REALLY fancy."

And that's what it's all about. We also wrote letters to Santa, decorated paper Christmas trees, and made a Christmas Countdown chain!

6- K Update on Lo: As reported from his wonderful teacher at our parent-teacher conference: "First, he is the cutest thing ever! He is so fun, polite, and is such a great friend. (After these two comments, A and I are thinking, are you sure we're talking about the same Logan?) He can be a bit distracted but he responds so well to my focus cues. He has a real love for learning and is a whiz at science and math. He's coming along with reading and writing and could always benefit from reviewing his sight words and writing about small moments. He is thoughtful, kind, and has made a super adjustment to Kindergarten."

YEAH LOGAN! You are a STAR and we are so proud of you. Keep up the amazing work!! She also mentioned that he loves the girls and the girls love him!

That's it for now and I'm off to bed!
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays to All!!!

Back to School

Leah

Leah is so into "tea parties" these days. She even gets to go to Abby/Sophie's house and do the "real deal"... they dress up in their finest- complete with make-up, nail polish, jewelry, and fancy hats.

She also LOVES playing with her dollhouse- setting it all up with the furniture, dolls, and accessories. She doesn't actually "play" but just organizes and rearranges.

Leah is the best "Mommy" around- she is always carrying her favorite dolly around, feeding her, dressing her, carrying her, singing to her, etc. It is too cute...

Does this mean...

... that I am a true soccer Mom now?

The Big Night

Little Logan starts Kindergarten tomorrow. Everyone keeps asking me, "Are you sad? Are you worried?" And honestly, no, I am not sad or worried... (maybe just a teeny-tiny bit) but I am happy and excited for Logan. He is a fun, out-going, inquisitive, and energetic little guy. He is extremely curious and he loves to learn, figure out how things work, and make sense of the world we live in. Kindergarten is the "next stage" for Logan. It just makes sense. He loves being with other kids and has always enjoyed Pre-School. I believe that Anthony and I have given Logan all the skills that he needs to "conquer" Kindergarten and the years to come. Sure, there will be good days and bad days but, hey... that's life. Yes, Lo will always be my "little guy" but at the same time... he is getting bigger and I feel that he is ready for this next stage.

So, Little Logan, we are extremely proud of you and excited for your new adventure. We love you and support you in all you do. As we like to say, "knock 'um down" and "go get 'um."

Now, please excuse me as I go grab a tissue to dry my eyes...