...to clean.
I spent most of my day cleaning up my kids' rooms. They clean themselves on a weekly basis, but never to my satisfaction. (Of course!) My middle son's room is quite the terror. It's right next to the stairs so I see it often. Today, I decided to do something about it.
It started off just as an effort to get everything off the floor and into a specific place. In order to do that, I had to straighten up his closet. In order to do his closet, I had to go through his clothes. In order to do that, I had to finish his laundry so I know what he has. And so on, and so on, and so on. So I organized his clothes, both in his closet and in his drawers. I even organized the ones on top of his closet from his big brother that I'm waiting for him to grow into. I organized the toys in this closet and in the drawers beside his closet. I organized his bookshelf and his desk. After it was all said and done, I was quite proud of myself. It actually looks as though someone cleaned it. (That's my biggest problem when the kids do it themselves. I don't usually see much of a difference.) I was so inspired, that I headed to the next boy's room, the youngest. After all, I pulled some clothes out that were too small for Zach, so I needed to incorporate them in Elijah's room. So it starts again.
In order to add those clothes to his wardrobe, I have to know what he has and where. I organize his drawers and the clothes on top of his closet as well. (Where did all these clothes come from? I know I didn't buy them! They have shirts galore!) There were so many shirts, I pulled out the ones I didn't really like just to narrow it down. (He wears the same shirts every week anyway. For a while, he literally wore the same shirt each Monday, another one every Tuesday, etc.) I ended up with a full trash bag of clothes. I guess I will try a consignment store first. Some are nice enough for On Your Left to sell them. The others I will just donate.
Then I got to his bookcase, which was major cluttered, and the drawers under his bed. I also ended up with a full bag of trash! It's amazing to me what these kids keep or are just too lazy to throw away. On to the last child!
JJ's will be easier, I thought. He doesn't have as many clothes, being the oldest, because I haven't bought them yet. He does have a box full of stuff in the top of his closet that I found on MAJOR clearance that I knew he would grow into....someday. JJ's room was more dusty than anything! They are supposed to dust each week and they always tell me that they have. I will start double checking that now for sure! I could have written my name, or a love note to my son, in just about every piece of furniture in his room. I called him in from outside and explained to intimate details of dusting. The rag must make contact with the wood and things must be picked up and dusted under. We'll see if he got it. I also found an unusual number of things under his bed: pencil, spiral notebook, 3 balls, hockey puck, Pokemon card. I guess he wasn't missing them. I also cleaned of his desk. I always tell the kids that the desks should be clean enough to sit there and do homework at. Since they never sit there to do their homework, I guess they don't see the need. They are certainly homework ready now!
So all 3 of their rooms are neat, clean and organized! Until tomorrow I guess.
But kudos to all boys! The only way I was able to do this was because they spent most of the day outside! Yes, outside! We had a neighbor over so they've been playing 2 on 2 basketball in the driveway all day. They are even out there now. The weather was just perfect today! I was able to open the windows this morning and Sparky and I enjoyed our walk much more than usual. Even now the humidity is low and there is a nice breeze.
So, it's off to Target so Zach can buy another toy that I will, eventually, end up organizing or throwing away. Such is life!
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