Too many games

Yesterday my daughter told me she had too many games. She voluntarily gave up one game which I could try to sell through Craigslist. I tried, once, to talk her out of it. It was practically a brand new game. I just bought it for our trip to England earlier this spring. She has played with it about two times. I loved it. You collected socks from the sock monster and could win clothes pins. (It's a game called Lucky Sock Dip from HABA-great toys!) I then decided I should not talk her out of it. I am trying to convince her to get rid of some of her toys. It's kind of a slippery complicated Mommy made slope. I have bought her more than she needs and more than she has asked for. It's easy to do. Shop at garage sales and thrift stores and you can acquire a lot of neat stuff for not a lot of money. It no way justifies getting STUFF-simple because it is inexpensive doesn't mean you should buy it. It doesn't always end up being quite the bargain you thought once you have to find a place for it and clean it and deal with it once it's become old and boring.

I was very proud of her for giving up a toy. She has loads more I wish she would give up, but perhaps that will come with time. I have been watching and listening to my daughter a lot lately. She is more like me than I think. She gets overwhelmed with her stuff. Especially when it is time to clean up her stuff. I just don't think she has the concept or the words to fully express this feeling she is having. I am trying to help her just as I am trying to help myself. I was explaining today how we should give up at least one item for each "new" one we bring into the house.

I am wondering now why I haven't listened more to these words myself. I clear out loads of my books and trade them into our local bookstore only to discover I can order wonderful children's books (for myself, the budding children's writer) from Amazon.co.uk. They are great and aren't ones released yet in the U.S. So now I have undone all that uncluttering I just did these past few months. Hmmmm....

So how do we help ourselves and our children to lessen the burden of stuff and the overwhelming feelings that stuff gives us? I wish for a magic wand. I wish for a clutter free mentor to come show me the errors of my ways and take the extra stuff away. One huge relief came to me yesterday after my daughter's voluntary releasing of her game: I can, without any guilt, tell the grandparents and relatives to not spend money on stuff this year. We can upgrade my daughter's play kitchen to a beautiful wooden one like she'll play with in her Waldorf Preschool. They can help contribute to her "new" bunk bed which will replace her crib/toddler bed. One thing in, one thing out. Nothing to overwhelm any of us and we'll all get what we need, not just what we want and will possibly regret later.

Now to declutter those bookshelves...magic wand work your magic.

Several days later at Sleepy Cottage

I have been trying to see my house in the light of the fact it will be paid off in less than four years. This strange new idea comes at my brain and heart in a myriad of ways, good and bad. First in order for my husband and I to accomplish this feat, we will be taking all of my available retirement account and cashing it in. I still have part of it for when I truly "retire" but a huge chunk will be used to pay down the principal of the house. This scares me. I wish I could say otherwise, but it scares me. I have no liquid assets that are just mine, no money, no job. I have been a stay at home mother for almost three and a half years since a week before Em was born. What if my husband and I go our separate ways? I have no money of my own. I wish I didn't harbor any of these thoughts, but they push their way through my brain. Nothing rational, no reasoning behind the thoughts. They just scramble around and arrive without any invitation.

On the flip side of this, we will own our house in less than four years. My daughter will not even be eight years old and will live in a house that is truly owned by her parents. Her home will be secure. That is an amazing feeling and I am so excited about that. But also, we will own this house THIS HOUSE that sometimes drives me crazy! It needs a new roof, a new paintjob, better lighting, a completely new master bathroom due to an ugly mold problem due to shoddy workmanship. Do I really want to own this house? But then I think of what DH said...we can finally afford to fix things. True, no house payment would mean more spare cash for repair and renovation.

All in all this is a good decision. My daughter was made in this house; she has lived here her whole life. I was proposed to in this house. We plan our future here; we disagree here; we make up here; we dream here; WE LIVE HERE. Sleepy Cottage has given me food for thought as usual. Yes I will be glad to own this house fully. Amazing how four walls can change your life.

Day One at Sleepy Cottage

I am in the midst of preparing our home to be more in line with a simple life. Not necessarily a clutter free or stuff free life, but a simple life. A home that houses what we truly love and use-those things that bring life and enjoyment and love to the family housed within. Art supplies, books, music, those are okay. But one of things that takes up my time and our space is lack of a decent linen closet. I bought an over the toilet shelf unit yesterday. I am hoping to use this as a way to get things off the bathroom counter. That way Monday morning cleaning of the bathrooms will be even less time consuming. Simple cleaning, simple life. One step closer. We will have to see how it works over the next few weeks. Next comes the painting of the hallway.