Beta Mum's Blog Beta Mum on 02 Sep 2007 08:24 pm
New term, new broom
Now feast your eyes on this.
A mere three hours of chucking out broken stuff, re-stashing unbroken stuff, wiping, vacuuming and wondering how the hell he accumulated so much junk. And here we are, a clean, tidy, immaculate bedroom.
I’m a naturally organised person.
I like things in their proper place.
I like things categorised.
So I start off putting lego in one place, ammunition in another, animals in the animal tray and people in the people tray.
Easy peasey.
But what about a nose that, when you squeeze it, oozes a snot-like substance out of its nostrils?
Not too much thought needed - people tray. People have noses don’t they?
But the small piece of plastic that obviously does something but I’m not sure what?
Create a “miscellaneous - may fit something later on” pile.
After half an bour or so of this kind of time-consuming piddling about, I move into fifth gear.
Unidentifiable piece of plastic? Bin.
Sticky embryo-type creature that comes out of a plastic egg? Bin. (I’ve been looking forward to doing that since he got it)
In fact anything I think he may have forgotten he ever had - bin.
In the end I’m chucking out pennies and vacuuming up lego. Much quicker.
But now it’s done, he’s promised to keep it tidy and there’s that pig flying past the window again.
When I go in to say goodnight to him, it feels like I’ve stepped through the wardrobe into a fiercely minimalist hotel.
Well almost.
The smeary fingerprints on the wall would smash that fantasy if I put my glasses on.
And tomorrow I’ve got this to look forward to.
Bye-bye playmobil-land. Hello carpet.
on 02 Sep 2007 at 8:57 pm 1.Vicky said …
This must have taken you ages. I love having purges but my husband and kids don’t really go for my zen minimalist creations - in minutes, the chaos reappears
I can’t recall the number of unidentifiable plastic pieces I have thrown into the bin. Who creates all this stuff? Anyway, today was good because my house is tidy - bribing the kids with sweets worked a treat!
on 03 Sep 2007 at 4:54 pm 2.beta mom said …
Heaven…..it’s almost Alpha!
on 03 Sep 2007 at 6:29 pm 3.Caroline in Rome said …
What an inspirational post! I think I’ll go chuck some of the Bambina’s stuff now, while she is asleep!
on 03 Sep 2007 at 6:59 pm 4.Beta Mum said …
Vicky - purges are all I do. It’s consistent tidiness I can’t manage. I’m just not willing to put in the time.
beta mom - it would be, if it looked like that more often than three times a year.
Caroline - start as you mean to go on, don’t let your life flounder in mounds of plastic nonsense. Chuck it out while you still have the chance.
on 03 Sep 2007 at 7:27 pm 5.Mother at Large said …
What a transformation! Wonder if I could manage the same? Hum… just had a look at cupboards overflowing with old toys, bits of wood, breadmaker, husband’s old lego (don’t ask) and have to conclude, sadly, the answer is no. Never mind. Well done on your new broom. What marvellous feng shui you’ll have!