There comes a time in my daily drudgery that pushes me to the point of purging. I'm not Bulimic, and if you ever saw me, you'd laugh at the thought. I'm referring to the forced mass exodus of crap from my house.
I get so fed up with the debris that my children leave laying around, that I want to purchase a snow shovel and fling it out the front door. I refuse to purchase a snow shovel for many reasons, the first being that I don't live at a high enough elevation to warrant the cost. And second, the fact that I believe snow belongs in the mountains.
Getting back on point, I have come to yet another crossroads of crap. I know I could live with far less than I have, and so could my children. We have enough disposable income to have clutter. We don't get crazy with televisions and the new fangled devices, nor do we spend exorbitant amounts of cash on dining out, theater, or other money sucking entertainment. I actually feel guilty if I hit the espresso bar more than twice a week. So, with my conscience getting the best of me, I feel it is time to take the plunge and start sorting through the madness.
Four children can make for a veritable cornucopia of arts and craft supplies. I have so many yarn fragments, it's ridiculous. I have silver brads, beads, and shiny string. I have gel pens, markers, hole punches and glitter glue. I can say with all honesty and barely a straight face that we have at least 5 glue guns in our house. What happened?! I don't know. To make matters worse, I donated, earlier this year approximately $400 worth of craft supplies and accompanying storage devices to the local Boys and Girls club.
Now, there seems to be a shift in interest at least with my eldest. Gone are the days of hours of Lego adventures. So far in the last year, and I mean literally in the last year we have collected, one guitar, one electric guitar, one digital/electric piano, on banjo, one violin, and one alto saxaphone. This is on top of the snare drum and clarinet we already have, and the departure of an old upright. I just can't keep up! So long as the kids keeps practicing and improving on each instrument, I'm cool. If he appears to be showing signs of hoarding, then I'll ship him off to my mother's where his hoarding will be encouraged.
How to get rid of the excess without completely depleting all items that would inspire creativity and thought? I could toss out the televisions and the video games, but dang it, I like them too! I could force my children to read hours a day, but I find myself becoming quite agitated with the incessant whining. I could kick my children outside, but can't, in good conscience, force them to do something that I'm not willing to do in the dead of Winter.
Wait! Maybe that's my problem. It's been winter for approximately 16 months now. I've been purchasing entertainment tools and gadgets to keep my kids occupied whilst mother nature sequesters us indoors for an insanely inhumane amount of time.
Perhaps I'll just move.
