Feeling Accomplished

Today around the time my youngest goes to Pre K (AKA noon), I started on my project of the day.  My Katherine does not enjoy clutter and her room, since it is pretty large, gets to be a dumping ground.  Add to that a little sister that brings toys in but rarely takes them back out and new Christmas toys piled on top of the existing toys and you have a mess. 

I was feeling bad and also knew things needed sorted out so I decided last night while falling asleep that today was going to be the day. 

It took 2 and a half hours to clean it.  Bins of summer / winter clothes needed stacked away again.  The toy bins needed weeded and organized.  The broken lamp needed removed. The toy box needed cleaned out, especially of the toys that she had when she was 2 (she will be six in March). 

I am proud of myself.  Normally I have a very hard time getting rid of anything (past blogs talked about this) but today I ended up with two bags of trash and three or four boxes of toys donated to the local Goodwill.  In fact, and this will be hard to believe if you know me, I have two boxes completely filled of books to get rid of.  Those didn't go to Goodwill.  They will go to the local branch of the library.  They don't really have room for them but they allow me to take them so other patrons may look through them and take what interests them.  With the two story times a week I am sure they will find homes in no time.

I also took the time to wash the sheets, pillows, pillow cases, blankets, comforter, and stuffys from her bed.  Of course I also flipped the mattress over. 

When she came home I told her there was a surprise in her room.  She ran upstairs and the next thing I know I hear giggling.  I went up and she was laying on the floor (which I vacuumed) laughing.  She saw me jumped up with a big smile and hugged me.  She LOVES how nice and neat everything is.  In fact hubby stopped at the library on his way home from picking them up from school and they got a new Wii game.  They were excited to play it at first, but after seeing her room she just wanted to play and spend time in there. 

I can not even begin to describe how great I feel.  To know that something that seems so small can mean so much to her.  She was as excited about this as getting The Ninetendo DS for Christmas from my Aunt and Mom.

So this evening she did go play the game with Ava and Dad and ate dinner.  After that though she spent the rest of the night playing in her room.  We started by playing marbles, then sat on the fresh smelling bed and "played" the I SPY book, then did a puzzle, followed by learning about the United States with the Tag, drove the McQueen race car, got out the easel and played hang man, drew some pictures, and finally ended the night playing squinkies. 

Justin started working on Ava's room this afternoon but I will need to finish it tomorrow.  He's not much on the cleaning and organizing as much as pushing everything out to the sides so the majority of the floor is exposed.  Ahhh men.