It took some major motivation (and one brief pouting session – mine) to pick up where we left off earlier in the week. I was pretty beat at the end of the work week, so my alter ego and I were really duking it out. I wanted to stay motivated and knock some things off earlier in the weekend rather than later, but the other part of me just wanted to collapse into a heap and sleep for twelve hours. Or, you know, have some help. The problem with “help” and a six-year-old, is that it some of that help is really counter-productive.
F got really excited about the action in her big sister’s room, and she’s nagged me all week about “throwing stuff out” in her room. The problem with that technique here is that (she doesn’t realize this) I’m in a constant state of purging in her room. We read books together every night – the three of us, and sometimes her sister – but generally only two people fit comfortably on her bed. So that means that one parent is reading while the other parent is hanging out in the room listening – and usually straightening up a bit, or putting clothes away, or – in my case – thinning out the piles.
Which means she didn’t really have anything that should have been recycled or donated. I do have a growing pile of items on the first floor that I’ve gathered, but this big cleanup really involved dusting and polishing… and a whole lot of book and art supply organization.
Like most six-year-old’s, she’s a bit of a hoarder, and what she really likes to hoard the most is the recycling bin. She gets really creative at her desk, and she gets free reign up there to make a mess. But every four or five days, her desk and chair become buried in “projects”. So I perform some selective recycling – and she never notices what’s missing.
I suppose this flies in the face of best practices with children – she should probably be more involved in the process of recycling her own work herself. But that never happens. It’s all precious if it’s in her hand. After that, it’s fair game.
Both girls do have bins at the top of their wardrobes for special items from their baby years, and favorite art projects and school projects. I bought a new container for each girl last weekend, and it’s a great spot for those things they aren’t ready to part with.
F didn’t receive any handmade gifts for Christmas this year like her sister did, but her room has quite a few items that we’ve made for her over the years. And I still have one upcoming project, ahem, that shall not be named again here. (I have purchased all of the supplies I need though, so that’s progress.) She did get an adorable bed and quilt set for her mice, and they’ve taken up residence on her nightstand. I think they are adorable, and I wish she could stay six forever, with play mice next to her like this. (That two-year-old in the photo is pretty sweet as well.)
She wasn’t happy the last time we organized her bookshelves – she likes the rainbow colored shelves on the front. So now her favorite board books and younger kid books reside there (on appropriate shelves with matching colored toys), and we’ve moved a lot of the chapter books at her age level upstairs from the living room.
For a room that’s mostly gray and white, she’s got lots and lots of color. Maybe that’s why I never tire of their rooms – they bring their own personality to a pretty neutral background.
Her room is so bright and sunny – and that winter sun finally did break through the clouds after lunch – so this room is a perfect spot to sit in and soak up the rays. Did you notice the snowflake shadows scattered around the room?
F helped me vacuum her room this afternoon, and now we’ve covered that clean carpet with wooden train tracks. This is my favorite sun-drenched escape.
