time, love and tenderness

2 1/2 hours and (poetically) 2 1/2 bags of garbage later, i have cleaned The Girls rooms while they were at school. i admit, i used to hate coming home from 3rd grade to find my bedroom bereft of treasures, but from the other side of the argument - Mother Sick of Mess and Chaos - i completely understand. it's not like i look back and wish i had the half a deck of barbie uno cards (the remaining hafl wrinkled, folded and torn) i got in a birthday treat bag when i was 6. i didn't throw away any real toys, and i only packed away the ones they haven't played with in 6 months...mostly an astonishing collection of strawberry shortcake dolls, houses and accessories (which they collected with a fevor! this fevor has recently applied more to 'littlest pet shop' dolls, houses and accessories). i put said strawberries in a box where they are accessible if push comes to shove! i organized books, approximately 312 chapsticks, said "littlest pet shops", collected 3 loads of laundry - ostensiblly on the shelf or in the drawer as "clean" - and countless trinkets and "treasures". i think i was very fair-minded. now they have room to play, and they will be able to not only see, but find, the remaining 'my little pony's', LPS, beads & string, polly pockets, books, chapstick, clip on earrings, build-a-bear clothes, et al. phew! i wish a had a coffee crisp (one of God's gifts to chocolate lovers) to celebrate, but they are only sold in the true north strong and free (that would be my native homeland of Canada.) sigh. oh well. at least i won't feel like crying everytime i walk down the upstairs hall!