The Dust Has Settled

Finally. Three days after our big Christmas morning and I've begun to, slowly, sort through all the gifts the girls received. You see, they have three Christmases- One on Christmas Eve with my family (my parents, sister and her family, brother and his wife, my uncle and my grandmother), OUR Christmas on Christmas morning after Santa has visited the night before and another at my husband's parents' house later in the day. By the time we arrive home on Christmas night we're all just too beat to organize anything, throw away boxes/packaging or to even pick it all up off the floor!!! It's such an exhausting process. Rewarding and sooo much fun, but exhausting.

In the past few days we've combed through princess dolls, fairy dolls, building blocks, books, musical instruments, games, clothes, tents, pull-string dolls and stuffed animals. It's outrageous- they don't know what to play with since there's so much and I don't know where to put it all!

My goal (wow, that's an intimidating word!) is to get some of their old toys put away into our growing pile of "old toys" in our basement. The next step will be to get all the new things onto the toy shelves...I just don't know how to do it!
So...I'm looking for ideas. How do YOU organize your child(ren)'s toys? What containers? What kind of shelving? Drawers? Any, any, any ideas are welcome. The hurricane has passed, but the recovery MUST begin! :)

Random Thoughts

So, here we are and it's been awhile since I've posted again. I have a few arts & crafty types of things to post and share, but finding the energy to do so isn't coming to me. :)

Instead, I'd just like to share a little promise I've made to myself and to my children:

Girls, someday you will be tweens, pre-teens, teenagers and eventually adults. I have no idea what those days will bring- what heartaches you will endure, what your accomplishments will be, what level of education you will earn, what career you will pick or what your favorite hobbies will be. But I promise to always love you and accept you unconditionally.

I may disagree with you or your choices sometimes and you will most definitely disagree with me on occasion, but no matter how you choose to live your life I will be supportive, promise to lend an ear if you need to talk, promise to offer advice if you want it and learn to keep my advice to myself if you just aren't in the mood to hear it.

This is my vow to you. I may forget to honor it sometimes, but no matter what- you are my children and I love you. Always and forever.

Love,
Mama