dehoardifying part 2: Don't Judge Me!

I was so gung-ho last time I blogged.  Kids Closet Connection Here I Come!!  I was all about getting it done.  I did.  The clothes, mostly.  Found my new method didn't work as smoothly as I liked.  So re-vamped it a bit realized, I need to tag as I go.  If not, I end up with a lot of clothes out of order.

Then procrastination crept in.  I blame the toys.  We have lots and lots of toys.  I knew it was going to overwhelm me, and confuse the kids.  Before you judge me, and you will, you have to understand my kids PLAY with their toys.  Not a little bit, A LOT!  My kids have yet to meet a toy they won't play with.  I know what your thinking, get rid of them while there at school.  That would be the logical approach.  Not happening here.  My kids know.  They have a sixth sense that is so keen that even when I think of going into the basement to purge, they come up to me and ask "whatcya thinking?".  They know every damn happy meal action figure they ever got.  My children form attachments to these items.  They know when they "accidentally" go missing.  My children can name the age they were when they got a certain doll or matchbox car.  It's that scary.

Then you think...toys break, throw it out.  Not in this household.  Not when Dad can fix ANYTHING.  Something breaks, "oh dad can fix it".  And he will.  Doesn't matter, if plastic or metal, my man has the glue or the ingenuity to get it fixed.

So I got brave yesterday, went to the orphanage corner of the basement.  This is what I collected.

Not too bad right?  12 dolls.  Then I went upstairs...I had to get a picture of these three dolls.  They stand in the corner of the kids room.

I think I figured out why Moo girl has an issue with sleep...

When I first brought them home, they were taller than my Moo girl! I had high expectations for these dolls.  I was going to re-thread their hair.  Yep, in my insanity of sleep deprivation, I believed I was going to re-wig these two dolls.  As you can see, that never really worked out.  But now two years later Moo is a little taller than the blonde, she shares clothes with them and nothing that a hat and feather boa can't fix.

So back to the basement that I thought I was conquering.  I asked Moo to pick out the dolls she would like to keep.  We went from fifteen to seven (the bedroom dolls we keep).  I was happy.  I even set them up for her in her doll bunk beds.  THRILLED that she could so easily say good-bye.  Feeling accomplished, I merrily went on with my night.

So today, I went deeper into the basement.  To the boxes I packed last summer, thinking we were going to move.  Since that didn't happen, its time to unpack and discard.

OH DEAR LORD! I have 4 bags of stuffed animals.  3 boxes of dress up (can't wait for the fall Kids Closet sale! I have enough Halloween costumes for a classroom).  And WAY too many boxes labeled "toys".  So I go and get more coffee.

My children with their psychic ability come downstairs and join me in finding their long lost toys that they have been looking for every.single.day.  I start feeling good, even with Moo girl sneaking stuffed animals upstairs as I organize.  My son, keeping an eye out for those missing happy meal toys...overall its working.  Things are being let go...

then, in the midst of unpacking random toy boxes...I find these...

Seven additional dolls.  I laughed thinking, damn, Maddie has a lot of dolls.  And I moved on.  

Then I found these... 

I cringed.

Then I found this one...

I whimpered.  Glad that it was done.  

But it wasn't...

I will never buy another doll.  I will scold those who buy my girl another doll.  Really?! 26 dolls!!  The only saving grace in this...is that Moo girl played with them.  These dolls were all very much loved and appreciated.  They had beds, high chairs, and blankets.  They were fed, diapered and when friends were over, everyone had a couple kids.  It worked.  

But not now.  Now, we say adios to the dolls...

but him I'll keep.