Cleaning House and Santa
It is time again for the semi-annual purge of household items. A few weeks ago, under tremendous protest, I gave away a lot of toys and clothing that had belonged to DD. Most of it was too small, or too young. But there was a big batch of things perfectly age appropriate for which we just don’t have room that went to mother-in-laws house. DD can play with it tomorrow.
I have ready to go in the trunk and deliver tomorrow, many baby items for SIL, for her baby on the way.
I have a stack of magazines and books to deliver to a friend who is temporarily housebound. Which is really scary, because I just brought a giant stack of magazines to MIL at Thanksgiving.
And I have a box each for Goodwill and the library. Good grief.
On a funny note, I told DD that she needs to make room for her new toys that she will
receive as gifts and that Santa looks for clean rooms and sharing. She
then polled her friends and quoted each of their responses to me. Here are a couple:
DD: Mommy, my friends don’t have to give away their toys.
Me: Sure they do.
DD: No, B doesn’t give away her toys. And they eat as many oreos as they want.
Me: B’s house is a mess. And her mother is much fatter than yours. Do you want to live in squalor with a really fat mom?
DD (frowns): No. I don’t like that. E doesn’t give away her toys.
Me: E doesn’t celebrate Christmas. Santa is going to fly right past her house.
DD: Why does Santa come down the chimney?
Me: Because the reindeer park on the roof.
wtf am I coming up with this stuff? We also have been to the library this week and DD checked out a book about the food pyramid and vegetables. Then we went to the doctor who talked about vegetables and health. DD said on the way home, “I need to call B now and tell her about the vegetables and oreos so she won’t get fat.”
omfg, how to get her to understand that people cannot lecture their friends about vegetables and oreos.
I admire your desire to educate the world via your daughter. And what’s wrong with her lecturing/counseling her friend if she isn’t getting it any where else.
This year, for financial reasons and otherwise, I am determined that the house not become a temporary storage site for Goodwill.
I don’t know that I’m attempting to educate the world via my daughter. I’m just trying to educate her so that she can live happily in it.
The problem with her counseling her friend is that she doesn’t have diplomacy – where I also struggle – and would probably quote my statement, which would hurt feelings. I do attempt not to hurt feelings, whereas she is four and doesn’t have any idea how to even attempt it. Though we are trying to teach her.