Clean Playroom!

I'm very happy with the new and improved playroom. I (with significant help from MC) have tossed a kitchen trashbag-full of broken, outdated, no longer wanted and not suited to give away stuff. (Actually MC removed a few things from the trash. Her help was with the rest of the project.)

We removed some toys that are used for periodic play and stored them in the basement. We rearranged the furniture so that the rug in the middle of the room is absolutely bare. MC showed me how she can now dance in there. We dusted and vacuumed too, and it looks great. Only thing is now that she's got space to play in there, she's taken out all of her doll and stuffed animal friends and is playing with them in the (clean) living room. But that's okay, because the dolls and animals have homes in the playroom. It will be easy to clean them up tonight before going to bed. Oh, if only we can keep it this way.... (fingers crossed).

I have to add that after I wrote this, MC initiated cleaning up her dolls and animals from the living room before she started watching Dora on tv. She said from now on she would always put things away before starting to play with something else. I did not have to say anything to her - all her idea! I love it!

Birthday Sleepover

Happy Birthday, J! He is 9 years old today. We are currently finishing up his first sleepover. Two of his good friends spent the night here last night. We had lasagna and ceasar salad for supper (Jay's BD supper request), then went to see the movie "Shorts" which overall was a success, I think. One of his friends got up 5 or 6 times in the night, but doesn't remember any of it. And we thought Jay's sleepwalking was bad! This morning for breakfast we had bacon, apple slices and birthday cake. Then he got to open his presents.

The boys have been well-behaved, and MC has been a trooper. She came down with a cold last night, but she came with us to the movie and is now participating in Wii golf with the boys. We have 30 more minutes to go before pick-up.

Some of my favorite childhood memories were from birthday and slumber parties that my mom (I now realize) worked so hard behind the scenes to make happen for me. Thanks, Mom! I hope that my kids will have good memories of these parties too.

It's very interesting. Here in Raleigh, most of the birthday parties my kids have gone to have been held at some venue outside the home. All of the ones I went to were at my friends' houses. Perhaps that was because we were in the country and there weren't so many options. Many of my friends look at me in bewilderment when I say what we're doing for my kids' birthdays. "You're brave," they say. I'm just trying to foster friendships and create good memories.

And hopefully today there will be an opportunity for me to take a nap!