This week is another finish in the "massive cleaning" department. Since Jungle Boy is off to study ballet for a month at ABT, I took advantage of his absence to go through his room and clean it out.
His room didn't look bad to begin with, but once I got in there it turned into a much bigger job than I anticipated. Stuff under the bed, stuff stuffed in drawers, stuff everywhere. I started out with an empty bag for trash and an empty bag for items to donate.
It isn't hard to fill a donation bag when you have a kid who's grown about six inches in six months. His voice has changed now, and his tastes and sensibilities have done a lot of growing as well. The Hungry Hungry Hippos game in the closet had to go, along with Candyland and a stack of other games that had been forgotten in there for years. All the shirts that only skim his midriff went into bags, and all of those half-finished lego models that were missing the rest of the pieces.
The closet was like an archeological dig. The hobby horses and jigsaw puzzles (60 pieces!) and long-sleeve shirts that now only go past his elbows all went into bags. The more I pulled out, the more things seemed to multiply.
Then I found ballet tights. Then another pair, and another. Men's tights are almost like pants - thick and sturdy and about $24 each. Oh look, another pair - had they been multiplying in the back of a dark drawer? After I pulled out six pairs I jumped in the car and sent them to him UPS. He told me later on the phone he doesn't think he needs them but I'd rather he have too many pairs than too few. I was a little annoyed that he didn't check his drawers carefully enough when he was packing. Boys!
In the end, I had six bags of items for the thrift store and three bags to go out with the garbage. I spared some things he needs to sort through himself. I bought a new mattress pad and pillow and did everything I could to freshen up the place.
Many hours and sore back and hip later, the room doesn't look very different, but it's better equipped for my big teenager. If I did my job right, he probably wont even notice.
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4 people stopped folding laundry to write:
I remember cleaning my kids rooms when they were gone for a weekend or so, and they never seemed to notice! hmph
My kids always loved when I did this chore, but never seemed to contribute much in keeping it that way. :) But what a wonderful sense of accomplishment for you to have it finished. Somehow knowing there is less "stuff" in the house is a good feeling.
And that's how my mother found a stash of porn magazines under my brother's dresser. She rearranged his room and cleaned it while we were visiting relatives in another state. Neither of them ever said a word about it. LOL
I finally finished something and linked to your Finished for Friday!
Ohh! It feels so good to get rid of stuff, doesn't it? Great finish!
xo -E
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