Clearing out the attic

We have a lot of toys in our house. Funny how with four kids you really do have four times the toys! Much of our toys have been put away in our attic where they get very little use. The other toys are, well, spread out all through the house. I can go with clutter for awhile, but then I get to the stage where I am fed up, and now I am there. I am on a mission to clean out the toys!

It seems so simple, but it's not. When I was growing up, we would move and all of our stuff would be "lost" in the move (AKA thrown away . . . thanks Dad). My friend Chris' mom actually bought her a bunch of Strawberry Shortcake dolls off Ebay a few years ago because Chris was so upset that her mom had tossed her childhood treasures years ago. So I do think that I want to keep some sentimental things! I have a box I want to fill with those things I want to hold on to, Becca's Jessie doll and Evan and Spencer's Buzz, their first blankets, etc.

Then, I also want to have things on hand for when people come over and bring their kids. Not a lot, but at least a box of baby/toddler toys for guests. The train table, barbie house, things that Ava will love to play with in the future have to stay, too.

Neil's parents had lots of his childhood toys for our kids to play with. I always thought that was so cool, so I want to keep some things for the future.

So basically I am not getting rid of as much as I would like to, or perhaps I should. I thought about doing the typical garage sale thing, but decided to take them to an auction instead. I have been going to a local auction and it is a lot of fun! There are lots of grandparents there, and toys go fast, so I figured we would give it a try.

It really is a breath of fresh air to simplify. The bonus is, the sooner I clean out the attic, the sooner I can move Becca up there. Since we have lived here we have had electricity put in, drywalled, painted, added built in shelves, etc. It looks so great up there now and I am excited to move her in. This will open up her very small current bedroom for Ava. At this point Ava has her crib in the boy's room so I am so excited to get her in her own room! Especially with how whiney she has been today, she needs her own room to cry and whine in . . . but that is another story!