Never Surrender

One of the things I hated about babysitting was the general state of a house with more than one kid. There was usually jelly or some other indistinguishable sticky substance covering all the wrong places; children's artwork scattered, smothered and covered all over the fridge and walls; plastic toys galore; and a general sense of total disorganization.

I swore several things after leaving their homes.

1. I would never allow construction paper artwork to take over my home.
2. I would never buy plastic toys.
3. My children would never watch Barney.

And then I had kids. And I realized that:

1. I loved to hang up their art because I am proud of it, and so are they.
2. They actually like plastic toys with tons of buttons that light up and drive you crazy. Wooden toys rarely get used.
3. Barney is crack for toddlers.

I still believe that your kids (and all their stuff!) do not need to take over your home. I took Martha's advice and now roll B's artwork in tubes and store them once they've had plenty of fridge time. And I have found great ways to store toys and art supplies so that the risk of breaking a limb while crossing the living room is minimal.

For a little inspiration, check out these kid's rooms featured on Lonny. They are simply fabulous. I do wonder how they get books off that top shelf though?