Not to mention the 3 soccer trophies, a coloring book, some random Littlest Pet Shops, the empty paper cup from her dad's work on Saturday, and a few of her latest drawings, along with a few assorted pens and pencils.
So.....where in tarnation do you suppose we put all this stuff? If you guessed mostly on the nightstand next to her bed, and the rest strategically placed on the windowsill, bed, and floor -
then you guessed absolutely right!
Here's my problem. I'd like her room to look something like, oh, let's say - a Pottery barn catalog picture.
She loves her room with all it's fabulous displays of every wonderful treasure a seven year can find. And most often - her idea of a perfectly tidy, clean, organized room looks something like this
A few days ago, I knew we'd be having company over that night. So while Emma was at school I took the liberty of tidying up her room a little bit. Now - I DON'T USUALLY DO THIS . (But there ARE somedays I just can't help it people). Let me tell you what I did do. Moved the two outfits she had laid out on her chair (for the next two days, of course) back to the closet - nicely folded - where they belong (surely she could remember which two outfits she had already chosen with out having them laid out, right?). Straightened up the nightstand, threw away a few pieces of garbage from the nightstand, put the stuffed animals in the hot pink Ikea stuffed animal holder hanging from the ceiling, and arranged the pillows on her bed in a somewhat normal way. It looked something like this :
When she arrived home from school that day, instead of sounds of praise and thanks for completing one of her daily chores for her, thus making her load a little lighter that day (which, truly I didn't expect......I just didn't expect the reaction I got either)......There were TEARS, people. Loads of them. Then even a comment or two about how I seem to "ruin everything". Why would you put my stuffed animals there? I don't like my pillows like that. ...and I hate the brown bamboo thing you always put on my nightstand!
Wow. Harsh.
More tears. Then door shuts quietly, and I can hear one-person conversation going on, as well as things being shuffled back to the way they were. Before.
The door opens.
"THAT'S how I like it mom".
And she is happy now.
And that's how the room will stay apparently.
I will not kid you and say the temptation isn't there to go in and move things around to a more clutter-less look (Husband refers to it as the 'museum' look). And maybe I will from time to time. As long as I change it back BEFORE she returns from school.
3 Thankful fors:
1. Relief Society - just a good place to be on a Sunday afternoon.
2. Swedish Fish. Who wouldn't be thankful for those?
3. Free tickets to the Jazz game Saturday night.
9 comments:
The picture-moving-thing: If you click on it, you should be able to drag it little by little to where you want it. If I'm doing more than one picture in a post, I'll usually load them in reverse order to make dragging them around a little easier. Also (you probably already know this) when you load the picture initially, you have the option of how large you want it, and if you make it small enough, you can put some side by side. But then the picture is tiny and we can't see the fabulous things you're referring to very well anyway. ;)
And I'm a sucker for the "museum look". Unfortunately, I'm also a sucker for my sanity, so I have to give up having the museum look in my house... at least until my kids move out!
Thanks for the help Laura -
It worked....!
Ange, I for one would love it if your house would look LESS pottery-barnish for once! It always looks perfect m'am, trinkets and all :)
My kids rooms (well you know) are far from anything I would want them to look like, but I had to remember one day that it is THEIR room. As long as there are not ants crawling on the floor, bugs hiding in the corners, and piles of stinky clothes, I have to leave them alone. It is hard though.
The one-sided conversation comment was funny! We have lots of those here too!
And not to make this comment any longer, you are REALLY GOOD to be grateful for Relief Society. Granted, this is only my second week in there after being released from playing in the primary, but it feels a bit clique-ish to me (the primary kids just like you no matter which clique you belong to) Working on that.
Ahhh...the forbidden territory of a child's bedroom. I admit to mucking out rooms once or twice a year. Just so you know I DO clean in there. But the rest of the time it looks like a lego A-bomb has exploded. "Mom, you just can't move those projects we're working on!" I wish I could have the museum too; but I don't think I'll get it even when the boys move out 'cause I still have a hubby that is just an overgrown kid! =)
I am so with you on this! I am very much a "less is more" kind of gal. Me and my kids have this battle all the time! I am slowly learning to let my kids be their own decorators but boy is it hard! I have to remind myself almost daily that they are figuring out who they are and what their likes and dislikes are. Who am I to tell them they can't be themselves? At least Emma has everything neat and organized, right? That's definately a plus. And you never know, she may make a fortune one day as a collector! :)
This drives me crazy and I'm not a neat freak. Henry has already started his collection. I make him keep it in a "treasure" drawer in his dresser. Every once in awhile I will find little things in random places in the house that he has taken out to admire. It's hilarious what he finds important enough to keep.
Emma's desk looks just like my daughter's. I think they have the same decorating taste.
However, if you want your Pottery Barn look, my house is always available to decorate...
I have no advice for you since I don't have kids, but I always had my own space growing up and my mom let me keep things pretty much the way I wanted as long as it was presentable. I'm like you now, though and absolutely shudder at the thought of clutter (hey, that rhymed!). I don't know how I'm going to do when we have kids because I like things a ceratin way like you do.
It's funny how your personalities came out in that exchange. I could totally picture it. Imagine how it will be when she's a teenager!
Oh, I loved this post, and this pictures as well. Cute room and colors. My 5 year old daught is quite the collector as well. Random things that have no meaning like old batteries, and crumbled pieces of paper, seem to find their way to every part of my house.
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