Not as bad as the time my sister hid the dishes she was supposed to wash in a garbage bag in her closet.
My daughter’s bedroom has the largest landfill closet in the house. And, apparently, she has been utilizing it as the fastest method of bedroom cleaning.
We discovered the problem this weekend, but really should have picked up on it earlier, due to our dwindling supply of bath towels and teaspoons.
A closet cleaning mandate was delivered with work starting Friday.
Two garbage bags of random detritus has been removed and some interesting artifacts have been found.
One axe.
A baby caterpillar. (I questioned “dead or alive?” and was told “IDK; I just threw it away”)
1/2 a hamper of white socks.
A ball-peen hammer.
Random stuffed animals
An interesting mix of possibly deadly and soft and cuddly. A lot like my daughter, who, on Friday morning, had a temper tantrum befitting a four year old. “I hate you!” “You’re mean!” “I have THE WORST PARENTS EVER!”
She spent all of Friday in her room.
Saturday she was wonderful; hopefully the product of thoughtful rumination on her sins, more likely the result of a good night’s sleep and a desire to get her cell phone back.
She helped me make food for Easter.
We spent hours shopping for Easter in a crowded store and she didn’t complain.
She dyed eggs for a centerpiece, stuffed plastic eggs with candy for an Easter egg hunt.
Voluntarily cleaned the bathroom. (I almost swooned in disbelief.)
She even said, at one point, “You know, it’s weird, right now I have everything I want.”
Rather than her cell phone, clothes, and i-pod, I’m chosing to believe that she was referring to intangibles, to a sense of contentment with her life, with her family, friends and school. Because, ultimately, that is what I desire for both of my children.
March 24th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Gosh … we have missing forks and a son (or two) with very messy bedrooms. Now that I think about it there may be a couple dinner plates out of circulation too. Some investigation will be in order. Thank You!
March 24th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
It’s amazing the amount of stuff they can secrete in a such a small area.
(My theory about the spoons is icecream consumption. But there’s still a bit of a mystery-why would she bring the bowls back in the kitchen but put the spoons in her closet?)
March 25th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I had that closet when I was a kid, minus the axe and hammer. Wow. Doesn’t it make you wonder what she is planning?
March 25th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Yes, people have been joking that I should nickname her “Lizzy…”
March 27th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I just - JUST - got done bulldozing the boys’ room.
All I can say is you got off very lucky.
March 28th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Anon,
Oh, I don’t envy you-when my kids were little we had to do the same thing. Now that they are bigger we just have to endlessly nag them about the room cleaning.
Jennifer