the best I can do?

How often do you find yourself thinking, or saying "I'm doing the best I can."

I am pretty sure I both say and think it quite a bit.  Sometimes, it's quite true.

Often I think its how we give ourselves permission to not achieve perfection.  We know perfection is impossible, yet we still want it, or at least the appearance of it.

Other times, we use that phrase as a cop-out, an excuse.  If we say "I'm doing the best I can" no one can really fault us.  They feel pressured to accept it as truth, because "the best I can" is relative, it's not objective.

No one else can tell you what the best you can do is.  They may try, but usually they just say "ok" and leave it at that.

Has anyone ever challenged you though, and said "I think you can do better?"  I don't think anyone has ever challenged me in that way.  It would be difficult to hear, but I'd like to think I'd take inventory and truly investigate if I was doing the best I could.

I'm in the process of reading and teaching the book The Me I Want to Be by John Ortberg, and that's exactly what his wife told him.  She approached him with several things she wasn't happy with and he said "I'm doing the best I can" and she said "no, you're not.  You're not living up to what you teach and preach or what you've done in the past."  That incident was one of the factors that lead to the journey which turned into this book.

It really has caused me to stop and think.  I believe I've been accepting too much mediocrity in my life.  Mediocrity that I'm to blame for.  I let things go in the house.  I don't keep up with various cleaning and organizing tasks.  Yes it's true that I'm tired, that I'm busy, that I'm a working mom of young children, that I need to take care of myself.

But truly, these things I leave undone for far too long, take probably a maximum of twenty minutes to complete.  Easily done.  But discipline and a plan is required.

In some respects, I'm NOT doing the best I can, even though I try to pretend I am.  And it's not about perfection or getting things done.  A lot of times, I just forget what needs to be done when I have the time to do it, until it's too late and I'm too tired.  The bottom line is I feel better about myself and better about life in general when I am on top of these basic tasks.

This last week and weekend were pretty out of control.  The little girls were sick and I was trying to get work stuff accomplished from home. Then I taught a class all day Friday and most of Saturday.  When I got home on Saturday we drove 90 miles to one of my best friends baby showers.  Sunday was a busy day at church and I officiated a memorial service in the afternoon and didn't get home until 3:30pm.

I had every reason to sit around on Monday and relax.  But so many areas of my home needed attention. And we were all home and it was a warm, beautiful day.  In actually started on Sunday when I cleaned the kitchen and dining room floors.  Monday I went to work cleaning, purging and organizing in the girls' rooms.  I de-cluttered other parts of the house.  It pretty much took all day, between stops to play with the kids, attend to them, and take care of life as well.

It felt good.  It energized me.  And when I walk into the bedrooms, it's like a breath of fresh air now.  I can say on Monday, I truly did the best I could.

This morning, I got up at 5:15am so that I could run.  Bean had to leave at 6am and I'm needed to be back in the house by then.  Yes, it was early.  But I haven't been running enough and I've been more on edge and tense.  So running early, was my best.

I have a list of forms I'm going to print from Monday Saving Mom and Simple Mom to help me organize.  I love lists and organization, routines and plans. But I've been slacking big time.  It's time to step it up.  I'm going to find what works for me.  I want to do truly do the best I can do.  I don't want to settle for mediocrity any longer.

I'll still have days I slack.  We'll still spend days in our jammies.  But I want to have earned those days.

I want to know I'm truly doing the best I can.  Because I know I'll be happier when I am.

What do you think?  Do you use this as a cop-out sometimes?  Are there any downloads, forms, schedules etc that you find helpful?

balance part 2: sometimes, you gotta do nothing

This is Part 2 in a brief series I'm blogging on finding balance in your life.  Check out Part 1 here.  I said I would post the next part the rest day.  But I lied.  Or actually, life just got in the way.  But nonetheless, here's more.  There is at least one more post to come, maybe two.  I'm verbose.

Remember the pie of each day?  Every day how you spend your time is going to vary.  Your priorities are going to change with the needs of your family and the demands of life.

Guess what?

You can ALWAYS be doing something.  You know.  You've been there.  You collapse onto the couch after you get the kids down for a nap, or down for the night.  Staring you in the face is the laundry yet to be put away, the dishes piled in the sink, the empty lunch bag that needs to be filled for the morning.  There is always something to do.  That something sometimes is fun or entertaining.  But it's still something.

But, you can always be doing NOTHING.  The few moments to check your email or bank balance turns into two hours on Facebook and blog-hopping.  (of course I've never done that, just heard it can happen)  The housework and household management piles up.

Balance is know what to do, when to do it and when to not do anything.

Things have to get done.  Picking up the living room, having a semi-clean kitchen and making my daughter's lunch the night before make for a much smoother morning in our household.  That doesn't mean those things are always done every night.  But most nights they are.  That's something that does need to be done.  Like I've said before, there are other things I don't worry about as much.  My dresser is piled high with random papers, keepsakes and paraphernalia.  But that's not something I feel pressured to take care of.

You know what your hot buttons are.  You know what your husbands hot buttons are.  My husband detests a sinkful of dirty dishes.  On a Saturday when our family is home most of the day, he probably does dishes at least five times.  No joke.  I don't care as much about dirty dishes.  I'd rather they pile up and then I'll do them all at once.  But because I know how Bean gets with the kitchen, I almost always try to have the dishes done when he gets home from work (on the days I'm home).  If I choose to do nothing, he immediately goes to the kitchen to wash dishes when he gets home from work, which sometimes annoys me.

But some days, if I've been on a big outing with the kids or done a lot of errands or maybe I'm just exhausted, I'll let the kitchen slide.  And Bean lives.  There are days that I choose to do nothing that can wait.  Because it's right for that day.  Because I want to snuggle my kids on the couch while we have downtime and I need to just lose myself in mindless reading or television.

That's balance.

When I lack balance in my life, when I do too much or when I don't do enough, I pay the price.  I crash on the days I'm off.  I spiral downward.  Bean loves when I use that phrase.  It's not a good sign.  By the end of my workweek, I'm a mess.  I have no motivation to do the things I need to do or should do.  I don't eat right.  I don't exercise.  One negative thought turns into about 1,000 and all of the sudden I'm finding every little thing wrong with life and it's the end of the world.  I may appear to have it all together, but this really does happen.  Inside, I'm falling apart.

When I have balance in my life, I am happy and fulfilled.  I find joy in the small things, even if the big picture isn't what I would like it to be.  The things that are un-done don't bother me.  I am thankful for the blessings in my life.  I can see the blessings in my life.  I recognize the value of eating well and exercising.

If you stop to think on it, you can probably identify similar patterns in your own life. 

What happens when you lack balance in your life? 

What does it look like when you know what needs to be done, when to do it and when do not do anything?

on achieving balance (hint: impossible)

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of speaking at a mom’s group that a college friend helps lead.  While there, I also met another blogger.  I had come across her blog not too long before meeting her and was intrigued because she is a mom to three girls and I knew of her husband and their band from my college days also.  Check out her blog.  You’ll keep going back.

Anyhow, I digress.

Back when I spoke, I intended to share the content here on my blog.  But time got away from me, and then I couldn’t find my notes.  I thought I had it typed up on my computer, but all I could find was an outline with blanks.  And I couldn’t remember all the fill-in’s.  But last week while reading one of my Bible’s, I found my original notes!

So I can finally share them here with you.  I’m going to break it up though into a few days of posts because otherwise it will be too long.  I get wordy.

As moms, I think we often strive for balance in our lives.  We want to have all our ducks in a row.  We want to have a clean and organized home, homemade meals, laundry clean and put away, time for ourselves, time with our husbands and to be showered would be nice too.  All in the same day. 

When was the last time that happened for you?  Oh, and for me and other working moms---add in working to that balanced day too.

But honestly, it’s not realistic. 

Balance, is defined as a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.

This sort of balance, where there is equal distribution is almost impossible.  As a mom, as human being living on earth, things are always changing.  You can’t predict which day your baby will take that glorious three-hour nap giving you plenty of time to catch up on the housework as well as your favorite TV show.  Because it could just as easily be the day your baby is teething and refuses to nap more than thirty minutes at a time.

As a working mom, illness is what often throws the wrench into my “perfect balance.”  When my kids or my caregivers are sick, it often means I lose time at work.  So I’m trying to work at home.  Or trying to get more done in less time.  And the balance goes out the door.  Because then I get stressed, and I have anxiety over what I’m not getting done and because I’m caring for a sick child, I’m not getting anything else done.

The list goes on for what disrupts balance; car trouble, weather, broken appliances, or fill-in-the-blank.

I prefer a different definition of balance when it comes to motherhood.

Balance does not necessarily mean equal.  If your life were represented by a pie (mine would be apple crumb if you’re wondering), you are not going to be able to cut that pie in equal pieces each day.  Some days, one piece of the pie will need to be bigger than the others.

Three days a week, when it’s all said and done, about 11 hours of my day are devoted to work.  It begins when I wake up—and maybe run on the treadmill—and get myself and the kids out of the door (with Bean’s help too), work and then pick the kids up and get home.  Even once we are home, the time goes quickly and I’m tired from a long day, and trying to maximize the time I do have with my kids.  Housekeeping is usually low on the list—the smallest piece of the pie.

The days that I am at home, balance swings more towards housework and quality time with children.  The hardest days for me are those where I truly need downtime and I don’t push myself to accomplish much.  I feel guilty, selfish and lazy. I want to have that perfectly put together home and fully homecooked meal ready for dinner.  But the pace of my life catches up with me sometimes, and I need a semi-catatonic day to reboot.

Instead of feeling guilty that you aren’t getting it all done in one day, look at the big picture.  It gets done, when it needs to get done, when you can get it done, when what’s most important has already been done.

Balance is individual.  I am amazed at the status updates I read on Facebook from a college friend of mine.  She never stops moving!  When her kids are napping or sleeping at night, she’s doing laundry and housework.  When my kids sleep, I sometimes don’t do anything!  But obviously for her, as a stay at home mom, cleanliness and organization and completion of tasks are important to her. 

We all have our priorities.  We all have those areas of our house that need to be clean or organized, lest we go crazy.  We also have those areas that aren’t as important. 

My balance is extremely individual.  I am a working mom in a position where I am the only one who can do most of my duties.  Sundays are workdays for me.  Yet, I’m off two weekdays.  Sometimes my job requires evenings or weekends.  It’s not just a job, it’s a calling, a lifestyle, it’s emotionally demanding at times.

I get in trouble when I compare my life to the life of a stay-at-home-mom, or a mom who can leave work at work.  My life is unique.  Thus my approach to my life must be unique.  And the balance I must achieve varies from week to week and I am the only one who can determine it.

We all have different personalities.  Our priorities and needs in life are individual.  And how we cut that pie each day will be different.  And that’s okay.

Own your own sense of balance.  Don’t judge another mom for her sense of balance. 

Take a deep breath and live your life, according to how God made you.  Just like it says in Ecclesiastes, there is a time for everything.  It does not specify how much time for each thing.  Because it’s different for each of us.

Just to recap…

Balance is almost impossible

Balance does not necessarily mean equal

Balance is individual

More tomorrow!

organization woes

We've lived in our home for one year and a few days now.  While it's been quite an adjustment, having a smaller home than before--all the while adding a third child, I've come to love our home.  It's cozy and we are never far from each other.  And it's our own, forever house. 

One problem we've yet to solve is the never-ending stream of mail and paperwork.  Both Bean and I are guilty of saving various things to "deal with later."  So we end up with stacks of stuff on our dining table and on the kitchen counter.  In the near future, we will need to utilize every seat at the table, so it will have to stay clean.  And we already have very limited kitchen counter space, so clutter decreases it even less.

The obvious solution would be--let's be more proactive.  But, as I just told Bean...we've been married for over 8 years, and it's always been this way.  It's just us, and we need to accept it.  And with a child in school and two working parents--there are things that we do need to have easy access to (like Miss Rose's weekly site words & reading lists).

I come to you, oh blogosphere for suggestions and ideas.  There is no space for a desk or additional piece of furniture.  The only potential solution I've found so far is the Daily System by Pottery Barn.  While I wouldn't use ALL the pieces, there are a few that seem promising.  But, they are pricey.  For something that may or may not solve the issue.

I feel like this is an impossible issue!  I have some other organizational issues too, but this is the one that bothers me the most.  Let's not talk about my children's books or other various small household items I'm not sure what to do with.

I realize, that if this is my biggest problem right now, I have much to be thankful for.  I do, and I am.  I could have much worse problems. 

All that said, anyone have any products or recommendations for me?  I've done some google searches and haven't come up with much.  A few possibilities, but nothing that really shouts--I'll organize your life on the wall!!  I've got to maximize every bit of space.

Or maybe I just need to figure out how to accept the piles of paperwork that seem to litter my home.

I'm glad we have a loveseat

A little more than a year ago we bit the bullet and purchased some nice couches. It's always hard to put the money out for things like that, but in the end we find that we're happier with quality purchases that will last a long time. Bean is really good about finding financing with 0% interest for a length of time within which we can pay off the entire purchase before interest begins to accrue.

However, I digress.

We've been very pleased with our Lazy-Boy couch and loveseat. They've held up well thus far, although they are abused by our circus act daily. We try to keep food off the couches. But even when there are spills, the stain-resistant treatment on them works very well. Gracie also loves to wipe her snotty nose on the couch as well. Lovely.

We sit on the couch daily to read, cuddle, watch TV etc.

The loveseat, well it gets a lot of use too. Not the kind you may expect though.

This is what it usually looks like.



(if this were a Not Me! post I'd say--that's not a potty chair in my living room, nor is my baby in front of the TV, and my house certainly is more picked up then what's reflected in this photo.)

Or this.

It's a pretty expensive laundry basket/folding table/toybox/junk area.

Good thing we have a loveseat.

(And yes, that's an adorable picture of Bean and Gracie!)

I need your organization tips!!

If you've been reading, you know we recently moved. For good. We bought a home and expect to be here for a long time. There are many great things about our home...and also a few challenges. One of the challenges is the size and layout.



We were in a house that was about 1500 square feet. We had two living areas, one of which we actually lived in (TV, couches etc) and the other was the girls' toys and other stuff (i.e. junk and clutter). The bedrooms were decent sized and each girl had their own room.



Our HOME is a little over 1100 square feet. We have one living area--a combined living room and dining room. The bedrooms are on the smaller side and Miss Rose and Gracie are sharing. The third bedroom is under construction and is being used for storage and baby stuff currently. Hopefully by this summer it will be a functional bedroom.



Bean and I are actually excited about the challenge of living in a smaller space. We didn't utilize the larger space too well. We'd rather have less clutter and a peaceful small home, than a large home full of stuff that is unused. Of course as the kids get older, we'll need less baby/toddler stuff and they will be more of a help in keeping it clean as well.



I desparately don't want a home that is full of clutter. I have a tendency to be a bit of a pack-rat. I like to save things and can be too sentimental. I am always worried that the minute I throw something away, I'll need or want it. In our living room we have one bookcase. Currently it's full of books (surprise, surprise). I plan to rearrange it to hold some baskets and nice storage boxes to help with organization.



How do you keep your home clutter free? How do you organize and store your children's toys? I need to get the girls' room to a point where they will go in there and play--but right now there is no organization to their stuff, so they don't spend much time in there.



I'm at a loss as to what to do with paperwork and bills and mail. We had a large counter in our other house that became a catch-all for this sort of thing. It was actually a huge eyesore and I don't miss having it. But as a working mom of three children, with a husband who has 2 jobs...sometimes I have to stack things up before I can go through them and figure out where they belong.



How do you keep your home clean? According to the counter I have on my blog, there are a lot of people reading it...so come out of the woodwork (even anonymously) and give me your ideas!!

God is smart, and I am thankful

God is smart. I know that, but sometimes it's nice to be reminded.

Life has not calmed down. We have piles of laundry, piles of baby stuff, a half unpacked kitchen, an extra refridgerator in our kitchen...the list goes on and on.

To add to the long list of things to do, we started having some drain issues yesterday involving the kitchen sink and a shower. Probably very fixable--but just overwhelming when there is already so much going on.

Then this morning Lily went in for a jaundice check...and we were sent over to the hospital for a blood draw...and the possibility of having to check in if her levels were too high.

After we finally got home (Lily and I were pretty exhausted from the few hours it all took), Bean was getting me set up before he took the girls to a birthday party.

It struck me...God is smart that he gave us a third girl. He knew all that we would be experiencing. He also knew that we have lots of girl stuff and I had maybe 2 outfits for a boy and one set of blankets.

That can't be the only reason why God chose a third girl for our family. But the idea of trying to put together clothes, blankets, Boppy covers, bedding etc for a boy--in the midst of everything else--sounds impossible. I think I would have been even more of a wreck.

And for the record...this No Crying Mama...cried about five times yesterday. I like to blame the post-pregnancy hormones raging in my body. But sometimes (for me it's about twice a year) a girl just needs a good cry.

The good news is--although Lily's bilirubin levels came back as borderline, the doctor is willing to give her another day. I just need to keep nursing as often as I can and give her some sun therapy. Hopefully her level tomorrow will be the same or lower.

Pregnant Day

I am having a "pregnant day" today. What exactly does that mean?

It means I'm hormonal...i.e. grumpy and emotional.

I am impatient. Which makes me feel like a terrible mom.

My hormones are making my anxiety about various things in life more intense than necessary.

I am feeling FAT. My maternity clothes aren't fitting as well anymore.

I get grumpy when I can't exercise regularly...and my exercise lately has not worked up the sweat I need to make me happy.

I am unmotivated. Which makes me mad because I have so many things that need to be done.

When the baby has been moving today it's causing me pain. I guess it's how I'm carrying this baby because I've never experienced this before. The kid jabs and pokes me and makes me catch my breathe. Ouch!

I think I have just over 5 weeks left before my c-section. Of course to add to my pregnant day, I saw the nurse practitioner yesterday at my appointment, not the doctor, so I STILL don't have an official date. I go in again on the 14th so I hope I'll get my official date and time then. I should just relax about it. But I'm such a planner that it drives me crazy to not know yet.

I am trying to remind myself that this is the last time I will feel this way. That there are so many women who would give anything to experience a "pregnant day.' That this too shall pass.

But in the meantime, I'm going to continue my pregnant day.

When I grow up

Do we ever "grow up?" I kind of don't think so. We are continually on a journey, moving from phase to phase of life. Each phase requires development, but then we move on to the next phase. I see this as a positive thing. Being grown up in all areas of my life would be boring. It's good to always have something to be working towards.

Here's a mental list I've been keeping lately.

When I grow up...

1. I will have complete lighting in my home. Not rooms that require lamps, which are insufficient and don't work right (see #2).

2. I will have lamps that function. Lamps that have switches that work so that every night I don't have to lean over and wrench my back to plug in or unplug the stupid lamps, risking being electrocuted because they are perpetually on.

3. I will have matching bedroom furniture...that isn't from Ikea. (although I do love my Bombay Company Outlet bed) I won't have a 3-drawer Rubbermaid storage unit for a nightstand.

4. I will have a bedskirt. I don't need a fluffy frilly one. Just something that covers the box spring. In almost 7 years of marriage, our box spring has always shown.

5. I will have curtains or blinds on every window. I won't try to make my own curtains to save money and have a too-short, crooked hem curtain in the bathroom. (Bean tried to install some blinds in the kitchen...but about 2 buckets of sweat, a few curse words and a lot of plaster dust later...they were un-installable. Therefore, still naked window, through which the HOT bakes the kitchen.)

6. I will have high quality carpets. Not a cheaply made (didn't know this when we bought it) area rug which sheds individual carpet fibers no matter how many times it's vacuumed, that my 1 yr old insists on chewing like gum. She has at least 10 of these in her mouth daily. She never swallows them though. Maybe her body is lacking some nutrient or mineral found in the fiber. (note to self...multivitamin for Miss Gracie)

7. I will quit buying cheaply made things to save a buck. Yes, the Dollar Tree has some things that are a good deal. Apparently a sponge mop is not one. I should just give in and spend the $10 at Target for a normal one, which will probably last a year or more. The Dollar Tree ones last about 2 uses. I finally threw it away today (after 10 uses), to force myseslf to buy a new one.

8. I will CHOOSE to clean/organize my home above doing something for myself (like exercise or blogging or taking a nap).

9. I will quit being sarcastic with my 4 yr old. But, the things she says are so great I just can't help myself. (she's been acting as if I'm going to strike her when she spills or breaks something, which I have NEVER done. Spankings are very routine and regimented in our house. Finally the other day after she did it again I said--"what do you think I'm going to hit you or something? Have I ever hit you like that?" Mature. I know.)

10. Someday, when I grow up....I am sure I will still have more growing up to do.

Motivation

It's Thursday night and the house is quiet. I finished putting Miss Rose to bed, Gracie is already down and Bean is at worship practice. There is a WHOLE house calling my name. Calling for me to do the dishes and clean the kitchen. Our wood floors are crying to be swept and cleaned, as is the kitchen linoleum. There is laundry that needs to be done and countless items laying around that need a home.

But I'm tired. It's the "end" of my work week. Wednesday is my marathon days, so by Thursday I am just toast. I actually went to bed a little early last night so I wasn't as tired this morning, but my brain is still fried. The last thing I feel like doing is cleaning.

I seriously lack motivation. And yes--while all of the above about my work week is true...the fact of the matter is, on any given day, at any given time--I lack motivation. There is always something else I'd rather be doing. I'm always fried from dealing with children and want down time. I'm overwhelmed by the tasks. And though it will probably take me less than 30min to complete, that feels like about 5 hours right now.

Let me clarify though...my home is not dirty. It's just messy. I have a real issue with having a dirty home--lots of dust, grime etc. But messy, I guess doesn't bother me so much.

A few years ago I tried out the FlyLady techniques. Me and "flying" just didn't get along. First problem--you're supposed to put on shoes every morning. I live in Southern California. We don't wear shoes very much. Mostly we wear flip flops, but I don't wear them in the house. As a kid I was barefoot outside ALL of the time. In fact Bean jokes with me and my sisters about our "dirty feet" because we never wear shoes. I just couldn't agree with the FlyLady about that one.

I did get good at shining a sink. Our previous house had a stainless steel sink and that thing SHONE...when I decided to go through the whole process. Our kitchen sink now is ceramic. I've taught Bean the art of bleaching it to get it clean...but it doesn't really shine.

The first level of FlyLady is being a "Flybaby." I don't think I ever made it to flybaby status. I created my own new bottom level of "maggot." I have issues with throwing stuff away. I have issues with organization. I save stuff in case I need it...but then when I need it, I can never find it. Bean is a minimalist. I border on pack-rat. Our home needs something in between.

But---I know if I don't get up right now and clean up, Bean will probably go agro when he gets home and do it; well at least the kitchen. And if I put it off until the morning, I will miss out on sweet time with my girls and that just won't do.

Alright...alright...I'm getting up...I'm doing it...

Gotta at least keep my "maggot" status. Don't want to fall down to larvae.

It's the Holiday Season

But I don't feel so holiday-ish. I have 5 days to get into the Christmas spirit and enjoy it. I think I can do it. Today was my last day of work for 10 days or so. I'm excited about that. I have some weekend stuff, but no office :)

Let's see...I did downsize a lot of toys. I still have too many though. LOL! I'll just keep cycling through every few months and finding stuff to give away. ER doesn't miss anything I've given away.

Diet Coke...I'm down to 1 a day, max of 2. Most days, just 1. I control it, it's not controlling me!!

I told my daughter that we have a vacation coming up--since I don't have to work and she isn't going to daycare next week. She says "no mama. A vacation is when you go somewhere new, not when you stay home." Ah, little minds.

I'm off for another cupcake. Maybe I am in the holiday spirit after all!

Downsizing

I have a split personality when it comes to my children's toys. 50% of the time I complain about how many toys my 3 yr old has and how I barely had any toys growing up and would never have known. We did have toys...but it was a minimal amount compared to how many kids have these days. We were much more "outside" kids. We collected snails, made wagons out of cardboard boxes, played Little House on the Prairie type of games. I *might* have a photo of myself in a coonskin cap.

But, then when I comes to downsizing and cleaning out my daughters toy box, I have such a hard time donating and selling stuff. If I've seen her play with an item more than 2 times, I can't seem to get rid of it. Plus, she has a steel trap of a memory and I just know the minute I get rid of something, she'll be asking me where it is.

Today I was taking a few strollers I no longer need (it took me a while to part with those too) to the baby resale and I saw a play kitchen that isn't in use. It was given to us a few years ago, and at one time my daughter played with it a ton. But, the last few houses we've lived in haven't had room for it--so it was outside or in storage. I don't forsee a place for it in the near future. So, I went with my whim and sold it. I know she is going to be upset when she realizes it. But it just made so much more sense to downsize now... and at some point when we have room for a larger play item, we'll get her another one. Used of course.

I still have so many toys that need to be downsized. There's the Little Tykes Noah's Ark that of course she played with for the first time in 6 months today. It's on the list of things that need to go. But not just yet I guess.