Mission: Toy Organization and Birthday Adventures

We have a small house.  The toys are overtaking it and something has to be done.  I am tired of stepping on painful things like a toy broccoli spear (hurt like a bitch, and yes, they make toy broccoli) and hearing noise making toys go off at eerie times.  So, I took on the task of getting the toys out of the living room and in to the kids' room where it belongs.  As mentioned, we have a small house, and the kids are currently sharing a room, so we had to be smart about it.

I found these great bins at IKEA on Wednesday.  They are collapsible and come in packs of 3 for $14.00.  I thought that was a great deal, because fabric bins at Target can easily run nearly $10/bin.  I labeled them with fabric markers.  Darcy has been having an attitude about cleaning up lately, so I am going to try to make it easier and maybe more fun for her.  Since she cannot read the labels, I am going to safety pin pictures to the bins, so that she knows what goes in them.  

We are overrun by stuffed toys.  So, I am in the process of figuring out what will be donated.  I also have one of those stuffed toy hammock things that I am going to hang up for some storage.  

The Brooks family arsenal.  Aidan has more squirt guns and Nerf guns than any kid I know.  Most of them were gifts.  He even has Nerf swords, a Nerf bow and arrow, a Thundercats sword, and a light saber with sound and lights.  We are ready for war, folks.  

Ok Movin' on....

So, yesterday was my birthday.  It was a good day, although I wouldn't exactly call it exciting.  Tim is off this week, so we had a nice, lazy morning with the kids.  We could not figure out what to do or where to go, so I suggest, "Why don't we go down to Great American Ball Park to the Pro Shop?"  I have been wanting a new Reds t-shirt, and where better to go than the pro shop, right?  WRONG-O.

So, we get in the car and make the 15 minute drive into downtown Cincinnati.  We pay $3 to park our car.  

We get to the pro-shop and walk in the doors.  

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We walk right back out.  Forty dollars for a damn t-shirt??  You have GOT to be shitting me!!

After that, we decided to drive to one of our favorite parts of town to do a little shopping and have dinner later.  The kids were being little beasts.  When I thought that I couldn't take it anymore, this happened:

Thank God for small miracles.

Tim and I take turns running into places we want to go, so that the beasts could continue to hibernate.  This is what we have resorted to, folks.  I miss shopping alone.

We stop for my "birthday cake." 

Because I am trying to mend my fat girl ways, I order the smallest size and share it with Darcy.  It worked out well, and I avoided some of the calories and the guilt.

Olive Garden for dinner.  Their portobello mushroom ravioli is amazing.  For such a rich dish, the calories were not insane.  Not a meal I could eat every day, but it was my birthday.  I am going to eat something special.

The ice cream did take me over my calorie allowance for the day, but it is ok.  I don't eat Coldstone and Olive Garden every day or every month, even!  

And now, for the best birthday card award:

This is the card that my sister, Carrie, sent me.  I cannot explain why this is funny.  It just is.  So there.