Purging Toys...

I'm feeling sneaky...  

Jack is still away at camp 

and Kate is petting bunnies at zoo camp...  

This is a rare opportunity 

to purge the toy bins

 of miscellaneous toys...  

The bits of broken cars, legos

 and superheroes number in the hundreds 

and they have piled up in these bins 

for too long...  

There is no way I could conduct 

this organizational chore 

with the kids present...

  

They would moan and whine 

over every last broken McDonald's Happy Meal toy, 

as if it was a long lost memento 

of their fleeting youth... 

 

 A mere five percent of what needs

to be thrown out would, in fact, 

make it to the trash...  

That is not the purpose of this exercise...  

PURGE, I say!  

If the toys have not been missed,

 languishing in the tubs forever, 

they will certainly not be missed in the alley...  

These poor Barbies are among a group of gals 

who got the wrong end of the scissors... 

Looks like playing "Beauty Shop" 

was more like "Little Shop of Horrors"...

They preferred to pose anonymously...

It was too shameful..

But I do feel a twinge of sadness 

to see the toys fade from view...  

Just as I miss Kate's squishy arms and legs 

as a baby and Jack's sweet little toddler toes 

and the way he first held his bottle... 

 Now he throws a mean fastball 

and has feet the same size as mine

 and Kate has long legs 

and talks like a tweener...   

I could not part with everything...  

Kate's play food and dress up gear

went back in the bin and up to her room...  

Jack might want his Hot Wheels some day...  

As I was sifting through the toys, 

I found a whole army of plastic military guys...  

My mind went to "Toy Story", 

and I imagined these little green men talking 

to each other via walkie talkie, 

"Ok, Men!  

Position yourselves to be seen and saved!  

That's right...  

You!  

Over there!  

No man gets left behind!"  

No, I was not half way through a bottle of Jack Daniels, 

but I couldn't throw those guys out...  

Jack might want to play with them a few more times 

or he might want to blow them up...  

You never know... 

So, I gathered every last plastic guy 

and corralled them in a Ziploc bag...  

The kids are growing up so fast, and the electronics 

are already eclipsing the dollies 

and Tonka Trucks...  

Maybe I will keep some toys around a bit longer...  

And not just for the kids...