Legos and Sons (+De-Cluttering Update)

In my de-cluttering process, now in its fifth month... gaaaahhhh... I have encountered Legos... a lot of Legos... no, really a very large amount. Star Wars, Harry Potter, castles, and pirates--- my sons had them all; my sons built them all.

I have stepped on many a Logo brick and sucked up many a little Lego man arm into my vacuum. I have routinely cursed their little selves.

One day, however, as with other childhood passions, the Legos oddly remain tightly closed within their plastic tubs.

This is just one of five lego tubs this size.

And I ask myself, as all moms should, "Where did all the time go?"

There is a heaviness and sadness which can wash over me like the tide coming in when I am napping on the beach and the sun begins to go down and suddenly my towel is wet from the ocean coming near. Because something extremely fun and incredible is being finished, completed with

no mulligans or do-overs.

There is no 'parental re-set button'.

Life happens. Eras are completed. The page turns.

Back to Legos.

How does a boy build a Logo castle? One brick at a time.

How does a mom build a son? One small investment at a time.

One baby bottle. One rocking to sleep. One bedtime story. One band-aid over a boo-boo. One quick game of catch. One lemonade stand. One kiss. One midnight sled ride. One encouraging word. One parental act of discipline. One "no". One "yes". One frog. One funny bug. One goldfish. One bunny. One tail-less hamster (no rodents with tails allowed). One puppy. One bird. One lightening bug catching contest. One pep talk. One "I love you". One "you're the best". One "don't give up." One "there is no one else like you". One "I believe in you". One "you can do it" One E.R. visit. One late night homework project rescuing. One mom-the-taxi-driver trip. One driving lesson (Lord, help me.) One college application. One final room cleaning. One dorm room move-in. One hug. One phone call or text message. One "God loves you so much". One "I love you, buddy". One brick at a time.

Where did all the time go?

Sadness at its passing. Joyful confidence in knowing I can account for every minute. Progress and set-backs all wrapped up in one because, as Martin Luther once said, "It is frightening to think that we mark our children simply by being ourselves." In spite of having me as their mom, I am able to take a step back and admire the three castles which this Kinleystead has constructed.

There is much satisfaction in knowing that (with lots of help from the most awesome dad in the world... my husband... Happy Father's Day to you... even though you are not my father, but have been the greatest father my sons could ever have had.) I... really we... it was definitely a team effort... were the major players in...

building our sons.

P.S. De-Cluttering Update:

The second half of the attic, my mom's trunk from 1950, three basement boxes, and some drawer are left, then I will have been through every square inch of Hillcrest Cottage... de-cluttering and organizing. Dear Reader, I hope you are rooting me on!

In this long process, I have encountered so many things that have made me ask, "What do I do with this?" I mean... what do you do with a letter written in 1950 from my grandmother to my mother right after my parents were married which speaks of a summer so hot they had to burn the crops and the wedding gift of the lovely silver tomato server for which my mom "will find many uses" (ha ha to that if you knew my mom).

Or the cupcake decoration topper from 1966... they don't make 'em like that any more.

I have to answer these questions.

My dad's baby shoes from 1923 which did not get bronzed.

Original Smiley Face from 1970.

Break My Heart... 1956... Saved by My Mom... From My Grandfather's Grave.

Before the Internet... How We Read About Teenage Idols.

1945 WWII Ration Card of My Gr. Uncle (who was like a grandfather to me & had no children of his own)

Some things are easy to sell on Ebay, some things I will throw away, some things are important links to my family heritage, and other things I hold in my hand and wonder what to do....

After the gathering of incredibly- cool -stuff comes...

THE SALE...

a sale like none other... with stuff you won't believe I have saved for so long.

Go Me!

P.P.S. If you read this blog but have never commented, now would be a great time to begin because I need encouragement to keep going in my de-cluttering project plus bloggers need and want comments and interaction. So many of you tell me how much you enjoy reading...

So... Ollie, Ollie Oxen Free! ... come out of the shadows and comment.