More throwing away

When we had our third child, things changed.

I wasn't as prepared for it this time; I knew when I was preparing for the birth of our first that our lives would change drastically and as we got ready to welcome baby #2 I figured it was going to be a big adjustment, and both times I was correct, but I really thought baby #3 wouldn't be that big a deal.  In a lot of ways I was right; she doesn't make me panic when she cries and all the parenting stuff has been a snap really because I feel like I know what I'm doing in regards to solid food and nursing and such.  But on the other hand, we have entered into a stage of life where it is so easy to feel overwhelmed all the time.  Some days all it takes is a potty accident or a kleenex through the wash and my whole day is ruined.  I've had to minimize our lives and streamline everything I can in order to keep a handle on life.

I don't keep trying to take stains out of clothing; it gets one good shot, and if the stain is still there, decisions are made.  I am ruthless about hand-me-downs or anything that comes into the house; I will throw things away constantly, even if someone really, really likes it.  I don't fix broken toys (unless they are a real favourite) and I don't do any sort of major repair of clothing like taking down hems - really anything beyond sewing on a button.  I don't glue things together.  I don't keep art, or practically never.  I don't have duplicates.  My house is too small.  If everyone here has a pair of sneakers, a pair of sandals, and a pair of boots, that's 15 pairs of shoes to find a home for.

I like having these rules on what to throw away already there in my mind so when I see the item I can just toss it.  When my son had his birthday last week he came home with gift bags, which I threw away.  It felt good.  I didn't keep anything besides the gifts and cards.  And as soon as a gift was out of its packaging, I threw that away as well.