The Toy Monster Strikes (finally)!!!!!

After years of threats, the Toy Monster finally followed through and "ate" the girls toys. We made up this idea of a "Toy Monster" to help motivate Ella and Ruby to clean up their toys. If their toys weren't cleaned up at night, then a monster (that only ate toys, not kids) would come and gobble up the toys that were left out. It worked pretty well for a long time. They would clean up their toys every night so they wouldn't get eaten. After a while, and especially after friends would come over to play, the cleaning up wasn't getting done. If it did get "cleaned", stuff was shoved in corners or put in the wrong bins. Our playroom was out of control. I know we have far too many toys, but when you have a giant room above the garage, there's space for all the toys.

I had finally had enough of the play room being a disaster, so last night, the Toy Monster paid us a little visit. 40 minutes and 7 bags later, there wasn't a whole lot left in that room.

He left a little note on the door, written in mud (aka chocolate pudding)...

I wish I had taken a before picture, but I was too fired up and just wanted to get it done. Just imagine not being able to see the floor and "set-ups" (or, as I like to call them, "piles of junk") made by Ella all over the place. Toys that were in their correct spots got to stay. Here is the after:

The loot in the attic. 7 garbage bags full, plus a ride-on toy and baby crib. Yeah, we have way too many toys.



Here was Ella's reaction after she went upstairs to get her stuffed panda bear. She was very sad, but MISSED THE WHOLE POINT! She immediately said, "Mom, we have to go today and buy some new toys!"

To which I said, "No. We don't have money for new toys."

Her idea was, "We have to get some money! We could use what we have in our piggy banks." (Which is probably 37 cents).

I tried to explain that what she really needed to do is take care of the toys she had. Hopefully, it's starting to sink in.


Ruby walked around the play room taking stock of all the toys the Toy Monster didn't get. She kept saying, "The Toy Monster is mean!" but she never cried.



And Annie couldn't care less. As long as she has her book with a picture of a cow in it (her new favorite word), she's happy as a clam!

So here's my dilemma...what do I do with the toys? I definitely think we need to cut back on the amount of toys we have, so I don't want to bring them all back. But that's also hundreds of dollars worth of toys that I don't want to just get rid of. They really enjoy playing with most of them. Should they be able to earn them back? I haven't really planned the final outcome of this little fable. I realize they are kids, and kids are messy, but it was out of control. I definitely want them to learn their lesson.

One other perk of the Toy Monster taking their toys is that they aren't mad at us, because "we" aren't the ones who took their toys. They are mad at the TM, but I just keep explaining that he was just doing his job and they were the ones that made the mess. Them's the breaks!!!!


(And I will finish blogging about Arizona, Christmas activities, actual Christmas, New Years at Disney World, fun in the snow, a Valentine's Day party, a weekend in Chapel Hill, etc., etc. at some point. Maybe in this lifetime. )