Stuff, stuff everywhere

It's a little too late in the week after Christmas to still have gifts piled all over my living room, but piled they are. How will I incorporate all of it into our house which already seems to be bulging at the seams with all sorts of shit? It's not that we have all that much stuff--I just need some sort of organizational makeover. My kitchen cabinets could store a lot more (and it would be easier to find stuff) if I had a day to do just that. I need time to hang random art that is lined up along the floorboards or stacked in more piles in every room. At some point, I should probably also put away the box of maternity clothes sitting on my floor and re-incorporate my pre-pregnancy clothes that are in a box right next that. It's convenient having them there, but our bedroom (which is still unfinished after the great baby-redecorating rush of later summer) is starting to look like Nate's garage. This is not good.

And then there is Clementine's room. How much of a mess can a kid that young even make? We have managed so far to keep the giant glut of huge plastic toys that seems to plague every toddler's house under control, but that isn't saying anything for clothes. Between the gifts, my impulse purchases and the hand-me-downs, Clementine is a clothes horse in the first degree. What's worse is that she is growing out of her 0-3 month clothes, fully wearing her 3-6 month duds, dabbling in 6-9 month stuff and in possession of a whole lot of stuff she can wear between 9 and 24 months. As one perpetually challenged by organization, I'm having a hard time figuring out a good system of rotating out the old and in the new, especially considering I want to hang on to the old in case we ever take this trip again. I need Martha Stewart to come do some serious overhauling--storage boxes, labels, markers and all--so I can whip darling C.'s room into shape.

Working from home this morning (can't you tell?). I've been spoiled by all this flexibility and only just remembered that Nate will be returning to work next week, leaving darling C. at the dreaded day care. I am stressed out about that all over again and still trying to convince myself I NEED to work. What I know for sure is that Clementine had an awesome day yesterday, slept a little better than she has and grew bigger and cuter while she did so. I again find myself wondering why anyone but her parents should get to experience days like this.

But whatever. Back to the grind so I can take a long afternoon break to spend some of that Christmas cash. We're off on a week-long camping trip this summer and it's time to stock up on all the stuff we'll need now that we are us + 1.