Garage Sale Mania

It's my annual ditch and purge.  Spring Cleaning turns into a garage sale every year around my house.  It will be my third and I feel like every year I get rid of more stuff, its hard not to when you are outgrowing baby days.  There is a LOT of stuff that comes along with babes, excersaucers, highchairs, bedding, lamps, bottles, and on and on and on.  There are also mountains of clothes that if you're already hosting a sale, its a good chance to turn the boxes of outgrown clothes into a few dollars. 

I have some trouble as my  children outgrow their toys and their clothes.  My first problem involves a certain mini version of myself.  She is attached to every toy and every clothing article that I put out.  Each time she uncovers an old toy that has not been touched for months, it is exclaimed, "THIS is my very favorite, don't sell it."  I caught her running down the hallway, to avoid me, with her arms filled with old stuffed animals that she rescued from the depths of a box in the garage.  When caught red handed, her teary eyes told me that I will have to wait until after bedtime to take them back to their home in the garage sale heap. 

My second problem is my own.  While Mags problems are not really sentimentality, mine are.   All that know me right now are expecting what I am about to say but I'll say it anyways.  I am in tears looking through the boxes of clothes and old toys.  Not constant sobbing but I have caught myself in old memories of a certain outfit, something my mom bought for Tyson or a sleeper that one of the babes came home from the hospital in.  I found a set of Spiderman pj's that my boy wore every night for weeks on end.  I remember the times we lost the cape and I know I washed them many days so that he could wear them again the next night.  I have pictures that show him wearing them inside out, as he did every time, so that the webs would show through from the back.  They are part of his story and they will NOT go.  I started a bin that will house the clothes that I am too attached with to part.

I remember a day shopping with my mom.  Ty was just weeks old and we ventured into Baby Gap and found what I would call a slicker.  Yellow, rubbery, snaps, adorable.  It wouldn't fit for at least a year but it became Ty's, thanks to my mom.  Ty wore it with the little black boots I bought at the second hand store in Lac Du Bonnet on a cold and rainy day because they reminded me of my dad's giant rubber boots as a kid.  Into the bin, they both go.

Maggie's pile is pink, pink, pink.  I must have been thrilled to have a little dolly to dress because I think I OD'ed on the bubblegum pink.  Some of the sleepers I kept have stains but still they are in the bin.  I will wrap Katie's little girl (I think) in these clothes and enjoy them one more time.  I tucked away her little Peddodles that I bought from Anticipation.  They have lost the red flowers and both my girls spent hours in them but more than that I can see myself sitting on the leather chairs in the store, happy with my friends.  Matching dresses, cute T's, I can't do it.  Into the bin. 

I remember the details of these clothes, the storys.  I know who gave them to me and I know which child wore them.  I remember the showers and the visitors that brought them. There are a pair of foot pajama's, red fleece...every one of my kids wore them and they have no other place to go but the bin.  So my bin is full, hats and shoes, jeans and T's and many, many dresses that I will store on the off chance that my children are as sentimental as me.  One day, I will pull them out and share their stories with them.  I will pull out the pictures and show them the dresses they wore just like my mom did when I was pregnant with Ty.  My bin makes me happy, happy to know that my memories of the years that I am not ready to part with are just a closet away.

In my unclutter I found a dress my mom made me.  Handmade, she was a talented seamstress, I pulled it out and guess who will wear it to the beach this summer she says, my Maggie.  Sentimental like her mom.  Good girl!

Comments

[Nik]

I will need a date and time as to said Garage Sale since Palmer thinks the toys your kids have are EXPONENTIALLY cooler than his :) Also, you know me, always looking for ways to see more of you mommas :)

[T]

Our neighbourhood is having its community garage sale at the end of May and I too have some toys, but mostly mountains of children's clothes, that I would like to purge. I have no idea how to price my items. Can you help?? Thanks.