Organization is in the Bag.

It might be easy to mistake my home for a toy factory. My floors are littered with small cars, dinosaurs, animals and various assorted toys. There is an indirect correlation between Robby's age and the size of his toys. As Robby is getting bigger and growing older, his toys are becoming smaller.

Small toys are hazardous, especially for the amputee. I am not able to tell when I am stepping on something until it cracks or I fall. I have stepped on more cars, animals and action figures than I can count. Robby has recently discovered marbles and received hundreds for Christmas. These little glass balls scare me. My friends have started a pool guessing when I will slip on a marble, and what will be broken.

I woke up this morning with a determination to get organized. After surveying the preferred play zones of my toy monster, I began to formulate a plan. I pulled out my embroidery machine, several cloth tote bags from my sewing basket and set to work.

I embroidered both the name and picture of each item that was to be placed into the bag. I made one for blocks, animals, trains and cars. After each bag was complete, Robby set out through the house to fill it with the appropriate toy. It took most of the morning, but Robby seems to understand the new organizational system. If the bags keep the toys off my floor and keep my pathways from become plastic mine fields, it was well worth the time!

I was beginning to pack up my embroidery machine when Robby dug through my sewing basket and pulled out another bag. I asked him what he wanted it to say. He told me that he wanted it to say "Mommy" with a happy face. Thinking that he wanted me to have a bag to gather my items, I obliged and embroidered the tote.

When the bag was finished, I put it on the bed. I proceeded to pack up my embroidery machine and prepared to tackle my mounting "to do " list. When I came out of my little sewing corner, I was shocked by the state of my bedroom.

Toys, which were previously cleaned up and placed into their designated bags, were scattered everywhere. My new tote bag organizational system was a failure. My house was a wreck. Deflated, I thought I was going to cry.

I saw Robby, sitting in the middle of the mess as he was frantically sorting through his toy bags. Toys were being tossed over his shoulder as he emptied each bag. Occasionally, he stopped and placed a toy into the bag on his lap.

I walked over, prepared to place him into time out for making a deliberate mess. He smiled and proudly showed me the "Mommy" bag on his lap. I looked inside and found it filled with a variety of toys and animals that had suffered a limb loss from being trampled.

Robby was creating his own organizational system. The cars, trains, animals and dinosaurs were returned to their designated totes. All of the amputee animals were placed into the "Mommy" tote. Hopefully, the new organizational system will keep the "Mommy bag" from getting any fuller!