wide open spaces

You're not going to believe this because it really goes against the spirit of the new year and the beginning stages of spring cleaning but I've been on a serious mission to get rid of everything. Within reason. Like, if you have a pulse ... you can stay ... otherwise ... in the minivan trunk you go to the donation bin (love those bins that are everywhere around here!) because that is one fewer thing we will have to haul down to Tampa in a few months. No, no, no - I know you're doing it too! I do. Everyone is doing it. But it's great. I've never been a neat freak and never will be but I swear my blood pressure drops several points when I walk around the house and spot an uncluttered corner or (a rarity!) a nice clean room. And catching a glimpse of a corner of piled up crap has the opposite effect, sadly. So maybe I'm just a neatish freak. Who knows.

Our living room has gone through the most permutations ever since we moved in because, well, it just has. We spend the most time there and it's the first room you see when you walk through the front door blah blah. We've always had a trunk or a table (or both! dumb dumb) as a coffee table because of course! Everyone needs a coffee table! Right? Well, I had a kRaZy revelation and decided that the frequency at which we sit and enjoy coffee (or water or something more exciting like alco-hawl) without a little angel face spilling said beverage is a big fat zero so ... adios trunk. The trunk went up to our room (I know! it should've just been removed from the house but I want to see the Florida housing situation before I get rid of every stick of furniture) and the kids have seemed to gain a new lease on play life.

I took some real nice photos to show you said lease. 

Real nice.

the kids normally migrate down to the basement because that's where the bulk of their toys live which is great but we're in the process of painting over their many Crayola murals down there and tidying things - hold up - this is something future Grace might look back on and be like, "wtf wtf wtf - what were you blogging about and were you intoxicated, former Grace?!"

Sorry. Nope, sober!

Let me finish strong with a cell phone snap so you can get a better idea of the situation ...

{Sebastian was in his room because he bit Julia. Really hard. Broke skin, left a bruise, and all. He'll be living there until, "he needs to go to Costco or Target" according to the victim who is milking her wound real good.}

Anyway, don't get me started on how smart a white rug placement was because we are known for taking wonderful care of our things ...

... and kids aren't just messy and mobile permanent stains waiting to happen ...

At all.

But really. Now I'm eying bulky items like the refrigerator and the toilet and wondering, "necessary?!" or merely customary? and can they go?

I'll keep you posted.