Annual Basement Clean Out

This past summer, our family had a discussion.  I'm sure it had to do with helping the littles understand the different times of the year.  Something along the lines of, "We do this in this month and that in that month."

I distinctly remember Paul saying, "October is clean up the basement month."  Ha ha.  Unfortunately, it's true.  By the time I've canned and yard saled my way through summer, the basement is quite the mess as we head into Fall.

We always host a Reformation Party at the end of October.  The games for that party always take place in, you guessed it, the basement.  Since next weekend is the party, I'm cleaning the basement today.  The bi-annual Great Clothes Switch Out, in which I trade all the kids' summer clothes for winter clothes also happened this week.  Soooo, between a clothes explosion, a Costco box explosion (I'll never stand in the check out lane at Costco and say I want a box again) and a craft explosion (created by someone who shall remain nameless, but whose middle name is Dean), the basement is in quite a state.

Grace helped me for a bit this morning, but now she and Liz are off to a photo shoot.  Matt, Paul, Joel and Jude went on a Boy Scout camp out.  Which leaves me here with two itty bitties and  someone whose middle name is Dean.  So progress in the basement has now stalled.

I'd like to get to a Marie Kondo state of being in the basement (who am I kidding, in my whole house), but I know that's just a pipe dream.  Ain't gonna happen with ten people living here.  I think what I've learned in the Five Aspects of Woman definitely applies.  Since the Fall in the Garden of Eden, our domains rebel against us.  Try as we might, our places tend toward disorder and we have to work hard to bring back order, thus ruling our domains.

I guess I should get back at it.  Ruling my domain that is.  I'll get that basement clean knowing full well I'll be back down there next October doing the same thing all over again.  Marie Kondo definitely does not live here.