this morning as i was helping ellie get dressed we had an interesting conversation.
e: momma, i just thought of something.
m: what did you think of ellie? (trying not to giggle at the cute way she is framing this conversation, but also unprepared for what she is about to say next.)
e: remember that red kitchen?
m: (searching my brain... red kitchen?... OH! THAT RED KITCHEN. they sell it at pottery barn and it costs A LOT! e had her eye on it at Christmas time.) you really liked that kitchen didn't you?
e: i asked for it for Christmas. why didn't you get it for me?
m: because you already have a very nice kitchen.
e: but i want it.
m: well, a girl only needs one kitchen and you already have a beautiful kitchen.
e: but mom, i want what i want!
we proceeded to have a nice chat about "stuff" and how we are very fortunate and we have a lot to be thankful for. we talked about not always getting what we want and how some kids don't have any kitchen at all. i don't know how much she took away from our little chat, but she did stop talking about the kitchen.
this conversation comes on the heels of a crisis i was already having concerning "stuff". you see, ellie has this huge playroom filled with toys. at the end of every day lots of her "stuff" has made its way into the rest of the house and getting her to participate in the clean-up process has been a challenge. we've even gone as far as telling her that if toys are out of the playroom when she goes to bed they will be gone in the morning. we've done this, and she just doesn't seem to care. and why would she? she has TONS of "stuff"!
i called my sister stacy to ask for her advice on this matter and she had some great words of wisdom on the situation. (she has 5 kids and is a parental genius.) anyways, she had a few solutions that we think will get to the core of ellie's "stuff" crisis and are implementing them right away.
also earlier this week, i came across this web video. check it out if you have a few minutes. it's pretty fascinating when you think about it. pay special attention to the "golden arrow" segment. this clip is largely an environmental awareness piece, but at the core of it is our need for "stuff".
btw: the picture above was taken last summer when cousin jed came to visit. they are playing with ellie's kitchen. you can't see the kitchen, but it is obvious that they are having fun:)
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