House of Styrofoam

"Why do we buy nice things???" Matt and I have asked ourselves that a lot lately. It seems like EVERY SINGLE DAY our kids break or ruin something! I don't know if that is something that is unique to my family...or if the rest of you all experience times like this too, but it's about to drive me batty! I thank God for the person who created Mr. Clean Magic Erasers because without them my walls and doors would be a MESS! (NO thanks to the dork who decided to paint all new homes with FLAT paint!) Anyway, as I sit here typing, I can't help but notice the black permanent marker scribbled all over the wall next to my desk, or the fact that every time one of my kids colors with a pen, marker or crayon, they just throw it down on the carpet when they're done (without a lid of course)! I know they are just kids, but really, this is getting ridiculous! Almost every picture in my house has had the glass broken out of it. I decided to just wait until they are semi-grown to replace the glass in them. I also have numerous picture frames sitting in the closet waiting for a rainy-day so I can glue them back together. Last night, Grant threw a football into the kitchen and knocked my big Yankee Candle off the island and it shattered. A couple of days ago, Brooklyn was standing on a little chair in her room trying to reach a teddy bear on a HIGH shelf in her bedroom and pulled the whole shelf down. Everything on it crashed to the ground. About a week ago, while playing chase in the house, Grant ran past a little wrought iron shelf I have in the hallway and grabbed it...pulling it down. There went another couple of picture frames and one of my most favorite vases of flowers. UGH! I mean, am I being unrealistic? It also frustrates me that over the weekend Grant threw up on almost every carpeted or upholstered surface in our home, pooped IN our bed when I sat him there for JUST a second after he took a bath so I could go get his clothes and our dog had some kind of vomiting/diarrhea episodes all over our new wood floors upstairs! I know it's not their fault (Grant's or the dog's) but still....our 10 month old house seems filthy to me. I even shampooed the carpet yesterday but if a stranger walked in, he'd never know this was a brand new house. It's too late for us now...but we've figured out that those of you who haven't gotten rid of all the stuff people give you when you first get married, should just keep it until your kids are grown. There is no sense in buying nice, new stuff just so it can get demolished by the cute little people that run your house. :o)