Hi, My Name is Kate...

...and I am an addict.

I am addicted. I'm addicted to re-arranging and updating the boys' playroom. I guess in the realm of addictions, this isn't a bad one to have. Last night I was up past midnight going through the toys and adding a cool new cube system. It often bothers me that there are some toys in bins that Gavin can't access. So last night at Home Depot I bought the Martha Stewart 6 Cube Organizer and had a master plan. Ed and I put it together and then I filled each cube with 3-4 toys that Gavin would like.

My hope is that he will be encouraged to reach in and retrieve toys from any of the cubes whenever he wants - which would also mean he'd have to use his hands! So now the playroom, which I also rearranged a little, looks like this:

If you're wondering if it's always this neat...well, kind of. It's important to me to keep things organized for Gavin's sake. I want to make it easy for him to physically get around the room - and I also want him to be able to access everything easily. So here's how I have things organized...

I put some of his favorite toys on the coffee table to encourage him to stand and play. I covered the table with hard foam which I cut to fit and covered with fabric - it generally keeps him from biting the sides. It also protects the wood from dents and scratches and drool and teeth marks.

The books...many of which were generously gifted to the boys from a loyal reader (and now a great friend) - Barb Grimmie....are stored in a book display by Guidecraft.

I have Little People and all the farm animals in the green buckets and random toys in the canvas bin. I always need to keep the front of the entertainment center blocked. Gavin likes to stand and bite the edges. The blue on either side are pool noodles that I cut to fit the shelves to save them from Gavin's chompers. I have them on either side of the bottom of the coffee table, too.

I brought back the Mush Lounger from storage. A friend sent me the link to this when Gavin was a baby and it was a lifesaver for a LONG time. It's great for an infant - you just lay them on there (if they can't roll over) - turn on the vibrations - and it soothes them right to sleep. I use it now when I sense Gavin needs some oral stimulation. I park him in that chair, turn on the good vibes and hand him his toothbrush or his Nuk. It's like sensory overload - Heaven for him.

I couldn't wait for morning - I couldn't wait to see the kids reactions! Here was Brian's...

And here is Gavin checking out the cubes filled with toys...

We had a fun day playing together. Ed has been working a lot this weekend and actually spent the day in the office so it was just me and the boys. I have to say - playing with the Thomas train set and re-configuring the tracks is pretty addicting, too.

The other thing I'm horribly addicted to? Pregnancy tests. But don't worry - there's no way I'll bankrupt us. I know where to score cheap, very sensitive tests in BULK. (I realize I'm out of control.) This way I can test once (okay up to four) times a day (hey - you never know when it will turn!!) and not feel guilty. Unfortunately...it has not turned positive yet. And with the amount of random tears that have fallen out of my eyes today...I'm guessing it's not likely it will. But that's a whole other post called "MY LIFE SUCKS" - so I'll save that for another day.

Today, it's all about happiness and fun and great moments like this one...