The very last time

We parked our car in our garage for the very last time today.

Ever since Jeff and I married thirteen years ago we have always parked our car in our garage. I don't know if it's a Southern thing, or just a Texas thing, but it seems that very few people around here actually use their garage for its intended purpose. I don't know how many times someone has told me that they drove by our house, intending to stop by to say hi, but since they didn't see a car in the driveway, they assumed no one was home! So we've been a little different—parking in the garage.

But now that's changed.

Our plans are to convert half of our garage into a bedroom for Jaden. He has his own room now, but it's only about 9'x10', and the girls currently share a room that's not much bigger at 10'x12'; and the girls have completely run out of space. They aren't really overrun with toys in their room (I've purged their toy collection so much in the last several months that all that's left is Barbies and toy horses), but bunk beds, two dressers, a rolling cart, a small table and chair, and a bookshelf sure do take up a lot of room. Add to that the fact that both girls fall a little closer to the "messy" end of the cleanliness spectrum than the "neat-freak" end, the floor of their room is often difficult to see for the numerous piles of clothes, shoes, and books lying about the room.

I still haven't figured out how to get them to keep their room clean. I know it probably sounds like a cop out, but it's such chore trying to remind the girls on a daily basis to straighten their room (especially when at any time they can come into my room and see that the floor on my side of my bed bears a striking resemblance to their floor!)

Oh well, it might be just a fantasy to think that when they get their own rooms theirs floor will be cleaner, but at least they won't be able to blame their sibling for the mess!