On cleaning a childs room

Do you ever just get a bee in your flowery bonnet and just have to do what you can to help him make some honey?
There was a break in the dam today, that said the reservoir of Dash's room needed to be drained. It was overflowing the banks with...

Upon closer inspection of the breach you may just notice a basket set aside for clean clothes that may somehow escape the flood.

However most of the clothing found in the mess was dirty and answered the question each morning begged of why the child had so few clean clothes to put on.

The largest most single thing in all of that is paper!
My children use a lot of paper!
They recycle boxes as well, making many cool toys, guns and swords.

I emptied everything!
The drawers were checked and all clothing that was too small was removed to pass on.

It was sorta funny when I discovered that one drawer was empty, anther was mostly empty with papers and colored pencils in it. I was humored and the feeling pleased me. I used to get rather bent out of shape and angry.

Yes...I really do use a rake to scoop it all up. I raked it all outside his door and then swept the floor. I removed every thing (except furnishings) and swept gathering all the small toys (Lego's)
and I moved the bed (sliding it on the carpet squares) and the dresser. Dash had spoken to me some time back about re arranging his room in this way.

The rake is a wonderful back saver. I use it upside down when getting all the little Lego things.
Half of this laundry was rat holed.
My family calls it that.
I coined it from my many desert walks where we admired the Pack Rat for the ingenuity and skill at the gathering of such abundant junk in one small place.
Dove is an expert at "Rat wholeing".
She has been lovingly helping Dash clean his room three times this month (she has been playing in there with him).
Her idea of cleaning the room is to make it look pretty.
Out of sight out of mind.
Until there are no socks and the t shirts have all vanished. Now mind you a room can be made to look good when you get rat holing down as a primary skill

Once in the hall I sat on a stool sorting the Lego's out of the mess (this is just a small bit of it).
Three large bags of papers were tossed.
Three boxes of varying sizes. A 90 gallon recycle bin is 2/3 of the way full!

I pulled the black floor matting out of the stored stuff out in the garage and made a nice play spot. This matting was found in the gym supplies at Target or any sporting good store.
The bin drawers are yet empty.
I hung the Linens on the line after the washer stopped.

From every corner of the house I gathered the Lego platforms.

By the end all the Laundry was hung and the closet was full of fresh t shirts.
Hung and awaiting the boy blue upon his arrival.
This job took me 6 hours to complete.

With clean linens and a quilt freshly laundered and hung in the breeze the stage was set.
He came home and after a moment or so we went to go into his room..
"what?" .... "Oh my goodness! Oh man... Dove come and see my room! Oh man! I love it! Oh Mom! Your the best!" ......

A happy boy!