chickenfickle

The other day, I asked No. 2 to get a roll of paper towels from the closet. He got the towels and told me that I had to clean the closet because it was really dirty. He stressed the really dirty part. Well, I admit there were a couple dust bunnies but the insult was enough to make me clean the closet and then look around for another project. I saw the fridge and decided that was it.

If you’ve been to my house, you may not realize it but my refrigerator is black. It’s hard to tell because it’s covered in magnets and alphabet toys, pictures, coupons and notes. I stick everything on it-it’s like a scrapbook with food inside. When we need a clip for chips, there is always a bunch of rearranging that has to be done because all the magnetic chip clips have something else in them. I’ve taken to using binder clips for the bags of food.

Anyway, I decided that maybe it was time to take down the old stuff and make room for the new. I looked at where to start and saw “the leaf.” It’s on the side, near the top, not in the way, not really noticeable. It’s been there probably two years at least. I’m sure no one remembers anything about it but me. I know who gave it to me and when and what they said. “For you, Mommy.” I hung it on the fridge. I never really intended to keep it so long but it just stayed. And I look at it every now and then and have a quick smile. But when I tried to take it down, I couldn’t. Not only did I remember the day of “the leaf” but also a hundred other things. Coming home from the hospital, first steps, going to preschool, learning to ride a two-wheeler, losing teeth. I looked at “the leaf” and decided to try something else. I moved toward a clip that had a coupon on the front and then some pictures. It was one of those strips of pictures you get in a photo booth of me and The Girl and No. 2 before THAT BABY came along. And then there was one with THAT BABY, too. I remembered taking those pictures at a museum. I left those and decided to try some stuff on the front of the fridge instead.

But, I couldn’t bring myself to take down the little wooden trains from No. 2’s first birthday party six years ago, the picture of THAT BABY sitting on the potty, or of The Girl on a fire truck from a birthday party last summer. I moved the Nascar magnet, and straightened the old Halloween photo and I plan to clean the shelves inside this weekend. But as for the outside, well, it’s clean enough.