2.15.2006

Cyclone

When Megan arrived a year and half ago we emptied what used to be my office and made it her bedroom. We converted our porch to an office/playroom. Up until that time it had been a quaint little sitting space we stuck the Christmas tree in one month of the year and rarely did much with the rest of the time.

When the holidays ended this year, I took things one step further. 80% of the toys in this house no live in this sunroom. The remaining 20% is split between the living room, main bathroom (oh come on, we're talking bath toys), and both of the kids bedrooms.

My intent, at the time, had been to contain a majority of the mess related to playing and not tidying well. I had foolishly figured we could at least carve out a space for my work where the clutter respected the border of "adultness" a home office should deserve. Yes, go on. Laugh. I know.

Instead, I sit here and reply to my boss' email with an array of Little People, plastic tools, misplaced trucks and a few different sized balls under my feet. Behind me is the village of Little People, the train table, some dinosaurs working as construction vehicles and an overturned art box.

Surely, it is a disaster area waiting to be condemned.

Truth, however, is that I have little interest in making this a battle worth fighting. Yes, we work to tidy it up along side the two little mess-making imps, yet I never insist that it's 100% put back together all the time. We live within the mess out here. We co-exist with the jumble of toys left behind in the child created cyclone.

I'm just wondering, do you think I can still deduct the square foot total of my office space on my taxes in spite of the toys that spill into it?

3 comments:

Jeff said...

It seems that the cyclone of toys will only move into a smaller area if you try to contain it. Seems like you should just hope the kids grow up soon so you can have your office to yourself :) Or get rid of the extra 20%

Cath said...

We have far too many toys for one child. 25% of the living is toys, 25% of the bathroom is toys, 50% of his bedroom are toys, 0% of my craft room are toys(and it's staying that way!)lol
I sooooo need to clear out!

carmilevy said...

We've given up trying to win the toy battle. Soon enough, they'll be moving out and we'll wonder where all the clutter went.

When I return to my parents' house, I always marvel at how sterile it looks. It's kinda sad. Then I feel warm and happy when I return to the zoo that is our own home.