The Stuffed Toy Dilemma

'OK guys!' I said to the kids when they got off the school bus. 'Girls grab a box each and put ONLY the toys you love in them.'

'I love them all.' Miss Independent told me. She knew what was coming.

'ONLY the ones you love. The rest are going to poor kids who have no toys.'

'Stupid poor people.' Miss Thinker said 'Why can't they buy their kids toys instead of making kids give their toys away!'

'Alexis! You have to do it anyway, would you rather they go to the dump or to poor kids?' Little Miss said. 'Now come on don't be horrible.' 

'Fine.'

Five minuets later I stuck my head into the toy room door to see three small boxes overflowing with toys. Too many toys.

'They are not getting the point of this,' I said to My Beloved who was still laying the moulded pavers. He looked up at me and rolled his eyes, I think at how silly the kids were... I think.

'OK. STOP!' I said 'lets go through the box you already have.' I put the stuffed toys in three spare boxes and brought them out to the pavers that were already completed. 

'OK Alannah, I said putting her five MUST keep stuffed toys in front of her. Pick 2.' 

'WHAT!' she said and grabbed Blue Bear.

'Right, Amelia, pick three I said as I put her 8 stuffed toys in front of her.'

'Okay.'

'Right, Lex...' I said and looked at Miss Thinker to see her cuddling her box and tears streaming down her face.

'If you guys picked up your toys you would not have to give them away.' My Beloved told them looking at me as if to say "why did you pick here to rip their little hearts out? Why in front of me?'

'Alright Lexie' I said to Miss Thinker as she was still lying immobile over her box of toys. 'Why keep this one?' I asked.

'Nanna Paula gave it to me. she whispered

'Ok so you have to keep that one. What about this one?'

'Nanna Paula.'

'Ok and this one?'

'My birthday and that one Ashlee got me from the show and this one and this one are my Barbie's friends and this one is cool and this one is purple!'

'Alright what about the other three?'

'Um, um, Nanna Paula?'

'I know,' said the Man Child 'I get to pick two and Lexie still picks her three, the Nanna Paula ones stay so thats pretty much all of them.'

'I will pick two of Alannah's,' Big Miss said and we all turned to see her sitting there staring at her lined up toys holding Blue Bear (who was given to her by, you guessed it, Nanna Paula)  crying. 

'What about me??' Little Miss asked rather desperately 'I can't choose between these two!'

'OK that is it!' I said grabbing all the stuffed toys and putting them in the laundry. I will decide tomorrow FOR you!' 

The rest of the toys went in the give away box very easily and I snuck in a couple of teddies that I saw hidden behind the lounge, or were they just dumped there?

Soon everyone was off doing their thing completely over the whole debacle, except   My Beloved who said to me as he finished the last mould for the day.

'You are a cold hearted thing, throwing little kids teddies in the bin.'

'I am giving them to Vinnies!' I said. 'Not my fault you don't have the stomach for it.'

'Remind me to make sure you are not in charge of decisions if I am sick! You'll probably have me put down!'

'No 'probablies' about it!' I said 'So? Do you want a cuppa now or what?'