I'm getting ready for 2011. I plan on making a "no buying of new toys" New Years resolution. Yep, you heard right! That's a big change for me. Time to get off the "got to have it...because it's new" train. I've burned up so much time and energy on finding that next toy...not to mention money. Well, I've had it. Done! Kaput! Also finishing up a thorough toy re-org. I had toys stored in boxes all over the house and the garage. Now it's just down to our office. The plan is to keep what I actually enjoy...not to keep everything I hoardected during my second childhood. So far I've found simplifying is work...but once you get started it gets easier. Stuff is great but with time builds into a stress monster. Where to put it all....what to do w/ it... I found I had figures collected for future custom projects that I couldn't remember anymore what I was planning. So far I've thinned out my book collection, 3 inchers, and a mass quantity of Bionicles. How do we all get hooked into so many interests? Other recent things that went? Two plastic totes of comics in the garage. A local comic shop gave me these rare (to me) figs in trade along w/ the infamous Holiday Special Fett figure. I'm really happy to be rid of the 50 pounds of comics and to have scored some small easy to store figs I've been lusting after for so long. Next up I need to take a serious look at non-sports cards, tiki mugs, and my 12" figure collection. Frightening! I wonder how I'll feel about new toys in a year. Can I learn to "love the toy I'm with"? ......................................................................... (Right now, of course, I'm trying to fight back the urge to buy up every toy I see before 2011!)

The holiday is officially over and it is time to gather all of the decorations and box them up for another year. Our stash of decorations includes a whole box of santas that were given to Eric over the course of his life. He put santa's all over our house. When it came time to collect them all up he began piling them on the couch. Brix was curious about the new pile of toys and moved in to investigate. I don't know why my cat enjoys chewing things so much. This santa was rescued before any damage was done. 2/365