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Also: We're getting another winter storm! Yay! I am so, so glad that we get to celebrate the end of winter in such an appropriate way, and furthermore, ecstatic that I will either a) be "working" from home tomorrow again or b) risking life and limb to get to the office to look like a good employee, especially after my little adventure this morning. Such fun!

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Frances is all better now. Her pees and poops are back to normal, her energy level is back, and she has **another molar** on the way. Holy fucking shit. Pardon my language. But can't they please just come through already so we can get some sleep?

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Frances is enjoying the "empty the containers out" phase to the fullest right now. Her toy bins, her megablocks bin, her shape sorter, the coffee table, the bookshelf, the magazine rack, the cd rack, my purse, the newspaper, anything left on the floor by accident, food containers, garbage containers, and really, anything at all in her reach that has something else in it. Out it goes!

What this means right now is that our family room is ankle-deep in baby detritus all the time. Megablocks, little people, stuffed toys, balls, newspaper flyers, and socks. It looks like the Zeller's toy department exploded in front of our TV set. And we've completely given up fighting it because as soon as we put everything back where it belonds, why, we've refilled the containers and she just goes and empties them right out again.

She doesn't even empty them out quietly, because she individually picks up each item, inspects, it closely, and then throws it to the floor full force to see if it a) bounces, b) makes a good loud bang, and c) cries. (This last applies mostly to the cats, whose tails and ears are now endlessly fascinating to our little mad scientist.) So she is very methodical about making as much noise as possible as she strews her belongings in the least convenient, most-likely-to-trip-up-mom places.

So as I say, we've given up putting them back, except for one half-hearted attempt once she is asleep for the night.

This makes us very happy to be moving, as the new house will have a basement play area to contain all of this. A carpeted basement play area so that she can't make any noise as she throws things to the ground. And if it stays a mess, who cares? This is good.

It also is making us consider implementing a Toy Limit, beyond which we will start boxing up and/or giving away older toys that she no longer plays with. I really don't want her to be one of those kids who has three million toys around, so many that she doesn't value any of them and only plays with them for three seconds before becoming bored. And there's no way we can stop people from giving her toys, so I think we're going to have a Toy Limit.

The question is: Where do we put the limit? A bin's worth? A closet's worth? Something else?

Anyone reading this have any wisdom to share?