Having Coffee with the Army Guys

I regularly find legos, knights, army men, bouncy balls, etc in my washing machine. It's part of raising kids, boys in particular. 

I also find miscellaneous "boy stuff" in other places. 

We don't often eat at our dining table because the air conditioner in that room is broken, so approximately 350 days out of the year it is so hot and steamy that no one wants to be in the room, much less sit down to a hot meal and commence eating while sweat drips off your face.

I use the table in the mornings though. Before it gets hot, this is my station for Bible study, bill paying, letter writing, studying, planning, sewing, etc. It's my "desk." 

But this morning as I approached the table/desk, I found this:

Obviously, a boy has been here. 

If you are familiar with the organization/cleaning guru FlyLady, you know that she refers to places that attract (and seemingly multiply) clutter as "hot spots." I fell off the FlyLady wagon eons ago, but I am fully aware that my table IS a hot spot. It is conveniently located, large, and flat, so it will hold a LOT of stuff. Some days it looks like a page out of one of those I Spy books with the hidden objects. I had just cleaned it off yesterday. Now look at it.

I didn't have the heart to move any of it. All of those things are his and they illustrate him so vividly. And I love that in addition to all his little toys and his treasures, he also carries around that pocket Bible. Very cool beans, Daniel, very cool beans. 

One day, all too soon, the last bird will fly from our nest and there won't be any more puzzles, army guys, bubbles, legos, or other gizmos on my table, my floor, or in my washing machine. So today I just sat at the other end of the table with my Bible and my books and smiled while I had coffee with the little green army guys. If only they could talk to me of their adventures on my table with my son. 

Yes, I had just cleaned it off. But look how the space is being used now! Isn't that the whole point? Yes, that table is the first thing folks will see if they come visit and enter my house. Big deal. Maybe they would like to join in the fun or help put the puzzle together. I have plenty of other hot spots I can work on.