Tidying Up with the Kulicks

​Call it apocalyptic evidence of the Marie Kondo influence sweeping the nation, but I've been inspired to tidy up. I certainly consider my house to be "clean," but with four children running about, toys seem to flow out from their bedrooms like hot lava, damaging the soles of our feet along the way.
 
My husband and I spent the weekend helping my oldest "tidy up" by bringing a level of organization to his explosion of Legos, but he was unwilling to part with toys and we didn't want to push him at this moment. Then, I set my eyes on my daughter's room. I asked her if she had any toys she didn't play with and wanted to get rid of. She went to her room and emerged with these:

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And just like that, the wind that propelled my tidying-up ship stopped blowing. 
 
I smiled and thanked her for deciding to give these toys to someone else. And then I took them and put them in my closet and choked back tears.
 
HOW COULD SHE NOT LOVE THESE TOYS ANYMORE??
 
She literally [and un-maliciously] picked out two toys with so much significant value to ME that I had to take a few steps back and ask myself some questions. 
 
Why did these two pink plushes matter so much to me? Well, the doll was the first item that my daughter ever saw in a store and desired. She was around 15 months when we were strolling through Dollar General and her sweet little eyes lit up at the sight of a pink doll. Though I hate "just buying stuff" for my kids, my mommy heart just had to get her that doll. As I saw it in the "get rid of pile," it was a sign of her growing up and maturing, and I just didn't feel ready to let go of that little peanut I once held. 
 
The dog carried a similar sentiment, only she was a few weeks old when I got that for her. Though my little pink princess was too small to enjoy the toy, I bought it thinking about all the fun she could have with it when she grew. Now that she'd grown, enjoyed it and was ready to part with it, I realized I wasn't ready to let go of that precious moment.
 
In the bustle of four little kids, cherishing moments is often missed when the next wave of chaos breaks, bringing an onslaught of "I'm hungry" and "can I have juice" and "she took my toys," but through all of the waves, there are small reminders of sweetness and simpler times… and this mama is going to cherish in her closet for many more years :)
 
How do you manage all of the "stuff" your kids accumulate?