Stupid Box of Legos

Every so often I clean out the kids rooms. I take out all the toys they no longer play with and organize the ones they still use. I put all the old toys in the garage where they either go into storage or off to Goodwill. Every year since we've lived in our house (about three years or so) I have tried to get rid of a certain box of Legos. They are ordinary, run of the mill Legos. But they're the big size. The ones for 1 1/2 + year olds. I figured when everyone turned three and up it was safe to get rid of them. Besides, they have the little Legos, for big kids.

So, every time I do one of these cleanings I put the box of Legos in the garage. And every time I do this it is only a matter of days before I find someone has brought the box of Legos back in. They don't bring in the other toys. No one ever says anything about the old Barbies or the Rescue Heroes. No one mentions the GI Joes or the little Star Wars guys. No, just those stupid Legos.

This is usually the scenario: I'm cleaning. I think "the kids have outgrown these Legos. I'm getting rid of them." I put them in the garage and go on my merry way. The next day, I see the huge Legos scattered about. I follow the trail into the boys' room. "Where did you guys get these Legos?" I ask, wondering if I had gone insane and imagined taking the Legos to the garage. Someone inevitably answers, "we found them in the garage. We don't know how they ended up there." I tell them I put them there and I get shocked and confused looks from three little kids all over the age of 1 1/2. "What? Why would you do that? We play with these all the time," as they're all sitting around building toy guns and forts. "Whatever", I tell them.

This has happened several times in the past three years. Several. Tuesday I once again cleaned the boys room to remove the toys cluttering underneath they're bed and closet. I take a look at the box of Legos and I hestitantly put them in the hallway to be taken outside. I knew I shouldn't have. I should have just put the box back on the shelf, but I thought 'maybe this time'.

Riley comes in from playing outside and asks, "what are you doing with all of these toys?"

I answer, "taking them to the garage. They're taking up way too much room."

"What!" he exclaims. "Even the box of Legos? We still use those. The baby plays with them all the time!"

Did I mention that I also put a huge box of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle paraphanalia out in the hall? Along with a huge assortment of little army men and an entire garbage bag full of stuffed animals? Those were sitting in the hall as well. But I didn't hear one word about those. Not one.