Memento

One of the things I purchased on my IKEA odyssey in Phoenix this past weekend were two rectangle baskets - one in blue and one in yellow. My 'vision' was to replace the broken, messy Mexican ceramic fish bowl on the boys' bathroom counter with two baskets - one for each son - to store their 'stuff' in.

Sadly, only one basket will fit where the fish bowl resided. It was hard to toss that bowl - but it's chipped and broken. Which prompted the basket purchase. And then, on closer inspection, I realized it's also disgustingly gross. Congealed, dried hair gels, with various 'things' stuck in it - like hair clips (mine), hair ties (mine), various caps from products long since removed (toothpaste tops, acne medicine caps, etc.) - all rock solid stuck to the bowl. So I happily tossed it, since keeping it would mean working way too hard to get those things unstuck. I just don't have the impetus for that...not today, not on vacation...not any day in the foreseeable future. That's 5-10 minutes of my life I would never get back - so I passed. Now, there's one basket with various products - and other things - on the counter.

Next, I'm searching for something for each son to store their growing earring collection in. That's a sentence I never imagined writing when I had babies. But they have pierced ears (both boys, both ears) and there is an assortment of earrings, and earring backs all over the place as well - and that needs to be contained somehow. Possibly The Container Store - just two small clear plastic boxes with lids would do the trick. I could find something 'cuter' or 'prettier' - but they are boys and don't give a hoot about aesthetics. I'll prettify the bathroom a bit when they've moved out. For now, it's a boys bathroom....

One of the things I put back in the basket is a travel size Soft & Dri deodorant. It made it's way home with H. when he went to the snowboard camp in Oregon a couple summer's ago (the summer B. went to Europe, H. went to a camp on Mt. Hood which has year round snow. I kid you not). Anyway...this deodorant returned with him - and he will not allow me to toss it. He certainly isn't using it - it's a girl's product, for sure. But when I inquire about 'hey, can we toss this now?', his eyes get a little softer and he says, with a smile, 'no'.

Now, I know there's a memory attached to that deodorant. Possibly a first kiss? A first something (which I'd rather not think about/know about since he was only 13 at the time and anything but kissing is not something I'm up to acknowledging - certainly not). It had to be a first kiss....

Someday, I hope he'll tell me about the memory attached to that Soft & Dri. Someday.

For now, it's in the basket on the bathroom counter, where he sees it daily. I leave it there. He's entitled to his memento....