Too much stuff!!!

I don't have any new pictures! So I found one of me and Damien! We just bought a new video camera (our old one broke) so we have been spending more time with the new video camera. We are down to 12 more days of school! Our big accomplishment this week was getting little Leanna to stay in her bed all night for three nights in a row!! She had been coming into our bed every night for weeks. And it was getting more and more disruptive. We were tired from all the tossing and turning and feet in our face. And also, she looked exhausted after she woke in the morning like she hadn't gotten a good night sleep. I tried bribery to no avail. I tried carrying her back up to bed but she would come back and I was just too tired to remain consistent. So....I told her before bed that we were going to lock our bedroom door. I took her to the door and showed her that it would NOT open if she came down. I repeated this to her multiple times before bed. I showed her the monitor next to her bed that she could use to call us if she needed to. My plan was to carry her up if she came crying at our door but she DIDN'T come! I repeated the "talk" two times after and she still did not come down. She even sleeps in longer now! And Damien and I feel much better! Well worth it, I must say!
O.k... This weekend we went to the state park and had a nice picnic at the river, it was very nice. On Sunday, I got really motivated to help clean Alyssa and Emily's rooms. You would not believe the amount of STUFF they have. We ended up with TEN trash bags and seven bags to give to charity!!! And packed away a big box of china dolls for the attic. We went through all the clothes that either don't fit or are to worn out to give away. We went through all the knick knacks, papers, toys, etc. We decided to get rid of anything that does not provide any value to our life. Which was SOOOO much. They were holding on to things that they had no recollection of how they got them or why they had them. Then there are the things that have some "memory" for them. Things aren't memories though and they just sit and collect dust. What to do with all the trophy's? What purpose to they have? Oh look I got a trophy for playing soccer one season. And when they went in the garbage, there was almost a look of relief on Alyssa's face, like oh good now I don't have to keep dusting that and moving it around to make more room for other items. I guess we can't just keep getting more and more and not take just as much out! Damien and I were just shaking our heads at all the stuff we have bought them. Why??? Did we really need to buy them five souvenirs from every country we visited while living in Germany? Do they even care about it now?
Oh and all these toys, my kids don't even play with them! They don't! Why do we keep getting more? For ten minutes of excitement?? They do enjoy books, computer games, videos, simple easy crafts, and simple outdoor toys like a bike and chalk. That's it!}
So, that brings me to my next dilemma. Emily's birthday party! She is inviting 12 kids for a pool party at our community pool. I am glad that I have limited the party to 12 kids, which I would have liked to have kept it to six but oh well. We are trying to think of a creative way to not receive tons of gifts that just get tossed aside and never played with. Perhaps donate to a charity, ask for no presents, do a book exchange, ask for only an inexpensive book or art supply? In addition, ask family and friends to limit their gift for Emily and Leanna to ONE gift. The rest can be donated. Any ideas?
I saw this on the Birthday's without Pressure website, when looking for ideas.
Consequences of too many presents to children:
* They are overindulged by too many presents.
* They feel entitled to what they want, not just want they need.
* They feel envious of friends who get more—and someone will always get more.
* They feel disappointed, because enough is never enough.
* Long term, they develop materialistic values that equate personal celebrations with accumulating things.
For Parents:
* They feel overloaded with TOO MUCH STUFF, which they have to manage, organize, and clean up.
* They feel an energy drain from planning, shopping, preparing, and hosting the party.
* They feel regret or resentment afterwards when their child, or others, is not appreciative enough—“Why did I extend myself so much?”
* They run up debt from their own parties and from buying gifts for other parties.

I'm such a PARTY POOPER!!