I just trim down the clutter and sniff for any old snack.

Let's cut to the chase.  What if Laurel becomes one of those hoarder types with mountains of stuff crowding her living space?  And there are cats roaming all over?

There are a couple of signs that are not in her favor.  First, she is my daughter.  I know that there is a little bit of crazy inside.  Secondly, she saves everything.  Not just good or bad art but countless items that should be tossed like empty toilet paper roles, candy wrappers (because they are pretty), every trinket she got from McDonald's and the fish tank rocks from that fish that lasted for two weeks last summer.  Her pockets are stuffed with rocks, crayons, old stickers and maybe a whistle.  For Christ's sake, I find sticks in her backpack--why does she need sticks?

I appreciate that she wants to recycle and re-use.  (She is absolutely not my kid with that trait.)  But sometimes it borders ridiculous.  Every time we buy her new sneakers, she wants to save her old ones for Rachel.  Keep in mind that we are buying new ones because the old ones stink and probably have a gaping hole.  I have to throw them out while Laurel isn't looking.  Rachel will always get new shoes.

Rachel doesn't have this trait--actually it is quite the opposite.  Rachel throws everything away..including books and cash.  (To Rachel, cash is paper that crumples.  Any crumpled paper goes in the trash.  One day I found $72 in the garbage.)

So while Rachel is a minimalist, Laurel is a "maximist"?  Every so often I have to go into Laurel's room with a garbage bag.  I don't throw away everything..I just trim down the clutter and sniff for any old snack.  I just hope I don't find covered cups with old chunky milk.  If found, those cups aren't washed out..they go right in the trash.