Toy Box Tidy

Well yesterday was the wee one's birthday and with birthdays comes toys and this particular wee one has a lot of toys-some would say too many.
I decided today would be a good day to look out all her old toys that are never played with and toys that she has or should have by now out grown.
The thinking behind doing this job today was simple, I thought with all the shinny new toys she would be far too pre occupied to notice what I was up to.
As I started this was the case but one slip and a jingle from one of the old toys brought a curious toddler to my side to get a proper look as to why granddad was playing with her stuff.
Now may out there will know there is no good reason to get rid of any toy in a wee one's eyes, it does not matter that it is broken beyond all repair or indeed it has not been used in over two years or it has been replaced by a newer version. No amount of trying to put reason to what you are doing is going to work, you know the usual we are going to give it to a wee boy or girl who has not got any or you never play with it falls on ears of defiance with a look that makes you out to be the monster from the depths.
With this situation you have to rely on being crafty and accepting the 30 minute job that you started on is now going to take at least twice as long. With that in mind I send the wee one on missions- one toy at a time that we know we are keeping and in fact were going to keep all along. As this takes place I scramble what I can into charity bags and hide them under the stairs, for over an hour this went to plan and we had turned an unplayable mess of toys into something that could bring joy without frustration again.
With that job done a cup of coffee beckoned me as a just reward for my efforts and indeed a biscuit or a bit of leftover cake or for those who know me both. I sat feeling suitably smug that my plan had worked and chomped happily on the cake, until that feeling that every parent or in my case grandparent gets of something not quite right-it was far too quiet.
Down with the cake and into the hall and there sits a hugely proud wee one that has discovered a hidden treasure of toys under the stairs-well you know what happens next-the wee one and I have just finished playing with every last one, now as she sits drinking her juice and eating cake looking smug I need a new plan.