Friday 15 June 2012

The significance of a small plastic box

The box is about 30cms X 20 cms and is sitting proudly on the bookcase in our bedroom. It's been a while coming. I've tried to get it there many times but it's never quite happened. It is just a clear plastic box with our medicines in, paracetemol, ibuprofen, for littlies and big people too. But it signifies a level of order I have been dreaming of for about 2 years...........................You see most houses need a medicine box or cupboard, a place to store the things in one place out of the reach of little people who could easily kill themselves if they ate the wrong pills, don't they? 


We moved into our current house 6 days before having our little tyke. So there wasn't time to 'nest', order things, or find a place for things. And since then there hasn't been energy to play catch up on said activities. Only last month did we get a chest of drawers for my clothes, they now have their own place, not just a pile on a cupboard......this brings me joy and makes like a bit easier too ! 


But the medicine box issue has played on my mind for a while now for many reasons. The first one is that when you become a Mum, suddenly you see danger, potential things which your child could hurt themselves on. I am very laid back with dirt and germs, but think the need to put medicines out of reach of small children is just a basic thing you have to do ? The second is that we were previously ' half used packets of paracetemol strewn willy nilly around the house' kind of people. So I would be lying in bed and see a packet of pills on the chest of drawers, suddenly envisage my daughter all 60cms of her pole-vaulting up on the drawers and chewing on the deadly paracetmol. Yes It is ridiculous, but these things happen when your tired, stressed and a first time Mummy. 


You would think that a simple trip to a shop to buy a box would have been the answer a year ago, well it was but it just never happened. 
But last week it did. The medicine box is not just that, but also signifies to increasing order in our house. Having packed up from our last home when I was 8 weeks pregnant and vomitting violently, then played 'sleep in a friends spare room' for the duration of my pregnancy ( which was actually quite fun and not as bad as it sounds ) with our possessions stored in various places, there has been much sorting and unpacking needing to be done ! There is still work to do, but there are drawers with clothes in instead of piles on the floor, there is a medicine box and today I sorted through some of that junk that everyone has which I think would be categorised as just 'stuff', the sort you don't want to give a permanent place in ones house but equally don't want to throw out.


Stuff, you are my next target, the medicine packets and bottles will tell you  - I will win eventually !

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