Dan has this uncontrollable habit of picking up little toys and trinkets for Kate whenever they leave the house together. Actually, I really can't even send him out by himself without running the risk that he'll come back with some new thing for her. His explanation is always something along the lines of "But it only cost 88 cents!" To which I usually respond "Yes, but the storage unit we're going to have to rent for all her junk is going to cost us eighty-eight dollars a month!" It's not that I'm trying to be the Grinch or that I don't think it's sweet that he wants to buy her presents. It's just that I am insane, and part of my crazy is that I hate clutter. I'm constantly trying to find new ways to eliminate and organize the unbelievable clutter that comes with having a child before it takes over the house. Meanwhile Dan is bringing more in through the front door.

Today's photo perfectly illustrates what I'm talking about when I use the word "junk" to describe this stuff. That? In the photo? That's the head of Elmo she's pretending to feed baby food. Why do we have the disembodied head of a Sesame Street character that you can carry around by a convenient handle in our home? Because it was sold in Wal-Mart as a holder for Halloween candy back in October. Now Dan had already bought Kate a traditional jack o' lantern pumpkin before Halloween, but on November 1, he was in Wal-mart and noticed that after the holiday had passed, this little gem was marked down from three dollars to an amazing 88 cents! How could we resist? An Elmo head! Just what we need! (I should note that Dan is standing behind me as I type these words going "No! No! It was 18 cents!" Like that makes it right.)

Kate calls it her "Elmo Ponkin." That is only almost cute enough to make up for the fact that I now have to find a home for the dang thing. And feed it, apparently.

Also, note that once again, my child is shirtless in this photo. We are really trying to put the "T" in "Tacky" around here lately. Please do not report me to the authorities. I promise she sometimes wears clothes.