Solving the library movie problem

There are some irritations in life that happen over and over again.  Once I've "had enough", I start brainstorming how to remove the irritation.  Library movies was one of those irritations.  The kids love to check out library movies.  There is a limit of 10 movies checked out per library card and it's not uncommon for several children to be maxed out.  That's a lot of movies to keep track of.  And, some of those movies are "educational" and cost about $80. 

With all those movies floating around the house, it's inevitable that movies go missing.  Once the children's cards are blocked by overdue movies, it's time to find them.  The kids look for a few minutes and throw up their hands in defeat, leaving me to scour the house in hopes of finding missing movies and cases.  I've spent hours looking for movies.  I've paid for too many missing movies.  And, I've had enough.  I got my old tool box that I used to fill with supplies when I was a cub scout den leader, added a padlock, and turned it into a movie lock box.  When the movies come home from the library, they go into the tool box.  The kids can have one movie out at a time.  When they want a new movie, they have to bring me the one that's "checked out" from the box.  I keep a small notebook and pencil in the box so I can write down what movie is currently out in the house.  The kids finally have motivation to find the missing movie. 

It doesn't take much work from me to keep it going.  I just have to confiscate the movies as they come home from the library and the kids do the rest.  Hooray for getting rid of one more irritation!  It's the next best thing to having our own personal Redbox in the house.  (Believe me when I say I really truly have contemplated it!)  Now if I could just figure out how to: always have a full gas tank, keep the hall closet door closed, get the milk put away immediately when someone is done with it, .............