Is it really February? Where has January gone? Wasn't it New Years yesterday?
Have you guessed yet that January has been a busy month? We started off slowly because we didn't feel like getting back on schedule so soon after the holidays. So, I spent the 1st week of January cleaning up from the holidays and sorting winter decorations from Christmas decorations.
Then, the second week, we ended up with colds :-( N and I were the only 2 who felt very well so while the kids watched their new movies - Magic School Bus - I decided to get started on my 2014 goal of using up all my fabric. Unfortunately, my sewing machine had different ideas. It decided it needed to visit the sewing machine service center for a tune-up. Fortunately, all it needed was a good cleaning! So, while my machine is being cleaned, I decided I needed to clean the sewing area. That lead to cleaning the sewing room and then the next room and suddenly, it's become a huge undertaking to clean and organized the entire house and to rearrange the remaining rooms I haven't touched yet.
So, how does the house look now? Including our rearranging from the summer and fall:
• the dining room has become the sewing/laundry folding/weight room. We have a line of desks and organizers behind them on the wall for sewing on or with. Across the room, we put up a 6 foot folding table and use the underneath for telescope storage and the top for folding laundry. Before, the clean clothes were being taken upstairs but never folded. They stayed in baskets in my room. Since putting up the table, they laundry has gotten slightly more manageable. Now, we fold a basket while waiting for things to cook or for someone to finish school work.
• the living room has become our study/music/library room. We moved the piano into this room and it's enhanced the sound so much! We moved the school bookcases and the small computer desk in there as well. This allowed our computer work area to increase and give us room to setup a typing practice area.
• the computer area had become the dining room, after the carpet was replaced with tile. I like having the dining room in view of the kitchen. I can get done some chores and still see/help with school work. Overall, it makes the house flow better.
• the sunroom has become our living room. We moved the couches and TV into here and installed mini blinds. Since we don't often watch our school programs or much else in other mornings when the sun is shining it's brightest, we only installed regular blinds. We still have some toys out there and the kids like having a carpet to play on.
• the boys bedroom has stayed in the same spot. We have dismantled the crib and traded Z up to a twin bed.
• the girls have been combined into one room. They were all sleeping together anyway. ;-) Right now, they have both sets of bunk beds in an L shape. There is just enough room for 4 dressers. It's a little on the cramped side but they are enjoying it! When N is ready for a big bed, we'all give the boys a bunk bed set and then two biggest girls will get the single twins. That will also be about the time we will be finished with our quiet room necessity.
• the 3rd kids room has become our quiet room upstairs. We've moved the recliner in there and some of there upstairs toys. We also created a daybed out of the "extra" twin bed. N has a toddler bed for now. This room is used as a place for those needing quiet study time to get it. As we get back into full school work, it will also be used for a playroom by the younger set since our house rule is no computers in bedrooms or unsupervised areas. There's just too many things which could happen to let the kids be unsupervised in a bedroom with a computer. It's also a room I can go to or Craig can go do while he is doing his masters studying. The one thing I miss about our 1st house is the upstairs game room and laundry area. This new setup is meant to serve a similar purpose.
• the master bedroom has been painted - the last bedroom to paint - and the furnishing rotated 90°. This layout has given us more floor space and lets us keep the cedar chest inside instead of outside in storage. And, since the laundry is being kept folded, the room looks positively huge. :-)
So, by the 4th week, the house was cleaned and organized. The only things left to organize is the clothes. We have organized all the current clothes and dressers. What needs to be done is the clothes that don't fit or are the wrong season. It is my goal to keep only 10 sets of clothes in each size that are too small for everyone. On the sizes in between, I might could be convinced to keep a few more, but not much. It's time to start sharing the wealth of clothes we have been gifted with.
The 4th brought healthy children and a birthday. The sewing machine is cleaned and home again to a beautiful clean sewing room.
The 5th week brought an almost normal week. We had dentist appointments and Costco shopping. We also purchased the fish for our latest aquarium experiment. And, the DSO was in town all day Friday. This week also included book learning not just educational movies and guided free reading.
We're hoping February brings a little less activities and more quiet time to study. After we visit the car dealer to find out what's wrong with my turn signal and break lights.
Boy, this one got long and wordy! Next time we'll do pictures again!
Have you guessed yet that January has been a busy month? We started off slowly because we didn't feel like getting back on schedule so soon after the holidays. So, I spent the 1st week of January cleaning up from the holidays and sorting winter decorations from Christmas decorations.
Then, the second week, we ended up with colds :-( N and I were the only 2 who felt very well so while the kids watched their new movies - Magic School Bus - I decided to get started on my 2014 goal of using up all my fabric. Unfortunately, my sewing machine had different ideas. It decided it needed to visit the sewing machine service center for a tune-up. Fortunately, all it needed was a good cleaning! So, while my machine is being cleaned, I decided I needed to clean the sewing area. That lead to cleaning the sewing room and then the next room and suddenly, it's become a huge undertaking to clean and organized the entire house and to rearrange the remaining rooms I haven't touched yet.
So, how does the house look now? Including our rearranging from the summer and fall:
• the dining room has become the sewing/laundry folding/weight room. We have a line of desks and organizers behind them on the wall for sewing on or with. Across the room, we put up a 6 foot folding table and use the underneath for telescope storage and the top for folding laundry. Before, the clean clothes were being taken upstairs but never folded. They stayed in baskets in my room. Since putting up the table, they laundry has gotten slightly more manageable. Now, we fold a basket while waiting for things to cook or for someone to finish school work.
• the living room has become our study/music/library room. We moved the piano into this room and it's enhanced the sound so much! We moved the school bookcases and the small computer desk in there as well. This allowed our computer work area to increase and give us room to setup a typing practice area.
• the computer area had become the dining room, after the carpet was replaced with tile. I like having the dining room in view of the kitchen. I can get done some chores and still see/help with school work. Overall, it makes the house flow better.
• the sunroom has become our living room. We moved the couches and TV into here and installed mini blinds. Since we don't often watch our school programs or much else in other mornings when the sun is shining it's brightest, we only installed regular blinds. We still have some toys out there and the kids like having a carpet to play on.
• the boys bedroom has stayed in the same spot. We have dismantled the crib and traded Z up to a twin bed.
• the girls have been combined into one room. They were all sleeping together anyway. ;-) Right now, they have both sets of bunk beds in an L shape. There is just enough room for 4 dressers. It's a little on the cramped side but they are enjoying it! When N is ready for a big bed, we'all give the boys a bunk bed set and then two biggest girls will get the single twins. That will also be about the time we will be finished with our quiet room necessity.
• the 3rd kids room has become our quiet room upstairs. We've moved the recliner in there and some of there upstairs toys. We also created a daybed out of the "extra" twin bed. N has a toddler bed for now. This room is used as a place for those needing quiet study time to get it. As we get back into full school work, it will also be used for a playroom by the younger set since our house rule is no computers in bedrooms or unsupervised areas. There's just too many things which could happen to let the kids be unsupervised in a bedroom with a computer. It's also a room I can go to or Craig can go do while he is doing his masters studying. The one thing I miss about our 1st house is the upstairs game room and laundry area. This new setup is meant to serve a similar purpose.
• the master bedroom has been painted - the last bedroom to paint - and the furnishing rotated 90°. This layout has given us more floor space and lets us keep the cedar chest inside instead of outside in storage. And, since the laundry is being kept folded, the room looks positively huge. :-)
So, by the 4th week, the house was cleaned and organized. The only things left to organize is the clothes. We have organized all the current clothes and dressers. What needs to be done is the clothes that don't fit or are the wrong season. It is my goal to keep only 10 sets of clothes in each size that are too small for everyone. On the sizes in between, I might could be convinced to keep a few more, but not much. It's time to start sharing the wealth of clothes we have been gifted with.
The 4th brought healthy children and a birthday. The sewing machine is cleaned and home again to a beautiful clean sewing room.
The 5th week brought an almost normal week. We had dentist appointments and Costco shopping. We also purchased the fish for our latest aquarium experiment. And, the DSO was in town all day Friday. This week also included book learning not just educational movies and guided free reading.
We're hoping February brings a little less activities and more quiet time to study. After we visit the car dealer to find out what's wrong with my turn signal and break lights.
Boy, this one got long and wordy! Next time we'll do pictures again!
Comments