The School Room

The "school room" got a little bit of extra attention this week. I helped the girls clear out the last of the toys from here, and I spent an evening moving the desks around, tossing about fifty-million old art projects, and organizing our art cupboard.

We've been doing school anywhere we land, but I want to have this room set up so that all four of us can comfortably be occupied when the baby comes. My favorite nursing chair is there, desks for the girls, all of Mimi's books, Ernie's school books and supplies, our art supplies, the easel, and a little boom box the girls can listen to songs on.

This cabinet was a huge score on Freecycle last year- one door had been torn off, but I actually like it this way since it reinforces that the uncovered side is free for anyone to use, any time. The side with the door is MY side!

Hmm...my lettering isn't showing up that great, but on the kids' side is board games, card games, paper dolls, a shelf for each girls' art supply box with markers and crayons and colored pencils, and finally the scratch paper and coloring books and a big box of "open art" supplies like stickers and such. Oh, our fabulous new Aquadoodle pad is down there, too- it was a gift from my brother, and the kids L.O.V.E it!

On my side, the top shelf is gardening supplies, followed by "my" art box and art supplies that kids need my supervision with like tempura paint and chalk. The bottom shelf has tons of fun stuff they can use, they just need to ask me first! That includes pipe cleaners, ribbons, clothes pins, construction paper, more stickers, butcher paper, raffia, more paints, little wooden pieces for painting, etc.

I actually organized this cabinet a few months ago, and I am THRILLED to say it stayed organized! Most of my work tonight was getting rid of things we didn't need any more, and re-packing things neatly into their boxes. That's a skill Ernie still hasn't mastered.

I still have a few minor things to deal with in this room-- hanging our classroom posters in visible spots, and putting up hooks to hang my tissue paper balls that are currently tossed on top of the cabinet-- but it feels good to have this room more functional!