Look What I Found!

"It's amazing what you find, when you clean."

This was my mother's maxim, created out of a need to have us clean (at least, that's my theory). And it happens to be true, which could be a sad thing if you are trying to get out of cleaning, or a happy thing when you find something amazing.

This week I am cleaning my laundry room. Don't worry, you'll hear all about it. I happened to find a Wallie that I didn't even remember getting. It's educational. It's fun. And here's the best part: it looks great on that lime green wall in the boys' old room!

I did think about putting stars wherever we have lived, but then I realized that the kids might take it as a sign that it's okay to put stickers on the walls. Not the lesson I'm going for, that.

And the moral is: it is amazing what you find when you clean.

Now if I could just get the kids to believe me...

Full Circle

Many moons ago, I owned a lovely wooden daybed with a trundle underneath. I took this bed to college, to my first single apartment, and on and on. Then came marriage, and a small one-bedroom apartment. Sadly, my bed and I parted...but it was going to a good home, and was then the bed of my dear niece for many years.

Now she is married, and in her own small one-bedroom apartment. And she also has a twin bed (though a different one than that old daybed, may it rest in peace) that there is no room for in the small space she shares with her beloved. I know, newlyweds are a little disgusting, but there you are.

Sophia is getting to the age where we're going to need a real bed for her soon. The crib which has slept all my babies is getting older, and I am ready to ditch it. While Sophie is sleeping soundly behind bars, though, I'll let her be. But the sad day is coming, and so I took my niece's bed off her hands.

It's karma. Now my daughter has a bed for that inevitable day when the crib will be history. And I didn't have to buy it! Life is good.

Moving (Stuff) Again

The girls had a rough Friday night last week. Both were convinced that spiders were going to attack them in their rooms as they slept. So Bonnie refused to sleep in her room, period. Malena said she would sleep in her room if Bonnie slept with her.

Then Malena came upstairs to cry that even with Bonnie, she was too freaked out to stay in her room. Exhausted, I told her to sleep on the floor in my room. An hour later, Bonnie comes up and yells at Malena for deserting her in the scariest room in the house (Seriously? The "garden room" is scary?). I end up getting up, shaking all her bedclothes to show that there isn't any spiders there, and tucking her in bed.

Then Sophia woke up twice, though her problems were unrelated.

The girls have been asking for about a month to share a room. Bonnie and Malena, however, have proven time and time again that they are like vinegar and water - they don't mix. Actually, I should use a more explosive example. Baking soda and vinegar? Anyway, they have been sleeping together (Malena on the floor in Bonnie's room) for several months now...so I gave in. Against Doug's wishes, it probably should be said...we'll see if he gets to say "I told you so" in the coming weeks and months.

So we started moving them. Then the boys decided they wanted to be upstairs. Personally, I was sad they wanted to leave their beautiful room, but they were really excited to get outta there. The boys going upstairs also meant that Sophia had to move...

In short, everyone moved. Here are the results:

Top left: the room when it was Bonnie's; the rest of the pics show Sophie's new room

Sophia was the first one to move. All of Bonnie's stuff went downstairs while Sophia's stuff went into the fish room. She loves it, and keeps pointing out fishes and bubbles.

Top two photos are Sophia's old room; Bottom are of the new "Boys' Room"

Next was the boys. They came upstairs and the room went from nursery to mayhem.

Then the playroom came to order. This was a hard one, since the "guest room" had a full closet of...well, stuff. Bedding, framed pictures, and lots and lots of toys.

Here is Bonnie working on the "Girls' Room". For some reason, it seems like there is so much space without all that stuff from the playroom in the closet!

Top two photos are of the play/guest room; bottom is the new "Girls' Room"

And finally came Malena's old room. This still needs some major work, but for right now, it's the "Girls' Office". Lucky them - even Doug and I don't have an office! Okay, I have a sewing room that includes Doug's desk...but it doesn't have a door, much less a locking door!

Anyway...obviously, a lot of work ahead of us! What do you think?