This week, in between a killer work week and trying to prepare for a big family event, I decided that I would attack the basement.
Last year, we had the basement mostly finished. I say mostly, because it is technically finished, with a real floor, insulated walls and a ceiling. I also say mostly, because we have some small bits of painting to do, and we are considering putting in both a small bathroom and a heat source down there eventually.
With the basement getting finished, it was possible to move the bulk of the toys down there and turn it into a playroom. This way, the kids could have a space to play, and the adults wouldn’t have to worry about getting a concussion from slipping on a lego or have to gather up 106 puzzle pieces before company could come over.
You know that old saying that you grow into your space? Well with more space, it seems as though more toys showed up–well, bigger toys that take up more space. Partly this is do to the ages of my kids. A game table has replaced a tiny plastic kitchen, for example.
Most of the time, I just don’t look too closely when I head down to the basement to do laundry, but it sounded like the kids were just having way too much fun down there the night before. What I saw made me ready to call in the Marines.
Beside too many toys emptied out of the net boxes I had organized, was a mysteriously large and squashed cardboard box filled with everything from drawings to discarded socks, game pieces to cotton balls. Yikes.
So, after warning the kids that they had one afternoon to rescue anything they definitely did not want gone (I think, they think, I was bluffing), I’m setting to work. With everything out in the open, I have the motivation to downsize. Here are my before shots from two different angles. Don’t scream! I’m already done enough of that for both of us.
Check back again tomorrow, for a progress update.