Basement Remodel, School room update - week of September 7

Our new and improved schoolroom is not nearly finished, but my new and always true mantra has become, "we are closer than we've ever been!" I am hoping it's usable by the first of October, but even that may be a bit optimistic.

Just to recap, here's what we've accomplished this summer. These photos are mainly to encourage me that we truly have made progress. I know that most of you are not as fascinated, disheartened, encouraged, and hopeful about this process as I am. :-)

These photos were all taken from virtually the same spot. Here is what it looked like at the beginning of summer:



Then with the shelves cleared of junk.


Then with the shelves dismantled and reassembled on the storage/laundry side.


Finally, with nothing behind the drywall, we were ready to begin cutting the drywall off. This is son G helping from the current, finished schoolroom side.


Ta-da! We have breakthrough!


And now it is completely open to the existing schoolroom!! And yes, for the ultra observant, there have been a few odd pieces of clothing that have been hanging on that rod through this entire process so far, and they hang there still (but hopefully not for long!).


It was a bit frustrating for me to start our school year with all our stuff in a room we could not use, and the room that we *could* use not having our stuff in it. I finally got smart and realized we simply couldn't function that way for several more weeks, so I moved the children's workboxes upstairs to the kitchen eating area. You can see them behind the boys, under the window.

Three racks fit perfectly under the window, and Little Man's workboxes are just a step away in the family room. Our daughter uses large envelopes in a single tub instead, so hers takes up much less space.

I still have piles of school stuff on the kitchen counters, but at least the children's most used materials are within easy reach, and they always know what they have to do each day. I'm hoping we can get a good bit of work done in the schoolroom this weekend!