Room

Today I did something I have not done since Chan was...4?  I cleaned her room and moved her furniture around.  She's at Brit's house this week, so I called and talked to her first.  She's always been almost comically private and independent, she's not much interested in help, either.  But she's just moved rooms and the loft bed was not safe, so she's been in the floor and it's been a huge mess in there. 

We put new bolts on the bed and it's nice and sturdy now, so I moved it where she wanted it and got it all set up and then started looking around.  Stuffed animals in rows along the walls, boxes piled with papers, bags full of bags, stacks of stuff and art supplies scattered over the whole room. 

One thing none of the kids do is leave their clothes out.  Ben keeps his room like the military commander is going to come through at any moment.  Jake is messy, but keeps it to a minimum.  Chan...explodes.  She has a dozen projects at any moment-knitting something, making a stuffed toy, making clothes for her stuffed toys, writing, drawing, painting, making things from paper or craft foam or beads...or all three.  She's never had the space to really go at it, I daydreamed for years about enclosing the front porch to make a studio for her.

Ben saved the day by suggesting a room swap, he had the larger room and his projects are all on the computer now with some scale model coaster sets to work on ideas.  He only needs a bed and desk and some work space.

So, anyway, they traded rooms and Ben got rid of all but 5 stuffed toys and his K'nex and Legos and coaster stuff.  Chan got rid of...nothing.  We boxed up some dolls, but that was about it. 

Today I went through with big bags and bagged up all the loose stuff and put it in the attic, then I put all the art stuff on her work table and put all the stuffed animals in some hammocks I made from her old curtains.

Bed, art table and pillow fort with knitting supplies at hand.
We will repaint the bed at some point, it was painted per Jake's request years ago.

She's got a thing for Webkinz...

Her computer desk is in the closet with a door on the right up there.

I hung her cloaks and long scarves at the foot of the bed
to give her more privacy in her sitting area under the bed.
That little desk is a sewing machine.

No doors yet.  Keep meaning to do something about that!

Now she has SO much more space! 
I can't wait to see what she will create now!