Task #3: Art and Science Closet

Today I tackled the Arts, Crafts and Science Closet. This would normally be a linen closet since it is in the hall near the laundry room. But since we are a homeschool family arts&crafts space is at more of a premium than sheets & towels space.

I was dreading today and perhaps pictures will say more than words here.

Preparation:

• I dealt with my anxiety and told myself "even if it doesn't all get done, it will still be better!
• I mentally categorized the things I knew were in there so I'd have some notion as to how to organize them.

Now for the Before Pictures:



UGH! I hardly have dared open the door for a few months now.

• It actually didn't take much more than an hour though. The main problem, and this was one I hadn't prepared for, was that Aidan was very excited and frustrated by seeing all the neat things and not being allowed to rummage through them all. He had a couple of meltdowns, even though I gave him a few things to play with. If you remember how Piglet reacted to the sight of Christopher Robin's blue braces, Aidan's reaction to art supplies and gizmos is very similar.
• I think next time I'll commission an older child to take Aidan outside so he is oblivious.
• Kieron found a crystal-growing kit. I had forgotten it was up there, left over from one of the older boys' room-decluttering sessions. He was very thrilled because he has been trying to grow crystals from household ingredients, without much successs. So there is our science for the week!
• I didn't take pictures of the drawers, where I actually spent the most time, ordering things by category -- paper, stickers, pencils, textiles, glue & tape, and so on.
• I got rid of a whole kitchen-size bag of trash.
• But anyway, you can see below the place is still a bit ugly and plastic-y but much more streamlined.

After





Continuation:

• I still have to vacuum the floor in there and will be doing that as soon as I finish typing.
• Next time I'll try to do a photo inventory so I will have a better idea of what's in there.
• I also would like to invent a plan, now that I know what I actually have, of what to bring out for the children, and when.
• Finally, there are some crafts upstairs in my curriculum closet that I can bring down now that I have more space in the craft closet. That way everything will be together and it will be easier to sort through and plan.

Tomorrow:

The Game Closet -- this is another dragon. Actually, it may not get done till Saturday because tomorrow Aidan has appointments in town and Friday is our homeschool group day. But anyway, that is next on my list of battles! uh, I mean mindful interactions with reality.