Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Multi-Purpose Room

I am going to put up some pictures, but first I would like to explain.

We have an unfinished basement with two framed bedrooms and a storage room.  One of the rooms serves as Clark's "summer room".  The other room is a bit of a playroom, with boxes of dress up clothes, a toy dish cupboard (that was my mom's, then mine and now my girls'), and a play cottage house. 

The kids use the basement for many things--a spaceship, a store, a school, a giant fort, -- But what the basement is NOT, is clean.  We do pick it up and organize it occasionally (like 3 times a year), but really, what's the use? 

It is so liberating to have an area of the house that can just be messy.  The kids can just go and play down there and create BIG, MESSY games.  Someday I hope to finish those bedrooms-- we really could use them-- but I think when we do, I'll feel it necessary to keep them cleaned up.  I'll miss just closing the basement door and only having 2 levels to keep clean.  Besides, we can only keep one level clean at a time anyway. 

The latest basement game is SCHOOL.
More specifically, "Miss Beth's School For Young Ladies".
Or was it, "Miss Beth's School For the Wealthy, But Orphaned"?
Whatever the name, spelling and math are serious subjects.
The pupils are expected to keep their desks neat and tidy.
(Don't judge the school's orderliness by the piles of clothing strewn around the background).
I understand there are only two pupils that are rich enough to attend Miss Beth's School.  You know how exclusive those schools for rich orphan girls are. 
Today she was Peter Pan.  I don't think we even attempted regular clothing today.
No clothes for this one either.  "Me not take off my 'caws' jammies".

In my defense:  We have been very good about getting all our school work done.  We are cooking good, healthy meals.  We are reading great books.  We are keeping up on laundry and dishes.  We are getting our music practice done. 

We just can't seem to keep everybody clothed and groomed properly. 
Next week we'll go back to the basics!

3 comments:

Mothership said...

Hey, what good is home school if you have to get dressed AND brush your hair every stinking day? Seriously, I'm sure there would be a lot more children in costume if it were socially acceptable in a public elementary school. I don't think my son wore actual clothes on any kind of a regular basis until second grade.

I understand Bethany. My favorite game as a child was "orphan." (I think it's because I didn't understand what that would really be like!

Maybe when Abe finishes school he will wall in those extra, desperately needed bedrooms for you . . . maybe. (:

Abe Fox said...

OOOUCH!!!

Castiel Moyes said...

My girls have been obsessed with playing school the last few days as well! So weird! I find it funny that mine come home from all day at school......to play school at home? Doesn't sound very fun to me!