Isolation recap

I had four days to myself. The house was quiet. I really should be relaxed, and renewed, right?

Whatever!!

I lost the first 5 hours waiting for my radioactive pill to arrive by special Fed Ex, which apparently had a delay. Thankfully, I had a book with me.

Then, everybody called me all day Thursday and Friday. Which really, I didn't mind. It was just hilarious that people were so concerned about my health - I swallowed a pill, for pete's sake. And no, it did not make me glow. Bummer, huh!

But, I cleaned out the boys room - clothes, toys, books and puzzles. I vacuumed the baseboards, while all the legos were put away, and I am pretty sure I only sucked up two. That may be a record. Even with all the hospital time, and phone time, they weren't wasted days.

By Sat... well, I guess everyone knew that I was fine, because NO ONE called me all day long. Not even my husband. He called me when he woke up, just to make sure I was still alive. Then, I didn't hear a peep out of him again all day long. Or my mom, or sisters, or strangely enough, one single friend. All in the same day.

Want to see what I got done in the day of silence?

I wish I had a "before" picture of the closet, but at least you can see most of the mess that was in it.

When I remembered to take pictures, this was what was left in the closet.

This was what needed to go back, either into the closet...

or onto the bottom shelf you can see behind the stack of books.

Under the basket of tea. Do you think I have enough? Tea that is.

Trust me, this isn't even a drop in the bucket of the books...

I am actually an insanely organized person, about what I want to be. It is slightly ridiculous. So, after nearly a year of living here, the school/craft closet had gotten a lot of use, and very cluttered.

I felt the need to weed some things out. Re-distribute. Re-label. Re-organize. The old children's magazines - we love Highlights- go into cereal boxes trimmed down. Playdough, popsicle sticks, glitter - proper containers. Markers, crayons, glue sticks, scissors, dry erase.... etc each has their own wipe box. See what I mean - slightly OCD.

I like to stock up at the back to school sales every year, when things are cheaper. I always have extra glue, and paper, and crayons. I think I may have gotten a little carried away on the scotch tape...

Yep, that is a giant sized pretzel tub, and yes, that is 16 rolls of tape. Sixteen! That doesn't even count the two or three open ones floating around the house...

The three drawer container has a drawer for construction paper, a drawer for other kinds of paper, and a drawer full of flash card type things. Many of which have been around since I was a kid. There is a "learn to tell time" set that was my dad's when he was young. (found the link on E-bay, so don't know how long it will be active) The discovery toys Think it Through tiles are in there too. Anybody else use those? They have been around since my sister's were little, and they were easy "puzzle time" for Canaan this year. I love my family!

When it was all done the closet looked like this -

Ideas for Canaan next year, neatly stacked. Ideas for Zion next year, neatly stacked. Coloring books and cereal boxes full of magazines in neat little rows. Geography is tucked up in a corner you can't see, as are several really great books on art. And at the very bottom, the backpacks with the rest of what needs to be completed "this year". Technically, we only have 13 days of school left before we are done. But I just got the coolest book from my MIL about Ancient Egypt. So, don't expect the learning to end, just because summer is here!

And here is the final view of the shelf, organized by subject matter. My "One Million Things", lots of science, (animals, space, dino's, germs, the human body...) Ancient history, Medieval history, American history, some teacher manuals and a really hideously ugly, but practical daily planner I dug out of the attic. Andy says it looks like a grandma's couch in 1982. I don't think that is supposed to be a compliment at all. But, it has a place for a scripture of the week, a personal goal for the week, dinner plans, and still room for writing which subjects I want to try to study which days, which days are library days... it goes on and on...

Ugly, but useful. You can't have everything, right?

All in all, my weekend of isolation was not a vacation. I worked hard. But, I had fun with my work. And, I took a little time for plain old fun too. In fact, with no one here to fuss at me to turn out the light and go to sleep, after all that work on Sat. I stayed up to 4am reading a book.

Foolish foolish woman... because the boys all came home the next day, and I will never get that chance to sleep back again. Oh well! I enjoyed the book, and I am GLAD to have my boys back!