We eventually got the bookcases put together by late Thursday night. It took longer than expected, but we had to figure out where they'd look best, drill an opening for our router, and buy some extension cords with flat plugs since the bookcases cover an outlet. Without the extra stuff, I think it would've taken 3 hours to just put them together. I didn't end up framing in the window like I thought because I didn't like how the bookcases looked there, and they made the reading nook a weird shape. We decided on the wall where the piano was instead, and I think they look great! I spent until lunchtime on Friday organizing, repairing, and shelving books, plus cleaning up the disaster of cardboard and trash from the night before and rearranging and cleaning my room (where one of the bookcases used to be). Things I absolutely love about these bookcases:
1. They weren't that expensive.
2. They're really tall, almost to the ceiling.
3. They fit all of our books with room to spare. (I've got some Amazon wish lists ready for books I want to buy for the kids for upcoming birthdays and Christmases.)
4. They're really sturdy.
5. The shelves are more than tall enough to fit binders and deep enough to fit the largest of books.
6. They look great!
The library area is cozy, and all 5 kids have used it for reading already. They've also taken interest in books they haven't looked at in a long time because they were hidden away in my room, a cabinet, or in the boys' room. I am absolutely thrilled at how well everything turned out. This is one of my favorite birthday presents ever.
Saturday was going to be a lazy day, but for some reason, we decided to clean up our yard and power wash all the concrete surfaces. James took extra time on the front sidewalk, which has always been caked in mud, and it looks great now. Though it made the day busy, the results were completely worth it.
Yesterday, I took the ShopVac and did a thorough job of vacuuming out the car. It took 1 1/2 hours, but it was also worth it. I usually have the kids do it, but they have never been great about the vacuuming. It looks so much better now. If there's anything I've learned about owning a house, it's that there are always more things to clean and organize. The last few weeks were pretty intense with the chain reaction of organization. Moved freezer to cabin > moved dining room back to kitchen > made empty area into a reading nook > rearranged my room. Of course that meant tons of cleaning, but it also means there's a lot less clutter and dust in my house.
My birthday's tomorrow, though, so I'm not go to do anything else productive outside of the norm.
People have been a little sick with a cold, but I think we're all better now. Everyone is back at school.
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