It’s a new year, and I decided it was about time to reclaim the office. It had become a dumping ground for everything that we didn’t want in the living room. And the living room has its own problems. I have a table in the living room where I keep track of all our bills, do schoolwork, write, and run a website. It isn’t pretty lol!

So in an attempt to kill two birds with one stone, I bravely tackled the office. As a side note, I should have believed Doug when he told me not to drink coffee at dinnertime, but as a result of my folly, I had lots of energy and finished the job!

I know, you think it still looks busy, but before you couldn’t see the floor! It’s about 9 x 10 feet. As I cleaned, I realized that perhaps the best solution was to move everything school related into the office and leave my writing and computer work in the living room. Divide and Conquer! As you walk in the door, to the right are two low bookcases.

On these two bookcases are the majority of our schoolbooks. They are divided by subject in boxes so they can stand upright. The subjects are: animals, fish and birds, plants, general science, earth science, astronomy, human anatomy, world history and American history. In front of the bookcase are temporary work areas for Sadie and Elisha so they can feel like the big kids.

Along the back is a built in desk. Our old desktop computer is here, but it doesn’t always turn on when we tell it to, so I unplugged it and moved it back out of the way so Naomi can have a good sized work space there. Obviously you can see I still have some piles that need work, but I have to sleep sometime lol!

I almost forgot to show you the maps I was able to hang up on the wall above the short bookcases. Before, there was tall shelving. I have a world map and a map of Michigan, where we live. I love having maps accessible for the kids. They are fascinated with places and names.

On the other side of the room, we have a L shaped desk that Doug built years ago. It fits beautifully and gives Holly and Isaac both a nice place to work. In the corner you can see some white stacking baskets. Each child has one which holds their schoolwork. They each have a binder for their reading workbooks and math. Naomi has a 3 x 5 card file in which she keeps her own dictionary. (More on that soon)

I love this picture of Holly at her desk. She is writing a letter and coloring a picture for her penpal.

Our schoolroom isn’t glamourous or fancy. It’s small and cramped. But the sun shines in beautifully through the window and the soft pink walls are pleasant. Happy children drawing bugs they found in the field guide is wonderful to see. I am happy to use what I already have and be thankful for it. Praise YHVH!

How is your schoolroom set up? Or do you work in the living room or kitchen like we often have? Tell us about it! 🙂