Cleaning Update

The kids' closets have been sorted, organized and cleaned. We took a big load of outgrown clothing to the consignment store and made a nice open space in the girls' closet that can be filled with baby's things. Eldest is over-the-moon excited that she'll be sharing a room with her new little sister. I pray they'll be best of friends.

We also rearranged the living room and hung some bright posters and maps for our new school year. Since our living room is also our school room we have to be creative with the furniture. In addition to the wood stove, we manage to fit a long school table with 4 chairs (where we can all sit and work together) plus a love seat and a couch. The long table doubles as an art table, and it is, without a doubt, used more than any other piece of furniture in this house. These kids can draw and craft and make up math pages and build lego machines and every manner of art on that table! The room is crowded, and the walls are covered in maps and timelines. But it works for our family.

Now, in my quest to get this joint organized before my back-to-school curriculum shopping day, I'm moving on to the linen closet. For some reason, despite my best efforts, I've never trained my crew in how to fold and put away linens properly. So this is the Year of the Linens for Team Rhodes. I'm going to organize that closet, then photograph it and post that photo on the door. No excuses. That way they will know what things should look like when folded, and where every single item lives in that closet. 

I will, however, continue to fold all the fitted sheets myself until my daughter has arms long enough to take over. After 17 years of marriage, I know it's scientific fact that men cannot fold fitted sheets. My dear husband is willing and able to do just about anything else that needs to be done around here~ clean bathrooms, load the dishwasher, cook (as long as it is pancakes.) But he has been beaten one too many times by those dreaded round-cornered beasts. He won't even try anymore. And after watching him wrestle with a sheet for the last time several years ago, I completely understand why. I'm determined to train up my boys into young men who know how to cook, clean, and do every other household task. But after watching their poor father struggle with fitted sheets, I'm giving all the males a pass on that one.