Planning a play space

I'm sure I've mentioned that I love the idea behind Montessori play. I love the independence and the simplicity. I also love how it helps over stimulated children find a plumb line of peace. 

A huge aspect is wood toys, wood puzzles- no flashy lights, sirens & sounds.  I've done a great job of collecting way too many toys for the little lumberjack to grow into. Part of this method is to keep the amount of toys available pared down to a very minimal number. These items are rotated out on a regular basis, some sooner than others. 

So, imagine my joy when my daughter sent me a link to our church swap site for a Melissa & Doug wooden tool bench! I showed the lumberjack the picture and he offered to go get it. It was a major score. $20 cash and it retails for almost $100. I hate spending retail on anything! So Papa brought it home and I swear it has magnetic abilities. It drew baby lumberjack to it and he was stuck there, playing with the hammer, saw, screwdriver & wrench for a couple hours. Baby lumberjack has never done that before. 

Above are the images that the seller put on the swap. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere how to remove ink from anything, probably on Pinterest. So, I wasn't bothered by the ink scribbles. However, after realizing that there isn't a stain or varnish, I've decided to lightly sand it. 

I think that this might find itself living in the barn quarters. A special little something to play with when everyone else is using big tools. 

I've been thinking a great deal about Montessori shelves in the livingroom. I think I might use them as a room divider of sorts. Perhaps around the back & sides of the couch. I also plan to have some set up where he has a few toys to play with on the covered porch. The majority though will be stored on shelves in the basement to be rotated in and out. 

Just a few more days to go! 

Still packing, purging & cleaning. 

What do you see yourself doing out there?

Several weeks ago while driving around looking at different properties the lumberjack posted a question to me. At first, it rather caught me off guard. I stammered out some kind of answer at the time that I can't believe I even said. "What do you see yourself doing out there?" the lumberjack asked. "Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" I replied.

Wishful thinking? Quite possibly. You see the differences between where we are now and where we are moving are almost night and day. When we first went to look at this property, neither of us really liked it much. It was short on the amount of acres we wanted. There was no pond, no forest and no huge Morton building. It was at the very edge of acceptable distance to drive to town on a daily basis. Most importantly, it lacks personality. There was not one single attribute of the house or land that stood out. She's just kinda plain Jane. A rose bud that hasn't blossomed. Not ugly, just impersonal.

Our very picky check list looked similar to a short story. Unless we decided to build, I doubt we ever found the perfect home.

Funny how God knows what you need better than we do. When I was praying for direction the Lord spoke to my heart that this new house was a blank canvas in which I could lovingly create into my home. So, taking that approach I started looking at what I had to work with.

I found a house with an open floor plan that would allow me to still be part of the family while taking care of their food needs. I hated being stuck in the other room for hours a day by myself while everyone else spent time together talking and playing or watching something in the living room.
For this I am thankful.

I found a house that is relatively new. The house was built just shy of 8 years ago. The little house we live in now is 60 years old.
For this I am thankful.

I found a house with a kitchen that didn't have painted cupboards. In fact, they have a beautiful oak ceiling to floor set up with a fantastic working triangle. The sink and dishwasher are in the center island.
For this I am thankful.

I found a Master Bedroom located at the OTHER end of the house. The furthermost possible placement. The lumberjack and baby lumberjack are ridiculously light sleepers. I can now work quietly in the kitchen, dining or livingroom after 8 PM.
For this I am abundantly thankful.

I found first floor laundry, a mud room and office all on the main floor. Here in the little house I would have to go down stairs in order to access paperwork or do laundry. I have always dreamed of a mud room.
For this I am thankful.

I found a 400 sq ft covered porch that looks to the south west, so at night I can watch to sunset across our land. I also found an 800 sq ft concrete patio that looks to the North east so I can watch the sunrise while drinking my coffee each morning.
For this I am so very thankful.

There is one last treasure I am so very thankful that I found. You see, the older two man cubs are in pursuit of very lovely young ladies. If all goes well, we should be looking at some wedding bells ringing. Imagine my joy when we opened the doors to a 40x60 stable. Pinterest doesn't lie. Country barn weddings are all the rage these days. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the man cubs and beautiful ones didn't have to pay a small fortune to get married? I can see hay bales & mason jars. Aside from this little epiphany there is also a very good use for stables. The one thing that sends the lumberjacks wife to shaking her head, the one thing that the children would like most. Horses.

And yes, even for this I am so very, very thankful.

 21 more days to go!