Tackle It Tuesday - Garage

While the kids were sick last week, we didn't get much accomplished. But there was one day - that I had an inspiration.

The kids had been asking to play with their legos and their wooden train set. "Where" was my number one question. My mom had always been telling me that we should just make a room out of the garage - especially since we weren't parking in the garage.

Last week -I tackled it. We had a relatively good day, as far as every one being happy, so I started moving things around. Pretty soon I had an empty place and let them play in the flat hard surface. They put together a giant train track. And got covered in gray, garage dust. So I had to put something down. The professor, all the way in California, suggested astro turf. To Lowe's I went. Astroturf, at Lowe's, has the same backing as indoor/outdoor carpet and the professor didn't want carpeting - for concern with mold/mildew.





Lowe's had a nice subsitute. Foam flooring. Waterproof and washable. This first picture - was taken with my cell phone. It doesn't show the play place in it's "glamour" but they had a blast.



Then I discovered that I could move the christmas ornaments out to the shed where The Professor has been storing his office stuff.

So then we had a bit more room.



It still looks like a garage - but now we can play legos and set up train tracks.



I'm going to get rid of some child-sized chairs and we're going to hang up the adult bikes to get them out of the way -- and pretty soon, we'll have it just the way we want it.



I need to get a bigger fan to blow air on the hotter days, and playing out there won't be a good thing on hot days in late summer - but right now - it's the best place to play (as it's been rainy). We can even lock out the little kids so the big kids can build Tall lego towers. They even got the tinker toys back out. They've had picnics out there.. and Mini-E likes to go out and just dance in circles.

It's nice to get the garage tackled...it's something I've been putting off.

Oh - that black trash basket - holds rescue heroes.

Here's another view to show that it still looks like a garage. The kids don't mind, though.

To see what others are tackling - click on over to 5minutesformom.

PictureLess Tackle-it

The Professor has our camera so I can't take pictures of the 8x10 photos I finally got hung. They look pretty good, too. It's nice to know that I don't have to leave pictures hanging where we put them when we first moved in. *L* There's a bit of freedom in that.



My Tackle-it is: THE FRONT ROOM.

This is the room that gets the biggest mess because of the babies. It's where we congregate as a family. It's where all the school work happens. It's, pretty much, where we live.

After the wee ones being sick for a few days, and us being busy in general, the front room looks like a disaster. I walked through it in the dark last night, surviving the obstacle course, and thought: If the emergency people had to come visit us they'd think we'd been vandalized.

So today. I tackle it. It will only last a few hours, a few days at the most. But it will make me feel better. And while I'm pondering cleaning the mess in the front room - I'm seriously pondering how I can make a space in the garage (that we don't park a car in anyway) for many of the kids toys. Where they can go out, get what the want and when their done, put it back. But that's a Tackle It for another day.

To see more "Tackle-Its" visit 5MinutesforMom.

All Hung up on a Tackle it Tuesday....

Last week, I had to find a card that I lost. A very important card. Just needed for J-man's tube surgery. And while looking for it - I found pictures that I kinda-sorta forgot about. They were always in the back of my mind, whispering "We need to be hung". While that's creepy, whispering pictures do tend to be drowned out by the drone of squabbling children. Or just children in general. Squabbling not necessary.

So when I found the pictures, I decided it was time to get them hung. We have lived in our house for about 7 years now - and many of our walls are still bare. So the first choice was which wall? I chose one in our bedroom.

I'd take a picture of it - but it's blank. That's not photogenic. I wanted to get an idea of the layout before I started nailing pictures to the wall. I had read some where of someone using painter's tape to tape out where their pictures would be placed. I decided to take this idea and rather morph the idea to my needs - ie, I'm not taping squares to the walls when I can just use construction paper.

Once I had a general lay out, I started measuring and nailing pictures.

It was then that I realized I had a slight problem in my plan. I had forgotten that I have a few pictures that are horizontal pictures. After a little bit of tweeking on the end pictures I came up with this:

I have to get some more frames to finish it all out. (The black thing in the shot is the antenna from my TV we don't have cable). I want to have a picture of all the kids - or a family shot in the middle there. I'll add some pictures of the girls in the mix after I get some B&W photos and black frames.

Now I just need to figure out where to hang the "EveryDay" pictures. The ones in color. The 8x10 photos. That will probably be my next tackle it. Or maybe -- I have a painting project I need to do for G's 7th birthday that I completely forgot about. Choices, choices.

Tackle it Tuesday - My First Ever

It is indeed, my first Tackle It Tuesday.
Why did I choose today to join in?

Because I needed the boost to get this done.

I have a box. It's a fantastic box. It needs to get mailed to Uganda. To my friend Holly who wants chocolate.

What's my hold up? I keep thinking of things to put in it. I wanted to write a long letter and put in it (it's a short letter). I wanted to buy her the hazelnut coffee but kept forgetting.

Enough! - Today's the Day!!
Today's the day I tackle it!
It WILL get sealed, labeled AND Mailed!!

I wonder what the postoffice would think if I asked to take a picture of them stamping the box. Maybe I can take a picture of the custom forms as proof that I sent it.

I got it sent! The area she is living and working is not restricted - and it's going Express Mail! It might not take FOREVER for the box to arrive. So, Holly!! Keep an eye out! I'm totally pumped. It only cost about $60 (compared to UPS's cost of $200+) and it won't have to go by GOAT.

So I now mark this as Tackled!!

I'm Thrilled!

I'll quit before I come up with more "t" adjectives - 'cause it might become tragic.