Carving Out a Niche for Me

A few months ago we realized that Julian was getting too big for his sleeping arrangements.  Down came the crib and in went our queen size mattresses.  With the newly gained freedom it was crucial for there to be enough room for me to go in and sleep with him in the middle of the night those first few weeks and for those way too early, still pitch black out, mornings.  Unfortunately this means his daytime naps have shrunk as well and now I have a little boy telling me he is ready for bed by 5:30 or 6 most evenings.  Today he lasted less than an hour so I've repurposed the glider and boppy in the nursery as a temporary work station. The boppy is just the right size to hold my netbook while I type, and I've got plenty of arm support.  I told him he's got to get more rest or we can't go on our play date this afternoon with the compromise that I would stay in the room with him. We'll see how it goes.

The real work goes on here, at my new/repurposed desk:

When we moved into this duplex we planned on putting the "office"  in our master closet.  It's a huge little room with two sunny windows and a corner perfect for an office set up.  Our first summer in this house we discovered that the room was a tiny sauna, and now in the winter, nothing short of freezing.  It seems whomever built on the little addition didn't do much insulation or ventilation-wise. I organized the bulk of our paperwork and files, along with my craft supplies and art supplies for Julian there for easy access but still lacked a designated work station.  Sharing with the kitchen table got old, as did the folding table in living room.  We have a beautiful old table that Pete's father gave us shortly after we moved into our first place together to use as a dining table, it's round with two leaves that fold down, and is quite small. It's since become the table that holds our Christmas tree at the holidays, and we replaced it with a retro formica table and red chairs in the kitchen. The small foot print combined with an old wooden chair I picked up at a thrift store make for a perfect addition to the playroom.  It has become increasingly important to me that Jules and I be able to work along side each other and now we can.  He is often standing at the end of the table working on his drawing or writing skills while I write or work on projects.

My friend Liz found the perfect enamelware silverware/napkin holder at the thrift store it's perfect to hold Julian's markers, crayons, colored pencils, and glue right next to my pens, scissors, and notebooks.  I love to use the flat basket I picked up at Ten Thousand Villages to hold my journals, magazine tear sheets, and loose recipes.  The tiny tins are another thrifting find but I haven't decided what to use them for yet.

I have plenty of room for my library books, a Jade plant, a few inspiration pieces and other minimal essentials. 

I love looking through the sun streaked windows and out to Julian as he plays.

I moved Julian's entire book collection into his bedroom to create a reading nook that allowed him easy access to all of them, this allowed for a little more clearing of the playroom to make room for me.  Now that all of his toys are sorted onto my favorite bookcase of all time (left wall, out of site), it simplifies how much he has access to and allows me to easily rotate what is available to keep things new and exciting. 

I love this new space I've carved out, the light has that perfect cool glow that I love and I feel happy every time I sit down in that old well worn chair.  Today I'll settle for watching Jules flop about resisting sleep with his cute little bottom up in the air and thumb tucked firmly in his mouth. It won't be long before he's grown and needless of his mama's eye to watch over him or arms to snuggle him so I'll take it while I can.