Monday, January 12, 2009

Making the unusable, usable

I've been trying to figure out how to give Megan some play space for her big toys, while trying to organize the playroom. It's been cold and with her wheezing during weather changes, I just want to have a play space where she can run around, but be warm.

Enter into the equation... the unfinished basement.
We have been trying to figure out if we could finish off part of it - but there is another part that we were not planning on finishing off right now. It was just a big storage area - full of my old teaching stuff and random junk that I'm trying to sort through. We got it all moved to one area and opened it up.
How on earth we have that many random rugs in our house is a mystery to me. But in the end, I'm glad I didn't throw them out - they are coming in useful. That huge green thing is a board(?) that was left by the previous owner... I've been trying to figure out how to get rid of that thing, but I have decided to turn it into a flannel board/chalk board (that's on my to-do list). We've got to add some light, some decor, some chairs....

Then add a swimming pool of balls.....
And the fun is really just beginning!
Top it off by moving the slide from outside to the basement and you've got your own indoor playground! Needless to say... Megan loves it!

Also add a puzzle area, some big building blocks - and we are ready to PLAY!!!!!

(In the video - when Megan starts counting, I realize how that her "non" is not 9 but it's really 1 - for some reason non=one. And when she starts the "laugh" of "ah, ah, ah" - that's what the count does when he gets to 10 on her Abby video - she loves that part. So anytime we count, when we get to 10 she does his little "count laugh")
And of course, after all the fun..... head upstairs to relax a little, calm down, and read a book.

I have a lot left to do in our new indoor play space - but it's nice that it's "up and running" with her balls and slide. Megan loves it and begs to go down there. Since it's going to be cold this week - I'm sure we'll be down there a lot!

4 comments:

hmferrero said...

I love it! How exciting that you are able to use that space!

Whitlamy said...

Very fun!

amy said...

val, those videos are precious. and woo! thanks for the balls-in-a-kiddie pool idea! charles asked me the other day if i wanted to buy our friend's 1 bedroom/1 bath piedmont park condo...i said: "you have lost your mind. we need MORE house, not less." wait 'til i tell him about the balls in a pool idea! i'm going to tell him we're putting it upstairs in his office. :-)

i would so a LOVE chic-fil-a visit and a chance to have lots of old-time lunch conversation about the fun and perils of public education (i will email you 2 new MES updates, at least one of which will shock the pants off of you) (okay, maybe not that shocking--i've been in a melodramatic mood lately) :-D

Dawn said...

Val,

The indoor playgroud basement is even cooler than I'd imagined!!! Your house will be the new "Tot Hot Spot" in no time!

Define "cold outside"... We're looking at -2 for a high today!!! And that's the air temp. Add in the wind and it feels like -35. Enjoy beautiful Atlanta!!!

Love and mill you all!

Dawn