Small Space Living, Part 2 (Kids’ Spaces)

Today I’ll be showing off the kids’ spaces. Rory (16) and Space Baby (8) share one room, and Sparrow (11) and Yoshi (5) share another. Technically, Rory and Space Baby’s space isn’t a real bedroom. It used to be a covered patio that was converted into extra space. There is a large part that is completely open to the rest of the house, but we put up shelves and a curtain to create a bit of privacy. Unfortunately, since it used to be a patio, there is no vent in this room, so it gets incredibly hot. Hopefully, we can figure out a solution before the Texas summer heat becomes overwhelming.

 

RORY AND SPACE BABY’S ROOM

 

 

1. This is the corner of the room with no wall. There is a post already there, so we hung a curtain on one side and put the shelves on the other side. Hopefully you can tell what’s going on here.

 

 

2. This is the view of the opening from inside the room. Maybe you can see more clearly where the curtain and shelves are. You can also see the laundry sorter, the foot of the bunk bed, and the shelving on the left is where they have a TV, iPad charging station, and some toys – Space Baby’s dress up clothes and bath toys.

 

 

3. This is a bunk bed we got from Sam’s Club for about $300. They’re attractive (in our opinion), sturdy, and comfortable. The kids really love them, so we’re moving them to the new house with us. It’s a full on bottom, twin on top, with shelving on the side. In this room, the kids use the shelving for a lamp, books, jackets, and shoes.

 

 

4. The kids wanted a place to play Minecraft, so Hubby set up computers in this room, too. We had just enough space for two computers.

 

 

5. This room doesn’t have a closet and the kids don’t have a dresser, so this writing desk is all they have. It has three drawers on the bottom which just barely fit all their clothes. The top has craft and school supplies. (P.S. This wonderful piece of furniture will be up for sale as soon as we move, so if you’re interested, let me know!) 😉

 

 

6. Just outside of the room is the screened-in patio, which currently serves as the kids’ playroom. Anything that is weather-proof stays out here so the kids have plenty of room to play.

 

SPARROW AND YOSHI’S ROOM

 

This was originally set up as a playroom, hence the adorable mural. The pictures could never do it justice. My mother-in-law painted this herself, with hidden shapes and pictures for the kids to find. There are even glow-in-the-dark stars when you turn off the lights!

 

 

1. This is the same type of bunk bed that’s in the other room. Here, the kids are using it to store extra blankets and towels, shoes, and toys. There’s also a lamp and some drawing supplies.

 

 

2. The TV is sitting on top of the dresser that they share. In the corner is a bucket full of stuffed animals and other toys that couldn’t go on the screened-in patio. The vanity contains more art supplies.

 

 

3. The closet is obviously under-utilized. We’re using it mostly for storage. Obviously the kids’ jackets are in here along with the laundry sorter and dollhouse (with the dollhouse toys stored underneath).

 

That’s it for the kids’ spaces! In case you’re wondering, yes it is always this clean. The kids do an amazing job cleaning up after themselves and making sure everything is in its place. I am so proud of them for being responsible and helping out around the house. It definitely would make things a lot more difficult if they weren’t on board.

 

Just Listed!

The “Big House” went up on the market a few days ago. We’ve only had one showing so far, but we’re trying to be optimistic. We priced it a little below market value, so we were expecting more traffic. But I keep telling myself it hasn’t even been a week yet… It’s only been 4 days! Maybe this whole adventure will finally be the thing to teach me some patience. The right buyer will come along eventually.

I don’t have very many pictures of the house, since we were only there a little over four years. So I’m posting the ones from our listing here, for memories. They’re much prettier than any pictures I could have taken anyway.

Front of the house
Dining room
Office
Living room
Kitchen
View from the kitchen looking into the living room
Laundry closet
Shared bedroom of Offspring #3 & 4
Hall bathroom (and shared bathroom of Offspring #3 & 4)

And now we make our way upstairs…

Game room
Media room (And the only room of the house that got painted!)
Offspring #1 bedroom
Offspring #1 bathroom
Offspring #2 bedroom
Offspring #2 bathroom
Playroom (5th bedroom that never got used)
Back patio
Backyard


It’s funny… My biggest worry was that we would miss the Big House and all its space, but we’ve been back several times now and it just feels empty and cold. Already it doesn’t feel like our home. I really hope we are able to sell so we can move on to SMALLER and better things. Bigger may be better for some families, but downsizing is definitely the right move for us.

Our Newest Adventure

Hello again, lovely readers!

Most of you know that I began this blog when I was searching for my biological parents. It was a great way to get my information out there and update those who were interested in my journey. Now my search has hit a big road block, but don’t worry – I still haven’t given up hope. I just no longer have updates for you. At least, not yet.

So what is there to write about? Well, fortunately, my family and I are about to start a whole new adventure – MOVING. Sound boring? Just wait… Our current plans are to:

  1. Sell the house we live in now. (Projected deadline: 3/10/2107)
  2. Move in with my in-laws (I think we can all agree this is the scariest part. We all love each other, but we’re also stubborn and cranky, so who knows what’s going to happen).
  3. Buy several acres of land. Our goal is at least 4 acres, but the more the better!
  4. Build a brand new house together (and shove my in-laws into a tiny guest house, haha… just kidding… sort of…), and last, but not least…
  5. Fill our property with as many animals as possible! My husband would like to pretend like this isn’t happening, but it is. For as long as I can remember, it’s been my dream to have my own personal petting zoo. So yeah, it’s happening.

This blog will become our scrapbook of sorts – full of personal stories, a place where we can look back on this journey and (hopefully fondly) remember all we’ve been through.

So stay tuned for all the chaos!