Pottering

This first full week of school is always busy for me.  So much to do.

But I was not expecting it to be so stressful.  My body didn't cope at times.
Starting my regular activities again threw me into panic, apparently.

The weather for the last few days was dark and miserable, even cold.

But this morning I woke to sunshine and the knowledge that I had nothing to do today.

No teaching, no appointments, no extra-curricular activities to drive to.

(Very thankful for our second car and a husband willing to do the 7.20am band drop-off)

Not. one. thing.

Even so, I braced myself for the unexpected - 

Laura staying home sick, or a call for casual teaching at the local primary school 

- but they didn't happen and I was free for the day!

I wrote myself a list of what needed to be done.

But instead of getting stuck into it, I began pottering.

This corner in the back of our living room desperately needed tidying.

It's a busy area near our tiny laundry (which is behind the bi-fold doors)

and it's easy for things to pile up quickly, especially clothes and shoes.

I pulled everything out (except the bookcase),

tried rearranging the furniture and bringing in other pieces from around the house.  

Nope, not going to work.

Pulled it all back to where it was, but at least now I know it's all had a good clean.

Brought the yucca plant back inside after it's little holiday outside.

- looks like it might need some more R&R, though!

These shelves are the best thing I ever didn't buy. 

When the girls were young and accumulating toys,  I stood in the living room one day

and imagined exactly what I would need:

shelves with compartments to hold plastic containers.

I thought and thought ... where have I seen something like that?

Hang on, isn't there something in the shed just like that?

I raced outside, and there it was, left by the previous owners,

mission brown and covered in spiderwebs and other gross stuff.

Within days I had painted it to match the trim in the living room,

and I started stocking up on the perfect containers, buying a few each week at Woolworths.

That was about 15 years ago.  Since then it has held toys, school books, girls' craft supplies,

and now holds all our "miscellaneous" stuff - shoe polish, light bulbs, gift wrap.

The big basket holds the girls shoes, and tucked in between the bookcase and the green shelves

are Laura's favourite toys - skateboard and crutches. (Yes, crutches!)

A few calico bags hold various things at the other end, gardening gloves, my ironing bag

and boomwhackers.

After all that pottering I thought a bit about another area of the living room

which also desperately needs some TLC

Hoping to get the girls to go through their stuff tomorrow.

But went and dug around in the workshop and found something to try this:

and thought about getting out the chalk paint to cover over this:

... which I might even consider doing on the weekend.

Then I tidied the craft room.

And in between all that pottering even knocked off the 

most urgent things on my To Do List. 

Aaahh... there's nothing else as good as a free day at home when the sun shines!

I notice on other Australian blogs that I'm not the only one with mixed emotions this week.

It's a big upheaval, this going back to school time.

This is our 12th "first week of school", and it doesn't seem to be getting any easier.

For me, that is.  The girls seem to be coping fine!  

And that's something to be very thankful for.

* * *

What have you been doing this week?