More renovations completed

We finally finished the upstairs of the extension. Two kids bedrooms and one large playroom. #1 is moved in and enjoying her bedroom. #2 will be moved in soon, but that requires more planning due to the autism and changing of routines. They have most of their stuff moved but some remains in #2's current room- the downstairs room soon to be known as the library and computer room. I have been working hard on sorting what makes to trip to the new area and what goes to the garage for a big garage sale this spring. I also have been working hard on turing #1's old room, which is 10 X 9, into a sewing and crafting room. I ripped out the wire closet stuff and replaced it with shelving to either side of the door to store boxes of fabric, scrapbooking supplies, felt and wool roving. I am so excited but still have much to do to have my little room done. I've got to move all the craft stuff out of the various places I've been storing it and get it arranged (and re-arranged until I'm happy) so it will be functional. My goal with the sewing room, playroom and kids rooms is to get all the stuff which belong in each room in there, organize it so it's easy to find and clean. That goal ought to take me forever. I am not organized by nature. So to give a quick peek at some of the kids area-

This is Princess #1's bed. Pink- it's all about pink! And a few hundred of her favorite stuffed friends.

This is the computer and teaching area of the playroom. I don't homeschool but I do supplement the school work with our own lessons. #1 loves picking topics to research- most recently the effect of nutrients on the body. How vitamins and minerals are digested and used. It was a colorful conversation from the start with deciding what food is healthy and which is not, taking a bite and swallowing through to the final output. #2 needs more work to reinforce the things he learns in school. Spelling, writing and pointing to items requested can be done here. There are plenty of supplies here and also in the craft area.

This is the craft area. Everything was still dumped on the table for sorting when I snapped this pic. It is now cleared with boxes by type of craft. Clay, paint, markers, color pencils, paper, etc. It looks better now. There is a book case area, and will be a train table area for our dear friend Thomas and his gazillion little train friends.
This is the puzzle area in #2's room. While the pink bed is a HUGE part of #1's room, #2 is all about his puzzles. They get put together all over the floor. Now he will have a large area for them. The toybox was hand made by my mother with a circus theme. I had decided, long beofre I knew about our joinging the 'autism circus' that his room theme would be an old time circus in a tent. His walls are canvas color with a rubbed red trim. #1 also has a handmade toybox with a beatrix potter theme.

Here is a close up of the hand painting on #2's. It says "And in the center ring" with dogs performing on a horse, a balloon and a tightrope.

Here is #1's toybox. The front is a wallpaper border with various Beatrix Potter characters. And when I get a better picture- with less sun from her window- I will post it.
The seat is hand painted.
The sides are also hand painted. Again, all this was done by my mother.

So there you get to see what has been going on here. We have been very busy since last summer with getting this all done. Most of the work was done by us around Hubby's work schedule and any time we could find. And there is always more to be done!!

Electric Momma

I have no idea what an electric momma is but my seven year old dubbed me that and it stuck. I suppose it's rather catchy and memorable so here it is. Since I've been reading blogs for a few years I decided it was time to give it a try. Hopefully this will be fun and educational for all, myself included.

So I'm a mother of 2- one mostly normal seven year old girl and one autistic five year old boy. I like crafting and find I spend way too much time surfing the 'net for new projects as well as new pages about my favorite crafts. Right now I'm a stay at home mom and find that rather than having lots of free time I have almost no time. Hmm- I have no idea how that can be. So let's look at the great black hole of free time.

Once upon a time I had a job, an apartment, free time and money. Then came the house in a small town in Western New York, baby1, job downsizing post 9/11, baby2 and here I am. Oddly enough my job entailed copious quantities of time in front of the computer and now here I sit staring at the screen again. I'm hoping to use this blog as a place to connect all the dots of my life- motherhood, autism, crafts, normal kids (OK- those who know her might beg to differ somewhat- she is unique!), gardening, renovating a 170 year old house, pets, my pathological need to photograph everything(more on that another day), and all the other detritis that seems to clutter up my otherwise simple life.

My seven year old daughter is one of those incredibly social kids- she loves parties. She loves to dress up in her finest and celebrate- anything. Since I am such a stick in the mud sometimes and don't always want a few dozen of her closest friends over she often will have parties for herself and a few hundred of her closest stuffed friends. She is a great kid and always up for trying a new craft or going somewhere. My five year old son is her complete opposite in so many ways. He is autistic and prefers not to have loud parties. He would stay home or just go to a few preferred places for his whole life if we allowed that. Alas, his wishes often get over ridden by reality. Groceries must be bought, errands run and general mayhem over strict schedules prevails here. For all the boy is quiet and content with quiet pursuits, the girl is loud and enjoys noisy pursuits. I feel like the rope in a game of tug 'o war most days trying to balance the two. Add one 4 year old Bull Terrier named Arthur Pendragon, three cats, and lots of wildlife in the yard and chaos is an apt description of some days.

Add to the mix the ongoing renovation of our very old farm house and mess is another way to sum up my life. I feel like I spend a good portion of my day moving things out of an area to be worked on, doing some work and then looking for what I had to move. Oh well, someday the work will be done and everything will be in it's place and I'll find everything I'm currently looking for- right?? At least the yard is looking better this year. Did I mention my love for all things John Deere? We'll tackle that another day. Why scare everyone off with too much weirdness, right? Actually the yard still has some changes coming but I'm pretty slow with the planting. I'm still letting last years plants fill out and deciding if I like it all. We have a shallow but spring fed stream in the yard outside the dining room which is very peaceful. I like to relax and read out there while the kids play in the shade.

So that is the short version of what to expect here. Chats on crafts, kids, pets, home renovations, house work and whatever strikes my fancy. Grab a cup of coffee and join me in a few laughs over the daily workings of a not always ordinary mind.