Schoolhouse Design Week Two

Week two of the schoolhouse design project got off to a very unexpected start. Although the schoolhouse design is one of my top proprieties right now, week two took some unexpected turns.

If you are new to this design project, click on over to the first week and last week’s post to see the full six-week game plan and progress! I can use all the encouragement and accountability I can get!

Every Monday, until this project is done, I will be posting here on the progress we have made on transforming my current playroom and guest room into the perfect one-room schoolhouse! Follow along as we design a schoolhouse!

Unexpected Trip

What do a cross-country move, being stuck in Pennsylvania, a lost job, a new job, a broken toe, two-eight hour drives, one hospitalization, and six gallons of paint have in common?

ME.

Yep, not to be self-centered, but it’s been a week.

To make a long story short, my little sister (husband and two kids included) got stuck out in Pennsylvania during the quarantine. It was actually pretty cool having some extra company at the house during those long days in the “red phase” of lockdown. Her husband worked remotely until all of a sudden his company laid off 75% of the people.

It was scary. They have two kids. They had no job. My sister is pregnant with her third kid. They were not at home. Things got a little nuts. But, another long story short, by the grace of God and so many prayers, he had a job offer with in the week.

But that meant, they needed to get back to California to start work on May 26th (yep, today, if you are reading this the day it drops!). So we started planning an impromptu road trip to visit Virginia before my sister had to leave to head back to California.

But, no, not to California, to Virginia. Confused yet?

(Hold on to your phones, peps, this is going to get complicated. You see…)

During quarantine, my other sister from Texas was in the midst of a cross-country move. Her ER doctor, military husband’s service had come to a close and he is joining the ranks of civilian ER doctors. The timing was a bit ironic as the ER doctor ended up moving his family across the county in a pandemic.

Right?!

Don’t worry, the plot thickens. Did I mention, that the sister moving from Texas has eight kids ranging in age from six to fifteen? (I think, it’s hard to keep track.) Four and a half kids pictured above!

So they arrived in Virginia to my other sister’s house (she has five kids of her own). They stayed in her 2,000 square foot house for the night (that was cozy!) and then the sister from Texas and her doctor husband closed on their new house in Virginia!

My sister from California thought this would be the perfect chance to see the Texas sister (now in Virginia)! Within 18 hours of hatching the idea, my sister and I (and my mom) packed up our 6 kids (between the two of us) and headed to Virginia.

It should take six or seven hours to make the drive, but with one nursing baby and five toddlers/preschoolers, it took eight. Oh well!

We arrived at my sister’s new house at about nine pm Saturday night. Don’t worry, the grand house tour was totally calm… just 8+5+4+2 kids…19 kids! lol

It was amazing!

Crazy, but amazing. We spent Sunday and Monday unpacking boxes, playing hard, chasing kids, eating late, swinging on the front porch swings, oh and, one trip to the ER!

Yep, what would a family gathering be without a trip to the ER? (Side note, ER doctor husband has to fly back to Texas Sunday to tie up some loose ends. But we did get to go to the ER he will be working at and chat with his new colleagues!)

ER Trip Story

On Sunday afternoon, we were on a family walk around my sister’s new eight-acre property. We had a great time exploring. My mom was holding my seven-month-old baby and I was chasing after some kids. All of a sudden my mom tripped on some loose gravel.

(Before you freak out, the baby is fine.)

My amazing mother tripped on her toe, landed on her bum and elbow, but with true mother instincts saved my baby! It was sorta a Lion King like moment: baby up to the sky, held high.

The original Virginia sister is a nurse and was very fast on the first aid. After watching the toe in question for 24 hours, we all agreed it needed an x-ray and most likely a walking boot.

I dropped my mom off at the ER and as predicted she had broken her toe (in two places!) and came home with some nice x-ray pictures and a walking boot.

We thought the “fun” of the weekend was over…

But wait, there is more!

We packed up Tuesday morning for the trip back to Pennsylvania. My little sister needed to get back so she could get all packed up to fly back to California so her husband could start his new job.

About twenty minutes out, my mom got a call from my step-dad’s nursing home. You might remember my post about the stroke he had on Christmas day? He has been living in a nursing home since then due to the significant amount of care he needs.

Every so often, medical problems will come up that need more care than the center can provide and he will need to go to the hospital. Tuesday, was just such a day. He had some sort of stomach problem that needed attention. (I’ll spare you the graphic details.)

With that call, we canceled the stops we were planning to make along the way and drove, as quickly as we could, the six hours home.

Whew.

To wrap up my story… my step-dad has recovered as much as he can and is safely back getting great care at his nursing home. We got an extra chance to see him, as we got to transfer him from the hospital back to the care center. (In COVID time, that is a blessing!)

And that, my friends, is why, this post is a day late.

I choose my family. I choose the good part! “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:42. I choose my family instead of the schoolhouse to-do list.

Priorities friends, it is all about priorities. But, I do still have an update!

Week Two Report:

Week Two:

Week two is simple. It’s gonna be paint week! Thank you for all of your input last week of paint color. We have picked colors and I am supper excited!

The trim will stay white (of course) and all of the main walls will be painted “rock crystal“. The blue wall in this picture to the left will be painted “plush purple“. I might even add in one more purple wall, but I need to see the gray paint on the wall first!

I am so excited for paint week! I think it will really change the space and help the Schoolhouse come together. I can’t wait to share the after pictures with you next week when the paint is all done!

Week Two Progress:

Even with all that craziness of last week, we still got the basement painted. It’s not totally done, but its painted. I had hoped to have completely touched up, cleaned-up, and “perfect” pictures for you, but these mostly done pictures will have to do.

I am in love with the colors and think it will be a cheerful and pleasant place to learn. Let me know what you think!

Question: Do you see that diagonal wall right behind the ExerSaucer? Should I also do that the dark purple accent color? Leave a comment… I want to know!

Today I also went to the store and got all the stuff I need to refinish the desks. A few months ago, I found some old school desks (I think from about 1960 ish) for sale on Facebook market place. I was able to get each desk and chair set for thirteen dollars!

They are solid wood and in pretty good condition, but they do need some sanding and staining. I would like to thank the amazing women at Home Depot who helped me get all the supplies I needed. I gave her a card and I hope she sees this shout-out!

And that brings us to…

Week Three:

Desk week. This week will be all about refinishing the desks and chairs. I am really excited about this project! These desks are so super cute and I can’t wait to bring them back to life again.

Follow Our Progress

Watch our progress unfold as the Schoolhouse takes shape. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for daily updates! As I get ready to refinish the desks, I would love to hear all of your wood refinishing tips! Have you ever done a refinishing project? Let me know all that you learned! Drop your hints below in the comments!