We started school today.  I had wanted to spend a lot of time this summer planning out my school year, so that I would be *really* ready this year.  Then we decided to buy a new house.  Which meant that we had to get this one ready to sell.  Which meant that all my "plans to plan" went out the window.

The first thing to go was my schoolroom.  We'd turned our family room into a schoolroom, but didn't think that a prospective buyer would come into the house and say, "Oooh, look!  A school room!"  We figured they'd appreciate a family room better.  So, out went the school tables, the books, the bookshelves, the craft supplies, the white board.  I kept one bookshelf (8' long and 30" tall) with most of the school books we need for the beginning of the year.  I have 71 boxes in my garage labeled for our new school room.

Then we started packing excess toys and miscellaneous "stuff" to give the house that "open, spacious, clean, uncluttered" look that realtors recommend.  I must say that the house looks good now, but the garage....well, it has LOTS of boxes.  In addition to the 71 school boxes, we also have 210 other boxes.  I let the kids pack and label some of their boxes.  "Toys"  "More Toys"  "LEGOs"  "Dolls" ....

We've lived in this house for 13 years, and had never painted any of the rooms except for our daughter's room.  Guess what we've been doing?!  Now we've painted every room, with the exception of the living room/dining room area, which looks surprisingly good for not having been painted for 20 years.  The previous owners must have used good-quality paint!

So far, we've had two familes come to see the house.  If you read this, please pray that the house will sell quickly!  Thanks!