SarahLynne came over today to talk through my organizational issues with me.  We had our .99 Thirsty Thursday Route 44's from Sonic and brainstormed about what part of my life was really bothering me (organizationally speaking, that is).

After a few general comments about my home just not seeming streamlined and my fears for the upcoming school year, I realized the thing that kept coming to mind when I thought about our school area was the utter chaos of the bookshelves. 

If you've read my blog before, you know that the school room is also DH's office, the tv room (it's mere 13" still can seem enormous at times), sewing room (complete w/ serger and sewing machine), and library.  Also in this room is a full-sized copy  machine, a Papa Bear chair and a Mama Bear chair.  It is full and can seem crowded quite often. 

However, the biggest issue in this room involves the two bookshelves that take up part of the longest wall.  They continually throw up all over my floor hour after hour, day after day.  It takes an immense amount of time and energy to command and oversee the cleaning up after this rude beast.  Every time I walk into the office (which is about a million times a day), I see the vast majority of the contents of these shelves lying all over the floor and it just makes my brain swim.  For once, I would LOVE for the books to actually STAY in the shelves!!!

So, I am telling this to Sarah (not in so many words) and also telling her that I have considered moving the enormous extra bookshelf that resides in the shed into the garage when out of the blue she says the most profound thing I have heard today..."Why don't you move the office bookshelves into the garage too?"  (Why can I not think of these things myself?)

And then she says the second most profound thing I've heard today, "You want me to help?"  Of course, I politely say, "Only if you want to," knowing full well the excitement in my voice is undeniable.

So, this afternoon while our 8 children entertained themselves, we made a place in the garage for the bookshelves (no small feat!), unloaded the big bookshelf in the shed and moved it to the garage, unloaded the two smaller bookshelves in the office and placed them on top of the big bookshelf.  Then Sarah had the brilliant idea of categorizing my books.  Nothing major, just a better system than I had before (which was NO system).  Finally, we started reloading the bookshelves.  We didn't finish that part, but I am already feeling as if a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders!

Both my children seem thrilled w/ the arrangement and I cannot believe the difference it has already made in the way I feel about our school space!  Thank you Sarah!