The Playroom Needs to Grow Up
When we bought this house eight or nine years ago air mattresses weren’t something you’d put guests on. They were hot and they leaked air so your friends would have their hips on the floor by 3am. We have an extra bedroom. A bedroom that used to be a master suite so it seemed like the perfect guest bedroom/playroom. With a toddler and a preschooler we just added a toychest and a sofa and the house was perfect. Kids could toss toys all over a room, we could shut the door and still have a clean house without always harping on them to clean it up.
They stopped using that room several years ago. Well, to be fair Jane uses the bathroom in the mornings for makeup. I don’t know how a little mascara and lip gloss turns into this… but it does.
We have the Playstation and xBox in our family room, which is a room that is very open with the kitchen and sort of the heart of the house. I’ve enjoyed having it there because I like the idea that Alexander isn’t off gaming in a room by himself. Mr. G has been bugging me to put a TV in the playroom and move all the kid stuff in there but I’ve been resisting.
Finally Jane looked at me and said, “If my friend and I could watch movies in the playroom I think I’d have everyone over all the time.” Alexander bobbed his head and talked out getting some beanbag chairs and inviting his friends over more too.
So I’m shopping for a TV. A friend has a leather love seat she’s looking to get rid of. I’ll also need bean bag chairs (OMG Furry ones at PB Teen!) and the will to turn a blind eye to new messes. We need another DirecTV receiver and storage the devices.
It’s time to sort through all the old books and give them new homes. It’s time to move the cubby organizer into my office (I really do need this room to be less awful). It’s time to empty the closets of the old linens and let the board games live there.
It’s time to make this house friendlier to teens. Which is exciting and wonderful but leaves me feeling nostalgic for days when I could delight my kids with a visit to the toy store.
Transformation coming… just not quickly kids. I’m dragging my feet a little here.
