Richard recently gave up the basement as "his space" so that it could become part playroom part craft room part storage room part office.
As a chain reaction of that, I had to relinquish some control of my formal dining room so that Richard could have some "this is my" space in there for his laptop and a few office supplies. The result of that is that Richard is more "present" when he is "present but working"- instead of holed up in the basement. So that was a good move.
Asher recently gave up on using a high chair (he had a high chair that pulled up to the kitchen table - no tray). So since he vacated that space, Isaiah moved into it from his high chair with a tray. Isaiah moving to the table means that there now all the seats at the table are occupied during a family dinner. This is unfortunate news for me and my laptop. (Although it's good news for kitchen flow - two high chairs in one kitchen is a serious space problem.)
Me and my laptop have previously occupied a space at the kitchen table on a regular basis. The laptop sat there pretty much non-stop for the past year or so. It is a very convenient place for me. But...no more. So I have claimed a part of the family room as "this is my" space. More of the kids' toys were kicked out (to the basement for now - to storage or the garbage soon) and I took over one measly corner. And I mean measly. I am so jammed into this corner, it's pathetic.
See my tiny corner over there? Jammed between the couch and the bookcase?
My $7 Craigslist table, an old drape my mother made 4 years ago for our old house, and a folding chair. Notice that the chair can't even be pushed in all the way because there's not enough room. 
But I think it's a good change. As part of my "House of Order" initiative, I have been trying to spend less time at the computer and more time attending to my other jobs as Mother. So having the laptop in a slightly less convenient place is a good thing. It's not as easy to just slide into the chair and check my email. I'm not tempted to look every time I walk through the kitchen on my way to somewhere else. *Sigh* But I admit that I do feel a little like I'm in withdrawal.
3 comments:
our laptop broke about a month ago. Rich wanted to get it fixed or get a new one...I said, 'let's try just having the one office computer.' the result? more family time where we aren't just in the same room doing different things but being present in each others lives (obviously not always...that would be crazy). anyway, moving computers has a remarkable effect on family. great thinking and planning!
That is funny that we are both moving things around at the same time, and blogging about it unbeknown to each other.
I noticed your little table in the corner - its a nice addition to your living room! Its also a smart move in making your computer less accessible- I wish that Spencer's laptop was not so easy to get to, because he is on it ALL the flippin time....
Oh well.
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