A Mother’s Journal

I was so inspired by The Learning Room over at By Sun and Candlelight!  It was just the inspiration I needed to organize my books.  I have a lot of books.  (Like no one would guess that based on the arm loads I come home with every time I go thrift store shopping). 

At times I have had my books very organized, but in the last year or so they had gotten mixed in with each other — science mixed in with art books, math books with the poetry books.  You get the picture.

A couple of Thanksgiving books and a bowl full of hickory nuts from a nature walk.

But finally.  My books are in fine order!  Dawn, thank you so much for sharing the pictures of your learning room.  I think when a person is multi-tasking, as homeschooling mothers are, organization is beautiful and I needed a bit more of it with my books.

The shelf in the picture above holds our art books, learn-to-draw books, make-and-do books, craft books, and a few supplies, like our acrylic paint set.   On top of the shelf I will keep one or two or three seasonal books. 

Above is probably what I’m most excited about.  It’s the nature shelf.  Our science books are there too.  Now when I need that book on the elements, or that book on tree ID or butterfly ID, or the book on weather, I know exactly where to go to find it.  The top will be for showcase books, nature finds, and the bottom shelf holds sketchbooks, drawing pencils ready to go, and our flower press.

Or maybe this is what I’m most excited about.  Three shelves devoted to Five In A Row.  Yes. 

This gets the cutest bookshelf award in my house.  I’m a sucker for tiny little books.  This handmade bookshelf that I found on sale in an antique store holds all the little books as well as some tea set pieces.

This is going to make lesson planning much easier.  When I think of a book that I want to use, I can walk to a labelled section of books and have only a dozen or so books to go through rather than ALL of them.

Part of our US history-related books, above.  Every section of books is labeled like this.  It’s to help me as much as the children.  As I add more books, another book case will be needed at some point and we’ll just move a shelf and expand whatever section needs it.

I just wanted to share my excitement over having all my ducks books in a row!

Lynn