The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

So, with baby #4 on the way, i've been making some plans for how we are going to set things up for the new little one. In the past the middle bedroom has always been the nursery, but currently it is occupied by Jamie and Julie and I don't think moving them would be a wise idea. They are pretty happy and the room is pretty well set up and you know what they say about sleeping dogs. Our plan at this point is to make the nook at the foot of the basement stairs into a little baby sleeping space - kind of a mini bedroom. We'll have all the baby's stuff (dresser, misc baby gear, etc) in Mitchell's room, and technically the two of them will be sharing a room, but not really.

I've been doing alot of reading about Montessori nurseries and floor beds and the like. Mitchell's room is no place for a floor bed for sure. He is eight and the floor of his room is littered with legos and paper airplanes and chunks of dissected remote control cars. Not very baby safe. So we decided that while the basement nook isn't big enough to be a real bedroom, it does have room for a twin size futon mattress on the floor, a small shelf, a mobile, some low art and a mirror. And from what I have gathered, that is pretty much the essence of a Montessori bedroom for the first year of life so for now I think it will work.

Most of this is still in my head, but I did pick up a new twin futon mattress on craigslist this weekend and some foam puzzle mats to pad the floor (the floor is concrete) so we are on our way. Some other things on my list for the mini-Montessori nursery are:

*Paint the nook - it is currently stark white with gray concrete floor - not very calming or beautiful or anything. In fact, somewhat reminiscent of an insane asylum which really isn't that far off from the reality of our house. I'm thinking a light, gentle green.

*Cover the floor - like I said, it's concrete. A large rug or carpet remnant should do it though, with foam pads around the bed for extra padding.

*Fence off the area - not sure how we're going to do this yet. Probably some combination of bookshelves and a large gate. It's not a big area so it shouldn't be too tough.

*Montessori mobiles - an eyebolt in the ceiling should be doable, and i've found some cute, cheap mobiles on Etsy and Amazon. We'll start with something high contrast, then move to the Gobbi, then a grasping ring. Once baby is more mobile we'll find something beautiful to hang higher up just for looking at.

*An unbreakable mirror - i've found them for about $90 so I think this will be the most expensive part of the nursery. Well worth it though I think because we can use it long after #4 is done with babyhood.

So - those are my goals for now. We'll see how much of that comes to fruition, but here's hoping!

Contradict Much?

Montessori: noun - A method of educating young children that stresses development of a child's own initiative and natural abilities, especially through practical play in an ordered and carefully prepared environment.

Maelstrom: noun - a restless, tumultuous, or disordered state of affairs. synonyms - bedlam, pandemonium, chaos, uproar, fuss.

The two are not generally considered compatible methods for child rearing and education. In fact, the second one is less of a method and more of a universal truth for parents. Well, maybe not a UNIVERSAL truth - there are a few of those lovely perfect families out there with naturally quiet and obedient children and organized parents. But this is not one of those families. This is our family.

The kids go to a Montessori school, and we have been trying to implement those oh-so-wise ideas and methods in our own home. This is not a new idea of course, many moms all over the world are doing the same. There are tons of great blogs and websites there chock full of inspiration. But this is not one of them. This is our blog.

How do you make your home a calm, ordered, beautiful place to grow up when it is full of screaming, clutter, broken and stained EVERYTHING, and general chaos? (see also bedlam, uproar, pandemonium)

How do you do this when big brother has ADHD and mom is always a day late and a dollar short? Let's find out...