Friday, October 8, 2010

Snuggling Children



When the winter winds start howling, I love nothing more than to have my children securely snuggled in their room upstairs.  Living in a shouse poses some interesting challenges, not the least of which are providing pleasant, cozy spaces for our kids.

My dear friend, Julianne, has always made it a habit to "nest" every October.  She brings out the winter bedding and clothes and boots and prepares her home and her spirit for the long winter months ahead.  As the temperatures outside plummet, Julianne's home warms with her loving ministry to her family.

Taking a my cue from my friend, I have spent the first week of October preparing my home for winter and my heart for ministering to my family and anyone else who may seek refuge within our walls.

Maid Elizabeth and I got to work revamping our loft, which serves as our childrens bedroom(s). Our ceiling was terribly unappealing, so we used canvas drop cloths to cover the unsightly mess, with great results.  We cut the drop cloth to fit the ceiling and used a staple gun to secure it in place.  The result is not unlike a romantic wall tent.  It is very cozy and warm and embracing.  After finishing the ceiling, we went to work on the furniture arrangements.  We created each child their own special area that reflected their personality and used only a little space.















Hand Grenade has guns (air soft and bb) propped up against his wall.  He has military foot lockers under his WWII military bunk.  Perfect for a guy named "Hand Grenade"!

Princess Dragon Snack sleeps in a little nook under the eves, very snug and secure (somewhat like Sarah Crewe in "The Little Princess" - only she is not our slave!)  She has a charming wicker dresser and wardrobe from the 1920's (just her size), and her dolly sleeping peacefully on her bedstead.

Miss Calamity has the most grown up room.  She must share with Master Calvin, so she has a bigger bed.  And to have her own little area, we put an antique velvet club chair (a gift from Julianne) in the corner that just matches her bedspread.

We have worked and tidied and cleaned and have come up with (to the best of our abilities) a room that invites our children to linger and read and rest and pray.  It is a perfect spot to watch the snow fall over the mountains, have a tea party or just to be.

Sir Knight and I want to tuck a happy childhood under our childrens' jacket.  Tailoring their rooms (such as they are) to minister to them gives this mother great joy.

5 comments:

  1. Very sweet. Very sweet (and creative), indeed.

    NoCal Gal

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  2. comforting and restful...and for "real" children who play, and work, and live...

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  3. Enola, I really enjoy your blog and check everyday for new posts (info). But, I believe, that somewhere along the line I missed your definition or reason for calling your home a shouse. I went back and read all the posts related to a shouse but still am not sure about this. I have decided that it must be most cozy, though and I love your ideas for making it serviceable. Thanks for the posts!!

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  4. Anonymous;

    Sorry about that. Simply put, our house was built as a shop. We intended to build a house after a year, but then decided that we didn't want to take on a mortgage. So, we lovingly nicknamed our shop/house a "shouse"!

    So there you go!

    Enola Gay

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  5. The drop cloth ceiling is a great idea! I've got a few ugly ceilings that will be getting that treatment.

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