I Thought of Another Way to Avoid Making a Decision Myself
There are many things in this world that I suck at, and President and CEO of that list is making decisions. Sure, if it's a big deal sort of decision, I'll figure out a path that works. However, if it's a minor sort of thing, I can't do it. Don't ask me where we should go for dinner. I DON'T KNOW. Don't ask me to decide if Enjoy the Silence or Down In It is the better song. I DON'T KNOW. Don't make me tell you whether you look better in the green shirt or the yellow shirt. I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW.
This new house stuff is making those two brain cells responsible for making insignificant decisions psychotic. Just call them Larry and Curly because they are continuously bonking each other over the head with a baseball bat. Larry's all, "You decide, you moron." Curly is all, "Screw you. I ain't deciding nuttin'. Who you callin' a moron anyway?" Then they fall over each other trying to beat each other up. Neither one of them ever does anything useful like MAKE A DANG DECISION.
From what color to paint the walls to where to hang the dragonfly light fixture, I can't decide. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. In the weeks since we've gone under contract to buy the place, I have debated. Pondered. Shopped. Scoured magazines. Debated. Pondered. And not decided. I finally realized that there is one chief decision that needs to be made. If I can figure it out, all the rest of the pieces will kinda sorta maybe fall in place.
Oh, internet, help me figure it out.
The issue is this: I have too many choices for where to put the playroom. It's a ridiculous problem, and would very easily be solved if a giant tree would just fall on the house and render a few rooms useless. Since there are no trees anywhere in the vicinity, I think I'm stuck having to pick a room. Here is the rundown.
Choice #1--Bedroom 4: There are four bedrooms upstairs at the new house, and Alexis' future room is the larger of the two bedrooms at the end of the hall. Directly across from her room is a very tiny little bedroom. Pros: I would never, ever have to clean it because there would be no reason for anyone other than Alexis to ever see it. Cons: Not only is it tiny, it's also very secluded. It's at the furthest possible point from the rest of the house so Alexis could host a NKOTB reunion concert and I'd never know. That might also be considered a pro.
Choice #2--The Loft: The stairwell from the first floor to the second is very open and there is a decent-sized (10x15ish) room tucked above the dining room at the front of the house. Pros: The floor is not all that visible as you come up the stairs as you have to walk down a hallway to get to it. Thus, it would be OK if it were left messy, just so long as the mess didn't reach a height of, say, three or more feet. Cons: It's upstairs. I don't really like it when Alexis is on a different floor of the house than me. Also, I'm game for decorating the play room in the most obnoxious, kid-friendly way possible, and the fact that the room is 100% visible from the street might deter me from making it as crazy as I would like (also, the walls are visible from the front entrance and dining room--I would have to figure out how to transition from crazy to tasteful in the midst of that very open space).
(The Loft is to the left of that half wall. Like I said, it's VERY open to the rest of the house.)
Choice #3--The Living Room: The house has a family room connected to the kitchen (all one big open room, really), but also has a formal living room. It's not visible from the kitchen and family room since it's down the hall, but it's not that far away. Pros: It's big. I'd say 15x15, at least. While it does face the street, I worry less about people being able to see into it because trees/landscaping will eventually make those windows less peeper friendly. Cons: There's a bathroom connected to it. The builder intended for it to be able to be used as a living room or first floor master suite, so it has its own full bathroom. Which better not get used. Ever. Or I will scream at somebody. Seriously, that bathroom is off limits. There are too many of them in that house, and that is the one that I am declaring forbidden. If the playroom is right there, Alexis will have easy access to it, and I might not be able to stop it. Three year olds and a forbidden bathroom sounds like a recipe for disaster.
Aaaaand, I think just writing that all out moved me closer to a decision. Maybe. OK, maybe not. Tell me, oh wise internets, what do you look for in a playroom? Secluded so you get silence? Nearby so you can monitor what is going on? Big? Small? HEEEELP!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Reader Comments (73)
@Jennifer--That's not a half bad idea. Sure would save me from ever having to clean a hella lot of house.
The only one I don't care for is the loft. I envision toys going over the top down the stairs.
@3carnations--Is there a way to prevent that, even if the playroom isn't up there? I can't seem to get the kid to leave things in their "assigned" room now. Oye!
I meant literally getting tossed (whether on purpose or by accident) over the top of that rail.
FYI, I am not a Jennifer. :-)
I still vote anything with a door that closes.
you're not going to like my answer. i say the living room, and i also say pick a different bathroom to declare forbidden. then you can make the one in the playroom HER bathroom. you can decorate it all funky, keep a step stool for the sink and stuff in there too so it won't be in the way in your bathroom.
as for the loft, i say get a chaise and a bookcase- turn it into a reading/media nook.
@Joes_Love--That actually dawned on me this morning. It would be nice to keep the half bath purdy and only kid-friendly that other one. No more tripping on foot stools and such.
@JoeyMcIntyreWantstoSexMeUpMcTimberlakeLover--Remember, Joey loves ME best. Don't forget it, yo.
Bedroom #4 You can always use a monitor to listen to what's going on.
I'd pick the last choice. I'd want my kid in easy view of the kitchen.
Growing up we almost always had both a formal and an informal living room. The informal one was the one with all the kid junk, the more beat-up furniture, and a TV. The formal had all the books, nice furniture, and we called it the "quiet room" because a different code of behaviour went with it.
I hope one day to have that option myself.
Holy comments, Batman!
OK. Follow-up after thinking about this all night.
I agree, loft = projectiles and stair danger for boys, and tomboys.
Leaning more toward the living room / extra bedroom downstairs. Until, of course, your in-laws move to PA and need a place to sleep. Then, you're screwed so many ways toys are the least of your problems. Oh, digression. Ahem.
The lack of foyer actually isn't that atypical for that builder. Logic isn't high on their list. Srsly.
I am going to stick with my above thought that you need 2 rooms. Maybe make the living room her play/toy room and make the tiny upstairs bedroom her art room. Paint a whole wall with chalkboard paint and another with magnet paint to display her beautiful work. Lock the bathroom, good call. And loft - whole family chill with board game room. Done! :)
Bedroom. It has a door right? Toss the mass amounts of toys scattered THROUGHOUT the house right in there before company and close the door. Problem of not being able to see or hear her? NANNY CAM. She's getting older, you'll want to see her less and less. trust me. ;-)
@JustMiss--I still like to see her. Truly. Hearing her is a WHOLE other thing. I'm digging that cheap cams don't have sound.
Hmmm...I like the idea of having a formal living room. Unless you need to have an office somewhere. Do you have an office elsewhere?
My first thought is to put it in Bedroom #4 and turn the loft into an upstairs tv room or office where you could hang out while she's playing. Of course, her toys would still be upstairs while you were cooking dinner or doing anything downstairs. But it would be perfect when she was just a *leetle* bit older.
What if you made the upstairs bedroom the main playroom and let a small number of toys stay downstairs in a second family room (formerly the formal living)? You can just lock that bathroom so she can't get in.
I'd personally go with the loft.
A) IT's open so even though it's another level of the house, you're going to hear if she hosts said NKOTB reunion.
B) Learning to be in another place from mommy isn't always a bad thing. During transition, you could offer to hang out more often but then slowly allow her more space. I know that BB loves his downstairs playroom. And to be honest, so do I.
C) As for decorating, could you decorate below the window/chair rail height? That might be rather fun.
Love that this is your problem though. At a house plan FireDad and I were just considering, that was our issue as well. Made me giddy!
The decision seems blaringly obvious (probably because I don't have to live with it). Bedroom #4. Seems to make perfect sense!
I hear ya about all the decisions. With the construction (gutting) of the new house we have to pick out EVERYTHING. Carpeting, tile, cabinets, toilets, sinks, paint, light fixtures, doors, windows, siding, shingles, countertops, and on and on and on!!!!!! It is madness!!!!
I love that you all agree. So helpful! ;-)
I vote for the secluded bedroom #4. It's near her room and away from the rest, so she can make as much of a mess as she likes, you can decorate it whatever crazy way you like... just make it as safe as you can, and check in on here evry now and then.
If your house is anything like ours, toys are going to end up in the majority of the rooms somewhere anyway but, if I had to choose I'd say bedroom #4. The whole "close the door and don't see it thing" just sounds too awesome.
Gawgeous pics of the house. Lovin' Alexis in that dress and shewt... I'm leanin' towards 4th bedroom, but that's just me. My SIL made their loft into a playroom and it lasted 6 months before it drove her nanners.
But, that's just my opinion and we know what that's worth ;-)
playroom? what is this playroom of which you speak?????
Thanks, y'all! Decision made. You'll have to wait for the answer until we actually move, though. One month. You can make it!
Obviously you've not only got a huge response here, but have made a decision already. I'm still putting in my two cents because I can. I'm opting for close to the family. While this is not optimal AT ALL for cleanliness and color factors, I've found that kids choose to play where the adults are. Toy rooms that are in the basement or upstairs are never used.