Phase 2 of The House Behind The Trees ~ The downstairs #TeelsBuildaHouse

So we are starting the downstairs ... I HATE to say basement because we had a basement in our old home, where you opened a door and went down stairs separated from anything else. It was a finished basement complete with a bedroom, craft room, family/game room and we spent a lot of time there ~ our oldest son moved down there in jr high and stayed through high school ... until we finished the master suite in the attic then he moved back up to the bedroom floor with his brother and sister.  So here our downstairs is open to the rest of the house, you can see through to the outside from the top of the stairs going down because we have a wall of windows down there as well.  We really didn't plan to have a kiddo down there but since we are having to do a switch-a-roo with rooms (I'll explain later) he is moving home soon and will be downstairs. Anyhoo, our downstairs will house our main family room, our middle sons room, a full bath and kitchenette.  I thought it would be fun ...

13 First day.week.month of School Struggles We All Went Through

After a long, fun, and relaxing summer, the thought of going back to school is a harsh one. It's only been a couple months since our kids walked the halls of school, but it might as well have been an eternity because their brains pretty much remember nothing ;). However, as we prepare our kiddos to head back to class and prepare them to handle the first few weeks of getting the schedule squared away again, don't forget that what they are feeling and the things they are going through, are things we dealt with as well .... Do you remember those days, from getting lost trying to find a class in Hallway C to trying to figure out which table to eat at for lunch? Here are just some of the many first day struggles we've all been through, so reassure your kids that they aren't alone, we've been there too! (as seen in Hurst)

1. You forget to bring gym clothes, because there's no way you'll have to do stuff on the first day—but then your gym teacher makes you run laps for 30 minutes. #IsThisRealLife?

2. You're running late to your first class and can't get your locker to open, so you have to carry all five of your encyclopedia-sized books to class. #GoingToNeedABackBrace

3. You get your schedule and realize that NONE of your best friends have the same lunch period as you. #PANICATTACK

4. Waking up before the crack of dawn after sleeping in all summer is the worst thing that's ever happened to you, so you hit snooze seven times. #NeedMoreSleep

5. You and your friends plan to meet out front and walk into school together, but you can't find them ANYWHERE, so you have to maneuver the halls all alone. #GREAT

6. You pick your outfit out the night before, but when you wake up it's just ~not right~ and you basically empty your entire closet trying to find something else at the last minute. #CantFindAnythingToWear

7. You run into the crush (literally, run into him in the hall) that you had a summer fling with after you've been sweating for 30 minutes in gym class. #JustMyLuck

8. You wait at the wrong bus stop after school, end up missing your *correct* bus, and have to call your mom to come pick you up an hour later. #JustGetMeHome

9. You sit down in your seat only to realize you're in the wrong classroom 5 minutes into the class period. #LOLJK

10. The bell rings, and you're still on the other side of the school trying to find your next class. #INeedAMap

11. Every single teacher pronounces your name wrong all. day. long. #IGiveUp

12. Your math teacher does a quick refresher on what you (are supposed to) know from last year, and it's basically like she's speaking another language. #HELP

13. You get all ready to look hot in your school ID picture this year and then you find out you're signed up to take your pic right after gym class. #Hopeless

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