Occupy the Basement

We joke that our basement is the latest occupy location.  With the two kids tents set up and all the doll furniture it looks like the kids could camp there comfortably for awhile.  They have never given us a formal list of demands, yet they never leave.

This winter has been the first year we have really used our basement.  We bought our house with the finished basement.  We are so glad that we did.  We would never be motivated enough to finish it ourselves.  There is one closed off room in the back that currently holds all the clothes and toys as the kids outgrow them.  There is a storage room that I treat like the most important room in the house.  I know how easy it is to just throw things back there and it can fill up fast.  Before I put things back there, I have to identify the need to store the item because I know that it is probably never coming back out.  I try to limit it to holiday decorations.    

But there is a large big open area in the basement.  It is now filled with toys.  Tents, tunnels, basketball hoops, art easel, dolls and doll furniture.  There is an old tv that is hooked up to a VCR/DVD so we can watch videos or antennae TV but not cable.  There is an exercise mat for Charlie to do his workout tapes.  The radio is what we use the most to dance too.  I was so proud of myself for my only piece of organization in the room - the toy boxes.  They are literally toy boxes.  Instead of getting nice organized tubs or boxes, I pulled out three giant boxes - one for Calvin's toys, one for Laci's toys and one for shared toys.  Surprisingly enough, this toy box idea is working.  But the only piece of furniture is an 30+ year old recliner that was my grandpas.  It's old and worn but so comfy.  There are several giant pillows and blankets we can sit on or play with.  The kids love playing down there now and I am glad that we are starting to utilize the space.  After dinner, Calvie always runs over to the door.  

Calvie is digging though Laci's toy box there. 

Look at that comfy chair! 
Is there anything cuter than a boy and his doll stroller? 
I think he is pushing his cracker around.

 

But since we are down there so often, we have started to dream.  We have started to think about ways to make it up.  The plan is to have it be the rec room.  The place where the kids will hang out - eventually without us.  We can just tell them to go down and play.  We want a big TV, comfy couches, a game / homework table.  We want to decorate the walls - probably with sports stuff.  All of Charlie's sports posters are just leaned up against the wall.  We are starting to think about where we would put the couches, where we would put the TV, where we want a table.  We may be getting closer to furnishing the basement.  But keep in mind, we never do things on a whim.  Getting closer to buying furniture means we are probably about 2 years away from actually doing it.  We have a lot of patience in that area.  I waited years for my mini van.  I mentioned the other day that I like the table his parents have in their basement.  We joked that if we wait long enough, maybe we could get that actual table. 

Last night, I was sitting there on the floor thinking that I may be grown up enough to actually buy furniture.  Doesn't that sound like a grown up thing to do?  Maybe I will start a board on Pinterest for Basement Ideas.  But then I saw my kids run around the basement and realized that they love all this open space.  It's nice to have.  We can wait awhile longer for furniture.  But a few minutes later, as Calvin started attacking me with a plastic baseball bat, I realized that maybe too much open space isn't good either.