2015: the kids’ bedrooms.

I want to show you photos of the kids’ bedrooms, but before I do, here’s a look into the world’s smallest bathroom:

I realize it’s not the smallest ever, but it may be pretty close. Especially when six people are sharing it. When we bought our house, there was an old pedestal sink, which David recently replaced with this cute little vanity.

Sharing a bathroom is not easy. But you know what, it’s fine. It really is. I’ve decided the best way to tackle the issue is a sense of humor. And so, when there are two kids in the tub, one on the potty, one parent wiping the child on the potty and one washing someone’s hair, we trip over each other and just have to laugh.

And now . . . the little guys’ room. Do you remember earlier this year, when the room was ready and waiting for an infant? Sometimes I still have to pinch myself to believe it’s now shared by a toddler and a preschooler.

I had the tiniest twinge of sadness over the realization that we wouldn’t get to adopt a baby after all, but it was amazing how quickly David and I switched gears. We spent the entire week before the boys arrived clearing baby paraphernalia out of our house, attic, and basement, and felt a wave of relief doing so. It’s amazing how much clutter babies require. And the fact that we were thrilled to be rid of it goes to show God knew we were probably better suited to our boys all along.

The trip we made to Charlotte on the Sunday before we signed adoption papers was the happiest IKEA trip of my life. Thanks to a gift from some generous friends, we loaded up on a toddler bed and bedding, toy organizer, crib sheets, and more plastic kids’ dishes for the kitchen. The robots over Noah’s crib are from the clearance shelf at Target.

I loved scouring the attic for Judah’s old toys to set up in their room — his Thomas trains and Little People castle and board books. I purposefully kept this room very simple. There’s almost nothing on the walls and just a few toys. With all the transition in their life, I didn’t want Gabe and Noah to be overstimulated in their bedroom.

Lest you think it’s perfectly zen, here’s an embarrassing look inside the closet, which as you can see is obnoxiously narrow and deep (and, ahem, messy). I’ve considered removing the door on the kids’ closets, but honestly I love having even a tiny place I can stuff things inside until I’m ready to deal with them. This closet is my next project, and since we don’t actually need the floor space, I’d love to make a little hideout for the boys inside with a rug on the floor and their artwork on the walls. We’ll see; that sounds a little ambitious at the moment.

Noah will be out of his crib by the end of the year, so my crazy brain is already spinning with bedroom ideas . . . maybe moving the bunk beds in here and doing some kind of loft for the big kids? Who knows where we’ll land.

So here’s another thing I learned in my recent purging streak: compromise is key. I can do whatever I want to Gabriel and Noah’s room and they’re thrilled, but the big kids have their own opinions about lots of things these days (well, so does my husband, but that’s another topic entirely). I prefer a more minimal look in their bedroom too, but the truth is, they want their things around them.

They were both getting frustrated with sharing a room this spring, and finally I came up with the idea of moving the brown shelf out of the dining closet and next to the bed. It’s made all the difference. Now the white cube shelf is entirely Amie’s and the brown shelf belongs to Judah. Do I love the way two shelves look in their room? No. Do I wish I could stage their dresser with a plant and some vintage children’s books instead of Tupperware bins of Lego’s? Yes.

But I want to respect their opinions — in the end this is their room, not mine — and so I compromise. It turns out that instead of a whole bedroom, they just needed a shelf for themselves, and now they’re happy. And so in summary, this is the last lesson: If something is driving you crazy about your house and you can’t afford the solution you want, don’t just do nothing and feel miserable. Find another, smaller solution that eases the stress and brings you some joy. Maybe it doesn’t look magazine-perfect, but it works for you. Then go for it!

Judah and Amie’s part of the compromise is that they have to keep their own room organized. And they do it! Everything has a place, and I’ve worked with them over the years on understanding why we periodically purge and organize our things (so we have more space to play, and so that we can enjoy and take care of the things we have). Now they nearly always initiate it themselves. I still keep a portion of their toys in the attic which they can switch it for something in their room. Their closet contains more Lego’s (if anyone has come up with a great Lego solution, please let me know).

Thank you so much for following along on this year’s house tour! In the process of blogging about it, I’ve found myself realizing anew how happy I am with our place, limitations and all. I love small houses because to me they’re like a puzzle . . . how to make everything fit together into one peaceful whole?

But the truth is, everybody’s house has some sort of limitation — if not space then storage or lighting or lack of a yard. I’ve recommended The Nesting Place lots already, but if you struggle with limitations in your house, please read it! Myquillyn Smith calls them “lovely limitations” in her book, and she’s changed the way I approach problems in our house, helped me see them as opportunities to be creative. I hope that’s what this little series has shown you.

Happy Tuesday!

[2014 and 2013 kids’ room here]