What a Life!

Since Steve got his new Notebook computer for Christmas, I’ve taken back ownership of our office. When we shared the computer, I felt his opinion on how things should be arranged should be considered. Now I’ve taken to moving things without asking.

Here is a picture of our office last summer:

The computer faced the wall – which is what Steve liked. The problem with that was that Ben would get into things while I was on the computer because I couldn’t see him. I liked the computer better on the other desk, but Steve thought there wasn’t enough space for it.

Then the desk was always cluttered because, well, I had a lot of clutter. Over the past six months I’ve gotten quite good at keeping the desk cleared off and available for use. The rule is that it has to be cleared off once a day. Sometimes it goes for two days, but generally I stick to “the rule.” You can’t cook very well in a messy kitchen with dirty dishes – I’ve found that an office is the same way. Needless to say, I’ve been getting a lot more done. But that didn’t solve the problem of Ben getting into things while I was working at the computer.

The other day, I read in someone’s blog where they had re-arranged their office and made it a place where they wanted to be rather than a place they dreaded having to spend time in. I thought about my office, and I decided I wanted the computer moved back over to the other desk so I could watch Ben while I worked.

Our office is at the end of a long room which takes up half the basement in our house. At the opposite end of the room is one of our tv’s with the loveseat Steve had before we got married. In the middle of the room is Ben’s toybox, desk and little table with chairs. Here’s the view from my desk:

As you can tell, I now should be able to monitor what Ben is doing when I’m in the office. We shouldn’t have any more problems with Steve coming home and finding things Ben got into and then asking me what I was doing when he got into that only to hear me say “I don’t know.”

Here is the picture of the entire workspace:

You can see my planner on the corner of the desk. It’s so much easier to write in it when I’m sitting at the desk (vs. sitting on the couch). There are bookshelves behind the desk where I keep my favorite inspirational books. Now when I get up at 5:00 a.m., I go straight to my office where I review my plans for the day and spend time in quiet reflection. I don’t have to run downstairs anymore to get the book I want to read on that particular day – I have them all at my fingertips.

And did I say that Ben doesn’t get into things behind my back anymore? If he even looks at the bookshelves, I see it, and I stop him before he starts taking books off the shelves and “reading” them as toddlers like to do. I think my books are relieved too.

I’m thinking some of the data entry I need to do for my business won’t be so miserable now that I can watch tv while working at the computer. Taxes are going to be a breeze. I’m just so in love with my new office! [It’s okay – you can laugh if you want…]