Top 10 Tuesday - Our Bookcase

I don't know how I forgot to do a top ten list yesterday. I was very absent minded yesterday for some reason. So this is my top 10 list for this week, a little late.
I thought I would highlight our bookcase this week. I sat at breakfast this morning and sat on the side of the table that I don't usually sit at. And this new perspective was kinda nice. I wasn't staring at the wall, I was looking out into our front room and this bookcase. I thought.... You can tell a lot about me and my family just from looking at this bookcase.



1. I am actually doing well with my plants. The spider plant on the left is in need of a little water but look at those healthy plants. Yes they are real and they keep on growing. My secret is... to dump all those unfinished water cups that I give my kids into the plants instead of down the sink.

2. It is time for a new portrait. It has been over a year since I took the kids down to JCPenny to get their picture taken. I have a bunch of coupons saved up. I just need to do it.

3. At the very top of the bookcase (behind the plants and globe and stuff) is a complete set of Great Books of the Western World. It is still a dream of mine to actually read these. I did start the 10 year reading plan that is outlined in the first book but gave up after a few books. It was some very deep, difficult reading. But what I did read was great. It just took a lot of effort and I have so many other books I am reading too...So they will have to be there as a goal to work toward at the moment. Maybe instead of a 10 year plan I should make it more of a 20 year plan.
4. My husband drove to work today - His bike helmet is sitting on the top left shelf. He usually tries to ride his bike to the train station but today he was running late and didn't make it.

5. The top shelf is also home a lot of toys. I know you can't see them in the picture (maybe in one of the close up pictures you can spot a few) but all the toys and things I have taken away from my kids because they fight over or with them end up stashed either on top of this bookshelf or on top of and tucked between the books in that top row.

6. I need another bookshelf - The bottom two rows of children's picture books are single stacked but all the other rows are all double stacked. I have even put the book in on their sides in stacks instead of straight across because I can fit more in this way. But I keep bringing more books home all the time and have no more room for another bookcase so we are stuck with the double stacked books.

7. This is supposed to be a TJEd bookshelf as described in Rachel DeMille's Core and Love of Learning: A recipe for success. The adult books at the top neatly arranged according to topic. In the middle the books are the grade school chapter books and books for that level of reading, topics all mixed together. Finally at the bottom is the children's picture books haphazardly arranged on the shelf. My bookshelf doesn't quite fit this decription because the children's books look the neatest. The adult books are arranged by topic more or less. I have all my Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and other such novels in two of the cubes and my husbands history books are in another I think if we removed all the clutter and toys it might look a little more like a TJED bookshelf.

8. This bookshelf sits in the front room instead of a TV. We have often had people comment on the fact that we don't have a TV in this room (It is the only room other than the kitchen and dinning room besides bedrooms in our tiny house). We did this to get the TV out of it place of importance. It has be moved to our bedroom so it is out of sight and out of mind. And it isn't on through most of the day so why should it be there asking to be watched.

9. This bookshelf ends up being a catch all place for clutter. Ian's shin guards for soccer. The umbrella we used a few weeks ago when it rained. The Halloween headbands we wore one day. The flower garland for Sophie's fairy costume. A diaper a package of wipes so I don't have to walk aaallll the way down the hall to get them. These thing should really find another place. If we are expecting guests these do get put away but for the rest of the time we live with and gather clutter.

10. We love books! at least I hope you can tell from this bookshelf that we like to read and not just collect books and other stuff. I am always amazed when I see my children laying on the rainbow rug with a book in front of them just happily looking at books. I don't even mind it when Henry decided to dump out the books or the older kids use the books to build dams in hallway or houses for their animals. At least they enjoying books!