My latest attempt at organization

I never realized how much trickier it would be to have two kids in school at the same time. It's hard to remember who is on what bus at what time since our schedule requires three different buses (one for Hannah on Monday thru Wednesday morning and both kids Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, one for Jake at mid-day Tuesday thru Thursday, and one that picks up Hannah on Thursday morning and both kids on Friday morning plus drops both kids off on Friday afternoon - confusing, right?)

And then they have gym, art, music, and library on different days so it is hard to remember who has to wear tennis shoes on which days. Of course there was also the book fair for each grade on different days which required sending in money on the right day for each kid. And of course you can't misplace the library book that has to be returned on the right day.

Ugh!

Well thank God we built the breezeway off the side of the house into which we can move the old shoe racks because I decided it was time to revamp the area where we go in and out the door each morning before and after school.

After a trip to the Container Store, and a little color coding, I came up with this little pink and blue gem of an organization system. Each kid has a bin on the floor where their backpack goes as soon as they walk in the door so that they know where to find them the next morning. On their little pink and blue dry erase boards we write notes about schedules, when to bring in money, and other reminders. They also have magnetic boards to hang notices from school, school picture checks, milk tickets, lunch tokens, and their gym/music/library/art schedules. Additionally they each have a bin hanging on the wall with pink and blue folders in which to put fundraising catalogs, library books, book order forms and the like.

Finally, there are two "talkie" boards addressed to each of them. These aren't pink and blue but they were too darn cute to pass up. On these boards we write notes to them about things like "make sure you clean up your room today" or "don't forget to take your library book with you". Jake can't read yet but Hannah helps him out. Sometimes her board just says "please read Jake's note to him."

I also put up a dry erase board for Link and me (which didn't go up until after these pictures were taken) which shows our schedule for the current week and the next week. It's helpful for things like Link knowing when I have a PTO meeting or me knowing when he has an early job start.

So here it is.........The grand unveiling!