back-to-school shopping

The majority of my life is spent in our mud room. It is the place where I frantically search for lost soccer shoes, backpacks for missing homework, a spare winter glove or the ever elusive car keys. The constant whirl of activities makes it difficult to create some sense in a room that is often senseless. But with the exception of their bedrooms, this is the place that most represents the lives of my children. This room serves as an entry. It separates the outside world, often unpredictable and scary and welcomes my children home. It's a place where you can leave it all behind in the evening and where it all begins the next day.