Beyond My Skills to Heal

Well, this past week's renovation work was productive, I guess, although nothing from the To Do list got done. I quickly realized that removing the dried wallpaper glue from the drywall was going to be tricky, because removal spray application made the drywall turn into mushy paste. And once we removed the vanity, we realized there was a sub-subfloor, which could mean there was water damage being hidden, and consequently needs to be removed and possibly repaired in order for the tile floors to be the right height for our toilet phalange and hardwood flooring. Sensing that this was 'beyond my skills to heal', I called Rick Kemp, our flooring contractor, to come give us a quote. He was very helpful and offered a couple of solutions for the drywall, but wanted to call his sub contractor first. He agreed that the top subfloor should be removed, and will be getting back to us for a tile and drywall quote. He's also going to tile our mantle at the same time, if the price is right. In the meantime, there is not a whole lot we can do. All the demo is done and cleaned up.

As for deciding on a vanity or tile, well, we can't agree on a budget. Tim understandably wants to keep it cheap, as we won't be in the house for more than 5 years, while I am looking at solid wood cabinetry and granite countertops, which I argued would provide a higher ROI (Return on Investment) in the long run. In additon, now that we've removed the pocket door and wall, we have and extra 30" to play with, and I'm not sure what to put next to the vanity. Hooks for the kids towels? Linen cabinet? Storage bench?

It is moments like these that I wish I could call my dad and have him come fix it for us. After a lifetime in and out of construction, he has all of the skillsets and knowledge, but sadly, no longer the ability, either physically or mentally to do anything for anyone anymore. We did text each other this week several times. I took pictures of my walls and asked questions, and he answered to the best of his ability from so far away. It's not the same, but at least it's something. I can't do anything for him, I've known that for some time, he too is 'beyond my skills to heal', but he's my dad, and I haven't been able to sever that bond. I probably never will.

As I write, the snow has begun to fall outside. Jack woke up this morning talking about a Snow Day tomorrow. No doubt we will be partaking in the ritual "Snow Dance" tonight before bed. I do still love the anticipation, as we watch the news scroll the list of school closings in the early morning hours. Even if my Snow Days now consist of keeping two crazy kids occupied in and around the house.

I think I'll refrain from a To Do list this week, not sure what the weather or Rick has planned.

Surviving Mandezvous Weekend

This weekend marked the arrival of the third annual Mandezvous (Man-day-voo)weekend. This is a fancy term for a group of men gathering together in the woods with copious amounts of alcohol, tobacco and fire arms, free to unleash their manly urges, repressed no more by the responsibilities of work and home. Tim packed his supplies and headed out Friday afternoon, gone until Sunday.

Meanwhile, Jack and Ella had Thursday and Friday off of school, so the three of us spent our first day together in our pj's, watching movies and laying around in the living room in homemade nests. By Friday, the troops were restless, so we headed out for groceries, and a little fresh air.

Why I thought my children would behave at Meijer while I piled our cart full of groceries is beyond me. I tackled each aisle like an obstacle course, dodging the strategically placed neon bouncy balls, glittery hair ribbons and other distractions that were fueling my kids continuous desire to want something. By the time we had checked out, bagged and loaded up the car, Ella was shot and had a complete melt down at the suggestion of 'trying to buckle herself'. I headed straight home, put Ella in down for a nap, and unloaded my booty, feeling completely drained and depleted from the whole experience.



Saturday's highlights included taking Jack to a Northeast Little League (NELL) warmup, which consisted of a batting cage station and field coaching. He was one of the youngest there, and was immediately discouraged and distant while standing in line waiting to catch a pop up or grab a ground ball. The coaches were patient and attentive, lending their assistance both in batting stance and mitt placement. By the end of the hour, I had signed Jack up for warm-up practice for the following two Saturday's. I want him to feel confident and capable of competing in a team sport.



Afterwards, we decided to check out the pool at the Midland Community Center. For one hour the kids splashed, dove and played in the warm chlorinated water, while I dutifully donned a suit and alternated my attention between Jack and Ella respectively. Ella prefers the shallow areas where she can comfortably wade with her head above the water, while Jack explored the deeper areas of the pool where he could practice swimming and jumping. Neither wanted to try the water slide. Yet. At home we snuggled back into our pj's and living room 'nests' with popcorn and ginger ale, and watched movies. Around 4 pm, we were pleasantly surprised to hear Tim's car in the driveway. He decided to come home early, clearly missing the comforts of home and his weekly quality time with the kids. It was great to have him back into the mix!



We spent Sunday tearing out the vanity and sink in the bathroom, as well as ripping out the 2x6's. Jack loved helping out, and Ella was perfectly content in the living room with her new found favorite movie, "Barbie Musketeers". At some point in my adventures in demolition, I have managed to aggravate an old knee injury. Once again, I am unable to straighten my left leg without inadvertently shouting out in pain. I have to remember that I'm not 20 anymore, and perhaps a good stretch before any physical activity is a good idea.



Goals for the week:

• Sand all of the walls in the bathroom


• purchase drywall


• decide on vanity, tile and bench


• bring paint samples home

Renovations, Reciprocal Saws and Rodin

This week I have succeeded in removing the pocket door from the bathroom, tearing out the drywall and removing all remaining wallpaper. Unfortunately, I've hit my first stumbling block: I can't cut through 2 x 4's with my Leatherman or a serrated knife, and therefore need to purchase a saw. Upon hearing this new, Tim's eyes lit up and within the hour was off to Home Depot. While wandering through the aisles of 'homeowner heaven', he sent me 5 text messages with various tool names and prices. We've decided a reciprocal saw is the way to go for this project, and I look forward to getting my hands on it and tearing down this wall! I've also realized, through trial and error, that working in stocking feet is not safe, and I should purchase safety glasses and a mask before I start swinging the hammer and pounding on the tile wall again.

Meanwhile, I was in Jack's classroom yesterday fulfilling my monthly 'Picture Parent' duties. Each month, I am given a poster of a piece of art, with accompanying binder full of information on how to present the piece to the kids. This month I had Rodin's "The Thinker." These first graders were very interested in learning about bronze casting and a little French Art History. No, I didn't mention that "The Thinker" is supposed to depict Dante contemplating the gates of Hell, and yes, I wish I could have actually sculpted something with the kids. It's just so difficult to try and immerse students in a subject matter for only 30 minutes a month with a budget of $0, but hopefully the crusty baguette I gave them to gnaw on helped to engrain the experience in their little formative memories.

Ella twisted, turned and somersaulted her way through gymnastics/ballet class yesterday evening. After recovering from the shock of writing a check for $120 to cover her $55 'costume' and another month of lessons, I realized Tuesday is Ella's favorite day of the week because of the time she spends at MGTC. She is so expressive and emotive, and we are fortunate to be able to give her this outlet for her energy. Her first performance is in May.

This is the kids last day of school this week. We don't have any plans, but are hoping for company this weekend, and will be taking plenty of trips to the local sledding hill. And as for the bathroom reno? This will most likely be put on hold until Papa is home to help on Friday.

They Make Movies About People Like You

This weekend, I decided it was time to tackle the wallpaper situation in our house. Outside, the skies were gray and overcast, so it seemed like the perfect weekend to start an indoor project. I chose the bathroom in our back hallway, as it is relatively small, and I thought, "How much work can it be?"

While Tim dutifully occupied the kids with movies, snacks and some ice time with Jack, I grabbed my trusty scraper, wallpaper removal spray, and scorer, and headed into the kids bathroom. This bathroom boasts two different colors of textured wallpaper with a sun and moon border circling above. It was probably very trendy in the early 90's. After a couple of hours, I had a system down: Peel the top layer with my fingernails, score the underlayer, spray, scrape, peel, repeat. Jack even helped out with the peeling for awhile. I've always enjoyed repetitive projects, especially if there is a rewarding finished project, and as I scraped, my mind started envisioning a fresh coat of paint, and perhaps a new shower curtain and towels. How lovely!

Then I noticed the outdated ceramic hurricane light fixtures, the blue and white tile work with mismatched blue grout, the outdated vinyl floors, and the pocket door which divided the bathroom into two separate, small areas. Maybe scraping wallpaper wasn't the only update needed? This project was beginning to take on a life of its own, and I was excited!

Later on in the evening, I called my mom to catch up on the weekend, and get her opinion on the bathroom updates. Her response: "Slow down! They make movies about people like you."
What?! How dare she! This is our new house, and finally we can do whatever we damn well please! If I want to tear down a wall, I'll tear down a wall. Sure, there's a new homeowner learning curve, and we did just learn a very hard lesson about contractors contracts, but I have watched enough episodes of Design on a Dime to feel fairly comfortable with choosing lighting, tile and a vanity. As for demolishing a wall, not so much. And as far as tiling anything, well, I never have. Hmpf. She might have a point. I went to bed grumpy and determined not to let her rain on my parade.

This morning, after the kids are off to school, I will head back into the bathroom, no less determined, but with my mom's words ringing through my head. One thing I have learned in my 32 years is, mother's are almost always right, and always have our best interests in mind.

I'm a Robot

As I sit here setting up this blog, pondering whether I will actually have enough 'material' to send into cyberspace, Jack enters the living room wearing a empty 24-pack Labatt case which he has cut, colored and taped into a robot costume. Can you say "Most Inapropriate Halloween Costume ever?"