Foto Finish Friday: 2013 Week 34

Roddie the Rockstar

This one has nothing at all to do with his guitar.

Roddie has a little friend at school, Kendall.  She’s as cute as a button, and she’s pretty much the only kid he ever talks about other than Norah.  I’ll ask him “Who did you play with today?”  Answer: Kendall (Said “Tendawl”, since he doesn’t do K sounds)  or “How was school today?” Answer: “Tendawl was not there” and so on.  She’s been known to come running when we arrive or be watching for him in the morning, but still, I worried that my kid was the creepy guy, crushing on the girl who wasn’t interested.

Turns out, I could not be more wrong.

We went to Kendall’s birthday party this weekend and it turns out, she must talk about Roddie all. the. time.  Her aunts, uncles, grandparents, family friends all told me stories about her talking about “this Roddie”.  At one point her grandfather, after asking around which kid was Roddie, stood next to me and told me that he approved of Roddie as a future grandson-in-law!  Glad he made that call before he saw the epic meltdown when it was time to leave. 

Roddie, as usual, didn’t care for the spotlight and tended to stick close to me, or eventually Norah while Kendall attended to the rest of her guests.

DW2DT Day 50: Early Bird does the Walls!

Imagine, waking up around 5:30 am in your backyard trailer, rolling over and looking out the window towards your half-built house (you know, the one with power only one part of the kitchen) and seeing it a beehive of lights and activity!  Well that's what happened here this morning!

The plasterers were here at 4:30 am, apparently.  We knew they were coming, but still, I was amazed to see the level of activity at 5:30.  By the time the kids and I left around 8, they had already completed at least the master bath and foyer (including the 2 story portion that included setting up and tearing down scaffolding!  They completed ALL of the plaster today, so the 30 day wait while it cures begins - then we paint!  In the mean time, Tim will begin working on trimming out all the windows, and lining up the flooring installation, followed by installing the interior doors and baseboards and final plumbing and electrical. 

Also at 8:00 am when we left, Russ and the framing crew had arrived to finish and fix the balance of their contract here - they had to re-do some siding by the chimney (which they had finished to the existing/crooked chimney instead of a plumb line where the new one is) and the new deck (which was somehow out of square by a couple of inches), completed the siding around the new sliders, back door, and the eave near the chimney.  All in all it was a very big day!

 

 

Transition between the dining room and family room came out pretty well

 

Norah does not care for the smell of the drying plaster as she runs upstairs to check out her room!

Looking down towards the front door, laundry room peaking out on the right

Mom's oasis... R-L: Door to the outside world, bath for me and Matt, GBC - great big closet!

DW2DT Day 48 - Light Shopping!

The kids and I went to yet another birthday party on Saturday while Matt headed in to work for the home stretch on *that* construction project.  It was a quiet day here on the compound, but rest assured, progress was made... we went shopping!

It's not quite as exciting as it sounds when you consider I had 2 kids coming off a cupcake and tootsie roll high, and it was a beautiful sunny day, but as they say, the house must get built!  We decided to do the procurement of the light fixtures ourselves - we chose some on line, some at various stores, so it was just easier than putting together a detailed list.  So, post party, the kids and I hit a couple of the big box stores for a few big boxes of light fixtures... here's the pic of the back of the van I sent to Matt when were headed home!

 

Roddie Report: Troubadour Blues Take 2

In case you're wondering if Rod still loves his guitar, the answer is an unequivocal yes!  Norah has kind of stopped asking for a turn and has not resorted to being his biggest fan, although sometimes they do a twin billing, with Rod on guitar and Norah on taps (shoes, that is).  Here are a few samplings for you

 

Starting their day with song...

Between acts in the tap and strum show

A quiet tune for his sister

 

Guitar must stay by his side at all times, even breakfast

His first album cover.  It's bound to be a country album, you know livin' in a trailer, sittin' on a trash can and all....

Adventure Chronicles: Sandy Beach Sunset

Sometimes the very best adventures don't require a long drive.  After last week's very fall-like weather, we were blessed with another week of summer!  We've been a little light on family adventures this summer, due to the whole house thing, so I grabbed the kids and the opportunity and ran to the beach a couple of nights this week.  On Wednesday, the hottest day of the week, for some reason there was not a soul at the beach when we arrived, and no one showed up while we were there - we had the place to ourselves!  We stayed and played until the sun was about to sink behind the horizon on the other side of the lake, which we watched from the van.

 

We swam, we snacked, and we played.  Both kids are doing really great in the water, with Norah starting to take some solo strokes.  Roddie dives right in and then putters around with a tube around his waist.  Their favorite sand activity this week is to build a "river" and see if they can make the water reach the shore... I must say the river on Wednesday was significantly more complex than the one the day before!  I was very impressed with the way they worked together to problem solve!

 

Splashing around...

Sibling Love, posing for Mom



Looks like it's going to make it!!

Victory!

Looks like a quiet contemplative moment, but really they're getting ready to run like crazy into a big hole in the sand!

Ahhh Summer!

Foto Finish Friday: 2013 Week 33

 

DW2DT: Day 44 Good News... and The Walls Go Up

The news first... and I hate to even think about it or "say" it out loud, but we did a bit of a schedule review today, and things are going very well - in fact, much better than expected.  Tim is about to bill to about 75% completion, and we're only mid way thru week 7!  Move back in date is looking more like Canadian Thanksgiving than the American version of the same holiday 5 weeks later.  There was a little confusion/reluctance with the plaster team, but that all seems to have been resolved as they hit the ground running this morning, hanging about 70% of the plaster boards today alone. 

The plaster boards show us a little more about what the finished space will be like, and I must say, I like it!  When the kids and I arrived home, the afternoon sun was shining in the foyer window, lighting up the space for us!  The masons were back again this morning and the chimney is inching ever closer to completion.

Front Hall Closet :)  Norah is standing in the door to the dining room, what we previously kept closed since we never got around to agreeing to fill it in!

New wall in the living room, the smaller sofa used to sit up against where this wall is

Roddie checking out the new half-potty

View into the kids rooms, Rod on the L, Norah on the R. 

Norah checking out her new room.  She did not care for the grey :)

Campground or our backyard ?

Hard to say, isn't it ?

DW2DT: Days 41 and 42

We had a productive weekend here at the compound, much to our pleasant surprise!  Both the masons and the framers stopped by this weekend for various reasons.  The masons arrived on Saturday morning and made some good progress on the chimney - not done yet, but we'll take it!  Unfortunately, we had some bad news - there was a lot of water in the basement after running a load of wash, and after a visit from the septic man and some quality time spent with the plumbing snake, we're still not quite sure what's up.  It looks like there is either a problem with venting or draining that we'll need to get to the bottom of - luckily we're living in camper, which provides some septic buffer, so to speak

Like the kids, getting taller each day!

The bigger bang for the buck visit came from the framers, who arrived around noon time on Sunday (!)  After spending most of the first month of the project here, they are mostly moved on to another job, and will use the remaining work on our house as filler time. We thought we were going to see them on Friday, but when they didn't show, we didn't think much of it.  We were poking around the yard at various things this afternoon when they pulled up.  They didn't stay long - only long enough to put in the slider.  I think they wanted to have it in before the plaster man arrives this week.  In any case, it looks awesome!  I am really excited about the rooms along the back of the house, where I imagine we'll do most of our living!  The sliders almost got value engineered out of our project, and I am soooooo glad they didn't.  Check it out.

Outside, matching sliders

Inside, from standing near the door to the living room - LOVE it!

DW2DT: Day 40, Smoke Goes Up

Tim has taken a few days off, but the work continues!  Today, the mason was on site and has begun rebuilding and extending the chimney.  I expect this will be done early next week, and it will mean we can wrap up the rest of the siding on that face also.  The top 3 feet or so of the chimney needed to come down and be rebuilt... something about it not being straight... I'm sure Matt will provide details when he updates his blog :)

 

 

DW2DT: Day 38, Getting Warmer!

I'm a bit behind on updates. but not to worry, progress continued here on the compound!  Mid week, things got a whole lot cozier in the house as the insulation went in.  It was pretty incredible how different the acoustics in the house were once it went in.  It also helped to bound the spaces and start really giving us a feel for how the rooms will be.  The insulation inspection is scheduled for Monday and the plaster begins on Tuesday!  Other news includes....

 

Collar ties in the attic

 

Slider for the family room finally arrived!  Hope to get this installed and fish off the siding tomorrow?  We'll see

Master bath on the left, CLOSET on the right!!

Bottom of the stairs, relocated front door on the right... cozy...

Foto Finish Friday: 2013 Week 32

 

Roddie Report: Troubadour Blues

Roddie is showing some serious interest in playing a musical instrument.  Just as Norah's twirling tendencies at an early age were demonstrating her interest in dance, we're seeing Roddie really engage with musical instruments.  Now, I know all kids twirl and have marching bands around the kitchen, but in both cases they really have shown a level of interest that is distinct from their other pastimes.

For Christmas, we got Roddie a toy/play guitar and by far, it was his favorite gift.  In fact, no one else was allowed to touch it, and he has continued to sit down and play almost daily.  In fact, we were having "quiet time" over the weekend and when I peeked in on him, he was sitting on his bottom bunk, strumming the guitar, which wasn't even turned on!  It was like a preschool version of a western movie!

So, for his birthday, we got him a "More Real" guitar!  It looks like a real guitar with strings etc.  It can't hold a note for the world, but he's 3, and neither can he.  It was all I could do to get him to leave it here when I took him to school yesterday, and it was the first thing he asked for when I picked him up.  We had to "put it to bed" in it's box, and here he is, about 2 minutes after he got up this morning (yeah, that's right, no snuggles for me!)

 

 

Suffice to say, I think we've got a hit on our hands.  He granted Norah one short turn, under his watchful eye, this morning, but that was it.  We will be looking for some music lessons in another couple of years.

DW2DT: Day 36 - Essentials

Things haven't slowed down much here at the DW2DT compound.  It was a good day again today with a few essentials settling into place:

Front Door: The front door finally arrived, though this is not it.  They installed the new one and surrounding siding then swapped the old one back in to preserve the new one - which is also blue.

Downstairs Bath: New Potty is roughed in, Norah tried it out!

Back Deck Extension: Norah and Roddie inspecting and approve,,, 2nd slider to be added soon!  You can't see it, but there are lots of power outlets and outdoor lights roughed in in this area also

Tubbies!  TWO!  The tubs are back to back in the two bathrooms upstairs.  The plumber apparently was in today and started getting a little more detailed with the tub install.

We also had the electrical inspection today and plumbing inspection tomorrow.  Insulation comes next and then the drywall begins in a week or so!  Whooheeee!

Adventure Chronicles: Staycation!

While we, or at least I, could desperately use a vacation, it's just not in the cards this summer.  A paint-cation will come in October, but for now, we're just trying to get by and have a little fun when we can.  I took it easy on Friday with a work at home morning followed by a half day afternoon where I looked after the final details for Rod's party (and had a pedicure, bought a pair of jeans, took myself out to lunch and read a book)  Then I picked the kids up and took them to McDonalds (a rare occurrence, this is usually Matt's territory)  Where they feasted on cheeseburgers and softserve.

Feel the love...

Once we were all sugared up, we got some balloons and headed home, where the spot that houses our driveway rink in the winter was in full on puddle mode... and since the kids already had their rain boots on, I said, go ahead, stomp in the puddles... as a mentor of mine once said, "if not you, who?  if not now, when?"   Tentative at first, ended up really getting into it - being kids that is!

Really Mom, you're sure this is ok?

You go first, "Nowah"

Suffice to say, they got into it.  Yea, that's Roddie's pants around his ankles.

Since there was literally water spraying out of the top of their boots, that kind of clinched that baths would be that night and not the following morning.  So I literally dragged Roddie kicking and screaming into the camper to get clean.  Once he was clean, I called Norah in from the puddle for her turn.  Roddie wanted her to clean him. and the next thing I knew, here's what was happening - yes, this is a teeny tiny camper tub!

Tubby Time - cleaner than your average puddle...

Saturday brought Rod's party, a swim and a nap followed by taco night and family movie night, in our newly expanded living and dining area (we really ought to get a big screen out there!!)

Despicable Me was a hit all around, although Roddie put himself to be before it was done!

Sunday, Matt had to put some more time in at work, as working towards a deadline in a week or so.  The kids and I went to church and then to visit with a church friend of ours.  She's an older lady, old enough to be my mom, but one of the first friends we made at the 7am mass, way back before Norah was born.  We've stayed in touch even though the mass schedule has changed, and she's wanted me to meet her daughter and her family, who have moved in to her house, with a new in-law for her.  We had a great time, 11mo old Avery was sweet and as taken with Roddie as he was with her.  Avery's parents were a lot of fun also and we all got along really well, I hope to see them again. 

By the time we left our visit, Matt had decided he had had enough and would be heading home shortly.  So I tried to get the kids a nap so they'd have some time to spend with him in the afternoon - alas, no nap was had, but I did get a LOT of snuggles and stories read!

The day wrapped up with a trip to one of the local conservation areas - well, the day wrapped up with steak tips and laundry, but before that, we went out for a couple of hours.  Matt had been wanting to take Roddie fishing for his birthday (and Roddie has been asking) and it was literally a picture perfect day.  Norah also wanted to fish, but I took her off for a walk first to give the boys some guy-time.  By the time we met up with them, Roddie had caught 4 or 5 fish (it's a little unclear, but isn't that the nature of fishing???) and Norah was able to do some fishing herself, with a few close calls and landing a cute little sunnie - that she even tried to pick up!

So grown up!

As usual, Norah was totally at home in the woods, despite still being in her church outfit and flip-flops, and she chattered away for the whole time.  

Fishin' side by side

A few pointers from Dad

Got one!

Heading back to the car!  Time for Supper!

Let's just say, for me at least, it was a relief to go back to work today!