Thursday, October 31, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
DW2DT: Day 108, the countdown is on!
Well, Matt is still in pain, but he went to work today. It's Friday, so by that alone, things are looking up! For good or for bad, there isn't too much we can do at the house this weekend. The remaining painting is in the "tool room"/office, we can't do a final cleaning until the baseboards go in, and the minimal stuff we can move upstairs short term won't take long (if Matt can even do it). We do need to clean out the camper, and Matt's friend Ron is coming out tomorrow with a load of something or other to temp out the walkway for the winter, but that's really about all we can do - a forced day off perhaps?
Current plan is to get our occupancy permit by this upcoming weekend. Hopefully the nice man who bought the trailer won't show up before then! Of course, if he does we'll figure it out, but here's hoping! Tim and Russ will be working tomorrow afternoon, making more dust (see above re: final cleaning) and finishing the stairs and baseboards.
It's getting harder and harder to stay in the camper as the house nears completion - there is space, ample heat, lights and hot water mere feet away from where we're living!! I've been showering in the house for a while, and cooking there all summer, but last night we even ate in there - Matt and I standing and the kids in their lawn chairs from the other morning!
The two last big items, the dining room/family room and the stairs are really highlights of the heart of our home and it's really great to see them coming together. It will be even greater to move in, mind you...
 |
| View from the front door - peek out into the yard/camper |
 |
| I can imagine yelling over this railing to downstairs a few times... |
 |
| Roddie testing it out already! |
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
DW2DT Day 108: It takes a Hood...
You've heard the expression that it takes a village to raise a child? Well, I'm here to tell you that it takes a neighborhood to build a house.
The past couple of days I feel like we just couldn't catch a break - I have been kinda sick, but with no chance to rest. The washer I thought was fixed really wasn't, the neighbor we thought might buy our camper ultimately didn't. Yesterday morning, though a series of unfortunate events we had no heat nor lights in the camper in the morning. (Ever try to get kids up and dressed in the cold and dark? I don't recommend it) Today, Roddie peed in his bed, Norah peed on the bathroom floor, they wouldn't give me a flu shot because of my cold, my truck won't drive and my dog ran away... you get the pricture. Then, to add insult to injury, Matt threw his back out again over the weekend and was in such pain today that he missed work and went to the doctor. This morning I was saying to a co-worker that I just wanted something, anything, to break our way! This point of the project is hard enough without crap luck!
That said, our luck did turn around this afternoon. A couple from Moncton who found our listing on Craig's List came by and bought the camper! Let me tell you, that was a HUGE relief! They'll be back to pick it up next week, which gives us plenty of time to MOVE OUT OF THE CAMPER over the weekend. Thankfully this jives with Tim's plans to finish off the stairs by Friday!
Then, a neighbor called and asked if we wanted to come over for dinner. Usually on a weeknight I pass (and as it turns out totally blew it on Norah's first ever night of homework...oops!) but tonight it was just what the doctor ordered! I left Matt and his back on the sofa and took the kids and a couple loads of laundry around the corner. On my walk over I realized that the neighbors really have been a big part of this - Jen took the kids a bunch of Saturday afternoons, I've seen pretty much everyone's laundry rooms by now, Marsha has taken the kids and had us over several times and everyone has listened to the ongoing progress and helped us stay sane!
Maybe our luck wasn't so bad after all!
 |
| Yeah, that's Roddie, pulling a wagon full of dirty laundry, detergent and a bottle of wine, with his fancy scarf on... what of it? |
 |
| Yahoo! The final phase to re-inhabiting our house is coming along! |
Saturday, October 19, 2013
DW2DT: Day 105?
Honestly, I've lost track of the exact day, although I can tell you for certain we're rounding the corner of week 15. It was a busy day here on the compound, with Tim on site working on the stairs, Russ came by to prep for refinishing the floors downstairs and the neighbor Jim and his wife (whose name I NEVER remember) stopping by and seemingly interested in the camper, and Matt, Norah, Roddie and I working on the front walk.
The front walk was a bit of a bone of contention between Matt and I... I've always felt the back walk, that we put in when Norah was a baby, was too narrow. The architect in Matt is leery of a walk out of scale with the house. We managed to come to a compromise and laid it out first thing this morning. We ended up deciding to keep the flagstone that had been at both the front and back walks when we bought the house. Honestly, I don't love it, but the pavers I prefer aren't readily available this time of year, and honestly, the price works for us right now. Laying the stone involves diggin gup the grass, laying sand (that needed to be harvested from the backyard), then stone dust (that was delivered this morning) and then I suppose we'll lay stones tomorrow.
The kids and I took off to run some errands around 11, including picking up the mattress for Roddie's BIG BOY bed, only to return to join the hard labor. This had the added benefit (again) of ensuring an easy bedtime for the kids. Both kids were great, again today. They both really got into the spirit of helping, using their mini-shovels and wheel barrows to contribute.
The day reminded me of a project we did shortly after my grandparents moved to Antigonish in their retirement. I think we hauled and spread most or all of the gravel in their back driveway. All I remember clearly is going with my dad to a semi abandoned gravel put, filling up the little trailer Papa had, and spreading the stuff back at the house. I doubt we were all that helpful when it comes right down to it, but like our kids today, I do recall feeling proud and happy that I was a part of this important work.
The front walk was a bit of a bone of contention between Matt and I... I've always felt the back walk, that we put in when Norah was a baby, was too narrow. The architect in Matt is leery of a walk out of scale with the house. We managed to come to a compromise and laid it out first thing this morning. We ended up deciding to keep the flagstone that had been at both the front and back walks when we bought the house. Honestly, I don't love it, but the pavers I prefer aren't readily available this time of year, and honestly, the price works for us right now. Laying the stone involves diggin gup the grass, laying sand (that needed to be harvested from the backyard), then stone dust (that was delivered this morning) and then I suppose we'll lay stones tomorrow.
The kids and I took off to run some errands around 11, including picking up the mattress for Roddie's BIG BOY bed, only to return to join the hard labor. This had the added benefit (again) of ensuring an easy bedtime for the kids. Both kids were great, again today. They both really got into the spirit of helping, using their mini-shovels and wheel barrows to contribute.
The day reminded me of a project we did shortly after my grandparents moved to Antigonish in their retirement. I think we hauled and spread most or all of the gravel in their back driveway. All I remember clearly is going with my dad to a semi abandoned gravel put, filling up the little trailer Papa had, and spreading the stuff back at the house. I doubt we were all that helpful when it comes right down to it, but like our kids today, I do recall feeling proud and happy that I was a part of this important work.
 |
| Spreading out the stone dust - why use a rake? |
 |
| Roddie seems happy to be part of the fun |
 |
| Norah is also happy to be helping. |
 |
| I was giving the kids tubbies by then, but this was the fruit of today's labour |
 |
| Come on in! |
 |
| Matt and the kids picking up and getting ready for the floor team tomorrow (yes Sunday!) morning. |
Friday, October 18, 2013
DW2DT: Photo Montage
It's been about 2 weeks since I posted anything about the reno. The last time I posted, I was tired... tired of living in transition. Well, we're still living in transition, but it also looks like this will indeed by our final weekend in the camper. I feel like we reached a point about a month ago where it looked like we were nearly done, and... well, we weren't! Matt has been working his butt off and I've continued with the single parenting plus doing what I can after the kids went to bed.
Anyway, still too tired to say much, but here's a sneak peak at some of the house details.
 |
| Master Bath Lights |
 |
| Kids Bath Lights |
 |
| New Floors |
 |
| Door Casing |
 |
| Master Bath floor and vanity |
 |
| Duckie Accessories for the Kids |
 |
| Kids Bath Fixtures |
 |
| Inside of the Front Door |
 |
| Stair Treads ready for install |
 |
| Baseboard and Stair Trim waiting in the living room |
 |
| Front Mahogany - pre oil |
 |
| Finished Door |
 |
| Installed Treads! |
 |
| Master Bath Fixtures |
 |
| Balusters ready for install - dill pickle wall in the backgroud |
 |
| Newell posts ready for install |
Friday, October 11, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Friday, October 4, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
DW2DT Day 88... I'm tired
I'm tired... of living in a camper
I'm tired... of not having a real shower
I'm tired... of cooking in the house and living in the yard
I'm tired... of wearing sandals because I can't find my shoes in the basement
I'm tired... of having only a few lights to use
I'm tired... of single parenting and working my tail off to get the house done
But really, all in all, it hasn't been that bad. Don't get my wrong, once we're outta here and back into the house I have no intention of looking back, though I don't think I've ruined camping for us forever. There have been days recently when something (Like, oh, say the electrical) in the camper isn't working right that it really got me down.
It will be interesting to see how the kids adjust when we move back into the house. Not only have they shared a room their entire life, but they've been literally sleeping on top of each other for the past 3 months. They chat among themselves at bedtime, Norah "reads" to Roddie, and basically we're all together all the time.
At this point, we're looking at another week or two before we get back into the house, and it almost doesn't seem real - which is funny, because that's how it felt when the whole thing started! At this point, all the tile is in, minus the grout in the laundry room, the plumbing and electrical inspections are complete and we're sprinting towards the finish line. Matt has been a painting machine, going in straight after work and into the night a lot. I've been doing what I can around single parenting the two kids in the meantime. The list of stuff left to do is getting shorter every day!
I'm tired... of not having a real shower
I'm tired... of cooking in the house and living in the yard
I'm tired... of wearing sandals because I can't find my shoes in the basement
I'm tired... of having only a few lights to use
I'm tired... of single parenting and working my tail off to get the house done
But really, all in all, it hasn't been that bad. Don't get my wrong, once we're outta here and back into the house I have no intention of looking back, though I don't think I've ruined camping for us forever. There have been days recently when something (Like, oh, say the electrical) in the camper isn't working right that it really got me down.
 |
| Camper Layout, recorded for posterity |
At this point, we're looking at another week or two before we get back into the house, and it almost doesn't seem real - which is funny, because that's how it felt when the whole thing started! At this point, all the tile is in, minus the grout in the laundry room, the plumbing and electrical inspections are complete and we're sprinting towards the finish line. Matt has been a painting machine, going in straight after work and into the night a lot. I've been doing what I can around single parenting the two kids in the meantime. The list of stuff left to do is getting shorter every day!
 |
| Our camper looks like this, but a lot more 'lived in' |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
