Update on our Sanity - 3 weeks in
We are not quite half done, but it feels like we are hitting a major turning point. All the gutting and "re-working" of electrical/plumbing/HVAC is complete, the new walls are up, and flooring will go in next week. From this point forward, it is just building, installing, and adding finishes.
I keep getting asked how it is going. Which on the surface is really kind, but the tone is much more of a, "how is it going, because, well, I'm concerned. You children have had the same thing for lunch for 2 weeks, every time I see you your hair is in French pigtails, and I'm starting to wonder if you actually own makeup." I usually just give an update on our construction status. However, a more appropriate answer would be, "Not as bad as I expected." The best way I can describe our situation is camping, at a mid-level camp ground where there should be clean water and a toilet, but there is a solid chance a bear might eat all of your food and a rainstorm could blow your tent away at any second.
My kids basically make every configuration of our front room [the only room we are using downstairs] into an obstacle course and with them being in school during the day, I don't have to come up with other ways to entertain them during the mid-day heat.
Mornings aren't too disrupted, I have never been one for cooking a big breakfast [unless we have company over, then I turn into Betty Crocker]. We are up by 6am, construction team shows up at 7:30am, we are out the door by 7:50am, no sweat. The evenings are a bit of a challenge. We are home by 4pm, except for days we have dance or art, and have about 4 hours to kill before going to bed. We don't have a TV accessible right now except for the one in our bedroom.
Sometimes we break down and let our son watch a movie, but my daughter has zero interest in TV yet, so that doesn't completely let us off the hook. I hope my son remembers this time [he's 3.5]. Playground days, ice cream Fridays, and endless books.
Steve is so busy at work, I'm not sure he is really concerned about what is going on here. We have a ton of the big T. TRUST. He trusts that I'm going to make this turn out great, and I trust that he will stay out of my way. So many friends told me living in a home through a renovation would be a YUGE test of our marriage. Maybe it is, maybe we just aren't far enough into the renovation, or maybe we are just good at hunkering down for the storm. I'm not sure, but so far so good.
The dogs. Yep, Joey and Roxanna have not made this easy. I actually wrote the words on a note to our plumber the other day, "do NOT go into the back rooms upstairs, my dogs will eat you," when I had to leave before they arrived. Walking them in the front has been challenging, but overall, I just feel bad that they have to stay cooped up most of the day. Now please know, Joey + Roxanna still equals less than 20lbs of dog. So when I have them both in a bathroom, it is like a large apartment for them. No need to call Protective Animal Services.
The days without hot water were bad, no way around it. Luckily that has been solved [fingers crossed and every prayer said], but I would say those were the only days that we honestly struggled a bit more to find the joy.
My car. What? Your car? How is that even involved? It is amazing how when you can't fully live in your house, how your car becomes an extension of your living space. Between eating, trying to be out of the house more, not being in a hurry to bring in dirty laundry, and being in the season of a birthday party every weekend; I have lost all control of the condition of my vehicle. Remember when I said I was tough on things? Holy hell my car is the pinnacle.
Overall, I'm thinking about writing a cookbook on all the amazing recipes I have created just using a panini maker. I have 2 MAJOR decisions left, lighting and cabinet hardware. Once those are made, we will be in the home stretch! Please comment below on your best construction, good/bad/ugly moments.
I keep getting asked how it is going. Which on the surface is really kind, but the tone is much more of a, "how is it going, because, well, I'm concerned. You children have had the same thing for lunch for 2 weeks, every time I see you your hair is in French pigtails, and I'm starting to wonder if you actually own makeup." I usually just give an update on our construction status. However, a more appropriate answer would be, "Not as bad as I expected." The best way I can describe our situation is camping, at a mid-level camp ground where there should be clean water and a toilet, but there is a solid chance a bear might eat all of your food and a rainstorm could blow your tent away at any second.
The Good
It is going by really fast. I mean really fast. If you had told me over 3 weeks in I would still be feeling the love towards my contractors and team, I would never have believed it.My kids basically make every configuration of our front room [the only room we are using downstairs] into an obstacle course and with them being in school during the day, I don't have to come up with other ways to entertain them during the mid-day heat.
Discovering new in-door playgrounds
Mornings aren't too disrupted, I have never been one for cooking a big breakfast [unless we have company over, then I turn into Betty Crocker]. We are up by 6am, construction team shows up at 7:30am, we are out the door by 7:50am, no sweat. The evenings are a bit of a challenge. We are home by 4pm, except for days we have dance or art, and have about 4 hours to kill before going to bed. We don't have a TV accessible right now except for the one in our bedroom.
Sometimes we break down and let our son watch a movie, but my daughter has zero interest in TV yet, so that doesn't completely let us off the hook. I hope my son remembers this time [he's 3.5]. Playground days, ice cream Fridays, and endless books.
The bonding memories will certainly last me a lifetime.
Steve is so busy at work, I'm not sure he is really concerned about what is going on here. We have a ton of the big T. TRUST. He trusts that I'm going to make this turn out great, and I trust that he will stay out of my way. So many friends told me living in a home through a renovation would be a YUGE test of our marriage. Maybe it is, maybe we just aren't far enough into the renovation, or maybe we are just good at hunkering down for the storm. I'm not sure, but so far so good.
The Bad
Laundry, or lack there of. During the day I cannot do laundry because they are working on that side of the house and I would literally have to walk through the construction team with all of our dirty clothes and be in their way. I have walked around the outside of the house to grab things out of the dryer, but with them turning the water/electrical on/off all the time, I cannot do all the loads we need to. In the evenings it is difficult too. With Steve getting home late, I can't really leave the kids and go to "the other side" to do laundry until he is there to watch them. Then once it gets past 8pm, I've lost all motivation.The dogs. Yep, Joey and Roxanna have not made this easy. I actually wrote the words on a note to our plumber the other day, "do NOT go into the back rooms upstairs, my dogs will eat you," when I had to leave before they arrived. Walking them in the front has been challenging, but overall, I just feel bad that they have to stay cooped up most of the day. Now please know, Joey + Roxanna still equals less than 20lbs of dog. So when I have them both in a bathroom, it is like a large apartment for them. No need to call Protective Animal Services.
They prefer to sleep in camouflage
The days without hot water were bad, no way around it. Luckily that has been solved [fingers crossed and every prayer said], but I would say those were the only days that we honestly struggled a bit more to find the joy.
Hard not to find the joy with these two
The Ugly
I'm honestly not sure anything is "ugly," however, my eating habits have taken a drastic turn. I did not appreciate how many nights a week I roasted vegetables or made salads. "Ummm you have a toaster oven, why aren't you eating your veggies Ms. Geurin?" Yes, so technically I could be eating better, but the amount of effort that would take would be astonishing. With basically no room to prepare/cut/wash vegetables, let alone store them, they have become a luxury. Prep space and a sink have been as big [if not bigger] of a problem as not having a range or full size oven. We have eaten out WAY more than ever before. I know it is for a short season, so I'm trying not to stress on it.My car. What? Your car? How is that even involved? It is amazing how when you can't fully live in your house, how your car becomes an extension of your living space. Between eating, trying to be out of the house more, not being in a hurry to bring in dirty laundry, and being in the season of a birthday party every weekend; I have lost all control of the condition of my vehicle. Remember when I said I was tough on things? Holy hell my car is the pinnacle.
Overall, I'm thinking about writing a cookbook on all the amazing recipes I have created just using a panini maker. I have 2 MAJOR decisions left, lighting and cabinet hardware. Once those are made, we will be in the home stretch! Please comment below on your best construction, good/bad/ugly moments.
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