He's back, project man that is...

this time thanks to my MAD freecycle skills we scored 800+ free bricks with mortar on them so we chipped off each and every piece of mortar and borrowed the girls sand from their box and set them in the ground, a little around the driveway and more in the front of the house

we loaded these up on that 99 degree day last week...it was HOT

Gavin removes some of the mortar. He helped a ton.

framing the driveway...

removing the old cracked sidwalk pieces

clean slate, sort of

starting the brick

sanding the cracks, we are about 20 bricks short so now we have to decide what to do

Project Man's daughter

Like father like daughter. And, yes, that is a playdough hammer. And, yes, she really got the nail started. And, yes, she already had one in the wall all the way when I figured out what she was doing. Sigh...

Oh, and, yes, those are the walls dad just painted so he could put the trim up.

every person

should be able to break down a wall at least once in their life. The kids enjoyed it...maybe too much:)


This is how Sunday went for us. I guess it was Demolition Kitchen Wall day. Project man isn't being slowed down by a nagging cough. He is in full project mode. Wonder what he has planned for November? I really wish I knew...sigh.

Naked

BEFORE

Got yer attention didn't I? Last week we lost a huge part of the old Boxelder tree that grows behind the shed in our backyard. This week project man decided to take the rest of her down. Every year she has lost branches in the wind and storms and well, her trunk was half rotten so it was her time.

Ryan climbed up about midmorning on Tuesday, before the rain came. He got a big chunk of her down and by the time I even knew what he was doing there was a backyard full of branches, again. Good thing we created lots of free help. By the end of the morning we had quite a nice pile of wood stacked up neatly behind the little shed. I was proud of it. It looked so neat and uniform. Memories of my childhood and hauling wood for our woodburning stove with daddy flooded my brain. I remember the sound of the chainsaw, the sawdust in his mustache and beard, the sleds that we each pulled to and from the tree to the back of the little white Datsun, pushing the sweet smelling logs through the home made tin chute dad put in the basement...good memories. It was nice to visit them again. I was surprised my stressed out brain could find them amongst all the muck in there these days.

It was about lunch time when I suggested we move the camper and the boat. I was nervous because he kept hollering from the shed roof, "you think that one'll clear it?" as he pointed to spots on the tree's long limbs where he was going to use the chainsaw he borrowed from my brother in law to sever her. We took a lunch break and then moved the recreational vehicles in the rain. It was fun. (note the sarcasm.) It was wet, we were soaked we took the rest of the night off. The next morning project man was at it again. He climbed right up in that Boxelder tree and with nothing to clear he straddled branches, he stood on branches and he climbed up more branches. Until he couldn't climb anymore. Then he called his brother in law and asked to borrow the boom truck. His brother in law said yes. Enter boom truck. By this time we had even more neatly stacked piles of wood.It was beautiful. Uncle Steve just happened to stop by around this time as well. Good thing, because I am not a very good boom truck operator. Especially when the love of my live, aka project man, is 40 feet up in the air with a chain saw. YIKES. The tree was rather awkward looking at this point. Project man and Uncle Steve kept working until they couldn't reach the trunk with the boom because the shed was in the way and they had to use a chain to sort of 'catch' the trunk while it was cut. I would be a very happy woman if I didn't have to watch that ever again. It was nervewracking. Soon enough, there was just a trunk left. Check out that sky and those clouds. They were simply amazing. It was so clear and clean up there. Our backyard felt completely vulnerable and naked. And because I know you really can't live without it. Here are some videos of some of the action.

The next day we took down the trunk, with the help of the boom truck.

Look at the size of that trunk.

AFTER

The End
Optional titles for this post include: Tip Top Tippy Tippy Top, Project Man Does Boxelder Tree, Timber, Full Sun, Chainsaw Fun, Don't Try This at Home, Boom Truck Heaven, My Arms are Still Vibrating, How to Keep the Neighbors Awake, Large Diameter, A Tale of a Tree, Bye Bye Boxelder

THE paint

We have some awesome helpers. They come quite cheap, well not really. Their work is sort of shotty, though:)

oh and the color...Town Hall Tan... otherwise known as BORING

Literally

I asked Maleah to take some photos of the paint for my blog.

Trim, CHECK!!!!!!

Handy Husband aka project man is at it again :)

The last piece

Last night the adorable, and might I add handy, hubby put the LAST piece of the siding on the house. WAHOO!

I made a celebratory dinner of baked potato soup, artisan bread, corn, and caramel apples.

This morning project man reappeared, well rested and ready to recover my dining table chairs. (Okay, it may have taken a tiny bit of nagging.)

Before

After:)

Now, if I only had a new kitchen to put them in, sigh.

I AM thankful for my new siding and my new chair coverings sans any labor costs:)

He's BaaaAAAaaack...

Project man, that is. This time siding and windows. Out with the old...
in with the new.

This is the old living room window.

Mr. Mom (and oh my it's been awhile since I've posted)

Alas, my friends. The moon has turned ago many too times, Ay, I have neglected to post. Parting has been no sweet sorrow. The calling of myself and my employment has left my plate too heavily burdened to accomplish much ado about anything else.

The sophomores are studying William Shakespeare. Did you know that there are only 5 known authentic signatures of the man and each is worth 5 million dollars? That's something to put on your thrift list. I would research it first, though, because I would never have guessed his signature read his name it looks more like chicken scratch. Believe or not I learned this from my husband who is currently reading the kids encyclopedia.

Last week at a Horizons committee meeting I told the school superintendent that I would like to be put back on the sub list. I've been at the school three days this week. Guess the education market is pretty solid.

My husband and I had the discussion about me subbing back in August when he had to make a decision to take the weekend job or not. We determined, together, that is would be good for both of us. I would 'get out' per say and we wouldn't need childcare for the day as he would be home. I am not sure he realized what he was getting himself into. Luckily the Lord planned for us to be weaned into it.

The first day I was scheduled to sub, the weather got nasty real fast and I only had to be away for an hour. The second day was pretty tough on all of us. When I was able to find a free moment to come home and feed her she was in her daddy's arms screaming while Addison was taking the aluminum cans out of the recycle bin and playing kick the can in the kitchen. Dad had his hands full. We had planned to attend a basketball game that evening but by 730 pm we were all snoozing on the couches and chairs in the living room.

Yesterday went much better. I was able to come home and pump during a prep period. When I arrived home the living room and kitchen were neat and tidy, the dishes were done and the girls were both sleeping soundly. Dad (aka Mr. Mom) was just sitting down to a hot egg sandwich and a steaming cup of java.

I have to be honest and tell ya, at that moment I was more in love with him than I have ever been before. I sat at the table and had an adult conversation with him about something and it was perhaps the most enjoyable moment of our entire married lives as of yet. What kind of man can do all the things a man usually does (ie outside chores and mr fixit) and can still maintain a house? I am the happiest girl in the world. So what if the poor bloke used laundry detergent in the softener dispenser and didn't know whose sock was whose. Oh, and he learned the hard way that diapers go on immediately after the bath. Thank goodness for solid toddler poopies! This morning Gavin came out of the bathroom and said, matter of factly, to his father, "Dad, this bathroom needs to be cleaned, too." You can add bathroom cleaning to his list of mastered household duties. I am telling you he must be ill, and I hope it's chronic and contagious.

School was late this morning, it is currently something like 25 degrees below zero. During the breakfast routine dad starting speaking in another language. I think his exact words were, "Do we have any other kind of cleaner? That bleach is really hard on my hands." I almost choked on my eggs.

The kids had time to play this morning together before the day had drained their politeness and made them baby lions and tigers. Maleah set up her 'throne' in the hallway and gave specific instructions that in her absence (school) Addison would be the replacement and we had to obey her every command.

So, it's gonna be a pretty normal day around here I think.

Stay warm!