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Monday, February 19, 2007

It's Official: We're Batshit Insane

Ah, there's nothing better than a man who knows how to handle a drill.


What is a three day weekend for if not to work on your ramshackle house? Yay for us! Yay for our initiative and optimism and courage in the face of the unknown. We are laying down a hardwood floor in our sixteen by thirty one foot kitchen/everything room. (I can't bear to tell you how many square feet that is as I may need to be medicated if I do.)

We have said a sad farewell to the plywood we had been living on for almost three years. The impetus for this farewell - the humongous splinter I sustained in my heal just minutes before the decision to finally finish the floor was made. Yes, that was how the madness began. Does blood poisoning set in that quickly? Maybe I just have a fast metabolism.

Dave and I are nothing if not spontaneous - this has it's pros and cons. Dave procured the wood through all manner of financial magic and space shifting to get 25 bundles of it home in our car. We (mostly him) started on the task. Sanding down rough edges, laying down red resin paper, figuring out how to make the whole thing straight so you don't feel dizzy when you look at it. Dave is a wizard to have figured this out in our 1935 wonder house where not a straight line or right angle has made an appearance since original beams were milled.

See the bit of white along the wall - that was my handy spacko work. I think we have already saved about $200 dollars on the heat we haven't lost. Why we did not think of that one three years ago I will never know.

However, spontaneity has its price and we are not two single people on for the task. No, we have a kid - you might have notice the beauty with the blond curls and most pinchable cheeks on the planet. Yes, well, said child doesn't just disappear because we have suddenly lost our sense of reason and decided to take on a huge task. So, since Dave is only slightly more handy than me, cough,cough, I would be the one to hang out with Ellie. No problem there, she's great company. But Dave quickly found out that laying down a hardwood floor is more of a two person job than we first envisioned. That same vision included finishing putting down the boards on day 2 and then doing the finish each night. See what I mean about having lost our minds?

Another price of spontineaity is that the few people we asked for help were unavailable. Yes, they are snug by their cozy fires, sipping their drink of choice, very happy that they had other plans. But we must have had some good karma due to us because this man showed up on the scene day one and day two. P is officially in my good books - FOREVER. He has made all the difference and single-handedly saved us from the abyss.

Stay tuned for more pics as the hardwood rules over the plywood splintered sub floor. We should be done in several months...

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the new floor and sorry to hear about your splinter.....Bad subfloor.....bad bad subfloor. Oh and KUDOS for Dave for doing it on his own.

Jacqui said...

My hubby doesn't know how to do anything. At all. We have lived with a dripping tap for 6 months cause it's beyond him (funny thing is - we have a plumber that lives accross the road and only just thought to ask him to do it).

Great job!

Anonymous said...

Mantra for the day:
I feel no aches and pains!
I feel no aches and pains!

Personal note to GSTTN:
4am - 5am last night .. NOT funny!

/Dave

Billie said...

I agree that the floor is VERY impressive. I'm with Jacqui, in that my husband is completely useless, god love him, when it comes to home improvements. Lucky you!

Anyway, I got your recent comment on my blog, and wanted to reply. We don't do anything other than the usual with PT. I'd really like to get Eden involved with some hippotherapy after she turns three. We're also planning to do a feeding group with a OT and ST this summer.

Sometimes I have guilt that I am not doing enough, but I also think it is VERY important to balance therapy and work, with having fun, learning, and being a kid. Know what I mean?

Anyway, I have been reading your blog for a few weeks now, and have fallen utterly in love with Ellie. You are absolutely right about the blonde curls and pinchable cheeks!

I look forward to reading more!
Billie

Kathryn said...

Hi Billie,

Great to see you on my blog! Thanks for answering my question. I think Holland and Eden are doing amazing and I me AHHHH MMMAZIng. I would give my eye teeth if Ellie had their gross motor skills - which is what prompted my question. Always looking for an opportunity to get rid of those pesky eyeteeth.

Ellie's doc today just suggested she do hippotherapy too this spring. We can swap stories. You are so right about balance and it's nice just to get to be the mom sometimes.

Kathryn

ThePreemie Experiment said...

I just got through many of the posts on your site. I have to say... Ellie is so beautiful!!

I feel for you and your lack of sleep. The only time my daughter falls asleep and stays asleep is when she is on some sort of medicine for something (seizure meds, anxiety meds, etc). Right now it's anxiety meds that are doing the trick.

Preemies catch up by age 2 or 3?? Those docs are full of crap aren't they?!?!?

Hugs,

Stacy

Kathryn said...

Hi Stacy,

yes - soo sooo full of crap. I hear you about the med changes. Love your blog - you have so much to give. I am glad you are blogging.

I think the lack of sleep thing may be the hardest part of all of this because it's so pervasive day in and day out. I miss dreaming on a regular basis.

Glad you are here,
Kathryn

Kathryn said...

Jacqui and Billie - yes Dave is so handy - lucky us. It just makes us think we can do it ourselves and we can - but it SUCKS! Right now I am looking at an unfinished floor and cringing at the idea of having to hole up in Ellie's room to get away from the pounding that is between me an a finished floor. Like I said, this could take months. Hopefully sweet hubby won't read this.

sigh - blogging is so addictive I need to sleep now.
Night,
Kathryn