It has been nearly impossible to make any headway in the basement with two small children running around. Friday night I worked in the basement after they each went to bed, but you can only do that so many nights before you're falling asleep at dinner. And since I'm alone with the kids Monday through Friday...that's not really an option.
Josh has been a trooper and usually works on one of his Kindergarten workbooks or on his reading while I work on a project. That way I feel like we actually get to spend some time together and he's not plopped down in front of a tv for 8 hours while we get some work done. Although, even with this arrangement it's not a real fun way to spend a weekend for a kid. He did get to join me in some painting yesterday (which he loved) but after a few hours of that he was ready to play. So I wrapped up my project and I made time to play with him and Lauren while Dustin continued to work.
Lauren, on the other hand, is really only helpful when she's taking a nap. And as awful as that is to say, the alternative is locking her up in the dog's old crate. Honestly, how exactly do people do remodeling and renovations with a 17-month old child? Yesterday her and Josh ran around in the basement and in less than 10 minutes she had drywall mud on her feet and white paint on her pajamas!
While this project has been frustrating, the level to which it is frustrating has been magnified by the fact that our poor kids are thrown into the mix as well.
Saturday morning Dustin and I bought eachother our Anniversary gift and part of our Christmas gift...a miter saw. It just oozes romance, doesn't it? I guess the traditional gift for a 7th Anniversary is copper so I guess the saw is at least a metal. While this obviously wasn't the way I was hoping to spend our money on eachother it really is a nice saw (I won't admit that to him, though). I told him that few women would enjoy a good saw as much as I and he was lucky for that. Because if any other woman received a saw for her Anniversary and part of her Christmas gift...she would have used it on her husband.
Througout the weekend I would randomly remind him of that fact by looking at him with a smile and saying, "Happy Anniversary" or "Merry Christmas" every time I made a cut. Oh...he just LOVED that! :-)
By Saturday afternoon we had to make a Menard's run. The kids were happy because their favorite cart was available.
We also bought a small Christmas tree for our new basement and at somehow lost Dustin while looking at all the Christmas decorations. So there I was stuck in the middle of Menard's without Dustin, Lauren screaming, Josh whining and me without a phone or the car keys. I was THAT woman. It was awful and by the time I found Dustin my eyes had turned red and I was speaking in tounges. Needless to say, we left shortly thereafter.
We quit working around 7:00 on Saturday night and thought we could try and enjoy a family movie night. Dustin and I were beat but the kids had been troopers all day so we decided to reward them with a little popcorn.
We did have a really fun family moment on Saturday night. Josh's favorite song is "Girls just want to have fun" by Cyndi Lauper. It's on his Rayman game and he loves to jump around when it comes on. So right before we called it quits on Saturday it came on the radio. We called the kids downstairs and blared the music and all jumped around. I'm telling you...it was the most fun we'd had all day and exactly what everyone needed.
Sunday morning we got up for church, went out for breakfast and were back at it in the basement by noon. It was a very long day but we finally started to see things come together. However, if I see another gallon of Ultra Pure White Semi-Gloss paint my head may start spinning around - so stay tuned. I believe that is also how Dustin feels about drywall mud right about now.
Of course nothing can go smoothly and the bi-fold doors that I painted yesterday are 1/2" too tall. So the last project of the weekend didn't get finished because our house was built by morons.
But all in all, besides the bi-fold door and his room door...HIS ROOM IS FINISHED!!!!
The trim is up, the blinds are up, the vent covers are up, the nail holes are filled and painted and the closet doors are painted. Dustin has the mudding in the family room 80% complete and plans on finishing that next Sunday!
This week Josh starts swimming lessons two nights a week. Josh is really excited and I'm just hoping Lauren will cooperate with me and make them as stress-free as possible. And I am already looking forward to this upcoming weekend because Dustin and I are getting to spend some time together...away from the kids...and more importantly, away from the basement FOR ONE WHOLE NIGHT!
And on a happier note, I already know what I'm getting Dustin for the rest of his Christmas present. After supper he decided to break into the Halloween candy and eat a box of Dots. Shortly after his first bite he yelped and spit out part of a tooth! SO...following our new tradition, he's getting a root canal for Christmas!!
Baby Update: 20 weeks
You're at the halfway mark — congratulations! Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (The way your baby is measured changes now.) He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper.
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