Proceed with Caution

Warning: This post contains scenes that may be offensive to some.
Disclaimer: The parental figures are not proud of what you are about to read. But it made them laugh.

From time to time Evan, this 5-year old that lives with us, says things we do not agree with. For unknown reasons, he brags about how he is going to make his wife do all the chores. We warn him that no one is going to want to be his wife if he makes them do all the chores. He is undeterred. We are not proud of that. (Is this better or worse than his former desire to be a "bad guy" when he grew up?)

We are also not proud of the fact that Evan and Eli are still learning to wipe themselves. As we were discussing wiping one day (yes, this is one of the many deep conversations that take place in this home), Evan gave Eli some well-thought-out advice that no one in the family was prepared for. It was (brace yourselves): "You should make your wife wipe you."

Oh dear. I see we've got some work to do.

Cousins

We were privileged to have Kendall's cousin, Delton, and his family here for a few days. Our kids have been together several times, but don't know each other well. However, within minutes of getting together, all five of them were running around having a blast.

Naomi and Eli are just weeks apart in age. Joshua and Evan, less than a year. And little Caleb was just the age that Eli can't get enough of. It was so fun to watch them play together. All 5 played so nicely together and acted like the long-lost cousins they are.

And I'll just say: Eli needs a sister. In church he had ahold of Naomi's ponytail. He wasn't pulling it- he was just hanging on to it and teasing her. I told him to let go. A few minutes later I saw he had it again. When I told him to let go of it, he wanted to know if he could braid it. He just learned to braid and wanted to try it out on real hair. Crazy kid. If he had a sister, maybe this hair wouldn't be such a novelty.

I didn't get many pictures, but here are several of the kids who, for reasons unknown to us, were all yelling in unison:


I like this one because you can see that even little Caleb is joining in on the noise-making.

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Bragging on Kendall

Well, Kendall is happy right now for a couple reasons. First of all, he passed electrical inspection! He has worked so hard on that. The inspector is only in town twice a month, 2 days each time. So Kendall worked like crzy to be ready in time for yesterday's inspection. He has been very busy. Friday night he was quite discouraged, but Saturday had several people out helping him. He felt much more encouraged by Saturday night. Kendall worked at the hospital Saturday and Sunday nights, but was back out at the house Monday afternoon with Delton.

Tuesday morning the inspector showed up. He looked around a bit, then said, "Where did you get these wires?" The answer was "In the U.S." The inspector: "Oh no. This isn't good." He went on to say that they didn't have something important printed on them. He let Kendall know that he has already seen a job site like that where everything had to be pulled out. He reminded Kendall that this was not good. Then he went out to call his supervisor. Delton was in the corner praying. Kendall was making a decision to throw in the towel and sell the house as-is. Then the inspector walked back in and passed it!!!

Yay! Kendall was so happy. He told me that he felt like he had just passed his NCLEX again. (That was the test to get his nursing license and he did cry that time.) Kendall said that the past month of lying awake from 5-7am had just paid off.

So, to celebrate, Kendall went off to enjoy the last day of moose hunting season today. And that brings me to the second reason Kendall is so happy today: A few minutes ago I got a call from my mighty hunter. He told me he just got a moose. "Yay!" I said. Then he said he just got TWO moose. "Oh no!" I said. I see much bloody butchering in my future...

And, to clarify, he went hunting with his friend, Keith. They filled both tags, so yes, it was legal for him to take both moose. Yay for 2 freezers full of meat!

Brrrr...

This morning as I was getting ready to leave Eli's classroom, an announcement came over the PA system: "Recess will be indoors this morning due to the fact that it is -37 degrees with windchill." (That's right around -23 fahrenheit.) A cheer went up from the classroom, though Eli was annoyed. Sledding during recess is often the highlight of his school day. As the teacher walked over toward me, I commented to him, "I didn't hear you cheering about indoor recess." He smiled and sarcastically noted that this would make the day "awesome." Yes, I truly feel for teachers when the kids don't get a chance to get outside and run off some energy.

So, I zipped up my down parka, donned my hat, scarf, mitts and boots, and headed out the door for my beautiful walk home. It's a sunny day and that makes me happy no matter what the temperature.

The Things We Are Doing Instead of Working on the House

I haven’t been so motivated to blog lately for several reasons. First of all, our internet was being exceedingly stupid. I had to go out into our hallway and hold the computer in front of the window in the door to get a good signal. Also, the thing that I was having so much fun putting up pictures of (the house) came to what was nearly a screeching halt. So here is a post with a title suggested by Jodi.

1. Telling our Love Story- One night I started telling Eli and Evan about how Kendall and I met. I told them about it for awhile, then I said, "You’ll just have to wait and see what happens next! To be continued tomorrow night!" That drove them absolutely crazy and started something. Now they always want to hear the next chapter at bedtime. It’s good for Kendall and I to tell it together. Eli loved how Kendall accidentally introduced me to his aunt as "Amy." He also liked how Ben and Kendall announced each other’s engagements at church and let us know that he wants to be at church "when Shad does that."

2. Having weird conversations- Evan and I were just eating lunch. Out of the blue, he asked me, "Mommy, don’t you like it when I suffer?" I looked up at him with a very confused expression, only to see the same expression mirrored on his face. Quickly, he asked, "What is suffering anyway?"

3. Enjoying/Battling the Snow- The snow waited a long time to come, but it has more than made up for it’s tardy arrival. We don’t have "snow days" here. The schools are tricky and only cancel bus service. Then school is still officially in session and the missed days don’t need to be made up. From what I’ve picked up, on these days school is basically optional for all students- bussed or not. Anyway, we have already had 3 days of cancelled bus service. That is not normal. Any junk left lying around is now lost until April or May. We’ll wait just as long to see grass. Oh well, at least it’s pretty. Other than the length of winter, though, I prefer this over northern Indiana’s winter. Sunshine and sparkling white snow is beautiful. So, we’re back to deep snow and plugging in the cars and boots and snow pants and mitts and hats all over the place.

4. Learning about world religions- Eli told me he found out that his teacher is a Christian. When I asked him how he knew, he said that there was something about Baby Jesus in their word search. I told Eli that that doesn’t especially mean that he’s a Christian. Then Eli told me that Makale, his buddy, is a Christian too. He said he asked him and Makale said, "Yes. Mohammed." (I don’t get it either.) Then Eli said, "We don’t celebrate that." (I don’t get that either.) Eventually I told Eli that Mohammed is who Muslims believe in. Eli told me that he’s not exactly a Christian. "Then what are you?" I asked. His answer? "A Muslim who believes in God!" And off he ran to play. Has he ever heard of Muslims before? Oh well, we’ll leave it at that for now...

5. Discovering animals a little too close to home- The other day I saw 2 large dog-shaped animals walking across the ice very near to our new place. They were too far to see exactly what they were, but I have my guesses. Hmmm.... When Kendall tried to calm fears of wild beasts and give me a false sense of security by telling me that we were moving to an island, he forgot to mention that the bay freezes in the winter and that when the water is ice, there is no such thing as an island. When I confronted him with this later, all he could come up with was, "Moose don’t like to walk on ice." Excuse me, but it was not the moose in my back yard that were my main concern!

6. Taking care of a 1-year old

We got a call for emergency foster care late Friday night. So we had this little girl here until Tuesday afternoon. Once again, the boys loved her. I am rather spoiled by this point in family life, though, and it was a big adjustment to have a toddler wandering the house. This is a rare picture of her laughing. The boys were the only ones who were really able to get her to smile. Here they were determined that they were taking her outside to play. Have at it guys!

7. Thankfully, Kendall found someone who is able to help him with electrical. He was planning on doing the wiring, but his schedule just wasn't allowing it. He only needed about a week to get it done, but those 7 days would have stretched out into the new year. So someone has supposedly been there this week working. Hopefully getting lots done! Kendall worked Monday night, then got off work at 6am to be at the airport by 6:30 for a 3-day work trip to Fort Severn, way up on the Hudson Bay. His trip got cut short and he got home last night just in time for the boys' keyboard recital. Yea! Meanwhile, I'm trying to adjust my expectations for when we'll be in the new house and just be patient.

Pictures of the Week

Well. Matt commented that my pictures of progress on the house sort of stalled out. Unfortunately, the frequency of posting is directly related to the amount of work happening at the house.

If I were to post pictures of this week there would be one of me working on insulation Thursday afternoon. I was itchy and grouchy, but determined. The boys in the background were even grouchier than me.

There would be a picture of Kendall working on the snow blower today for a couple hours. He just wanted to quickly get it running so I could clear off the drive while he worked on the house. (It never started.)

There would be a picture of Kendall and I walking around the house, cold and tired, deciding where to put lights, switches and outlets.

There would also be a picture of the four of us sitting dejectedly in our new house eating oranges and drinking coffee. We are dressed in full winter gear, right down to the snow pants. (Except for Kendall and that explains why he was so cold in the last picture.) We’re taking our morning break, only it’s a lot less exciting than the morning breaks were when our families were here and so much progress was being made. The boys are chomping at the bit to...I don’t know what...go home or fight or something and Kendall and I are just plain overwhelmed.

Thankfully, I didn’t take pictures of any of these happy occasions.

This week it was back to the real world. The two weeks prior were a frenzy of family and building- a good old fashioned barn raising. This week Kendall went back to work. We made it out to the house 1 ½ days. Next week it will be even less. Kendall has a work trip to Thunder Bay from Monday morning to Wednesday evening. (I get to tag along.) Then Kendall works night shifts Wednesday and Thursday and day shifts Saturday and Sunday. That leaves Friday afternoon for Kendall to work at the house and maybe a few other moments squeezed in here and there. When I think about that, I feel a bit like I’m stuck in a bad dream.

But then tonight Eli goes, "I don’t want to go out to the dumb house anymore." (He has a tendency toward negative thinking at bedtime.) So I explain that we just have to keep our "eyes on the goal."

As a way of keeping our eyes on the goal, I will include one last "picture": The sun is streaming in through the many windows in the addition. Looking out the picture window, I can see the snow heavy on the trees in the winter wonderland and the frozen bay. I can hear the boys playing out in the snow. I can picture our cozy couches and the kitchen. I can almost feel the heat from the wood stove in the basement.

That happened today too.

Amazing Progress

October 20, 2010

November 9, 2010
Hip hip hooray!

Can you even believe how much this place has changed in the past 3 weeks?! It's been so exciting to see the progress. The weather cooperated and has been amazingly warm for this time of year.

Monday morning the inspector stopped by. (No mothers bragged about any borderline activity this time.) Later we heard that he told a mutual friend, "They still want to put an entrance on the house. I don't see how they're going to get that done." Well, it's on, thanks to the amazing support we've had.

Donut Day

On Tuesday the power went out. It was a scheduled Donut Day around here and the dough was already rising. So the Donuts must go on. We found a propane stove in the basement and made do. (Thanks, Lyndakers. We'd pay for the use of your stove in donuts, but they really aren't as good when they're not fresh.)
At lunchtime, Eli's assistant principal brought him home from school. They let out early because of the power outage and hadn't been able to get a hold of us. They first went out to the new house following Eli's directions. We were all at home eating lunch, so then she brought him home to find us when they saw that no one was there. We thanked her with a fresh donut. Ah, small town life...

Hard Workers

New Furnace

I'm happy to say goodbye to the old furnace and duct work. By the time the old duct was torn down, our basement was filled with disgusting grime. I don't even want to think about all the cat hair and other stuff that would have been circulating through our home.

More Fuel for the Fire

Watch out- She's got a hand saw. It's a wonder we have any trees left on the property.

Actually, it looks great. The snow can come now since the large majority of junk is gone and we don't need to see the ground anymore. (The snow must have sensed my permission ahead of time- It's already falling.)

Pyromaniacs

The mother figures have just been itching to get their hands on the burn pile. The pile has grown considerably since the photo I posted 2 weeks ago. Mom M. and Mom H. have done lots of outside clean-up, adding to the pile.
So Saturday they started burning. The pile was way too big to just burn as it was, so they decided to make a smaller fire to the side, adding as necessary.
This morning they had the fire going again. I noticed a truck driving by slowly. Then it came back again and turned in. I soon saw that the man who got out was wearing a jacket with a Fire Department logo. I was on the phone at the time and he made his way over to the fire-burning women. As I got off the phone, I heard him greet them. They had yet to notice his jacket and here's how the conversation went:
Strange man: "How's it going?"
Gloria: "We're having fun!"
Twila: "Are you a fireman?" (joking)
Strange man: "I'm the Fire Chief."
Strange man (a.k.a. Fire Chief): "We received a complaint about the fire."
Twila: "Did you get the call today or Saturday? It was a lot bigger Saturday! Not to brag..."

Thankfully, this was a very nice Fire Chief and he okayed the fire. But I think I might start hiding the mothers when official inspector-type people stop by. They are more than helpful in a clean-up, work-hard situation, but I'm starting to wonder how helpful they may be in a "I'm-here-to-investigate-a-complaint" situation.

Feeling very thankful for these hard-working pyromaniacs today.

This is how it looked inside our front door just 2 1/2 short weeks ago.

This is now.

And here is a photo from inside the new part. (Notice the boys up on the old roof. We tried to figure out a way for that to be their secret hideout, but gave up. :) )

The Big, Beautiful Window

More Reinforcements

We're so thankful for more helpers. Leonard and Twila and Rod all arrived Wednesday evening. They've already gotten so much done. Rod left for home tonight.

Eli and Evan loved time with their uncle. Here they pose with a heaven-sent grouse...or something. Kendall was right by the house. He heard a thump on the window above him and the grouse fell right down beside him. Meat.

Belated Birthday Party

The arrival of grandparents and an uncle brought with it the excitement of another birthday party. The boys have been in high gear, thoroughly enjoying our visitors. So they were more than happy to celebrate once again. Nana Twila made a wrestling cake complete with wrestlers fashioned by Eli. She had wrestling matches planned for all males, but the men claimed they were tired from working all day and backed out. Eli and Evan received a tool box, tool belts and plenty of real tools to fill them with.

We had a great time with this relay. Get dressed up...
and find a specific page in a book. (My team won.)

Trusses

Odor Update

When we pulled up the carpeting in this room, the foam backing stayed glued to the floor. Here I am sanding off the foam in an effort to get rid of anything stinky and prepare it for sealer. I'm smiling, but it hurt! Hoping this helps with smell.
Speaking of the smell, it's getting better. Kendall has been lighting a fire in the wood stove. It's drying things out. Tomorrow my Mom and I will paint the subfloor with a primer to seal in any smells. Then we'll power wash the basement and put a dehumidifier down there.

Here's a "before" picture:
Again, if only it were scratch 'n sniff...

Plan C

Did I mention that we dropped Plan B and moved on to Plan C in dealing with our rocky roadblock? We were going to rent a pricey chipper in an attempt to defeat the bedrock. The chipper ended up being unavailable for quite awhile and we heard a fair amount of "That will never work!" So we finally gave in and accepted that up here in the boreal forest of the Canadian Shield, bedrock almost always wins. And it certainly wins against lowly people like us without access to large quantities of dynamite.
So Plan C was formed. The basement addition will be approximately 16 inches higher than the rest of the house. So we will step up from the old part into the new living area. Not my ideal, but it will add interest. We will build our house on the rock.
Here is the footer.
Evan asked Marvin for his trowel. Instead, Marvin helped him find another one and showed him how to smooth the concrete.



And here comes the basement floor on Saturday afternoon! Thanks to the muscles and brains that helped pull this off successfully!


By Monday afternoon, Eli and Evan were able to play in their basement. Here they pose in front of our basement window with a view.

Oct. 29- Reinforcements Arrive!

Yea for Mom and Dad! They got here Friday and jumped right in.

Here Kendall and my Dad demonstrate the mesmerizing Dance of the Sledgehammers. They cut a hole in the existing basement wall (a job Kendall has been dreading since Day 1). Then they rhythmically took turns swinging the hammer to break down the concrete wall.

And Mom jumps in and cleans up.

Halloween Fun

Battle Cry

Following is Evan's battle cry as he prepared for a showdown with his brother. To help you set the scene, I'll tell you that he was shirtless (unless a super hero cape counts). The battle was delayed because Evan had to go poop. Here is what he cried a split-second before flying out of the bathroom to meet his adversary:

"Prepare to see your eyes amazed!"

This sticker was on the bathroom door.
It pretty much says it all.
I would show you the picture of the bird feathers and skeleton that we found under the bathtub, but that's just too much.

Workday

Yea for friends! We had wonderful helpers on Saturday at the new house. We were so thankful for them and the work we got done together. They hauled everything out of the basement. It was so dirty- tons of dust flying around.

Here the boys enjoy our lovely problem in the hole.

This is when I really started getting excited. Seeing the paneling come off and the studs showing, made it start feeling like the real thing. Once I could see the studs, it felt like a construction project rather than a dirty house that we have to live in.


Hooray!

Anyone for a bonfire?

Roadblock #1

Not good. What you see in this photo of our newly-excavated basement is a Canadian specialty: Bedrock. And lots of it.

There is a perfectly good basement under the existing house and no exposed bedrock nearby. So we never even considered the possibility here. We tested for bedrock at the other property we looked at, but for some reason didn't even really think about it here.

The basement of the house we're in now has exposed bedrock making up part of the floor. Other than the inconvenience of making part of the basement only 4 feet high, it lets water in. Water runs over the rock and on into the basement. So that's not an option.

We're looking at Plan B. Only, we didn't have a Plan B, so we're improvising as we go. We thought about making the new basement mostly crawl space and putting the family room under the existing house. (Along with the apartment.) But there were definite downsides to that. Right now we're leaning toward hiring someone to bring a chipper to work on it. It's rather expensive and we really have no idea if it will be a 4-hour job or a 2-day job. And the chipper isn't available until mid-week. So cancel concrete for today and pause everything 1 week. Boo.

Oh well. What can you do. I guess we'll learn to expect roadblocks and do our best to navigate them.