So, I’ve neglected to mention something.
I think because I’m in denial, and if it’s not true in the blogosphere then it’s… um… not true?!?
But it’s time I come clean.
We’re remodeling over here.
And I’m not talking about rearranging the living room furniture and putting up a new coat of paint in the bathroom.
Whoa, no.
I’m talkin’ walls are coming down.
Boxes are being packed.
My ‘office’ is now in my bedroom.
The big hilarious joke of the universe is that things have to get way worse and way smaller before they get better and more spacious.
Ha! Isn’t that funny???
Here’s the thing. Our house (built in the late 40s) is cute and small and surrounded by huge oaks and pecans and it is cute and small, and our neighbors bring us brownies and lend us cream of tartar and did I mention the house is cute? And small?
We thought about moving somewhere cute and a little less small but we’d miss our neighbors and there is just the small matter of affordability. Which brings us to where we are today. A living room wall with studs but no sheetrock, a mud-room-to-be with no wall at all, and a dining room full of piles that need to be packed up.
None of which leads to perfect harmony. We ripped down the first wall on the coldest weekend of the year. There is even more dust than usual. And our driveway is now home to a bin of old siding and bent nails.
But, in counting my blessings, I can say this:
I have a very, very handy husband who not only is good at things like this but thinks they’re fun.
And I’m getting pretty savvy at finding my way around our local Lowe’s.
And, in the end, we will have a house that is cuter and a little less small and eminently more livable.
Which means it’s worth it.
Be forewarned, though.
I suspect that not everyday will have it’s silver lining.
I’ll try to keep the whining to a minimum.
Sounds like SOMEBODY needs to get herself a toolbelt.
You should see the nifty leather work gloves I picked up yesterday. It’s all about the gear, no?
how long, this task, doll?
Oh, right. I forgot to mention the months-not-weeks aspect of this. And that part-way through, an addition will overlap with the remodel. Wheeeee!!!
(Oi)
Eek! We went through this about 3 years ago, when I was pregnant with our second, and for a lot of the same reasons. It was hellish but at the same time exciting to walk through the spaces we had drawn on paper and imagined so many times. It’s definitely worth it in the end.
Anamaria (www.bookstogether.squarespace.com)
See, that’s the thing. I lack all spatial reasoning so it’s gonna be a big fat surprise to me!
Oh dear.
You’re funny, Kelly. Let’s hope it’s not oh dear all the time…
Liz,
You’re doing this yourselves? I’m very impressed. Good luck! It’ll be all worth it in the end.
Well, we’re doing the remodel so we can afford the addition. Yep, it’s a two-pronged extra-crazy project. I think it WILL be worth it, though…
We ended up moving in with my mom for several months during our addition. Talk about a trip back into time – and in not a good way. I love my mom dearly, but I was right back to being a teen again with her questioning how I raised my kids, my choice of shampoo, and whether I could stop by on the way home from work and pick up her special tea for her, and on and on.
I’m making you feel better, aren’t I? 🙂
Well, I am laughing if that’s what you mean. (Laughing WITH you, not at you…)
Just tried to make it seem not so bad to live through your remodeling job when the other options may not be so great either. 🙂
But in the end, it was definitely worth it! Still can’t believe I live here sometimes…
Ugh. What a headache. This is the kind of thing you just wish you could fast-forward through, and then ta-da!–one day it’s done.
My sympathies, Liz.
Right. Time travel. That’s real, right?
egads
Good luck with all of this! What a huge undertaking.
Whine away when you need it (and I hope your neighbors bring extra piles of brownies over as you go through the renovations!)
Re: egads
One batch has already been delivered. Is that sweet or what?
you and the girls can always come live with us for a few weeks and let kirk go to town in construction mode home-sweet-home. you know we’ve got room thanks to our (damn) addition!!!
kathie
don’t forget…
…to bring your cell phone with you each and every time you run to Lowes. It’ll save you a heap of extra trips and a whole heap more of arguments. Not that you two would ever have arguments over this.
Whine away, love. Just make it metaphorical and funny, too. 🙂 How’s THAT for pressure?
My one tip: Watch out for them nails. They end up in tires. And I don’t know about you, but I can’t be metaphorical or funny about a flat tire.