So, an update on the house situation....we pushed hard this weekend to get things ready for the final inspections. We still have a few absolute necessities to do prior to the final inspection, and then a bunch of other stuff to do to get it ready to move the kids in, but we are ready for the electrical inspection (or will be within the next 24 hours), and so I called the electrical inspector this morning--the only one who services this area--and his message said he is on VACATION until May7th.
SO that put the brakes on, as without the final electrical inspection, I can not have the final, final inspection to get the CO. So, while we will still keep working (as there is still a bunch of painting and cleaning up and finalization of the bathroom and kitchen (had a problem with my well laid floor--self sticky tiles will not bind even with the bond enhancer I put down prior to laying them out, so I am having to lift each tile up and spray adhesive under it and lay it back down, so the bathroom completion is a bit delayed). So it will still be a busy week, but we do not have to push as hard because I have to renew my Workers comp insurance to keep the building permit for another week (I had hoped and push to avoid having to do that, but luckily my little tax refund arrived finally so I have the funds to pay it, which was part of the problem--I am so glad money arrives when it is so needed). So maybe tomorrow my father can take a break as he has not taken a day off in like 2 weeks (though of course he will just go work at Dr. Hammer's house as they are coming home this week and he has to get that opened up and ready, but at least it will be a change of pace).
My goal now is to have all the painting done (including both boys rooms and the day care area (which I am only repainting a little bit of that now as I don't have enough paint to redo the whole thing, so Salmon Colored walls will have to stay as the paint is in good shape and does not NEED to be painted over. I also plan to have the kitchen and bathroom fully functional and ready to roll by the 7th. AND have everything cleaned up (right now it is both a mess of construction material and mess AND storage of my apartment and stuff people have given for the house which now really needs to be moved into the garage area as most of the construction are now out of that area. It IS covered with Sheetrock dust and saw dust though, so before I move anything back there, I have to clean it up. but that is one of my goals for the next few days.
So while I am disappointed that I can not get the final inspections for another wee, I am happy that I will be able to get more of the stuff done to make it truly livable before actually moving the kids in, and when I have the CO, I should be able to make the transition the very next day, rather than having a gap between the CO and the move in day. We can survive another week the way we have been going. The kids will be okay, and A will be okay ( I hope--things seem slightly calmer this morning than they have been the past week or so), and I will be okay. (ya know it is a good thing my ex's name starts with an A and not an I because that could get confusing, I mean using "A" to denote my ex is confusing enough, but if I had to use "I" I would probably have to get more creative. Or I could just a have a ball writing really confusing posts and trying to explain them and making anyone who reads them think they they are on drugs or something (or that I am on drugs or something...coffee.....hmmmmm...that is my drug of choice.....followed closely by chocolate). No, my insanity is my own and I embrace it proudly...! Oh dear...rambling aimlessly...time to go...
Monday, April 30, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Making real progress...
Okay.... SO.....
Lots of progress on the house.... All coats of spakle are done aside from Gonzo's room (his room was the most done when I had to move stuff in in mid-march, and so it was full for stuff while we worked on everything else, and now is the last room to be done because we are finally moving stuff OUT--I had not thought of that before when I put it in there--still 90% of the spackle is done in his room, but it is definitely behind the rest, as it has not been sanded and painting has not been started, and will still need the window sealed and cased and the molding put up at the end, so I would say his room is about 60% done)
Kitchen 85% done--walls painted, appliances in place, counters mostly done...still need to finish the floor, put up molding, fix the leaky faucet, and hang the upper cupboards.
Bathroom 85% done--walls and ceiling painted, shower in and fully functional (finally), FLOOR DONE (that was my all day project--beautiful self-sticky vinyl tiles--classy I know---but they look great!) now just to place the tub, toilet and vanity/sink (and attach it all to the plumbing which is ready and waiting for it--that should take less than a day--so by tomorrow I should have a fully functional bathroom--with only molding needed to finish it.
Josiah's room 90% done--walls, ceiling and closet painted, Just need to put up the paneling along the weird wall (long story, old building...), seal the window in and put the casing and molding up, and lay the carpet down.
Living room 98% done (well will be before I go to bed as there is only ONE wall left to paint), just need to fill in the molding on the new walls
My bedroom--95% done--walls and ceiling painted, just need to seal the window and do molding and casing (and clean the old carpet at the end (mine was the only existing room and the only part with existing carpet, which is now very dirty with construction crap)
The Firewall--that massive pain is the hind quarters which has taken an ungodly amount of time, frustration, and materials, is 98% done!!! Just the final coat of spackle in a couple of seams, the final bit of caulking where spackle can not be done, and finalizing the installation of the fire door.
Fire Alarms and CO alarms are installed and functional!
The day care area--well, as that really is the only area that I left just a large open space, there is not much to do with it for the final house inspection but clean it up. Once I have to certificate of Occupancy, that area will become my focus, as well as the outside play area so that after I get my family settled into the house, I can really focus on getting the final set up and inspections for the day care licensing. That is the next leg of my journey.
Well, I must move on to painting before I get ready for bed. Pictures to come later this week--hopefully with a Certificate of Occupancy!!!! Keep your fingers crossed for me and the boys. With all of the weird stuff going on with A (my ex) I REALLY need to bring the kids home with me. So, I NEED that CO to bring my kids home so I can parent them here (instead of parenting them at A's house, which is more difficult), AND A can calm down and get back to having less responsibility and enjoy the kids more when they have time there. It will be a relief in so many ways for so many people when we can get back to our normal lives....
Lots of progress on the house.... All coats of spakle are done aside from Gonzo's room (his room was the most done when I had to move stuff in in mid-march, and so it was full for stuff while we worked on everything else, and now is the last room to be done because we are finally moving stuff OUT--I had not thought of that before when I put it in there--still 90% of the spackle is done in his room, but it is definitely behind the rest, as it has not been sanded and painting has not been started, and will still need the window sealed and cased and the molding put up at the end, so I would say his room is about 60% done)
Kitchen 85% done--walls painted, appliances in place, counters mostly done...still need to finish the floor, put up molding, fix the leaky faucet, and hang the upper cupboards.
Bathroom 85% done--walls and ceiling painted, shower in and fully functional (finally), FLOOR DONE (that was my all day project--beautiful self-sticky vinyl tiles--classy I know---but they look great!) now just to place the tub, toilet and vanity/sink (and attach it all to the plumbing which is ready and waiting for it--that should take less than a day--so by tomorrow I should have a fully functional bathroom--with only molding needed to finish it.
Josiah's room 90% done--walls, ceiling and closet painted, Just need to put up the paneling along the weird wall (long story, old building...), seal the window in and put the casing and molding up, and lay the carpet down.
Living room 98% done (well will be before I go to bed as there is only ONE wall left to paint), just need to fill in the molding on the new walls
My bedroom--95% done--walls and ceiling painted, just need to seal the window and do molding and casing (and clean the old carpet at the end (mine was the only existing room and the only part with existing carpet, which is now very dirty with construction crap)
The Firewall--that massive pain is the hind quarters which has taken an ungodly amount of time, frustration, and materials, is 98% done!!! Just the final coat of spackle in a couple of seams, the final bit of caulking where spackle can not be done, and finalizing the installation of the fire door.
Fire Alarms and CO alarms are installed and functional!
The day care area--well, as that really is the only area that I left just a large open space, there is not much to do with it for the final house inspection but clean it up. Once I have to certificate of Occupancy, that area will become my focus, as well as the outside play area so that after I get my family settled into the house, I can really focus on getting the final set up and inspections for the day care licensing. That is the next leg of my journey.
Well, I must move on to painting before I get ready for bed. Pictures to come later this week--hopefully with a Certificate of Occupancy!!!! Keep your fingers crossed for me and the boys. With all of the weird stuff going on with A (my ex) I REALLY need to bring the kids home with me. So, I NEED that CO to bring my kids home so I can parent them here (instead of parenting them at A's house, which is more difficult), AND A can calm down and get back to having less responsibility and enjoy the kids more when they have time there. It will be a relief in so many ways for so many people when we can get back to our normal lives....
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Some Days
Some days I wonder how much is too much....
Some days I feel the weight of responsibility from so many directions, I feel like it is going to crush me....
Some days I feel like no one can understand, and no one wants to...and most days that is okay...
Some days keeping on keeping on is harder than it appears from the outside....
Most days I don't have the answers....I just keep going on as best I can with what I have...and try to find the silver lining...and keep going even if I can't find it...because tomorrow is always a new day...
Most days I try not to ask for help from other people, I made my decisions and my day to day life is the culmination of those decisions, and so I figure I will accept what help is offered for a various things...and hope that those who are offering help actually want to help, and I just try to roll with the rest...
Some days rolling is hard...
Most days I feel like no one actually knows me....and most days that is okay...because I know me...but some days,
Some days.....
Some Day....I want someone to know me...
Some days I feel the weight of responsibility from so many directions, I feel like it is going to crush me....
Some days I feel like no one can understand, and no one wants to...and most days that is okay...
Some days keeping on keeping on is harder than it appears from the outside....
Most days I don't have the answers....I just keep going on as best I can with what I have...and try to find the silver lining...and keep going even if I can't find it...because tomorrow is always a new day...
Most days I try not to ask for help from other people, I made my decisions and my day to day life is the culmination of those decisions, and so I figure I will accept what help is offered for a various things...and hope that those who are offering help actually want to help, and I just try to roll with the rest...
Some days rolling is hard...
Most days I feel like no one actually knows me....and most days that is okay...because I know me...but some days,
Some days.....
Some Day....I want someone to know me...
Friday, April 20, 2012
House progress
Okay....SO.....
I finally took the tiem to figure out how to get pictures off my phone this morning. I took a few quick pictures of the house progress thsi morning. We are getting close.... For comparison, you can check out the photos from late February in this post. So here are the photos taken today!
We are actually quite close to finishing. I will be painting starting tonight! So hopefully the finished house will be posted by the first week of MAY!!
I finally took the tiem to figure out how to get pictures off my phone this morning. I took a few quick pictures of the house progress thsi morning. We are getting close.... For comparison, you can check out the photos from late February in this post. So here are the photos taken today!
We are actually quite close to finishing. I will be painting starting tonight! So hopefully the finished house will be posted by the first week of MAY!!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Very quick update
A very quick update...mainly because my brain is going a million miles an hour and if I spend too much time on the computer I might have a nervous breakdown---or get stuck in here and not move on to the next thing I NEED to do--like as it is nearly midnight, I should go to sleep soon....
Electrical rough inspection passed last week! YAY!!!!
ALL of the drywall is now up, walls are enclosed, spackle is in progress...
I still feel like I have a million things to do to finish but we are getting close. My goal is to be DONE by the 29th and have the final inspection on the 30th.
I might be completely insane by then....but don't call in the men in white coats yet, once I have the CO in hand I am sure my sanity will return to it's pre-house renovation levels--so I guess on second thought, maybe you should have the straight jacket standing by....
Thanks all for now
Trying to remember to breath.....
Electrical rough inspection passed last week! YAY!!!!
ALL of the drywall is now up, walls are enclosed, spackle is in progress...
I still feel like I have a million things to do to finish but we are getting close. My goal is to be DONE by the 29th and have the final inspection on the 30th.
I might be completely insane by then....but don't call in the men in white coats yet, once I have the CO in hand I am sure my sanity will return to it's pre-house renovation levels--so I guess on second thought, maybe you should have the straight jacket standing by....
Thanks all for now
Trying to remember to breath.....
Friday, April 13, 2012
A quick post....
The electrical inspection actually took place on Tuesday, and we passed the rough inspectiona nd have been cleared to close in the walls!!
So that is what we have been working on this week.
This is basically what we have to finish ( if I am understanding it correctly):
--put up the last of the sheet rock in all rooms
--spackle/sand/repeat
--paint in all rooms
--finalize the last coupel of drains
--put up wallboard in bathroom (around tub)
--put down bathroom floor
--put in tub and toilet
--paint in kitchen
--put down kitchen floor
--put in range, dishwasher, and refrigerator
--install overhead kitchen cabinets
--following painting of floor and ceilings, put down carpet in boys rooms
--install electrical covers on ALL outlets adn switches througout
--finish smoke detector set up installation
--put up molding
--get final electrical inspection
--get final CO inspection
--move in
so, yeah, a lot still to do, but in the final stretch.
The electrical inspection actually took place on Tuesday, and we passed the rough inspectiona nd have been cleared to close in the walls!!
So that is what we have been working on this week.
This is basically what we have to finish ( if I am understanding it correctly):
--put up the last of the sheet rock in all rooms
--spackle/sand/repeat
--paint in all rooms
--finalize the last coupel of drains
--put up wallboard in bathroom (around tub)
--put down bathroom floor
--put in tub and toilet
--paint in kitchen
--put down kitchen floor
--put in range, dishwasher, and refrigerator
--install overhead kitchen cabinets
--following painting of floor and ceilings, put down carpet in boys rooms
--install electrical covers on ALL outlets adn switches througout
--finish smoke detector set up installation
--put up molding
--get final electrical inspection
--get final CO inspection
--move in
so, yeah, a lot still to do, but in the final stretch.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Slow and steady.....(is making me crazy) wins the race......
Well, this has been a long hiatus from blogging.... So what has been keeping me so busy—well….many many things—some that make sense and others that are more subtle or less easily understood.
So the house is still a work in progress. We moved out of the apartment on March 14th and the kids moved into A’s apartment. They have been doing well, though Josiah asks every day when we are going to move into the new house. Progress has been slow but steady on the house. The electric is done as of yesterday and we are waiting for the electrical inspection now, which will hopefully be early this week. The plumbing should be done in the next day or two, barring any unforeseen issues. That will be two huge issues out of the way. Once the electrical inspection is cleared, we can put the other half of the walls on and finish the place. I am glad that the light at the end of the tunnel might be getting closer. I would love to predict that we will be done by the end of April and able to get the final inspection and clearance to move in by then, that is my hope. But this project has reminded me to not expect anything specific and just to roll with what comes—hope for the best but don’t get so set on how it has to play out and in what time frame. In the end it will be worth it, and that outcome is what I need to focus on, not trying to figure out how each little step is supposed to go.
The kids are doing well, for the most part. They have both had ups and downs, Gonzo is choosing to bite Josiah at least once every day—and even when I am vigilant about separating them when they are not playing well together, he has now taken to just biting him at random times, just for the heck of it, as he realized if I know that there is a problem, I will be proactive. Both of them have had ups and downs at school. We are looking into possible other programs for Josiah for next year. I will write about hat another time. We are also getting an evaluation with a neuro-psychologist for Josiah. I think that will be a good thing, it might give us a better idea of what on earth is going on with him, as his behavior and his super quick mood changes are way beyond what I can understand at this point. All of my theories have fizzled out, and his outbursts are really interfering with his ability to advance and grow in a healthy and successful way. He has gotten into such negative behavioral patterns and nothing I have tried is working to help him move beyond it. So hopefully the neuropsychologist will have be able to shed some light on what is going on with him.
I have been babysitting full time now, as the little ones that I watch have had a schedule change, and their mom took a full time job. So I no longer have a break in the middle of the day, which has slowed my ability to work on the house. I also have my kids after school and most day until bedtime at A’s house. Some days A cooks dinner, but I put them to bed every night. This means that I don’t have much time in the evenings to work on the house. So it has meant that almost all of the work aside from weekends and little things that I can do in the evenings, has fallen to my father to work on. I have been trying to get the spackle and sanding done on the walls that are up in preparation of painting. I am so looking forward to the final stage and the finished house. This initial phase from Laundromat to house has been such a process. I look forward to moving in and moving on the preparation for the daycare phase. There has been a lot of interest in when the day care will open and how much I will charge. I am hoping to have some answers to those questions.
So that is where things are in a nutshell. There are a few other things going on—but they are not really things I want to talk about on the blog. For now I am just trying to take it day by day, as I have been getting oscillating between overly anxious and somewhat depressed as this process has dragged on so much. So I am just trying to keep a positive and realistic focus and not get too stuck on expectations of when and how things should be going or how I want them to go. Trying to remember that it is what it is, and it takes as long as it takes, and roll with whatever happens. Not always easy, but it is what I am trying to do….. I hope to write again later this week, hopefully with an update about the inspections…. That would be great….
So the house is still a work in progress. We moved out of the apartment on March 14th and the kids moved into A’s apartment. They have been doing well, though Josiah asks every day when we are going to move into the new house. Progress has been slow but steady on the house. The electric is done as of yesterday and we are waiting for the electrical inspection now, which will hopefully be early this week. The plumbing should be done in the next day or two, barring any unforeseen issues. That will be two huge issues out of the way. Once the electrical inspection is cleared, we can put the other half of the walls on and finish the place. I am glad that the light at the end of the tunnel might be getting closer. I would love to predict that we will be done by the end of April and able to get the final inspection and clearance to move in by then, that is my hope. But this project has reminded me to not expect anything specific and just to roll with what comes—hope for the best but don’t get so set on how it has to play out and in what time frame. In the end it will be worth it, and that outcome is what I need to focus on, not trying to figure out how each little step is supposed to go.
The kids are doing well, for the most part. They have both had ups and downs, Gonzo is choosing to bite Josiah at least once every day—and even when I am vigilant about separating them when they are not playing well together, he has now taken to just biting him at random times, just for the heck of it, as he realized if I know that there is a problem, I will be proactive. Both of them have had ups and downs at school. We are looking into possible other programs for Josiah for next year. I will write about hat another time. We are also getting an evaluation with a neuro-psychologist for Josiah. I think that will be a good thing, it might give us a better idea of what on earth is going on with him, as his behavior and his super quick mood changes are way beyond what I can understand at this point. All of my theories have fizzled out, and his outbursts are really interfering with his ability to advance and grow in a healthy and successful way. He has gotten into such negative behavioral patterns and nothing I have tried is working to help him move beyond it. So hopefully the neuropsychologist will have be able to shed some light on what is going on with him.
I have been babysitting full time now, as the little ones that I watch have had a schedule change, and their mom took a full time job. So I no longer have a break in the middle of the day, which has slowed my ability to work on the house. I also have my kids after school and most day until bedtime at A’s house. Some days A cooks dinner, but I put them to bed every night. This means that I don’t have much time in the evenings to work on the house. So it has meant that almost all of the work aside from weekends and little things that I can do in the evenings, has fallen to my father to work on. I have been trying to get the spackle and sanding done on the walls that are up in preparation of painting. I am so looking forward to the final stage and the finished house. This initial phase from Laundromat to house has been such a process. I look forward to moving in and moving on the preparation for the daycare phase. There has been a lot of interest in when the day care will open and how much I will charge. I am hoping to have some answers to those questions.
So that is where things are in a nutshell. There are a few other things going on—but they are not really things I want to talk about on the blog. For now I am just trying to take it day by day, as I have been getting oscillating between overly anxious and somewhat depressed as this process has dragged on so much. So I am just trying to keep a positive and realistic focus and not get too stuck on expectations of when and how things should be going or how I want them to go. Trying to remember that it is what it is, and it takes as long as it takes, and roll with whatever happens. Not always easy, but it is what I am trying to do….. I hope to write again later this week, hopefully with an update about the inspections…. That would be great….
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