Busy, Busy, Busy

The stucco is going on. I'll be so glad when our house is released from its scaffolding prison. The outside is not the only place getting work done. There were three crews there at once working this week.


Our small kitchen is shown above. We put in many upgrades to maximize the cabinet space. The cabinets are tall, there is a lazy susan corner cabinet, the cabinets on either side of the stove have top and bottom pull out shelves, we put in cabinets over the fridge, and can you see the crown moulding? I can't wait to see the counters and the sink.

The black on the floor is some kind of preparation for the tile.


Speaking of tile, the upstairs bathroom had a tile floor installed with a small cabinet and counter top. Both the upstairs kids bathroom and the downstairs guest bathroom will look the same. We think we should have gotten the taller cabinets, but it is too late now.







We got the taller cabinets in our bathroom and filled in the space between the sinks with drawers. The tub and shower were tiled, although I am dissapointed with the shower. They put a thin line of tiles along the inner corner, which looks bad and means there will be a great deal of caulk in a spot that is difficult to clean.

Ceilings and Painted Walls

Today we spent a lovely MLK day with our friends, Kat and Eric. After lunching by the river, we drove out to the house to check on the progress. The painter was there and the ceilings were finished and the wall paint was going on. We wanted off white paint, but it is actually more of a darker taupe color. I like it because it makes the white molding pop.

They still haven't begun the stucco, but I suppose that will happen this week sometime. Actually, we are close enough to count the stages before closing:
1. stucco
2. exterior painting
3. banister(s)
4. hard wood flooring
5. tile floors
6. carpet
7. cabinets
8. grading and landscaping
9. light fixtures and finish work

Hmmmm. Could that be all?

Oh, Brad's father, Denny, has offered to make a custom stained glass door for the front!

The house looks very different now that it is all black. Those white stripes are the styrofoam forms. When Brad took these pictures they had delivered the interior doors and baseboards.

Today when we stopped by the baseboards were installed as well as most of the doors. They also put in door frames and window sills. This has made the rooms seem much more finished. One oddity is the placement of the windows. In our bedroom they are placed very low so that the window sill is about knee high and the tops of the windows are just above our heads. Luckily, there is plenty of room above the window to hang window treatments so that the windows seem larger.

We got some big news today about Charlie that will affect the house. He is highly allergic to dust mites. He recently had an allergy test because he spends most of his time stuffed up. We are going to see Dr. D in the morning for more information, but his first bit of advice is to take the carpet out of Charlie's new room. So, as soon as they put it in, we'll be taking it out. Then we need to put down a hard floor-either laminate, wood or tile. Then he needs a new mattress with dust mite covers. The most difficult part for Charlie is going to be parting with the stuffed animals. His extensive collection is priceless to him. The good news is that we found out in time to set up his new room so that it is as dust free as possible.

Chicken Wire

Our house is now covered in a black sort of barrier paper and CHICKEN WIRE! I guess the chicken wire is there to either keep the birds in or to act as a surface that will hold the stucco. Stucco is just a fancy name for cement. There are styrofoam molds that are screwed to the front of the house. It is strange that such a soft, easily damaged material forms the fancy shapes around the windows and doors.

The interior ceilings have been sprayed with a texture of some sort and, finally, somebody swept up all the trash and grunge inside. The house didn't seem really dirty until the drywall went in, but now everything is covered in a film of chalky, yuckiness mixed with dirt. Brad's bathtub is gross! I know that it will all be cleaned up, but I resist the urge to pick up every time we go out.

All of our interior doors and baseboards are stacked in the garage. Cabinets can't be far from now, and then we should close in about 45 days. I'm still aiming for March 15th so that we can move during Spring Break. Brad disagrees, of course. He wants to sleep in the new house the day we close.

We got some good news about schools. It seems pretty certain that we can keep Olivia at her current elementary school even after we move. She's been there since Kindergarten so we want to let her finish 5th grade. And, Mitchell and Charlie will be getting off the same bus every afternoon at the front of our new neighborhood. That's good and bad. Good because they can come home and deal with the alarm together, and bad because they'll be, well, together.

Last, I have a funny story. I was reading a sentence today in class about the icy deck of a ship being slippery and dangerous, except that I mispronounced deck so that it rhymes with stick. Suddenly, even the kids who had totally tuned me out were paying attention. Luckily, nobody suggested that it was a Fruedian slip.

Scaffolding and Stucco

We were able to see our rooms in the daylight! Everybody got to do some mental furniture placement on Sunday when we went out to the house. Looks like this is the week for stucco because our house is surrounded by scaffolding. This, no doubt, should have kept us from wandering around, but of course it did not.

There is no half wall in the spot that I hope will become our future banister at the top of the stairs. That is not to say that they won't return at some point and put one in, but for now we are hopeful that we'll get a banister at the top and the bottom of the stairs.

School for me is going well, but I am planning day by day which is stressful. I feel constantly OVERWHELMED, but at least it keeps me from thinking about the house all of the time.

We have ROOMS!

The drywall is in! We have rooms. I thought that things would look much smaller once you couldn't actually see across the entire house, but that didn't happen. The rooms are nice, big, open. Maybe it is because the ceilings are high. We have no pictures because with the start of work and school again, we can only get out there at night. Actually, we've only seen the drywall with flashlights in the dark.

They've also begun to put the scaffolding up for stucco. This was a surprise. We didn't think that would happen for a few weeks. Pictures on Saturday!

In other good news, Poppy got moved to the rehab hospital today after TWO WEEKS in the first hospital. Thanks to Cousin Howie, our HERO, for getting him into the best rehab hospital in town. There were some very nice nurses who took care of Poppy in the first hospital. Thank you, nurses and doctors and everybody else for getting him through his surgery and rough recovery.

Today was my first day with students after the first of the year. Things went very well. I like my new schedule and I'm looking forward to getting into a routine and not feeling so anxious every day because it is all so overwhelming and new.

We are feeling very fortunate around here. The holidays were often hectic and worrisome because Poppy was struggling, but we also got to see our distant family and reconnect with them. Next year the holidays are at our house!

Just a note- the bird flu has hit another continent. Click to read CNN's story. For more information go to the government website. CNN has a lot of information in their special report. All I'm saying is that you might want to think about a plan.

Pre-Drywall Walk-Through

Yes, we had our pre-drywall walk-through this morning. It went well. The reason that the last window has not been installed is so that they can load the drywall into the second floor. There were only two small things that need to be taken care of before drywall. They left out an outlet in the garage and there is an electric wire that is run next to rather than through a conduit.

Also, we are not going to be done by January 31st. According to them it is because the windows were not on time, but I doubt that they would have been able to finish either way.

So, if they are able to make it 60 days from drywall then we'll close at the end of February. (I am still sticking to my March 15th day.)

Best case is two months! We need boxes NOW.

Knees and Trees and Sheetrock

Today the best gift is the news that Poppy is doing a little bit better. After his surgery last Thursday, things have just not been easy for him. He is in pain, and all of his other issues have been interfering with taking good care of his knee. Tonight when I left the hospital, he was resting a little bit easier and eating some of Brad's lasagna. Hopefully tomorrow will be better than today.





Not far from our new home is a state park that features a coast littered with old trees that have essentially fallen off the land onto the beach. Over time they've been worn smooth by the tide. A few days ago, we enjoyed a family day that included a visit to the park for lunch. I added this photo to my collection of kids in trees photos.





When we move, we'll be closer to the intracoastal waterway. Just a few minutes away is a beautiful stretch of A1A. The views are beautiful in the late afternoon with the golden sun glow. There was, or may still be, a restaurant in Cedar Key called the Blue Dessert. That is the perfect description for the intracoastal waterway- a blue dessert.



The new alarm people came and wired the house. They did mostly what we asked for from the old alarm company. The house is filled with sheetrock waiting to be installed, but we need some insulation and an inspection first. They originally told us that the house would be done about 60 days from drywall. Even if they get the drywall in next week, I don't see how they can build the house in 1/2 the usual time. My bet is that we close in early March.

Okay, maybe that is just wishful thinking on my part. With all of the changes we've had lately, I am feeling a slight panic. I could use a month or two of getting used to my new job (and getting paid) before moving. I'd like to close on St. Patrick's Day.

Our new bridge

One of the cool by-products of moving all the way to the NORTHside is that we get to cross the river almost every day by driving across this beautiful bridge. We call it the Dames Point Bridge, but its real name is the Napoleon Bonaparte Broward bridge.



We went to visit Poppy in the hospital tonight. Tomorrow they are going to replace his left knee. The bill is now due for all of that football he played back in high school and college. Poor Poppy is hooked up to an I.V. drip which of course makes him have to pee a lot. Unfortunately, he's hooked up to an I.V. pole that is plugged into the wall. That makes getting up to pee very inconvenient. Poor Poppy.

House update: Today Bishop and I drove by the house and they hadn't even installed the master bedroom window yet, so I called Brad with my dire prediction that there is NO WAY they are going to finish this house by January 31st. Then he said I was a pessimist.

A little later Brad called with an update from our sales agent who said that they inspected the house today, and they are waiting for the alarm people to do their wiring for the alarm and surround sound, etc... BUT, the original company that we went with has gone out of business so another alarm company will be putting in a system.

But, the first alarm system doesn't seem to be going out of business (we called). Maybe they are just out of business for this builder. Either way, the plan is for the new alarm company to get there pronto, do their thing, and then we get insulation and the pre-drywall inspection. Then next week we get drywall.

Somehow it all seems very suspicious. Ooops, there I go being pessimistic again.

A Room With a View or Without...

This is our new view out of our WINDOWS that were installed sometime last week since Wednesday. We were pleasantly surprised to find all but one window installed and working. Yes, I wanted the dark windows instead of the white windows. I just like them better. Unfortunately the one window by the front door has white details so it doesn't match.


This is not a lake or pond that you see out the back door, although we are building in Victoria Lakes, the subdivision that is neither Victorian nor full of lakes. It is actually a big puddle in our future back yard. It has been raining for two days. Let me just say that rain and cold weather are not a good combination. You can also see the indoor puddle, which will hopefully dry out some time next week.


Here is our bathroom without a view. When we had to make 2,000 decisions in the course of an hour or so when we first wrote the contract, we thought that it would be a good idea to have a blocked view window in the bathroom. Unfortunately, we did not think about the view being blocked for us, too. If we want to look out into the woods while we are in the bathroom, then we'll have to open the window.


I also wish that we had added more recessed lighting. All in all, those are minor regrets.

In other news, Brad is healing pretty well. True to his word, we made it to all of the holiday parties this weekend even though he was still sort of waddling and holding his belly. This is the year of the parties. I think we've been to seven celebrations so far.

We've been so busy that we didn't even get the tree up until tonight, one week away from Christmas. This year Hanukkah starts on Christmas night, which for us is great. We get to celebrate both in one day! I know that we probably cause much dismay for celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah in a decidedly secular and materialistic fashion, but our focus on family and tradition ought to count for something. So, you'll find us drinking eggnog with our latkes, sharing candy canes and gelt, and playing dreidel while we listen to Christmas music this year on Christmas/Hanukkah. Happy Christmahanukkah everybody!

Hernias

Yes, hernia is plural because Brad had two repaired today. He did well and he is home now. He was just pacing back and forth across the bedroom because he is restless and bored. Luckily the Jaguar/Colts game is being replayed on Game of the Week on the NFL Network. That should keep him busy until a hockey game starts later. There is always Austin Powers movies if all else fails.

On Monday I was nervous about starting my job, but after three days I am all settled. I like my kids, even the hoodlums. They are in for a shocker after the first of the year when I actually make them do some real work for the first time in months.

Our windows were not in the house yesterday. The house is at a standstill until the windows get in so they can put in the drywall. We need drywall by Christmas to make the January deadline. Our fingers are crossed, but we have low expectations.

We've been getting lots of holiday cards! They are all filled with very nice notes from friends and family. It is great to hear from everybody!

First Day on the Job and the 31st

We have a roof. We need one because the floor had some standing water this weekend after a few days of rain. The color is sort of a reddish brown. I hope that it looks good with the paint color. We had to pick it out at the very first meeting when we wrote the contract.

We found out about the January 31st deadline given to us by our sales agent. The builder's end of year is January 31st so they are trying to get us finished and to closing by then. I say the chances are pretty slim, but you never know.

In other news: Today was my first day with the hoodlums, er, students, and with the exception of one pencil stabbing, it went well. I'm definately going back tomorrow. I put the pencil sharpener in the closet before I left today.

Last night and this morning I was super nervous about today. My hoodlums have quite the reputation. When I walked in this morning, I saw a vase of beautiful flowers on my desk with a note from my former directing teacher wishing me luck. They made me cry. She also included a can of sauerkraut to ward off the bird flu. (All I am saying is that you need a plan!)

I have officially graduated! These are my English major buddies. We've been in numerous classes together over the last few years. It has been a pleasure getting to know these people, and I'm going to miss everybody. Thank goodness for email!

I highly recommend graduating from college. You get showered with gifts, money and flowers. My parents gave me a mini-fridge for my new classroom so that I can keep my water and Diet Coke cold. (As you can tell, I have my priorities straight.) Thanks to Ned and Stephen for the beautiful flowers and to my Aunt Rosine and Uncle Sonny for a lovely plant. I came home twice today to find flowers on my door step. My friends gave me a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure. I'll probably need it by the end of next week. After graduation, we went to dinner at a nice, low key Italian restaurant and Ginny and Denny stopped by with a card and a generous check.

I'm overwhelmed with the support and encouragement that everybody has shown me over the last few years. So many people invested themselves in my success. In addition to my family and friends, many teachers have been wonderful role models and have given me great advice and practical tips. Teachers are great people, and I'm happy to call you all colleagues now.


Most of all, I'm lucky that Brad and the kids have given me this time and inspiration to pursue my dream. I am finally a college graduate, and it has only been 20 1/2 years since high school graduation.

And, Brad's favorite part is that I graduated today (Friday) and I start work on Monday just in the nick of time to pay for the big mortgage! That's the best degree- the one with a job waiting at the end.

BWAhahahahaha

The sales agent called today with his weekly update. He said that they are aiming for an end of January closing date. Now here are some words I would love to eat: There is no possible way that they are going to be ready to close in January. We'll be lucky if it is February. I was thinking that it would be nice to move during Spring Break (end of March). I had a good chuckle over that January date, though.

We had the outside of this house painted this week. It looks great. We also got an estimate for painting the interior. Boy, what a relief not to have to try to sell while we live here.

For Sale: Cramped townhouse. Has withstood 15 years of abuse as evidenced by the stripe of grime that runs throughout the house at just the height of the youngest child. Three bedrooms: two dorm-style rooms with floors covered in clothing, mostly dirty, usually occupied by two bickering children. They are usually bickering over whose night it is to sleep with the cat. One Master bedroom that collects all the excess stuff from all over the house and, when the afore mentioned children fall asleep, the cats. Currently, one side of the fence in the backyard is painted red because the neighbors are idiots. Yes, you get to share a wall with the idiot neighbors, but mostly you don't hear them. You just run into them when they are standing in the front yard, smoking and flicking their cigarette butts into your yard. For a few more months, there is a view of the water out of the back window- at least until they build the condominiums right smack on the other side of the back fence, just past the huge puddle of standing water created by the construction.

Believe it or not, the townhouses in our neighborhood are selling in less than a month.

Internship has sailed...

These two women are some of the reasons that I count myself lucky to be interning at the school in which I interned. Other reasons? The faculty- they rock! Kind, supportive, generous... the list goes on. I am the luckiest intern of all because I get to stay at the school.

Here's the calendar... Internship is done!
Yeah (and a bit sad, too)!
Graduation is Friday! Yeah!
Start work on Monday...

Tyvek

We got wrapped. Apparently there was a delay because of some issues that came up during the plumbing inspection and the building inspection. Next we should get a roof and some windows. I heard that there is a shortage of dry wall, which explains why several house have been sitting in the stage just before dry wall for a few weeks, or maybe I'm just imagining things.

Anybody taking bets on a move-in date yet? They told us that we'd go to the pre-drywall inspection near the first week in December, and then it would be 60 days after that. Brad says he won't get upset until March. I predict that we will move the week of Spring Break- last week in May.



The back porch is looking good. Brad and Bishop are both on their cell phones. Like father, like son. We need to find prison bar screens so that nobody every gets out onto the porch roof. To me it is a future head or neck injury, to them it is a diving board.




Our front door is in, but not painted. Eventually it should be a rusty red color. We like the glass because it will bring in a lot of light, but we can't run around without clothes on. That's probably a good thing.

From the front door you should be able to see the perfect living/dining room combo and the stairs. Nobody is allowed to touch anything in the perfect living/dining room. (I can dream!)




Brad's bathtub isn't looking so hot right now. It is currently just adding to the mosquito population. Did I tell you that we saw the plumber at the hockey game? How lucky is it that the plumber is a hockey fan, so he completely understood Brad's request to position the tub just right.


If you are crazy enough to want to live next door to the family of SIX, then you may want to consider this house, which has just gone on the market. It is listed at $368,000, but the seller will pay up to 10,000 in closing costs. Who will the lucky buyers be???

Wrong date!

You know some days you are a day late and a dollar short? Friday, we were a day early for the Downtown Jacksonville Light Parade and Fireworks. We did get to see the tree at the Jacksonville Landing light up for the first time and there were some fireworks, but not like the ones on Saturday night. Today (Sunday), we saw the tree up close at the Landing after visiting the Main Library and JMOMA (Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art).



Glynn wrote: Lori, I can't believe you let Brad watch TV in the bathtub! GJ

To relax at the end of a long day, some people enjoy a hobby, such as gardening or cooking. Some people work out their frustration at the gym. Brad has a nice long soak in the bath. Hot water is his elixir. So yes, Dear Glynn, I support any time that Brad spends in the tub. The entire family does because when he gets out, he's much less grumpy.

Thanksgiving

Sorry for the long time between posts. The hectic holidays are here. Even though they are hectic, they are fun and filled with family so I am not complaining!

Today we ate way too much at MeMe and Poppy's house with Granny Ollie and Uncle Bill and his new bride, Gail. The food and the company were great. Then we took MeMe and Poppy to the house to see it for the first time since there has been a house.

Yesterday, all of my students threw a surprise breakfast for me and the other two interns at our school. There were about 325 students and all of the team teachers. Every single one of them knew about the surprise except for me! Either I'm obtuse or they are great at keeping secrets. They even gave me a big basket of gifts. I've been so lucky to have two other interns and many, many supportive teachers at my school. It makes me glad that I am sticking around.

The house looks pretty much the same on the outside, but lots has been going on inside. It was inspected for electricity and the roof. Next, it will get wrapped with a water barrier material and they'll install the windows.

Did I tell you about Brad's bathtub? He happened to visit the lot on the day that the bathtubs were being installed, so he asked the plumbing people to put it in so that the faucets would not interfere with his watching t.v. They said it would be no problem and they installed it the way he wanted.

The Uncles!

I know I neglected to mention the fabulous weekend that we spent with Stephen and Ned when they came the weekend before last.

Stephen got to go upstairs in the new digs before anybody else because he got stuck- er, I mean, got lucky enough to spend the afternoon with Me and Charlie and Olivia. At the Cummer, we walked into some paintings. Look at Stephen in the Van Gogh.

Then we went to see the house and since nobody was there working, we were the first ones to walk around on the second floor. Olivia and Charlie got to stand in their very own rooms. I had a great time all weekend. Just one suggestion for next time... less Japanese food. Oh, and any time you guys need some birth control, you know where to find us.

Hey, have you seen Stephen and Ned's future vacation home?

Making the Neighbors Happy

Now the house has a porch. You can really see the shape of the house. This model doesn't come with the roof line over the garage unless you get an extension upgrade. I think it would look boring without that roof line. The big window upstairs on the left is our bedroom and the other is the game room.

This is the view from the game room up the street toward the front of the development. Parking seems like it will be a problem, but we are lucky that right down the street from us is the street that hooks us up to the next neighborhood. Since it has no houses, people can park there when they come over for parties. When is the first party? Don't know yet...


Here's trouble: Olivia is peeking out of her bedroom window. Notice that the back porch roof is conveniently located right outside the windows of the two children most likely to climb on the roof- Bishop and Olivia. We may have to rethink the room assignments.







This is the almost complete back view. From left to right you see Charlie in Bishop's room, Olivia in her room and Mitchell in Brad's bathroom (the one with the television).






Here, Charlie is peeking out of his room window and so is Mitchell. See, they have no roof on which to climb. In case you are wondering, Bishop is at work today and Brad is at the Jaguar game.







If you look closely, you can see Olivia in the Harry Potter room under the stairs.



We have air ducts, but we are still waiting on the electric and plumbing next week. The neighbors told us that they tend to work in spurts. This week was slow for the house.

Oh, we made the neighbors on our side of the street very happy with our discovery that we have 25 more feet behind our houses that we can use. I think the builders have been cheap and have led the home owners on our street to believe that the environmental buffer starts at the end of the sod line. This would keep the builder from having to sod the whole lot. Since we needed to know whether we could build a pool, Brad talked to the developer who gave us the information that the next 25 feet are available for our use.

Brownie points with the neighbors never hurts, especially when you have four children, two of whom are teenage boys.