A Weekend of Sunshine

It started out looking like a great weekend for soccer... However, let me just tell you about the wind! It was so bad that at Lake Park we even had high wind sirens going off... Yes, high wind sirens do exist! It was a windy mess... Hunter played first and lost 2-1 then Brandon played right after him and won 5-2. It was FREEZING cold out there with all that wind and 3 hours outside watching soccer left us chilled to the bone.

On Thursday night both the kids were not feeling well and seemed to be fighting off something. It came and went with just a few incidents so Friday we took it easy. Brandon fought a fever all day so Friday night I started the floor of the shower. On Wednesday and Thursday I was able to get all the corners and seams taped and the thinset on them. By Friday night he was feeling better so he helped me lay the mortar bed down. We were covered in concrete and he helped me mix it up and then mash it down to the floor. He thought it was great to be allowed to get soooo dirty. I must have carried 500 pounds of concrete from the back patio to the bathroom and am paying for it now. But happily the floor is down and cured and we are ready to start tiling (once we can agree on the tile).

And better late than never...

Mar 20. He is the best babysitter EVER!
Mar 21. He is supportive of me.
Mar 22. He will help me with construction (which he hates) if I ask him real nice.
Mar 23. He has been patient with the mess.
Mar 24. I can break him. If he is mad or upset I can pull him out of it.
Mar 25. He stays calm when the kids are sick.
Mar 26. He helped me stir concrete when my arms got tired.

Bathroom Update #2

Once the mortar bed was down it was time for the liner... Now this my friends was HARD! The membrane is very thick and could not be cut at all to accomodate any imperfections because of the possibility of leaks. The corners are solvent-weld together and then the greenboard is installed over the liner.

You will notice I also had to make some adjustments to the copper pipe and re-insulate it. I extended the copper pipe to raise the shower head and capped off the water line that went to the tub.

I installed the new upper drain plate and checked for leaks in the liner... We were good to go. After this the greenboard started to go up... very very slowly!!

The next step is to tape and seal all the corners and seams with thinset and then I will put down the shower floor (mortar bed) on top of the liner and reinforce it with wire mesh. This is the last step before I get to start tiling. As a side note, if anyone ever needs help with hanging greenboard or drywall... DON'T ASK ME! The floor is not straight... the walls are not straight and even with perfect cuts it is a stinkin' mess!! (Just had to vent a little :)

Bathroom Update

So the bathroom project is coming along... You remember what it looked like before...

We have since removed all the trash and the bathtub and tore it down to the studs. Because of some water damage I had to reinforce all the studs. I also tore up the tub drain and installed a PVC shower drain (replacing what was in there that was held together with duct tape).

I built a wall so it won't need a door or curtain and laid a mortar bed down to build my own shower pan for my walk-in shower.

Yeah, It's Friday!

I decided to blog before I dug back into my project... I am working in my bathroom and this week have cleaned it out, removed the tub and bench surround and today will be redoing the plumbing and installing the shower wall and laying the pre-sloped floor. It is coming along but yesterday felt like a day of steps backwards. Every step of the way I have encountered snags (which I guess is fairly normal) from duct taped pipes to drywall behind the tile to a 25 yr old stuck drain. When it is finished I think it will be FABULOUS to have a 6 foot walk-in shower... I just have to get there!

On a funny note, I was talking to Brandon the other day about his "new" room and he said how much he loved his bed. He used to have a twin bed and now he has a full. He said he was so happy because Dad and I had a King size bed, Hunter has a queen and he has a "Prince" size bed which is just perfect for him. I laughed and he didn't know why until I explained that it was called a "full size bed". He thought that made no sense at all and insists on calling it a prince. He cracks me up!

And for everyone who keeps encouraging me with my resolution... I appreciate you...

Mar 13. He can let loose and have a good time.
Mar 14. He can appreciate a day of rest!
Mar 15. He is diplomatic in his presentation of ideas.
Mar 16. He is not handy but appreciates that I am.
Mar 17. He keeps me motivated.
Mar 18. He made dinner and cleaned the kitchen so I could concentrate on my project.
Mar 19. He makes a great Mr. Mom.

Shaking a Bad Habit...

It seems I am lacking the discipline to sit down and focus on Fridays and post my resolution. I am sure it has nothing to do with how crazy our lives have been recently... In an effort to do better I am posting one day earlier than last week which to me is a small victory right now. Things are moving along but I never realized how much work went into tying up loose ends when someone passes away. It is a bit overwhelming. Our house seems to be buried under a mountain of laundry and STUFF and slowly but surely, we seem to be finding... the floor. We are still working to purge clutter while at the same time accumulating more. Not a very successful plan when trying to find order, however slow the progress we are still moving ahead. And although the bathroom is still torn up, the patio is getting cleaner (cuz we have to work outside when it is nice), the new basketball hoop is together and in full use, the Christmas stuff is finally in the attic, Brandon's room is put together and the laundry mountains are slowly shrinking.

So on with the good stuff...

Mar 6. I can hardly think of just one thing, but if I had to choose, it is that he overcame his discomfort and stood before family and friends to remember and honor his mother.
Mar 7. He longs for normalcy.
Mar 8. He has a new love for his father.
Mar 9. He deals with the clutter in order to get to the light at the end of the tunnel.
Mar 10. He can handle stressful situations and manage difficult people.
Mar 11. He loves his sister and is diligently looking out for her best interests.
Mar 12. He thrives in his normal world and is working hard to get back there.

WHAT A WEEK~!

On February 27th, my mother-in-law passed away after a brave 2-year fight with breast cancer. Only she knows what she truly meant to me and I am so happy to have been able to spend true, quality time with her while she went through chemo. We bonded, we laughed, we really got to know each other and established a mother-daughter relationship I will always cherish. I will miss her and will always remember her for her strength, perseverance and quiet ways. Above all, the greatest gift she gave me was her son, who I love dearly.

Feb 27. His family is always his first priority.
Feb 28. He has let me be for him what he was for me two months ago.
Mar 1. He is strong so others can be weak.
Mar 2. He is amazed and appreciative of his friends.
Mar 3. He comforted me as I cried over the loss of another parent.
Mar 4. He is overcoming his personal feelings to enable everyone to move forward.
Mar 5. He has a new love for my mom and is letting her fill the hole in his heart.

It has been such a difficult time as we muddle through our feelings again and find a new strength in our love for each other and our families...