"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about." Angela Schwindt

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Rockin' Out!

Most of you know that Shelby has been playing guitar for about a year. Jake has been talking about getting a guitar since Shelby started playing. After Christmas Best Buy had a great sale on a Fender Electric Guitar Starter Kit. Jake decided to use some money he had saved up to go and buy it. The starter kit came with everything he needed. Guitar, Amp, Case, etc.. He started lessons two weeks ago and is really excited to be learning. Even Matt seems to be getting interested. Jake came home from lessons tonight and Matt was asking Jake to show him what he learned. Next thing I know Matt has the guitar. This is not the first time this has happened. When Jake first brought home the guitar my husband would disappear and I would find him in Jake's room with Jake's guitar watching the "How to Play Guitar" DVD that came with it.

Shelby got some bling for her guitar at Christmas. She got a pink fuzzy strap and some pretty new picks and she finally got a case to carry her guitar back and forth to lessons. She also just got something called a "Capo". Supposedly this is something Taylor Swift uses a lot and our guitar teacher recommended one because Shelby likes to learn Taylor's songs.

Here are some pics of our rockers and perhaps a future rocker (Matt).







Tuesday, January 20, 2009

New Stairs Done!

There was a request that I show the new stairs. Yes, we have stairs again. Matt had them rebuilt and up the next day. Here is a picture of the new stairs.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Progress

Matt has been working hard in the basement. Sometimes he feels like he has not gotten much done, but he really has done a lot. Before he could even start framing in the walls. He had to:
1. Destroy and old, useless piano with a Sawzall. Then haul it up in pieces to burn. The metal had to be hauled up also. Thanks to Shelby who assisted with this.
2. Redo the plumbing so that we could put walls and a ceiling up.
3. Redo the heating ducts so that we had vents down there for heat and air.

Once that was done he started framing. He now has Jake's room completely framed in. He is working on the "Game Room" framing right now. There will be a pocket door separating the unfinished basement from the finished part and we will also be adding in a closet somewhere to keep board games in. After the framing he will start the wiring.

Yesterday, I left to go to one of my daycare kids birthday party. When I returned home I found that there were no basement stairs! He realized when he was getting ready to frame the wall for the pocket door that he needed to deal with the stairs before that. The people who put the stairs in never intended on finishing the stairway. There was not room to drywall and finish the stairway because the stairs were to wide. So out they came yesterday afternoon. We almost had two dogs stuck in the basement however. Matt started tearing out the stairs at the bottom. He got a couple out and then realized that both dogs were hanging out downstairs with him. They like to watch him work. Don't ask me why. So he had to put the part he had tore out back and got the dogs to go up. Whew! That was close! Right now there is just a ladder. Matt came back from Menard's last night with boards and two bags of water softener salt and then realized that he had to haul that down a ladder somehow. It reminded Jake and I of the scene's in the Tom Hank's movie "The Money Pit" (one of my favorite movies, the other being "Turner and Hooch") where he has to haul water up the ladder and a mattress among other things because their stairs had collapsed. Don't worry, Matt made it safely down. I will be honest though, I did not watch!

Matt has had a helper the last two weekends. Jake spent all day last Sunday helping his Dad and is down there as I type this helping with the stairs. I think now that he can see what things are going to look like he is getting excited and wants to help. I love that they are spending time together like that. Well, I need to go deliver some coffee and hot chocolate down to the hard workers! Here are some pictures of the stairs out and Jake's room all framed up.






Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Winter Wonderland


It snowed! What a wintry day it is going to be today. I wish it were a little warmer so the kids could go outside and play. They love to play in the snow. I know that most people wake up and groan when they see what the snow had done overnight but I love it! I think the snow is so pretty. I also don't have to go anywhere to go to work. I suppose if I had to drive in it I might feel a little different. It also might pose a small problem for me if Jadon were to decide to make his appearance in weather like this. For today though, I am just going to enjoy the view and maybe a cup of hot chocolate. The picture is the view from my front door this morning. Who could complain about that? It relaxes me. You won't here the kids complaining either. Snow day today. They get to sleep in and be lazy all day. Have safe travels!