Second Floor and Roof 03-30-10

-Carmen

Garage Walls 03-25-10

The garage walls were started, today.

-Carmen

Interior Walls 03-24-10

I can't believe I forgot my camera, today!  This is from my phone.....  our house has guts!

-Carmen

Walls 3-23-10

The first floor SIPs installation was completed today, plus a portion of the second floor.

-Carmen

And we have WALLS!

The wall install began, today!!!!!

We chose SIPs panels from a local company for the shell of the house, which are known for superior insulation properties.  This will vastly improve the energy efficiency of the house.

These walls are the center of this whole project.

A foam core is sandwiched between dense plywood and cut like puzzle pieces per plan specs.  Here are our walls at the factory.....

The walls were delivered to the site and then anchored to the foundation.

Almost a quarter of the SIPS walls were installed today.  I think that is pretty amazing!

Install continues this week, and with any luck and decent weather, the shell will be completed by the weekend.  (There is rain in the forecast ... again.)

-Carmen

Plumbing and Foundation

Remember when I said we stocked up on Vitamin C?  Holden was sick by Thursday of his first week of school.  By Friday, mommy started feeling the effects as well.

We are all feeling better, but tired....

So, I'll keep the text to a minimum and post a bunch of pictures....

The plumbing and foundation were completed on the house this week.  This is a HUGE milestone.  No more waiting on saturated ground to cooperate.  No more pacing!  There is always something we can work on now.  (And today there is snow on the ground!)

Jordan and his dad worked so hard on the plumbing installation.  I am amazed by what they were able to accomplish.

The ground was smoothed and prepped with cables stretched between the forms before the concrete was poured.

Finally, early Friday morning the foundation was poured.  The guy in the green hoodie is standing where the concrete pour started.

Like buttuhhhh......

Holden wanted to help with the plumbing tape and threw it onto the damp concrete.  When scolded, he turned away, crossed his arms, stomped his foot and said, "I'm so mad" .... something he learned at school this week.

Holden wants to help so bad.  He arrived on the job site with his tape measure.

Holden loves playing in the dirt and climbing our little hill.

the reason for all of this......

-Carmen

A Darker Shade of Really Pale

Cooper's skin color fascinates me.  I'm a freckled lass with pale "blue" skin.  Jordan is equally as pale, but freckle-less and "pink."

Coop is sporting a nice little tan.

-Carmen

Holden's First Day of School

Today was H's first day of school.  A bittersweet day, indeed.

It was incredibly difficult for me to move him from Mrs. B to preschool.  Mrs. B has been his other mommy for so long.

Jordan and I struggled with this decision for a long time, but ultimately decided it is time.

Holden is so incredibly social and adjusts easily.  A gift I, as adult still struggle with at times.

He had a very good first day.  His teachers reported that he *loves* to sing and dance, to eat and talk.  He played with the other kids like he has always been in preschool.  Holden is very polite and says "please and thank you," without prompt.  

Holden has three hurdles he will be working on in preschool.... using a potty consistently (they have a potty training expert on staff ... God bless her) and without giggles, drinking out of a cup without spilling and without giggles, and napping only one time a day without giggles.

There were some tears this morning when we first arrived.  H was easily plied with a cereal bar and changed his tune.  Mommy saved her tears for the car ride home, and then the ride to work, and a few more secret times throughout the day.  I felt nauseated every time I thought about him.  The really really really sad part ... the school is only two blocks from my office.  I'm so pathetic.

I've never dropped off a kid at a preschool before.  This was a first for me, too.  It's a weird, weird feeling.

I stocked up on kid vitamins packed with vitamin C this evening.  I have a feeling we will all be sick before long while adjusting to H's new daytime environment.

When we left the school today, my sweet little man went up to each of the other kids in class and said, "bye-bye, see you tomorrow."

He is now passed out from exhaustion in his big boy bed.

-Carmen