Big Changes

I've been a horrible blogger, I know. I feel terrible about it because there have been lots of things I want to make sure I remember from this spring and summer and I just haven't been blogging about them. I am emailing notes to myself though so eventually I'll play catch up.  For now, we are thankfully all healthy and happy and enjoying our summer break.

Speaking of summer break, I spent exactly 2 days after I finished work relaxing before I realized not running a daycare with 6 kids under the age of 4 leaves me with a LOT of extra energy. So instead of laying on my couch every evening watching DVR'ed reality TV I started tackling cabinets and drawers, purging and organizing as I went. Productivity was a satisfying feeling.  Yay me!

Then like any good DIY junkie I needed a bigger fix than clean cabinets (crazy?) and in 24 hours, with about 9 hours of sleep in there I went from this...when I asked TG "Hey honey would you care if I start ripping up this nasty carpet?"
 

to this with some help sanding from my gorgeous hubs.  Did I mention I LOVE having him home over the summer?


We took a break to let the little man run free at the park in this beautiful weather and had frozen yogurt with friends before I came home and did this.

While every other painted stair dried I grumbled and groaned as I taped off the second bannister, angled spindles and all.  Good-bye 1980s oak color (thanks a lot for that super modern finish by the way Pulte).


After a quick family dinner and little man's bedtime routine I came back and diligently worked until the view from the top looked like this.  WHOA!

It's that good, but even with 11 solid hours of work I still have to:

1.  Polyurethane everything

2.  Give the white trim a fresh clean coat to match the shiny new CARPET FREE! stairs.

3.  Come up with a solution for the risers which remain unfinished.

4.  Convince the floor guys that are coming to finish the landing for us.

So much work and still so much more to go - this is not for the faint of heart DIY'er.  You will probably look at the mess and want to quit halfway through (I asked TG if the project magically finished itself overnight), but if you're an instant gratification/results now type of person like me it's worth the sore hands and aching back.  The change even in it's unfinished state is insane!

Oh, did I mention we also had this happening today?  Big changes around here people, I'm telling you, and personally I'm thrilled.  


Exhausted, but thrilled.