Keeping us busy

There have been a few things keeping us busy around here these past few days.  One is that the kiddos have been sick yet again, this time with a mild stomach virus, but after nearly five years of parenting I think I've finally accepted the fact that small children are petri dishes for illness.  There's no real avoiding it, and I try not to get too worked up about it anymore.  We all seem to be feeling better today; C, who was hit the worst, is finally laughing and smiling again.  It's wonderful to see!

So... remember what our kitchen used to look like?

We've been making a few changes.

(Step 1)

(Step 2)

And now we're just waiting on Step 3, which is... you guessed it... the NEW DISHWASHER-- to be delivered by Home Depot TOMORROW!!!!!!

(This is me jumping around the room doing the happiest of happy dances.)

That's right, we finally found a contractor who would call us back (one would not have thought this would be so difficult) and he agreed to do all the cabinet remodeling, electrical work, and plumbing that were necessary for this first-time dishwasher installation.

Look at the cute little mini-cabinet he made for us!  Isn't it great?

While he was here, he also did some patching up work in our playroom of holes in the walls that had been made when the previous owners were using a wood stove down there.  This will make our play times down there much warmer... also happy.

So we've had what the girls call "worker mans" here for the past three days.  Keeping three little kiddos out from underfoot when there are construction workers and dangerous tools around, while all the time finding entertainment for them at home so I can be around to answer questions and give advice to said workers, has proved to be an all-consuming task.  L especially has been mighty curious about all the power tools and fascinated with the jobs being done.  And Tom, our main "worker man", has taken quite a shine to her and chatted her up a lot, so it has been quite difficult to keep her from running up to him and talking a blue streak about Willy Wonka while the poor man is hammering plaster or moving equipment or otherwise trying to do his job.

That said, I think we're all kinda glad that nobody will be working here tomorrow.  (NOT that I'm complaining-- they could hammer and bang and saw for weeks if that's what it took to get my dishwasher.)  Today as we were eating lunch, and L was covering her ears to block out the sound of the electrician drilling, she said, "I'm just exhausted of talking to these guys."  She then turned to C and said (as if to excuse herself), "C, I'm making mad faces at these guys because I'm just exhausted."

Patience, little L.  By the end of the week we will all be settling in to the sound of a dishwasher humming, and Mommy will no longer be spending up to 2 hours of her day standing at the kitchen sink.  Happy, happy, happy!!!

When the dust has settled (literally) I'll be back to more regular posting, and some pictures of our new appliance!!  Hooray!!!