And so it begins: Kitchen 2.0

It has been a number of years since I posted anything. I guess our day to day became more mundane or easily shareable in socially accepted social media bites. But now we have BIG NEWS!!

THE KITCHEN RENOVATIONS HAVE FINALLY STARTED!!

And I'm sure that 90% of my FaceBook friends and others have no desire to see all of the pictures and bits that I think are really fascinating. But for those that are more interested, you are welcome. Check back here frequently as I update progress, share pictures, and express gratitude to all the family and friends who make this sort of project possible.

The History

We moved in to this house during April vacation 2012 - 5 years ago - and at that time said that the kitchen remodel would be in the next 3-5 years. We just barely stuck to that deadline. Phew! Why did we want to remodel? Here is from when we moved in:

What you don't see here is that the stovetop was broken, the microwave and vent were busted, the fridge was moldy, the light switches fizzled, lights didn't work and there is no dishwasher. We made a number of small improvements to the functionality but it looked essentially the same to the end and it was... ok. 

Over the past years I've dreamed, sketched, and pinned ideas for a new kitchen while we saved up. And now finally it is happening. 

Marker Party

Last year our good friends, the Kuhn's, had a party the day before their kitchen reno where they unleashed kids with markers. Lucas was dying to do the same and so we had a couple of friends over on Sunday. Creativity, crudeness, and hilarity ensued. 

Izzy, Gabe, Katelyn, Anna, and Lucas leaving their mark:

 At the end there wasn't an untagged surface - poop emojis to science humor:

 

Demo Day

After the kids had their fun, the grown ups had their turn. With a lot of help from friends and family, we finished the demolition in ONE DAY!! We are forever indebted to Scott, Bill, Gail, The Kuhns, and The Clarks for all their muscle and sweat. From smashing to sweeping, we are so appreciative of our friends and family. We couldn't have done this without you.

Ceiling demo began before lunch! 

Justin got home from taking Bill and Gail to the airport and was floored at the progress!

Fun Findings

We were fortunate to have found no big, unpleasant surprises during demolition. There were some archaeological findings that I always enjoy:

1. Note the hurricane corners in the picture above. I had never seen those before.
2. We found wadded up newspaper from 1956 which was older than I would have thought. I had in my mind that the house was built in the 60s.
3. The floor included at least 5 layers of linoleum - red, small brown tile, larger beige tile, black and white speckled checker board, and the faux wood. Also we had 1 or 2 layers of lewan and 3/4" of plywood above the subfloor
   
4. This note to the plumber from the original builder: "Mr. Plumber, Can you bring water feed up and out straight? Need at least 8" from floor! Be right back"
   
   
   
   
   

 Today was a day of rest and recovery. Progress resumes tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Nemo - aka Blizzard of 2013

Southern New England didn't have to try to find Nemo this weekend. It was our first blizzard in the new house and, I've got to say, we had a blast! It was the best snow we've had in years and the kids were big enough to really enjoy it. School was canceled on Friday, driving was banned on Saturday, and we had some good times with friends and as a family on Sunday. Here are some shots that illustrate our experience with Nemo.
(By the way, isn't that sad that this is the best snow? I know MA is more southerly than VT, but really??)

"#%@!^", says Romeo looking at the wall of snow blocking his way out for his morning excursion.

Pitties are NOT snow dogs! 

The wind made measurements impossible. Early Saturday Justin saw 16" in one spot, 26" a few feet away and there was still a few more inches to fall. The drifts in the back were above the top of the fence.

My little snow bunny - even losing her boots in the snow banks couldn't stop her smile.

The end is nearly in sight...

..except that my van is under this 12' mountain of snow. 

We are waiting for the balcony to come tumbling down but it keeps proving us wrong.

 And when it gets too cold, find a purple mitten for your mouse hand.

Luke is learning to spackle as we hold the stir-crazies at bay by patching holes in the guest room. 

Painting was a fun way to keep the kids busy and productive while Justin was doing homework.

Hopefully our guests have an appreciation for abstract art!

And just like that life will go back to normal. But while it lasted we really enjoyed the blizzard. Perhaps there should be more driving bans, spontaneous meals with neighbors, and all out playtime.

When Dad's away...

... the kiddos will play. 

It seems that whenever Justin goes away for a day or two I find that the kids and I do a lot things that we might not usually do. Maybe it's novelty since he isn't away often. Or maybe it's just that I spend so much more 2-on-1 time with the kids when he is gone. For whatever the reason, the past two days have certainly continued that trend. I was able to catch a few of the activities in pictures but many more that I missed such as Jam Time with Abby & Logan, a hike with the dog, loads of laundry (literally!), making apple coffee cake, and early morning cartoons in bed. It's been a fun start to the weekend but I'm looking forward to J getting home tonight and things getting back to normal. I'm tuckered out!

The guest bathroom saw lots of progress. Just need to go shopping for all the trim 

lumber before I can move forward and that is definitely a two-parent or zero-kid activity! 

 Tot soccer began today. After the initial trepidation Anna rocked it!

Luke had fun kicking the ball and yelling "Home Run!"

  

Anna consulted on a new haircut for Lucas. What do you think?

Pancakes, melted cheese, and sausage for dinner with Lady and the Tramp.

What a great way to end the day!

1st Annual Block Party

We've been in our place for nearly four months and I keep waiting for the "shine" to wear off. But it hasn't and I'm starting to think that we've just stumbled into an amazing place to call home. And today's 1st Annual Block Party really reinforces that!

A few months ago our next door neighbor Kelly started planning a get-together for the neighborhood - the numbered streets of Maynard. Although it was a bit steamy, and a few storms boomed around us, there was a great turn out. We were able to meet new neighbors, hang out with friends, and let the kids play in the street. There were people who had been in the neighborhood their entire lives, newbies like us, a great feast including 30lbs of ribs, a bouncy house, and - Luke's favorite - a visit from the Maynard Fire Department.

 

Can't wait until the next year!

(And next year I'll try to take more well rounded pictures. We were just all very excited by the big trucks! And how can you resist the joy on his face. Thanks Dawn and Rebecca for a few of these photos)