bullets 2/2

Let's see if I give myself 10 minutes (not including photo uploading time, during which I can be doing something else) if I can get this blog up to date!

- All six of us were out in the basement running more wires Saturday afternoon. Notice Reuben wearing his new tool belt and wielding his new plastic hammer.

- Notice that stairs are rough framed from the basement to the entry landing and from the landing to the main level. This makes the basement less useful as a large confined play space, but also makes navigating a LOT easier!

- Four cuties on the main level in the space that will someday be the fireplace wall.

- A new way to stay occupied - sit on the pile of scrap wood and watch the sump pump run nearly continuously after Monday's rains

-  Fast forward to today: Matt and I worked on finishing up the skirt board that runs around the house at the point where the dirt will abut the house. This is pretty neat stuff - made of PVC, so moisture is a non-issue, and we can just run it right into the dirt. Most siding materials need to be at least 6" above grade, so this should help the house sit nicely into the ground (since with a wood foundation wall we can't just leave the foundation exposed like you can with concrete. Anyway, who wants pink stuff showing at the bottom of your house???)

This is a good view of the PVC skirt running along the office at an angle. I'm excited for how the office will nestle right into the ground.

 - There's my 10 minutes. Let's see - just a few more photos, and Matt's finally getting his shower, so I'll try to finish up...

- Leah found a great sized hammer that tucked into the hammer holder of her overalls (dressing like mom today) and she was searching out stray staples in the Tyvek.

 - Next we moved upstairs to the main level to begin putting up the foam strips that will serve as both thermal break and concrete form for the main level floor which is getting poured next week. Days like these are really fun days - part of the work where we can all hang out together in the same place. The big kids can do real help, I can help with an adult is needed, and the little two can play and run around. I have a feeling that with a cozy blanket Krassimir will find his place on days like these before too long!

Uh-oh - Reuben found a "big boy" hammer. Thankfully he remembered his 'only tap on wood' rule

Owen was cutting up foam scraps and the other three were pretending they were sponges for cleaning the floor.

- Coming up:
   - tomorrow morning the excavator comes back to backfill (I have two more plants I want to move before this happens. Ha.)
   - tomorrow afternoon the trusses get delivered (thankfully on the "2 week" side of "2-3 weeks")
   - while all that's happening Matt and Owen will start laying rigid insulation on the floor of the main level and marking for the radiant tubing
   - Saturday our framer plans to start framing up the upper level now that he'll have the trusses
   - hopefully early next week the upper level framing will be nearly complete and Matt and I (read, "Andrea, who's more flexible and less uncomfortable on roofs than Matt") will get tar paper on the roof so it's water tight
   - Wednesday morning we have the inspection of the radiant tubing (think "under pressure")
   - later that morning (or Thursday) the concrete for the main level will get poured!
   - windows get delivered Friday morning!
   - Friday our contractor friend from up north will come down in the evening ready to install windows over the weekend

And by that weekend we should know our travel dates to go get Krassi. And then begins the rush to get the house completely tight on the exterior - shingles need to go on, siding needs to go on - we'll be looking for male friends who can do some of the heavy lifting (4x10 sheets of siding material for some parts of the house) that I'm just not strong enough to help Matt put up. It would be fantastic (though maybe not possible) to have the roofing and the majority of the siding done before Krassi comes home. We'll see what happens. ;)