MOVING DAY

well, moving week. Most of SAM is emptied out!! I was worried about everything smelling just awful, (we had moth balls in there to protect our goods!) but really, the only thing we had to air out for a few days on the porch was our mattress and boxspring (the kids beds are at my Dad & Maria's house so we don't have to worry about that).

It was like Christmas for the kids...so many of their toys were packed in SAM. Their rooms look like toy stores at the moment! We'll have to clean it up though, their beds are coming tonight!! I put all the toys in their rooms, because the 3rd bedroom carpeting wasn't completed (will be today though). So tonight we'll actually be able to do more arranging of the rooms with dressers and beds there. I have spent hours at the house this week getting kitchen boxes unpacked, and there isn't a whole lot left to unpack for the kitchen. As of right now, I have so many empty cabinets and drawers!! I haven't put anything in the island drawers, and there is nothing in the cabinets above the fridge, ovens, or microwave. I don't think I'll ever fill all the cabinets!

The only *bad* news to report is that the "wonderful" painter we hired to paint the woodwork is now attempting to sue us for not paying him the rest of what we owe him. He won't get far with it; I took about 50 pictures of his awful work, so there's plenty of proof, and actually if you walk around the house you can still see the evidence everywhere. Here are some "highlights" of the job he did. As you can see, he did not cover the walls or windows the way he was supposed to.

The faucet in our shower covered in paint splatter

cabinet in our bathroom sprayed with paint

Cal's bedroom walls (almost every wall in the house looked similar to this)

One of the windows with splashes of paint (any room with a window that he painted, has paint on the windows)

By the way, while the mantle has been stained, most agree it should've been white. Add that to the list of things to do : ) I knew it should've been white all along!! Mike is working on the closets so we have a place to hang our clothes!

Today the runner will be put on the stairs, and last bedroom and closet is getting carpeted (somehow they miscalculated the carpeting and had to get more)

We have the Make a Wish walk on Saturday. It's our 4th year as a team (we've been participating as a team ever since the year Kaycey was diagnosed with cancer). If you'd like to join our team please email me!!! We'd love to see you there!!!

Or go to our team site to sign up or donate!! Thank you!! https://www.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=278005&lis=1&kntae278005=A516B60E2A3D4AB8A88ED666605C3686&supId=0&team=2837278&cj=Y

More ups and downs...

So the appraisal never happened. The appraiser came and in and claimed the house isn't done (even though we have an occupancy permit). He said everything has to be finished in order for the house to be appraised. I do see how it makes sense (the closets, cabinet doors, etc) but why not appraise it at what it is right now? Without the appraisal we cannot close on the loan. So it's looking like we'll have to go elsewhere for the loan. A huge headache.

Found out that a 2 foot wide strip of carpet is missing in one of the bedrooms. And carpet was not put in one of the closets. It just keeps getting better, I swear. What is even more irritating, I called the guy we were working with TWICE to make sure they counted the closet in figuring the carpet. He obviously did not. They are also saying we gave them an old plan, one in which we had cabinetry in the great room, meaning they'd need less carpet. While that is true we gave them an old plan, we sat down and talked to our guy and "X"ed out the cabinets and explained the updated version. Besides, it shouldn't affect the upstairs; they're two different carpets. I really don't care for the first floor carpet; I thought it was more speckled, if that makes any sense. I just didn't want hard wood everywhere, but now I am thinking it would've looked nicer. Oh well, furniture will cover most of it up, right?

The mantle is stained...I really wanted white, Mike wanted stained. I let them stain it. I wish I would've fought that battle a little more; eventually I think I will paint it white. While it looks very nice stained, it just doesn't seem to go with everything else, since everything else is white (well, except for the wood floors and railings).

Mike says he is sleeping there tomorrow night. I am just happy knowing we got the permit, but quite honestly I'd rather take my time and have more finished than not, so that everything will havea place when we start bringing stuff in. I don't want to have piles of clothes on the floor until the closets are done. I'm perfectly fine knowing we are able to move stuff in.

Today is my Great-Grandma's 86th birthday. We went over there last night for snacks and dessert and I thought it was so cute how Cal was telling her all about how much he loves baseball and Cal Ripken (she's a HUGE baseball fan). It was nice to have the family together; it's not often we all get together.

Cal starts flag football in a couple weeks. He's been very obsessed with the Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers ordeal. It's funny to hear an 8 year old's take on it, and you can tell he gets some of his statements from the news or radio (or other grown ups talking about it).

Kaycey ended up getting her hairpiece yesterday. Last week it was a little too big, so they had to alter it. It is real hair, you can wash it, curl it, dry it, whatever. It's a little on the poofy side, but it tames down afterwhile. Kaycey wanted it long enough to do pony tails, and she wasn't sure she wanted bangs. The stylist had recommended bangs because of the line of the wig, but honestly, you can't tell. So we decided to leave it long all around, but the gal trimmed pieces to framer her face a little too much--they aren't long enough to pull back. It's not like it will ever grow, so I was a little bummed, but we'll just have to use barrettes I guess. I have pictures, but my battery is charging for my camera so I can't upload them yet! She seems to think its cool, though, so that's what is important. I am worried about it staying on, though. They didn't shave her real hair off, and the wigs stay on much better without hair under it. There is a special tape to use to keep it on, and it doesn't go anywhere(she had it on yesterday--Mike hung her upside down and it didn't come off!), but it doesn't feel great to take it off with the tape stuck to real hair. She really seems worried about having it at school, but she said she is going to wear it every day at school, but maybe not at home or soccer.

School starts in 17 days!!! I can't believe how this summer flew by.

Finally...

Yes, we have an occupancy permit!! We can *officially* move in!!

After an exceptionally frustrating week, we are finally able to move in. It seems pretty unreal, yet. Carpet is in, though I haven't seen in finished yet. There's still so much to do, though. Besides cleaning out all the nooks and crannies, the important things to still do (well, at least I think they are important): closet shelves/rods, mirrors in the bathrooms, put the doors back on (the interior doors had been taken off to be painted), put cabinet shelves and doors on, put the ovens, cooktop, and fridge in (they still aren't in the house), buy a microwave, buy lots of other little stuff--just miscellaneous groceries (of course), toilet paper, all that kind of stuff, and I want to buy rugs for shoes by the front and back door (no shoes allowed in the house!!), and emptying SAM into the garage so the stuff can sit and air out after being in there for 4 months!!! It is exciting, I just am exhausted mentally from it all. I am happy we'll be in before school starts, and I am really looking forward to the fun stuff--hanging up pictures & decor!! I have lots of stuff I bought with the intentions of making my own art in the kid's bath, but haven't gotten to that yet, don't know when I will!!! And there's so much to move...but it's ok. We can get in the house! Yea!!

Didn't get the chance to report last week on the running water and flushing toilets. I think that was one of the most exciting things ever!! My kitchen sink/faucet...with water!!!





The finished balcony (before carpet)

Advice

Don't build a house.

Or at least if you do, do not use the electrician, painter, or carpet place that we used . Our electric is done, says the electrician--too bad there is nothing for the ovens or cooktop to plug into. And too bad a couple lights still don't work, and we still don't have the switches we asked for. Our painter was supposed to be done Saturday night. Too bad he didn't show up Friday or Saturday, and so he was going to work all day yesterday and all night to get the baseboard and trim painted in every room that would get carpet, seeing as the carpet was to be installed today. Too bad the carpet place somehow managed to take us off the schedule and no one called to tell us, even though the appraiser is coming tomorrow--and the carpet is supposed to be in for them to do the appraisal (do not use Carpetland). This all sucks.

I spent about 5 hours yesterday cleaning all the rooms that will get carpet. Cleaning for the 2nd time in a week. The painter hasn't even begun taping off the first floor (covering up the walls/windows from getting white paint). I'd tell you not to use this guy either, but I don't know his name. So our very first painter is in jail because of a DUI. The next one got relieved of duties for doing a crap job. And now this one. What a freaking joke.

Saturday the rails & ballusters on the porch got put on; once we move in we'll take them off and paint them white.



Our inside stairs are coming along nicely, too, though not done yet...



**UPDATE**

I just got off the phone with Mike, and I can't even believe any of this. He got out to the house to find that the painter only did one coat of paint (supposed to do 2 coats). On top of the that, he missed spots, and what's worse he got white paint all over our already painted walls and some on the windows themselves. So every room he's been in needs to be repainted with color, and all before the carpet gets put in. And, he ripped down all the paper/tape covering the windows and walls (not the entire wall was covered with paper, just about a foot that was visible near the woodwork was covered) so we can't attempt to try to repaint the woodwork ourselves if we wanted to; we don't have time to retape and cover walls. There's so much else to do. The appraisal (which we need the carpet for); the inspection, and we are closing on the loan on Friday. We don't have the option of finding a new painter; it's really expensive and again we are running out of time. I want this guy fired, but no one listens to me. I've said it since the first day he came. So now we'll have late nights at the house repainting and cleaning some more, on top of everything else that needs to be done in order to get the appraisal and inspection done. If I have it my way, this painter will not get a dime from us. When he showed up yesterday, Mike and his Dad had to go buy white paint because the kind this guy showed up with was not the right kind. I just can't believe this. So now I am on my way to the paint store to rebuy gallons of paint for every room with carpeting. Who knows how the trim and baseboard will get painted in any other room, or repainted in the rooms with carpet.

OCCUPANCY....

on Monday?? Unlikely, since the inspector will probably find something that needs to be fixed or whatever to get our official occupancy permit. But, he is coming on Monday to inspect. One bad thing about this...the electrician hasn't been there to finish or fix things, which would be a definite NO on the permit. Besides the lights that don't go off at all, and the lights that don't go on, the pantry & front closet have no light or switch installed (though there is a hole in the ceiling for each of them) he installed the wrong light switches in the entire house (completely his fault--when they started with the wrong switches, Mike's dad called and told him they were wrong) and in the next few days they came and finished up the switches...but continued with the wrong ones (so in the house now is a regular flip up/down switch; we are going to have the kind where you can control the ceiling fan on the switch and able to dim the lights).

An unusual moment when the kids were getting along.

Posts on the porch!!!!!!!!!!!

So if by some sort of miracle, the electric does get done, there is a chance we could have the permit Monday/early next week. Which means more cleaning before moving stuff in. And I want to have all curtains/rods/shades whatever up before I would sleep there. All the stuff in good ole SAM (our storage cube sitting in our driveway) will need to be brought in the basement/garage/wherever for some time to air out because everything will stink of moth balls. There is a chance we could get a permit to begin to move in but not occupy the house. That would be good and fine with me too. There is so much stuff to be moved, it's ridiculous!! Two rooms full of stuff at my Dad's, plus a large portion of his basement & stuff in his garage. An entire bedroom full of stuff-- from floor to the ceiling --at Mike's parents' house, as well as stuff in their basement, too. Plenty of our stuff in my Grandma's basement to be moved. Uh, everything in SAM, too. It is going to take so many truckloads to move everything, I can't even begin to imagine!!

The inside stairs are close to being done, especially with the painters out there--they are painting all the white stuff (woodwork, doors, window frames, etc.) with paint and some other protective coat. ANyhow, since they were out there yesterday and today, I bet things are looking different and clean and white!! I'm excited to see it, and excited to go out there tonight and take pictures. The balcony looks awesome, and I'm sure the stairs will, too (not sure if they are finished putting the pieces together for those or not).

The very clean kitchen!! There is NOTHING in the kitchen that shouldn't be there! (ex. tools, excess dust, garbage....) except the hardwood floor is still covered with cardboard to protect it with working people still coming in and out so much. The kitchen is missing the cabinet doors, one sink, faucets, and appliances...you can barely see in the picture but the dishwasher is sitting in there (not in it's place yet). That ladder is where the fridge will go.

The floor of the finished fireplace:

Little helper (the kids come out there alot, and they like to "help", so Grandpa sets them up with hammer and a board with nails and puts them to work! They love it !!)

Some non house news....Kaycey goes to get her hairpiece fitted today. If it fits correctly, they'll style it/trim it up today, too! It'll be so different to see her with hair. It's been 3 1/2 years since she lost it. Oh, and Cal just got his head shaved (he wants to look like Cal Ripken, Jr.).