Because nothing says Insane like remodeling

So. You know, I just didn't have enough going on in life. Lessee. We have...Captain Adventure's adventures. Another child is failing because she can't seem to focus herself on the task at hand long enough to turn in the homework she completed. And another child is in trouble because she is so caught up in "now" that she will choose to continue playing rather than go back to class because the pleasure of playing right now cannot compete with the concept that in a few minutes, I will be in so much trouble that the sun will shake in fear and hide his face rather than see my horrific punishment.

We have my husband starting work with a new client. And a new singing group. Plus also he is still doing the DM thing for the monthly D&D games, which take about a week's worth of all spare time before the game, and another couple days afterward to do whatever it is they do afterward to award points and go up levels and stuff. AND he is also organizing concerts for a visiting singing friend. Plus, he is trying to convince me that he Needs to be gone most weekends between November 17 and December 30 singing with his new group.

He's not doing a very good job of that, because I am a selfish witch who doesn't not wish to face all the holiday madness without so much as a backup for kid-wrangling. The only thing less fun than doing all the holiday decorating and cooking alone is doing it alone while the four children hang off you crying and demanding snacks every eight seconds. And tattling on each other, after the damage has already been done. Why is that? Why do they never seem to come in and say, "So-and-so is about to jump off the hutch onto your harp!"? Why do they come in afterward and say, "Mommy? Know what? We were in there? Doing this thing? Which I, which *I* said, I said, don't do that, but they weren't listening to me? So they were doing this thing? Which I wasn't doing, but they were doing? And..."

And, I'm having a truly epic time with the arthritis. It's marvelous, no really. Nothing says, "I'm ready for another day of Fun and Excitement!" like waking up already wanting to go back to bed.

SO! Because all this is simply not enough madness...we began the remodeling in our master bed/bath.

The timeline is fairly tight. This weekend, we (we means, "My Husband" - I mostly stand around making smartassed remarks and refilling the coffee cup) are painting both areas. Next week, the yellowing cultured marble is being refinished. Then, new flooring: at the moment we're planning on tile in the bathrooms, carpet on the stairs and down the hall, and Pergo in each of the bedrooms. Subject to change when I hear the final price, but that's the plan at the moment. (Not a moment too soon, either - that formerly-white carpet really is giving up the ghost all over the place upstairs.)

The week after that, California Closets is arriving to install two things: a closet storage solution, and a library.

Yes. In the master bedroom. What? Doesn't everybody want to live in a library?

We're putting in shelves and cupboards along the biggest wall in the bedroom - think "governor's mansion library". The cupboards will have some linens and a lot of yarn in them, and then the bookshelves will go all the way up the wall to just under the 12' ceiling.

There is also a home office solution that will finally allow me to have my desk in there AND open the door to my bedroom all the way, rather than having to scoot in sideways because my desk is blocking the door. Sweeeeeeeet.

Much as I'm looking forward to the finished product, the process is enough to make me insane. We are sleeping in the living room and dog-dang, but we own a lot of stuff. It's all over the house right now, and I am developing a nervous tic in my right eye.

Also, I am writing to you perched in a very weird location, using a computer that is not actually mine but it has Internet access and I am not proud right now.

It's going to be an interesting few weeks around here. I just hope I can come through it all in one piece...