It’s All Precipitation

The rainy season in Carp is over. But now we are in the misty season — June Gloom. The old roof (sealed with at least 2.5 layers of composition shingle) is 100% removed. We now have the new (larger) roof of plywood. As the mist collects on the roof, it finds all the cracks and crevices that lead to my ceiling. Then the water finds the lowest point and makes its appearance in my living room. Much less water is in the house, but mopping it up still soaked 2 fullsized bath towels.

Really Perceptive Girl

Lucy and I were riding in the car, and a Jars of Clay song was playing on CD. In the middle of the song, she says, “Mom, what’s Ha-lay-ooh-yah?” I realized that the word Hallelujah was sung over and over again in the chorus. I was so startled that she asked about that – at just barely 3! I told her it means ‘Praise God!’ She said, “that’s cool!”. Yes it is. 🙂

House Progress

The house is coming along splendidly. In May we had 2 weekends off because we went to Carlsbad for a week’s vacation (has Toby posted those photos yet?). For the couple of weeks we worked in May it was Mark and Pop and me doing a lot of the pickup work. Then Kevin came over for the recent 2 weekends and the work flew. We have the skeleton of all the roof completed (I think). In order to get the front roof framed up, we needed to pour some footings for the porch posts. So it was back to dig-dig-digging. We even needed to break out the demoltion hammer and clay spade.

Dig Dig Digging

Dig Dig Digging

We found many worms as we dug and Lucy liked to hold them when they were all curled up. She walked in the yard for about 20 minutes with one in her hand. However, when they started to move around in her hand she screamed and screamed.

Worms

Worms

We formed up the new porch as one slab and tied it in to the existing small porch. Jeff the Inspector came by and liked how we set things up and signed off on all the footings on our punch card. He had us drop a tape from the peak of the house to measure the overall height of the building. Apparently, the City was anxious to find out the actual height of the building after the debacle of 14 inches. Pop climbed up on the roof and dropped the tape and the height read 27 feet 6 inches to finished floor. The architect had called out 27 feet 5 1/4 inches. The city was expecting us to have been 28 feet 2 inches. Jeff was pleased and said the city would be pleased to know that we were within 3/4 of an inch of what the architect called out rather than the 14 inches additional height. With an inspection passed, it was time to get the cement poured. The pumpers were a couple of very nice guys who let Max help with getting the cement in place.

Pump that Concrete

Pump that Concrete

Smooth that Concrete

Smooth that Concrete

Finished Concrete

Finished Concrete

While the cementing was going on, the last of the existing roof was being demolished. Poppa’s truck was loaded up to the brim, but we got all the roof debris into one truckload.

Removing the old Roof

Removing the old Roof

Lots of Debris

Lots of Debris

With the existing roof gone and the foundations for the porch posts in place, it was time for Kevin to kick the roof framing into high gear.

Back Roof

Back Roof

Front Roof

Front Roof

Roof so far

Roof so far

Bye Bye Binky

We recently took away Lucy’s pacifier for good. We had been whittling it down for a while, only allowing her to have it for sleeping and car rides. But soon after her birthday (has Toby put those pictures up yet?) and our vacation, we had a mini party to cut up the ‘binky’ while Gran was in town. Then Lucy (with Mom’s help) took some scissors and cut up the binkies and threw them in the trash.

She's happy now, but not for long

She’s happy now, but not for long

Toby made up a song for the occasion. >> Lucy has been crying alot at naps and bed time. She wants her binky, a lot. We talk about it and she knows that her binky is in the trash, but that is little comfort. Last week, I was putting her to bed and, as usual, she asked for her binky. I went through the whole rigamarole and she told me that her binky was in the trash. Then her face cleared up and she got a sly smile on her face as she said ‘Thumb binky’ and put her thumb in her mouth. Luckily the thumb was not a great subsitute and she only sucked it for a day or so. When we took away the binky, her naps went from typically 3 hours long to about a hour and a half long on a good day. It has been a rough transition for all involved.