It's A Lifestyle Choice
Last Sunday night, Extreme Home Makeover was on television and because Rob was away I let the the kids stay up and watch it.
"Wait a minute, let me get this straight. So, they give these people a whole brand new house and brand new stuff?" my 9 year old son asked.
"Yes." I answered.
"Can't we get them to come here? I mean look at this place!"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Well, we choose to live this way. We enjoy restoring our old house. And well, we aren't economically disadvantaged."
The looks on their faces let me know that they didn't know the new pc word. "Poor. We're not poor." I explained. "Typically they are people who can't afford to fix up their houses and they have also endured some sort of hardship."
"Hardship, like what?"
"Uh, I don't know like they have been shot, paralyzed and forced to drag their body 10 miles through the snow for help because their infant triplets were starving." I said.
"Huh?"
"Okay, I am mostly kidding. I think this man on the show had to cut off his own arm in a tragic fishing accident."
"What do you think I could get for a toe? I am totally willing to part with a toe if I could get a cool bedroom like that one."
If anything motivates you to tackle projects around the house it is your children offering up their body parts in exchange for home improvements. So we used this long weekend to knock out the wall that separates our kitchen from our family room and to remove the hideous dropped ceiling and fluorescent light fixtures that have disgraced our house for too many years. What would ever make someone put those things in an historic old house? It felt like we were releasing our house from bondage.
I say we, but really my part was helping to clean up the horrific mess that only smashed plaster and lathing can make. I also ooohed and aaahed when appropriate and ogled my husband's butt while he was up on the ladder. You know, the important things.
I would show the before and after pictures, but I don't have a computer anymore. At least not until December 6th when my brand new laptop is scheduled to arrive.
"Wait a minute, let me get this straight. So, they give these people a whole brand new house and brand new stuff?" my 9 year old son asked.
"Yes." I answered.
"Can't we get them to come here? I mean look at this place!"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Well, we choose to live this way. We enjoy restoring our old house. And well, we aren't economically disadvantaged."
The looks on their faces let me know that they didn't know the new pc word. "Poor. We're not poor." I explained. "Typically they are people who can't afford to fix up their houses and they have also endured some sort of hardship."
"Hardship, like what?"
"Uh, I don't know like they have been shot, paralyzed and forced to drag their body 10 miles through the snow for help because their infant triplets were starving." I said.
"Huh?"
"Okay, I am mostly kidding. I think this man on the show had to cut off his own arm in a tragic fishing accident."
"What do you think I could get for a toe? I am totally willing to part with a toe if I could get a cool bedroom like that one."
If anything motivates you to tackle projects around the house it is your children offering up their body parts in exchange for home improvements. So we used this long weekend to knock out the wall that separates our kitchen from our family room and to remove the hideous dropped ceiling and fluorescent light fixtures that have disgraced our house for too many years. What would ever make someone put those things in an historic old house? It felt like we were releasing our house from bondage.
I say we, but really my part was helping to clean up the horrific mess that only smashed plaster and lathing can make. I also ooohed and aaahed when appropriate and ogled my husband's butt while he was up on the ladder. You know, the important things.
I would show the before and after pictures, but I don't have a computer anymore. At least not until December 6th when my brand new laptop is scheduled to arrive.
9 Comments:
I could send them pics of our glorious '70's home. We went on a food drive, allowing ds to see into other peoples homes. He wantetd to know if we were poor since everyone's was nicer than ours. Maybe I'll suggest losing a body part to him.
Man! I bet it's FUN to knock out an entire wall! I wish we could do that. Do the kids get to help smash things up?
Did your kids chant along with "Driver, MOVE THAT BUS!"
No? It's just mine then.
Yep, we love that show as well. My 6-yr old daughter has cancer and my kids keep asking, "But when is Ty coming to our house? We want a new house, too, preferably with an Olympic sized swimming pool and a trampoline in EVERYONE'S bedroom!!!" I've tried explaining that there is nothing wrong with the house we have, but (sigh) they're not giving up on the idea of those personal tramplines. :)
You will have to post pointers on remodeling while having kids. We bought a 100 year old Victorian this summer and will be starting work on it in the spring...
My Grandpa lost his right arm, up to his elbow, in a farming accident a long time ago. He always said if he would have known about all the insurance money he got, he would have let the whole arm go. (Just revealing how sick our family truly is.) Your son's toe comment reminded me of that...
Don't ogle the butt too much, it could cause dangerous consequences.
Can you come to my house to help motivate me? I kept looking at the still bright blue radiators in the house and thinking that it would take me no time at all to repaint them white, but that entailed getting off the couch!
Yes, but is your new laptop possessed like mine?!?! (I'm too lazy to link, you'll have to visit my blog.) I didn't *think* so. And I'm pissed that you're getting yours a full week before I'm getting mine.
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