Clebrating life (and paying for it)

I turned 43 on Sunday.

Would have been nice to relax…

First stop the 9:30 service, where I had to dress up two of my kids in (authentic) Bolivian ethnic clothes in support of our church’s team visit to our missionary there this summer. Also sold some copies of my Mum’s book about her experiences as a missionary in Bolivia in the 50s and 60s.

11:00 service – normal. On wine distribution again.

Lunch – Mrs took me and the kids to Wetherspoon’s to celebrate. Very nice – totally stuffed – but it was crowded and we struggled to find seats and then had to put up with being overlooked by the queue.

Home to open prezzies – No socks! MP3 player, digital camera, a picture, chocolates, a book etc.

Then domestic servitude for the rest of the day. We have been behind owing to Mrs’ arthritis, exacerbated by her helping out as ‘reception’ for the church café for an hour a day. Excellent for her self esteem, but lousy for housework.

Also, we have finally been given the go-ahead for our mortgage to get the basement done, so we have had to start moving the boys out.

This was weekend 1 of the programme:

Weekend 1
Consolidate the laundry room, (ie send 15 bin bags full to the clothes recycling facility)
move two computers into it,
move child 1 into the former study

Weekend 2
dismantle child 4’s bed and put it in child 6’s room.
Dismantle child 5’s bunks and put them in child 4’s room, where they will share.
Move child 2’s bed into child 5’s room
Move child 6 into child 5’s room
Move child 2 in child 6’s room

Weekend 3
Consolidate the playroom
Move child 3 into the playroom
Find somewhere to put the large freezer, bikes, and other basement stores.

Weekend 4
Builders arrive and commence 14 week programme.
Dig out 4-5 inches of floor throughout
Remove central columns and provide joists instead
Create a new door to child 1’s room
Take out the boiler
Take off radiators
Provide textured waterproof membrane, 80mm battens, and plasterboard/chipboard to all floors and walls, building around the gas and electric meters, radiator pipes, electrics etc.
Install shower room and toilet
Add plumbing for washing machine
Put the boiler (possibly a new one) and radiators back
Etc

Sometime near Christmas – put all the kids and furniture back in their own rooms
Child 1 may end up in the big basement room with child 6’s double bed (don’t ask why a 7 year old had a double bed) (yes child 1 will have morality indoctrination before getting the double bed)
Child 6 may end up with child 4’s high bed

And finally, spend 40 years paying for it al