Last week, we had a run-in constructed. Jason, who seems to be our contractor of choice, and a helper drove their trucks into the dry lot to unload all the materials.
They had it framed out the first (and longest) day. The second day saw everything done save the metal roof. The final day was a quick drive in and finish after the metal Jason ordered came in.
The run-in is Shane tested and approved. Carrie wouldn't have been happy he was climbing on the new construction, but how else do you know if it's solidly constructed? Or at least, how do you have fun and check it out?
I've been home for almost a month. I've had time, but they haven't gotten done. Or at least, until now.
Shane and I started to assemble the hutch on Thursday.
Tasks always take longer when Shane's involved. The goal is the short term increased effort/time translates to him growing and having some fun in between.
We kept the doors shut to guest bedroom to keep animals out. Loki camped out and looked for any opportunity to join us!
Phineas and Ferb put together roller coasters in minutes. It took us much longer!
Funniest Shane conversation: I gave him an exacto-knife to open the plastic with the screws and dowels.
"I can't do that! I'll cut myself!" Shane said.
"Not if you do it right," I replied.
There was hemming and hawing, but I showed Shane the basic rules: 1) Never put anything you don't want poked on the other side of where the point presses in and 2) cut away from anything you don't want cut (like your body!).
"If I cut myself, it's your fault!" Shane said.
"If you cut yourself it'll be your fault, because you didn't do it right."
He didn't cut himself. We did have a talk about respecting tools as tools and not toys after there was some hammer play.
I let Shane go play Sunset riders while I did the final detail work.
I waited until Carrie was available to help me lift the hutch for the final step.
Carrie bought some new cabinets for the barn to help the boarders organize their gear.
Hello again, old friend. I didn't realize it was you.
The build process was very familiar, but the pieces had changed slightly. Maybe all cheap, plastic cabinets are made in the same factory?
One of these days, I'm going to tell Shane to build something on his own.
We made the first cabinet Friday. Saturday, we did the second one in half the time. Shane did a good job of recalling a bunch of the steps.
We threw the two el-cheapo cabinets in the corner of the wash stall.
They seemed to be an upgrade of the previous cabinets when I looked at them side by side. The handles were better and the assembly was easier. It was probably cheaper to produce using plastic axles rather than metal hinges, too.
I need to do another oil change on the mower soon and check out the busted garage door, but my motivation didn't go that far.
I did do some minor projects in the barn. The middle mare stall was a morass of filth. I started to strip it Thursday and finished Friday morning.
It was partly Maddie's fault. She's terrible on destroying stalls!
The biggest pain with stripping stalls has been carrying away the nasty bedding. I'd like Shane to hack me a path into the trees, so I don't have to stoop over with 50+ lbs of poop and pissy pine chips. I can't trust him to run off with a blade on his own, so that means if I did send him to do it I'd have to go with him....which is why I haven't made him do it....yet.
There's always something to do.
Y'all have accomplished so much on the barn and at your new house. And it's all such a good learning experience for Shane. The schools shutting down hasn't kept Shane from having valuable lessons. Well done!
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