Sunday Morning.

And I am in my room with three kids, trying to keep them entertained and out of Daddy's way as he is in the kitchen renovating.

And here is a little RENOVATION STORY.

Chapter 1
Daddy gets the awesome idea to get mommy a dishwasher for Mother's Day. So they go pick a nice one out and all is rosy.

Chapter 2
To find a spot for the dishwasher, the fridge must be kicked out of it's corner of the cuisine and put on the other side of the room. To make room on the other side of the room, the kitchen table and two chairs has got to go. (dining room adjacent so no worries, we can still sit down and eat)

Chapter 3
Now there is a space for DW, but no countertop over it and a ten inch gap between DW and wall. So. Some ideas tossed around, maybe put a piece of beechwood counter top over just the dishwasher, just make it flush with existing counter. Nah. It would look like crap and it would have to have two sides to hold it up and would be really hard to get in there right. So add a new counter top to the shopping list, one that is 8 feet long and goes from the stove to the wall. (looks totally great, by the by).

Chapter 4
We cut the hole for the sink a little too big. So there might not be such a great seal around the sink and what would that do to our beauty new C top? Plus the old sink is so grungy compared to the new C top. So add a double sink purchase. Oh. And new taps because old tap doesnt fit on new sink.

Chapter 5
Wall around and behind fridge must be painted to match the room, it was never done when I changed the color about three years ago. So one can o paint.

Chapter 6
Laminated plywood must be used to build a brace for the end of the countertop beside the dishwasher, to hold it up. So lots of cutting on the old table saw, add wood to the final price of everything. AND a counter top edge kit thingy.

Chapter 7
Because the dishwasher has to be plumbed to the sink, modifications must be made to pipes under sink. And the old stuff must be replaced. And parts of the drawers that we can see will not last much longer must be fixed while we have the counter top off. And there is no plug for dishwasher under/behind the counter so electrical implements must be modified to tap into wires in the wall or new countertop will have to be notched out to bring cord out from behind to reach outlet.

Chapter 8
Since the old countertop was higher at the back, the backsplash tiles don't come down to meet the new countertop. There is a 3/4 inch gap that looks crumbola. So either we fill it with white caulking or rip out the tiles (which go all the way across the wall) and replace them. Jury still deliberating on this one.

Chapter 9
Amy knows that once beauty new C top in, the cupboards will start looking way too shabby. So plans are hatched for painting cupboard base, and either replacing or painting handles or hardware. And of course the end counter top in corner of kitchen will not match the new one so NEXT weekend we will be replacing that countertop. Not so easy to do a corner with the old jigsaw, so this one will have to be ordered. Add it to the total, willya.

Chapter 10
Did I mention there is a baby shower here in four days?

Chapter 11
Bankruptcy?

Chapter 12
I am leaving this open for whatever else will (not may, WILL) happen that will require one more trip to HOME DEPOT. They must get a hoot how the same people keep returning there, looking progressively more worn down over the course of a weekend. I bet the surveillance tapes of the store are played at the Christmas parties for entertainment.

Chapter 13
My husband is a perfectionist. And he just works away and measures everything forty times and does his absolute best. Gotta love him.

Chapter 14
It is REALLY hard to do these kinds of projects with three kids in the house. But we are managing. What else can ya do?

Chapter 15
I gotta go hold a piece of wood.

A