We have lots of projects at home that are almost finished.
The sunroom is waiting for trim around the windows and tile around the doors. The attic is waiting for the access door for the under-the-eaves storage and trim around the baseboards. The basement is waiting for trim and a few doors. All of them are waiting for funding.
But the important pieces are together. We made a conscious decision when we moved in that the first projects we would tackle would be the ones that benefited the kids most. The sunroom and attic only got tossed in because, let’s face it, when you have the guy here doing windows in one room, he might as well do both rooms. Same for the drywall guy.
Maureen and I will frame a room without hesitation. We’ll even insulate and conquer the electricity. Our good friend Fr. Joe comes to visit and we put him to work with a drill. But doing drywall is an art and we have a guy, Yves, who does it like no other. Unfortunately, that means he also is booked way in advance. We have used a substitute for some other projects and always end up going back to Yves. So this time we are waiting for him, at least for the pieces of drywall needed around the windows in the sunroom.
But the basement has come together nicely. Fr. Joe and I hung the screen a few weeks ago and we wired all the speakers before we put the walls up, so those are finished too. The carpet went in a few weeks ago and this weekend we painted the shelving we built and unpacked the rest of the toys. With the unpacking of the Tonka trucks and Fisher Price Little People houses, airports, and village, the seven year old announced, “Finally, it’s our basement.”
They waited a long time to unpack their toys and since the toys are filled the shelves, I announced there is really no room for any new ones, so Christmas should be easy. That was not well received.
Still, for Christmas in our new house we have adopted a new tradition. Four gifts: one thing you want, one thing you need, one thing you wear, and one thing you read. The kids have had a great time narrowing the choices down and discerning between “need” and “want” – (i.e., “You want a puppy. You don’t need a puppy.”)
We are still in negotiations about whether Santa will bring an additional gift. Since dad tends to buy anytime there is a sale and then store things in a closet, Santa’s chances are looking good.
When all was done and we settled down to watch a Sunday night (extra) movie, the eldest child commented that Advent should be easy for us. It’s been a year of waiting. Waiting for house, waiting to be reunited, waiting for rooms to be ready, waiting to unpack, waiting for people to visit. There are still many boxes to go and not enough pictures on the wall to satisfy all the children, but we are still sorting out furniture and what goes where. It seems that the waiting will continue.
May your week be blessed and your Advent patience be abundant.