A Job Well Done ... Well, Done

Man alive! If I weren't such a good wife (all together now - aaawwww!), I'd be upstairs taking pictures. My Hunny is replacing the children's toilet.


We purchased this house in December of '06. It was a foreclosure and had been a rental for about a decade. We got a great deal buying it "as is". It's enormous for us, at about 2,300 square feet, and the yard is huge! Big enough for vegetable gardens. That there is a picture of one of my bounteous cherry tomatoes from last year. Hee. But "as is" does not pertain to size.




Have you seen my dining room wall? I stripped the wallpaper when we moved in, only to find that the drywall had never been primed. What a mess! Yes, it is still a mess. It needs to be textured (I'll do it one day - honest) and wainscoted. But it is also the "Bad Day" wall, perfect for beginning artists. Or frustrated mommies. See the bare drywall toward the bottom of my daisy? Grrr.


When we purchased the house we knew we'd be replacing the carpets before moving in. It looked like someone had rebuilt an engine in the living room. And the house smelled like a rabbit hutch. While removing the carpet we found piles of gerbil food under the carpet in the upstairs bedrooms. But none of the under flooring smelled, so yay! And because of the cost of flooring an entire house, I had to settle for more carpet. Made me very sad. One day, though. One day, I'll have tile and wood. Really. With the carpet in, the house seems almost done.

But there have been consistent problems with the bathrooms in this house. The toilets both back up frequently. The upstairs bath has always had water on the floor somewhere, but with three kids showering, we've just assumed they were the problem. The shower faucet upstairs drips, and we've replaced the shower head. The sink, just today, was unclogged by the Hunny. Yay! Our bathroom - the one with the huge pink jacuzzi tub? - is butt ugly and its mother dresses it funny. Who on earth puts in a rose pink tub and counter? And blue wallpaper with pink roses! Ugh! The only water issue we DON'T have is the kitchen, where the Hunny has already replaced my faucet and disposal.

So the upstairs toilet, we find today, has a cracked tank. Just cracked enough to make small puddles every few minutes. Or large lakes when no one's up there. Which explains the water spots on my dining room ceiling! You! In the cheap seats! Stop laughing! And the Hunny decided that it had to be fixed TODAY. By him. So of course he drove to Lowes for a new potty.


Oh, what the heck. I'm giving you all pictures. You're friends. And you won't show anyone else, right? You love me. Really you do. Here's the progression so far: The boxes for the new toilet, in bone (I hate bone fixtures, but there's no white in that bathroom and I don't see us replacing everything any time soon).








Then the Hunny and Oatmeal Head installing the base. I can barely see Oatmeal Head in those camo pants. Do you see anyone there?



















Oh! And the old base, sitting in the tub. Attractive, isn't it? Eeeeewwwwww!!! I wonder who's cleaning up after all is said and done?













Here is the toilet, nearly done. Doesn't my Hunny look smart and productive? Not a plumber's crack in sight.














Aaaaaaannnnd .... the finished installation! Yay!!! Pretty. I wish you could hear these two as they work, making weird noises and laughing. Oatmeal Head will be 14 in a month and is enjoying working with dad to repair and replace around the house. And the two of them enjoying their guy humor. Makes a mama proud.

Guess what the Hunny is doing right now? Go on, guess! He's asking Little Guy to christen the new toilet! And it sounds like Little Guy is ready and willing. That's my boy! Well, until the Hunny told him they weren't leaving the room, and that mom would be up with the camera to document the first use of the potty. Boys will be boys. *sigh*






Until I write again ...

Flea