Field Trips

Here I am still playing catch up. Luckily for you I am sick so I am able to write up a few posts while watching Amazing Race season 1. I will apologize in advance if I get distracted.

The boys have had several field trips this year which has been great. One of our first was a trip to Hy-Vee. Unfortunately I can't find the pictures I took. It was a lot of fun though. They had it set up so we toured each department and gathered an item for our lunch. It started in the restaurant section with the kids getting to help make a pizza, produce for some fruit, dairy for cheese, bakery for cookies, natural section for fruit chews, and a balloon from the flower department. During each section we toured the fridges or how they decorate cakes ect. At the end we went up to their meeting rooms and had a delightful lunch and getting to know a few other homeschoolers.

The next field trip we headed to the fire station! They showed us the kitchen and how they separate the food depending on your shift, their exercise room and sleeping quarters, along with the fire trucks!

Dining Room

Learning not to be scared when they are in their gear

Skeetball

In January we headed to the Police Station. The kids learned how evidence is processed, booking a suspect, and sat in the back of a police car and SUV. Hopefully the only they time they will be in the back of one.

Holding Cell - playing their part of sad suspect

Taking turns into the SUV

Spacious but hard seats

Police Car - very tight yet seats are soft.

In March we toured the Boone County Courthouse although they typically do not allow cameras they allowed us to take a few pictures. There were a few jury trials going on so we didn't get to see the larger courtrooms but the kids had fun talking to the Marshals and Judge.

Our Group 

Mock Trial 

Verdict of Not Guilty Cleaning His Room

 Tuesday we head to the airport for our next field trip. I am excited for this one since I have never been in one let alone fly. Maybe one day I can fly to Hawaii.

Until next time, keep smiling.

Not much change

Squeaking in my second post of the month. I meant to post a few weeks ago but we hit a few bumps in the bathroom remodel...which I will update about soon. Then real estate season took off and I am trying to catch my breath a little.

I am looking forward to the end of the school year, only 6 weeks to go! Tomorrow we will be visiting the Boone County Courthouse as part of our field trip and on the 15th is the airport. While school is wrapping up it seems the activities are popping up.

This next month should be full of exciting changes and plans for the future. You know like that bathroom that should have been close to finished by now, closing on 2 properties, nearing end of school, and getting this place back in order.

Short and sweet but I made a promise to get in 2 posts a month and have succeeded almost for a year now with only 1 other month being shorted! Take care.

Bathroom Remodels - Prep and Demolition

Usually I wait until after we complete a project to share it with you but I decided to take you along the journey this time. We may be a little crazy but we have decided to remodel both 2nd floor bathrooms at the same time...actually there was no way around doing one at a time. We did scale it back from our original plans of expanding the 2nd bathroom which is suppose to be the master bath.

The smallest room in the house is actually the master bedroom although we have never used it. The plan had been to connect our bedroom with the "master" to make a larger bathroom and walk-in closet but in the end we decided to scrap that idea and do a more simplified impactful remodel.

The best money we have spent so far is paying Lowe's $59 to shop and deliver the large bulk of our supplies...doors,bathtub, plywood, drywall, concrete board etc. Next was probably getting a dumpster instead of loading the trailer for the dump especially since we only have a week to completely gut the 2 bathrooms before my dad comes to help lay the new subfloors.

We started Saturday on the smaller bathroom ripping down the tile, removing the vanity, and smashing the cast iron tub. I was hoping to remove it in one piece but that was before we knew it was cast iron and installed very tightly.

This meant we had to turn off the water to cap off lines and such so I knew we had to get up Sunday early to get showers in before services. Our first issue came after my husband and boys took their showers. I was headed to take mine when I ran to our basement to get a razor and found the floor drain backed up. One project is now 3! My wonderful husband was able to unclog it but not in time for me to jump in the shower. Either the baby wipes and throwing my hair in a ponytail fooled everyone or they were just to polite to say "you stink." I was thrilled to come home and finally jump in the shower. I can't say that drywall and tile was not washing out of my hair, yes it really was that bad.

Second Bathroom:

The demolition of the 2nd bathroom began with removing the vanity and finding live wires in the wall. Sometime I wonder how the house is still standing. I am just happy we are finding and correcting the issues throughout instead of finding out when we sell the house.

I was in charge of removing the tile, this is very theraputic for me. My goal was to get the bathtub surround out by the time my husband returned. In 2 hours even answering normal mom calls..."I'm hungry" "Where's dad?" "Come see this!" oh and the fighting I removed all but 4 pieces of tile and had about 45 minutes to sit and relax before my husband came home.

The dumpster arrived this morning so tonight will be removing the rest of the debris so we can tear out the rest of the drywall and subfloor.

Hopefully next week I will be sharing the starting of putting the rooms back together!