Accomplishments

We took advantage of a slow weekend to take care of a few projects around the house.  I first have to applaud Andy.  He tackled the 5 foot square box that has been on the front porch since it's arrival on Halloween - the new, assembly-required patio furniture.  We read nightmares of assembly in the online reviews, but thought that knowing what we were getting into (who am I kidding, knowing what he was about to get into) in advance, would make it tolerable and worth the 60 percent off.

Not only did he tackle it, but with extremely uncharacteristic efficiency (may I clarify, he is extremely efficient in the kitchen and anything having to do with food).  I had already prepared myself for the swearing, the sweat beads on his forehead dripping tauntingly into his eyes, missing parts, broken pieces (as many also indicated on the reviews).  I saw him at one point assembling the love seat on the living room floor, and next thing I knew, on a pass through from my clean sweep in the garage, he said, "Hey, want to check it out?  We just have to decide how we want to arrange it!"  The writer in me so badly wants to say that he was holding the drill up to his lips as if blowing on the tip of a gun upon being the man left standing after a sundown shootout.  But I don't think that actually happened.  The couple of hours of assembly (5 pieces!) went by so silently, I am still in awe.

I cleaned out the garage, dumbfounded that we have a total of five sets of golf clubs (my $10 yard-sale starter set, my new and improved $25 dollar starter set, Andy's old "Cougars" and his - imagine golfing with the guys with your set of "Cougar's" - new birthday replacements, and brother Jake's).  Everything in there is now separated for the yard sale this coming weekend, the back patio is cleaned off, our pretty turquoise-glazed ceramic bird bath now has a permanent home and new use other than holding miscellaneous yard shoes and garden gloves, the old resin patio chairs I couldn't wait to get rid of have now been repurposed near the bird bath (you would be so proud Rose!), frosted globe outdoor lights from our wedding have been strung on the patio, our 11 solar garden lights placed strategically around the yard, leaves, dirt and cement cleaned up from the rear as well as the unsightly dead plant pot graveyard removed from the side yard - now hope filled in the garage one step closer to new plants in them soon, Halloween decorations put away, both cars cleaned out and vacuumed, and the front patio swept.  Whew. 

And the most amazing thing happened.  As I cleaned and Andy built, the girls filled the space with living.  I brought the never used tee-ball set from the garage to the backyard.  I pitched, and Lily hit balls.  Emmy tried to hit Lily with a bat (hey, what can I say, it isn't always rosie around here).  Andy brought out the telescope in its box that has been transported to three different garages without being opened.  I unzipped the easel case covered in dust (also from living in three garages) a half-opened canvas, and paint set - some dried up, but enough new for Lily to create her first acrylic painting of grass, sky, clouds, and a big giant red rose nearly as big as the canvas right in the middle.  Lily and I sat on the new furniture and ate Triscuits, cheese, an apple and Cherry Vanilla Creme Hanson's while we played UNO.  We all took turns before dinner catching a glimpse of the craters on the moon through the telescope. 

We're getting the hang of it, these starts and finishes.  Even in small bursts, as they often come, make our world a different place.  All in time.  We started three months ago with the same dirt and weed backyard we had when we moved in two years ago, and now, it's another place we can be to grow the family we are and that we become each day.  It's really quite similar - doing it day in and day out, it's hard to see the progress.  But every now and then we look at the girls and think, my gosh, did you grow two inches in your sleep last night?  And who are you that you would make hot chocolate for each of us tonight, all on your own for the first time because you thought it might be something we would all really like?