Kitchen Project continuing

Our kitchen is galley style and turned out to be a lot bigger than I thought it would feel like. A big factor was taking away some space from the Master Bedroom and removing two walls that seperated the old water heater/pantry room from the old kitchen. I wish I had before pictures of the kitchen.

Dereck's working on installing the water to the sink & dishwasher, hooking up the garbage disposal

Installation looks more like a tornado has arrived

Yeah, the beautiful sink is almost installed (it's almost 36 inches wide)

The main bathroom has seen the toilet added (the sink & cabinet seen in the picture had to be returned shortly after taking the photo...it's didn't work with the location of our plumbing)

We took a break from the house on Monday to attend the Phoenix Suns game (tickets courtesy of our boss). We were invited to stand with the Suns players during the National Anthem. Here we are waiting off the court for our turn to go on with the players. Only 5 of us teachers made it on time for this special event. The rest were either late (or avoided being in the spotlight...which were at least 8 others)

Oh look, it's DONE except for the finishing touches (molding, fix walkways, install toe kicks onto the base cabinets)....oh how the little things always keep getting added onto the list

LOL

When testing week is so stressful and boring for teachers (because you walk around proctoring for 4 hours a day for 4 days), this student cracked me up last Thursday morning. It was the last day of testing and I was nearly in tears from laughing so much without sound (I didn't want to be on the video). I hope you have a good laugh too!

This video was taken during our homeroom time which is when the students eat breakfast and announcements are made. On this particular day, the announcements included a song revised with testing related lyrics.

Testing Week Brings Out More work!

It is AIMS week. The much glorified testing week that somehow (wink, wink) teachers don't fret about. After all, supposedly teachers don't teach to the test but yet everything we teach must be something tied into the standards which is what we're tested on right? Also, when you teach at a high poverty school where more than 50% of the students start Kindergarten not speaking a word of English. Even if a student speaks English more than 60% of them can't read any basic sight words (i.e. and, or, the). By the time they reach me in 4th grade, they're still trying to play catch-up with where they should be. Needless to say, it is beyond difficult to retain a student. Paperwork and policies make it difficult. Especially if a student is labeled as SPED (special education). You have to have all your balls in a basket to actually get a student retained. Now, I'm not trying to say I'm for retention but if a student isn't academically ready for the next grade level and he/she will just struggle to the point of possible frustration there's no need to put a child through that torture if another year in the same grade will help allow them to get caught up and mature (often that's another issue....it seems parents like to start their child in school sooner than their maturity level is ready). Being a teacher now it puts a whole different level of appreciation for my parents delaying my start into Kindergarten since I have a late summer birthday. Yes, I did two years of Preschool instead of the usual one year (at least in those years).

Okay to back to the house: Testing week allowed for all before and after-school programs to be cancelled....this allowed for us to sleep in a little bit (since I didn't have Breakfast Club in the morning). Then after work, we would go straight to work on our house. Whoa, that's wierd...OUR HOUSE! Yes, the paperwork has been submitted to the county making this place our house.

Dereck finished the grout on the kitchen and bathroom tile floor. Then we started installing the cabinets in the kitchen:

The wall where the sink & dishwasher will be placed

The side for the stove, fridge, & microwave.

The wall where the sink & dishwasher will be placed

That countertop really isn't installed yet....just resting in place so it's off the floor

Janie decided to be in the picture

Tiling Galore

The most annoying part about tiling......it is a MESSY process!

The kitchen is tiled. At the end there is the addition and eventually the door to the backyard. We eventually plan on continuing the tiling into the addition but since we haven't done the insulation or drywall in there yet, the tiling will have to wait.

The kitchen looking the other direction (I'm standing in the addition). The doorway at the end leads to the dining room. See that blue tarp? It's covering our appliances that arrived but weren't in their boxes anymore (apparently new policy from the store manager for appliances to be removed from their boxes at the store instead of on site when delivered).

Dereck laying tile for the dry run in the bathroom. The dry run is before any glue adhesive is used.

This time the tile is down for real. That little hole is for the toilet.

Okay, we ran into a dilemma when trying to tile around the bathtub. Things aren't lining up correctly so we stopped here. We need more time to think and research how to install the tile without our problem hindering us (the bathtub lip isn't secured behind the backer board). 

On the other hand...we finally have a toilet installed in our 2nd bathroom (in the addition). Now we (oops, I meant me) don't have to squat outside to pee or drive 3 blocks to Dereck's Mom's house to go #2.

Toilet with the tankless water heater above it

This is supposed to be our laundry room sink but it didn't have the right hookup for that yet, instead it did fit with the bathroom sink hookup.

Project Continuous

So, that's how I feel. A project that never ends. We're still fighting health issues. I think all the tools is causing agitating the possiblity of Carpal Tunnel for Dereck and I've been dealing with Strep Throat. Yet, we must carry on.

Here's what occurred the week after Spring Break:

We had to get a new front door. Along with that had to come a new screen door. We found this and a matching screen door on clearance for a steal of a deal. Plus with Dereck's military ID, he gets an additional 10% off! Woot! These screen doors have the extra strong screen. Great security.

The new front door.

The beginning of the stucco. This way our addition doesn't look unfinished.

The vent for our Tankless Water Heater, on top, and the black piping is the vent for the toilet.

The new screen door in the addition.

With the new back door.

Back door and screen door.

The bathroom is drywalled.

Dereck spraying the foam insulation in the Master Bedroom.

I am Darth Vadar!!! Oh wait, it's just my gear for spraying insulation.

The kitchen with foam insulation on exterior walls.

Another view of the kitchen.

We went to go visit Barkley. Our soon to be new addition to the household.

Yes, Barkley is a big guy.

The house....see our two little doggies at the gate??

The stucco now has a better color. You can also see Janie in the lower right hand corner. The dogs LOVE all the space to run and sniff.

The back of the addition looks great!

The brain of the water system now has hot (red) and cold (blue) hoses going off to their necessary locations.

Hello little guy!

Notice something different in the front? (Refer to the picture above where our two little doggies were peeking behind) If you still didn't figure it out....it's a new manual rolling gate. I can't tell you how many times we have been poked, scraped, or jabbed by the previous dilapidated chain link gate.

Here's what occurred in the last few days:

As of yesterday, the kitchen was getting tiled! We've already received our cabinets and appliances....anyone volunteering to help us get caught up???