I am not a General Contractor. I never went to school to become one, nor did I ever apprentice to be one. But, I am finding that I am presently wearing the hat of one. I am, for all intense and purposes, a general contractor.
Today:
Get the kids out of bed. Get the groggy eyed teen out the door with smoothie in hand, walk the middle one to the bus stop and then the phone calls begin. First, I speak with Joy. She is trying to hold it together while she brings her dog to the kennel for the week. Her 4 children are packed and they are off to a donated week away at Wisconsin Dells Water Park. Significant, as this marks the absolute beginning of time alone as a family of 5. This is the embarking of a new perspective. It also signifies the end to their current living situation - she has been sleeping on an air mattress since the day of her husband's death, in her living room.
Next, her mother calls me to ask me how her daughter is doing. Joy is in a very dark place right now, and presently, she is speaking to no one.
The phone rings again and it is Slumberland Furniture, telling me that the shipment of new furniture is in the store (couch, 2 beds, a mattress and the chair will be arriving later)
Twelve o'clock, I put the baby down, and receive a text that Joy is now out of her home. I call a friend, tell her the news. I email another, and i text a third. Joy is out of the house.
I get to the house, open it up and take a look around. Our work is cut out for us. Tomorrow, I have a man coming in to donate his time and services to redo all the wood flooring in 4 rooms - but first, the carpet must be taken up. Before the carpet can be taken up, the furniture, the laundry, the books, the toys, etc, must all be moved. Before anyone arrives, I get to work. One room is already cleared out as it *was* the boys room. They are now moved upstairs in where Joy's room used to be. She is taking over their room as her own- so i begin on the daughter's room, who has basically prepped it. Things to do or move: a dresser, a bed to take a part, mattresses to move, three book cases, and some left over stuffed animals. I begin to pull up the hallway carpet and the pad and dump it in the Bagster I brought over. I move the living room end tables, the lamps, the chair, the child's desk and the 'crew' begins to arrive. 3 ladies from Joy's church. We get the TV out, the console, the book cases and the couches. While one is pulling up the nails, staples and tack strip, two of us pull up the carpet in the living room along with the padding. In between that time, I am on the phone with others who are on their way over and Joy calls in to see how things are going. In the mean time, a friend and her husband show up. I have him installing shelving in the front closet for the family as well as looking at much of the electrical. I welcome them and set them to work.
Later in the afternoon, after I have already gone home to change a poopy diaper, "Mom, he just smells so horrible!" Give instructions to the teenager, who is now home and willing to babysit. I continue my phone calls with Slumberland and schedule a delivery date. The hard wood floor guy to discuss our prepping for tomorrow. An additional conversation on the logistics of tomorrow morning and what we still need to do. It is a long day. I am dirty and dusty and I have to go pick up my son from track and field. We rush home and I am quickly invited by my husband to come downtown and enjoy the baseball game. His department with two others are in a suite for the evening. I decide to go, but only after I set the baby down for the evening. My presence away today was evident in his small world and he was in need of Mommy time.
I am feeling overwhelmingly honored to be a part of this simple project. Tomorrow, the floors will be started. Curtains will be purchased. Walls will be painted. Cupboards will be organized. My time will be quick as I have promised Lucy a lunch out. My son has a track and field event in the early afternoon and my daughter has a soccer practice in the early evening. My son has a project that he will somehow be putting together with a friend in our home and my baby will come along for the ride.
But....this is all good!
Thanks for listening.
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