Heeeelp

Today I was to drive Trevor to school early to start making up for missing four days last week, due to his cold. Every time I tried to put him to work this weekend he claimed nausea and the need to relax. I get he is still recovering so I assigned him the light duty of watering the plants to keep their roots wet until I can get them in the ground.

Riley and I stopped by a bark and soil place to order a delivery of good top soil for the plants. Three yards to be delivered Monday morning, $136 including delivery. I needed at least two yards so I erred on the side of generosity since I had to pay a $20 delivery fee. $20 was not bad.

Ordering the dirt meant we needed to swing by home depot and buy a wheel barrow. I opted for the four wheeled kind. It came in a box needing assembly. When we got home I put Riley to the task of putting the wagon together. I told him it was a giant Lego set. He put it together but didn't tighten down any of the bolts. The thing felt like it would rattle apart. I will need to do that today.

While Trevor went to put his shoes on, I went into the basement to get a plastic tarp for the driveway to contain the dirt when it is delivered this morning. What I discovered in the basement was another pain in the rear.

Yesterday evening the toilet on the main floor overflowed. It has a running problem. It was probably plugged and someone used it afterwards without noticing and the whole thing continued to drain. I, of course, discovered the flooding. Right by the front door and into the office where both my children were hanging out ignoring the flooding. Who knows how long the toilet had been running. God had taken pity on me at some point and the plug had broken through and stopped going over the top of the seat. But the water covered an extensive area. I screamed flood and sent the boys scampering for towels to mop up the mess.

This morning I went down in the basement to discover that the flood had not been contained to just the first floor. The smelly water had drained through the ceiling of the basement and landed on open boxes. Luckily much of what is left in the basement is in plastic bins. The water had made a stream bed through the boxes in basement creating a gentle shallow pool under the weight training machine and the boys' couch.

Trevor made the mistake of showing up at the car in an undershirt and un bathed moments later. He got the brunt of my frustration. I asked him if he was a homeless person considering he was heading to school in his underwear. I had told him to bath and had him up in plenty of time to bath. He had chosen to sit and eat his breakfast at the computer instead of taking care of his personal needs. I yelled and told him to march back inside and bath and put on appropriate clothing for school. He had wanted to be early. I had wanted him to be early. But I am tired of his smelling stinky in the morning, skipping the shower. He must bath each and every day. I doubt he had bathed in a couple of days, especially with the weekend. I was done. He fumed but went back inside and jumped in a quick shower and put on a real shirt. Of course this time he did not put an undershirt on underneath just to spite me. He was clean and didn't smell, which counted for a lot when driving him to school. We barely beat the bus coming up the hill. He was probably a half our early but not the full hour he needed. He was still putting his belt on as I drove away from the school.

While I was gone delivering Trevor, Riley had tossed the towels down on the basement floor to help absorb the water. These towels had just come out of the dryer from cleaning up the bathroom. Keeping ahead of the disasters is challenging at the moment.

I had been really proud of my accomplishments this weekend. I took the caulk and climbed the ladder to tackle the windows that were leaking in the living room. I took a can of expanding foam and filled in a couple of holes in the exterior siding where a little of that kind of attention was needed. I took a can of insecticide and circled the exterior of the house spraying the foundation. I used an interior insecticide for the baseboards inside the house.

We have been seeing the periodic black ant making an appearance in random locations. I wanted to make the house a little more inhospitable to the ants. If they still continue to show up I will hire an exterminator. I am guessing that will cost $400 for a house this size. I figure the ants are residual from the colony living in the decommissioned hot tub we demolished and destroyed. Searching for a new home, I wanted to make sure they found my home unwelcome.

I still need to dig the holes for most of the boxwood plants. The dirt is being delivered today, this morning, to spread over them ounce they are in the ground. I need to tighten the bolts on the wagon, so it doesn't rattle apart and lose pieces, while I use it to spread the dirt. I need to mop up the basement and continue to get rid of stuff. I am going to have to hose off some things that are salvageable.

This morning I need to be several bodies at once. I am a little overwhelmed. I almost wish I hadn't bought those boxwood on such a great deal, but they do look lovely and they help define the edge of the driveway so the turn is not so blind. No more getting stuck because the edge of the drive is now visible above the grill with these boxwood.

Off to dig holes and avoid the water in the basement, which I am hoping will evaporate away into the concrete given time. I will get everything in the basement moved, I already shifted thing around a bit. I want to take advantage of the sun, which makes working in the yard enjoyable, but will dry out my root balls. But first I have to tighten down my wagon bolts so I can use it.

Tonight is chess club for Riley and Scouts for Trevor. Which means I will get little help from them on any of this after school. I wont even be here to work on anything as I will be cheuffering children. Tom hates Mondays as I am not home to greet him after a hard day at work.

The dirt will need to be moved as quickly as possible as it will be blocking much of the driveway. Which is why I am prioritizing the plants and wagon over the basement flood. No one will see the basement. It will still be there waiting when I get back to it. Lovely day.