Week 11: Habits of the Household

Hi Friend,

Wow, do things feel discombobulated here! Everyone's shifting schedules, lack of routines, irregular events ... it's hard to feel settled and to think clearly about what we need to get done and how to do it, amidst all the change.

One of the things that really grounded this project was the weekday schedule that we stuck to for 10 weeks:

7:30 am - breakfast

8:00 am - morning meeting

8:30 am - start work

10:00 am - 15-min snack break

12:00 pm - 1-hr lunch break

3:00 pm - 15-min snack break

5:00 pm - finish work

6:00 pm - dinner

Then on Saturdays, the team could work if they wanted to (they usually didn't want to, given the intensity of their weekdays). I requested that Sundays be work-free (because if they work, then I work because I have to be available for questions or decision-making). Of course, every day started much earlier and ended much later than this schedule, but the predictable timetable kept us centered. I already mentioned our nightly schedule in a post here.

As a homeschooling mom, I should be better at keeping schedules, but I think I value flexibility and spontaneity a tad too much (just ask Jordan, my strictest schedule-keeper - ha!). But to get help in this area, Mickey and I are reading the book Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms. We're really enjoying it so far. Unlike the rest of my scholarly crew, who had one classic or another cracked almost everyday (they all go to the Great Books school, St. John's College, after all), I've barely touched a non-design/construction-related book in months. But maybe this Habits book and the experience of our summer schedule will inspire me to stay on track ...

So, what's gone on with the house this week? Isaac stayed an extra day and a half, so he worked on sheathing the interior walls, as did Judah and Henrick. After Isaac left, the boys enjoyed some outdoor time performing various earthwork projects with the mini-excavator, which is probably their very favorite activity.

Judah and Henrick sheath the knee wall upstairs - you can see the boards they're using are not a uniform color, but I'm going to paint them, so no worries

Judah sheathed the wall under the stairs

Isaac does a bit more work before leaving

Our plumbers tried to start work on the rough plumbing yesterday, until they realized that the fixture dimensions and their precise placement was in all my head (and not documented), so they left. Oops! So yesterday, I was in a frenzy making final decisions on what I was going to buy and where exactly each piece would go. Thankfully, I was able to organize all the information, draw it, and mark it on-site in time for the plumbers to come back today and get started!

Plumbing for all two-and-a-half bathrooms in one wall

In other house news, our long-term tenants just moved out of our rental house, and we're still thinking about whether to sell it or rent it out again. Funny that that house is stressing me out more than this unfinished house!

But on a high note, I just got the book The Architecture of Community by architect Leon Krier. I've checked it out of the library a few times and never wanted to give it back. So my parents got it for me for my birthday! The author has such great ideas and illustrations about how to build villages, which is definitely on my bucket list. :)

Until next time,

xo

P.S. What are some daily routines that have helped you to feel centered in life?

P.P.S. Have you ever heard of micro-cement as a finish for shower walls (instead of tile)? If so, have you ever applied it? I’m having the hardest time finding someone who knows how to do this wall finish!

The girls give Isaac one last hug

Next post: Week 12: A Little Detour