SOOOOO….. yesterday I turned into my street just as my phone rang. It was my builder and I said I am right down the street, to which he replied “well you will know what I am calling about as soon as you get here”. I get out and here the alarm blasting. It was the fire alarm that is connected to our alarm. So I check the answer machine and sure enough the alarm company had called. I call them and ask if they had called the police, they say no, they called the fire department. I hang up and immediately call the fire department. This is the message I left on the fire chiefs answering machine “Hi, my name is Shelly Quintana at XX address, I believe that my alarm company has just put in a call to you in error I am hoping that you get this message in time to … nevermind I can hear your sirens, I am very sorry.” With that a police car, a fire chief, 2 blarring fire-engines and another emergency vehicle come roaring down my street and park outside my house. Of course the kids at this point think that Santa came early!! I explain about the insane drywall dust and that yes the house smells smoky but I am pretty sure that it is just from the construction etc etc. (The drywall dust is another conversation!!) So they rush in all suited up and run around the house looking for fire. They come out and thankfully were some of the nicest guys I have ever met and were very nice about it. They said they would rather come to a false alarm than miss a fire. I appologised about 100 times. My nieghbour came out and thanked me for the excitment. They have enjoyed watching the progress on the house and this was the first fire engine visit on the street so he was thoroughly amused. One of the firemen picked up ZQ and put him in the engine letting him blare the horn a bunch. The kids were so thrilled. And another story for the giggle book.

Funny last time the builder came to our house (when he built the entertainment unit) BQ accidentally called 911 then sat on a conference call for work having no idea that he had called. So a police officer shows up and bowls in our door after seeing the builder standing in the window over some very large saws. It must have looked so funny to him. Poor guy got such a fright. Wouldn’t even talk to the builder but rather searched the house making sure we were ok first. It wasn’t until after he left that BQ realised he had actually dialed them thinking he was at work and dialing 9 to get an outside line …

Pictures: 1:my temporary sink, 2:the kitchen about a week ago, 3:the plastic on the floor and the plastic covered entertainment unit. Gorgeous I tell ya!!

I came in to feed the kids lunch yesterday and had to walk out. The drywallers were installing the drywall and there was a cloud of white dust in the house so thick you could barely see. It was sooooo horrible. I tried to clean up today but it is just comical. Plus they are back on Monday and Wednesday for what they promise to be even worse. But the end is near. There are finally what looks like walls and a cieling. The cabinets show up here 10amish on Tuesday. The appliances currently sit in boxes in our family room. I had mega fights with tile people (they will promise anything for a sale! Turns out the tile they promised by last Friday is back ordered until Jan 29th and they just expected me to wait for it!) But the place I ended up going with has most of my tile there ready for the builder to pick up Monday morning. So within 2 weeks with an insane ammount of luck we should have at least 1 functioning bathroom and possibly even kitchen cabinets hung. I doubt I can get the counter installed before Christmas though. (I am not the only person wanting my kitchen done before Christmas darn it)

Today we had a playdate at one of the kids from school’s house. EQ asked if we could have a kitchen like theirs - meaning one that actually worked like a kitchen. lol. You know it is bad when a 3 year old wants a kitchen back!

BQ has gone through some amazing changes since his seminar for work. He is so positive DESPITE the terrible dust which is making ME feel like going to the looney bin for a rest! I asked if he could go every year. Aparantly they did some personality testing and then learning about different personality types etc.  We are almost exact opposites! lol. Whatever they did it has made a huge difference, he is so full of zest like when I first met him. I swear they gave him a youth serum.

Well I have been functioning on about 3 hours sleep a night and feeling it. So much to do so little time.

Enjoy the pics!