Last week we kicked off our kitchen renovation with a list of tips for renovating with a toddler. This week we are going to talk about how the renovation is actually going.
We have been renovating the kitchen for about a week. The original plan was for the kitchen to be done by now. Of course life rarely goes to plan.
Colds are a pain, baby colds are worse…
We pulled off all the doors in the kitchen last friday with the plan to begin painting the next day. Unfortunatly, both the baby and I woke up with horrible colds. It was the first time in years a cold laid me out. It was bad. The husband and his mother fell prey to the cold on Sunday.
Beyond the cold slowing us down, the nanny was out all week with the flu. Putting us a man down as the rest of the recovering renovators tried to make even a little progress every day.
3 am is just as bad as I remembered…
Losing the nanny for the week meant a lot of work had to be done at night. Namely, all of the painting. While some parts of a kitchen paint quickly, the kitchen as a whole takes about 4 hours with two people working to get a full coat.
Since we are doing it right, and putting on a coat of primer, two coats of paint, and couple coats of sealant; it is taking a while. We have seen the early morning more than once, and then I’ve had to get up with the baby at 5 am. There is no downtime. No breaks.
Renovation fatigue is real…
We are all getting a little snappy. Even the baby, who’s frustration at not being able to take everything out of the door-less cabinets is at tantrum level. We are all tired. The baby has missed a few naps and none of us has fully recovered from our colds.
There is only chaos in the house now. Half the kitchen is strewn around the house as we paint. Only half the counter tops are cut and in. We haven’t even begun the counter tops on the island. Everyone is exhausted, frustrated, and fatigued.
We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is tantalizingly close, but still probably 15-20 solid hours of work away, which is both energizing and demoralizing. I just want to be done. I want a break. I want a nap. But pushing through and getting it done is going to make everyone feel better.
What are your best renovation stories? Share below.
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Jane
Jane Reid, the primary author of Unprepared Mom and STEM 911, is an educator, tutor, women’s rights advocate, and mom. Here to make your life easier one article at a time.