MAY 16 UPDATE: May, sweet May

It's nearly lilac time! This photo was taken at Living History Farms in Iowa a few years ago.

Oh, I do so love this time of year! Not just because it's awash with birthdays (mine, Dave's, Dave's mom's, Dave's grandpa's) and our anniversary, though that it is nice to have so many excuses for cake and company. There are so many things to lift my mood in May -- the weather is nicer, flowers are blooming, we leave coats in the car most of the time, and it's light late into the evening so we have time to take it all in.

Of course, with all these new things to enjoy comes less time to enjoy them, as there is a lot of work to do once the weather warms. The garden cries out for attention, and all sorts of little projects that I could put off without a guilty conscience because the weather was too poor to do them are starting to niggle again. Oh, and the house still isn't finished. There's that.

At least we've been getting some things accomplished lately. Dave's mom, Mary, was here for a week, and I got all sorts of taping and mudding done while I had full-time childcare! Check out my progress:

The utility room ...

... Sofia and Erik's room ...

... the west bedroom upstairs ...

... and the east bedroom upstairs. As well as a few closets and the upstairs hallway. It was so fun to get something accomplished! Thanks, Mary!

But this looks like more than it is, since only the first coat is done on all of this. I got out today to do a second coat in two closets, and I'm prepared to label them ready for sanding, even if the books say three and even four coats are needed. No one is going to examine the closets that closely.

But the rest of the rooms are going to take a lot of work yet before they are ready for painting. And that's of the places where the drywall is hung. The kitchen, bathroom, our bedroom downstairs, and the dining room still need drywall. (Though the dining room hardly counts, since there's not much wall at all in it -- the high part of the room was already finished by the Prairie Builders crew.)

The drywall in the living room is nearly finished, including the insulation in the ceiling, which was a pain -- Dave used what he had left from his floor insulating, meaning it was way too thick and had to be cut down to fit. But I think it will be worth it in keeping peace and harmony in the family when heavy-footed teenagers start living upstairs. We'll also put insulation above the kitchen ceiling, but not in the bathroom ceiling or the ceiling to Sofi and Erik's room, as they are for the most part under closets. Our bedroom ceiling will be under the hallway ... might be a good idea to insulate that, too.

... My tin ceiling idea is getting shot down from all sides, but I am still doggedly hanging on to it for the kitchen ceiling. I just think it would be one of those features that will add an authentic touch and be worth the effort in the long run. I've got a little more negotiating to do, though.

... The breaker box is back in working order! We had an electrician do the work this time. Not fun to have all the work that Dave and Don did go to waste, but now it's done and we don't have to worry about it anymore.

... We got a bike trailer! My friend Sheila's neighbor was getting rid of one, and we benefited from their garage cleaning. We took it out for a spin the other night, and it worked quite well -- Sofia really seemed to enjoy it, and Erik fell asleep. It's not hard to pull, Dave says, except that going into the wind he's got a sail behind him. We've yet to try it on my bike. (Biking weather -- yet another reason to love May!)