Steel beams and Broken noses

We are renovating!!

Aaargh - the noise, the dust, the indecisiveness (regarding fast approaching colour choices etc etc), the necessity to keep small children out of the construction zone, the cleaning up only to have to do it all again after the dust eventually settles, the noise, the requests from deseperate husband whilst trying to balance kids, meals, household chores etc etc etc....oh my...

but then you think of the end product and it all seems worth it!!!!

Today I was giving the kids their breakfast and trying to make lunches while Phill was banging away putting in a beam for the kitchen wall. I was half watching at the time and was as surprised, shocked, horrified and amazed as he was to see the hammer completely miss the afore mentioned beam to make contact with his slightly roman schnozz. I even heard it go crick!!!
He dropped the hammer pretty quick and grabbed his nose - I grabbed a paper towel in an effort to staunch the blood that I was expecting to see gushing from the poor, crushed nose. It did dribble a tiny bit but no flood ensued, so the paper towel was removed to expose a nose with a lovely hammer shaped indentation on the left side!! I would have taken a photo but didn't think of it at the time and now the swelling has come up and it looks almost normal!! The doctor said this could change as the swelling goes down again. I'll get a photo then!!

He soldiered on all day and now the lounge/kitchen/dining room is looking spacious and wonderful. The house is being held up in all the right places and tomorrow the fire will be going back in. I'm looking forward to that - particularly as I listen to the rain pouring down right now!!

Word to those renovating in the future:
* Move out!!
* If that isn't an option - get a therapist, a masseur, meals on wheels, and a daycare!
* If that doesn't fit the budget then buy some good ear protection for ALL the family, a few face masks, a junky old vacuum that still sucks but doesn't matter if it doesn't survive the project, and demand at least one night a week when there is no drilling, sawing, banging, hammering, cooking and cleaning.
* And if that still doesn't work for you then grin and bear it and hope the end result is worth it all and that your sanity/hearing/family/marriage survives the experience!

And just another suggestion - plan, think, plan, discuss, think and plan AGAIN and AGAIN!!! I reckon we have changed our minds at least a dozen times over a few different things!! Makes life interesting I guess :-).