One last time...

I wasn't sure when I wrote the "final update" on Chucky if that was indeed "The End"?! I am afraid it wasn't! Chucky somehow became a bigger issue than ever before. I guess the easiest way to deal with it would have been to sit with his parents, share some coffee and casually bring up my concerns about their child. However, in my typical style, I wrote an elaborate email!

What a mess! Chucky's mom showed up at my door and insisted that her son is very well behaved and no one has complained about him except for me. Seriously? She went on to insinuate that perhaps I am the problem?!‎ I should have been more firm with him. I got a little defensive and said that I have always aimed to make my home kid friendly and in fact, Chucky should have strived to keep the good will going instead of antagonizing me?! At this point in time, Chucky's mom took a look around my living area and suggested that that may be an issue as well!

Seriously? I was being told my home is perhaps too messy and I am too friendly, and that this may be encouraging Chucky to treat me like he treats me?! I had seen him with his first nanny, his "reliever" nanny and his most recent nanny, and he treats them with the utmost disrespect. ‎Is Chucky lumping me in with his nannies? The mom didn't have an answer.

For some reason, I took the opportunity to list a couple of incidences where her son behaved in a shocking manner. One of them involved Chucky screaming several times that one of his friends was touching his private area that starts with a P and ends with an S! Chucky had actually set up the situation so he could get a chance to scream that way! The mom was totally offended by my narration and proceeded to declare that I am making her son out to be manipulative...I guess any parent would have been upset and on the defensive! However, I was being honest and I was sharing my concerns about Chucky.

At that point in time, I wanted to take my email back and not deal with Chucky's mom. That was in May and even after 3 months, I feel awkward when I run into Chucky's parents at school or in the neighbourhood. It is really sad because now I feel like I am the bad guy! But then again, I'd like to believe that I did my duty as a fellow parent and brought to attention something of relevance and consequence to another parent's notice. How they deal with it is their choice. All the best to Chucky!

Next time, I will not put my concerns in an email. However, I hope there is no next time!

 

A Reno Story

Today is my friend KPF’s birthday and I would like to attempt another humourous post to tickle his Newfoundland funny bones! So, here goes…

‎We moved into our new home 3 years ago! At that point in time, it was already 40+ years old. It wasn't really new by any means and needed serious renovations. We didn't have extra cash and we didn't really care about appearances.

Our (this is precisely where Craigley would interject, if he could, to change "our" to "her" or make it so to reflect it as my choice!)  sole purpose in purchasing a home in our neighbourhood was so that the boys have access to better schools. So, we (or rather I) went over budget‎ and picked up something that made us the proverbial "house rich, cash poor" people! (If Craigley could step in again, he would say that it is not even a house! It is a “Town House” that comes with monthly maintenance fee which technically wouldn’t make us very rich…hmmm!) It didn't and still doesn't bother me as I truly believe the long term benefits far outweigh the short term pain.

Anyways, to continue on with the home reno story...

Our parquet floor started buckling last summer. I learned about it in Science a very long time ago - expansion and contraction. Our parquet was absorbing the moisture in the air during the warm months when air-conditioning is on and doing crazy things like literally popping out of the floor. So, we got a dehumidifier and I patched up the broken parquet with tape. Believe it or not, this was a better plan than placing chairs over the buckled areas like pylons. Our home looked like some amateur obstacle course. So, the taping down made it less chaotic.

Craigley wanted to get rid of the home, the mortgage, the impending reno and just move out. Perhaps that is where his frustration stems from?! To have a wife who puts him in a financially precarious position and refuses to budge!! Guilty as charged. There are days I want the boys to know that if their dad is upset with their Momley, there is a good reason.

Anyways, to continue on with the home reno story...

After almost a year of living with a patchwork floor, it was time to fix the problem. I just didn't realize how big an undertaking it is. I casually spoke with some parents at school while we waited around and got an abundance of advice.

...go for engineered wood; hardwood is overrated...

...hardwood is the way to go if you want to increase the value of your home...

...buy the wood and do it yourself; you will save a bundle...

...shop around and get as many quotes as possible...

...do it when the kids are at school...

...do it over summer holidays...

All good advice and a lot to think about!

Finally, we got down to it a week before "Back to School"! It was supposed to have finished within 5 days. It took 2 weeks and a day, and the workers left with a day's worth of work to complete the reno. They took off 6 days ago and have somewhat contacted us. I have communicated twice now. Our garage is filled with debris and our home continues to be a construction zone! I did the mistake of paying everything upfront; I have no leverage over the reno people! So, I wait; I have no choice!

This home reno story will one day have an end…till then, I hope, someone got a laugh out of it if not KPF. Happy birthday my friend!