New skills and solar camp showers

I got 1 more coat of paint on the kitchen cupboards today. 1 more tomorrow night should do the trick! I worked on that with the kids in tow, which was not easy. They all get whiney pretty quickly and start fighting. Joe picked them up towards the end of my painting and they all got dinner made and the house picked up. I walked into a prepared dinner and set table. I could get used to that ;)

I was super excited after we went back to the house tonight. Joe taught me how to replace electrical outlets! Not just the covers, but the actual outlets. I felt so handy :)  Then we talked and joked about how much our communication with one another has improved with all these years of marriage. When we were newlyweds, Joe tried to teach me to drive stick and that was a nightmare. His mother had to teach me (thanks, Karen!) because him trying to teach me was such a bad thing for us. Now, I guess we just know one another well enough to know how to teach things in a way that the other can learn. We still have a few more outlets to get changed out, so I believe I will get to continue to practice my new skill :)

We are beginning to get nervous that our bathroom won't be complete before it is time for us to move. Our contractor is a hard and good worker, so it isn't his fault. It has to do with the kind of loan we have for the home and the home improvements. The type of loan doesn't allow for the contractor to get any money upfront, but they can get paid certain percentages during the process when draws are done by the inspector and paperwork is submitted to the bank. Unfortunately, our inspector has gone AWOL, which means no draws with the paperwork are being done, which then means no money for the contractor. He has done all he can do until he gets paid for what he has completed so far and I don't know how long that will take since the inspector guy won't return any of our phone calls or emails. As of right now, we still don't have a working bathroom. We began to feel stressed about it, but then I really had to adjust my mindset about it. There is nothing we can do about it if that is the way it is going to shake out. I guess we will have to get one of those solar camp showers and shower in the backyard. There is a port-a-potty across the street until softball season is over. I guess then we might just go old school and dig a hole in the backyard (I kid, I kid). It is an interesting journey, this house. It is an excellent teacher of the lesson of letting go and becoming a bit more zen.