Left On HIGHLAND: Media Room progress...

We've had some delays. Rhyan rolled his ankle during a Friday morning basketball game before work. Actually, it was stomped on by an overzealous opponent. He needed a day or two to recover. Nine days later, the poor guy is still limping and his ankle and foot are still purple. Yeeeouch!

This wall is the only one without drywall. We have to install a cold air return vent here directly to the furnace. That is what is pictured on the other side of the wall studs. The previous owners finished the basement themselves and did not install one. That is against building codes and it makes for a very chilly movie night! Papa Joe will swoop in and do this for us!

That's Miss Anna entertaining herself while I sort through toys!

Getting rid of this pile of stress was very liberating! I sorted and organized and ended up with 8 boxes of toys for a garage sale.

E-I-G-H-T B-O-X-E-S!!!

That will be added to the other gazillion bags and boxes

of toys for the yearly garage sale on Highland.

I was brutal while going through the toys after Christmas.

Brutal for three reasons:

1.) My children are blessed and don't play with most of what they have.

2.) We are remodeling both of the kids' rooms immediately after finishing the media room. The boys will be moved to the media room during that work which means their

toys will be moved there also.

3.) Excessive amounts of ANYTHING (except quilts) stress me out. Why?

Well, I am the only one who needs them to be tidy and sorted. So I am the ONLY

one who does it, ummmm, shall we say, my way? That's right. So, when there is

too much for me to pick up, I sell or donate.

This is the area under the stairs in the media room. I close the door and

get happy again! Ahhhhhh! I love order! (Insert long exhale and sigh of relief here.)

The toys the children are able to keep are here. They each have spots in their rooms

and two baskets in the sunroom.

The "toy closet" is behind this wall. We couldn't even see the floor in that space a week ago.

But now, that wall looks like this:

Yeah! We already love the difference and the drywall isn't even finished.

The most difficult sheet goes up right the first time! I was most impressed with Rhyan's skills.

He got this right on the first cut! He had to mention that only master professional drywallers (yeah, but babe, you're an attorney) can get a sheet cut like that on the first shot! I guess drywalling is like riding a bike...once one learns, one never forgets!