Summer Projects: 2020

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 As is my yearly custom, I will post my summer projects. Each year the projects get less and less impressive. No longer am I jackhammering concrete, ripping out tubs, or remodeling kitchens. Now it's more about doing little projects with the kids. And so, here is a glimpse at summer, 2020:

Project 1: playhouse

The boys took apart the old sandbox.


And carted it away.


We built a deck together, now they're holding up the walls while I hammer them in place.


Sheeting. The boys put in hundreds of nails. The playhouse is half nails.


Ahh the roof. I built it specifically to use exactly one bundle of shingles. 


Last touches, putting the sand back.


Here we are!


A sneak peak of the inside. A little kitchen area for Emilie. Also, some storage shelves (the real reason I built the playhouse...).



Project 2: shiplap feature wall

Not much to say here. I was sitting staring at a wall in our living room at the heart of the virus lockdown. And I thought... "That wall might look good with shiplap."
First, to write on the walls!


The kids had fun using the brad nailer. The result:


How "rustic" hey? 


Project 3: bunkbeds

In the immortal words of George Bailey, "Why do we have to have all these kids!?!" And so, time to make bunkbeds. 

John Paul was the man. He helped me from start to finish. Here he is sanding the 2x6s


Assembly.


Dry fitting it in. It turns out that a little girl needs a staircase. Funny how the thought of a staircase never occurred to me with the boys' bunkbeds.


Whitewashed wood (watered down paint). And one happy little girl.


One happy, and mischievous, little boy too. As I write this, he was just discovered up on the second step.


Project 4: paint some doors

Wife: "You know what I would like... I would like a blue front door for our green coloured house."

Husband: "Er... ok..."


Our exterior doors (front and back) were looking dated and hated. 


Solution? Paint them white before my wife buys blue paint!

Phew, that was close!


What's next? More fishing. A lot of gardening. Paint touch ups. Wedding MC planning. And... back to school planning. Yuck.

John Paul reels in his first fish from the Saskatchewan River.


It was delicious. And the garden beans, potatoes and onions didn't hurt either. 

There it is, Projects: 2020.

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