Roadies

(Please excuse the following post.  It may be a bit scattered.  This is because I am exhausted, have calloused hands, and Jell-O arms.  Thank you.)

You want to know what is super enjoyable in life?

Owning a rental.

Yes.  Yes it is.

Allow me to elaborate, if I may.  We had renters move out on June 1st.  We have new renters coming on June 10th.

Do you recall that my husband recently tore down the garage at our rental?

Sure you do.

Well, I don't know if you are aware or not, but when you tear down a garage, there tends to be a huge hole-ish like area full of dirt and the like where the garage once stood.  

Who knew?!

So that was a kill-joy.  Anywho, my husband and I had a talk on Thursday night.  The talk consisted of making a plan of attack for just how we would get everything done that we needed to get done by June 10th. 

Things to get done:

Build a shed

Redo sprinkler system

Plant grass

Build fence

Weed whack

Rake

Deep clean the house

And so on and so forth.

 I informed my husband that I would like to create a new flower bed down the side of the house.

He looked at me as if I were an insane, crazy person.

I assured him that I had discussed the matter with a few peeps over Facebook and was sure I could handle the project myself.

He looked at me as if I were an insane, crazy person.

He told me that there was no way he had any time for any such landscaping.  I told him that he needn't worry his pretty little head, that I could surely take care of the flower bed.

He looked at me as if I were an insane, crazy person.

On Friday, I had to load up the bambinos and drive into town for a homeschooling picnic (don't be jealous).  Afterwards, I stopped by a nursery owned by a friend.  He helped me pick out the perfect plants for the flower bed that I would be creating all by myself.  He even tolerated my children who were being "spirited" and got them to sit down on a bench by bribing them with suckers.

I will admit, it was a trifle embarrassing to have someone else try to bribe my kids into behaving, but I was so perplexed by all the fancy words he was using! I wasn't even paying attention to them. I was just trying to focus and figure out what a "Roadie" was.

Turns out a "roadie" is what he calls a rhododendron.

Keep up, Taylor!

On Saturday, all six of us went to the house.  Bringing children with you to work on a rental is a mistake of gigantic proportions. 

However, they are our children and care for them we must.

Mr. Roadie from the nursery stopped by to help us figure out the best way to lay out the plants he had told me to buy. 

What a guy!

One thing is for certain:  I know not the first thing about the wonderful world of landscaping. 

So, it's a good thing I decided to create a flower bed when we have no time to create a flower bed.

My husband, the man who told me he had no time for any such bedding of flowers, had to dig up the sprinkler system and move it to accommodate MY flower bed.

Oops.

Then he had to dig a trench to put in edging for MY flower bed.

Oops.

Then he had to level out the ground with his giant muscles. (In fairness, I tried to do this, but he had to take over because I lack the manpower. And the desire to work hard and sweat and other ghastly things.)  And then he did all the planting.

Oops.

So, at 4:30 on Saturday, the day he was supposed to build a shed, he finally got to start the shed.

Oops.

Now, don't get your panties in a knot, dear readers.  I was being helpful.  Do you know what a "yard" of bark is?

Neither do I.

But my husband purchased FOUR "yards" of bark and had it loaded in the back of the truck.  Would you like to know who shoveled out all FOUR yards of bark?

Me.

I don't know if shoveling four yards of bark is impressive, but after receiving multiple splinters and callouses on my hands, I would like to think it is.

On Sunday, David went back to work on the shed and I took the kids to church.  I have good news:  Summer came this weekend!

I, yes, I, Taylor Maliblahblah, got all crazy and wore capris and sandals.

Handsome Dude wore shorts and flip flops for the first time this year.  As he was walking into his classroom, he proudly held his Bible and said:

"I'm going to tell my girl that I am wearing shorts and flip flops!"

Lest any of you are confused, "his girl" is what he lovingly calls his teacher.

After church, the girls had a piano recital.

David took a break from his mad, shed-building skills (or skillz, whichever you prefer) and met up with us at the recital.

The girls brought down the house . . . as much as two first-year piano students can bring down a house.

My parents then took all four children home with them and I went to the house so I could be my husband's help meet.

While my husband was being Bob the Builder, I donned my headphones and began to deep clean the house.

I. Had. A. Blast. 

I kid you not.  Do you know how lovely it is to have to worry about no children for a few hours?

True, I was scrubbing baseboards and windows, but I didn't have to worry about potty breaks, snacks, fighting, crying, whining, and other mundane, parenting tasks.

So, I was in a grand mood, what with my headphones and the like, and I went to ask my husband when he would be finished.

Oops.

Apparently asking one's stressed out husband when he would be finished building a shed after he had to create an unnecessary flower bed is not the best of plans.

Live and learn.

Moments later, some friends stopped by.  I told them David was building a shed.  The second I said that, his chainsaw started up.

It's never a good sign to hear a chainsaw when one is building a shed, is it, dear readers?

Alas.

The shed is not built.  The yard is not raked.  The weeds are not whacked.  The fence is not built.

The renters come Friday and my husband has a full, busy work week ahead of him.

How shall he accomplish all these things?

No one knows.

But I do know this: my husband is Superman and he always gets the job done.

So, this week shall be a bit busy.  And stressful.

Oh!  And his truck broke down.  Do you remember how I had to tow his truck to the mechanic last Thursday?  Well.  It's still broken.

Thankfully, his brother Alex is letting him use his truck.

Holla, Alex!

And holla to my mom and dad for watching the kids.

And holla to my friend Amanda who is taking all the kids tonight so I can try to be Bob the Builder with David tonight.

And holla to our friend, Mr. Roadie, who knows all about the wonderful world of landscaping and showed us the light.

Ah, good times.

Did this post make any sense?

Is anyone even reading this?

Hello?

I am uber tired and I shall sign off now.

Happy Monday!

PS-Sorry for the lack of pictures.  However, I decided that me walking around snapping pictures would be ill-received by my stressed out husband in such a time as this.

PPS-Roadies are really pretty!

PPPS-Anyone want to buy our house?  It has a lovely new flower bed.