We are all just products of our environment. In the case of our children, growing up in an old house that was almost constantly being renovated, our children grew up in an environment that was essentially old plaster, paint, and more than a fair amount of sawdust and sweat. As they grew up, language arts included terms like “crown shaping,” “Phillips head,” and swearing (optional) when it came to plumbing repairs.
BoyWonder was about 18 months old when he picked up a hammer for the first time – true story. Of course we didn't let him do anything dangerous. He would just carry his tiny hammer around and lightly hit things, whether they needed hitting or not. Apparently he didn't use power tools until first grade. We're not crazy.
chip
As a teenager, he took it upon himself to tackle a kitchen full of porcelain tiles and chip them to help renovate the kitchen. It wasn't even remotely a good time. I can't tell you how thrilled I was when he sent a photo of his current project at his home earlier this week: cutting almost identical ceramic tiles from his own floors. I can only imagine the flashbacks! A decade apart and yet here he was, right back at it. In the case of his home, at least three layers of flooring were hidden beneath questionable laminate. I'm not sure the “message of comfort and joy” were the prevailing sentiments as they uncovered layer upon layer of damage.
With that in mind, it really is the time for renovations. Not only does it make perfect sense that BoyWonder would tear apart the back entrance and half of the plumbing in his house just weeks before a big holiday, it was also inevitable. Three decades and one house ago, his father and I renovated our ONLY bathroom on Christmas Eve. I almost completely blocked out the experience – much like giving birth – but if I remember correctly, it was… not fun.
Here we are, so many years later, and it's entirely possible that our children are either irretrievably broken – or truly undaunted. GirlWonder continues to roam open houses in three counties in search of the perfect “fixer top” waiting for her loving touch – along with a dumpster and a sledgehammer. BoyWonder, which has already reached such a place, is constantly in the process of dismantling, building or remodeling. It's wonderful.
With every renovation, there's a moment between excited optimism and the “after,” when anyone with a shred of sense believes wholeheartedly that they've made a terrible, terrible mistake. That's what I call rock bottom. From here you can't go anywhere except up.
I knew I had succeeded as a mother when Girlwonder sent these comforting words in a group text chat to her brother and (future) sister-in-law, who are currently in the midst of a complete colon cleanup. Dirt flies everywhere. Water is out. The power is switched off. It's dirty, expensive and inconvenient. In response, GirlWonder sent, “If you don't ask yourself why you started this in the first place, you're not doing it right.”
We are so proud.
A home, like Rome, is not built in a day. It's a lot of hard work, but it's also worth it. Not to mention the experience that lasts a lifetime. After all, BoyWonder is 27 years old and has 21 years of construction experience.