Tripping the Light Fantastic

Oh well, at least we have FANTASTIC lights!   We may not have tripped them, but I am dancing around now knowing they are done.

Our son-in-law Mark came to help Steve replace all the wiring in the attic.  Most of the attic wiring was still old "knob and tube" and needed updating.  Since Steve's knee surgeries, crawling around in the attic was gonna be a tough one.  So Mark, our wonderful son-in-law who is also an electrician was volunteered to help us.  LOL    Steve bought all the supplies ahead of time, and had it all ready to go once they got here.

Of course, inviting Mark and Erin for the weekend also meant the grandtots Chelsea and Clayton got to come and visit us too!   In they rolled, with their new suitcases loaded up with their clothes, toys and belongings. (I had a friend make up the patches for the suitcases I bought them for Christmas)

The dogs were so excited to have wee ones in the house again... and greeted them with touching noses and a few licky licks snuck in.

We had our very first Dinner Party in our dining room! 

I served homemade lasagna, tossed salads, garlic bread and wine.  

The grandtots were busy exploring the new house.  Who needs toys when you have things like funny springy door stops and old telephones to play with?

Erin set up the portable crib in the guest room for Clayton.  He was so surprised to see "his bed" in there, and crawled back out with a grin on his face. He had to crawl down the long hallway to the Grandtot room to see where his sister was going to sleep.  We only have an air mattress on the rug in there for now. Later we will look for a twin bed, or perhaps a trundle for Grandtot Sleepovers!

I got to read the bedtime stories.. and I made a promise to Chelsea that if she went to sleep really good, and in the morning she could come and hop in our bed to cuddle.  That made her smile and she drifted off with that as the last thought in her little girl mind.  

At 4 a.m., I heard little footied jammie feets come plodding down the hall--- right past her Mommy and Daddy's guest room door, and come to OUR door.  Like a puppy on a scented trail, she ended up right next to the bed, announcing in a very wide-awake voice:  "GRANDMA, I AM HERE NOW!"   So up she crawled into our bed to snuggle for a few more hours.  What a joy!  What a sweet way to start the day. 

The guys had a good breakfast and headed up to start their work.  They were going to add new service lines pulled up from the basement, and then rewire 9 ceiling lights, 7 switches, various outlets and remove all the old wiring.  Steve had to cut in all new boxes in the ceilings with hole saws and mount them all securely before fishing down all the wires.  Mark was up above in the chilly attic, on his knees, doing the connections, junctions, feeding the wires down and trying to figure out the spaghetti twists of the 3 way and 4 way configurations for 2 different series of the hallway lights.  Feeding wires, making cuts, stripping ends and running around was Steve's part of the job from below, besides drilling and cutting out spaces for the switch boxes and light fixture boxes.  They were busy busy busy.

At 9 a.m. we got a visit from a daughter of the previous owners, who brought us a mirror we were buying from them that would look nice in the house! (I will take pics later of it when it's up)  They also brought us a white metal rocking chair that had been in the front porch for years.  I swapped a handwoven rug with her for that.  So nice to have it on the porch where it once was, and I will later cover the cushion to match the navy blue ones on our wicker furniture.   I am going to enjoy sitting out here and rocking and knitting or spinning yarn on my wheel. 

Little Chelsea discovered our mechanical doorbell.  Give the outside key device a twist and it goes BRRRINNNNNGGGG BRRRRRIIIINNNNGGGGG  almost like a bell on an old fashioned bicycle.  Who can resist that? 

There had been one many years ago in that spot, but had been removed.  So I found a new replacement one.  Steve had to extend the square shaft that goes through the frame a bit, as the new ones were meant to go only through the thickness of a door.  28 years ago I rented the downstairs of a house that had one of those, and little Erin at the age of 2 would give it a twist every time we came in the house.  And every time the old lady upstairs would think it was someone coming to the door for her apartment.  No matter how many times I would scold little Erin, she just could NOT resist twisting that knob.  Too funny!  Now I will let my grandtots twist this one all they want, and enjoy the sounds.

Chelsea made another discovery.  If she took out the little ottoman from inside the big ottoman,

 and then flipped the lid to the hard sided tray--- she had a DESK to draw on! 

Clayton was busy discovering things of his own.  It was time to introduce him to the intricate workings of a loom!  He was sooo busy checking out the Loom Room and all of it's lovely treasures, machines and gears and levers.   Just look at those eyes, taking it all in and figuring it all out!

I have always let the grandtots explore my world of yarn, string, looms and creating handwoven things. They know about beaters and shuttles and warp and weft.  I wonder if any of them will grow up to be a weaver?  Or tell stories about they helped their Grandmuddah at the looms?

My Loom Room gets very sunny and warm during the days.  Little Clayton, almost au natural, was getting up close and personal with tubes of string (rug warp) and figuring out how it unwinds. 

Chelsea helped with some little repairs with her Granfaddah.  Notice the plastic pliersa in her hand as he repairs a wiggly socket on my antique lamp.  We won't mention who broke it, but it's fixed now.

The stairs held a fascination for little Clatyon, who wanted to be UP UP UP all the time.  I dreamt of having the wee ones on this staircase, peering between the rails, and here they were!

As the sunshine poured in, so did the rainbows through the leaded glass windows.  The kids were delighted in seeing the rainbows across their hands as they played on the stairs.  I stayed closed by so we didn't have any one tumble down.

Chelsea helped me make a big pot of chicken vegetable soup for lunch, and later we did up a nice stir fry for supper.  Had to feed these guys good for all the work they were doing.  Erin and I were kept busy wrangling the kids and kept them out of the way.  By 9 p.m. they were finally DONE!    I went up and vacced up the messes as the storm was raging outside.  We were having 50-60 mph winds and cold and snow starting.  I went out on the back shaker porch to shake out the comforters off the beds and almost went over the edge myself with the billowing blankets as a sail!   I was glad the kids were staying another night, because driving back to Oconto 70 miles in conditions like that were just treacherous.

Early Sunday morning, at 3 a.m. .. some little plodding feet found their way to our bed again!   And later Erin gave us Clayton to snuggle once his diaper was changed.  So he got in his fair share of cuddles too, even after his big sister went downstairs.  We sang songs, he explored the woodwork on the headboard, and played This Little Piggy till he fell back asleep... safe in the cuddling arms of his Granmuddah.

Oh the joy.... who needs a wild night life Tripping the Light Fantastic, when I can get my new lights at home, and fantastic grandtots to cuddle?