How to Build a Backyard Part 2: The Wall

Yes, it's time to check in on our major backyard renovation. We have completed the demolition work and are now building the wall for the lower level. The walls are being built out of treated wood timbers, rebar and a gravel foundation. The wall is supported by perpendicular "deadmen" that tie the wall into the earth behind it.

For anyone thinking that the Hood's must be expert wall builders, check back with this wall in a couple of years and see if it's still standing. The only thing we're going on is some how-to websites and common sense. We'll see how it works out.

4 Little Girls + Sleeping Parents + Markers =

Amy sports a phat goatee . . .

Claire contracts a rare case of Smokey Mountain Spotted Fever . . .

Sara's outfit gets a makeover . . .

Mikala draws an amoeba, while Amy experiments with a new subject: a One Eyed Monster . . .

Amy practices her art next to Daddy's artwork on the playroom wall (Amy is understandably confused about why she is not allowed to draw on the wall) . . .

Mikala thinks Amy's artwork is very hip and commissions body art based on her One Eyed Monster.

Lessons learned:

• The Olympics are fun, but sleeping is better.
• Do not leave markers where children can find them.
• If you absolutely must leave markers where children can find them, remove the sharpies from the mix.
• Use a Magic eraser for the walls, baby oil for the babies.
  

Nebulizer Baby

Sara had a bad cough--bad enough that we had to take her to the urgent care to have her checked out. Apparently, she was working on getting pneumonia, and she was almost there. Her treatment is a nebulizer, steroids, and antibiotics. She doesn't mind the nebulizer too much, except that she hates it. She pulls it off constantly so you can't leave because you have to hold it in place the whole time. Anyway, her cough went away very quickly and she's pretty much back to normal.

In other news, Sara's crawling now--not the commando crawl, but the real thing. That's right, she's able to get her belly off the floor and stop mopping the floor with her shirt. Good news for her, bad news for the floor.

How to Build a Backyard Part 1: Excavation

This is the first in a new blog series about our major backyard rebuild. We decided that whether we sell the house now, or live in it for while longer, we need to make the backyard usable. Our backyard has been a useless slope since we moved in. The plan is to terrace it with retaining walls and make three level areas, with a patio on the lower level. Our plan is also to do it for a $1,000 instead of $10,000.

The Plan:
The first step to this process is moving several tons of dirt. This is very brutal work. It's a good thing we waited until the hottest part of the year to do it (heavy sarcasm).

The Excavation:

We will keep you posted on the progress.