Elliott's Project

This project started because of our need for space. Space under the deck and in the garage. With daddy's toys and kiddie toys piling up we really needed a solution. Though our garage is considered extended it still isn't enough.


It's come a long way from being just a green patch in our backyard, to being something with considerable presence. Amelia helped daddy, as did mommy. Mommy was a bit more constructive than Amelia, who's helping involved drawing on things (including Mabel) with permanent marker, throwing around the dirt, crawling under the shed, hiding tools, and generally doing exactly the opposite of what was asked of her. But what's a two year old to do? Precisely what was described above!


The first thing I helped with was the back wall. I felt proud to have helped. And Elliott trucked on, building all four walls in a day. Stablizing them and trying to keep Amelia from climbing on them.


The first thing I helped with was the back wall. I felt proud to have helped. And Elliott trucked on, building all four walls in a day. Stablizing them and trying to keep Amelia from climbing on them.


Then came the rafters. Why don't you put a loft area in there and we can put holiday decorations up there? Great idea, Tabby. :-) I worried about Elliott hedging planks of wood up the ladder along with nails and the hammer whilst Amelia ran around the yard as long as she could stand to do then begged to go inside with mommy and sissy. Occassionally kicking the door and screaming to tell me her wishes. Often it resulted in a swift to naptime reaction.


Then the siding. This man works fast! And alone. Though neighbors and my dad and brother have both offered a hand, Elliott humbly turned down those offers and steamed on full force, with tea and water breaks and hands of help from me, who often asked the same question, "am I doing this right?" After all, it's his project, I didn't want to mess it up.


When we re-did the back door from a single door and window to a sliding glass door, Elliott was going to toss the window and I said why don't you keep it for your shed? And he did. See, that's why there's two of us, I see things he doesn't and he remembers important things that I forget and is about 90% always right when the phrase "how much you wanna bet?" pops up. Though he always bets something small because he knows he's going to win. The phrase "you were right" rolls off my tongue easier than it did when we were first married.


I helped shingle the right side of the roof! It was fun, but I had to get down twice as Nana shouted, "she's ready to eat mom!" and little Alyssa would sqwak as if to prove this. Elliott ended up finishing the roof by himself because Nana and Papa left for Texas later that week and I had to stay on the ground with the babies. But then the big stuff was mostly done. Elliott had to build boxes and attach trim, putty nails and screws. I didn't help much until last week when he started painting.


We changed the paint twice and ended picking a nice gray for the body and a white for the trim. Elliott informed me today that our house, when we re-paint it, will be the same color because he likes it so much. That's ok with me!


That's the story of Elliott's shed. There's still a little work to be done but not much. I'm not being bias, I think, but I really think Elliott did a bang up job. I like to look at it while I do dishes. I like it a lot!

P.s. Please disregard the dying grass. It's been 100+ for days now and we've just given up trying to water. After all, it really didn't so any good anyway.