There’s been a slight delay . . .

I’d hoped that we’d begin our homeschooling lessons today, but honestly . . . I’m just not ready.  I know I’ll be ready by next Monday (hopefully before), but our remodel on the classroom/library/office has taken longer than I expected. 

Originally, we just planned on ripping paneling down, putting up sheetrock and painting.  But we decided that, considering everything was moved out of there, it would be the perfect time to refinish the red oak floors, too.  Not a huge area square footage-wise, we just couldn’t get excited about setting everything up and then having to take it all out again later to do the floors.

So we rented the sanding equipment and sanded the floors.  Went over them twice with tacky cloth to remove all the dust, etc.  Painted “Red Oak” oil-based stain over the entire area twice, leaving it on for 10 minutes the first time and then 15 minutes the second time.  The color is very pretty.  It had to dry at least 5 hours between each application and before applying any sealer.  The sealer (Varathane) had to dry 4 hours between each application and a minimum of 3 is recommended.  We decided to go ahead and do 4, since that’s what a friend had recommended to us.  Their floors are beautiful and the finish is very durable.

I finished putting the fourth coat of Varathane on the wood floors at 3 a.m. this morning.  It has to dry at least 24 hours before light usage, and preferably 3 days before normal usage. 

We’re going to see if we’re brave enough to gingerly try to install the baseboards before the 3 days — I think if we wear socks and only go in there to measure, then out to the garage to cut, then back in to nail the baseboards in place, we won’t hurt the floors.  By the time the 3 days is up, I can paint the trim and move everything back in.  And get back to real life.  Whew!

I’d try to start school right now in the middle of it all, but I’ve got stuff all over the place . . . I’m just not quite ready and I don’t think it will hurt us to wait another couple of days.  We may do some math and some spelling . . . I think I can put my hands on that stuff without too much trouble.

I’m kind of stressed about it all, but I keep reminding myself how blessed we are that we have a home, food in the cabinet, and each other.  So many right now have so much less . . . thinking of this really helps one to keep perspective, hmmm?

Have a blessed day.