Summer must be here...

My mum goes home after a week's stay and the sun comes out!!! It is just typical! It was lovely having her here. The boys miss her loads but we will see her soon.

The weather this evening is gorgeous! We had our dinner outside in the bright sunshine and watched the tractors bringing in the sillage in the field across the road.

Liam's school play was a great success. All the kids really enjoyed themselves but are so tired after two performance. We are so proud of our bee! And it is all on video to embarrass him when he is older!

Daithi has been continuing with the windows. He has made one complete window and has cut all the individual pieces. They look great. I can't wait to see them in the house when they are finished. He reckons that they will be finished by the end of the week. Yippee! Cian is back for the weekend to help out on the roof or the interior depending on the weather and Emmet is on his way. I hope I have enough food for the workers!

We are celebrating a new addition to the family too. I don't know the name yet but another O'Leary boy! Born today 6pm ish.

Insulation has taken over the house!

The insulation, steel, plywood, etc. for the interior of the house arrived yesterday and today. It takes up 2 entire rooms and let me tell you may arms are killing me from carrying most of it into the house! At least I feel like I have contributed a little to the build.

I am started to get excited now - the interior can be worked on even if the roof hasn't been completely finished. The roof should be done over this weekend if the weather holds. Cian is coming down over the weekend too (he's a star!).

A robin and some swallows are nesting in the rafters. In fact they are neighbours. The robin chick managed to fall out of the nest into a spare chimney pot. It is funny to watch the mum (or dad) come in and listen for the chirping chick and pass down the food. They don't seemed too worried that he can't get out of the pot. Daithi tried to take him out but he flew back in so he put down some sawdust to raise up the level a bit and we will keep watch. Maybe there was a family tiff.

My mum has come to stay for a week. It is great to have visitors but it is especially lovely to have family stay. The boys love Nanny June so I am getting to have a cup of coffee without interruptions! She is useful too: Liam is a bee in the school play and she has been busy helping make the costume. He will be the best dressed bee in the play!

Another week goes by...

It is friday again! I can't believe that a week can go by so quickly!

There has been no progress on the roof since last weekend when my wonderful brother-in-law, who is always helping us out, came to give Daithi a hand putting slates on the roof. They did a sterling job but could only do so much because we need some lead in the valley at the back of the roof. He won't be here this weekend and Daithi is doing an important favour for a friend so I doubt that much will get done over the coming few days, apart from the purchase of the lead.

Daithi made some progress on the new sash windows. The preparation of the timber for the frames is almost complete. He will need one more day in the workshop to finish some bits and pieces before assembly of the frames can commence. It will be great to see a finished frame. We now have someone to spray paint them too. He has so many people that want sash windows made that he is tempted to start his own business in his spare time. He loves that type of work.

What wonderful weather

Wow! Since the 1st of May what a change there has been. It has suddenly become warmer and sunny!

The bank holiday weekend was very busy. Daithi and his brother, Cian, spent most of it on the roof puting up new slates on the roof. The two large sides are done now; only the rear of the roof to go. The rear is the most complicated to do but it is smaller so hopefully it should be done soon. The slates arrived on the friday and our neighbour farmer helped move the palettes with his fork lift JCB. Conor was impressed!

The slates came from India, I think, and they are a lovely blue colour. The only problem was that they had a tendency to shatter when they were being nailed to the batons. Daithi was ready to throw in the towel after the first day but then moved on to screwing them down. When the screws ran out they moved back to nailing them again with better results. Needless to say they were so tired by the end of the weekend.

The May bank holiday always turns out to be a milestone weekend. Two years ago, Daithi and some polish colleagues stripped the house out completely. Last year the roof came down. This year the slates go on the roof. Hopefully the June bank holiday will be as productive. Back to the windows now!