Love, Vision, Patience and a Whole Lot of Work: DIY Home Renovation and Autism

The purpose of my last blog post was to convey the positive changes in Lauren and in our house as a result of our renovation.  It didn’t occur to me that it gave a skewed perspective of the last year of our lives.  I thought the adjective “DIY” was enough for any reader to understand that this was not a simple undertaking, and that we’re not working with an abundance of wealth here.  (If we were, we would have hired a contractor for just about everything, as Lauren can keep us busy 24/7 without anything extra on the agenda.)

We’re Back! Post-renovation Update

Nine months have passed since my last blog post.  I intended no more than six months, but…that’s life with autism.  Our DIY (with the help of friends) home renovation began (as a kitchen renovation) with the removal of an upper kitchen cabinet on Memorial Day weekend 2012.  We officially declared the renovation “complete” on Memorial Day weekend 2013. The label “complete” was for the purpose of sanity.  There is quarter-round molding to be installed, a few paint touch-ups to be made, placement of electrical switches to be perfected.  (Craig’s ability to do this himself, and Lauren’s '”interest in” light switches, results in more migrating of switches in our home than in the average home.)  Our house is exactly 40 years old this year, so there are always problems to be addressed.  So like it was before the renovation, and ever shall be, there will never be a lack of home improvement projects to choose from each weekend.

The facts that deem the renovation “complete” are:
Our home is 100% livable.  We can cook any meal without lack of any appliance.  We can have guests over (even overnight) and there is space for everyone to be comfortable.  And I am happy with the home I have to present to the world.  I no longer think, “We can have so-and-so over after such-and-such is done.”
  
So now that you know “complete” is relative, onto the important question.

Did the renovation accomplish all that we hoped it would for Lauren’s world and our relationship with her?

Weird Things We Did This Week—July 21, 2012

Cut a hole in a wall.   Okay, so I could try to sell the cutting a hole in our wall as a renovation design choice.  But let’s face it.  I would never have considered the hole in the wall as part of our remodel design had I not been problem-solving around autism.