Kitchen Remodel - Installment #1

I guess it should really be called "pre-Kitchen Remodel" because no actual remodeling or activity in the kitchen has taken place. But my anxiety level has definately taken hit. Our meticulous contractor gave us a 'project-long' calendar. On it, he put notes such as 'empty this room' or 'remove that furniture' and the like. Our home is small, and add to it the number of people that live here and innocuous statements like 'move this or that' turn into major undertakings. Our bedroom now houses, a computer table, a highchair, boxes of cds, and a china closet. The space where the china closet left is now our 'entryway', which in reality, is just a wall in our living room. Function over form!

This temporary wall has been put up to protect us for dust and other flying objects.

The wall has created a 'cave' out of our once open dining room in which we are now to eat, store all our groceries, 'cook', and somehow wedge our fridge into!

An additional temporary wall will go up, completely trapping us into three small rooms on the first floor insulating us from the construction site.

The room we have previously referred to as 'the porch' is where we have typically watched tv, played games, the Wii, colored, played with toys, listened to music, and eaten will soon become part of our new kitchen.

I did not realize that the back of the house would be pulled apart because of the need for new 'footings' and windows that will be reconfigured. I don't 'realize' alot of things about this project, which might be good.

We have been given very wise advice about focusing on the basics, living in the moment and keeping our eyes on the end result. Is there a life-lesson here, or what?