Mmmm, warm cozy robes.

Josiah has occasionally asked for a robe like Ben's and this past weekend Lisa struck clearance gold at Target. Here are Ben and Josiah enjoying the cozy, practical warmth of their robes, and the fuzzy warmth of brotherly camraderie :)

Since we tore out the counter to accommodate the drainage tile installation last October, we've been planning to rebuild the platform at the south end of the playroom, turning it into an elevated play area. Dad and I installed the insulation and studs before Christmas, and a week ago we finished the support skeleton and picked up the masonite to cover the walls underneath the platform and the plywood for the platform "floor." This weekend saw a flurry of progress as I finished installing the flooring and masonite and found an alternative to the carpet covering that we had originally intended to install over the plywood.

Last night, Ben and Josiah helped me arrange and connect the brightly colored foam panels. The were excited to help and went to bed eagerly anticipating being able, at last, to play up on the platform when they woke. That was enough incentive to keep me going late into the evening , cutting the foam to size and installing scrap masonite as a temporary wall around the platform so that little Legos won't slip down between the studs. I went downstairs this morning to find Ben sitting, pleased and smiling, up on the platform. He informed me that it was great, and of course I couldn't get the WHOLE thing done in one night, but it will be great when it is ALL done.

The next step is to install the peg board backing, then purchase and adhere a couple of 5' x 3' sheets of galvanized steel beneath the windows. Some finishing touches will include alternating cork panels and brightly painted sections of peg board on either side of the window. The final covering for the last couple of feet of the south wall (blue) and the west wall (right side of picture) is still under consideration.