We have worked hard the last to days
The house is showing our neglected ways
Erin has been painting with yellow in her tray
To cover the walls that were prison cell gray
I have been digging out in the yard
Trying to get through soil rock hard
A patio was my plan of action
A buried block of cement made me loose traction
The plan was changed to sod and some stone
Friends could not make it I would go it alone
Erin still down in the basement of gray
The first coat of paint took her most of the day
Then it was off to get Noah from daycare
Dirty and tired we looked quite the pair
After dinner and rocking him to sleep
Back to our tasks we were into waist deep
On to coat number two
With each stroke brighter the room grew
I placed the stone using sand as the glue
Running short to Home Depot I flew
One smashed finger in the dark of the night
I placed the last stone seeing by my work light
I am too tired to write anymore
Besides I need to pick Noah’s toys off the floor
Quietly Making Noise 
When I did employee communications for a major home builder, we always sold home ownership as the American dream. We never talked about how the constant repairs and maintenance eventually make it one big pain in the tuchus.