Several years ago (June 2004), my oldest son was assigned a science project. As with many of my children’s assignments what could have been simple became complicated. His assignment was to wire a house, build a working car, or make a flashlight. My son chose to wire a house. What started out as simple eventually become a daunting and monumental task.
I don't know what it is like in your home but in our home we plan and always hope to give ourselves plenty of time to complete most school projects. But often our plans go awry. Often the children’s projects end up being last minute jobs. Oddly enough these projects are often well done when completed. Certainly they are creative. Although my children hate pressure and stress, I have found that often their best work is achieved when working under these conditions.
The Simpson House
Our family began searching for a suitable 'house' immediately. While we never expected to find an actual 'doll house' that could be wired, we hoped to find a book case that could be easily converted into a Georgian Style house. But nothing was found. As the days flew by, we realized we must think of another solution.
While my husband did find an old drawer that he thought would make a prefect apartment complex, we chose not to use it. While his idea was perhaps good one, we decided the drawer was not suitable. After some thought, we realized the size of the individual rooms would be too small for our purposes. We chose to look for something else believing the Lord would lead us. And He did!
It was not long before the Lord led us to the perfect house. And we didn’t have to look far. As I sat enjoying the view in our back yard, I thought of our problem. As I contemplated the problem and his son's need, I looked up. And there under the roof of our stoop on a shelf sat---a little wooden house. How could I have overlooked it? It had sat outside in the elements for the past four years. The sparrows had used it to roost on during the cold winter months. The upper bedroom was filled with droppings and the paint was dull but it was all fixable. Yes! God had provided. My son now had a house to build his project on. Thus began our family adventures.
The house originally had a red roof, varnished floors, and white walls. Along the foundation/base of the house tiny red tulips and hearts were painted. My son wanted to change the colour and décor. He wanted bright colours. He wanted his house to resemble The Simpson home. With a shoe box full of assorted bottles of paint, his little sister began to work. She blended the paints creating a brightly coloured house. By the time, her older brother arrived home from school the house was completed. She also found several Simpson plastic figurines (these came from a cereal box) that Gramma had given the children. All that was needed to be done was the wiring. That was Daddy's area of expertise. The house was taking shape!
After a trip to Radio Shack, my husband and son began to work. I had picked up several 'D' cell batteries hoping these would be enough. But I was wrong. Eventually we would require more. Being thrifty people, we purchased the most economical items we could find. And my husband scrounged in his tool box and bins and found several items that could be used. But even being thrifty and using items found already in our home, the Simpson house cost close to $40 Canadian. And that excluded the cost of the actual house and the furniture.
Once the paint had dried the actual task of wiring the house began. Although the angles of the rooms, and the roof presented some problems for drilling, these were not the biggest issues to overcome. For our family what had to be the biggest problem was how to conceal the wiring and the bulbs and make the house aesthetically pleasing to look at.
Since the living room is the nerve center in the Simpson's home, our son wanted to copy the look. Painting the rooms in a similar colour was easy......but how was it possible to make a floor lamp without visiting a hobby store and purchasing one. Of course, keeping the cost down to a minimal was also a factor. We didn’t want to spend any additional money if we could help it. After a lot of analyzing, I suggested using the shaft of a Bic pen. We would worry about the lamp shade and how to attach it later. Once a pen was found and emptied, the living room was wired with a working light. But my husband cut the shaft of the pen way too short. It looked stupid. Even if we thought of a way to conceal the bulb it would never make a floor lamp, at best perhaps a table lamp.
While my husband is always willing, he is not creative or artistic. He is what I like to refer to as being creatively challenged. God has blessed him in other areas. My husband suggested we use indoor-outdoor carpet to cover up the wiring on the roof. This was met with a hearty groan from all. Carpeting on the roof! My husband also suggested using furniture parts that he had saved for pieces of lights and furniture. That too was met with a groan.
After some thought, we decided that the light in the living room must become a table lamp as the light in Bart's bedroom had become (pumpkin light). But we had no store bought toy table available. We would have to cobble up something. At first, we tried drilling the center out of a large spool of thread. This was a whole lot of fun to do --- and watch. While drilling the center out of a spool worked, it looked stupid. Even a hand crocheted table cloth would not conceal the ugly parts underneath. I was not satisfied. We scratched our heads and thought some more.
In time, I located a broken toy doll table. I was pleased. I wouldn't have to concoct furniture out of soap boxes. Yes! God was indeed kind and merciful for I had no desire to create anything else at this point. I was growing tired.
Eventually, we discovered that we required more power for the lights in the house. Since no local store was open, we had to do some more improvising. The four little mini lights drew too much power. Even with eight 'D' cell batteries the glow from the 4 little miniature bulbs was weak. My son was not satisfied. Something stronger was needed. Our son decided that he would sacrifice one of his stored Star War toys for this project. When my son suggested adding 9 Volt batteries to the project my husband was about fit to be tied. He was sick of the project, but wanted to please our son. He carried on. When the Star War toy box was found and walkie talkie, my husband and my son removed the 9-Volt apparatus and soldered them to the unit. The lights from the house now shone like a beacon in the night welcoming all.
While the boys worked on the wiring, my daughter and I fixed the toy table with a little bit of Elmer's furniture glue. After a lot of huffing and puffing, my husband and I began drilling the center out of the table. Have you ever held a tiny toy table while your husband drilled a hole in it---using a bit that is about the size of a dime? It's entertaining if not potentially injury causing. I feared for my fingers. I feared for my table top (a gift from my aunt). At times, I lost my grip and the toy table spun like a top. That hurt the fingers. At one point, the little doily that had been glued onto the table top tore off, wrapping itself on the end of the shaft of the bit. My husband had to stop drilling for a moment and unwind it. But together we persevered and the hole was drilled. After a little sanding with the rat tail file the bulb was able to be pushed through the center of the table.
We decided to leave the ceiling light in the main bed room uncovered (for easy removal and access). My son said his teacher would need to remove one light (or two) to see that it is parallel --- or something like that. The light in the kitchen was placed in the wrong spot. The reason---my husband's lack of creativity again. My son did not want to say anything. We did consider making a fridge that would open and have the light on to cover this mistake...but time ran out ...that and our patience. By the end of the day I was anxious to finish. With a wide and plentiful girth, my hips were aching and my back was sore. I needed rest.
Over the course of this assignment, my husband and son learned that the tip of a hot welding iron hurts---a lot! My son received a nice little blister on his hand to prove it. His father also rediscovered the heat of the gun. His left cheek bore the scar of attempting to hold the iron between his teeth. That is a trick he would repeat again.
And I have learned that the fumes of the soldering wires are both stinky and dangerous. Several times we had to open the window and remove Miss Marshmallow, the pet hamster. My son also learned that a low temp glue gun can burn even though it says low temp. And I have learned that applying a blow dryer to glue gun web like threads really does work. Magically strings of glue melt ---- disappearing before your eyes.
Through a little research on the Internet, I have learned that felt or face clothes make great carpeting. Far superior to ordinary house carpeting that is too dense and high. I also learned that it is possible to paint fun foam. I learned that although indoor-outdoor carpet may not be suitable for a roof (as my husband believed), it does make great grass, especially when the grass is stippled (paint brush) with assorted colours of green.
In the end, my son enjoyed working on this project. He felt personally satisfied with a job well done or to the best of his ability.....until his older sister made the comment that 'we shoulda' painted the furniture in Simpson colours. Too little, too late. While this project was difficult it was worth while. Together we learned and had a whole lot of fun. It is a project and time I will not forget.
Job 34
4 Let us discern for ourselves what is right;
let us learn together what is good.
