This thread reminds me of a time in our life when we got to play house. Glenn and his wife got my wife to help them look for an apartment to live in. Myrna was apalled by the rental fees and the poor quality of what was available.
So Glenn and his wife and Myrna went house looking. They found this beautiful 1920's house in a very pleasant, quiet part of town. I went to look at it with them. There was a rental in the back to help pay for the place. We did not want to disturb the tenant in the rental---Ah Ha, the plot thickens. We purchased the place and charged the kids low apartment price rent.
However---Here it comes. The front house was in beautiful shape with shiny oak floors, etc. The back house was the total opposite. It was a disaster. We started removing the yucky old wall paper. We found out that there were twenty layers of older yucky wallpaper under that.
OK, so we remove the wallpaper to find out that the walls were in bad shape. That is when Myrna learned how to hang drywall, tape and mud it. I had a good excuse, I want you to know. I was at the office earning money for our daily bread, etc. Therefore I could not be at the house drywalling (or is that drywailing?).
I don't know how parents survive raising children. It's a good thing that the kids grew up to be assets to the world to make up for some of the trials and tribulations of their rearing.
Enjoy,
JimB