Everyone and almost every thing has been moved out of the house and living temporarily in Las Casas  (the other story).  So early Monday morning we began the new project by removing the ceiling fans, doors and abandoned curtains.

Coco had the honor of the first bash in his childhood home.

Ruben and Nani took over and began the demolition to create the new family room and kitchen.

With the living room/kitchen wall mostly down, we paused to remove the old sink unit and worn out stove that had been left behind (happily) by Coco's mother, Doña Martha.

Six hours later living room, kitchen and utility room were one.

And what a pile of rubble was stacked in the street.

The hauling man charged 300 pesos (US$30) to load and haul all this stuff.

More destruction on Tuesday.  Nani is bashing away at the concrete ceiling of the room that is being turned into the patio for clothes lines.  

I was surprised at how easily the concrete was broken away, and at the strength of the rebar web

When all the concrete was broken away,  Coco began cutting down the rebar.

Wednesday morning he finished the task.  

Then he began cutting it apart so we could get it out the door.

The steel was too old and rusty to reuse. 

The concrete rubble from the ceiling was not hauled away as the brick rubble was.  These concrete cookie crumbs were loaded on my truck and dumped in the several mud holes in the street that runs in front of my house.  Based on previous experience, this street fix should last about two years before it will need to be done again.  Last night's rain made the holes easy to find.

Wednesday ended with Coco using his handy grinder/cutter to cut the concrete floor where the new stairs will be built. 

The floor had to be opened so we can add a foundation for the wall of the stair well and two new columns to support the ceiling where it will be cut open for the stairs.  Much more about that later on.

On Thursday, we began making openings in the outside walls.  Coco is cutting a new front door.  It is located around the corner from the 'front' of the house.  Since the house is on a corner, I guess now it will have two fronts.

[Later Doña Martha will change her mind, and we'll move the door and close up this opening.]

Ruben and Nani are removing the former front door where a window will be built.

On the right is the opening for the gas tank for the kitchen stove.  There will be a metal grate door to keep sticky fingers out.

The yellow is the neighbors house.  We haven't picked a color for this house yet, although Doña Martha did say she is thinking a color a little to the blue (purple) side of the Rosa color used on the family's other project.

Next week we begin filling in the holes we made this week.