John E. is right. Following the Sheldon Brown instructions, once you get the first two rows of trailing spokes in on each side, the remaining 2 rows of spokes are "over, over, under, hole" just as you found out and your wife already knew. I had to build a rear wheel last night as I Raleigh I picked up had a bolt on rear hub. I mean really, no quick release? So I had an extra hub to use and built a wheel. I reveiwed the instructions because I can never remember from one wheel to the next. Just watch out that the left side hub spokes go to the left sided rim spoke holes and vice versa.