How Much Do You Really Want To Know!?

I am busier than I ever thought possible! I thought when the kid's went to school, I would be on the sofa in my pj's eating Ben and Jerry's out of tub and watching Reg.

No. On the contrary! I will preface this by saying all of the business is totally my fault.

It all started on the first day of school when I started gutting out the boys room. It didn't end there. I then switched Cal and Ethan into Ashton and Tate's room. They look great and due to my evil Mother ways, they are remaining clean.

I then proceeded to start my room renovations. This took major muscle, garbage bags full of garbage, clothes to give away, craigslist items up for grabs and undertaking painting my bathroom. After "the couch" was moved to the garage (it was so disgusting no one on craigslist wanted it but a dear garage saler did!...old friends remember...it was our eddie bauer denim beauty I slaved a week at the Nordstroms sale to purchase 14 years ago) and other chairs moved in its space the four day project was done. Besides totally stained carpet (which at this point will remain until the day I probably die), my room looks so good! No kids allowed to set foot (or clothing item, toy, etc) in there without a raising their hand and swearing they won't touch, leave, remove or stain anything in there! So far so good.

Then it was time to fix the huge holes and scratches that were given to my walls as Garth moved the above mentioned denim couch to the garage. Bless his heart, he thought Calvin and Sommer were professional movers and asked them to help as I taught piano lessons. I watched in horror as he pinned the couch against the wall with his arms in a high outstretched formation. At the same time he was yelling at the "two movers" to lift! After my little piano student shrunk down onto the piano bench wondering what was going on, I ran to his aide and we finally got the blasted thing into the garage. What was left were three lovely holes and quite a few ornate scratches streaming down the staircase wall. Upon seeing this (and having such a lovely clean and organized upstairs), I decided the OTHER HUGE hole in our wall made a few years ago in the hall by a child slamming the doorknob into the wall (and the next two years, children making that whole bigger and bigger) needed to be dealt with.

After calling my super duper fixer dad, I headed to LOWE's telling myself over and over again..."I can do this!" I bought the necessary items and began patching away. After a nice sanding and what seemed like constant dusty remnants being vacuumed over and over again, it was paint ready!

This is when things got a big hairy. You would think matching paint would be a breeze, right?! WRONG! We had this area of our home painted about 4 years ago. I had lost the swatch but figured I would recognize the name of the paint right away at Shermin Williams. I get there ready to work my memory magic to find out they didn't make that paint anymore! What?! The painting associate told me to simply give them a quarter size sample and they could match it. That would have been nice to know the day before, I PATCHED THE WALL where I could have easily torn a little sample off.

Well I calmly returned home to and actually found the swatch card! I felt so empowered. I marched back the next day to get my paint to find out they didn't know what kind of paint was on my walls!

Well I uncalmly returned home to get a bucket of old paint we had used at the same time but was of course a different color. The next day (mind you...this store is 15 miles away), I march in with sample card and paint can. They tell me, that the paint in the can I brought in was not the same that could have been used for the lighter color I needed!

I couldn't believe it! I just need some paint to quickly cover my repaired walls people! It was then they used their computer to find me in their system from 4 years ago. Luckily I knew my painter and as easy as pie...they found me...they found the paint! Why didn't we do this to begin with.

So with paint in hand, I returned home and began to cover. Now...hoping the paints matched after four years, my blood pressure began to rise (you see, these walls connect to an entry way with ceilings sky high...and we are in no position to be repainting whole walls). As it dried I was overjoyed to see the colors matching perfectly. But later, tragedy. The new paint was shiny and the old paint dull. All were eggshell but after four years...eggshell dulls, therefore new paint is shiny.

Now you can see, in many a place, shiny and dull, shiny and dull. Boo to that project. IT will remain as is until further notice!

One room left to do upstairs...SOMMER! She has had the same paint, decor, etc for 5 years. I decided I would go ahead and redo her whole space. And within two or three days we will reveal her new ROOM! And let me tell you it ROCKS! But I am tired.

All of this and so much more have filled the past 30 days:

1. I have 24 piano students each week
2. I ran a triathlon relay (doing the 10k portion), the Army 10 miler and the Baltimore Marathon
3, Trying to go to the temple each week...seem to be averaging every other
4. Primary President
5. Craigslist Seller Extraordinaire (need help...I will help you)
6. Lunching with friends
7. Trying to help Garth get kids to their sports
8. Watching their sports
9. Not writing on my BLOG.

I am all over pjs, couch and ben and jerry's the next 30 days!