A Cure for Boredom and an Excuse for New Carpet

We got back from church. I was tired, the house was a mess, the kids were b-o-r-e-d. The husband quickly set up a slip-n-slide in the backyard before he he slipped off to the office for seven hours (did I mention this was his off day--not that I am complaining, work=money in the real estate world).

The kids slipped and slid for about 3 minutes until they learned bugs lived outside. And so they returned, muddy feet and all to the house of boredom. I teased the prospect of some summer school work which was met with groans.

I glanced over at Spanky's 'masterpieces' of brown marker that adorned the back hall. I had a plan.

"Kids," I smiled as started the 25 minute search for shoes. "We are going to paint."

"Finger paint?" Dino jumps up to the table.

"No, real paint. We are going to paint the back hall."

The girls screamed "I want to paint! I want to paint!"

"We will all paint," I felt like a super mom. "Well, maybe not Spanky."

After a pricey trip to Sherwin Williams, we came home and began the prep work.

I taped off the upper doorways while the girls did the base boards. Dino helped get tape and Spanky got to enjoy his artwork for a few last minutes.

Before we started to paint, I went to the bag to get the tarp--only to remember, I never bought tarp. No fear, I had some old blankets I was ready to give to animal rescue. Miley also brought out her Bratz sleeping bag because she didn't care for Bratz anymore.

And then we began to paint the hall in August Moon. First I stepped in the paint tray and uttered a bad word and I never utter bad words. Both girls stopped mid stroke and stared, wondering who this woman who took the place of their mom was. I dried my feet on the sleeping bag and we continued. And I of course apologized for my choice of words--Miley said not to worry, dad said that word every other day.

Dino went off to another room with Spanky; and the girls and I were getting some good momentum. And then I asked Miley to pour more paint in the tray. I heard a scream and looked down to see the newly opened galloon container sideways on the one section between blankets, paint flowing out everywhere. Miley had paint all over her paint dress and I grabbed the jug trying to scoop in as much paint back into the plastic canister as I could. 

I surveyed the damage. Some paint had fallen into the air conditioner grill (easy fix, paint the grill), Miley was covered in August Moon (again, easy--pop Miley in the tub with a scrub brush) but the carpet was not easy to fix. It was now soaked with the paint--the kind of soaked where if you stepped on it, paint would ooze out and soak your foot. This was not something Resolve, Shamwow or even Oxi-Clean could fix. My very old, almost thread bare carpet would need to be replaced. The carpet that had so many other stains, I would apologize to carpet cleaners as they would struggle to get it looking presentable. The carpet I begged the husband to replace. It was officially history.

I decided we would use the carpet spill as a secondary paint tray--no use wasting paint. And no use trying to save the carpet ;)

And now tonight I am looking at my lovely back hall filled with the glow of August Moon without Spanky's artwork. I am glad but honestly not nearly as glad as looking at the giant paint stain. Carpet city, here I come, finally :)