While the cats away. . .

The last time my husband traveled he came home to find the bedroom all rearranged. It was something I had been mulling for quite a while but hadn't ever acted on it. Well there I was, older child at preschool, younger child amusing herself with goldfish crackers and suddenly the bed in a new spot seemed like the only thing that could make my day complete.

When my traveling spouse returns home this weekend, he's going to walk into a slightly redecorated kitchen. If I had the time and, frankly, the money I'd redo the counters while I was at it. I'd put in a new backsplash. Hell, I might even redo the floors. Instead, I'm settling for a few coats of paint. Two walls a nice butterscotch-ish color. One wall, a warm, inviting, brick-sort-of red. It's not easy to describe. All I know is that it matches the curtains I bought months ago and have been using with the walls that were never quite as true a 'tan' as I had intended them to be when I painted them 6 years ago and I don't care that this is a giant run-on sentence. Blame the paint fumes.

The kids went with me to buy the paint. They loved the paint store and each stuffed their pockets chock full of paint samples. When I'm done inhaling fumes I am going to search for kiddie craft projects using paint chips. Something good will come of this collection.

I had a plan. It was a great plan. Red paint takes many coats. My plan was to get primer on the red wall during Meg's nap. Logan could help apply the grey tinted paint. Then I was going to paint at least one of the butterscotchy walls, but preferably one and the corner of the other adjacent to the red wall. When the kids were tucked neatly into bed this evening, I would paint the first coat on the red wall, finish the butterscotch wall, attack the trim on the 1st B wall, apply second coat of red. Sleep.

Next night - repeat process.

Only it didn't work out that way. Logan and I painted the primer. We started the 1st full wall. I had it all trimmed. Logan had the golden paint dripping off his brush onto the wall. He was excited. He shouted a wee bit too loud. Meg was up. Megan - not conducive to real house paint. Bad, bad, bad.

What did I do? Well I ruined Grandma's plans to quilt today. I called her. Please help me! She came. She played. I painted. I painted two full walls with time to touch up both. As soon as I post this, I'll tackle the red wall. I'll sit and veg. I'll apply coat two. I'll sleep.

All this, and I paint knowing the last time I had whispered the "R" word as a potential wall color, Bruce's eyes did that funny little thing they do when he thinks I'm crazy. But you know what? The man is in Paris tonight - without me. And tonight, my friends is my 9th wedding anniversary. So damn it. I'm getting a red wall.