Holiday Weekend

All you moms who work outside the home know that a four-day weekend doesn't usually mean you actually get to take a holiday. It actually means that you'll be able to catch up on all those things you've been wanting to do for months but haven't gotten to.

Actually, I'm betting my stay-at-home mom friends feel the same way.

We've spend this weekend doing some pretty mundane stuff. But it's important too. I painted the girls' room, the three of us (me and the girls) painted letters that spell out each girl's name and put them over their closets.

We sat around with colored pencils and drew sea horses. Tomorrow, we're going to experiment with watercolors, again painting sea horses. See, I want to decorate the girls' bathroom with sea horses and I figured the best art comes from right here in our house.

Of course, it isn't always sunshine and sea horses.

Yesterday, as I was getting ready to paint the girls' room, Alyssa decided to 'help.' Now...we all know that as good a painter as an eight-year-old thinks she is...she isn't. The 'help' was more frustrating than anything.

Before we even got started, I was trying to figure out where to let her 'help.' I had the dropcloth laid out, the paint was poured and she showed up, asking where she should start.

I looked at the wall I was starting with. It had the smallest actual painting surface because the door to the hall was there as well as Alyssa's double closet.

The only decent sized surface was beyong the dropcloth. I took the brush she'd decided to use and measured a bit of wall between her closet doors, deciding it was better to let her paint there than to set her loose with a dripping brush over unprotected carpet.

Yes, I detest the rose-colored carpet in their room but that doesn't mean I want it to be covered in drips of light blue paint.

Tom came in to see how the set up was going and lost his shit at the idea of Alyssa painting the area I'd assigned her.

I didn't want to fight about it. I'd had qualms about that area myself, but I'm lazy and didn't want to move the dropcloth until I'd finished the area by the door.

He was seriously annoyed at me for evening considering letting me paint there. I left the room and he followed, demanding, "Think about it!"

I declared that I'd move the freaking cloth.

He stormed down the stairs.

Alyssa, meanwhile, had left the room completely and joined Olivia down the hall in the our bedroom. I called her back to her room and she said cheerfully, "Well! That was unpleasant."

Yes, yes it was. I told her I was sorry and showed her where she'd paint.

Tom returned five minutes later to kiss and make up. He apologized to both of us and I confessed to him my dilemma and it was fine.

But...it was the first time either of the girls had ever had to witness such a strenuous confrontation. I don't like that being something they have to see/hear.

Anyway, today has been much better.

There has been much playing outside, lots of fresh air and sunshine. Of course, laundry is still calling my name but I'm really good at ignoring it.