Love Nest...and Neglected Children

All I wanted was a fresh coat of paint. Why does such a simple task twist into such a complicated event? Paint on the walls turned into the need to first paint our woodwork....which triggered K-man's idea to replace our boring little baseboard with a much wider, more sophisticated trim. Then there's that old ugly ceiling fan that just had to go. The list goes on....you get the idea.

Well, K-man and I made it our mission to finally finish our love nest yesterday. Though there were times during the process that the love was feeling more like ummm......well, you know.

This sweet man and I have run a business together now for umpteen years. It all works out just fine (usually). But there's something about being in a room together painting that brings out the animal in a person and I don't mean in a fun marital kind of way. At one point I decided to just lay down on the floor to watch him paint the ceiling (after I announced that it was too hard for me to do). He wasn't amused. Good thing I didn't voice what was racing through my mind about his painting methods. Hard as it was for ME....almost 22 years of marriage under my belt has taught me to keep.my.mouth.shut.

Well being that my union demands frequent breaks, I then went to the kitchen for tea and a scone (oh I wish. Doesn't that sound quaint? No, I had a FiberOne poptart). Again, K-man...not amused. I'm here to admit, the man has a much better work ethic than little ol' me.

I guess I need to back up a bit to set up the beginning of the frustration scene. Of course, the bed had to be moved before the meat of the painting could be tackled. I have always tried to encourage the offspring to keep their under-beds clean and clear. But being a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do kinda Mama, there was a whole other world under my slumbering place. Let me tell ya....the things we found were shocking. Old pillows, old pictures (no joke, there was a picture of me in acid-wash jeans), CASSETTE tapes! An old laptop that I swear weighed about 22 lbs and was about 4 inches thick. I found books, notebooks, magazines, clutter, clutter, clutter!! Yeah, that took a good hour to clean up. Neither of us could blame the other because the junk was equally divided. From now until Jesus comes will I ever, ever, ever put one single thing under my bed again.

The children were pretty much neglected during the dreaded day-long process. I did check in once in a while and here's what I found......

Seriously...I have no idea what is going on here. I've learned not to ask questions. When boredom sets in, anything can happen with this child.

Neglect....when one's diaper ends up down one's leg. *sigh* Please don't tell our social worker.
So not to leave you thinking that we are horrible parents who secretly want to scratch each other's eyes out, I will leave you with a happier time from earlier this week....

Here we see Lucy being gently guided by her caring Mama on how to make a delicious salad for dinner. That's spinach in her freshly washed hands. Tell my social worker that.

And look...a loving father playing with his daughter!She's SO happy!!

And look...even one of the big ones gets a ride! The biggest one refused to join the fun (turd). I mean, shucks that little stinker!
Happy, happy family! :)