The Remodeling Project: Installment 3--The Removal. Oh, and a bunch of other stuff too...

On Tuesday my dad came over for the day, rented a steamer, and removed every bit of the dark brown and green wallpaper from the guestroom. Here's my dad. He's 76. He has about seventy-six times more energy than I do. I came in the room and told him I was taking his picture for my blog--he just snorted and kept on working.

Here's the room with all the wallpaper off. It looks about three times bigger than it used to (well, having removed 3/4 of the furniture helps too). We're going back to the drawing board on the blue paint. We're attempting Wedgwood blue. This around the windowframe is what Darren is calling "Chevy engine blue." Not really the look we're going for.

Here's Darren washing the walls in his shirt I like the least. In fact, I actually don't like it. At all. In fact, I actively dislike it. He bought it at Farm-n-Fleet (surprise). I said, "That's a redneck shirt. Ergo, now I'm a redneck's wife." He didn't seem to see the problem. I'll be working on it, internets. I control the laundry in this house (as much as anyone can control it). That shirt may go the way of many a sock.

Now all we have to do is find the right paint, paint the room, buy fabric and bed linens, put up window treatments, and arrange furniture. I know you'll be waiting.

On a separate note, yesterday was the Mother's Garden Tea at Lucy's school. I live for this stuff. Here's my little girl:

First, the children brought their mothers in, one-by-one, and seated us at tables decorated with potted petunias (they were our gifts. The kids had painted the pots themselves). Then they sang us some songs about moms and how much they love us. I won't say that I teared up or anything silly like that. Especially when they sang, "You Are My Sunshine" and "...you'll never know, Mom, how much I love you..."

Then we had pink lemonade and our choice of double fudge bundt cake or almond poppyseed cake (I chose almond poppyseed. Great. Now I have a new dessert addiction.) We talked and laughed, and I got the privilege of sitting next to Lucy's teacher's mom (how sweet is that that she came to the tea?!) whose name was Alice, too. Then we all took pictures under the garden trellis.

And, not to leave her out, here is what my dear little Smoochie made me at daycare. She glued those butterflies on herself (though she might have picked a couple of them off in the car on the way home. And she's a little unclear as to whether she made this for me or for herself).

The whole day was just lovely. (Cue music.) We had a nice afternoon cleaning the car together, the girls ate supper, I gave them their bath...then we were getting ready to go to church in the evening. We were doing a final toy pick-up in the girls' room. Elaine and I were putting away her Little People camping set, and I was bent over her. All of a sudden, she straightened up very quickly. But I didn't. Her (incredibly hard rock-like) skull hit my nose, square on, fast and hard. I just saw black for a second, then oh. Oh, the pain. Then the blood. Let's just use the word "spurting." I raced into the bathroom, and by that time, all three of us girls were crying. Lucy was almost hysterical (but that's not unusual). She kept screaming, "Are you OK, Mommy? Are you OK?" Then she climbed up on the toilet, opened the cabinet, and got me out a Strawberry Shortcake band-aid.

I got everything cleaned up and everyone calmed down and into the car to go. I buckled Elaine in her seat, and she said anxiously, "You OK, Mom?" I felt like a bird who had just flown into a window. When we got home, I took two fast-acting Tylenol and fell into bed.

This morning (at shortly after 6:00), I vaguely heard a rustling noise by my bed (not unusual at all). Then I felt THUNK right on my ear. OK, that woke me up right away. And yeah, my nose doesn't feel much better this morning either, thanks for asking. I heard Lucy bellow from the other room, "Bring me back my wand, Princess!" (now I know what and who thunked me) and then little feet running out of our room. "Here it is!" "Did you cast a spell on her?" "I did it!" "Did you turn her into a statue?" (giggle, giggle, giggle) "Yes!" "Then we will now go see. We will see if she is a statue or if she is still a woman!" (stomp stomp thump thump thump giggle giggle giggle)

I opened my eyes and saw them in their dress-up clothes (did I mention it was not long after 6:00?) "Can we eat now, Mom?" "Eat breffuss! I want yogurt!"

I hauled myself out of bed. Yup. Still a woman. A slightly battered and bruised one though...