Paint Project

We decided a while back that we were going to start some "home improvement" projects ourselves. We're on a strict budget, my husband refuses to pay someone for something he thinks he (or his dad or my dad or all 3 of them) could do himself, and we're on a strict budget. Did I say that already? Our house is 12 years old and there's a few things we need to have done and few things we'd like to have done...

Soooo, one of the top items on our to-do list was painting the outside of our house. The trim was the main part in desperate need of a facelift but we decided to go for it all at once because we might regret it later... so it quickly became a family affair. Thank goodness for willing to help, hard working, sacrificing their own free time dads!   

My dad came over Friday afternoon to pressure wash and then bright and early Saturday morning my dad and Terrell's dad arrived to spend the entire day painting with Terrell while me and the boys headed to the hometown for a haircut, lunch, a birthday party, and an afternoon away from our house... where I'm positive Garrison Cade would have driven everyone crazy (mainly me because I'd have been the one inside listening to him complain and beg to be outside with the guys).

I did make a quick picture of the guys, minus Austin who was already in the carseat ready to go at that point.

Granna came with us to get Garrison's hair cut and then a little later we met AnAn for lunch. After lunch we went to a family (sort of... 3rd cousin or something like that) birthday party. Garrison got to ride around in another distant cousin's "gator" and slide down a big blow up slide. He was really independent and went off and played just fine with a bunch of cousins he didn't really know. Austin wasn't as impressed watching everything from the stroller when he knew for a fact he should be in a nice air conditioned house taking a nap in a comfy bed. So we didn't make it through the entire party but it was still fun to make an appearance and see everybody.

Back at the house, the guys were hard at work painting while baking in the sun and sweating up a storm. Poor guys in the family. I really did feel sorry for them. As we prepared for the crazy, daunting task of starting the process of painting our house, more than once I felt like it would be waaay easier to fork over the thousands of dollars necessary to have someone else do it for us. Afterall, that would save us the headache, exhaustion, inconvenience, sore muscles, etc that comes with doing it ourselves. But, I know my amazing, money managing husband is right... it's best to save that money for something more important.

Anyway, after the birthday party we went back to Granna's house to cool down and hang out until it was time to head home. We enjoyed spending the day with Granna and AnAn and having something to do away from home, but once late afternoon arrived it was time to get back and get everyone fed, bathed, and in the bed. We were all tired and we were all moody. Especially Garrison.

The ride home was not fun. I listened to Garrison whine and cry off and on the whole way. In the most whiny, annoying, pitiful 3 year old voice ever he said things like, "I want Grannnna... I want to go back and get my hair cut again... I want Grannnna!" It was lovely. More than once I lost my patience and started whining and yelling back at him. Not my finest moment. I was SO tired and had had it with the crying and complaining coming from the backseat. I might have even threatened to never attend another birthday party during naptime ever again. Ever. I was starting to act a little like my 3 year old. Gracioius. But I may have been delirious.

Things got a little better once we got home and Garrison got to see everybody. It snapped him out of his bad mood temporarily. Too bad it didn't last. Once I finally got both the boys fed, bathed, and in the bed while Terrell finished up painting until it was too dark to see what he was doing, I crashed. But not before questioning all of my parenting choices throughout the day. I've decided I'm going to invest in a parenting book. I need help! Ha! Any suggestions??

Here's a picture of some of the progress from yesterday... the back is finished, trim and all, and the side we haven't started on yet. We went with a darker color and I'm loving it so far. This week Terrell and I will work on finishing the back (if the weather cooperates) so we're ready to move on to the side of the house the weekend after next... when the Paint Project will continue...