The Yellow Paint Disaster

Several people have been asking about how my paint disaster turned out, so here's the story.

I had been painting a shelf for Kayelynn's room. This shelf is really more like a bookshelf. It is as tall as I am and built to look like a dollhouse. I had finally gotten it finished and left it sitting on the plastic drop cloth in the center of Kayelynn's room. I was well aware of its location. I had walked around it all evening and during the night when I was up with Kayelynn. Around 7 or 8 am (I don't remember which) I was changing a diaper. I picked Kayelynn up from the changing table and took a step backwards, right into the shelf! I nearly lost my balance and my biggest concern was not dropping the baby. Anyone who knows my agility and grace can easily imagine what a sight this was!

Everything happened so quickly yet I felt like I was watching it in slow motion. I knocked the shelf over. The shelf came crashing down onto a small plastic shelf where I had left my paint can. As I stumbled into the side of Kayelynn's crib I saw the plastic shelf snap in two and literally catapult the paint can into the air. The paint can hit the wall which jarred off the lid which I (apparently) hadn't put on very well. The paint can hit the wall. Almost the whole gallon had poured out before I could get the baby sat down and hop over the fallen shelf. The puddle kept oozing out, expanding its borders across the doorway of Kayelynn's room.

I learned very quickly that paint doesn't soak up well. The more I tried to clean it up, the bigger the mess became. I had on brand new pajamas that are now splattered with yellow here and there. I was ready to cry as I looked at the puddle and tried to decide what to do. The yellow mess had expanded to about a 3 ft. by 3 ft. mass with small splotches all around it. Luckily, it was latex paint. I think that helped with the clean up. (eventually)

The first thing I did was pour a bucket of water over the spot. My theory was that keeping it wet would keep it from drying and setting up permanent residence in my carpet. (I don't know if it really helped or not.)

I pondered as quickly as I could how I should go about getting the paint out. I know nothing about paint besides the obvious - it stains! Then I recalled how about a week ago a door to door salesman had sold my mother in law a Kirby vaccum. One of the selling points was that it could clean virtually anything. So, here was a chance to test that claim.
After lugging the vaccum to my house and down the stairs, I got down to work. At first it appeared that shampooing the carpet was making things worse because the vaccum itself was dragging the stain around to clean bits of carpet. After three rounds of shampoo and a lot of towel blotting I was starting to see a difference. After another couple of shampoos, I needed a break or I was going to pull my hair out. Plus, I had stared at the stain for so long, I couldn't really tell if it was there or if I just saw a yellow glow everywhere I looked.
I went over to a friend's house (about 4 hours later than had been planned for). She gave me a bottle of Goo Gone and told be to give it a try. Sure, why not.
Back home, the stain was definately still there. So I read the directions on the Goo Gone. "Mist lightly over area, blot with clean, dry, cloth. Repeat as needed". I did. To my surprise, it seemed to help a little. But it was a large area to "mist". So, instead I mixed the entire bottle into the shampooer and did the carpets again. Miracle! Miracle! The entire stain was gone. I was quite proud of myself and relieved to be done with that task, seeing how it was now about 8 pm. I set about picking up the rags and towels I'd been using and setting up a fan to dry the floor. While doing that, I accidently knocked over the paint can (which in my haste that morning hadn't sealed the lid on)and spilled that paint again! This time, I admit, there was some foul language. The mess wasn't near as bad as the first spill. But still, there was a bright yellow pancake staring up at me from the floor. The first thing I did was pick up the paint can and carry it to the trash. I did not care that there was still enough paint left to use on some other small project. I was quite positive I would NEVER paint anything "glad yellow" again.
Luckily, I still had some of my Goo Gone solution and after another hour or so of scrubbing, that stain left too.
So, that is my yellow paint story. Here is my advice: stock up on Goo Gone, never turn away a Kirby vaccum salesman, and most importantly, don't paint in the house, ever.

Realities of Being a Stay at Home Mom

1. You will not get around to that list of things you've been wanting to do.

2. You will at some point in time think that your worst day at work wasn't really all that bad.

3. Your husband (no matter who he is) will come home one day, look around the house and then ask you what you did all day.

4. There are no bon-bons.

5. There is no Oprah (Dr. Phil, Ellen, ect.) time (in which you had planned to eat above bon-bons)

6. You will begin to believe that your given name is Mommy. (You may answer to this name regardless of who says it)

7. You may start to believe you have super powers (if I kiss this everything will be okay)

8. Staying hip with music and movies means knowing when the next Thomas dvd or Veggie Tales cd comes out.

9. Your ideal vehicle suddenly has less sport and more seating.

10. Sleeping in every day...............ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

There are probably more realities but these were in the front of my mind today.

Happy Fall

Forwards or backwards

Tractors are fun!

Princess Pickle is ONE !

This is old news really. Her birthday was on the 6th. We had a princess party which my husband had suggested was the only sensible thing to do seeing how she is a princess! I had fun doing the party and took lots of pictures. Which I guess is good because Kayelynn really didn't care much about the party.
As all mothers say, I can't believe that she is one. Time really does pass quickly when you are watching your children grow. It doesn't seem like that long ago that Rex was holding her in the hospital and decided she looked like a pickle. I'm not sure what made him think this but we have called her pickle ever since. It didn't take long until Daddy had added princess to her nickname too. A lot of my enjoyment this year has come from watching the special father/daughter bond grow between Rex and his princess. ( I joke that the two of them can be rather sickening. But, really, I don't care)
Kayelynn has been to the doctor and had her big one year check up. She weighed 22 pounds putting her in the 50th percentile. She was almost 30 in tall which put her in the 75th percentile. And her big noggin measured in at the 90th percentile. (Trey always had a big head too. I joke that the big heads are necessary for their exceptional brains)
Kayelynn believes that she can do anything Trey can do. To prove this point she often follows him all over the house and she has an unusual love of trains. She will pick a toy train over the best of the baby toys. She started taking a few cautious steps a few weeks before her birthday. Now she shuffles from room to room, laughing and jabbering as she goes.
Kayelynn is a very happy girl. Her two little teeth shine when she smiles. She wakes up with a big smile for me every morning. She likes to play peek-a-boo and also tries to get involved in Rex and Trey's tickle games.
Kayelynn doesn't say very much yet but she somehow always gets her point across. She says the standard Da-Da and Ma-Ma. She can do a charming hi and bye. She has an adorable uh-oh. To my mom's delight, she makes a noise that sounds like Nana.
Her days of wearing adorable hair bows are winding down. She has taken to pulling them out of her (still nonexistent) hair and throwing them at me while laughing. I think she mocks me often. To soften her dislike of hair bows, she has been agreeable to adorable footware. She often brings me shoes and wants me to put them on her. She will lift her little foot up to me and squeal with delight. Sometimes she will hug her shoe close to her and coo "Awww".
She is simply a joy. I loved her the moment I knew she was growing inside of me. That love doubled the day of her birth when I held her close to my breast and my love for her has grown every day since then.
Kayelynn, if you ever read this: I love you dearly. One day, when you hold your own child, you will understand just what I am feeling today as I hold you in my arms.

Bonus Treyism

This picture reminded me of another Treyism. Trey will often spend time trying to build "the hugest train track ever". Much to his dismay, Kayelynn often tries to get in on this fun. I heard Trey yelling, "no", at his sister. I went to check on them. Kayelynn was grinning while holding a big section of track in her hands. Trey scolded her sharply, "Sister! You're causing confusion and delay on my railway!"
(That is thomas the train talk for those of you who aren't familiar)

Ooops....Sept. Treyisms

I have a thousand other things I should be doing. But, I just realized that September came and went without any Treyisms. So, here are a few........

1. "For goodness sake Sister!! All I do is clean up your messes!" (This is what I over heard him saying to himself before I took this picture)

2. We were eating at a restaurant. When the waitress left me the bill, Trey asked "Mommy why did she just leave you a note?"

3. A few weeks ago it was very foggy. When we first walked outside, I could tell Trey was taking it all in. Then he asked, "What is this wedder? Did the wedder man tell you it was gonna do dis?"

4. Trey was all snuggled up on the couch one evening with blankets and pillows everywhere. His little head was about the only thing I could see in the mound of covers. He looked at me and said, "Sometimes I feel fragile".