Painting My Guts Out

Have you missed me? I've been AWOL from the blogosphere for most of the summer. I've posted here and there but, for the most part, I haven't been online much.

Why?

Well, I wish it was because I'd been writing the next bestseller and had been offered a huge 5-book contract with movie rights and everything, but that's simply my fantasy.

The real truth is that I've been painting my guts out. All. Summer.

Child #3 decided to come home from college and live here for a while. She'd been living in Provo and this month would've lived there for a year and gained residency, or so we thought. Even though she'd been living on her own, paying her own bills, and bought a car on her own in Utah, since we'd claimed her on our taxes as a dependent for 2010, Utah would not recognize her as a resident. The difference in tuition between resident and non-resident at Utah Valley University was well over $4000 per semester and since we make our children pay for their own college expenses, she couldn't afford it. The state of Utah wasn't willing to work with her for residency and UVU couldn't care less if she stayed or not. We have a local college here that is $600 per semester for tuition so it made much more sense for her to come home and go to school here.

But, in coming home we had a ripple effect on bedrooms. We moved the boys from upstairs to the basement, the younger girls from their smaller bedroom to the boys' previous and bigger bedroom, and we moved my daughter into the smaller bedroom that will also act as the guest bedroom. It made more sense to do this because all the girls can use the big bathroom and the boys can now use the smaller bathroom downstairs to get ready.

I had already painted the bathroom and completely changed its decor. We then started to move out furniture, clothes, toys, and far too much junk from each bedroom. We decluttered and purged each bedroom (my kids belong on that show Hoarders: Buried Alive) which took quite a bit of time. Then we started painting. And painting. And painting. Did I mention we started painting?

I've watched far too many HGTV shows and thought I could spray paint the boys' furniture and steel bed frame without incident. HA. Not even close. Horrible experience painting their furniture. Never again.

Now ir's done. The rooms are clean, freshly-painted, and redecorated. I can see the carpet in each kids' bedroom. I can see the floor of the closets. It feels so much better. The bathroom looks beautiful and elegant. We have paint in our hair. Sore muscles. We're exhausted. And the summer has disappeared.

But, the upside is that when Hoarders: Buried Alive comes knocking at my door I can honestly turn them away :).