Tonight the boys left for the weekend again. They are spending it with their *hopefully* soon to be long-term foster family. Craig is out of town at a Biblical Imagination conference and on this rare occasion of freedom I…spontaneously decided it was time to paint the weird hallway that stretches between the kitchen and our hobbit hole (aka: ping pong room, bonus room, same-level basement, whatever you want to call it). Because isn’t that what everyone does when they get a night off? Paint?

When we moved in almost two years ago I was so excited to paint everything and we started strong by painting in this order: Millie’s room, Craig’s study, Entry-way/stairway/upstairs hall, kitchen, guest room (which is really a dining room), Maddie’s room, Katie’s room, and Chloe’s room. And that’s where I came to a screeching halt. And by halt I mean I didn’t hang any curtains or any pictures or any anything.

Our home has been in a state of semi-completion ever since.

Our living room has floor to ceiling 1976 wood paneling all around and I’ve been aching to paint it since we moved in, but I’ve been too scared of it. And Craig isn’t a super big fan of painted paneling and would rather just tear it down, but we don’t exactly have the skill set or budget to do that project, so I’m opting to paint it for now. Except that I want to experiment in the hallway first. So I know you can’t really tell yet by the photo above, but we’re in the process of replacing puke pink with a soft blue. The brown paneling and trim will become white. I hope. And then, I also hope, I will either beg someone to come do this for me or I will get brave and try it myself: the foster care tree project. I have 5 hand prints so far (we haven’t taken A4 and R3’s yet, but will very soon) and no tree on which to hang them. So after I tackle painted paneling I will attempt a tree. Wish me luck. You can also wish me perseverance as we have one coat of paint on the walls and still need a second and then need to paint all the brown. And suddenly I’m tired and wondering what was I thinking doing this this weekend anyway?

Act first, then think. It’s what I do.