The Harrises: 'Round Here

Well, fall has arrived in Kentucky. As I type, Husband John is outside edging and raking while the children nap. Young John has loved playing in the leaves this week and our small yard is so manageable, the work is more like play.

William is taking after his mother with his cabinet antics. He can empty a cabinet in no time and he loves clutching his finds with all his might. He loves the cabinet under the sink--yes, the one full of sponges, gloves, and hazardous materials. Yesterday I found him hugging a can of Raid. (Call Social Services!) Later, John saw his brother in the cabinet, jerked whatever was in his hands and rebuked, "No, William! That's not a toy!"

Last weekend, I went out of town, leaving the children with Sweetie and Mush and John (when he wasn't on call). They enjoyed a Saturday at the races and I had fun in Atlanta. I came home to happy children and missed them dearly. My next weekend away will hopefully be with my husband...and a small miracle if it happens in the next two years!

Last month, we painted our kitchen. To say that it needed painting in an understatement. Actually, it could use a gutting, but since we're renting, we're making do. I thought not having a dishwasher would be a deal-breaker, but we've managed fine without it. I thought having only 3 feet of counter space would be problematic. It is, but again, manageable. The dank yellow walls? They had to go! After five (sometimes painful) trips to home improvement stores, we had what we needed to get started. We decided to do it right and prime the walls first. John did that during nap time as I taped the trim. We spent the rest of the evening shooing children out of the kitchen and praying no one touched the walls.

The next day, I painted after the children were in bed. Much better! The next morning, we realized it would need another coat of paint so that night, I finished the job. Painting is no joke! I took a break for a few days--after prepping some window panes with lovely blue tape--and painted the trim the next week. I'm no pro, and it could use some touch ups, but it got the job done. It was satisfying to peel away that last round of blue tape and scrape excess paint from the windows. Bonus! I managed to not paint our old windows shut!

Now, we enjoy beige walls and bright white trim. Like I told my mom, we won't be featured in Traditional Home magazine, but it sure looks 100 times better! The dingy cabinets still remain, and maybe we'll work up the courage to paint them. Only time will tell.