I'm still here....painting away

It's been a slow blogging season in my life.  It's not that things have come to a standstill around here- no, no, no- busier and crazier than ever!!!   Here's a about an hour "window" into our life today. 
This past weekend, Victor painted around some of our outside windows and house trim.  Eli and Grace really wanted to "help" paint.  We didn't think that painting the actual house was a good idea, so I promised them they could paint their little table "sometime."  (It actually needed painting because someone wrote all over it with a permanent marker...)   Well, when you promise something to kids you have to remember- THEY DON"T FORGET!!
So, today was the day I was feeling "brave."   I wanted to wait until Sarah was napping- it didn't really work out as planned (which shouldn't surprise me- what really works out as planned, right?)  
Grace and Eli put on old t-shirts over their clothes, then we found old brushes and paint, moved the table and chair out to the side of the house ( not in the back because of Lucky, not on the concrete because of the mess, oh no- the grass itches their feet,  ...whew...this is getting complicated already!) 
I gave the instructions and got them started, then went to find a snack for Sarah and a chair for me.  It briefly crossed my mind to give Sarah a little brush to "help."  But, thankfully, I quickly regained my sanity and changed my mind.  

Sounds fun and simple, right!?  Ha!!  For about five minutes...First, Sarah decided she didn't want to sit and watch and had a  little (continuous) tantrum in the front yard.  Then, Eli and Grace decided (after getting paint all over their faces and hair) that painting "really isn't that fun, and the grass is itchy, and there's just too many bugs!!"
By then the table looked pitiful-- not a good place to stop painting.   I was tempted to just take over and finish the job, but what to do with the screaming toddler?  
With prompting, and (honestly a little bit of guilt-tripping) I got them to finish the table.  Eli spent the last half of the "painting" obsessed with picking the paint off of his hands and legs.   I did jump in toward the end to expedite the process.  After pacifying Sarah with Oreos, of course!!
I'm not even going to go into the clean-up process.  It was intense.  You can imagine.  
I'd like to say we had fun and learned a few lessons.   I don't know.  Everyday, I think that God must really, really think that I need to work on refining my "patience skills." 

At least the table got painted!!