ch-ch-changes.

It all started with new curtains for our daughter. Innocent enough?

I've been talking about buying new, matching, bedding for the boys for well over a year now. Since we're on a roll with making new curtains, my mom & I decided to get serious about finding the boy's new bedding and get their room rearranged nicely once & for all too.

I finally found the bedding. I've searched many times, always falling just a little short of what I'm looking for, or in my price range, never finding something that fit both bills. I love what I found and am so excited for it to arrive!! It is reversible so I think it will be super perfect since I bought everything in duplicate.

Yesterday morning I was excitedly telling our oldest son about the bedding I finally found for the boys' room. Mr. almost-14-smarty-pants pipes up that he's thinking he might be too big for his loft and could he get a regular bed?

brain. starts. spinning.

"I can't believe you no longer want that sweet bed but since it cannot be moved, would you also be willing to give up your room?"

big. wheels. keep. on. turning.

Before the power outage of '08 began yesterday (UGH!! I officially gave up my dream of becoming Amish after about the 4th hour), I was on a roll. Moving, sorting, hanging, boxing, moving, sorting, hanging, boxing, vacuuming. My son has now been relocated to our former guest bedroom (sorry Tiffany & Ellisa & Tonia & in-laws & my parents) and he now has a normal twin bed again. What he was thinking, I'll never know but hey, I ran with it. Who am I to argue with a teenager who knows everything anyway?!

I splurged & purchased him new bedding and curtains that will go with the colors of his new bedroom walls. I think its going to look downright GREAT when all is said & done and since he hasn't had new bedding since he was 6, I guess it was about time.

His new closet is completely purged of clothes that are too small or deemed by him too ugly to wear. I sorted his entire closet, removed all wire hangers ("No wire hangers ever!" circa Mommy Dearest, 1981) and organized it by season. His drawers have been completely purged, he's had the pack rat talk once again and we have started fresh in his new room with no trash, junk, blech or candy wrappers. Pictures hung on the walls, everything has its place, and with only a mere 5 hours from start to finish, I finally declared that room a victory.

As I want to now vacuum out his old room and get it ready to start the overhaul of the little boys' new room, winds start a'brewin' outside. The sky grows black. The smell of rain is right there on the tip of my nose. I think nothing of it other than, "sweet, another thunderstorm" since we've been having them downright daily lately.

No, no. Not just another thunderstorm. This one manages to knock out our power for the next 10-ish hours or so. No vacuum, no lights, NO AIR CONDITIONING. I wanted to keep being productive, damn it, and that doesn't happen all that often!!!

I read for awhile, I bitched for awhile. The kids got McDonalds and then Garth took them for ice cream while I showered, grumbled some more and then ate a bowl of low fat ice cream because hell, I wasn't going to let it go to waste in that non-working freezer! The power just would not come back on. Grrr.

Giving up all hope & accepting defeat, I just called it a day and went to bed. Only 1 room got accomplished and the other awaits me today. I hope I can keep up the same motivation I held yesterday.

B only had the top bunk/loft in his room. W has always slept in the bottom bed/bunk in his room. W's bed will still be W's bed but now properly positioned under J's new upper bunk. I can't wait for all of the new bedding to arrive. I am left with the quandary of what to put on the boys' walls. I guess I'll wait to see the new bedding before deciding. I've never been much of a decorator sadly, but wish I was.

And for those who are now fretting that they'll no longer be welcome as overnight guests at the compound, worry not. The boys' former bedroom will be re-established as a video game area, study area and guest room area. We'll still have room at the inn for ya.

I think things are working out beautifully. Everyone is happy. To think it all started innocently enough, with a new set of curtains.