Seeing Spots

My older two children are highly resistant to change. Pathologically resistant. Any time we want to do anything different to the house they throw unbelievable fits. Some examples:

- Both times we have gotten new cars, they cried and carried on for days and declared undying love for the old cars (which they had to hug goodbye) and made disparaging remarks about the new cars.
- When I stripped the wallpaper in the kitchen, they got hysterical. I later found scraps squirreled away in both of their bedrooms.
- Last year, when we re-carpeted the house, they cried. Hayden wore slippers for three weeks and refused to let his feet touch the new carpet until Rich threatened him.
- Both of them have had their rooms decorated the same as the way I originally did them when they were pre-schoolers and have adamantly refused all offers of a makeover.

Until now. Finally,

finally,

Reagan let me makeover her bedroom for her 13th bday. The wallpaper with scenes depicting teddy bear tea parties came down and has been replaced with pink paint and polka-dots. Reagan was the designer and Rich and I executed. A nicer mom would have used this as an opportunity to teach Reagan to paint. I have no patience for such things and the carpet is still relatively new so I did it myself.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t make the room any bigger. The original plans for this house were for a three-bedroom but the builder/owner eked out four. This means that Faith’s room is the size of a walk-in closet and Reagan’s is only slightly larger. We offered to knock out the wall between the two to let them share one large bedroom and they quickly decided that small is not so bad.

I love the re-do. Pink and polka-dots are much more age appropriate and really, only a teenaged girl can get away with it so I’m glad she has it while she can. Soon enough she’ll get married and have to decorate everything in beige and blue and blah.