A Prisoner in My Own Home

For two long days, I have been a prisoner in my own home. I live upstairs mainly, with the quick jaunt downstairs to fill a sippy cup or inspect things as nonchalantly as I can. But, mostly it is the upstairs. I can't run errands to break the day up. I really shouldn't walk across the street and talk to neighbors forever, or anything like that. But, when it is all said and done tomorrow, I will be elated.

I am having two rooms of my house painted. Those of you who know me personally may be picking up the phone and calling one another to say "OH MY GOD! She finally did it. Thank goodness she will STOP talking about having her house painted every five minutes." Yes, I have lived here for more than five years and every year I have waited, begged, pleaded and dreamed of having rooms painted a shade different than the bland builder beige we chose (which, incidentally looked much more lively at first than the boring builder white we chose in our last house!) And, that day has come, my friends!

So, both rooms are now painted, and we just have the trimwork to be finished tomorrow. I went out with my "margarita mamas" and skipped the magarita this week (Weight Watchers readers listen up--one 'rita is ELEVEN points. ELEVEN! Geesh...I've got to learn to like light beer or something!) And, I bored my friend in the car to tears because I just kept saying, "I'm so glad to be out of my house. I'm just so glad to be O-U-T."

Two days really isn't that long. Then, I realized why I am so restless. Last week I spent three days at home with a sick kid too. So, in essence, I have been home entirely too much for my sanity. I am a strange one, I know. The stay-at-home-mom who doesn't like to stay home. I just can't help it. Give me a trip to the library, grocery, post office, SOMETHING to break up the day or I go absolutely nuts!

Here are some observations I've made in the past few days of confinement:

1. My daughter is obsessed with puzzles. She will dump them and then try to work them over and over, screaming "MAAAAH!" when she can't get the piece to go in right. I will hear "MAAAAH!" in my sleep for the next few weeks, I am sure. We will also be going to the store to buy some new freaking puzzles.

2. I am completely addicted and spoiled by my DVR/Dish network. I think I would sell bone marrow before I got rid of it at this point. Two days without my scrapbooking shows or the ability to tape something I see for later and I'm ready to go postal or something.

3. When I have two full days of opportunity with nothing else to do, I STILL will not clean all the leftover garage sale crap out of my guest bedroom OR my trashed out scrapbooking nook. I think I'd rather have a 5-hour long toenail trim than do either of those things.

4. I have truly come to understand the phrase, "It was like watching paint dry."

5. We really take for granted very basic things in our life like wood blinds. Don't believe me? Go remove all the wood blinds off of your bedroom. Eight panes of glass putting you on display like live reality T.V. for the neighbors. Nothing between you and the bizarre family who lives behind you. Try and sleep at night thinking about Mr. I-Walk-My-Dog-at-11 p.m.- Each-Night-So-I-Can-Window-Peep looking at you over the fence...while you are trying to sleep. Creeeeeepy....

And, sadly, I thought this painting obsession would be cured by getting a few rooms done. But, this has only fed my need...I'm already planning the next rooms to be done. Keep those brushes movin' boys, keep 'em MOVIN'!