Color Me Happy

I'm getting that itch early this year. The itch to paint something big. My favorite thing is to give a room a good deep-cleaning, paint it a new happy color, then trim it out in pristine, un-fingerprinted white. I love the smell, love the instant gratification, love the hard work, and love the beauty of a freshly-painted room. This time, the target is our living room.

Eric is making that noise that a fish makes right before it draws its last breath. That's how he handles my painting fascination. First his eyes bulge, then the vein in his forehead pulses, then the death gasps. (He's come a long way, though. A few days after we got married, I painted this little green grapevine over our kitchen door. The boy about lost his mind! He threatened to paint every wall in our condo stark white in protest. Since then, we've reached an agreement. I can choose the colors and paint as often as I wish; I just can't ask for his help. Works for me!)

I never really analyzed my paint issue. Neeny always said she expected me to paint when I was stressed. She used to jokingly put up the paintbrushes when something big was going on in my life. One year during finals week, I painted my room lavender in the middle of the night. Another time, when a good friend of mine started using drugs in college, I painted flourescent people on the walls of my bedroom. They glowed in the blacklight--it was such a cool room! When we found out I was pregnant with Kaela, I took a can of red to our kitchen (Eric called that room "bloodbath.") One mistake, easily corrected. I figure at least I can handle my stress in a productive way, and it's cheaper than counseling and healthier than most other coping behaviors! :)

So, the source of my stress? My principal is leaving to open a new elementary school, and we teachers are unsure of where we'll work next year. It's the second time this has happened, and the last time was rough. 25 out of 52 teachers were moved. My entire team got shifted around that year, and it was like starting all over. Yesterday, I had my summative evaluation. It was so good, and my principal was so complimentary and supportive. I really, really enjoy working for her, and my school is like a family of sorts. I hate the idea of losing that, of interviewing all over again, of being somewhere my teammates aren't. The realization that things are about to really shake up began to hit.

And so, today, my children found themselves in Lowe's again while Mommy pored over paint chips. I've got it narrowed down to two choices: Carolina Inn Lobby Yellow, or La Fonda Flamenco Pink (which really looks like red--just not bloodbath red). A few fumes and sore shoulders later, and I'll be as good as new! You may want to pray for Eric, though. :)