Growing Up

I hate cleaning out the kids closets - I always get sad because it's a gentle reminder of how much they are growing and despite how much I want to not believe it, it's right there in front of my face and there's no denying it.  It can seriously put me in a little funk - but I can do that at my own leisure and can choose to ignore it for a while if I don't want to deal with it.  A few weeks ago Zach said he would like to have his room painted for his birthday.  He said he wanted a big kids room - no more baby blue.  My dad painted his room while I was pregnant and it's been the same color for almost 9 years.  At first it was no big deal, we went to the paint store and he picked out what colors he wanted.   Last week he went on a camping trip with my parents and I decided it would be a good time for his room make over.  Whoa - it wasn't until I actually started getting ready to paint that it hit me.  It may sound silly, but I felt like I was painting over memories!  I started playing back all sorts of timelines in my head - decorating the nursery, bringing him home, transitioning the crib to a toddler bed, transitioning him into his little fire truck bed...sniff, sniff, sniff!  It was ten times worse than closet cleaning day!  I can be such a sap sometimes!!

 

I finally got myself together and started the process - even though I wasn't happy about it!

 I should probably post what his room looked like before I started....obviously cleaning his room up before he left on his camping trip was NOT a priority!

  

 Zach is VERY MUCH into the outdoors like his dad.  He loves to go to the hunt club with Aaron, loves to watch all outdoor channel shows about hunting and fishing.  Anytime we are in the car on the highway he's looking for deer in the woods, he loves to talk about hunting, loves to go to Bass Pro Shops, etc.  When it came time to redo his room he said he wanted a camouflage room.  UGH, seriously?  I definitely was not happy about that.  As much as he and his dad share the love of hunting and the colors that go along with it, I do not!  But, it's his room and he should have a say so on what he wants. So....after TWELVE hours of painting military green and brown (I hope he really loves it because it is staying these colors for a LONG time - they were NOT easy colors to work with!), two all nighters a trip to Bass Pro Shops and some tears, I finished up the 'big kid' room.   

   

 

I think putting that picture over his bed should definitely earn me the Mom of the Year award - or a very nice Mother's Day gift at the very least!!

 

He was so surprised.  And very happy.  He spends every minute that he can in his room - he must have thanked me a hundred times already. 

  

Even though it made me sad, his reaction was worth all the sweat and tears.  I still don't like the fact that he's growing up so fast, but I'm glad I made him happy.