Chalk Board Paint

I’ve always wanted to do a chalkboard wall for Spike; I finally decided to do it. Chalkboard paint is somewhat expensive and has limited colors. So I went to the internet to find a DIY option for chalkboard paint, one that was both easy and less expensive than buying ready-made chalkboard paint. The number of tutorials you can find online for doing chalkboard paint is daunting.  I ended up combining multiple tutorials to reach my finished product.

 You will need:

1.       Unsanded grout

2.       Flat paint

3.       Water

4.       bucket

5.       Paint stirring drill attachment (optional but so much faster and more efficient than a stick)

6.     Paint brush and/or paint roller

Ratio 1 tablespoon unsanded grout to ½ cup of paint

 

I did a quart of paint at a time.

I started with 8 tablespoons of unsanded grout in a bucket. Here is where the instructions are a little fuzzy. I found nowhere that told you how much water to add to the grout. I added a little bit at a time until it was the consistency of pancake batter, I should have taken pictures of all the steps.

After it was well mixed I added the paint and used the stirring attachment to blend it well.

I only did a quart at a time. This was enough to do two coats on one wall. I did have to wait in between the two coats of paint. After I finished the first coat I poured the remainder back into quart can. Before starting the 2^nd coat of paint I mixed the paint again just to be on the safe side, I didn’t want to risk the grout separating and settling in the paint can.

I had no problems applying the paint. I used a brush to “cut in” around the door and moldings, and used a standard roller for the major parts of the wall.

After the paint is dry, I waited 4 hours and “slated” the wall. This is an important step, and the bigger the chalk board the longer it is going to take. To slate the area you take a piece of chalk (or in my case many pieces of chalk) and turn it on its side and rub it on the wall. You then erase it in a circular motion, either with a dry rag or a felt eraser.  After you have that done you can draw on the wall however you like and it will erase easily.  Some tutorials say to let the paint cure for longer. The longest I have seen is 3 days, before slating.  I might try this next time.  So far the wall is doing great, it’s been just over a week and it’s been used almost every day.

 

 

**** DO NOT USE SIDE WALK CHALK ON A CHALKBOARD WALL, SIDE WALK CHALK HAS OILS AND WAXES THAT MAKE IT DIFFICULT IMPOSSIBLE TO ERASE ****

 

blogging failure.. and big news

Clearly I really do suck at blogging. I might try to get better. I make no promises. Since my last post in July of 2012 so much has gone on. The biggest being that our family is growing again. Spike is going to be a big brother. To a little sister we are calling Katie, that might change. I mean really with siblings called: Boy, Goozie, Bug and Spike you can't just be called Katie. She will make her grand arrival hopefully in May. We had a 3d ultrasound done last week. and she looks just like Spike did as a newborn.

Maybe we can call her Spike Jr. 

Being pregnant with a girl is totally different from being pregnant with a boy. Or maybe it just falls under the "all pregnancies are different" tag line. Since we found out that she is a girl we I am trying to come to grips with having a girl that I'm supposed to teach how to be a girl. The big girls have their mom to depend on for girly things so I never really felt the pressure of teaching them how to do hair, or how to dress or wear make up. All of those things I try not to worry with ever. But the closer it gets to my due date the more I am feeling scared out of my mind comfortable with having a daughter. 

I am...

I am by no means a famous blogger. I am not pithy or overly humorous. I am who I am. I am Spike’s mom, I am a stepmother to 3 wonderful children, I am a wife to a wonderful man who goes above and beyond to make me feel like a princess, I am a woman with PCOS, and I am a {insert occupation here}. While these things influence who I am they are not who I am. I am far more than all of that.

For starters I used to be a college student, I was working on a BA in Psychology, and then I found out that Psychology is not what I thought it was going to be and I dropped out, yep I am a college drop out. I really thought that I would regret this decision, but I don’t. Not at all, not one little bit. Its only been two months and already I feel relieved. No longer do I have to “neglect” the Spike in order to get school work done. No more do I have to stress about deadlines, due dates and what my next paper topic is going to be. The only down side is that I LOVE writing. Like absolutely love it, I don’t really like the research part of writing but the actual putting thoughts on paper (or word) is very satisfying. I know that one day I will find more things to write about and more time to write, but as of now I am really enjoying just working and being Spike’s mom.

By the way, at some point in the last month Spike decided to turn 2, and apparently turning 2 means that he is drawing on himself with pens that I cannot find before or after the new Spike tattoo is drawn, he is also climbing on top of furniture, like book cases, boxes, you name it he climbs on it. 

I am

almost the mother of a 1 year old! Where has this year gone!?!?! Spike has grown and changed so much in the last year. It is truly a blessing to watch him grow and learn. Even though it has only been a year I can't imagine what my life would be like without him. This weekend is a busy one his birthday party is this weekend. Hopefully his first hair cut will be today. I am so tired of people telling me I have a beautiful daughter. I know traditionally you don't get a baby's hair cut until after their first birthday but I'm a rebel!

Yes I am that mother.

I am that mother.. you know that one that co-sleeps, baby wears and uses cloth diapers. I am also that mother who will work a 12 hour shift come home and cook that same sweet innocent child; turkey bacon and eggs for breakfast.

Which is probably why at 10 months old my son started saying bacon.

Spike's 9month appointment

Spike is now 10 months old, so of course it makes sense that he would be having his 9 month appointment! Truth of the matter is Spike's mom is an absentminded dork and forgot to make his 9 month appointment until 3 days before he turned 9 months old and by then they didn't have any openings.
Today's appointment wasn't that bad. Ever since he was labeled failure to thrive I am always super nervous before appointments even though they lifted that label and the kid is eating everything he can get his hands on, except watermelon he hates watermelon (I'm so proud!) So even though I was nervous and he was bad in the waiting room the appointment didn't go that bad. Although for his 1 year appointment I don't think I'm going to show up 15 minutes early. His appointment was at 10 we got there at 9:45 we didn't get into a room until 10:45 and didn't see the Dr until 11:10. The boy (and his mom) was not happy. But it happens so now that its over its not that big of a deal. Anyway, Spike weighs 20 lbs exactly (25th percentile) is 28 inches long(tall?) (also 25th percentile) and his head circ. is 47 cm (88th percentile) so basically my boy is a little but has his daddy's big ol' melon head! The Dr did say that it looks like he could have a narrow urethra (made me think of Hank Hill on king of the hill) but it probably isn't a big deal. If its not a big deal then why the crap tell me about it?
Also I got the exasperated look when I told the nurse we weren't doing shots. I wanted to say "Really? I'm educated, my husband is educated and in the medical field, we aren't a pair of Podunk idiots who are choosing not to vaccinate our child because or witch Dr said they were bad" But, I kept my mouth shut, signed that nice little form saying I was denying vaccinations, made me wonder if you have to sign a form to get vaccinations, you know a form explaining the risks, or even explaining how the vaccinations work and why they feel they are necessarily. I might have to ask around. Or better yet, if you read this and you vaccinate let me know in the comments if you had to sign a form. I'm just curious. and just to cover my butt:
****this is in no way meant to influence the medical decisions that you make for your child. Every parent has the right to determine what medical procedures are correct for their child/family etc.*** however if you want to know the reasons why we chose not to vaccinate just ask and I'll tell you!

Out with the old...

... and in with the new... Classes that is. I finish the current snooze fest (learning and cognition) on Sunday and on Monday I start..... Creative Writing YAY and Pre Algebra BOOO...  So here's to hoping that August will bring me, and you, more entertainment, laughter, fun, whatever it is that makes you keep coming back.


May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Ok.. thats a little dramatic, but if you don't hear from me in a while its not my fault blame college. I promise I will try to be better. And soon Spiky will be walking so I'm sure that will be noteworthy.

another year another surgery...

A few months ago I told Jason I wanted to make it till at least January before I had another surgery. I missed the mark. You might think.. Oh you just had a c-section in October so another surgery isn't that bad. Well I've had surgery every year since 2005. But now I am out of useless organs so hopefully I will be able to go surgery-less for another year, or whenever I get pregnant again. And if you are wondering what all I've had done here is the list.

2005- Knee surgery, Right knee lateral release

2006- D & C

2007- Emergency Appendectomy (gangrene and all sorts of fun complications)

2008- Knee Surgery, Right knee lateral release & medial reefing

2009- exploratory laproscopy 

2010- c-section

2011- lap chole (aka I no longer have a gallbladder)

I had my gallbladder out on June 24th, on June 30th I was back in the hospital with pneumonia. On July 5th I was back in the hospital I still had pneumonia but was having increased difficulty breathing. 

Today is July 12th. Yesterday J took the girls and Spike to the dr. the girls have tonsilitis, and Spike has a right ear infection; and yay for me I have tonsilitis too but I'm stubborn and refuse to go to the dr. The girls went back to their mom's house last night so its just me and wonderbaby at home today. And on top of his ear infection the dr said that his top two teeth will be coming in "any day now" 

 I have been hoping to get some stuff done but since he doesn't feel good he wont let me do anything without him laying on me. So I might catch up with my blogging. I've tried some new diapers that I love and that I need to do a review on. So that might be next up :) I hope everybody is having a wonderful July!