Not for the faint of heart

Yesterday we were at Costco, getting a tire fixed.  Adam and Mark and I walked over to Lowes to look at paint chips.  Some future day I want to paint our kitchen cabinets and Lowes was in walking distance so it was a way to kill time.

Mark started collecting paint chips too.  He has something of a vision for his bedroom.  He said he wants a "marine feel." He said he was ready for a change.

I told him, "You could put your clothes away.  That would be a change."

I told him, "You could take all the dishes on your desk to the kitchen.  That would be a change."

When we got home he did indeed put all his clothes away and brought 5 water bottles, 1 cup and 1 bowl to the kitchen.  (Why do we even have that many water bottles?)  Then he started making plans.  He called me upstairs to hear him out.

Here is his palette:

He showed me which color he wants for the top of his desk and which for the frame of his desk.  He had selected a different color for the doors and then a different one for the trim.  He was thinking of painting the tops of his windowsills one color and the rest of the windowsills a different color.  He wants the walls different colors too.

I just said, "Mm-hm."

(And I decided I'm never taking Mark to Lowes again.)

This morning on the way to school, I told Mark, "I understand you want to brighten your room up, but I think we can do that without all those paint colors."

He said, "I don't want to brighten it up.  I want to add excitement."

I pointed out other rooms in our house I've furnished and painted and designed.  I said, "You trust me, right?"  I could tell he was digging in his heels on this one. 

"I want those colors," he said.  Mark is only rivaled in stubbornness by Emma, so I know I have my work cut out for me.  On the other hand he doesn't have the ability to go to the paint store and buy paint so I think I'm safe.