The Idea Woman

It’s January in San Diego, which means I’m in Spring cleaning mode; the lack of seasons has messed with my internal calendar. Oh, and Spring Cleaning is actually code for household project time. This is when I walk though our rental, glare at a room or wall and proclaim “We need to….” Dave hates these proclamations so much that he doesn’t even let me finish my sentence before exclaiming “No! Stop!” In fact, if I innocently look too long any place within the home he commands me to prevent an idea from even forming.

But I can’t stop myself. I am the self-proclaimed Idea Woman. During one of these glaring sessions, I came up with the great idea of redecorating our kitchen, which would involve paint and some craftiness. During another glaring session, I came up with the great idea of turning the wall in between the nursery and guest room into “The Riley Library,” complete with handmade plaque showcased above IKEA shelves housing Amelia’s books. My next project as The Idea Woman is a sandbox, completion date yet to be determined.

I am The Idea Woman because the actual project process fills me with no joy. I like brainstorming and imagining, and I like the finished project, but I’m allergic to craftiness. Did I mention Dave loathes The Idea Woman? All he hears is The Making More Work for Dave Woman. Sure, I wanted block letters that I knew I couldn’t cut in half and sand. And, sure, I knew he would hang the shelves. And, sure, I knew he would help paint. And, sure, I don’t have any intention of building a sandbox myself. But I ask, can a price be put on the original spark of an idea? Perhaps just the price of Dave’s labor.

By the way, I love the new Riley Library.  Amelia loves it too.  So far she has only removed all the books from the lower two shelves and chewed on them, but I can see the literary sparkle in her eye as she digests cardboard. I’m positive language can enter babies through their digestive systems. And when I saw Amelia glaring at the newly decorated wall, as she chewed Goodnight Moon, I knew Dave’s frustration with mommy as The Idea Woman is nothing to what he will experience when Amelia turns into The Idea Girl.