This is a very difficult day for me ....

[Mike]

Today I am beginning to paint over some hand-painted Disney characters ion the walls of my DD's room. These have been on her walls since before she was born in 1995. They were the Disney Baby Characters (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy) in their pajamas sitting on clouds with colorful birds and stars around them. We purchased the boarder and I had a friend sketch each of the characters on the walls. I then painstakingly with an artist brush painted over the pencil drawings and then colored them in. I was using wall paint so it took 3 coats and 3 weekends to get it right.
I was so proud of how it came out and we got a lot of compliments. In fact, a few years back, I fell off a ladder up in my attic and severely injured my ankle. The firemen and EMTs came to the house and had to carry me down to the ambulance. As they came down the attic stairs, they noticed the paintings on the wall and put me down. My wife was giving them a tour of the room and I was just sitting there in the chair they strapped me in!!! (Of course, due to my size, they may have been exhausted and were just looking for any excuse to stop and rest ).
So I just finished the first coat of primer covering them up. I don't know what has me more upset - the fact that these paintings are now gone forever or that my first-born is now "too old" to have these on her walls. She was embarassed to bring her friends up to her room. Oh well, at least she's not too old to be seen at WDW every year with Mom and Dad (not yet anyway)!

 

[Virgo10]

Aww. Take some really good pictures so you'll be able to see them whenever you want.

Roberta

 

[Melora]

I feel for you!!

Did you take lots of pictures of them??

 

[tcfdick]

I feel the same way because I am going to take down my son's Mickey sport border now that he is 11 yrs. old. He wants a nautical feel to his room. I've been putting it off because of those sad feelings I have knowing he is growing up.

Have you thought about painting another mural on the wall for your daughter that would be more age appropriate now that she's older? That might help with some of your sad feelings. It is a lot of work though isn't it? I go the easy way with border.

 

[DopeyRN]

Hope you took lots of pictures! Growing up....inevitable...wait till she asks you for the car keys...calls to tell you she totalled the car, hey dad, I just got hit in a hit and run, car insurance is $12,000/year for 4 drivers...Disney Babies...ahhh the good old days!

Me as mom of young children..

Me as mom of 22, 18 and 13 yo boys..

 

[piglet too]

Wow, that sounds like a wonderful peice of art. I hope you have lots of pictures to remember them by. I am sorry you are so sadden by it, I am sure you aer right about it being for two reasons. Maybe your daughter will let you hang a small picture of how it looked. Maybe yuo could also do something like that for her now that is more "grown up?"

 

[nativetxn]

I hope you can post a photo for us, it sounds like it was gorgeous.

Our babies grow up so quickly--I'd be sad having to paint those walls, too.

Katholyn

 

[Dan Murphy]

A tough day for sure, Mike, some great thoughts there, nice memories, so well said. My best.

........Oh well, at least she's not too old to be seen at WDW every year with Mom and Dad (not yet anyway)!

As they say.........Priceless!!

 

[CamColt]

Oh Mike, the room sound beautiful and I feel your pain!

We had done DS's nursery using that same border pattern, with wall stick ons, and the bedding, etc... The room came out really great and I loved it. Then we found our new house and had to leave it, before the 2nd baby came along. As much as I wanted the new house, I hated leaving that room, knowing I would have another baby. Then to make it more painful, the guy who bought the house was single and turning that room into an office. It just about killed me!

Good luck today!

 

[Mike]

Hi all,
Thanks for your replies. I just finished the second and third coats of primer (those pastel colors are tough to hide!!) so they truly are gone now. We do have pictures but unfortunately I have not stepped up to the digital photography age yet. We did get some video of my almost 2 yo DS saying goodbye to the characters this morning. It was cute! But he obviously didn't grasp the concept because he came back in later while I was painting over Mickey and he yelled "No Daddy No!"
I did discuss another mural with my daughter but she wanted my friend to draw Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken and Ryan Starr My friend was going to do it but I said no thanks. Instead we let her pick out her own color scheme and my wife took her shopping for her bedding and curtains so she is really excited.
While I was painting today she came in the room and said " I am sad to see them go Dad but it's time to move on" I thought that was pretty funny too.
I am not ready for the car keys ... or for the boyfriends Let me get past this first

 

[Tiger Fan]

Wow - do I feel your pain. Emily's room has been Winnie the Pooh since she was 18 months old and got a "big girl bed". We just last week ordered all new quilt and accessories and are finally getting rid of the Pooh stuff. It was the really nice quilted gingham pooh, not the bright. It was a fortune to buy everything that matched, but she just can't take it anymore as she puts it. We're doing her new room in horses - -can you believe?!?!?

Lisa

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

Ah... life... The only thing we can count on is change! We've got a bambi wall-papered room for a 10 yr. old DS. He's already asked for it to be changed.

 

[Serena]

They grow too fast.

 

[Kitty 34]

I know how you feel......especially when I finally put the monorail set up in the closet 'cause my DS wasn't interested in playing with it anymore. They do grow up way too fast!!!

 

[twinmomplus2new]

When my DS was 2 we moved into this house and I did alot of work in his room. It was a great construction scene and instead of putting the tuck wallpaper up I cut out each indiviual truck and randomly put them all over like they were driving. it was great! then he said he was to old for trucks (he was 6,) So down came the trucks and all my work, and it was replaced with space and planets etc.. very nice but no more baby boy room.
Six months later I had twin boys and put stars and moons on thier walls as well. On thier second Birthday the room wa sredone and we have the same construction deal again but on a larger scale. Of course I am not advocating having another baby But I got to keep my baby room a little longer!

 

[GailT]

She will never be to old to be seen in DW with mom and dad, as long as you pay her way to get there. LOL I would feel the same way as you but for each door that closes a new one opens, your little girl is growing up/

 

[Micca]

Mike there's only one thing left to do....paint some in your own room Or maybe the den