I asked him to rip up the carpet on the steps, just to see what was beneath it. After this whole fiasco, I wouldn’t have blamed him for saying no, but Darren agreed to take a peek.

Ha! Just as I suspected, there was beautiful hardwood steps being covered up by cheap carpet! Oh how I love wooden steps!

Unfortunately there were a bajillion staples in the way of what we had and what we wanted.

It took four boys about two hours to yank out the decades worth of unyielding carpet staples. And then came the putty to fill the holes, and then the sanding.

Did you know that sanding 30 year old steps leaves an orange-ish dust over every surface in the house?

Darren worked hard on this project. I worked hard cleaning up after him.

And finally we have the staircase of my dreams.

I should sit on them and read poetry.

I’m in love.