Two were bought from a yard sale a bajillion years ago and the other three were given to me by my sister.
I hate them, but the money to buy new stools still eludes me and I hate the thought of dropping $60 - $150 per stool for something that will get all nasty from my kids anyway. Have you seen how often I clean?
I copied a craft idea from Martha Stewart.
Step 1: Sand finish off tops of stools with your son. Tell him it might count for some cub scouts thing (it won't, apparently). When you can't get the stubborn finish off one of the stools, tell your husband about it and let him sand it for a full hour while you set up the trampoline in the backyard with your kids. (When you set the trampoline up wrong, call him back to help you with that. When he gives you a rubber mallet to hammer the legs onto the frame, don't worry if your whacking and smacking breaks the mallet several times over.)
Step 2: Apply two coats of cheap acrylic white craft paint.
Step 3: Use scrapbooking double-sided tape that comes out of those little roller applicator thingies and apply the stencils you jimmy-rigged to the top of each stool. Don't expect the tape to come off with the stencil even though it's advertised as "re-positionable."
Step 4: Apply two coats of cute, obnoxious-colored acrylic paint (don't follow Martha's lead here, she picked boring colors) quickly. REMOVE the stencils as soon as you've applied good coverage. If you wait for the paint to dry you will permanently adhere your stencil to the stool. Promise.
Step 5: Touch-up paint where necessary. Then add two coats of clear polyurethane sealer without regard to between-coats drying times.
Step 6: Set stools in garage to dry for 24 hours, hoping the fumes will asphyxiate the cat.
Step 7: Enjoy, knowing full well that they're going to get grody and nasty in no time.
Shh! This birthday picture was taken nowhere near his birthday, but that's all he's getting for his b-day picture estrasasanda.
You know how there's some quote about how you should never make fun of your spouse or people in your family? I've decided it doesn't apply to me. And I attribute my intended wickedness to my in-laws, who for years have kept multiple photo albums of ill-looking photos of their near and dear ones. So, here's one of Lincoln to add to the mix:
He's a yellow belt in karate now, so you know I can't resist daily Rex Kwon Do jokes. He's really smart, happy and fun to hang out with.
He's getting pretty good at basketball, too. You should see. And he's trying out coach pitch baseball this year and making his dad proud.
She's good at throwing fits if she doesn't get her way but she's also good at pretending, talking on her toy cell phone to her imaginary friends Katie, Christina, and Ballis and the girl cleans her room everyday! 
She's sly like a fox and I swear she knows she's driving Susan (and me) crazy, 
but she's so flipping cute I can only laugh as I remove her from on top of Susan's irate face and try to calm Susan down.
We named her Susan Tia Williams. Joel picked Susan after his aunt Sue Green. But he also has an aunt Sue Rasmussen who's an equally amazing person, so it's pretty much a 2 for 1 deal. I picked Tia after my little Sister, who's amazing too, just in the exact opposite ways of Aunt Sue. We're hoping our little Susan Tia will be amazing just like her two namesakes, making her your basic superhero with superpowers. Up, up, and away!
