Don't dance on ladders and other things I learned from buying my first home

This is a true account of random things I learned as a first time home owner.....

1. Don't bother reading the million papers you sign at closing. None of the contracts can be changed anyway. They will remain as is no matter what. Trust me, my husbands a lawyer.
2. Oil based paints stick on pine floors Wipe up immediately.
3. Water based paints come off all the time. Score!
4. Old houses are just that- old. They have charm and are beautiful, but are still old. Prepare mentally. Don't freak out when you find a new crack in the wall. The house is 80 something years old. Stuff happens.
5. Spackle works. There's something I never thought I would say. 3 weeks ago I didn't even know what spackle was and now I use it. Regularly. Big crack in the wall? No big deal. I got spackle.
6. Blue tape doesn't always work - just prepare for touch ups and move on. And when there is furniture, who will even realize the ceiling line isn't straight?
7. Buying a house does domesticize apartment dwellers. I learned about spackling and brad installed crown molding. Who knew that would happen?
8. Kids under 4 will think that the most exciting thing about your house are the closets. I mean who can blame them? What's more fun than an empty closet with accordion doors. [Shout out to Chloe and Hannah Trombley]
9. Queso and margaritas make everything better - maybe that's just me, but when I was stressed, it worked everytime.
10. Painting takes a lot of time. More than I ever thought possible. Don't expect me to change the wall paint. I'm not painting again. Ever.
11. Granite is invincible.
12. Marble, however is not.
13. When home depot says they will be at your house at 11 in the morning, they don't mean it. Just nod and smile.
14. Most workers speak Spanish. Brush Up on your words. Better yet, learn new ones because really who ever uses words like Beams and platforms anyway?
15. There is a learning curve for every new thing. And as a teacher, I should have known that. The first room I painted was hard and I almost gave up. The rest of the house turned out much better. And got alot easier.
16. Don't be afraid to ask for help. People want to help. We could have never done this with our friends and family. I feel like I'm accepting a Grammy.
17. Packing sucks - if you have the $, just pay for someone to do it.
18. When packing, do not read every letter your husband gave you or look through every scrapbook. It will delay packing. By alot.
19. Unpacking is just as bad as packing. My philosophy is just get it done. So don't open closets when you come to our house. It's not as organized as you would expect. But hey, at least my walls look great!
20. Oh and....Don't dance on ladders - just because brittany spears comes on, don't dance while on a ladder. Ever. need I say more?