My husband and I were talking about possible colors because it was time for painting the kitchen again£®The children, sat nearby and suddenly   1    "Not the measuring stick!"

       "No" I 2    them in my mother-has-everything-under-control   3   , “Not the measuring stick£®"

       The measuring stick isn't a £¨an£© 4    stick but the kitchen side of the door between our kitchen and dining room£®Along the edge we've   5   £®Over the ten years so many colored pens, pencils and markers were   7   £®that the door came to be   8   like an abstract-expressionist paintingeach child's growth by making a mark   6   his or her height on every birthday