Friday, February 28, 2014

Could this be #9 and counting?

So my little guy finally went to the bonologist today after telling me he needed to see a doctor about his foot...for a week now. 


Little guy:  "I think my foot is broken.  It really hurts, mom.  I need to see the doctor."

Me:  "Put some ice on it."

Little guy:  "The cold hurts."


Little guy:  "Mom, it's feeling worse every day, not better.  I need to see the doctor."

Me:  "Let's just wrap it up in an ace bandage.  Better?"

Little guy:  "Not really."


Little guy:  "I can't walk."

Me:  "Do you think we need to make an appointment with the bonologist?"

Little guy:  "Sigh...."


Anyway, he did go to the doctor this morning.  And while they didn't find anything conclusive on the x-rays, his diagnosis was a bone bruise or fracture and he's been fitted with a lovely and large boot that he has to wear for three weeks.  I know, I know, worst mom of the year here.

And I should know better by now, I really, really should.  After all, he's already broken eight bones.  The dude knows when he's broken.

But it's all fine.  I love my kid, he loves me...and now my inner crafty chick has a few weeks to figure out how to make that heavy boot fit in with all the casts and splints on the "injury" mobile I created for him a few years back.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Feelin' the Love

I get hugged by my kids.  A lot.  And I mean A LOT!


Sometimes it's clearly to avoid doing something. 

Me:  "Do your homework!"

Kid:  "Come on mom...hug!"


Sometimes it's because they want something.

Me:  "This doesn't feel like a 'love' hug."

Kid:  "Sammich?"


And sometimes it really is pure love.

Me:  "Gosh, you've been hugging on me for about fifteen minutes.  I never hugged on my parents when I was a teenager."

Kid:  "Yeah, but I have a great relationship with my parents."


Oh, my gosh...come here kid, mama's got a big hug for you!

Click here to purchase this painting.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Hey, Good Lookin'

We all want confident children, right?  And we want them aware of their strengths and to feel generally pretty great about themselves, right?

Well, the other night I was in the kitchen with Dave and our little guy.


Me:  "Our kid is so much better looking than either of us."  This is a perfectly OK thing for me to say as a mom of my beautiful kid.

My kid:  "Yeah."  Hmmmmm...while it's perfectly OK for him to respond in this way, I'm thinking perhaps it could have been said with just a bit of a pause to reflect upon the genetic goo he received.


You know, something like, "I'm just so lucky that both of my parents are soooo good lookin'."  A white lie like that is perfectly fine in my book.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

When the Cat's got my Mouse

Some days I'm just clicking along, rockin' it on my computer.  And some days are like this.


"Clickety, click, click!"

"Clickety, click!"

"Click, click, click!"

And then I'm moving stuff.  I'm swiping stuff.  And ------------------------------------- nothin'.


My mind goes straight to panic.  My computer's broken!  Liquid must have somehow ended up in my keyboard!  Waaaaaaaaaaah!


Then I see my sweet, big ol' cat's paw.  It's just barely touching my track pad.  And "barely" is enough to render my swiping useless.

By the way he smirked at me I'm thinking he knew exactly what he was doing.

And since I gave him big snuggles for doing it, I'm absolutely positive this scene will be repeated again and again.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Monday, February 24, 2014

About to be cooped up...and so excited about it!!!

So we've got chickens in our future.  I was skeptical at first.  I love animals, really I do so very much.  But chickens?  They've never seemed particularly lovable to me.  And as animals we'd be welcoming into our lives, I really wanted them to fall into the lovable category.

Now, my experience with chickens is admittedly limited.  I've eaten them, sure.  I've had a male chick in my classroom briefly (we named him "nugget" if that gives you any idea of how much of a fan I was).  I've even seen them from a bit of a distance at friends' houses.  But I just wasn't feeling the love. 

Well, all that changed yesterday.  The kid and I were going into my dad's back yard when we heard some rustling.


Little guy:  "Hey, it's a chicken...in their yard!"

Me:  "What?!?!"

Little guy:  "Look, a chicken."


And, by golly, there was, indeed, a chicken!

My little guy went upstairs to let them know and I set about figuring out just what to do about this lost chicken.  I followed it around.  It followed me around.  I reach out to touch it.  It scampered off.  I got in its path.  It let me touch its back.  I was officially starting to consider liking this sweet chicken.

I decided to be very brave and put my hands on both sides of it.  Everything was OK.  I decided to lift it a few inches off the ground.  Its legs dangled and everything was OK.  I decided to hold it close to me.  It settled right into the embrace.  I was officially starting to fall in like with this sweet chicken. 

I carried the chicken up to the house.  My kiddo walked out when he saw that holding the chicken was totally possible.  I handed him the chicken.  He held the chicken in a gentle hug...and then it pooped!!!  I was officially falling in love with this sweet chicken.


Jump forward a day and I'm sitting at the table and my husband and kid are designing a chicken coop for our back yard.  I'M SO EXCITED!!!!

Click here to purchase this painting.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Does it Count if it was an Accident?

Last night I had a bite, only one bite, of the most amazing pecan pie I've ever had.  The flavors rolled around in my mouth and took me to the edge of dizzy bliss.  Oh, my gosh, it was good.  "What could be so different about this pecan pie that makes it so amazing?" I thought to myself.

And then I realized what it was.

It was not your run of the mill pecan pie.  Nope.  It was a chocolate pecan pie.  Gasp!


The thing is, I've been caffeine free for over a year now.  No coffee.  No tea (herbal is fine, of course).  And no...absolutely no...chocolate.


My thinking is that it definitely didn't count as breaking my commitment as it was totally accidental.  It's not like the pie was marked on the potluck table.  I mean, would you say an alcoholic fell off the wagon if they accidentally consumed a bite of rum cake?

I figure I'm good.  But, dang, I officially miss chocolate!

Click here to purchase this painting.


Saturday, February 22, 2014

I Got Zapped!

Static electricity drives me a little nuts.  It's not my friend.


It makes my skirts get up all in my business.

It makes me accidentally shock my wee little students.

And it makes it nearly impossible to walk through Costco with a cart without a zap every ten steps or so.


It's a problem.


So the last time I was at the gym I started feeling the slight raise of the hairs on my arms as I walked briskly on a treadmill.  And then I felt the hair on my scalp shift just a bit.  And then my husband came up behind me and touched my thigh...and ZAP!!!!!!

I almost wiped out...at 3.6 miles per hour.


Nope.  Not a fan of static electricity.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Friday, February 21, 2014

More Psychic than I Wanna Be

I'm pretty close to my kids.  No doubt.  Many, many years of mostly relationship building stuff and here we are.  But sometimes we're just a little too close.  As in psychically close.

The big guy was heading out to meet someone about some potential work.  I was in the kitchen when he came to the bar to talk to me.  I looked at him as he sat on a stool.


Me:  "You look nice."

Big guy:  "You can only see a little of me, mom."  Ya, it's hard to give the guy a compliment.

Me:  "Well, from what I do see, you look nice.  Except you better zip up your fly."


Now, could I see anything on him below his chest?  Nope.

Was his fly indeed open?  Yup.

Did we get just a tad freaked out?  You bet.

Click here to purchase this painting.


Thursday, February 20, 2014

Adorkable

You know when you're being goofy because it's pretty much the only way you know how to be?  Well, my husband came up with a new term for that...and he used it on me.

"Adorkable"

Yup, a perfect "adorable" and "dork" combo plate.

Good to know at forty-six that I'm still darn adorkable.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

My big kid. He's so funny!

My big guy came into the kitchen to get a snack.


Me:  "I wish you guys were on a curling team and you needed to practice all that sweeping all over my house."

Big guy: "If I was on curling team, I'd use a vacuum."


Oh, he's so awesome.  A tad sluggish with housework, but seriously, oh, so awesome!

Click here to purchase this painting.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Quick, Call a Toe Truck!

Dave and the kid were wrestling on our bed last night.  Happens a lot.  The blanket gets all messed up, pillows end up everywhere, and the clothes I'd carefully set out for the next day end up on the floor...in a heap.

As much as a disruption that this is, I rather like that the guys wrestle.  It's good stuff.


It's good stuff until what happened last night, that is.  They're wrestling on the bed, blanket is messed up, pillows are strewn about, my clothes are in a heap...and the kitten freaks out, runs outa there at break neck speed, steps on my toe, accidentally digging one of his super sharp claws deep, and bolts away.


Me:  "Ooooowwwwwwww!!!"  That really, really hurt!

Me:  "I'm bleeding!"  I was.

Me:  "I need a bandaid!"  I did.

Me:  "I need antibacterial ointment!"  I really did.

Me:  "Isn't somebody going to call a toe truck?!?!"


Silence.

Sometimes my sense of humor is so under-appreciated.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Monday, February 17, 2014

By the Light of the Moon ( AKA...If you've ever wondered why I paint so darn many owls.)

I usually paint as an escape, as a pure act of fun, whimsy, and bliss.  But this sweet owl I painted with a purpose (and fun, whimsy, and bliss, of course).  And I couldn't help but imagine where it might end up.

You see, the school where I have the great pleasure of working, is holding a HUGE fundraiser next month.  I painted this little guy to be one of the many wonderful items up for auction.  So, yes, the money raising part is fabulous, but I love thinking a child will have with this hung in their room. 

When I was a kid I had the most beautiful night light.  It was a ceramic owl with glass eyes and inlaid glass beads across its front, and they all lit up just beautifully and gave off a bluish hue.  And I felt safe.  And this, my friends, is why I paint so darn many owls...I can't help it.

Hope they make you feel safe, too.


P.S.  I still own my old night light, lucky me!

Click here to check out my gallery.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Who's That Girl?

There are so many artists out there that can draw people and draw them well.  They can even draw specific people.  Me?  So not one of my super powers.  But I still like to draw people (in general), regardless of my skill level.

Anyway, I'm a bit of a kid with my art work and I often take it to my husband and show him.  "Lookie, lookie what I drew!!"

He's always super awesome and generous with his compliments.  And he was with this one, too.  Only he was quite sure it was a portrait of someone we know.

So, help me, my friends.  Solve this mystery.  Who's that girl?

Click here to purchase this painting.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Everybody Loves Getting a Package

Right?  But I realize now that I prefer loving receiving my packages without an audience.

The other day I saw the familiar brown uniformed gentleman walking up to my door, ringing my bell, and walking away.  I felt all giddy as I skipped to the door, opened it, yelled "Thanks!" and brought it in. 


Me:  "Yay, for me, me, me, me, me, me, me!!!"

Little guy who unbeknownst to me had walked into the room, seen my reaction, and was standing behind me:  "Boo!"


OK, now that was embarrassing.


Oh, well...I GOT A PACKAGE!!

Click here to purchase this painting.

Friday, February 14, 2014

It's the Little Things

OK, it's silly, but it made my day.  There's a bin of laundry in our living room.  It's clean, so that's at least a step in the right direction I'm thinking.  My big guy spied a sock of mine on the floor.  It had tumbled out somehow.  He picked it up, looked it over, and...


Big guy:  "Whose sock is this?"

Me:  "Mine."

Big guy:  "No way, this would fit a two-year-old."

Me:  "Give it a wee little stretch, you'll see."


And he did.  And it stretched.  And even though it was obvious that it would definitely fit a much larger foot than that of a two-year-old, it made this girl's day.  It's a funny thing.  After you've gained a half a shoe size with each pregnancy, any indication that your feet are small make your day.


Sigh...it's the little things...and yes, I do mean my feet! 

Click here to purchase this painting.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Gosh...boys

Why, oh why is it funny to hug your mom after a really long sweaty bike ride...when your mom is much shorter than you are...and your sweaty and quite stinky armpits rest just perfectly on her shoulders?  (OK, I suppose that's obvious.)

And as I'm running about the kitchen screaming, "STOP!" he's having the very best of times.  And then here's how it goes.


Me:  "If you try to hug me again before you take a shower, I'll stop making this sandwich for you."

And he comes closer.

Me:  "I'll lick the bread."

And he comes closer.

Me:  Well, let's just say I had to pull out all the verbally gross threats that a twelve-year-old boy would.

And he stops.


Until his sandwich is done.  And he thanks me so sweetly.  And then right after I turn around he sneaks a quick, sweaty, stinky hug.

Sigh...that kid adores me, there's no doubt about it.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

My Husband...He is Punny

There he is, all cute and stuff watching the Olympics.


"Those curling girls are hot...they're like hot curlers."


You're welcome.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Awkward but Worth It Cat Moment

Now I know I'm a fiend about my yogurt.  I love this particular kind that I'm hopelessly addicted to.  My mornings simply aren't right without it.

Anyway, lately our old cat, Pug, has been lingering very close by when I've been eating it.  I think he caught the scent of something he's decided he's most interested in.

A little about my cat.  He's a HUGE orange tabby, a total stud of a cat, he's got big muscles, and if he could figure out a way to fund them, I'm quite sure he'd be covered in tattoos.  He's quite a cool cat and he never, ever looks dorky.  Never.

Until yesterday, that is.

I gave him my empty yogurt container since he'd been lovingly admiring it as I ate.  He stuck his tongue in, took just a bit of a lick, tasted it, and then he went for it.  He stuck his entire face in the container.  Lick, lick, lick.  And then as he lifted his head he realized he was stuck, stuck, stuck.  I took it off his face, set it back down, and he plunged his face right back in it.

Worries of dorkiness were tossed aside...all for the best yogurt ever.  I get it, my big ol' furry friend.  I get it.

 Click here to purchase this painting.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Door Slamming is Good for the Soul

I think I figured out how I keep my calm (-ish...if you really know me well) demeanor.

The thing is this.  Just by luck I have things set up in my world that let me blow off steam, even when I don't have any.  At home I have this wacky microwave that insists that I slam it to make it close.  Seriously, it requires a really hard shove.  And my classroom door at school is the same way.  All the other classroom doors close smoothly.  But mine?  Nope.  It requires a good hard slam.

So, this girl has life circumstances that require her to slam a door of some kind at least ten times a day.

Yup, I've got that calm, cool, and collected feeling going strong.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

The Yin and the Yang

Lucky duck that I am, I get asked with some frequency to donate art to auctions that benefit various things I'm involved with.  I love doing them.  This particular one is for my little guy's karate team.

As I stared at this piece while I painted it, I thought about the bit of yin and yang that resides in me.  Well, tons of it, actually.  But I was thinking of myself as an "artist".  Or not an artist.  A title that, even after nearly 950 paintings under my belt, I still occasionally feel funny about using.

Am I enough to call myself an artist? 

Sure I love to play with art supplies.  Sure I'm crazy prolific.  And sure, I can sort of paint something that resembles the actual something that I was trying to make it look like.

Ya, I dunno....but what I do know is that nothing makes me happier than noticing that my laptop is covered in paint splatters (my wonderful husband is less thrilled than I), that there's always something colorful lingering under my fingernails, and that pretty much nothing is more exciting to me than showing my completed works to my family.  Seriously, this girl needs a way to display them on the fridge.

I suppose I just won't worry about a title and let my yin and yang work it out while I keep playing with paint.

Click here to check out my gallery.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

The Lover Archetype

I just finished my most recent project in the "Dancing With Your Dreams" course I've been taking.  I've learned so much about myself as a woman, a dreamer, and an artist. 

This sweet creature represents the lover archetype.  It's the first in a series of four that I hope to complete sometime this year.  Felt drawn (I'm so punny!) to create her first what with Valentine's Day right around the corner. 

If you have any interest in joining this wonderful class, lovely Amy Burke O'Toole is giving a spot away on her blog.  Photos of student work (mine, too!) are also on her blog.

Click here to check out my gallery.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Sometimes I Solve Mysteries even Better than Sherlock Holmes

I had a little scare yesterday.  I looked down and my hand was purplish blue.  Now, for a girl who found out a few years ago that she had a blood clot because her hand and arm were swollen and purplish-blue, this gave me definite pause.  I think I actually gasped.

So I ran through the regular questioning I do when I'm suspecting a clot.  Believe me, once you've had one, you're just a tad paranoid about getting one again.

- Is it purplish blue?  Yes.
- Is my hand swollen?  No.
- Are my veins poking out like crazy?  No.

Hmmmmmm...

And then I figured out the questions I should have been asking myself.

- Am I wearing brand new never-been-washed super-dark jeans?  Yes.
- Have I had my hand in my pocket?  Yes.

The Case of the Purplish Blue Hand...Solved!

Click here to purchase this painting.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Wonderful Way to Start the Day

What makes a great start to my day?

Texts and a phone call from the district saying that we have a two hour delay for the start of school today.  I dunno why...there's absolutely no precipitation.  But thank you very much!

Then our kitten walks up the length of my body all the way to my face, reaches out, and gently taps me on the nose with his paw.

I swear he's a tiny fairy and he put a little spell on me to go back to sleep.

Bliss...Zzzzzzzzzz....

Click here to purchase this painting.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

He's a Basket Case

The new found freedom our kitten is experiencing is rocking his world...the back yard world that is.  Our kitten has been outside lately...a lot.  He loves it so much that if we walk out there he darts away because he just knows we're going to make him go back inside.  But we don't.  And he stays and he plays and our fingers and toes are double crossed that he pees and poos.

And after all his adventures when he finds himself tired, thirsty, and exhausted, he finally wants in. 

Does he come in and tell us all about his adventures?  No.
Does he want to follow us around to see what we're up to?  No.
Does he start up a game of tag with the dogs?  No.

Nope, he jumps up on the kitchen table (bad kitty), crawls into our basket of cloth napkins (bad kitty), and promptly falls asleep for a couple of hours (cutest kitty ever!)

Click here to purchase this painting.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

I Officially Dread Paybacks

I've always thought I had a tough scalp.  I rather prided myself on it.  But for some reason the other day my kid grabbed my brush and started brushing my hair.  Super sweet, right?  Well, I found out that I'm not that tough after all.

It freakin' hurt!

Now, a little about my hair.  It's naturally curly.  A little about me.  I brush my hair pretty much never.  One more thing about my hair.  It forms lovely little dreadlocks whilst I'm neglecting it.

And...I am, post brushing, currently dreadlocks free.  Technically I still own them as they were brushed out intact.


My hair brushing little guy:  "Remember how much I hated it when you used to brush out my long hair?  It felt just like this."  His hair was curly just like mine, formed dreadlocks just like mine, and he never brushed it either.  Though I would on the rarest of occasion, sometimes brush dreadlocks out intact.


Oy, paybacks are a wee bit hellish.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Monday, February 3, 2014

My Old Dog Rocks!

Feeling great love for our old lady, Scout.  Ya know, if someone came up to me, seemingly randomly, and pried my mouth open and shoved a pill down my throat and then acted like I should be just fine with it, well, they'd have another thing coming.

But Scout?  She just looks up at me with love and adoration in her eye (she only has one good one left).  "Mama loves me!"

And she's right.

Sweetest old dog ever.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Forgetful? Crazy? Nope.

I have the feeling my family thinks I've entered "crazy old lady" status.  At least "forgetful old lady".  The thing is I seem to have a habit of asking for the same info over and over.  Things like, "Do you have wrestling practice tomorrow?" "Is karate happening tonight?" "Who did you say is coming over?"  And it's actually not that I don't remember, really it's not.  And I seriously doubt I'm crazy.  I'm simply distracted by all the stuff I'm up to...drawing, painting, and writing...oh, my!

In the car today I was told, "You need to not ask something unless you're absolutely, positively sure that you've never asked it before."  Um, if I had any inkling that I'd asked it before I wouldn't have asked it again.

So I'm self diagnosing myself as having "distracted old lady" status.  My family will be so relieved that I'm not crazy or forgetful.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

To Twerk or Not to Twerk

OK, so picture this (or not)...the kid and I in the car. Music is playing.  The beat is awesome.  I make a really bad attempt at twerking in my seat.  No small task seated, particularly for someone with no twerking ability even when she's upright.


My kid:  "Stop dancing."

Me:  "I'm twerking."

My kid:  "That's not twerking."

Me:  "You don't even know.  You can't twerk."

My kid:  "I can twerk, mom."

Me:  "Show me."

My kid:  "No"

Me:  "Teach me."

My kid:  "Twerking is an inappropriate thing to teach your mom.  And besides, no."

Me:  "Then teach me an appropriate mom/son dance."

My kid:  "Back to the 'besides, no,' mom."


With all the complaining he does I really figured he'd want to help me improve.

Click here to purchase this painting.