Follow the Bouncing Ball

Monday marks the start of my 14th year of teaching. I've been super lucky to work with 3, 4, and 5 year old children who happen to have disabilities and who also consistently show me that they have the most amazing super powers. When I finished this painting it reminded me of a ball bouncing...and then I thought of my classroom filled with my students which at times reminds me of a whole room full of bouncing balls. Let the fun begin!

"Follow the Bouncing Ball"

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For the Love of Rituals

I adore rituals. You know, the awesome little things that become our rituals because we end up doing them over and over again. Like my love of tea. The heating of the water, the steeping of the bag, the blissful experience of the tea as I take that first sip.  Love!

Well, by golly, I think I have a new ritual. Every couple of weeks I think I'll create a new henna drawing on myself. This wee flower on my inner arm is my second try ever. My hand is still shaky as I'm getting used to this exciting and amazing media, but I think I'll improve over time. Practice, practice, practice.

Thanks for going on this henna ride with me!

Nope, my arm isn't for sale, but...Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

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Something New...Something Blue

I love trying new things, I really do, but something I just did for the first time ever is not working out so well for me.

You see, I managed to bite my tongue in what appears to be the absolute, perfect way to bruise it good and plenty. While I've bruised pretty much everything else at one time or another (I tend to walk into things a lot), who knew that it was even possible to bruise a tongue?

Anyway, I'll be distracted by this whole event for a while...I figure my entire sense of reality has undergone a shift.

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My Family's Shopping List

Every time I go to the grocery store I text my family, "Add to the shopping list!"

So, when I arrived at the store and pulled out my phone to check the list, here's what I saw:


Earth worms

Propeller hat

Yarn

Pet rock

Altimeter

Nose hair trimmer

Eye of newt

Grass clippings

Deodorizing charcoal underpants

Spitoon

Hair straightener

Tibetan flag

Water balloon launcher

Axle grease


Well, I blew all that off...except for the deodorizing charcoal underpants.  In my family those are a must have!

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All Wild and Curly

This morning I woke up to the most amazing bed head I think I've ever had.  Truly, I rather looked like Medusa...on a bad snake hair kind of day.

Now what's nice about my mornings is that I get to spend them alone.  Well, not counting the dogs and cats.  So my family is spared the sight of morning me.  But on the rare occasion that one of them does pop out into the living room before the sun comes up, well, I shout out a preemptive "I'm pretty!!!"

You know, in case they aren't able to see through my wild exterior and all.

 Exhibit A...Insert "I'm pretty!!!" here.

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What Sleep Brings

So the little guy has been attending a summer fitness camp thing.  I would have thought that he'd be raring to go in the mornings...you know, wake up easily, jump out of bed, gleefully get ready, happily eat a hearty breakfast, and give me a hug, kiss, and "I love you" when I dropped him off (after all, I'm getting up super early for his summer thing, too.).  But, no.  We grog our way through all those steps and I merely receive a grunt when I tell him "I love you!" at drop off.

But today we were rewarded with a little whimsy, a bit of humor as the fairies and elves had obviously been up to mischief whilst we slept.

The kid got up (after multiple requests).

The kid got dressed (under duress).

The kid ate one fourth of a bagel (with minimal resistance).

And as we walked out the door and he was shoving his phone in his shorts, "Hey, there's a teeny, tiny sock in my pocket!" And he tossed my sock on the table.


...and I just smiled figuring I'd keep the fairies and elves that live in our house my own little secret.

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Animaters

So this happened at my house.


We were talking about some animated cartoon or whatnot and the amazing work of animators, and all of a sudden my husband hops up, runs out in the yard to his garden, runs back in, and...

"I like animaters on my sandwich!!" as he proudly held up two lovely ripe 'maters (as we call 'em).

Insert collective groan here.

This is part of my Hallway Project.

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Examining the Data

I have to say that I find something very interesting.  I live with three fellas and the microwave at our house is a serious disaster.  Despite the fact that we have two microwave dome covers that live on top of our microwave, the inside of our microwave looks like a gruesome scene from "Dexter"...splatters everywhere...ceiling, sides, door, circular tray...disgusting. 

Now, the microwave in my classroom is used by me and the lovely woman with whom I'm lucky enough to work.  We use it each and every school day, all school year long, and on the last day of school we don't every have to clean it because it is pristine.  Note:  we do not have a microwave dome cover.

Hmmmm...I'm not quite sure what to conclude from this. 

This is part of my Hallway Project.  More little friends keep showing up!

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Axe Awesomeness

The fastest and easiest way to get your kid to do manual labor is to offer a tool to go along with it.  And what is the most desirable tool ever?  Well, from the data I've collected it's absolutely, positively an axe. 

Give the kid a rake and ask him to fill the bags with leaves and the reception is cool at best.

Give the kid an axe and ask him to chop up all the branches you've trimmed and you've got the most amazing, manic, obsessive worker ever.

You're welcome.

This is part of my Hallway Project.

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The Things I Say

For the life of me I have no idea why I'm still surprised by the things I find myself saying.

The little guy had been assigned a lovely sketch assignment many weeks ago.  It was due the next day.  What does he do when I nag him (again) about it?

He toots.


Me:  "Art, not fart."


I think that has a future as a bumper sticker.

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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.

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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.

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Tricky, Trendy, and Warm(ish)

Random bit of info.

Putting skinny jeans on top of thermal underwear...it's actually even harder than it sounds.

But so totally worth it when you have to be outside for hours in windy temps in the 30ºs and having to look fashionably trendy.

OK, on with your day now.


P.S. Taking said skinny jeans and thermals back off at the end of the day is much easier than putting them on.

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Hooked on Mints

My kid has a problem.  And I suppose I only have myself to blame.  While I can't control what he thinks and does (like ever!), I was likely the one who first exposed him.

Yes, my little guy is apparently hooked on mints.  It started with Tic-Tacs, then moved to those curiously strong Altoids.  Around Christmas he switched to some organic vegan mints that I gave him.  (At least that's a little better, right?)  Yes, I'm officially his supplier, it seems.

And all of that would be just fine if he consumed perhaps ten or fifteen a day.  But, no.  The kid has consumed up to fifty in an hour.  When one mint is just down to a wee little nub, he pops another in his mouth.  He's a chain minter, that fresh breathed, goofy kid of mine.

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Consequences of Sibling Rivalry

Sibling rivalry reared its ugly head today.  And I was with only one of my children.

I was in a dressing room at a store trying on some skinny jeans.  These weren't the run of the mill skinny jeans, these were the skinny jeans.  I pulled them off the hanger feeling quite self-assured and optimistic.  I pulled the left leg on, then the right.  Only the right just barely made it over my heel.  Now I don't have an abnormally enlarged right heel, for some reason that's exactly where they decided to place the big plastic security thingie.  I pulled the pants up to my waist...well, almost...and it became perfectly clear that those jeans were not meant to be worn by the likes of me.

So the process went in reverse.  All was fine until it was time for that right heel.  I was STUCK!  I got my phone out, considered calling my big guy who was actually the reason we were at the store, decided against it, and gave it one more HUGE tug. Success.


On the way home....

Me:  "You don't wear skinny jeans, eh?"

Big guy:  "No."

Me:  "I tried some on when we were there and I couldn't get them off.  I almost called you for help."

Big guy:  "I wouldn't have helped you."

Me:  "You wouldn't have helped me?"

Big guy:  "You would've eventually figured it out."

Me:  "Gee."

Big guy:  "Maybe I would've helped you if you didn't always side with my brother when we're fighting."


Sibling rivalry rearing its ugly head.  I love those guys of mine!

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Collaborative Art

Most of the time I do my art on my own.  No help.  No input.  But the other night as I sat at our kitchen table sketching and painting, I had my kid's new little kitten keeping me company.  He licked a bit at my brush water before I could stop him.  He bumped my brush as I was laying paint down.  He walked on my painting as it was drying.  And after a while he fell asleep partly on my pallet.

He was the best collaborative partner EVER!

Check out our work!

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My Collaborative Partner

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Like Father, Like Son

So the big guy cracked me up.  Like I said yesterday, he brought home a sweet little kitten from the pound.  The little fella is awesome, we're in love, it's all good.

But the whole "get a pet and surprise the family with it" thing?  Well, I can't exactly hold it against my big guy...it's a family trait after all.  A paternal one, that is.  Both of our dogs arrived at the house as surprises, Dave grinning ear-to-ear holding two of the sweetest little puppies ever.


Big guy:  "I pulled a dad."  Grinning ear-to-ear.

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Silver Linings

Picked my kid up from a sleep over early this afternoon.  He looked blissfully tired...and a bit snarfly, a little heavy on the booger side, stuffed up.

As we drove home I noticed him leaning to the side just a bit.  That lean that makes me think I should roll my window down sooner than later.  That lean that always seems to make my kid ever so happy.


Little guy:  "This is the best thing ever!"

Me:  "What?"  I go ahead and begin rolling my window down.

Little guy:  "I can totally stink up your car and I don't even have to smell it!"


That's my guy, cup always half full, always finding the silver lining...even to mocos verdes.

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