1. I'm going to go ahead and apologize for the inappropriate kid talk I've been sharing on my blog lately, but seriously, I just don't want to forget the ridiculously funny things my kids have been saying this week.
Nell's nighttime diaper is always super full, so when I take it off in the morning I let her air out for a minute. Poor girl inherited my super dry skin, so today she was scratching and scratching her lower abdomen. I went to get some lotion and just as I came back she kind of squatted down, spread her legs apart and declared "Uh-oh, my penis fall off!" Ben was behind her, so he was able to react how I desperately wanted to, but I decided to keep my cool and simply reminded her she never had a penis, cause girls have vagina's. Once she looked away Ben and I both erupted. Kids are so darn funny!
2. For days I've been wanting to write a post about how grown up she is. But doing so might make me cry. My baby is almost two! Her speech is pretty clear, I mean there was no doubting the above sentence. She's really independent as well. Several times a day we go through a routine where she asks me to "read book" and then quickly decides "I read it by myself." I do it myself is another oft repeated phrase. I don't remember Reid taking his shoes off by himself before age 2 (or probably 3 for that matter) or speaking nearly as much as she does. Girls are just so different from boys.
3. I woke up early this morning to make some fresh muffins for Ben to take to Wautoma. Each year one attorney in his office has to cover a neighboring, smaller county. This is his year and he really wants the court team out there to like him. So he requested my muffins and I happily obliged. I love making food for other people. Why is that? I don't know, but it's the only thing that can get me out of bed at 5:30 in the morning. Scripture study? No. The gym? No. Baking for others? You bet!
4. Weeks ago I asked Ben if he'd want to visit the Art Spot for a date night. I'm not sure if these sort of art places are a hit everywhere, but I keep hearing about them out here in Wisconsin. The business concept is quite brilliant, picture Bob Ross walking 20 -30 individual students through a painting while they sip on wine. That's the basic idea. Ben wasn't up for it, so when someone in my mom's group posted the idea I jumped right on board. I am not at all artistic or creative, so I'm not quite sure why I wanted to do this. But it was a much needed Mom's night out. Ben is so sweet for letting me take off right when he got home. I guess that's what he gets for shooting down my date night idea!
5. Here's the night in pictures:
6. And now in words:
I must have become visibly frustrated during the final stages of the process, because two of the three Art Spot employees came over to our table and gave me detailed instruction. I was impressed by their approach. They asked me what I didn't like about my painting and I told them it felt too boxy. And though I can't remember he exact words, she told me I was a linear person. Oh my gosh, what a break through! I obviously knew this coming in, but I just didn't see how it affected my painting until those final stages.
See, the instructor had us start with the blue part of the flowers. She told us to cover the first 1/3 of each pedal with the blue paint. So I did, I got to my 1/3 mark and progressed no further. I didn't make one side of the pedal longer or thinner. Each pedal was covered by 1/3. I kept looking at the final piece and wondering how we were going to make it so diverse. I assumed we would be mixing more colors and adding longer lines later. I panicked when I realized we weren't, and I was stuck with a boxy flower.
The woman who referred to me as linear showed me how to blend the lines better, but it's still pretty boxy. The other woman gave me some techniques for holding the paint brush on those fine white lines. Together they helped me make the painting less gross looking, but I still won't be hanging it anywhere fancy. Ever.
And yet ... I want to go back. Later this month there are two mountain style paintings and I long with all my heart to make both of them. I guess this longing helps me understand why I wanted to try the art spot in the first place. My maternal grandmother, Beulah P., decorated her house in her own marvelous mountain paintings. I seriously was amazed by my Grandmother's talent. There was one painting that wasn't mountain like -- it was waves crashing on the ocean -- but for the most part I remember her best masterpieces having a Rocky Mountain feel to them. Oh how I'd love to create my own, horrible, rocky mountain art work in my Grandma's honor.
7. Painting aside, the girls night out was wonderful. Four of the five of us are expecting, so there was no drinking, just fancy appetizers. We enjoyed some great conversation during the project. After we finished we all headed to another restaurant for desert. Two convinced the other three that we all had to get a chocolate lava cake, and none of us regretted it. It was to die for! We stayed out until 11:30, sharing birthing stories and fears, boasting of our husband's best qualities, and laughing over the adorable little ones that fill our homes. It was such a wonderful night out. I've found all the women in this group to be so enjoyable. There is never negative talk, even when someone vents a little about a messy house or a stressful job. We are all so supportive of each other and it reminds me that mommy wars don't really exist. They are just an internet fad.
At one point in the evening one of the other stay at home mom's was lamenting that she never has company over because her house is always such a mess. Very kindly, one of the working moms reminded her that "My house is empty for 9 hours of the day. An empty house doesn't require a lot of cleaning. Not like yours." I'm not sure why that little conversation stuck with me, but it was just such a beautiful moment of kindness. I truly believe most mom's understand the woes of the other side, even if we haven't fully lived them.
Nell's nighttime diaper is always super full, so when I take it off in the morning I let her air out for a minute. Poor girl inherited my super dry skin, so today she was scratching and scratching her lower abdomen. I went to get some lotion and just as I came back she kind of squatted down, spread her legs apart and declared "Uh-oh, my penis fall off!" Ben was behind her, so he was able to react how I desperately wanted to, but I decided to keep my cool and simply reminded her she never had a penis, cause girls have vagina's. Once she looked away Ben and I both erupted. Kids are so darn funny!
2. For days I've been wanting to write a post about how grown up she is. But doing so might make me cry. My baby is almost two! Her speech is pretty clear, I mean there was no doubting the above sentence. She's really independent as well. Several times a day we go through a routine where she asks me to "read book" and then quickly decides "I read it by myself." I do it myself is another oft repeated phrase. I don't remember Reid taking his shoes off by himself before age 2 (or probably 3 for that matter) or speaking nearly as much as she does. Girls are just so different from boys.
3. I woke up early this morning to make some fresh muffins for Ben to take to Wautoma. Each year one attorney in his office has to cover a neighboring, smaller county. This is his year and he really wants the court team out there to like him. So he requested my muffins and I happily obliged. I love making food for other people. Why is that? I don't know, but it's the only thing that can get me out of bed at 5:30 in the morning. Scripture study? No. The gym? No. Baking for others? You bet!
4. Weeks ago I asked Ben if he'd want to visit the Art Spot for a date night. I'm not sure if these sort of art places are a hit everywhere, but I keep hearing about them out here in Wisconsin. The business concept is quite brilliant, picture Bob Ross walking 20 -30 individual students through a painting while they sip on wine. That's the basic idea. Ben wasn't up for it, so when someone in my mom's group posted the idea I jumped right on board. I am not at all artistic or creative, so I'm not quite sure why I wanted to do this. But it was a much needed Mom's night out. Ben is so sweet for letting me take off right when he got home. I guess that's what he gets for shooting down my date night idea!
5. Here's the night in pictures:
 |
| The original |
I must have become visibly frustrated during the final stages of the process, because two of the three Art Spot employees came over to our table and gave me detailed instruction. I was impressed by their approach. They asked me what I didn't like about my painting and I told them it felt too boxy. And though I can't remember he exact words, she told me I was a linear person. Oh my gosh, what a break through! I obviously knew this coming in, but I just didn't see how it affected my painting until those final stages.
See, the instructor had us start with the blue part of the flowers. She told us to cover the first 1/3 of each pedal with the blue paint. So I did, I got to my 1/3 mark and progressed no further. I didn't make one side of the pedal longer or thinner. Each pedal was covered by 1/3. I kept looking at the final piece and wondering how we were going to make it so diverse. I assumed we would be mixing more colors and adding longer lines later. I panicked when I realized we weren't, and I was stuck with a boxy flower.
The woman who referred to me as linear showed me how to blend the lines better, but it's still pretty boxy. The other woman gave me some techniques for holding the paint brush on those fine white lines. Together they helped me make the painting less gross looking, but I still won't be hanging it anywhere fancy. Ever.
And yet ... I want to go back. Later this month there are two mountain style paintings and I long with all my heart to make both of them. I guess this longing helps me understand why I wanted to try the art spot in the first place. My maternal grandmother, Beulah P., decorated her house in her own marvelous mountain paintings. I seriously was amazed by my Grandmother's talent. There was one painting that wasn't mountain like -- it was waves crashing on the ocean -- but for the most part I remember her best masterpieces having a Rocky Mountain feel to them. Oh how I'd love to create my own, horrible, rocky mountain art work in my Grandma's honor.
7. Painting aside, the girls night out was wonderful. Four of the five of us are expecting, so there was no drinking, just fancy appetizers. We enjoyed some great conversation during the project. After we finished we all headed to another restaurant for desert. Two convinced the other three that we all had to get a chocolate lava cake, and none of us regretted it. It was to die for! We stayed out until 11:30, sharing birthing stories and fears, boasting of our husband's best qualities, and laughing over the adorable little ones that fill our homes. It was such a wonderful night out. I've found all the women in this group to be so enjoyable. There is never negative talk, even when someone vents a little about a messy house or a stressful job. We are all so supportive of each other and it reminds me that mommy wars don't really exist. They are just an internet fad.
At one point in the evening one of the other stay at home mom's was lamenting that she never has company over because her house is always such a mess. Very kindly, one of the working moms reminded her that "My house is empty for 9 hours of the day. An empty house doesn't require a lot of cleaning. Not like yours." I'm not sure why that little conversation stuck with me, but it was just such a beautiful moment of kindness. I truly believe most mom's understand the woes of the other side, even if we haven't fully lived them.
2 comments:
Loved the post. I loved your flowers! They were a tad boxy, but what the heck -- loved 'em anyway!
Pa
I have heard of this idea and think it sounds like a delightful way to spend the evening! Perhaps you should have tried the wine to see if you would not have been so linear! I think it looks great myself and definitely think you should go again! Good job sis!! Love ya, Mom
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