Feature Art Friday: Tucker

Feature Art Friday: Chox

Feature Art Friday: Palmer

My first Mother's Day as a mom

On my first Mother's Day as a parent, we enjoyed homemade cards & promises of a car wash. Then we all went to the river for a bike ride. Maisy & I walked, dragging up the rear in case of stragglers. One of the boys, who doesn't have much stamina & tires very easily, stops frequently when his "heart starts beeping fast". Each time he would get ready to start up again, he would take off, wobbling precariously, eyes locked on the path in front of him, saying "Mom? Are you behind me? Are you back there?". 

"Yeah honey. I'm here. You won't get rid of me that easily."

This same child, who was mad at the world when he moved in six months ago, gave me a stick of chewing gum Friday afternoon. He said his teacher gave it to him but he decided to save it for me because it was almost Mother's Day. Melted my heart. I wonder if he understands that he will still be with us next Mother's Day? It's sometimes difficult to know what he does & does not understand. His brothers say they know we are their family, but they have been told that by others before & it didn't happen. So they say they believe us but still appear a little skeptical sometimes.

A few weeks ago, when I casually mentioned something about when they start back to school in the fall, they were shocked to discover that they would be returning to the same school. Apparently this has never happened before. There were cheers & high-fives all around in the back seat as I sat at a stoplight shaking my head. The things most of us take for granted.

Oddly, I hope at some point they take things for granted. Like the fact that they will be in the same school. And in the same home. With us. I'm okay with them taking it for granted. Because that will mean that they know that we really are their parents. They will know what family really means. And they are welcome to take it for granted, although we never will.

Feature Art Friday: Jack the Rescue Dog

See more pet portraits here.

Confessions of a new parent: The one about the dryer

The fact that I took a photo of the washer, when the blog post is about the dryer only supports my point about the similarities between dementia & being a new parent.

This one is still a mystery to me. Honestly this must be what it feels like to be on the front end of dementia, which is, I suppose similar to the front end of parenting. Both bring some pretty bewildering circumstances in which you find yourself unsure of the hows & whys.

I ran the dryer for an hour with no clothes in it. This is not an exaggeration, or an implication that I was a few socks shy of a full load (although even six months into this process I can use that visual to describe my mental acuity. or lack thereof.) So the dryer ran for about an hour, completely empty.

It may not seem like much to you, but our dryer has approximately 50 buttons on it, which makes it quite a commitment to turn on. It also makes noises like a slot machine. Thanks to our 3 boys overestimating the value of change, underestimating the size of their pants pockets & my inability to wait for the cycle to end, it will occasionally throw quarters at me. Searing hot quarters. Brings a new & dangerous meaning to the term loose change. 

It was also 45 degrees in the garage when this mystery occurred. How tired do you have to be to leave the comfort of your home & walk into a freezing cold garage to start an empty dryer? I don't like to be cold. Wait, the hot quarters. How's that for positive thinking?

Another somewhat literal hurdle that had to be crossed to turn on the dryer for absolutely no reason is the war zone formerly used as a garage. The only reason there isn't a literal hurdle to cross out there is that they simply do not come on wheels. As soon as they do, I'm sure we will buy one. Or three. Our garage is now the home of every type of wheeled paraphernalia known to man. Or little boys. More on that here. The garage was organized B.C. Before Children. Now it is a disorganized veritable deathtrap of rolling things & white hot flying quarters.

Which makes it even more inexplicable that last winter I went on a suicide mission... braved the freezing temperatures, walked 20 feet across a mine field of potentially neck-breaking skateboards/scooters & risked having President Washington's profile seared into my face... for no reason.

See? I told you it was a mystery.

Feature Art Friday: LaDonnica

Best of April 2013

Warm weather: I love warm weather. That is all.

Seeing my best friend: It doesn't matter how long it is between trips or how long it has been since we have spoken, we pick up right where we left off. As soon as we finish showing out in the airport & embarrassing her daughter with our middle-aged squealing.

Being inspired in a new town: On my recent work-trip-turned-visit-with-my-best-friend, she took me to a cool community in Richmond, Virginia where she lives. It's called Carytown & it's an artsy little area full of vintage shops, galleries, one-of-a-kind boutiques & quirky little houses. I love quirky.

Coming home to my family: The trip in April was the first time I have had to leave our boys overnight. Even now thinking of the way they hopped around & got so excited when we first saw each other makes me smile. I was so happy to see my family when I got home.

Etsy festival: Central Arkansas hosted an Etsy festival for the Etsy Little Rock team, I hope to be a vendor next year instead of just an attendee.It started raining shortly after we arrived & I was bummed for all of the artists but I did enjoy watching the boys running, screaming & laughing in the rain. The younger two were "washing" their hair while they ran. Which made for a fantastic look once the rain stopped & their hair dried. They both looked like they had stuck their fingers in light sockets, which mortified their older brother. Which made them even happier.

Unexpected visit from a cousin: I had a surprise visit from a cousin who was passing through Arkansas for work. The last time I saw him he had barely started college & now he is out of school, married & has two kids. I'm so proud of him- it just doesn't seem possible how much time has passed. All the more reason to keep up with my favorite bits here so I can remember.