Negligence

I'm sorry I have not posted an update in a couple of weeks! I'll try to get one done in the next couple of days! I'm heading to bed now.

Quick update on my little guy

Well, today was Max's first day on his ADHD medication. He got home from school and, with great enthusiasm, says to me, "Mom, today was a really good day at school! Three things happened. (1) I didn't get talked to even once (meaning the teacher didn't have to get onto him for a number of reasons that have become normal every day) (2) I got an A+ cone on my desk and a sticker (earned for good behavior in class) (3) I got a lot of my work done today! Wow, that medicine really works!" He was so excited! And I was so happy to see him excited about a good day at school. He also get pretty jazzed because one of the cool teachers at school was a HUGE skateboarder ... well, guess he sorta' still is but he's no a teenager anymore! Anyway, he was showing Max some tricks on Max's skateboard. He's really, really good and Max thinks he's can skate on water... Well, I know this teacher from church. A super sweet guy. He asked if he could come over some time and skate with Max and teach him some stuff with his board! I was so excited for Max and Max was ready to jump out of his skin! They made a plan for after school next Friday and Max is already counting the days! :)

I taught a private art class today and got 4 fabric coffee sleeves made this afternoon. That is one item I will be selling at an upcoming arts/crafts bazaar. I have a few other different things I want to make as well, especially get some journals done, but I think these will be good sellers. They are fairly easy, don't take long to make, and are really cute... AND, they are "green"! No longer need the cardboard cup sleeves at coffee shops! Beautiful reusable fabric sleeves are the way to go! ;)

Now to see of Project Runway is up on the web yet. I don't have a t.v. and always have to wait to watch the show on the website! Hopefully it's up now and I can hang out and watch it in bed!

Soooo behind!

My friend, Judi, mentioned how behind she is in everything.... I told her I wondered if there were some sort of club we might join... a 12-step program perhaps? I keep thinking life stuff will calm down but it doesn't. This is my new normal and it makes me tired.

I don't even know how to catch up since I've not posted here in about 3 weeks! Where did that time go? So, let's see...
-I got Halloween costumes finished in time so my Ninja's were happy.
-I've been working on some items to sell at an upcoming arts/craft bazaar... slowly.
-trying to catch up on bookkeeping type stuff.
-went out of town to a FANTASTIC women's retreat through my church. It was up north near the Grand Canyon so much cooler weather and lots of trees! Photos to follow.... There were about 150 women that attended. Our times together were powerful. I also got some alone time in the woods to paint in my journal, take pictures, walk early in the mornings, yoga... well, it was just a wonderful weekend. I was thankful that God worked out all the details for childcare so I could go... even if he waits until the 11th hour to do it! Guess He likes the thrill and excitement of the last minute miracles! LOL!
-been doing lots of hard emotional work, homework for my support group, etc... and facing some of my grief stuff that I've been stuffing down out of survival. I mean, if I sit in my grief over many, many things from this year, I would drown in tears and not be able to function. So I've not allowed myself... or just haven't known how, to feel the force of the grief. I've been afraid that if I let it out, I will not be able to function and then who will care for my kids if I can't function? However, I'm learning that I can have some serious times of grief and in a couple of days, I can pick myself back up and keep moving forward. But it's SOOOO exhausting! I think I've had a nap almost every day this week. I'm not talking a 20 minute nap. I am talking "pass out cold for about 2 hours and can't seem to come out of the stupor for another hour" kind of naps... and then ready to pass out again by 9:00.
-today I took Max to a Dr.'s appt. that I probably should have taken him to several years ago. He has ADHD and we will start medication tomorrow. Since it is inherited, we are trying the same medication that Chuck uses. I hope we see a turn around. It's heart breaking to have your very bright, intelligent child sobbing because he feels stupid at school over his difficulty to not only do the work, but to stay on task about anything, follow directions, stay in trouble for not listening, talking, disrupting, etc.... He's really, really struggling in school this year and having such difficulty even getting his work done at all. This means a TON of it gets sent home and I have to deal with it. Not a pretty picture. Norman Rockwell moments do not often exist in our house, especially when there's school work involved. I'm very thankful Max has a fantastic and understanding teacher who is really trying to work with Max and me making the best decisions for him to get help. Chuck met us at the appt. today and we both liked the Dr. very much. I feel hopeful.
-I had to cancel one of the classes I planned to teach in April at the retreat in Texas. I hated to do it but the schedule was just so tight, I just didn't see how it could realistically be accomplished. I think I would have come home physically ill. But there are still 3 to choose from!!!
-I'm sorta' patiently waiting to see if any of my class proposals was accepted for AU 2010. I hope the wait will end soon!
-my art classes for the home school kids is going really well! They are such fun!
-I will be turning 45 on the 16th of this month. That sounds so weird to say when I feel so much younger. I always wonder if those who are say, oh... 75, feel about 45 and often think that way until they look in the mirror and realize that it's not true. I often think of myself about 30. I just know that this getting older thing is a very strange thing.

Well, here are a few photos from my retreat weekend. It was so beautiful!!!
This was the sunrise just starting my first morning... I got up THAT early to walk..in the dark! LOL! It was about 35 degrees out that morning.
Mountainside... boulders and trees
This little guy kept me company while I painted. I have never in my life heard a squirrel chatter like this one did. He was talking away at me. Wish I could have understood what he was saying. He stayed in the top of the tree watching me so closely for soooo long. See?

These boogers are skittish birds and very hard to photograph. I was persistent and finally successful. Stellar Jays are gorgeous birds. Wish we had them down in the valley!

I'd like a whole wardrobe out of this color combination! LOVE the moss!

I have a thing for the dead trees. I think they are so beautiful. I'm only showing you one shot I took and sparing you from the many others!

Finally, the grand finale of the day... God sure knows how to paint a sunset, doesn't He? Amazing! Try mixing those colors on a palette!

Answering a question

For my commenter, Judi, no, I do not have a camera yet... I have one right now that I borrowed. I've been making really good use of it and enjoying it tremendously. I hate knowing I have to give it back soon! ;(

A walk in the woods

Today, I planned a day trip for the boys and I to go to Prescott, AZ. I invited my mom to go with us and we had such a fun day. It was cool, peaceful, quiet, relaxing, and there were moments of laughter that were unlike any I have had in months as we did a story round. It was a really wonderful day and very much needed. These are glimpses of our day.

What to do...

My boys are on fall break this week so things change a bit for me. I could not go to Bible study this morning because there's no one to watch the boys. I'm trying to figure out what I will do today. I look around and see unfinished things .... piles of papers that need to be organized and put in my new filing system, an art table the I need to finish cleaning off, a box of items to list in my etsy store, laundry to be done, things to prepare for my kid's art class I teach tomorrow which will require a run to the store, well... and the list goes on.

Here is altered composition notebook/ journal I just finished this week. It is a gift item ordered by a friend for a friend.
The recipient loves the desert and these colors so I used one of my photographs taken at the Botanical garden. I love this photograph! And I love these colors!

I'm thinking of driving my boys up to a lake in Prescott on Thursday. It's going to warm up here over the next couple of days and I think it would be nice to just hang out in cooler weather by a lake, romp through the woods, have a picnic, and it only takes about an hour and fifteen minutes to drive there. I haven't been in over a year and it's calling me. I can do some painting. ;)

Bob

Love Bob's "racing stripes". Bob is Sam's kitten who is now almost 6 months old. He's quite a character with the most expressive tail. He kinda' keeps craziness stirred up amongst the three furry boys. During the day, he finds the highest place in the house to sleep during the day, which is on top of a box in my shelving unit.. puts him about a foot from the ceiling! The past three nights, I have been able to sleep with my bedroom door closed since they have left me alone with no foot biting and Bob has become a bed buddy. I've nicknamed him 'MooBob' because he resembles a cow with his marking. But it's the white racing stripes up the back of his ears that I really love.