A Little Bit of Magic

On Monday afternoon I headed to Midtown to met up with couple of people at PolyEsther's Costume Boutique. We were picking out things for me to wear later that night. At around 5pm I was sitting in a chair back stage at Good Luck Macbeth getting makeup and hair done. Within the hour I was totally transformed from plain old me, into a fairy princess.

 

What the heck was I up to? I jumped in at the last minute as the model for Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School. See if your community has a chapter. This is a great way to get out there and draw, paint, doodle, and sketch. The theme for the evening was the work of James Jean. Modeling was really fun and look at these amazing doodles that came out of the evening! I used the two twenty minute sessions to really just sit and be calm. It was like a meditation, I would totally do it again if the opportunity should present itself. 

Artists credit: Steve Jasper, Donna Jean Koepp, and Kaleb Temple.

keeping cool

It's almost July, but June isn't about to go out with out making a fuss. She has brought some incredible heat the past couple of days.

We are doing what we can to stay cool.

This includes post dinner pool parties in the back yard and trips to higher altitudes and snow run off at Donner Lake. I also splurged and bought otter pops for the kids (yum).

 

confession

 I'm scared to death I am going to loose my creativity. I worry it will slip through my fingers like water and slides down the drain in a swirling motion, which, apparently turns the other way if you are south of the equator. 

 

I am also pretty sure that the tighter I try to hold on to it the faster it will disappear. I am going to breathe, let the art talk to me, and not the other way around. I will keep my eyes open, my heart and mind open.I will also keep my fingers crossed that the past 9 months of this emerging self doesn't head straight for the hills and out of my life again.

Day at the Museum

Friday, the new day care was closed for an in-service teacher day. I have been really missing the kids a lot lately, so I happily took half a day off with them to play and explore. My mom and I loaded up the kids and headed over to the Nevada Discovery Museum. 

The "Clouds" were closed, but Truckee Connects was open and the kids had fun playing in the water.

Then we moved upstairs where the kids played explored building paths for balls and marbles to roll down, played with wind and checked out how a house is built.

 

 

But my my favorite part of the visit was when the kids got to paint on the big window or the "Clear Canvas".

O's and Fifi's faces were priceless when she realized it was okay for them to paint somewhere other than paper.

Coronado

On the last day of our trip we packed lunches and headed over the bridge to Coronado to take in a little sand and salt water.

I think the kids ate more sand then lunch, but that is the way it goes at the beach.

The seagulls were in full force that afternoon and not afraid to get really close and into the backpacks for food.

Bold I tell you, bold.

O discovered the joys of collecting sea shells and had a blast finding beauties in the surf.

Fifi was so done and ready for a nap, but she held out until we got back in the car to head to the airport.

Poor thing, it was a long busy week for us all. 

I know how she felt I was pretty exhausted to after our adventures! 

Thanks San Diego, we had a blast!

Face Painting

The week before we headed up to the cabin for the pre-Fourth weekend, my Dad-in-law went over an itinerary he had in his head for Saturday.

He had it all planned out, down to the hour, what we would be up to and what the kids would be doing.

 

I giggled to myself at his ambition. Had he forgotten that there was going to be 6 kids (actually 7 with the addition of a cousin from my bro-in-law's family) under the age of six, plus 8 adults and 4 dogs wandering around the joint?
Keeping everyone on track can be a chore in and of itself. But I nodded along with his ideas.

I totally loved that he had so many fun plans smashed in for the one full day we would all be there. 

One of the things he had on his "bucket list" for the day was, "Face paining, I really want face painting.Would you mind doing that again this year?"

 

Needless to say, Grandpa Mike was the first in line when I pulled out the paints.

The rest just snowballed from there.

I was pretty bummed out when I opend my new fancy face paint kit to find that someone had stole the 6 stencils and one of the brushes from the box, but I made due with what I had.

 

Despite this sleep boy look on the boy's face here, O has asked to have his face painted nearly every day since last Saturday.

Face paint is officially a part of summer 2012!

a summer's afternoon...

seriously

Today, today I need silly. I need it in the worst way. In the, I so don't want to even smile or get up or move around or do any of the things I know I have to do, sort of way.

I am tired. There is nothing like having a baby who just won't stay asleep at night. One that wakes you up from a deep-deep dreamland sleep and then stays awake for upwards of two hours in the middle of the night.

I was glued to the rocking chair last night. Sandwiched between it and my restless baby girl. And, just when I had her out and getting ready for the 'transfer', A. came in to 'take over and help', only bringing her back to the open eyed and fussing state she was in only 20 minutes before.

Coffee hasn't helped, and I think that taking a run this morning might have, but I couldn't talk myself into rousing with my alarm this morning.

So today, I will look for silly. And try my hardest to let the tired-funk roll away.

 

We all have wings...

ONE!

TWO!!

THREE (four if you count the dog!)

When was the last time you jumped?!!!!