because I really can't get enough of myself

Monday was a really bad for probably everyone in the town in which I live.  Because on Monday we had a fairly decent SNOWPOCALYPSE.  And it was not pleasant. Monday was the day that Opie was supposed to get braces.  His first set of braces.  Because he's lucky enough to need them twice (and while we're on the subject, teeth are ridiculously expensive.  If you're planning on having a lot of children and you have small mouth genes, just DON'T DO IT, the orthodontics bills are killer). I had worked out my day perfectly.  The Jr High gets out early on Mondays so I had scheduled Opie's appointment for when Two Bits would be home to watch Spike.  Because being baby free for an hour long orthodontics appointment sounds pretty heavenly.  However the skies were being the opposite of heavenly.....if hell can come in frozen form. It snowed.  And snowed.   SO MUCH SNOW. I went outside an hour and a half before I needed to pick up Two Bits an...

I got the latest version of one of my favorite drawing programs on my Surface today and played.  It had been so long since I had used this particular program that I had forgotten how much fun it is.  It's perfect for anyone who likes to doodle.  And I'm a really big fan of doodling.  In fact, I doodled this for Illustration Friday .  This week's theme is "animal".  

Everyone once in awhile I realize that I'm not really trying very hard to improve my artistic abilities.  I just settle into my current jobs and don't push myself.  But then I kick myself and get all gung ho about the ways that I want to practice and improve.  And shortly after that I poop out on myself until the realization hits again.  But for RIGHT THIS SECOND, I'm working on it. I drew this for Illustration Friday - this week's theme is "stuffed". I forced myself to draw the whole thing on my Surface - which my mom gave me over a year ago for the specific purpose of drawing.  I've been lazy and have gotten so used to drawing with my mouse at my desktop that it felt weird drawing on a screen again.  But the goal is to get good at both.  And then I'll start drawing with my toes and see how that goes.  Because I'm all about realistic goals here.

When my Grandma Millie was a little girl she was kind of spoiled.  She was the surprise baby at the end and all her siblings were quite a bit older than her, kind of like our little spoiled Spike.  Except her family called her "Toots". Because of the age gap she played on her own a lot as a young kid.  She had cool toys like a wicker doll stroller and a play washing machine.  And one Christmas, her brother gave her a beautiful "grown up girl" doll.   My grandma lived with her parents on a sheep ranch.  They sold the wool to make long underwear for the soldiers during World War II.  The ranch was pretty far away from town, and even the "country school" was 15 miles away.  Most of the other kids in the area would live with families closer to the school, but my great grandparents didn't want to be away from their little Toots so they rented a small house near the school for her and my great grandmother to stay during the week. One of th...

The other day a moment from my past popped into my head.  It wasn't an especially pivotal moment or anything, but the impact is still being felt. It happened quite a few years ago.  We had lived in an apartment and gotten to know some of the other church members in the same complex.  I didn't get to know anyone really well -I'm slow at making friends- but you know, I knew who they were and had a general sense of their character and whatever.  And then we moved, and I only kept in minimal contact with a couple of the people I knew. Fast forward a couple of years. Opie was about 4 years old and I had no idea what to do with him.  He was especially Dr Jekyl/Mr Hyde-ish back then.  He could be the sweetest, most lovable, chubby cheeked cherub and then switch to crazed, destructo, demon child in a fraction of a second for very little cause.  It was also when everyone was very young - 4 kids ages 1-5 young - which just made things harder. For those w...

Once upon a time, early July 2003, I was terrified.  I had just had my first baby.  My mom was there to help me, but then something horrible happened. SHE WENT HOME. My family lived far away.  Like 18 hours in a car away.  Which felt much farther as I stood by the window, watching my mom drive away, while I clutched my newborn infant with the realization that I had no idea what I was doing with this human being I created. I don't think I had ever truly been that terrified before or since. Until now. Something new and extremely daunting now sits in my path.  It's like this giant monster that is just sitting there, blocking the entire path, and needs to be dealt with because there's no way around it. And I have no idea what to do. This thing is called " parenting a preteen ". I AM REALLY NOT EQUIP TO DEAL WITH THIS. I look into the gorgeous face of my amazing daughter who just turned 12 and I think, "I'm going to mess this up so much.  But I...

I feel like since I stopped blogging I've become much less articulate.  And my vocabulary has shrunk down to just "really" "awesome" and "whoa".  Except I like to spell it "woah", because in my head it looks better. I don't know if you know this, but I had another baby.  Seven and a half months ago.  And he's incredibly awesome.  Really.  (See?  I need new adjectives.) Here's a picture of my new baby.  We call him Spike. (If anyone is looking for a great photographer in Utah County - I can refer you to ours.) For 3 more days my kids will be the ages: 11, 10, 8, 7, and 7 months.  But then the old one turns 12 and those first four sound much less dramatic.  There's a pretty huge gap between the two youngest though, and I have to tell you - IT IS THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD.   I say that now, because it's true.  For now.  I might change my mind later.  But here are some of the major perks of having a bunch o...