Some Time to Myself

It's hard when you're a mom to get some quiet time to yourself. Don't get me wrong--I love every minute of being a mom. It goes by so quickly, if you blink you miss it. But I think it's important to have a little time to oneself, just to recharge and have a fresh appreciation for your kids.

Early morning fog over the lake--so peaceful!

My little guy loves to hang out with me in the studio which is great, except when I'm trying to measure and calculate. I can't tell you how many book covers I've cut too short because I was being yakked to death.

Another difficult thing to do is get in "the zone" while making art when you are bombarded with questions and random thoughts. "Guess what Momma? John Lennon is taller than Paul McCartney. I can't tell about Ringo because he's always sitting down. What happens if the school bus forgets to drop a kid off? Why is it nighttime in Australia?" and so on.

Looking up at the sky at the park, pretending I am out for a tranquil walk!

I used to get a little time to myself while my son napped during the afternoon. When he got older and stopped napping I made a desperate attempt to encourage him to have quiet time. I set the timer for 30 minutes and told him when the timer dings quiet time will be over.

After about 15 minutes I heard a ding. I looked at the clock, wondering how 30 minutes went by so fast.

"MOMMA! Quiet time is over! Timer went ding!" The little bugger forced the timer to zero! Tricky tricky!

Sadly, that was the end of quiet time.

For those of you that are parents, how do you get a little quiet time for yourself?

The View From My Window

This was my view from my window last week. I spent a bit of time admiring the snow as it fell. Everything was so peaceful and quiet out there. It's kind of sad to see the street get marred with tire tracks and the pristine white yard littered with footprints.

But the tracks in the snow were well worth it, seeing how much fun the kids had. The furry kid (who is really our resident senior citizen) became a pup again at heart, bounding through the snow like a deer! He was outfitted for the snow, wearing his sweater...we just need some booties for him and he'll be set. (Yeah right, like he'd wear them!!)

Loving the snow (and getting pats, of course!)

Hunting for Lost Things

I spend a lot of time hunting for lost things. Sometimes they are lost because I have organized them into oblivion. Some things are lost by my hubby, whose workspace looks like a tornado hit. But most frequently I spend my days hunting for treasured objects lost by my 5 year old.

Today was no exception. I spent the better part of the morning looking for George Washington. "Where did you last see him? What were you doing when you last had him?" and so on.

I'm happy to report he was finally found, under the bed. He slipped between the wall and the mattress. Same thing happened to JFK a few months ago.

Who is most apt to lose things in your family? What kinds of things do you find yourself hunting for?

Housework vs Sofa Forts

I have been consciously doing a little less in my studio over the last couple of weeks and devoting more time to catching up with the house. Fun stuff like cleaning, laundry, and sorting though cabinets. But it's a good feeling to believe I'm on top of things!

That is, until my son and hubby decide to build a fort in the living room with the sofa cushions!

You're looking at the dog's back end as he invades the fort. He likes to be in the middle of things, literally.

Here's one more thing I've been working on...the framed butterfly picture. I got this lovely print from a little framing shop for $7, and the frame from Hobby Lobby on clearance for $6. It was a custom frame that must have been cut to the wrong size. Anyhow, I cut a mat for the print and it fits perfectly in the frame!

Getting the glass cut was another story. I went to AC Moore and they wanted $32--ridiculous! I don't need conservation glass for a $7 print. I ended up going to a local glass shop and got exactly what I wanted for $8. So the whole thing cost me $21. Am I frugal or what? :)

There's No Place Like Home - And a Cool Vintage Pair Of Shoes

Okay, so I look more like the Wicked Witch than Dorothy in these, but I think they're the coolest shoes (and socks) ever!

These shoes are vintage 40's (?? any shoe experts out there ??) that came out of my grandma's closet. I used to play dress up in them as a kid and was so excited the day I grew into them and they fit! Fortunately for me my foot stopped growing at that point and they still fit.

Sadly they're as uncomfortable as hell because the padding is completely disintegrated but I'm sure I could replace it. I'm just scared to wear them outside...I'd be really mad if they got messed up!

Learn To Save A Life

Recently I had a very frightening experience when my preschooler choked during lunch. Thanks to CPR training courses I took over 15 years ago I was able to perform the Heimlich Maneuver and saved his life.

The Heimlich performed on a conscious child.

If you had asked me prior to this incident if I knew the Heimlich I would have said no, I don't remember much about it, but it's amazing the information you have stored away that comes up during an emergency.

It all happened so fast and it scares me to think of the times I've walked to another room while he was munching on a snack. The whole incident took less than two minutes, but of course during the episode it felt like hours!

Here's a great website full of step by step resources for performing CPR on infants, children and adults. I encourage you to print out copies of the diagrams for CPR and the Heimlich to leave with your baby sitter and post on your refrigerator. It may just save your child's life (or your own)!
FYI: There's also a new method for adult CPR using hands only, no breaths.