First day of art camp

Our homework we did tonight. Sorry about the photo quality. I took it with my phone.

Brandon & I attended our first day of 3D art camp. The camp is taught by Mark Kistler from The Secret City and Imagination Station. I remember watching The Secret City on PBS when I was in grade school. Brandon was so fascinated by all the stories Mark came up with while drawing that he forgot that he was supposed to be drawing too. There he sat with his mouth wide open just staring at the screen as Mark was drawing. Mark busted him a couple of times just staring and not drawing. Brandon would just smile and get back to work. Even though Brandon was frustrated that his pictures didn't look perfect, he really had a good time because Mark is so animated and fun to learn from. Our little perfectionist is learning that drawing doesn't have to be perfect when you're just practicing. By the end of the week, he's going to come away with a whole new perspective on drawing. I may even have to go buy him a new sketch pad and pencils. It has been at least 10 years since I've picked up a pencil and paper to just draw. I think by the end of the week, I may have a renewed interest in drawing. It's something that Brandon and I can enjoy doing together.

Punks suck

I was on the way to Russ's mom's house for dinner with the kids earlier this week, when we were bombed with water balloons from a car driving the opposite direction. Scared the crap out of me and the boys. We were going about 40 and they were going at least 50. The sound those balloons made on my windshield had me wondering why I wasn't holding one in my lap. Thankfully we were all ok and drove directly to a car wash, because I wasn't going to take for granted those balloons were filled with just water. The boys just couldn't understand why anyone would do something so mean. (How sweet are they?)

Once we are in the car wash, Brandon & Dylan are super excited for the wash to start. They are typical boys who find the spraying water cool. Owen, on the other hand, is shaking so badly, he looks like he's having a seizure. His eyes are as big a saucers and his hands don't know if they should cover his ears or his eyes, so they are hovering midway between both shaking uncontrollably. Now I'm extremely upset because my "baby" is being terrorized by the car wash that I would have never been in if it hadn't been for some bored punks who really need their asses handed to them ground up and stuffed into a salt shaker.

Thank goodness for moms

My mom has given me a short reprieve from my children. I dropped off my goof troop at her house this morning before heading into the office. Then work, laugh, laugh, LAUGH, work, work, done. I came home with a massive headache. Mom, in all her awesomeness (is that a word?), offered to keep the kids overnight. Did I mention that she had planned on keeping them anyway? The quiet house is a little unnerving but so thankful for the mental and emotional break. Thanks mom!

Gluing my hair back in

STRESSFUL EVENING!!!!!! Brought the boys home from Grandma's house this evening. They yelled in the car the whole way home and didn't hear a word I said all evening. When we got home I told Brandon, "Don't open the car door. There are people walking on the sidewalk." I hear, "Ok Mommy." 10 seconds later I'm walking around the car to let the kids out and the door is wide open and the people are walking on the grass to get around the door and my kid. If there was such a thing as a self-destruct button on a person, mine was pushed 20 minutes later. Boys were in the bath, half the water was on the floor and not a one could hear a word I was saying. As far as they were concerned, I wasn't even in the bathroom with them. I guess that's day two without a bath. I managed to wash everyone's hair, but that's it. I'm hollering, yanking wet bodies out of the tub...the evening was completely out of control. I managed to get them dry and dressed and put them straight to bed. The "Mommy!" round began but quickly died when I told them, "I'm done with you boys for tonight. Go to sleep." The surprising thing is they did. Thankful for small favors.

So far I haven't broken down in tears, but man I feel them coming. Just want my husband to come home to help me stay just a little bit sane. So thankful that our moms are helping to watch the kids so I can work, but the evenings are the hardest without Russell. That's when everything starts to fall apart, and when I miss him the most. If we have a rough day, we stay up talking after the kids go to bed. Not having him to talk to for the last week has been really hard. Can't wait to see him next week.

The things my boys say...

Dylan to my mother, "I need a credit card!"
What??? Why??? Is he not spoiled enough that he feels the need to spoil himself some more???


Brandon after he got in trouble today:
He was soooo mad that after slamming the door, opened it and yelled, "I'm done being a boy!" and then slammed it again. Diane and I looked at each other and laughed as quietly as we could. I walked in there 10 minutes later looking stern and asked, "Your done being a boy? What are you going to be now?" I couldn't hold back the smile when I was done talking. Brandon's face went from anguish to sparkling, laughing face in an instant. That was shattered a moment later when I had to talk to him about why he was in trouble, which really sucked.

Owen and his garbage trucks

What little kid doesn't run to the window to watch the garbage truck and "tractor" pick up all the green waste from the street? Well, Owen was obsessed this morning. He started crying as soon as he heard it, because he didn't know which window to run to so he could see. I carried him to the front window and propped him up on the trampoline so he could see over the bushes. He wasn't posted up long before he wanted to go outside to see them "up close". By this time, they were at the end of the street and he wanted to get closer to see. I took that opportunity to load him and his stuff up in the car to go to my mom's house. Once I had him buckled up and I was in my seat, Owen yelled, "Follow that garbage truck!" It was so perfect! He followed it up with a "Let's go!" for good measure.