simplegifts

hookie: day two

On our second day, I wrangled up the boys and took them to HMNS and MFAH. Boy was it a good day! We headed to MFAH first spending about an hour, just a quick run through, browsing the Law Building and Audrery Jones Beck. Then hit Cockrell Butterfly Exhibit, and the Dinos at HMNS. We 4 had a grand time! Jeremiah talked!!! his head off the whole day.

Representin' Watoto Ba.Bee.

To say the boys enjoyed the butterfly exhibit is the understatement of the year! Thankfully, it was not crowded when we were there so they had free reign. They walked around by themselves and came running to me, "Mommy! Mommy! Come see!"

Those tiny yellow specks are butterfly eggs! How cool is that?!

I did find out after taking this photo that I wasn't supposed to be taking pictures in the Museum. Yikes.

We also walked through the Rose Garden searching for yellow and orange roses...Jeremiah's fave colors.

Love the Museum District.

 

 

the new grad

Ready for First Grade!

I think it was the cumulative effect of the last two weeks of school that led to my sheer exhaustion on graduation day. I missed it. Completely blanked and missed Kindergarten Graduation. Oh. Well. I made the slide show. But Daniel's recitation of Whistles, and his scripture verses, didn't see it. I told myself not to be late. Jeff took the morning off work. I dropped the boys off at school, re-reconfirmed the start time...10am. Promptly drove home and told Jeff we needed to leave at 10:30. ??? Then sat on the couch and stared at the wall for 30 minutes. Seriously. I did that. And decided to shower and take my sweet little ol' time getting ready since I didn't have to leave til 10:30. Made myself a nice breakfast, had coffee, enjoyed the quiet while Jeff ran his errands. Hopped in the car, drove off, looked at the clock: 10:30, and suddenly remembered that graduation started at 10. My heart sank. I missed it. I had a minor meltdown consisting of "If two weeks of insane school schedules does this to me, what the heck is teaching going to do?! What the heck am I thinking?!" Deep breath.  Not the complete end of the world, but close enough. I got to school, hustled to the sanctuary, walked through the doors, burst into tears, walked out the doors, composed myself, walked back through the doors, watched the slide show, procession, THE END. Yep. Missed it. And when I told two of my Kindergarten Mommy Friends what happened, they each shared in my sorrow and boy, did that mean the world to me. We dried our eyes, hugged. And went to the park for the school picnic. After awhile I felt better.

played hookie: day one

{photo heavy}

I've been wanting to play hookie with the littles since school started. Can you tell I like hookie more than school? I do. But I know that school is important too, I guess. I waited patiently, sort of, and the perfect opportunity arose.

Joshua and Caleb had a field trip to Houston. I took the 3 youngers out of school and we somewhat tagged along. I say somewhat because the bigs were in the school van, and the younguns were with me. We picked Caleb up from their trip after the zoo, and he spent the night with us in Houston. 

Day One. Picnic at Herman park. Houston Zoo. Herman Park Conservancy Train. We had the best time ever!

Carousel!

I am all for having a good ol day of hookie once a school year. It was lovely!

Get Your Paint On

Recently I signed up for an online art class hosted/taught by Lisa Congdon and Mati McDonough. Since I love both of their work, I about fell over when I found out they were co-teaching a class!

What I have learned to date is this, according to Ira Glass, I have great taste! And before I get to making art with great taste, too, I will make lots and lots of poor work. And that is GOOD! because that is how I will learn, hone those mad painting skills, and grow. YAY GROWTH!

I have grumbled, growled, gurgled, frothed, rolled my eyes, given myself headaches and neckaches over the last several days painting, because it does NOT COME EASY TO ME. But I really do not care one little bit because I LOVE PAINTING. I have ever since I was wee and took art classes at a local frame shop.

I love the smell of it...ask my mother. I love how it glistens and squishes out of the tube. I like what can be made with it. And I will win! I will I will I will.

I've made three things this week (I started late). I only like one of them. One is going to be sanded off for next weeks assignment, and one is going in the boys' room.

Above is Lesson 1: Gain inspiration from Gee's Bend quilts. I'd been wanting to make something for the boys and decided this would be a good little project to start now.

Lesson 2: Choose an artist whose style inspires you and pull from that to make your own painting. I chose Lulie Wallace because I find nature inspiring, her florals are gorgeous. I really want to learn how to  paint loosely, use bold color, underpaint, draw with paint...so I tried. And it was HARD. This is where the headaches/neckaches and general loathing of the process came, mainly because I was confused as to how she gets her look.  I set up a painting area outside where I could stand, walk around the table, sing to my tunes...Haircut 100 station on Pandora...and be frustrated. It was good.  I pretty much dislike (read hate) my floral attempt. I DO LIKE my color choices. But not the painting at all. Next, I tried again using a photo I had taken of my morning grapefruit back in January and I didn't hate the result. I may not LOVE the result but it sure is a heckuva lot better than the floral...in my opinion. Not sure why I think that. I 'll have to self-evaluate.  ;-p

My outdoor studio with extra shade rigged up using a blanket. Ha! The first part of the week we had such lovely weather. Then summer hit. 95 degrees. Full sun. I needed some more shade!

Lulie Wallace inspired. I picked wildflowers down the street and used them for the subject. I despise those blasted leaves on the left. They're gross. Not sure how I should had painted those to make them better. I do like how the glass vase turned out, along with the stripes and table top. This one will be sanded off for Week 3. I'm okay with that. That's why I like wood to paint on.

I sort of like this one. I like my color choices, thinking of our kitchen. I like how the drawn lines of paint and underpainting show through. I think my brush strokes are loose...more so than the floral. I think if I kept up my practice of this technique, EVENTUALLY I'd get it down. I will keep trying!!!

sea world

Daniel's class + their prayer partners + moms/teacher headed to Sea World this past week. When we entered the Aquarium, I wish I would have had the forethought to change my camera over to video mode because Daniel went semi-beserk. This was his first time to Sea World and considering he has lived more years in an orphanage ( a great one) than with a family, his excited then mesmerized flip out was thoroughly enjoyed by me!

Awesome shirts made by a Kinder Mom. Thanks Mrs. Weaver.

"Whas that Mom? Whas that?" Said over and over...sting ray, baby fish, coral, sharks, scuba divers, eel, Dorie... ;o)

 Yes. I spent $12.95 on Shamu. I talked him down from a $24.95 gigantor pillow with a 3D Shamu popping out of it. I was not carting that thing around all day. ;o) Plus, the Shamu he got is way cuter!

This was photo 234. Yeah. I took 404.

Happy Field Tripping to You.

track season

Both Joshua and Caleb are participating in track this spring. We went to a meet two Thursdays ago in San Antonio and cheered them on in each of their events, and some of the other kids from school.

May I say one thing? Ok. I LOVE MY CAMERA!!! I used the telephoto lens during the meet and I will hug him and squeeze him and pet him and pat him and name him George.

We sat under this tree and it dropped itself all over us, our quilt, our toys, our hair...it was sort of annoying, but it sure did it's job in the shade department. And we were glad.

Happy Tree Droppings to You.

 

late birthday

Had a fun, late birthday lunch with my mom this past week. We went to our usual place, ordered our usual meal, and enjoyed every bit. Grist Mill's Tenderloin Salad is da bomb diggity. It is honestly the best salad ever. It beats all others hands down.

Got some bday Chaco sandals. Got an early Mother's Day gift for my mom. She picked it out. I'm good with that. She just has to wait a few weeks.

The Littles spent the night at N and B's friday night...did you hear me squeal, "I get to sleep in!" I did. I also stayed up way way way past my bedtime with Jeff, Joshua, Caleb, and a few of their friends watching a movie at King Ranger. I am seriously too old to stay up past midnight. I start yawning and I can't stop.

All's in full bloom in Gruene. Love the wooden barrels filled with flowers by Gruene Hall.

Picasa now has all the fun Picnik processes. This one is Cross Process. Like it.

Thanks for a fun afternoon, Mom.

you are loved 2

First, let me say that I LOVE all Pam Garrison makes. She paints, journals, embroiders, draws. Love.it.all.

I purchased one of her embroidery designs a while back, transferred it to another fabric for us, and now just completed the panel for Rose...Bella's nursery.

Rose, if you are reading this...SPOILER ALERT. Here's proof!

spring collage

We took the younguns on a walk this evening and we passed by those big pink double poppies I saw last year. Will grab the cam tomorrow a.m. and snap a few. Happy Spring.

the most wonderful time of year...

You know what I'm gonna say, right?

Wait for it. Wait. Wait.

Yay yuh bay bee. Snow Cone Time!

There's only one small problem. I have no budget for $200 a month spent on snow cones. I know. So I'm rethinking my addiction. But it's hard. I have people.

This one.

This one.

And this one.

+ 2 more who are now way too cool to have their pictures taken. When those 2 finally grow up and get married, and want to show their new wives their photo albums...their pictures stop at, like, 11. And then they disappear. sheesh.

Everyday afterschool forget saying Hi Mommy! It is now, "SNOWCONES!!!" ;o) To make it worse, we pass one shop on the way home. Yesterday, when I said we'd go tomorrow (which is now today) you'd have thought they'd been grounded for a week. Waiting is good though. It makes for some moments of appreciation.

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baby pomegranate.

 it's not our tree, but i have toyed with the idea of knocking on the owner's door once its harvest time.

 just sayin.