Ordinary Life

The question was recently posed amongst a group of friends whether our depressions and anxieties are sinister voices that hail from a spiritual realm or are but the echo of our own inner cynic. I rarely feel the need to opine on such things, but it just so happens that I have been pondering the same line of thought over the past few months myself. I don't have the ability or desire to speak definitively, but wouldn't mind joining the conversation. Here's what I've got so far : Not that long ago, I realized something helpful: every thing a particular human enemy was saying aloud to me was exactly what a spiritual force bent on destruction would say if given a human voice. This person was close enough to know what was important to me and where I was most prone, so that is where they aimed their lashing tongue. I came to believe that, because this person was not yielded to kindness, they had offered themselves as an open tap for discouragement. One name used for a spiritua...

We're no Tiger Tomato   but we do love pancake art.  We made one whole box  of pancake batter, added food color in small batches and funneled  into our "pancake crayons". Then we played with our food. 

A Pinterest-y Project  (That I think I can improve upon the next time I try it... if I should find myself suddenly in need of a striped 3D Hand picture... which is pretty much every day in my house..) 

Yes, sometimes I draw on my children. And sometimes I draw on myself, too. It's okay. It washes off. This particular piece is a metaphor about freedom, and letting go of the things you think are helping you to fly so that you can really fly as yourself- with wings spread wide... and also how you take your mom's heart with you wherever you go... so please don't drop it...  Yeah, that's it. 

We like to make messes... the harder to clean up, the better. The more likely to leave stains, sign us up! I exaggerate but we do have a way of gravitating towards splotches and splats. Tie Dye was no exception. During this project, Chandler was in a bit of a hurry to get through so that he could pursue some other interests, so he more or less splattered his shirt with one color and called it done. Once all of the finished projects were untied and rinsed out, I could tell he was slightly disappointed with his results. I believe he learned from it, and if he's anything like his Momma, it will be one lesson amongst many on the fine art of being fully present and focused. (Am I the only one here who battles the multi-tasking monster?) He went on to help with another, more traditional shirt and put a humorous spin on the first one. We have at least half a bottle of each color left over, but we have run out of 'blank slates' to tie dye. Rye was determined she wanted tie dyed und...

Harnessing the sunshine, we had a little fun with our shadows.  "Shadow is the obstruction of light. Shadows appear to me to be of supreme importance in perspective, because, without them opaque and solid bodies will be ill defined; that which is contained within their outlines and their boundaries themselves will be ill-understood unless they are shown against a background of a different tone from themselves." Leonardo da Vinci

Painting on 'real' canvas with 'real' paint.  Preprinted canvas featuring a fish, a frog, a princess and a castle and a butterfly... neon and glitter acrylics... we're doing serious art here.  Ever since Rye got on her Bob Ross kick, she's been asking for a 'white fing' (canvas) to paint on... this was a start.  (Now...where to hang these wonderful pieces of art....hmmm....)

One of Riley's favorite questions is "Will you________ with me?" Whatever it is she is doing, she likes to have a friend join in- usually-and most almost all of the time, that friend is me.  For this I am grateful.  It is nice to needed in such a way.  I plan to enjoy it while it lasts.  On this particular day -a while back now, but it could have been any day, given her chosen activity- Riley wanted me to paint with her. Riley asks to paint every single day.  Rye determining which shade to tint her mostly murky colored painting.  Of course I joined her. (I LOVE painting too!) I came up with a few clouds. Perhaps that is the ocean underneath...I'll never know how it turned out, this was as far as I got before she claimed it and began to add her own touches.  We were low on paper for painting, so I pulled out a stack of paper sacks.  Some of my brown bag masterpieces: When I painted this rainbow, I thought Riley would love it- and she did. However s...

...because we ran out of pink 'Squirt Paint'...temporarily:

 Rye's art & snack session was set up like this.  Look closely at those pencil leads, it will be important later.  Sugar is brainfood...it was a perfectly nutritious snack...stop judgin' me :)  Sprinkles make ya sweet... ...and Sprinkles are inspiring!  Yes...just a shirt & training pants... it's what works for us...  ~Sugar Lips~ Okay, time for the story.  I bought a container of sprinkles in hopes of convincing Riley to broaden her culinary horizons. Currently, she and Buddy the Elf share a similar palate .  Yes, sprinkles are made of sugar too, but if you shake them over, say, Mashed Potatoes or Chicken Nuggets then sugar becomes a lesser ingredient. Especially when compared with most of her current preferred favorites, like "Big Chocolate Cupcake Cookies" (a.k.a. Reese Cups) and Pink Ice Cream.   It isn't an exact science, but it has met with some success.  So, Riley had a little bowl of sprinkles during her art and sna...

Riley paints with PINK .  And more PINK .  Occasionally Purple or Teal .  But mostly, PINK .  This is what we do not care for: watercolors Here is what we prefer: Glitter & Acrylics