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January 31, 2007

Just for fun

So I took a personality test I saw floating around other blogs, I think the results of these things are so extreme and I certainly don't think I create the presence that it said- I thought awe-inspiring was a bit much. And I'm not sure my confidence and strength inspires others, they could have just said a natural leader, super controlling and that would have been enough!

You Are An ENTJ

The Executive You are a natural leader - with confidence and strength that inspires others. Driven to succeed, you are always looking for ways to gain, power, knowledge, and expertise. Sometimes you aren't the most considerate person, especially to those who are a bit slow. You are not easily intimidated - and you have a commanding, awe-inspiring presence. You would make a great CEO, entrepreneur, or consultant.

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January 30, 2007

little Beatles fans

With the purchase of our new ipod, Andy has been busy loading music onto the laptop and then onto the ipod. So we've broadened the girls music listening to include the Beatles. We have family dance time in the evenings to the Beatles (yep that includes Andy). Their favorite is Drive My Car which Julia calls the "Beep, Beep, Yeah" song and Lizzie asked me this morning for the "Baby you can drive my car, I wanna be a star" song.
It's so cute and makes great dance music.
I wonder what they'll think of Maxwell's Silver Hammer. . .hmmm I think we'll wait a bit for that one.

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January 26, 2007

Motherly moment

One of my favorite times of the day is checking on the girls one last time before I go to bed. I straighten their blankets and kiss them on the cheek and talk to them even though they are sleeping. I'll tell Lizzie that I'm so proud of her and that I love her and sometimes she whispers back that she loves me. It's so sweet.
Last night I went in as usual and made sure Lizzie was covered up and I went over to Julia's crib and smoothed her hair back and leaned down and kissed her. In a really quiet voice she said, "and a hug?" so I bent down to lift her up and hug her and I bonked her head with my forhead. In slow motion she reached up and touched her head and started to whimper. Smooth one mom! I felt so awful and yet at the same time couldn't help but laugh a little at the fact that I woke my own daughter up with a head butt. She started to really cry and I lifted her out of her crib to comfort her for a bit and she kept saying, "Mama hurt me." I'm feeling pretty bad at this point. When she calmed down I laid her back down and she said, "and a hug?" and I said "you still want a hug?" I'm thinking, are you sure that's kind of a gamble. So I reached down and carefully hugged her before I left the room. It was still a sweet moment and I chuckled as I left the room.

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January 23, 2007

Creativity in action

Why paint on paper when your sister is right there?

Returning the favor!

(who is their mother and why is their hair all in their face, man, neglect)

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Busy days

Life is busy these days, fun and fullfilling.
I just finished the layout of a book and will start another on Thursday. I learned so much from the process and know that the next book will be easier. I'm really enjoying pagination and I think once I become better at the technical side of things I'll be able to spend more time on perfecting the typography. Its a great direction for my career.
I have an ad due on Thursday which will be some nice extra change. I feel really blessed right now with freelance.
Besides all the work I have several earrings I need to make for a friend since my stock is down to 3 pairs and she needs about 8. I hope I can get to that during nap time.

We had a craft night last Friday, the kind of evening where you get some work done on a project that you've been putting off. I was able to cut out and pleat 3 dresses which is not part of the process that I enjoy. It was more enjoyable with friends around and great conversation. Not to mention yummy snacks- thanks to Amy!

The center fabric is Amy Butler fabric and it's adorable and very different from what you might expect a smocked dress to look like. That color is for Julia and Lizzie's print is shades of brown and light blue, I can't wait till they are done.

I was able to attend the Tenshow on Saturday with Val. I really had a great time, there was lots of eye candy and catching up with old professors. I felt like a creative person for once instead of a mom.
I do get a chance at being creative as a mom though, each day I sculpt a Bob and a Larry out of green and red playdoh which Julia carries around and I painted Bob and Larry yesterday, thats an art degree at work for sure. LOL!

On Sunday I went to Knoxville to have brunch with my mom and she took me to see The Producers. I loved it! Everything I have seen in Knoxville, Stomp, Chicago and The Producers, has been really impressive. The one show I saw in Chattanooga, Riverdance, was a bust! I think they send the B team to Chattanooga! It was a great day!

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January 16, 2007

Rapunzel, a bit much

For Christmas I put some books on the girls amazon wish list that were taken from a book list a friend had for home schooling. As I added the books I couldn't help but imagine sitting with the girls as they quietly and obediently listened to me read aloud for endless hours (with smocked dresses on and bows in their hair- LOL) Just kidding!
One of the books was A Treasury of Children's Literature, just the title sounded promising, non of that sexed up Disney crap. So I was reading Rapunzel to them the other day and was surprised by the actual story. I don't think I ever knew she was in the tower because she was kid napped or taken by a witch. The witch would call to her to let down her hair and then come to visit her in the tower. So a prince hears her singing and calls to her to let down her hair, thus their "courtship" begins. He asks her to be his wife and she asks him to bring a skein of silk so she can weave a ladder to leave the tower with him (why he can't just bring a ladder I don't know). The witch finds out about the prince and cuts off Rapunzels hair and sends her away to live in a dessert in "great sorrow and misery".
Now this is pretty different from what I've been reading the girls and I wasn't quite sure what Lizzie would say to the witch calling her a wicked girl and cutting off her hair. But there's so much more. . .
So the witch stays in the tower to wait for the prince and when he calls to her she throws down the braids. He climbs up and she tells him that Rapunzel is gone and she lunges at him and he falls out of the tower, but not to his death, he only lands on a bed of thorns and both his eyes are put out.
At this point I'm wondering what in the world kind of homeschooling list the book was taken from and who thought it was a good thing to read to kids. LOL
So he's blind and wondering around and happens to hear her singing in the dessert, obviously they reunite and her tears of joy healed his blinded eyes. (what?) But wait- it still gets better yet! (once his sight is restored) He looks and sees that there are children with her- twins, a boy and a girl. They are his children! They all return to his kingdom and "live in peace and happiness for many long years".
Ok so I know I totally just gave a book report on a children's story but I was so surprised, in a funny-huh this isn't goodnight moon sort of way. I realize when we read certain concepts to kids they don't process them to the depth that we do but I am a bit weary of these stories now.
Hm, maybe tonight we'll read about Little Red Riding Hood and see how the hunter came and found the wolf and cut his belly open to release Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother and he and Little Red Riding Hood stuffed the wolf's stomach with rocks and sewd him back up! That should give them sweet dreams! Reading is the BEST!

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Kick in the keister

So my pity party of sorts is officially over, I received some great "sermon food" this weekend and seem to have a different perspective on my day lately. It's been quite enjoyable and I'm hoping will last the long haul. I was in the Ridge taking the girls to a slumber party with their Nann and got to visit my Uncle Tommy's church. What struck me about his sermon (delivered in his super hero stance, legs apart- hands on hips) was his talking about what kind of person we are reflecting. Are we joy filled, or are we demanding? Am I the kind of person that causes people to be anxious when I am around them, do they feel like they are failing a test they didn't sign up for, does Andy feel that way? There was a lot to reflect on as I wondered how much of my day I make harder than it actually needs to be. I saw a bit of how cynical I am and how my sarcasm can cover things that I actually wish I had more of. (that was vague I know) Then we had communion and I couldn't help but to be heart broken by the fact that I didn't feel freedom although its freedom that Jesus' sacrifice offers us. I came back to town wanting to lay on my bed and be alone a bit, and my sweet husband gave me an hour to myself. That evening I got to go to NCF to hear Mike Higgins and jam with our choir which was much needed. He continued to challenge me to think about what I might be "carrying" around and who I actually believed God to be. It was all very needed and I sort of feel like I am in the process of shedding a thick heavy coat soaked in water which was weighing me down, it seems to be sliding off my arms. I'm sure my flesh will get in the way and I'll once again muck things up but I'm hoping it will be easier next time to return to this place of trust, obedience and accepting what He has to offer. Grace. . .it can be a tricky thing, if you let your perspective of yourself get in the way.

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January 12, 2007

*Sigh*

It has been so nice since the holidays have been over, which seems really backwards and probably not how it should be.
I've been playing with the girls more and just planting myself down in their room to shop for groceries with Lizzie or play with the quads, as I call them.

I don't know if Julia is intending to pick this poor doll's nose or not. These are the quads, Nicole, Sally (getting her nose picked), Polly, and Bridget. The girls named them and Julia is pretty good about keeping them straight but sometimes she'll call one Madeline just for kicks.

Without the chaos of holiday obligations I've been getting inside my own head a bit too much this week. Having one of those moments where I sort of feel like I'm pretty mediocre at anything I do. I don't feel like I keep myself sharp as a designer (whatever that would look like) and my design ability is more functional to help pay bills than anything I'm truly proud of. I don't produce anything worthy of any kind of design show or competition, am I supposed to try to be part of those? I also made the mistake of looking at some super crafty blogs and started to feel like in that area there wasn't really anything I was that good at, or that one skill I excelled at. It was so strange, I was having this ho hum attack or something. One friend suggested I listen to Jim's sermon from last Sunday so I might be looking that up and seeing if I can put it on my ipod for my drive to ktown tomorrow.
This funky mood has been so strange, and probably stems from pride or something yucky like that. Oh boy can't wait to dig deep and discover the self loathing. (that was mostly sarcasm and only a small amount of truth, lol)

Lizzie with her tissue paper art we did yesterday. Nice hip action, huh?

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January 3, 2007

Chocolate Springs, oh how I love thee!

My sister-in-law introduced me to a heavenly place while we were up in Lenox, MA for Christmas. Just the smell that hits you when you walk in the front door of Chocolate Springs is enough to make you happy. Kristin and I went out to lunch together and then went to have dessert at this chocolate oasis. Everything was beautiful and I was kicking myself for not having my camera, so we got Uncle Jamie to babysit the next evening and we went back after the girls were in bed.

Kristins dessert (it looks big but they are only like 2 inches long)

My yummy cake with my creme brulée chocolate that I ate in 8 tiny wonderful bites!

There is this asian influence in the decor and the desserts are served on small rectangular sushi trays (that's a guess since I don't eat sushi). You get these little forks which you use to make these tiny little bits of heaven last as long as you can.

a close up of the top of my white chocolate mousse cake with small balls of chocolate rolled in gold, love the detail!

Me and Kristin, filled with chocolate and so content!
Mmmmm, I'd say this is a new Christmas tradition.

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January 1, 2007

18 hours on the road. . .

. . . and we lived to tell about it!
That may not seem like such a long trip to some, but it seemed like an eternity when we hit the 6th hour mark and knew that we had 10 hours left, ugh! The drive back from MA took 3 hours longer, mostly because we had to stop at 2am and sleep at a rest area for 2 hours because both of us were too tired to drive and we also stopped for breakfast when we hit TN to load up on coffee and let the girls out of the car. The girls did well, sleeping most of the drive which is why we go through the night. I'm still not sure what is more exhausting- going a whole night without sleep or travelling during the day and entertaining the girls the whole time. I was really dreading the return trip but now its over and I find myself wondering the house in a fog.

Christmas went by way too quickly, I still can't believe its over. We had a great time in MA and really enjoyed being with Andy's family. Unfortunately there was no snow so we didn't get to torture Lizzie by forcing her to go sledding like we did last year. At least we got to play in snow at Thanksgiving!
And now its the new year, unbelievable. I was actually thinking of resolutions last night when I was going to bed. I think they are silly and ridiculous and yet I was still making my list of things to try to strive for this year. There's something motivating about having a clean slate or a set day when you can try to improve things or sharpen some areas of your life. I'll not list them here mostly out of the embarrassment of how generic they are but if I'm successful in implementing some changes in my life and it lasts more than 3 months then I'll be happy to post about it. LOL

Happy New Year!

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