Paint night, er, day
Summer hasn't gone anywhere, but things are changing for sure. No longer does pale pink peek at me through the shades as I pry my eyelids apart each morning. Instead of birdsong, it is the intoxicating chorus of crickets in the backdrop of my morning routine. It's been a bit dry, and so the giant tree in the front yard has more crunchy leaves than healthy ones, and at the slightest breeze they let go and blanket the yard.
I'm thinking about soup. And pumpkin bread. Actually, I only thought about pumpkin bread after Aden brought it up. As he's done every month since Christmas.
It's time to buy new clothes, as all of Trey's pants from last year have turned capri on him, hairy ankles poking out the bottom. Excuse me for wincing. This is new territory.
But the biggest indicator of fall on the horizon is football. None of us plays it, and at least for the last few years, we haven't paid much attention to watching any. But Brandon being a de-facto member of everything athletic at his school, he works the home games and always has a late night. Since the boys were little, we have taken these opportunities to go exploring. Low cost, nearby, and as much as possible, something we have either never done before or don't do often.
It's been difficult for the last few years, the boys going through their growing pains and playgrounds no longer get their blood pumping. We haven't found a ton to do. Video games make them happiest, and I can only play with them so long before they grow bored of me having no stinkin clue what I'm doing. Hiking is always good, except when Mama is coming down with an inexplicable summer sinus infection.
Trey asked me what he used to like to do. Yes! I know this! Time for me to remind him what a great Mama I've been.
Mama: "Oh boy, so many things! You loved to paint..."
Trey: "Yes! Let's paint!"
My disappointment at not proving my parenting worth was quickly eclipsed as planner mode kicked in. Along with the realization that our adventure would include a jaunt through Hobby Lobby, be still my heart. Friday evening, we loaded up and headed into town. Hobby Lobby didn't disappoint. The Christmas section was amazing, as was really everything else. I could spend hours, not to mention thousands, in that store. Not one word of complaint from the boys, even when it took a while to finally get to the paint section.
Several bottles of paint and some canvases later, we grabbed some dinner and headed home, loudly discussing what lovely pictures we might create. It was here that the sinus infection paid me back for the hours of activity. I begged the boys to delay our painting until Saturday so I could rest. Lo and behold, they had no problem with that and reattached themselves to screens as we walked through the door.
When we finally sat down on Saturday afternoon to paint, it was worth every bit of the wait. Talking, laughing, bonding. Trey painted roads, working so very hard on the lines, and then some abstract squares. Aden used every single color and his creative, wild spirit to create true drama on his canvas. I went by a picture online and composed a barn landscape.
We ended a mess, some of us with paint even on our noses. And of course all over the table, counter, and floor. But it was so much fun, and one I'm proud to have in the books for our many exploration seasons.
I'm thinking about soup. And pumpkin bread. Actually, I only thought about pumpkin bread after Aden brought it up. As he's done every month since Christmas.
It's time to buy new clothes, as all of Trey's pants from last year have turned capri on him, hairy ankles poking out the bottom. Excuse me for wincing. This is new territory.
But the biggest indicator of fall on the horizon is football. None of us plays it, and at least for the last few years, we haven't paid much attention to watching any. But Brandon being a de-facto member of everything athletic at his school, he works the home games and always has a late night. Since the boys were little, we have taken these opportunities to go exploring. Low cost, nearby, and as much as possible, something we have either never done before or don't do often.
It's been difficult for the last few years, the boys going through their growing pains and playgrounds no longer get their blood pumping. We haven't found a ton to do. Video games make them happiest, and I can only play with them so long before they grow bored of me having no stinkin clue what I'm doing. Hiking is always good, except when Mama is coming down with an inexplicable summer sinus infection.
Trey asked me what he used to like to do. Yes! I know this! Time for me to remind him what a great Mama I've been.
Mama: "Oh boy, so many things! You loved to paint..."
Trey: "Yes! Let's paint!"
My disappointment at not proving my parenting worth was quickly eclipsed as planner mode kicked in. Along with the realization that our adventure would include a jaunt through Hobby Lobby, be still my heart. Friday evening, we loaded up and headed into town. Hobby Lobby didn't disappoint. The Christmas section was amazing, as was really everything else. I could spend hours, not to mention thousands, in that store. Not one word of complaint from the boys, even when it took a while to finally get to the paint section.
Several bottles of paint and some canvases later, we grabbed some dinner and headed home, loudly discussing what lovely pictures we might create. It was here that the sinus infection paid me back for the hours of activity. I begged the boys to delay our painting until Saturday so I could rest. Lo and behold, they had no problem with that and reattached themselves to screens as we walked through the door.
When we finally sat down on Saturday afternoon to paint, it was worth every bit of the wait. Talking, laughing, bonding. Trey painted roads, working so very hard on the lines, and then some abstract squares. Aden used every single color and his creative, wild spirit to create true drama on his canvas. I went by a picture online and composed a barn landscape.
We ended a mess, some of us with paint even on our noses. And of course all over the table, counter, and floor. But it was so much fun, and one I'm proud to have in the books for our many exploration seasons.
Comments