My ten year old son, Tristan has been on Spring break all week this week. That's why I've been incognito. We have been very busy cleaning my house. Actually, he has been very busy cleaning my house. Mopping the floors, washing laundry, vacuuming, organizing bookshelves, cleaning the bathtub and sorting socks to name a few.
Why the heck would I have Tristan spend his Spring break doing all these things? Well, last week he got in trouble at school and I got a call from the Vice Principal. Grounded!
Since we don't watch a lot of TV (as in I will go an entire week without turning it on) taking that away wasn't really in the cards. I did mention that if his little sister, Ellie might want to view a movie, he would not be allowed to participate.
He also had his cell phone taken away and could only use it with prior permission to talk to his dad and grandma. It is sitting on my desk now. He was not happy about that. Especially since he has this thing about knowing exactly what time it is. I think that bothers him more than not texting everyone.
Ellie and I made cookies on her birthday on Monday. She turned four. He was not allowed to participate in the cookie making. He was, however allowed to take pictures of us making cookies.
Tristan did get a piece of cake but at Ellie's birthday lunch at Gordito's, he got a plain bean and cheese burrito and chose not to get the glass of water he would have been allowed. He was a bit grumpy at lunch so he had a little time-out in the corner of the restaurant at a vacant table by himself. We were one of only a few tables occupied that day anyway.
Then things went totally old skool. He had loaded the dishwasher and I told him for the second time that day that when he was finished, he needed to wipe out the sink too. He started talking back to me and using that particular tone that gets on my last nerve. He spent the next five minutes sitting on the toilet lid with a bar of soap hanging half out of his mouth.
Funny. I haven't had him talk back to me in a couple of days. It's been nice.
I'll tell you though. It is almost easier to just do all the housekeeping myself. It is totally exhausting having a child who is grounded. I'm constantly having to find another thing for him to do and then show him how to do it properly, then check his work when he's done.
I have had more time for cooking though. I've made some pretty delicious food this week. My facebook friends have been salivating at some of the pictures I've posted in my FOOD photo album.
I hope the next week I get to spend with my kids will be less tiresome and much more enjoyable.
Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
A Long Day
Today was a long day. It started out pretty well. My kids woke me up earlier than I would have liked to have been awoken but my son brought me a requested cup of tea and then I put on a pilates dvd that I followed almost all the way through.
It was my first living room workout since my foot was broken back in early February and I think it was pretty successful. It was a good workout and I was able to do almost all the stuff the instructor was doing save for a couple things I had to modify because of my foot but I kept moving and that's what counts.
After that, I showered and dressed and put dinner in the crock pot. A pot roast. It was delish! I whipped up a side of creamy mashed potatoes and I'll have to work out again tomorrow morning just to work off those taters!
I got a bunch of stuff done on my newest Zazzle store and I kept myself from getting sucked back into the book I'm reading ... until now. I've got to go because I have to pick it up again now that the kids are in bed and I'm done working for a bit. I'm on the third of the Dark Tower series.
Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle
It was my first living room workout since my foot was broken back in early February and I think it was pretty successful. It was a good workout and I was able to do almost all the stuff the instructor was doing save for a couple things I had to modify because of my foot but I kept moving and that's what counts.
After that, I showered and dressed and put dinner in the crock pot. A pot roast. It was delish! I whipped up a side of creamy mashed potatoes and I'll have to work out again tomorrow morning just to work off those taters!
I got a bunch of stuff done on my newest Zazzle store and I kept myself from getting sucked back into the book I'm reading ... until now. I've got to go because I have to pick it up again now that the kids are in bed and I'm done working for a bit. I'm on the third of the Dark Tower series.
Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Disneyland Vacation
I just got back from a Disneyland vacation and I didn't take my kids.
Yes, some of you will think that is mean of me to go without them to a place that was made with children in mind.
But what I don't understand is parents who take their children to someplace like Disneyland for vacation and then yell at the poor little ones when they are tired, hungry and just want to sit down. Or if they are scared to go on a ride, "Well you should just go sit in the hotel room alone while I go have fun if you can't handle it!"
Yes, I heard that phrase spoken (harshly, mind you) to small children on more than one occasion during my two days in Disneyland.
If you want rides your kids are afraid of, go without the kids. If you want a Disney vacation with the kids, go on the rides the kids like, take lots of breaks, get Fastpass tickets so your wait times are shorter and carry lots of snacks with you.
I saw so many crying children and I just thought it was mean of the parents to do that to them when they were supposed to be having fun. The kids were totally worn out. Some were upset that they were too short to go on a ride because their parents snuck them past the first measuring point and had waited in line for 40 minutes only to be told they had to leave. Some were just purely hungry because it was past lunch and the parents wanted to get one more ride in before they ate.
Some were just way too little to be in Disneyland in the first place. I think the youngest one I asked about was 5 weeks old. I can't even begin to tell you how many I saw who were so young they couldn't walk yet.
It made it hard for me to have a good time when I saw so many unhappy children. They were supposed to be in "The happiest place on Earth" and they were definitely not happy.
And the parents weren't happy either. They were also worn out. They looked longingly at our drinks while we sat in the bar either in Downtown Disney or in California Adventure.
So tell me. What is the point of taking a child on a vacation with you where you both are going to become exhausted, upset, and eventually the child will cry and the parents will be exasperated and wish they were home?
I'm not saying you should never take a child to Disneyland. But if you do, do it with the child's needs in mind.
Until Next Time,
Friday, April 8, 2011
Friday Four Hour Sale - 50% Off Hats
I'm going to just do this one really quickly because there isn't much time and I want you all to know about the awesome sale that is happening at Zazzle right now!
If you order any hats and use the Promo Code FFSS4ZAZHATS and you will get 50% off your order! But there is a catch, this is only a 4-hour sale and it ends today (Friday, April 8, 2011) at 4:01pm Pacific Time!
So get your shop on!
Here is the link to the most popular hats at Zazzle so you can view some awesome options:
Zazzle Hats On Sale
And here are a few selections I thought were pretty cool:
Save A Horse...Ride A Cowgirl! by ThreadHeadLTD
If you order any hats and use the Promo Code FFSS4ZAZHATS and you will get 50% off your order! But there is a catch, this is only a 4-hour sale and it ends today (Friday, April 8, 2011) at 4:01pm Pacific Time!
So get your shop on!
Here is the link to the most popular hats at Zazzle so you can view some awesome options:
Zazzle Hats On Sale
And here are a few selections I thought were pretty cool:
Save A Horse...Ride A Cowgirl! by ThreadHeadLTD
There are so many more to choose from but I've run out of time!
Go shopping!
Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle
JessicaInSeattle
Confessions of a Scatterbrained Artist
It has been an utterly crazy week. And if I didn't have every single appointment, task and errand in my Google calendar, I would probably forget to eat. Sadly, I actually have a reminder in there to make dinner each night. Because if I don't, I get sucked into working on my art and forget to make dinner. The kids would probably happily play until they got hunger pangs. I happily work straight through mine.
Actually, over the years, I've got to the point where I don't even get hunger pangs anymore. I only notice I'm hungry when I feel like I'm about to be sick. Unfortunately, that happens all too often as I will forget to eat both breakfast and lunch, then wonder why I feel sick after not eating anything for nearly twenty four hours. Steph does a good job of making sure I eat when I'm with her. And she still shakes her head every time she asks if I'm hungry, I answer "I don't know", she places food in front of me and I devour it ravenously then look up and say "I guess I was hungry after all".
So, I keep my Google calendar filled to the hilt on the days when I have my kids. Every morning is the same and includes wake up, get Tristan showered, make breakfast and even brush teeth. Monday we don't have any appointments, but I've got nap for Ellie, lunch, wash the dishes, pick Tristan up from school, etc logged in there. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we have errands and appointments scheduled so the calendar is altered to fit those in. Friday is shortened by two hours as they go see their dad for the next seven days on Fridays. Sometimes it feels really hectic as I seem to always have a reminder going off to tell me to move on to the next task at hand.
Maybe if I bought this shirt for one of my kids, it would remind me to eat breakfast!
On the weeks when I don't have my kids, my calendar is almost completely wide open and it always takes me a couple days to adjust to the lack of a schedule.
I was just reminded tonight (by it falling off my desk) that I kept my old cell phone which has over 100 notations in it about artistic ideas I need to put to the page so I can sell or donate my old phone. Guess I'll have to add that to my calendar!
One of my major issues is that when I add something like that to my calendar, I tend to hit the procrastinate button. You know, the one where you edit it so it appears the next day instead. And I will do that time and time again.
I'm actually sitting here shaking my own head at myself over that one. Definitely something I need to work on.
Tonight we had my sons 'big brother' from the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program come over to play with him. While they were hanging out and Ellie was occupied, I pulled out my paints and brushes to finish a piece I started over a month ago. I've finished it, but I'm not at all happy with how it turned out. I think it's sort of cute, but it is so far off my usual style, it doesn't feel like my work at all and I don't think I did a very good job at it either. It just looks to me like something a grade school kid would paint.
I was trying so hard to create something cute I could put up in my Zazzle store for Easter and I just don't think this is going to do it. I just don't think I'm a "cute stuff" or a cartoon type artist.
So, I'll have to go back to the drawing board on this one. I'd love to paint something, but I'm always afraid to add colour to my sketches. I can remove pencil and charcoal, but I don't know how to fix an error with paint.
I did discover that I can paint ambidextrously though. Both my left and right are quite steady with the brush. As a matter of fact, the side of the painting that looks all tidy and smooth was done with my left hand and the side that looks textured and choppy was done with my right. So on second thought, maybe I should just stick to my left hand when painting.
Hmm. Something to ponder.
Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle
Actually, over the years, I've got to the point where I don't even get hunger pangs anymore. I only notice I'm hungry when I feel like I'm about to be sick. Unfortunately, that happens all too often as I will forget to eat both breakfast and lunch, then wonder why I feel sick after not eating anything for nearly twenty four hours. Steph does a good job of making sure I eat when I'm with her. And she still shakes her head every time she asks if I'm hungry, I answer "I don't know", she places food in front of me and I devour it ravenously then look up and say "I guess I was hungry after all".
So, I keep my Google calendar filled to the hilt on the days when I have my kids. Every morning is the same and includes wake up, get Tristan showered, make breakfast and even brush teeth. Monday we don't have any appointments, but I've got nap for Ellie, lunch, wash the dishes, pick Tristan up from school, etc logged in there. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we have errands and appointments scheduled so the calendar is altered to fit those in. Friday is shortened by two hours as they go see their dad for the next seven days on Fridays. Sometimes it feels really hectic as I seem to always have a reminder going off to tell me to move on to the next task at hand.
Maybe if I bought this shirt for one of my kids, it would remind me to eat breakfast!
On the weeks when I don't have my kids, my calendar is almost completely wide open and it always takes me a couple days to adjust to the lack of a schedule.
I was just reminded tonight (by it falling off my desk) that I kept my old cell phone which has over 100 notations in it about artistic ideas I need to put to the page so I can sell or donate my old phone. Guess I'll have to add that to my calendar!
One of my major issues is that when I add something like that to my calendar, I tend to hit the procrastinate button. You know, the one where you edit it so it appears the next day instead. And I will do that time and time again.
I'm actually sitting here shaking my own head at myself over that one. Definitely something I need to work on.
Tonight we had my sons 'big brother' from the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program come over to play with him. While they were hanging out and Ellie was occupied, I pulled out my paints and brushes to finish a piece I started over a month ago. I've finished it, but I'm not at all happy with how it turned out. I think it's sort of cute, but it is so far off my usual style, it doesn't feel like my work at all and I don't think I did a very good job at it either. It just looks to me like something a grade school kid would paint.
So, I'll have to go back to the drawing board on this one. I'd love to paint something, but I'm always afraid to add colour to my sketches. I can remove pencil and charcoal, but I don't know how to fix an error with paint.
I did discover that I can paint ambidextrously though. Both my left and right are quite steady with the brush. As a matter of fact, the side of the painting that looks all tidy and smooth was done with my left hand and the side that looks textured and choppy was done with my right. So on second thought, maybe I should just stick to my left hand when painting.
Hmm. Something to ponder.
Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle
Monday, April 4, 2011
Running, Shoes With Toes and iTunes
My broken foot has been healing really fast ever since I got off the crutches. I'm really itching to go for a run, but still just doing walks for now...wearing my running shoes though. I'm optimistic that I'll be able to go for short runs very soon here!
I am absolutely ecstatic at the thought of getting outside, breathing the lovely Seattle air and feeling my heart pump blood through me exuberantly.
I love running. And I miss it oh so very much! I actually made this running shirt right after coming back from a particularly refreshing run about a week before I broke my foot. I'll have to order it as a gift to myself when I can run again. I'd love to wear this one while going on at a good clip around the Green Lake running trail...one of my favourite routes in Seattle.
It's a short one at about 4.25 miles, but I love running around Green Lake and starting from the nearby high school adds in just enough distance to make it feel like a real run. If I just do the loop around the lake, it's only about 2.8 miles and that's just not enough.
Of course, that might be what I have to start with once I'm back to running again. Which brings me to my footwear which has really been on my mind quite a lot as of late. I've seen so many people wearing those Vibram FiveFingers shoes (mostly around the lake). I've become quite intrigued and did a ton of research on them several months ago, but since I love to run barefoot and fewer injuries occur when running in our natural bare-naked state, I'm seriously considering them. Price is my only obstacle.
Well, that, and I don't know which style I want yet. I'm leaning toward the Bikila ones in either blue or silver.
We weren't born with shoes and the only reason I can see that we need them is to prevent things from poking our soles. Okay, there's also the effect of keeping our toes warm. And I'm sure some of you will argue that you like how they look. But really, they aren't the best for us. There are so many injuries "they" say are actually caused from wearing shoes: blisters, bunyons and hammer toe just to name a few. Even their names give me the heebie jeebies!
I won't bore you with all the details of the massive amounts of research I've done on these new shoes in the past few months. But I will tell you that there is a lot of it and what I have read has convinced me that Vibram is my next shoe purchase. Honestly, I don't care how strange they might look. If they feel on my feet as good as the reviews read, I'll be as happy as a pig in shit.
While waiting for money to magically appear in my bank account so I can afford my new dream shoes, I've been going through my entire music collection and adding everything I own to my iTunes account and organizing it so that when I get out there and run again, I'll have good music to make me smile.
I started off today with only 46 songs in my iTunes library. I now have 144 and I'm just getting started. The hard part will be figuring out how to add the iTunes songs onto my Android phone (which is my version of an iPod) since I can't seem to get my phone to mount to my laptop. Fun stuff!
Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle
 |
| Running Shirt - click for details |
I am absolutely ecstatic at the thought of getting outside, breathing the lovely Seattle air and feeling my heart pump blood through me exuberantly.
I love running. And I miss it oh so very much! I actually made this running shirt right after coming back from a particularly refreshing run about a week before I broke my foot. I'll have to order it as a gift to myself when I can run again. I'd love to wear this one while going on at a good clip around the Green Lake running trail...one of my favourite routes in Seattle.
It's a short one at about 4.25 miles, but I love running around Green Lake and starting from the nearby high school adds in just enough distance to make it feel like a real run. If I just do the loop around the lake, it's only about 2.8 miles and that's just not enough.
Of course, that might be what I have to start with once I'm back to running again. Which brings me to my footwear which has really been on my mind quite a lot as of late. I've seen so many people wearing those Vibram FiveFingers shoes (mostly around the lake). I've become quite intrigued and did a ton of research on them several months ago, but since I love to run barefoot and fewer injuries occur when running in our natural bare-naked state, I'm seriously considering them. Price is my only obstacle.
Well, that, and I don't know which style I want yet. I'm leaning toward the Bikila ones in either blue or silver.
 |
| Vibram FiveFingers Shoes |
I won't bore you with all the details of the massive amounts of research I've done on these new shoes in the past few months. But I will tell you that there is a lot of it and what I have read has convinced me that Vibram is my next shoe purchase. Honestly, I don't care how strange they might look. If they feel on my feet as good as the reviews read, I'll be as happy as a pig in shit.
While waiting for money to magically appear in my bank account so I can afford my new dream shoes, I've been going through my entire music collection and adding everything I own to my iTunes account and organizing it so that when I get out there and run again, I'll have good music to make me smile.
I started off today with only 46 songs in my iTunes library. I now have 144 and I'm just getting started. The hard part will be figuring out how to add the iTunes songs onto my Android phone (which is my version of an iPod) since I can't seem to get my phone to mount to my laptop. Fun stuff!
Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Hot Naked Yoga
 |
| Yoga Pose Print Click for Details |
Doesn't mean that the idea won't inspire me to draw a hot naked yogi in a tree pose. I've included both the black and white original I did with just charcoals and the colourized version I did afterward.
Honestly though, the last thing I want to do is have myself hanging out all out for everyone to see while simultaneously trying to figure out how to do yoga poses in a room full of other naked people.
I have a hard enough time doing yoga poses fully clothed in my own living room with no one watching me. And no one to watch save for the ultra flexible leotard-wearing skinny chicks on the videos I bought because my doctor told me I should do yoga.
 |
| Yoga Pose Print B&W Click for Details |
How they are for beginners, I will never figure out. I can do maybe half of them. I can stand on one foot with my arms above my head for instance. But again, I forget to breathe.
Back to the hot naked yoga. Have you tried it? Would you be willing to try it?
Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)