School has begun and a new fall painting

Today my little man had his second day of school. He is in the first grade and I can hardly believe it. You may be wondering why I'm showing the 2nd day of school picture instead of the first. Well, that would be because the bus came ten minutes earlier than he said he would yesterday! He was honking his horn as Asher was getting his shoes on. So here is the first day... running late.

I didn't even get a "bye Mom" or a kiss or nothing. He didn't either. All he got was "run, baby run!" haha

So today we had a re-do. Here it is...

there goes my baby

He was up in a flash today. Good thing, because the bus came 5 minutes earlier than yesterday! But he loved riding the bus, although I can't imagine it will last. He is on it for a long time, about 45 minutes I'd say. Then he has to wait around in the school for it to begin. I'll probably soon be taking him, once the newness has wore off and he wants to sleep later.

In other news, I have managed to paint a fall painting. I haven't named it yet, but am thinking of Dreaming Amber... not sure. What do you think?

I also want to mention to my Blogger friends that I am soon leaving Blogger and moving over to Wordpress in order to get all my art business related stuff together on one site, you know things like my website, shop, etc.. I sincerely hope you will come over there and continue stay in touch with me. I'll have a link to get there, more about it later. It's a work in progress at the moment, but it's coming soon. I've even got a newsletter in the works. Busy times.

Dreaming Amber?

Well with all this new found time, I'm off to do more creating! Have a happy day...

The writing is on the wall

Look what I found on the bathroom wall a few days ago. I'll have to remind my little Picasso that when he is creating graffiti, he needs to not use his real name!

Sharing Easter pics

I've posted some pictures here from our Easter egg hunt here at the Haney house :)

Me and my sweetie

That Easter bunny is sneaky

Love my crazy kid ;oP

Dad is already raiding the basket

My silly kid being himself

It was a great Easter. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

Braggin' Time

I've got to brag about Asher's painting that got 2nd place in the School ARt Show for the Kindergarten class unbeknownst to me. I just happened to be walking in the school to use the restroom and saw it on the wall!


This is also one of the paintings that I put in the art exhibit with mine this weekend. The other is a self portrait that I will share later.


So I had to get a 3x5 card ready with his name, name of the piece and media and I asked him what he called this painting and he said with a very serious tone "Caterpillar on Table". Makes sense to me :) Be still my heart... the nut doesn't fall too far from the tree ;)  sniff sniff...


Here's all I've done on Roses for the Dead... not too much but it's coming along.

Have a great weekend!

Happy St. Valentine's Day suckers.

So St. Valentine's Day isn't anywhere near a favorite holiday for me, but I do have this really cute guy in my life... we'll call him "Cupid" and he is making my Valentine's Days better each year. I love you my little "Cupid"!

Hope your Valentine's Day has been better than mine.

First Snow

Today we woke up to our first snow. Pretty, white, fresh and

bright.

 if only he could reach the falling flakes. Such sweet little hands.

Stay warm, xx

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! All the presents are unwrapped and toys are being played with. Ham will be going in the oven soon, cheesy potatoes, green beans and other yummies will all be consumed. Pecan and pumpkin pie, oh my.

Wishing all my friends the happiest of holidays and Merry Christmas today!

xx

Summer Time Crazy

Hey Mom! Look at this!

Hey people! Things are just busy and crazy and I'm running here and there. I am so behind on blogging, I just haven't been in the mood. I haven't even created anything for weeks. I have been reading some instructional books and am plenty inspired but not taking time to do anything. I don't know where the time is going.

Summer gets here and I'm outside so much and swimming lessons for Asher 3 days a week, the Farmers Market the other 2 days plus Saturday! I really can't use that as an excuse though... I've only been going to the one on Thursdays. I took my little man with me each time. He has mixed emotions about it... haha. He was actually trying to sell my magnets this last time, so cute. He tells me that it was sorta fun, but if his daddy asks him then he says it wasn't very fun. No choice though due to schedules. It won't kill him and hopefully he'll inherit my entrepreneurial spirit.

I am so unorganized that getting everything together has been a chore and my husband doesn't want me to leave my things out, where getting it all back in the van would be so much easier! Instead I have to trudge it all back upstairs, boxes and bags this and that. I really ought to streamline my booth. I'm about done selling the tomato plants, they take up so much room and are a hassle to take back and forth to the markets because they've gotten so big but I can't hardly give them up, they're like my babies... haha

1st Day of Farmers Market in Wadesville and my little salesmen

I had a scare this weekend with Asher. We all went out to eat Saturday night and my husband was rubbing on ASher's neck and discovered a lump. I freaked out. This kinda shit always happens on a weekend doesn't it? I had to wait to this morning to call the doctor. She got us in this morning and eased my mind right away. She asked if he recently had a tick and he had. In fact it worried me because it swelled up the next morning quite a bit and stayed swollen for a about a week. I never linked the two. His lymph nodes were swollen and they are just basically doing their job. What a relief.

We have lots of ticks around here and it's rare that he comes in at night when he's outside all day to not have one crawling around on him. I've picked plenty off myself including a few in areas I'll not mention! I'm a bug smorgasbord. I've currently got chigger bites, mosquito bites and tick bites. Oh well, I'm just happy it's summer!

who's this cute little guy?

So what's going on with you all? Are you staying as busy as I am??

cute little guy

Old Man Sun - where are you?

Old Man Sun

We are having torrential rains right now and the sun is playing peek a boo. At least a little earlier he was. Weather channel said we could get 6-9 inches of rain by Sunday! I have no idea where it's going, because we have had too much already. I wish it would save a little for July and August when we'll really need it!

I was cleaning out a closet in my studio and found a large drawing pad that I had forgotten had some pieces in it. some are finished but there are one or two that I may actually go in and tweak and finish. Do you do that? Work on art you had created a long time ago. I come back to it with fresh eyes for sure, but also a bit of appreciation for who I was when I created it and sometimes I surprise myself with "hey, that ain't too bad".

So it the case with Old Man Sun. (His colors here in this photo are washed out more than the original.) I'm not sure why I never took him out of the pad, I may have not been happy with him. But looking at him now, I appreciate him and feel he is indeed finished and worthy of framing. I am finding I'm wanting my work around me for me to see. I have never done that. It's always stayed filed away somewhere or given away as I purchased others work that I felt was "fit" to display in my home. It is part of me and even though it's not perfect by any means... it is something I've touched and created. It came from my creative brain. I somehow forgot that I am a creative being after having a child, even before while I had my 8-5 "creative" job. Busy with life.

Being in the last half of my life changes things. I'm thinking this way because I have a birthday coming up, next week on the 28th to be exact. It's taken me this long to accept who I am. Imperfections and all. There are days that I still question that statement. As I saw a quote on Gloria's blog which resonated with me, "A great artist I'm not, but an artist I am". I just love that. I'm more excepting of that now. That is her own quote.

Has everyone been checking out Paint Party Friday? I've got a little pepper series going. I am loving this PPF, it keeps me accountable! I am creating more and thinking more creative than I have in a long long time. You should check it out, even if you don't consider yourself an artist, you would be amazed at how art is healing to your soul.

In other news, I'll keep this short I know I've gone on and on here. My son is having surgery again. This time to have tubes put in his ears and his tonsils and adenoids taken out. I'm not looking forward to the surgery which is May 2nd, but look forward to him being well. He has sleep apnea and I haven't slept for a whole night for who knows how long. The doctor says I'll have a different kid after this is all over. He is wild and apparently sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation has lots of very bad affects on the human body, especially a little body that is trying to grow! Say a prayer for him, please.

Wouldn't know it's Spring in my house

No, it's not been a fun last 5 days here in our house. Asher has been sick. Really sick. This is what my vanity looks like. Poor little guy has got a nasty virus and a double ear infection. He's been coughing his head off, puking, snotting, running a high fever and just plain miserable. So all you mother's out there know, I'm miserable too. To make matters worse, we are on Spring Break this week. I'm hoping he will recover quickly but if today is a sign of fast recovery, we are in for the long haul.

It's just beautiful outside, too. Poor little guy doesn't even want to play his video games (!). Just sit on the couch and watch Imagination Movers over and over. I've been nursemaid and am exhausted. I've washed more sheets and jammies in the last few days than I have in a month. All the while trying really really hard not to get sick myself.

Another thing he does is hold the cats if they come within grabbling distance. They're the only thing that puts a sparkle in his sick eyes. Thank God for them. They will sleep with him a lot while he's on the couch. He little ears are so clogged up that he has to wear these headphones to hear the show even though the volume is turned up. He does have little bursts of energy here and there but then they are followed by feeling very bad and usually a higher fever. Must be the meds wearing off.

I've no time to go create something so I have nothing to share right now. Our Sisterhood of the Traveling Sketchbooks is about to get underway in April. We are all very excited. I know I am, I just need to get a pencil, pen or marker in these hands!

Everyone please send well wishes to Asher! I hope to have better news soon :) OH and did you see that fabulous moon last night? Gorgeous.
Happy Spring everyone!

Party Hat - a sequence of events

The morning of Asher's birthday and I had made him special chocolate chip muffins for breakfast. Of course I make him pose for pictures with the nifty hat I made him and all was fun and laughs until after he blew out the candles and his hat slid down to his forehead. Classic.

Birthday Boy

Today is my son Asher's 5th birthday! I'll post updates soon.

We have all 12 Sistah's for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Sketchbooks! Yay! So we'll be sharing pictures and artwork soon!

Have a great weekend!

Did you make your Christmas Wish?

I always make a secret Christmas wish on Christmas Eve. Usually around 3 in the morning while I'm still wrapping presents. This year, I'm wishing to not be such a procrastinator. Ha Ha, we'll see.

Here are some pictures from Asher's very first school program, the Christmas Program. It was so cute hearing all their songs and seeing their performance. What big voices from tiny little mouths! They were all little elves. I volunteered at the school to help make the hats and made about 12 of them or so. They ended up looking like shower caps, but still darling. Each child picked out their tissue paper color and tinsel for the rim. They were so proud. I was in the front row and Asher was having a great time as you can see from the pictures.

Asher laughing and enjoying himself

Preschoolers and Kindergardeners together

Me and my little Elf

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and took a moment to remember why we celebrate that beautiful day. I believe Jesus was born the Son of God and He is my Lord and Savior. What ever you believe, I think most people take comfort in knowing a Higher Power and He is mine. Bless you all.

OH NO! Not A Snowday!!!!!!

This is me going outta my mind

Today is not a proud day for me. One day I actually thought I would be this cool mom for my kid and like all the fun things that I thought was great when I was a kid and celebrate that fun with him. But today I think I found out that I am not going to be that cool mom. I am going to be the mom that loses it. I may be turning out to be that mom that is barely keeping it together with nothing but chocolate, a lock on the bathroom door and knowing I've got a few Xanex in a little sandwich bag from a friend in my bedroom. I may be the mom that my son will have to visit in a little rubber room. Let me tell you about my day today starting with last night.

It started last night when I got the call that there would be no school because of the winter storm that came through on Sunday. Great. I never thought in all my life that No school would be a real bummer but I have reached that day. I have to admit that the wee bit of time that I get to myself 3 times a week has been a saving grace from the rubber room. We were out yesterday in the mess and getting this and that and I told Asher that we would put the Christmas tree up when we got home if Daddy would help get the boxes out of the attic. He was elated. It was a bit treacherous and it wasn't ten minutes after we got home that Daryl got a call from a buddy that he was off the road and needed help. So I had to schlep that crap down from the attic myself. I start getting the tree up and fluffed up and he's dying to help. Nothing he can really do that doesn't require me to re-do. Then the lights, 2 hours later he's flopping around, getting into stuff and generally getting on my last nerve because he's tired and hungry and so am I. I had to stop to make a late sandwich for us and then bath and bed for him and shower for me and collapsing on the couch about 11:30 pm. The husband still not home and conveniently missed all the excitement.

So today after picking up the tree off the floor for the umpteenth time I yelled (at the TOP of my lungs) "THAT'S IT! We are NOT putting ornaments on the tree this year!!!" I may even end up taking the thing down. I'm so aggravated between Asher messing around with the lights and the kittens climbing in it and Asher putting the kittens in the tree... it already is a mushed up mess. The kittens have even pulled the plugs out of the outlets! I'm surprised they haven't been shocked yet. It's a mess. Now Asher is following me around everywhere asking when are we going to decorate the tree and then screaming "you don't love me anymore!" when I tell him we're not. Sing with me... "you're a mean one... Mr. Grinch". Now that I've calmed down a tiny bit, I'm having major first course of Mommy Guilt with a side of crow eating because I'm thinking of making ornaments this year out of construction paper and glitter and just letting Asher go wild. If the cats tear 'em up, so be it.

I haven't even mentioned all the cat poop I've cleaned up today and the pile of vomit under a table in the basement, a dog going in and out of the house with snowy muddy paws and cleaning up after her. Oh and Asher and the kittens causing mayhem with all the boxes laying out with Christmas stuff in them that I'll have to schlep back up to the attic. I've already threatened to take the tree down after the last You don't love me episode and told him "I'm taking the tree down if I pull the cats outta here one more time and Santa won't come here if we don't have a tree!" He just scowls, and so do I. It's a battle of wills in this house and I think I'm losing my mind. Do they still make Calgon? The rubber room is sounding better and better.