Marsbarn Designs...

I miss the whirl of color and finding that balance.

This is the first year since Sweetheart G began Kindergarten that I did not make a quilt for school.
Last year, between the two classrooms, I made 4 quilted wallhangings for the auction.  With the end of year quilt I made, the count goes up to 5.

This year, we did a book for Little e's classroom,
and Sweetheart G's class made magnets with a local artist.
(I'll blog about this later.)
I was still involved in both auction projects,
and I still did a lot of art instruction in both classrooms
through our Parent Led Art program.

It's important to me to spend time in their classrooms
teaching art.  My own memories of the rare times we
had art instruction when I was in 4th grade are some
of my strongest memories of time in the classroom.

 But here's the thing, I miss the fabric work.
I miss the artistic challenge to assembling those quilts.
At the beginning of the year, I felt so burnt out, and I 
think not doing them was a good choice, but I miss 
all that color and design play.

So, I've been pulling out my fabrics and playing with colors
and thinking about what kind of a project I want to start.
It's time for a quilt or two of my own.  
Time to stretch the old brain a bit. 

He's so good when he's asleep.

Mr Fuzzypants just where he should be.

Sweet, short, and lovely

 

We finally got our snow day.
The girls and I have been hoping and longing for a snow this winter, but it's been too mild.

Yes, our snow day might be modest as compared to the midwest or the East coast. In fact, there was not even enough to sled on.

There is just something magical about those big crystals
falling from the sky.  

And to have it all gone by 1 pm?
It's all of the magic, and none of the lingering slushy mess.

Crossing t's and dotting i's and clearing the slate

I am finally beginning to rebound from the creeping crud,
and my To Do list had better watch out. 

Today I've mailed:
- the Kids Are Author's entry for Little e's class.

- a very belated birthday gift that was purchased weeks before the birthday that it is now late for.

- 3 dice bag orders, and two charity auction donations.

The laundry is wailing away in the basement.

And I filled out Sweetheart G's final middle school application.

The final fifteen bags for Gen Con's charity auction
are prepped and waiting for top stitching, and I've
almost broken through the back log of dirty dishes to rediscover my kitchen counter.         

Oh, and while I was waiting for my white blood cells 
to fight off the virus hoards, I entered most of my tax receipts into a spread sheet and organized all of my postal slips from the past year.

I tell you, I'm never going to be Caught Up,
but it is nice to at least feel like I'm no longer loosing ground. 

(Photos by Sweetheart G of Little e.)

Sweetheart G Clothing Art

Here are some more detailed pictures of the clothing. 

More outfits can be seen here.

Parent Led Art winds down

Parent Led Art is almost over.
Today (yes, I'm feeling better) I'm teaching my last lesson in Little e's class.  Next week is my last class in Sweetheart G's class.   
I've been so happy with the way the group teaching
has worked out this year.  Despite having two classrooms
to coordinate with, this is the least stressed I've felt
about the program. 

The students will still have to choose their projects for the art show, and there will be some  details to wrap up.
And then, then I will be done with my volunteer work. 

Really?  As of right now? Yes. Really.
And I'm thinking about what I want to do next.

The inbetween rules for being under-the-weather

You know that stage of being not-quite-sick?
There is this virus hoard attacking your system,
you can hear the cannibalistic yells, so you know
it's really happening and you aren't just loosing your mind,
but it isn't enough to knock you off your feet and into bed. 

(Photo: Little e's Valentine Tree made by moi.)

You don't have energy to do the big things (going downtown for a computer class or scrubbing the kitchen floor), and you know you should be resting.  
So. You develop a list of Not-Getting-Sick rules.

1. Coffee+tea = pushing the liquids.

2.  Chocolate = anti-oxidents = good for you.

3. Anything that doesn't burn calories = resting

Examples of #3:

•     Sorting receipts for taxes.
•     Catching up on sewing, but only if ironing is not involved.
•     Watching bad TV
•     Starting a new knitting project
•     Folding laundry 
•     Reorganizing entire library of recipes

Now, pardon me, my receipts are calling me, and the tea water is hot.

art all around that I should share

There has been a lot of art going on here lately.
This is Sweetheart G art, but there has also been
Little e art, and Big E art, and even a bit of Momma art.

There are Valentine's Day projects to share and
even a bit of Ladies Art to share.  In short,
I've been lax with my project sharing,  and I will try
to make it up this week.  At the moment though,
I am fighting off a chest cold (or perhaps a small
giraffe is  standing on my chest?), so I think I will go
rest and sort my tax papers (that's the same thing,
right?).

(Big E art.  A dwarven model he's been working on.)

Mr Fuzzypant's campaign

I'm listening to Mr Fuzzypants scold Big E.
He can see the bottom of his food bowl,
and that should never happen, dontcha know.

There has been an interesting transformation since
Mr Fuzzypants came to stay with us.  The Tank,
our Not To Be Messed With cat, has mellowed.
To clarify, The Tank has always been a sweetheart
to me, and he's always tolerated Big E, and he's....
let the girls live in the house without maiming them,
but he has always been a cat who hasn't wanted a clan.

Enter Mr Fuzzypants, the intrepid and resilient kitten.
Mr F has "try, try again" tattooed on his soul.
"If at first I don't succeed, I try again, until I have worn down all resistance in my path, and the mountains have crumbled beneath my fluffy, kitty feet due to my hardheadedness." is his motto.
(He has a t-shirt with that written on it, honest.)

The Tank (this post is about him) has mellowed.
He is still above actually seeking out Mr F for company,
and he would be loathe to admit he liked the fuzzball.
But,  the girls can pet him.  He will purr for Sweetheart G,and even cuddle with her.
The only time he's swatted at the girls since Mr F came,
was a result of Little e chasing the kitten in play. 
The Tank mustered himself to protect His Boy,
and swatted Little e hard on the leg in an obvious act
of "Hey, only I can harass that kitten!"

The Tank takes his Older Cat status seriously.
He works hard at training what is possibly
the densest kitten in the universe.
Perhaps it is mental exhaustion that keeps The Tank
from stalking out dinner guests, like he used to. 

Our Tank, if he doesn't watch himself, may just be evolving into a Family Cat. 

A Day with Sparkle

Today was a better day all the way around.
Sweetheart G was perkier, Little e was more
focused, and I felt less worn about the edges.

The Valentine Collage Day was quieter than expected,
but really that was what I needed.  Everyone was
happy and mellow, and lovely things were made
by all.  And when a new comer to the collage scene
at my house said, "Oh, but if only there was glitter!"
I was able to oblige with ease, "Take a look in the box behind you."