Tag: kids

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April can bite my ever-expanding ass!

Well, I somehow manage to recover from the plague and get on with my life.  And thank the heavens we are almost through with the evil month of April! The month of far too many birthdays and way too much cake! It starts with Chris’s birthday on the 2nd and not only did I bake him a cake, I made chocolate fudge frosting from scratch! Per his request and because I love him. And yes, it was good.

We finally get that cake finished off, and here comes Erin’s birthday on Saturday the 13th! Which means the Friday before she got to celebrate with a party at school. I baked cupcakes, stuffed goody bags full of art supplies, and fun and merriment was had by all. On her birthday we took her to Toys-R-Us (she got a scooter, 4 horses in a stable, another Monster High doll, and some black velvet posters to color) and then out to dinner where she had a hot fudge sundae. And even though she had just had ice cream, and there were still cupcakes at home, apparently a birthday is just not right and proper without a cake! So we swung by the grocery store, bought her a cake, covered it in candles and all was right with the world. Except for all the left-over cake. And there were still cupcakes!

To make matters worse, since I was sick for so long  and behind on everything, I couldn’t get Erin’s party at the gymnastics place on the 13th and had to schedule it a week later on the 20th. Another week, another cake. Add several kids cancelling last minute and what do you get? More left-over cake! And then me screaming “FUCK YOU CAKE!!!” in a Michael’s parking lot two days later.

True story.

So yeah, Erin is now six. SIX! And she has several loose teeth. The top front tooth is especially wiggly and honestly it’s kinda freaking me out. Soon this sweet little baby face will be gone!

Soon it will be replaced by a big kid face with a space where there once was a tooth. And then an adult tooth that is way too big for her little face! And I’ll be forced to cry “Not my baby!” over *both* my kids!

I’m not even going to talk about taking Kyle to the DMV!

Next post: art and volleyball!

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Erin the Artist

Last week I had a  “ooh look at this post on Facebook from Roseville Arts!” moment and signed Erin up for free painting workshop yesterday at Blue Line Gallery. Turns out the workshop was for the upcoming NATURAL WONDERS FOREVER Children’s Open Show.

“Natural Wonders Forever – Inspired by the Natural Wonders of Placer County… This fall, share your artwork depicting the landscape and natural beauty that is Placer County. Rivers, grassy hills, flower patches, the beautiful blue sky-it’s up to you what to paint!”

Cool! Erin got to paint and her painting will be in a gallery show! The show is sponsored by Placer Land Trust and will run from Sept 28 – Oct 6, 2012 at the Blue Line Gallery in Roseville.

That’s 2 shows for her this summer. The first one being the University Art “Kid’s Art Contest: Birds, Bugs, and Butterflies”. Not bad for a 5 year old!

The classroom:

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Excited to paint! (She brought her own apron)

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Doin’ her thing.

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She was instructed to fill in all the white space.

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And done!

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Pretty awesome!

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There is a door. That leads to the farm. I don’t know why.

Portrait of the artist with an extra head.

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Come see Erin’s painting (without the camera glare) next month. There is a reception on September 15th!

Momma is so proud!

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Mommy’s dipping in the drupal again…

I know, I’ve gone quiet again. Sorry. And I hate to keep repeating myself, but I’ve been busy. Brain-busy. But don’t worry. My next programming class starts next week, and I’m sure I’ll have plenty to complain talk about then.

In the meantime, some updates:

Things I learned this morning – I need to have more phone conversations during the week. If not, one poor innocent caller will get all my pent-up ramblings thrown at her all at once. Especially if it is early in the morning and I’m over-caffeinated. So, for the greater good, you should call me. Often. And don’t forget to remind me to eat lunch.

Vox show is in 2 weeks and I’ve just finished cutting the mat boards so I can start framing the prints. Very exciting. I’m sure all you out-of-towners have already purchased your plane tickets to get the 2 wk advance discounts. You’re so smart.

Kyle started school last Thursday. I just found out he has already got his first detention! What am I going to do with that kid?! And while Chris was talking to the math teacher, I was on the phone with the band teacher. Oh I definitely got the better deal on that one. My conversation was about Kyle switching instruments. He will now be learning the tuba! And I’m all for it. Ya can’t march with an electric bass guitar. OOM-PA!

Erin is… nuts! I so need to get a video of her saying ‘Rock On’ in her demon voice (complete with goat horns hand gesture of course). And when her head is not spinning around, she is. Usually while wearing a pretty dress. She likes to dance around, spin her skirts, and she does a pretty mean arabesque. Thanks a lot Barbie videos. She’s also chatting up a storm and can now open the fridge. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – we’re doomed.

The majority of my time has been spent working on the HS Tourney site. I ended up stopping mid-build and starting from scratch using Drupal. All because of a random status update on Facebook by Scott of Lightroom Lab fame. 20 days ago I had never heard of Drupal –with its silly name and incredibly steep learning curve. Now, I am living and breathing Drupal. And as difficult as it has been, it was the right move. It is a very powerful web framework and I think the site will ultimately be better for using it. It’s just been a typical Dawn mind-bend. ‘Hey, I have a site to build, for a paying client no less, why not try something new. And if it’s extra difficult to learn, all the better!’

I have issues.

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Lost marbles. Reward.

Damn. I have been unemployed a total of 10 days and I’ve gotta tell ya – I’ve never felt busier. And this isn’t a good happy busy – as in conflicting lunch dates. It’s not even the generally dreaded “work” busy. It’s more like a “soccer-mom” busy! And that becomes an all too real description tomorrow when Kyle starts his week-long soccer camp! A not-so-small part of me is dying here people.

So, adding to the now longer drive to the babysitter’s new house in Roseville (20 minutes each way!). I will have to drive Kyle across town to the other end of Lincoln by 9:00am and then go pick him up again at noon. Throw in week #2 of swim lessons on Tue, Wed, and Thurs in Loomis and I’ll be driving back and forth and back again from about 8:30am to 3:00pm. And that is going to suck. I’m not going to be able to get anything done with that kind of schedule. And I’ve suddenly got a lot to do. 

All the work I’ve been doing on designing the new website for dawnblanchfield.com is going to have to simmer on the back burner for a bit. A gentleman that Chris works with has hired me to build him a website! And that is fantastic of course, but (there always is one) the site he needs is not a simple static HTML site. This one will need log-in capabilities, a data-base, forms for user data input, and searchable results. Woo boy. Luckily I’m a learn as you go kinda gal, cause it looks like I’ll doing a lot more programming right out of the gate.

In addition to all that, I still need to update my resume, edit photos in Lightroom, choose the photos for the VoxSac show to print and frame, and do the always present laundry. I haven’t even thought about picking up my camera to make some new images. And I have that Lighting Workshop with Joe McNally at the end of the month. The day after my birthday! Damn, I forgot that I have a birthday coming up. That is bad. Oh! and my wedding anniversary is in 6 days! Crap. I am losing it people.

I keep recalling a painting I did long ago (early ‘90s) that depicted a figure being pulled in opposite directions by its arms while large blackbirds pecked at its head. Cheery no? What can I say, I was heavily influenced by the German Expressionists and that must have been how I was feeling at the time. It was never a ‘finished’ work, but a loose sketch done to ‘paint out the demons’ as I was prone to do. I ended up reusing the canvas some time later. The only evidence it ever existed is that you can see part of it in the background of a photo taken during that time. But the image keeps popping into my head. That’s probably not a good thing…

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You take the good you take the bad

Last Monday I hit the ‘anger phase’ regarding my forthcoming job loss. And I’ve got to tell ya, I enjoy a low-grade petulance far more than being depressed!

Nevertheless, all the ups and downs of the last two weeks are making me seasick

But here is the really strange thing that I have been reluctant to talk about. As soon as I found out I was losing my job, things I have been dreaming about doing have just started falling into place!

/insert all the sappy “one door closing…” “let go of what you cling to…” crap here/

I’m going to be part of a group show at Vox Sacramento in September. My photographs hanging in a gallery – hot damn and finally! Show opens for Second Saturday and will run for the month. And then in October, Vox Sac is having a children’s exhibit and Kyle will get to be a part of that and show his photos. Maybe now he’ll stop complaining about me always dragging him around town with me. Especially if I continue to find good slices of pizza.

I’ve got something else in the works that has me pretty excited, but I’m not ready to talk about it yet. And I certainly don’t feel like talking about the Parent/Toddler swim classes that start next month. I will tell you that Erin found the Disney Princess bathing suit Grandma bought her and it was all I could do to keep that girl in her clothes! Suddenly our world has become all about those damn princesses. Gah.

In not-so-pink Erin news, she’s gone polysyllabic on us, shooting Chris the doe-eyes and dropping a painstaking “bi-cy-cle” on him. Of course she got to go for a bike ride after that! She’s also started saying “hold-ee” when she wants to be picked up. And when she follows that with snuggling into your neck while wrapping her long limbs around you, it’s kinda hard to resist. Good thing I have a heart of stone. Chris is doomed.

Now Kyle, on the other hand, stinks. Literally. 12 has brought a stench with it that is hard to describe. Chris says it is because of the hormones kickin’ in. I don’t know anything about that, but apparently that’s what happens – boy stink. Kyle had his friend Noah over to skate the other day, and when they both came in the house all sweaty, well, it was enough to make your eyes water and the paint peel off the walls! Damn.

This blog post is all over the place. How fitting. Happy Father’s Day.

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Worth a 1000 words

I had a blog entry partially composed in my head this morning, but never got a chance to type it out, and now that bird has flown. It’s so typical that my big dumb brain (henceforth to be referred to as BDB) only kicks into creative writing gear when I ought to be sleeping or some other equally inconvenient time. And you and I both suffer for it. I remember the jist of the post, but I don’t have the creative juice to recreate it right now which has me feeling a bit… oh, what’s the word… frustrated!

And BEHOLD! Intro to Digital Art Project #2 – My homage to frustration ~


It’s actually a pretty big file. Go ahead and click the photo and really get in there and experience my world, up close and personal. I dare ya. I double dog dare ya! And if you want the complete experience, go back to this entry and play that second video in an endless loop in the background for the soundtrack to my image. And that is my world.

Ok, that’s not my world all the time. But it wasn’t hard to piece together. Kyle has been having a rough couple weeks at school. And we have a couple parent/teacher conferences next week. But he is still a great big brother. And was a huge help with my Illustrator project when I had to design a logo and letterhead. That boy has a lot of design talent. Erin is a crack up, but I could do with out her need to climb on everything. And it has been determined that blame can be aimed squarely at Chris for that trait. I’m still not sure where the opera singing comes from.

On a personal note, the reading glasses really seem to be helping. My eyeballs have not threatened to leave my skull since I started wearing them. And that is a good thing. There have been a couple days where my eyes have felt extra tired and I’ve gone out of my way to rest them (read- nap) but in general they are feeling much better.

Head has been feeling ok too. Shh.