cloud catchers: random notes and an unrelated sketch

Pumpkins have far too much power over me at the moment.  They are out on the porch making me happy just now.

Also, I am on my third cup of coffee. Don't look at me like that! I need it.  I burnt the inner part of my upper arm ironing, and it's seriously bothersome.  I simply cannot be spoken to while ironing. My distractibility is legendary.

My Genevieve came stumbling out of bed about an hour ago; clearly she'd been asleep, but she was babbling about suds and cleaning and making absolutely no sense. These Costas talk in their sleep like mad. It's pretty adorable. 

A sketch I'm fairly happy with: wrapping a blanket about a cloud.

 

Oh so good

Tonight, I pored devotedly over a Lego book with a four year old in his skivvies, who kept one arm protectively around me as he grilled me with questions: is he a good guy or a bad guy? Where's the ninja? Do you see a storm trooper?

Not my cup of tea, but you can understand the appeal anyway, I'm sure. 

I rubbed the backs of two squirmy first graders, who covered my face with kisses, and told me little tidbits about their days, both good and bad, and showed me their delicate, steely strength as they wonder why another child would be deliberately unkind, but shrug it off as a mystery and move on.  I'm proud of these little ones.

slow start. good beginning.

We got up soooo late this morning. I have a vague memory of a Ben Harper song playing... And suddenly I look at the phone, and it 8:17. Um, at this juncture, we should all be in the kitchen, three kids eating and me packing lunches. All dressed, shoes on.  Instead, we are struggling awake, glaring at the gloom, because it's the gloom's fault that we all thought it was still 6:30.

This is where I normally go into crazy mode, fighting the inevitable tooth and nail.  The inevitable being lateness, and having to walk the girls into the school office, sign them in, and write a note explaining our lateness. Once again.  And wondering what the nice ladies in the office think of the perpetually late Costas.

Take a deep breath. We are doing better lately, and it's just one morning. I did forget to set my alarm, and it's raining. It's not the girls' fault.  I can hear them chatting together, and I find them wrapped up in quilts, in the bottom bunk. Little Girls. Sleepy. Completely unaware that it's Monday.  I love them.  So I manage to take it easy, while making it clear that we do need to get moving.  We stumble through our routine, and into the school office, hair in unbrushed ponytails, but otherwise pretty presentable.  I almost leave my coffee in its chipped mug on the school office desk.  

Jude and I head back home, where we pass Dan, on his very late way to work, and he thanks me for handling the morning with grace. I love that he knows me so well. He knows I wanted to rush around, screaming "Hurry Up!!!" And making everyone tense and miserable. He knows, and he appreciates that I let go of the crazy. It wouldn't have sped anything up. Little victory today. But it means a lot to me. So I came back home and drew a picture. Ink on wood.

and the next...

So, rolling right along. Here are some bird sketches, also for the same story. I was simply playing with different flying positions and bird species, on one big board, and then decided to attempt to pull them together as an actual illustration. Didn't work too well, but it helped me to work through some ideas for the next one.

Incidentally, I am feeling as though the adjustment period is smoothing out a bit for all of us here. Which is really good.

October, lets do this.

Clementine stood in the middle of her room and looked up.  The cloud began to cry.