Target; A Magical Land

Troubled Waters Art Show

Ross had an artist's reception for another show today! He had 5 pieces in the show, all some of the best works there.

The boys and I are so proud of him! They loved his name tag - "Ross Becht, Artist" and of course, the snacks!

All in all a great show. It closes May 30th.

To see more about the pieces Ross had at the show, check out his website!

www.RossBecht.com

I Did It!

I earned my National Board Certification! That whole big project, all bazillion pages of writing and hours of recording and months of stressing - it was all worth it!

And the way they tell you...up until a week ago, I didn't even know when I'd know. But then they sent out an email saying scores would be released on the 15th. Naturally, since I knew they ran on east coast time, I logged in yesterday just after 9 to see if, just maybe, I'd be able to get to my scores. And this is what I saw as soon as I hit "login"

Just like that! Ross and I were both shocked. I wasn't sure I'd pass, and I wasn't sure the scores would be ready, and I definitely wasn't expecting to see the congratulations there right away!

A whole lot of yesterday was hard and kinda crummy...but this was the best end possible! And then I got to run across the backyard, to my sister's place, and share a celebratory glass of wine with her and my dad. Hard to beat that!!

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I'm thankful today for our crockpot, because it makes delicious food while I'm not home; for my dad, working tirelessly to lift our family up and make sure we know how proud he is of us; for the internet, because it relieved me of that awful "running to the mailbox 10 times in an hour just to see if your results have arrived" feeling that I remember so well from the college app days; for my students - I could not have looked so competent without them; for my sister, for a million reasons, but today because she didn't tell my dad I'd passed, even though she knew, so I got to see him read my text and get all surprised and that was really fun; and finally for my husband, because that man read every.single.word I wrote in my National Boards. And it was not good writing. And he told me it was even while deleting huge passages of useless word soup that I'd written at 2 am. And he kept me supplied in snacks and bubbly water and backrubs while I wrote, and never complained once. Except about how the National Boards don't give you nearly enough space to answer all the questions they ask - he complained about that one a lot, as he eliminated every transition word I'd written. But they earned that complaint. So thanks, babe!

Ross Becht, Artist!

Ross has a website! And an Instagram! Check them out here:

Ross Becht, Artist

(a little preview of the awesome work he's been doing, which is available for sale on our Etsy site):

And here's his Instagram. Follow him!

Ross Becht Instagram

List #12 - Random Things

1. I've discovered that Unsweetened Silk Soy Milk, with just a tiny bit of honey, a good dash of vanilla, and lots of cinnamon is a good replacement for Horchata...one of the things I've been missing most on this carbs-forbidden diet. (Or at least, it's good enough considering I haven't been allowed to have a real honest to goodness tall cup of deliciousness like Horchata in over a month. No juice or chocolate milk either.) It's awfully nice to have something a little sweet that's also good for me!

2. We bought the kiddo a used toy kitchen and he is mad in love with it. It's really adorable. Today he made me "soup" with eggs, oranges, mushrooms, tomatoes and milk. Mmmmm.

3. Looks like my sub is all lined up for my maternity leave! Hooray! It was a little nerve wracking there waiting for months for the District to get stuff together, but I think (fingers crossed) it's handled now. I've got a huge Google Drive folder full of things for her to use, and we're probably getting together on Friday to go over lessons and procedures and things.

4. I saw an article that said there were going to be a whole bunch of new emojis, but they still don't have a "fingers crossed" emoji. That's silly...I'd use it all the time if they had one. Maybe with the next update...fingers crossed.

5. I really want French Onion Soup for dinner tonight...but we have no onions. We also don't have giant croutons.

6. Ross's artwork is really amazing me lately. I'll do a post soon about what he's been up to at the old Naval Air Station on the island...or maybe I'll get him to write it!

7. We're also, hopefully, fairly close to being able to launch his artist website! I've got an Instagram account set up for him, we've bought the domain RossBecht.com, claimed RossBecht.wordpress.com, and have worked out how to link it all together. So it's mostly just a matter of getting all the right photos together and putting them on pages on the site!

8. I've joined a really great group called Alameda Family Collective - a bunch of families on the island with young kids who plan fun outings and get-togethers and are just awesome. The kiddo is really enjoying playing with other kids his age, and I'm really enjoying time to talk to other moms about mom things...I don't get to do a ton of that, aside from with my sister and mom, and so (I never thought I'd say this but it's totally true) I'm really appreciating sitting around talking about potty training and pregnancy and husbands and all that stuff.

9. Some good stuff has happened with regard to the diabetes and Kaiser and that whole mess. I put a little update at the end of the post where I wrote about it. And I think I'm finally ready to share that one with the larger crowd, not just the couple of you awesome people who subscribe to my blog or have my page bookmarked on your phone  :-)

Camping!

Feeling very ambitious today - we're heading off to the Redwoods for camping! We've got a tent cabin reserved at Big Basin (cause you know there's no way I'm gonna be able to get myself up off an air mattress on the ground!)

The kiddo has been counting down the "sleeps" left til camping, and Ross is so in need of nature time - I'm looking forward to it myself. Big trees and good friends are two of my favorite things.

Ross is planning to wander off and do a bunch of paintings. He's been working on a series of the buildings on the old Naval Air Station, very technical and architectural, and very cool. The en plein air stuff he'll be doing in the Redwoods will be a nice contrast, I think. I'm excited to see them, anyways!

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Thankful today for the health of both my kiddos, my nephew's giant drooly smiles, low-sugar jam, long walks in pretty places, and distractingly silly tv shows (Sons of Anarchy and True Blood, I'm talking to you).

List #11 - Priorities of the now

#1 - National Boards - I've got about 3 weeks left to finish this project, and I'm only about halfway done. Maybe. I'm spending all afternoon and evening on Mondays and Thursdays writing, then two more evenings at home, and a good chunk of my weekends.

#2 - Health - trying to fit in yoga, naps, non-microwaved food, time to talk about feelings n shit. I get each of those things maybe once or twice a week right now...not the best case, but once I'm done with National Boards and school for the year, I'll get to yoga and nap lots!

#3 - Work - it's insane at the moment. Not in any horrible awful "I hate this" kind of way, but in the way of Prom is next Saturday and I'm organizing it, and we're trying to sell tshirts and hoodies but people aren't buying so we may lose money, so I need to figure out another fundraiser, and also AP tests start May 5th so that's a lot of work, and also I'm one of the main graduation planners this year, plus I have to do student gov interviews and find a sub for my maternity leave....and that whole teaching thing too.

#4 - Time with my little family - they just keep losing out right now. The kiddo has been staying up a little later, so I'm seeing him for at least 30 mins most nights, and I've gotten a couple evenings with the big compound fam which has been lovely. But I don't feel like I see any of them often enough. E is clearly agreeing with me, because he's glued to my side whenever we're both home together, and demanding attention if I step away for even a moment...bathroom doors shoved open, climbing up to kiss my face piles of times while I'm researching, throwing things, shouting...I get it kiddo, I really do...I wish I had more time. Soon.

#5 - Housekeeping and other chores - I've so been dumping all of this on Ross. And he's been great about it. Clean clothes show up in my drawers at least once a week, and the house gets picked up, dishes get done. Our little family gets taken care of, and I'm so thankful.

#6 - Friends - I think I've still got some! Hopefully seeing one or two tomorrow for a going-away party for a great friend who's moving to Baltimore to attend Johns Hopkins. The time away from writing makes me feel anxious, but she's worth it.

#7 - Blogging - clearly. Oh well. It's not like I'm not writing ALL THE TIME anyways.

Baseball!

It's been a baseball couple of days around here! Yesterday we went to the A's game: $2 Wednesdays are awesome! Nachos and hot dogs and lots of cheering. The kiddo brought his glove and kept trying to go down to the field to help them "throwin an hittin daball!"

And today, inspired by the baseball game he had so much fun at, the kiddo worked on his throw in the backyard with his dad. Too cute!

These guys are just too cute.

Planes!

3 of the 4 planes are done! They're going up on Etsy this week!

New Item!

Check out this awesome painting Ross did over the past couple days. It's his spirit animal! I'm about it put it up on Etsy, but I don't know what to call it...

Also, we had this very entertaining conversation today over gchat while I was waiting to see my boss...

Lynds how are you guys doing?
Ross fine... I'm almost done w/ the moose... the kiddo is currently working on a piece using opaque pigmented wax and dining implements...
Lynds oooh, creative
Ross very avant garde
his working title is.... crayon on place mat #31
or just 31 for short
Lynds alternately, "daddydrawatrain?"

I have no idea if this is funny to people who don't know us...but since pretty much only people who know us are reading this, you'll probably get a kick out of it.

A New Series

Ross has gotten started on a new series! Here come airplanes!!!

 He starts by designing the images in a program called SketchUp, which lets him make 3D models of the planes. He loves this, because he loves planes and engineering. It's a perfect match.

Once he's happy with the designs, he prints them out and uses his super cool Huion LED Light Pad to trace the image onto watercolor paper. 

Seriously this thing is so cool - adjustable brightness, flexible, super light and even ever-so-slightly sticky.
Thanks dad!

Then, he fills the plane with masking fluid, which is kind of like rubber cement, but easy to remove. That way, he can paint the sky and the background without having to worry about going outside (or inside) the lines. 

 This is as far as he's gotten on any of them now, but there are 4 different planes in different states of completion hanging out on our lovely dining room table right now. The kiddo is going nuts trying to get at them!

I imagine we'll have a whole series of planes up and listed on Etsy within a week or so! I'm excited!!!

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I'm thankful today for Campbell's tomato soup, because it tastes like my childhood. Also for safe spaces to talk about tricky things, new opportunities, glittery orange nailpolish, and Canada, because they made this awesome commercial:

List #6 - I'm Into It

1. Scandal. Oh my god, Scandal. This show! It's so good! We're almost halfway through season 2, and I'm loving it! Kerry Washington has the most amazing snarl-face, Joshua Malina is as sassy as ever, and the President's Chief of Staff is just brilliant. I wasn't sure about it for the first few episodes. See, in the pilot episode, Olivia Pope goes and rescues a baby from some kidnappers, and then when she brings the baby back to her office, she leaves the baby in a box while she and her associates eat Chinese takeout. Not cool, Mz. Pope! But about 3 episodes in, it gets reeeeeally good. I'm glad we stuck with it. I was figuring it would end up as one of those shows that we watch just to make fun of, but instead we're totally obsessed. If you like West Wing or House of Cards, Scandal is right up your alley.

2. Salad. All the time. Now that I've got my salad dressing down, it's like the only thing I want to eat. Except for

3. Soup. I've been craving it pretty regularly. Ross makes this hot and sweet and spicy noodle soup that's completely inauthentic but so good. Cook down some small-diced onions and garlic on low heat til they practically disappear, add in homemade vegetable stock, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, a spoonful of sugar and a ton of Sriracha and Sambal Olec, and then let the noodles cook in it. So nice on a cold night, which is all the time right now.

4. These boots.

 Like I said, it's been cold. And they're warm and fuzzy and comfy and go with almost everything I have that's warm. I get compliments on them all the time, and I have to restrain myself from being like "I totally got them on sale at Target" because that's not what the cool kids say. But seriously, they're from Target, and while they don't have them in the lovely green and brown anymore, they do have white and black.

5. Sake. See above, about the cold.

6. Wearing my hair like a giant cinnamon bun on top of my head. It looks like this, but less sticky, and I think it's very festive. If I could glitter it too, and still be work appropriate, I would.

Image via Another Good Thing

7. Christmas. We decorated the tree today, and put up lights. Ross says it looks tacky, and then we had this conversation:

Ross: I really prefer a classy and elegant "Courier and Ives" Christmas decorative theme. All white lights, all wooden ornaments, blah blah blah artsy stuff.
Me: Babe. You know I've never made anything look classy or elegant. You want Courier and Ives? Get out here and decorate.
Ross: Bah humbug and harumph. Also, why are you hanging things where we can't see them?
Me: grrrrrrrrrrfalalalala-la-la-la-la
Ross: Good point. I'll go do some more art in the other room now.

Anyways, here's our poor little crooked Tree-in-a-cage and my tacky (aka awesome and sparkly) decorations. I love it, and Santa will definitely know where to find us! E likes it too. He calls the tree a flower and smells it all the time. My kind of kid!

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I'm thankful today for warm sweaters, living near enough to a Target to be able to run out at bedtime to get more nighttime diapers because we ran out and forgot, living in a neighborhood that really does it up for Christmas (just wait til I tell you about Christmas Tree Lane - it's too cool), enchiladasagna lunches, and the mini marshmallows that come in packets of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate.