Wednesdays with Te

So I have started working from home on Wednesdays - although the work normally doesn't start until after dark. I spend the majority of my day hanging and playing with Te. Yesterday was Duana's birthday and since last weekend the boys (Te, Kobe & Devin) have been wanting to see each other. They are so classic. When I call Duana of course I have to speak to both Kobe & Devin since Kobe normally picks up. From there the conversation goes on to "I want to talk to Te." So yes, it's pretty sweet to hear the one-sided conversation between friends. So yesterday good friends gotta share most of their day together.
Te and I started our day taking Stan on a hike near Dry Creek Cemetery. Both Te & Stan had their first snake encounter. A little bull snake on the trail on our way down the hill. Te was definitely more curious then Stan. When Stan went to sniff the snake of course the snake reared up and started flashing his tongue. He ran and hid behind me and Te while cautiously peering out between our knees. Te on the other-hand was completely enthralled in the snake and we stood on the trail and watched the snake until he slithered off up the hill.
After the hike we dropped Stan off and proceeded to Duana's. From there the boys just played and played. No naps mind you. They even did well at the gym where Duana teaches a BodyPump class - and all she asked of her close friend, husband, and mom was to double her numbers on her birthday. So we did. After working out we were crazy enough to take 3 young boys to the restaurant to eat (Chuckarama). By this time I think they had to be close to delirious having had no naps. I must say they actually did quite well. We sat in a corner booth and locked them in from both sides. Sporadically under the table, in the window... Anyways the night ended with the boys wrestling. As we were walking out of the restaurant Devin fell down and Te immediately jumped on top of him. That was quickly corrected as we walked out. Then as we all parted our ways the boys ran a few laps on the grass and dog-piled on another. It is such a great feeling to see how much they love each other from an early age.

Creative Consciousness

Whoa. This weekend I was planning on driving to Hailey (ID) with Te and go visit my cousin Bean - the weather was kind of poopy on Friday - thinking inward - nothing set in stone. The day cleared by noon and I decided to do some things around town. I got slightly distracted when I had the opportunity to go to Quality Art on a Saturday. Normally my Saturdays are filled by Market and I never have a chance to leisurely roam the aisles. I admit I was rather excited. I was going to splurge on a few things for myself as well as pick up some more paint for my Africa project. As it turns out I ended up buying more art supplies that are really meant for Te. Since we were in the neighborhood I decided to stop by Reham's to say howdy. Instead Te & I stayed for about 3 hours. Reham has a big show in Vegas in just under ten days and I decided to help her build inventory. I would of probably stayed into the early hours of darkness had it been unnecessary for Te to nap. My 2nd mosaic ever was a round mirror with a fish and some seaweed. Once I got my creative juices flowing they continue to flow. I came home, put the boy to bed, went downstairs and put a good thick coat of "Sand Between Your Toes" on the downstairs hallway. It's a nice warm color I picked out to make the basement a little more homey. Then a few window appliques - a fish, BSU -for Te to stick to the windows. And finally Saturday night concluded with Te and I watching "A Christmas Story" and me completing a crocheted hat for Te this winter. My night ended with me laying stir crazy in bed thinking of all these ideas to mosaic.
I made three more mosaics while Jeff attended to Te today. I am flipping addicted right now cause it feels so, so, so good to be creative. It's terrible when you forget what it feels like to be beyond passionate or should I say just tuned in. I can't stop - I am remembering what it feels like to live, breath, and dream about making art. This goes beyond just taking photographs. Painting, mosaicing, glass fusing those make me feel centered - active meditation. My mind is spinning, spinning, spinning.
Lest not forget the simple beauty of also watching Te grow up. I haven't written much about his progress like I did the first year with my "Notes to Te, " I need to be more consistent. A sweet story today. I was perusing the ads in the Sunday News and Te as usual has to come and get into my business. I see a Shopko ad and it has a toy catalog handout and I tell Te "Hey check this out," so I have a moment to finish reading what I am looking at. He thumbs through the ads all seriously pointing and commenting on things he sees and he asks me all serious, "how you get these toys momma?" I tell him you have to buy them. He proceeds to say, "I need to buy these toys momma." Lately everything with Te is, "Te will do it." Inquisitive questions of "Why do baby's fart?" Just normal humbling anecdotes of a developing child. Gotta love it. Tonight he is sleeping in his new bed set-up which includes a headboard that is housing all his books. So it is past midnite at this moment and he's still in his room trying to read by the hallway light. The books I knew might pose a temptation so in due time hopefully rhe newness of his new bed assembly, etc. will wear off so his little head is down for rest before the new day dawns.
Wow. I am kind of all over the place. I said my head was spinning!

October 10, 2007

I was perusing a CD of images from last Spring when we were working on my dad's house and found sweet, sweet pictures of Te-bug. Boy they grow fast. He was only just over a year so of course he was still a little rolly-polly guy. Anymore - he's lanking out and turning into a little boy. Most days he talks about now he grows big and strong. He is so much fun to watch - grateful for our blessing.