angles and light

I was trying to think of what I could say as an update and I then I found these photos. They're from a playdate we had before school started. 

We are back into busy calendar mode and I'm equally loving it and feeling slightly stressed by my to-do list. We, collectively and individually, have a lot going on and sometimes our Saturday morning family meeting is dominated by discussion of who needs to where and when. (Not why. We mostly know why, as well as how.)  But all the things we do feel good and important, and we manage to find a balance with a bit of quiet as well. 

a little rut

These pictures have nothing to do with anything. I just liked them.

                                    
                                Lately I've been in a little bit of a rut. I feel like I'm running out of ideas.

                               I got some new cookbooks out from the library and that's been helpful,
                               at least on the food front.

                               But sometimes 3:30 rolls around and I just.don't.know. what to do.
                               Usually Brixton and I have morning activies- either music class or a playdate
                               or errands that keep us busy. But afternoons are another story. He's such an
                               inconsistant napper. Basically the only way he'll fall asleep is in the car with
                               the classical station on. So sometimes I make up an errand jus to get an afternoon
                              car ride, and even then he doesn't always sleep. I'd give it up entirely but he's
                              just cranky and obviously still needs it.

                              My sewing goals have not been happening at all. My excuse is that the only
                              consistent free time I have is at the end of the day and I'm usually too zonkered for
                              anything but my BBC dramas. Hopefully I'll get it together soon.

                                

Unity's summer break from school is coming up and I'm trying to plan lots of fun activies for us.

(It's only a week long. Her school goes year-round.)

So I'm open to suggestions for any games, activities, outings, crafts that will keep a five year old and a two year old and their mama busy. In the probable drizzle that is a Seattle Junuary. Let me know if you think of anything!

I debated posting this cause I don't want to seem like a downer. I love staying home with my kids and also it's hard, like all jobs. I think my blogging philosophy is somewhere in between this and this.

Gearing up

So in less than a week I'm going to be starting National Novel Writing Month.  For those who don't know, you commit to writing 50 thousand words in a month. I did it last year and it was great. Hard of course, but a good reminder that I can find room for creativity in my life if I prioritize it. I'm excited and also, I know that certain other things are going to have to take a step back for a month. I'll read less books. I'll knit less. I'll watch fewer movies with Chris in the evenings. I might be blogging less, we'll see.

Have you heard that story about the jar of rocks? It's a common one at college orientations. The empty jar stands for your life, or your time. The big rocks stand for your values and your big priorities- the things you want to look back on and be proud of. The small rocks are all the little time wasters and guilty pleasures and errands that eat up the day. The idea is that you have to put the big rocks in first, and the small ones will find the cracks. But if you fill up the jar with the small rocks there won't be room for the big ones and you find yourself ignoring what means most.

So. The writing is important and I'm trying to clear out some of the little rocks to make room for it, while still managing to feed my family and other details like that. Cross your fingers for me, it's a wild ride.