Pirates, Pirates, and more Pirates

DSCN6312, originally uploaded by samcotterill.

It's official....I've been informed that dinosaurs are no longer fun to play with. (yes, I reacted with some shock) It seems pirates and superheroes have taken over and the dinosaurs have been tucked away on the shelf. Now instead of playing meat-eater vs. plant-eater all day, I have added "arrrr" to my vocabulary and am constantly looking for treasure. (I am still trying to get used to playing this way....a bit different from when my sister and I used to spend the day having Ken and Barbie make-out with each other.....) Anyway, the boys are playing by themselves in the living room and I thought I'd used this rare moment to write in the blog. Life with the boys seems to be getting harder again, as little M is getting even more assertive with his brother. Yeah they play, but a mere 5 seconds into it there is always screaming and yelling. A can't even peacefully draw at the table without M coming over to purposefully poke him in the head....it's getting a bit tiring as I am always rushing to some sort of "emergency" or another. Hopefully this is a temporary craziness before the total independent play with each other begins (fingers crossed)
I have started working on my children's book again, and am hoping to get some distance on the project in the next month or so. Painting is starting to happen more regularly, and I will hopefully be posting some work next week.

Cheers

DSCN6289, originally uploaded by samcotterill.

After greeting each other with our warm morning drinks, we decided today would be a good day to venture to the children's museum and visit our favorite coffee shop for some tasty treats. We tend to go to the coffee shop everyday (it allows me to pretend to be an adult, even if it means the whole time I am constantly picking up crayons off the floor and entertaining M to keep him in his seat) and it has become something everyone looks forward to. I am still in shock from yesterday when we decided to go and ended up staying for almost 2 hours! A kept himself busy coloring and M just played with his animals. I was actually able to drink a latte without chugging it, and found myself twiddling my thumbs not knowing what to do.....

Salt Dough Time

DSCN6268, originally uploaded by samcotterill.

After a rough couple of weeks with the boys and their health, we woke up with a fresh start and ready to go. After getting our hands all gooey making dough, A concentrated on making a solar system while I took control of making sure little M didn't sneak in any bites of his....we spent a good hour making our pieces and will hopefully get to painting them this afternoon after their nap. I am hoping(fingers crossed) that this nap will give me an opportunity to get some painting done....or, as so often happens...I sit on the couch for just a quick break and end up staying their until they wake up. I am starting on a series of paper cut-out paintings, and should be able to post some in the next few days.

Finally Croup Free

DSCN6260, originally uploaded by samcotterill.

It feels so good to finally have our lives back(well at least a bit of it...)
Croup hit Marcus for a record 9 days....not something I recommend to anyone! We finally ventured out of the house with our essential crayon box in hand, and went off to Starbucks so that I could get a bit of my sanity back. After a good cup of coffee(half of which had to be chugged like water because the boys decided 15 minutes was about as much of Starbucks as they needed) we went back home feeling the benefits of being able to escape the house for a bit.

Still croupy.....

croup, originally uploaded by samcotterill.

Poor little Marcus. Just had another dose of steroids. Hopefully he can get a good snooze in and catch up on some much needed sleep

I have a fever

croup
Originally uploaded by samcotterill
feelin misserable

Some hot oatmeal should do it

DSCN6222
Originally uploaded by samcotterill

Another terrible morning of croup....Poor little M has been feverish and coughing up a storm for over a week now. We took him into the doctor this morning to be told to put him on another five day dose of steroids. He has been so clingy to me this past week, and won't even take a nap unless it's on my lap. Keep your fingers crossed that an end is in sight!

another sick morning

It's another sick morning as I make some oatmeal to help lift their moods a little. Poor little M kept waking himself up throughout the night and then woke me up to the sounds of "mummy....m sick!" I predict a repeat day of yesterday....the little one clinging to me and the other one going crazy because I can't give him the one on one time he craves. It becomes one of those days where you look at the clock convincing yourself that all the clocks in the house somehow broke because there is no way it's 1pm as they suggest. ..it has to be closer to bedtime.
I think I will load the table with googly eyes, pom poms, pipe cleaners, paper and glue. If I am lucky, I can join in on the "craftyness" a little :)

a day with the sick ones

I am writing this note as I listen to the sounds of croup blasting through the baby monitor. We have been through croup so many times, that when I hear those first couple of barking coughs I know I am in for a rough night....ughhhh. A must have given it to M, as he has had a rough week to the point of needing steroids and codeine to get through the night. (We have got to love the codeine...when the doctor said it would make him drowsy, I was so thankful......the only problem is that they forgot to mention that some kids may get the opposite reaction. I wouldn't call constantly getting out of bed until 10:30 after being put down at 6:30 drowsy!)
Anyway, I started working on a painting the other day. I rushed down to the basement during a nap (which feels so strange to me...I usually just sit on the couch drinking tea thinking of the chores I really should be doing while they sleep) and started to paint. It was going really well for awhile....I suddenly hit a point of feeling like I couldn't do it and panic set in that I had lost what used to come so naturally pre-kids. Oh well, I guess trying to start and finish a "masterpiece" while the boys sleep for an hour is probably not so realistic!

my first entry

welcome to my first blog entry! I am currently staying home to raise two very zesty cheeky little monkeys ages 4 and 2, and have decided it is time to bring back some of my previous life as a full-time painter. (wish me luck....) Life is starting to get easier, and hopefully there will finally be some more windows of opportunity to get some work done. The boys are giving me a very welcome rare opportunity to write this post (they are both napping....how amazing one hour to yourself in the day feels!) so I better make it short and sweet. I hope to dabble in some sketches here and there and share bits of my crazy life with two boys. Again, wish me luck :)