I Little Bit of Bragging

For a long time, I was paralyzed by the sudden influx of people and responsibilities that come when two families merge into one.  Sometimes this happens when two divorced people who each have children decide to marry. Sometimes children are separated from their parents by death, design or decree and plunged into either the foster system or the home of a relative.  

In our case, Lauren and Robert decided that he needed to go back to school so that he could get a job that would pay enough to support his family--and that he would enjoy.  They moved in last October--that would be almost 8 months now.  They have the guest apartment--a studio apartment with a minuscule kitchen and tiny bathroom.  With Caleb and Charlie, that puts four beings (who have been used to two bedroom, two bath apartments, which are not huge, but there was space for everyone to spread out) all into one room.  Unfortunately, even with re-insulating the attic space above them, the AC unit--the biggest we could find--isn't able to keep the room cooler that the mid-70s during the hottest parts of the summer.  The Florida heat and the spaces around the doors and windows don't make for a favorably cool environment.  We will see how the summer goes.  

Now that Caleb is older--a year and two months--and walking----and Lauren's foot surgery making it necessary for Nathan and I to take over much of the work associated with a baby----it feels like my life has settled again into a manageable rhythm.  

Nathan and I are taking art lessons together on Tuesday nights.  I remember every time I sit down to practice how difficult drawing even simple images are.  The first night was encouraging--the second, not so much.

Two of my efforts on the first night.  Brent wants me to frame one of them for him to take to his office.  I am glad that he appreciates my efforts--and wants to share what I do with the people he works with.

Practice efforts this week--the proportions are wrong, but the shapes of the body and legs is OK.  The back of the image is too big for the front:  the head is too small.

I think that the best part of the whole thing is being able to spend time with Nathan.  He hates being in a car when there is a lot of traffic--since the class begins at 6:30pm we hit the tail of rush hour.  On the way home, however, we are close to the only cars on the roads before we get on the freeway.  He has a hard time with art--something that he is not instantly good at.  He is doing well, though--much improved from the beginning the first lesson when he wanted to go back home--promising at last to at least stay for that night.  The teacher saved him? me? by being so "hands-on" and openly assuring that all of us were beginners and not good at drawing at all.  I think it was a saving grace for Nathan that when he walked around and looked at everyone else's drawings he realized we all were at the same place he was . . . one or two were struggling even more than he.  

****One time when comparing your efforts to others helped rather than depressed Nate.****

Another of my practice pieces this week.  Simple shape.  Fun to try.  And the head wasn't too small.  !