My Only Sunshine

My New Banner

Hey, what do you think of my new banner?  It's the skinny, laid back, big headed me!  Want to see the process?

First we have the basic sketch.  See, I have no face!

Now with 100% more facial features!

Then I add ink.  Please no smudging.  Only 100% waterproof permanent ink will do.

A good layer of Gesso.  If you don't know what Gesso is, look here.(Note, no rabbits were harmed in the making of my Gesso.)

Water Color Step 1
Have you noticed I always do the face last?

Voila!
My Only Sunshine with face (and a nice cup of coffee)

Tomorrow We'll See

Thank you for all of the comments with suggestions on how to deal with my potential problem with Bitty and dance.  At this point it isn't a problem because she went to ballet and didn't have a problem with it and then on Thursday she went to Jazz and loved it as she always does.  The real test will be if she balks at going to ballet tomorrow.  I don't think she will.  I don't think she has gotten to the point where she doesn't want to go to ballet anymore.  I think she just has moments where it isn't the thing she wants to do the most on the days she has to go.  All of the advice will really help if we ever get to the point where she doesn't ever want to go.  I hope it doesn't come to that but if it does we'll work it out in a way that is good for her.

While I'm talking about the kids, check out these pics I took yesterday.

The Dance Dilemma

This evening I had a problem come up that has been haunting me for over a year now.  I've been mostly trying to pretend it wasn't there but tonight I am inspired by my friend Spuddy Buddy to ask you for help.

You all know that my Bitty, that's her on the Nutcracker's back, has been in ballet for nearly 5 full years now.  She started the week after Bug started because even though she was only 2 she couldn't handle her sister getting to do something that she didn't.  In that five years Buster and I have learned that Bitty is a natural.  Her little body is all muscle and she is able to use that muscle in strong, graceful, amazing ways.  She has no concept of stage fright at all and loves a good audience.  She gains a great deal of pride in herself through her dancing and has also learned an amazing amount of responsibility and work ethic.  That is a long list for someone who is 7 years old.

The problem is that sometimes she balks at going to ballet.  Just tonight I asked her to go upstairs and get her dance clothes on and she said no. (when I was 7 I couldn't get into dance tights on my own, could you?)  When I asked her why she told me that ballet is hard and she doesn't like it as much as Jazz and she didn't think she wanted to do it anymore.  I worked hard not to gasp in pain.  She threw a massive fit when I didn't just say, "ok, no dance tonight."

Through all of the years of dance my husband and I have always maintained that we would only keep them in dance as long as they wanted to do it.  This has rarely been an issue because Bug LOVES dance with a deep and abiding passion and that has been enough to keep both of them going even through the grueling summer workshops and even harder Nutcracker season.  Every once in a while little Bit will say she doesn't want to go but it has never happened two classes in a row so we have felt comfortable just letting it roll off our backs.  This time isn't any different, Bit was fine going to class on Monday and I know she will be happy to go to Jazz class tomorrow.  I bring it up because I worry that I won't be prepared when she does tell me two classes, or three, or *shudder* four that she just doesn't want to do ballet anymore.

We have certain rules that will insulate me for the immediate future if this were to happen.  We have always told both girls that they need to be taking ballet in order to take the other classes like jazz and tap that they love.  This is because they find those other classes to be easier than ballet and we don't want them just taking the easier way out in order to get to see their dance friends and perform in the recitals.  We also feel strongly that ballet is the basis for all of the dance they do and benefits them in innumerable ways.  Another rule is that they are not allowed to drop out of dance in the middle of preparing for anything.  Once they commit to a performance, be it Nutcracker, recital, or something else, we will not let them quit.  We want them to understand that this would be letting the other members of their group down and that isn't the right thing to do.  That being said, if Bitty does tell me she is done when the season is over then I will be at a crossroads.

I love that my daughters dance.  I love what they get from it.  I love what they have learned about themselves.  I love the friends they have made at the dance studio.  I am also very involved myself even thought I don't dance.  I am on the Board of Directors for the dance company.  I arrange for a large portion of the volunteer work that goes on.  I have many dance school related friends.  Don't get me wrong, I would not keep either of them in it just for my own benefit but I can't help but be sad at the prospect of losing any of that.  Also, if Bit were to quit dancing that wouldn't mean Bug was out.  I don't think that is in my near future at all.  I guess what I am saying is that I like dancer Bit.  I like that she gets exercise and self esteem, grace and a love of a beautiful art form.  I want to help her make the right decision if that time comes but in the end it's up to her.

Do you have any suggestions on how I can know if she wants out because she just isn't in love with it anymore, or if she just isn't in the mood for putting in the work right now?  Can you help me figure out how to guide her the right way even if it isn't the way I would choose?  I don't want to force her to do something she doesn't have her heart in, but I also don't want her to quit dancing only to find that she misses it and wants to go back, over and over.  If you have advice I'd like to hear it.

Maxie and Alice

Since I was a little girl I have wanted a bunny.  I don't know why exactly, but something about the long soft ears and the little wiggly noses just got me.  I never got one when I was young and in college I became a cat person.

When Bitty was 3 we got Wainy.  Wainy is a Build-a-Bear Mocha Bunny who you've seen around here before.  When Bit fell in love with Wainy she fell in love with bunnies in every way.  Now we have bunny lamps, bunny shirts, bunny figurines, bunny lawn art, bunny jeans, bunny hair clips, bunny bunny bunny.

The one thing we didn't have...  Actual Bunnies!!

Meet Alice the mini lop.

This is Maxie the mini rex.

These two beautiful rabbits came home to live with us yesterday.  Maxie is 15 or so weeks old and Alice is 9 weeks old.  They are both very sweet and Maxie is a character.  They are living in a hutch, indoors, right now as they get used to living at the house of sunshine and the kitties get used to them.  We are all one happy pet crazy family.

Partay!

Yesterday I baked cookies.  Heart shaped cookies to be exact.  You see, as I previously mentioned, I am the room mother for Bitty's 2nd grade class.  Today was the second grade class Valentine's Party.  I made heart shaped sugar cookies and valentine Bingo cards with conversation heart markers.

I got the recipe for the cookies and this very lovely royal icing in this book.

Which I found through this wonderful blog.  The cookies were very easy to make.  Easier than any other good sugar cookie I have ever made.  The icing was luscious and lightly shiny and exactly what you want from a good royal icing.

I iced the cookies in red using my new liquid gel food coloring which is the bomb.  After the red I added white dots around the edges.  After the white dots I added a little sugar sparkle.

The kids loved the cookies so it was a very good day.  The Valentines were a hit too, so all in all I think I did well.

Happy Kids' Valentine's Day

You elementary school moms out there...  have you ever noticed how your relationship to when holidays are totally changes while your kids are in school?  Today is February 13 but at my house it's Valentine's Day.  The kids took little gifts to their friends, teachers, and admins at school.  I'm throwing a party this afternoon with HEART (Bingo) and heart shaped cookies this afternoon.  In effect, it is totally a holiday at my house.

For my kids I made (and they stuffed) little pillow boxes out of card stock with hand designed images.  They'll give these to their friends today proudly, so that makes me feel like I did a good job.
This is the bunny I designed for Bitty's card.  It says, "Somebunny Loves You" on it and on the back of the little box is her name.  She decided she didn't want to sign each card individually.  I printed two per page of 100# white card stock and then traced my pillow box shape on and cut it out with scissors.  Then I used an Xacto to lightly score the fold lines and double stick tape to assemble.  My kids put little candies inside each, Chocolate for Bitty and Fruity for Bug.

This isn't a great photo, sorry.  At least you get the idea of what we sent off to school this morning for the kids in second and third grade.

Oh, did you notice I added Twitter to my right sidebar?  I may be having too much fun with it.  Feel free to follow me if you'd like.