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October 26, 2014

Hi everyone!

So before I talk about how my trip to New Mexico went a couple weeks ago, I'll start with what the kids have been up to because… well… guess who got a hold of some scissors yesterday and gave herself and her brother a haircut? I'll give you a hint; she's a blonde four year-old whose name starts with "C."

Yes, we have now experienced the joy (and shock) of the classic childhood self-haircut thanks to our sweet Cece. I left scissors out in the living room and then went to help Jim with preparing lunch. When I came back, I found her snipping away at the hair on top of her brother's head. I just froze because I didn't know what to do, but as soon as she noticed that I was there, she stopped what she was doing. She tried to play it off like it was a good thing, but she knew she was in trouble. When I assessed the damage, I found that in addition to a few short patches spaced over Philip's head, she had also cut a chunk of hair just above his forehead and chopped off random curls from her own head. I don't know if she thought we wouldn't notice, but… yikes. I am pretty confident that she does not have a future as a hair stylist. At this point, though, all we can do is look back, laugh, and wait for everything to grow out.

Somewhat related is that for the last month or so Jim has been growing a beard. It's funny because in all the years that I have known my husband, I had never seen him with anything more than a few days' worth of stubble. Now, though, he looks like a whole new man—a very attractive man if I do say so myself (especially because I know he reads this ;)). The kids' feelings on Daddy's beard are mixed. Cece doesn't like it because it's scratchy when he gives her kisses, but Philip thinks it's the coolest thing ever. I don't know if it's because he is a boy or what, but he is amazed by the whole concept of growing facial hair. Last night when we were tucking him into bed, he even took Jim's face in his little hands and asked, "Daddy, when can I have a beard?" It was so cute (and so hard not to laugh right there in front of him because he pronounces it as "beer"). He was a little disappointed when Jim told him that it would be a while, but it was such a sweet moment between the two of them over something that only an almost-three year-old would take so seriously. And personally, I'm glad my little guy has a while before he and his daddy have matching "beers."

Next, I would like to congratulate my sister-in-law on her engagement! Larisa, we are SO excited for you! You and Matthew are such a fun couple, and we love you guys! :)

Cece and Philip are going to be the flower girl and ring bearer in the wedding, and while Philip doesn't really care or understand what that means, Cece is beyond thrilled about her role and can't stop talking about it. It has even led to a bit of a wedding obsession for her. She wants to play "wedding" with her stuffed animals, and she has asked to look through our wedding album over and over again. We also have our wedding on DVD thanks to the documentary, and she has watched that a few times as well. She loves the flower arrangements and the dresses and especially the veil. It's been so fun to share with her, even though she really already shared it with us back when it first happened. ;) Her comments about everything have been adorable:

"Look! That's me in your tummy!"

"Daddy, why is your tie broken?"

"Mommy, you look like a princess!"

It's pretty cute, but it freaks Jim out a little, especially since Cece's closest friend at school is a boy. I understand it, though. He just wants his little girl to stay his little girl (which, in itself, is also pretty cute).

And now for details on New Mexico! First of all, the place where they held the retreat was beautiful. When I learned that it would be in a desert, I pictured lots of sand, tumbleweeds, and cacti, but I was pleasantly surprised when I got there. There were incredible rock formations, sunsets that look like they should be on postcards, and at night, I could look up and see a clear sky with hundreds of stars. It was so peaceful and inspiring, and I would love to take a family trip out there one day.

The retreat itself was kind of intimidating at first. Even though I'm technically a professional artist now (I even have business cards!), I still don't quite feel like one. I felt very out of place being around people with extensive credentials, experience, and formal art education, but during a mixer on the first morning, I ended up meeting a few people who felt the same way. We attended seminars, demonstrations, and couple classes together, and it made the whole weekend a really great time. I came out of it feeling the most confident I have ever felt as an artist, and I also learned a lot about how to handle the business side of things, which was an area that I previously knew basically nothing about.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go, but I was also surprised by just how much I missed my family after being gone only a few days. It was the longest I had ever been away from my either of my babies since they were born. When Jim came to pick me up from the airport, both kids were in the backseat, and Philip had the biggest smile on his face. Like I've said before, he's such a mama's boy, and when I hugged him, he didn't want to let go. I sat in the back with him and Cece on the drive home, and when we got there, both kids presented me with pictures that they had colored. It was really sweet. And wow, can Cece draw. I mean, you can still tell that a small child drew the picture, but her lines are so neat, and she even figured out on her own that shading things in with two different colors of crayon gives the appearance of a new color. She's not even five! My kid is clearly a genius! (What can I say? I'm a proud mama ;))

Unsurprisingly, Jim was able to hold down the fort just fine while I was gone. Surprisingly, though, I came back to a tasty crock pot meal and a house that was cleaner than I left it. Oh, I love him. Betsy Halpert, you raised quite the man.

Anyway, that's what has been happening in our world recently. Hope all of you are doing well!

Love,

Pam