After 2 Long Weeks

Phil confessed that these were the two hardest weeks he has had with his job.  He had a number of deadlines and being new to the job, hadn't anticipated the time involved in all the teacher observations and write ups that he had to have in by Friday.  He spent a packed couple of weeks with his normal meetings and fast pace but then had to add in the completion of the observations.  He was so exhausted on Friday that he came through the door, was asleep within 10 minutes, took a 3 hour nap, and then turned around for a social gathering with the admins at 9:30 at night.



A flock of starlings in the front yard.

Saturday was so wonderful for me!  Phil's job and this remodel have and are taking a toll on me as I have shared and Phil signed me up for an art class taught by the children's art teacher.  It is 4 weeks, for 2 hours Saturday morning.  So, I got out of the house alone (which I never do) and sat and painted (which I haven't done in...in 2 years?) with guided instruction.  
We painted daffodils.

And got the composition of our painting laid out.

Truthfully, I am not thrilled with my painting and a bit embarrassed to share it.

 I came home after art class and Phil had arranged for my parents to come over and watch the children while we went to a fancy dinner at Rafns' and then out to a concert.  We went the whole 9 yards with dinner getting appetizers, drinks, and desserts.  The concert was a collaboration of all the honor level students in choir, orchestra, and band for the school district (6 high schools) under the direction of several different conductors from around the US that came in just to put together this event.  It was marvelous!



I think the thing that made Saturday so wonderful was that I felt like someone "different".  I am always "mom".  I have children with me almost all the time.  I chauffeur children, I teach children, I guide and direct children, I wash children's clothes, feed children, and clean up a house dirtied by children.  I am on duty mom all but a few hours a week when Phil takes them to Awanas or has a supervision duty at the high school that he can take children to.  I am mom in the mornings, mom in the afternoons, mom in the evenings, and mom on the weekends.  I have very little social interactions that don't revolve around children.  I am always mom.  Saturday, I was a student.  Saturday, I visited with adults.  Saturday, I had a leisurely romantic meal with just my husband.  Saturday, I listened attentively to beautiful music (with the only interruption being my sore buns on horrible wooden theatre seating LOL).  I forgot that I was or could be something other than "mom".  It was so good to be reminded of that...but also a little hard the next day as I was right back into full blown mom mode...with Phil ushering at church so me corralling B during service (he is unable to sit still and quiet without my constant help) alone, the noise noise noise of children, the desire to spend a good chunk of time practicing painting but only getting a small snipped, the bed piled high with laundry....

We woke up Sunday morning to snow!  When you only see snow on rare occasions (sometimes several years go by without a snowfall), it is magical...so still and quiet and beautiful.  It only lasted a moment but it was lovely.






Sunday, was my Dad's 70th birthday!  He wanted help winterizing for some unexpected cold weather predicted this week so Phil helped with that and then we got take out Mexican food and had a dinner celebration.





Monday (today) is President's Day.  Phil is home from work and will be working on remodel.  I ought to be getting back into school and we have piano lessons this afternoon but what I really want to do is paint.



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