Refocusing

I have been scatterbrained and completely unfocused on doing anything fun and creative lately.  My blog has been withering, the posts have been piling up in my Google Reader, I haven’t done a scrapbook page since leaving Atlanta, the crochet hooks are cold and lifeless.

The final straw?  I forgot 12 of 12 yesterday.  I love 12 of 12.  It’s no Bench Monday, but it does make me happy.

The solution?  I’ve given up on Project 365 (one less thing to think about on a daily basis), and I caught up on my Google Reader, which has inspired me to at least get blogging again.

Balance.  Isn’t that always the key?  It is for me.  Funny that using that particular key also happens to be one of my biggest challenges in life.

All of this is not to say that life has been boring or that I’ve been unfulfilled – quite the opposite, in fact!  We made the decision upon moving here to refrain from participating in any time-consuming extracurricular activities for a while.  This has resulted in an unprecedented amount of family togetherness.  Board games and garage saling and letterboxing, dinners with all four of us gathered around the table…these are incredibly good things.  The boys and I walk back and forth to school most days (a new experience for us all!).  They play on the playground after school while I chat with other moms and [hopefully] form some new friendships (…and thank Heaven for my friend j., who provided me with a built-in amazing friendship and support system and tour guide, all in one.).

On top of all of this, I desperately need what is usually the first thing to fall by the wayside – creative outlet.  Something that’s all mine, and mine alone.  My feet on a bench.  My hook in some yarn.  My hand on the mouse.  My fingers on the keyboard.  That’s all I need…a lot of one, or a little of each.

So, since I spent yesterday morning ironing shirts, this morning calling doctors in Seattle (requesting appointments) and Atlanta (requesting records), and the afternoons on the school playground, I dedicate this evening to me.

The Red Carpet

I am often asked where I get my creativity.  Take a look at the Oscar Pary my Mom and Dad put together for the boys on Sunday, then you tell me.

The boys were asked to arrive in their finest clothes, and they received accessories upon their arrival:

(How cute is Kalen in Jason’s tie?)

At the event, they would screen two of the nominees (Wall-E and Kung Fu Panda), have a buffet lunch, and vote on several categories.

The afternoon, of course, began with the trip down the red carpet, and an interview with the Press:

The spread looked great.  Alas, Jason and I were not invited to stay for the eats.  (No problem there, we were heading off for a kid-free afternoon and evening!)

After the movies, Nicky and Kalen were asked to judge them and then received the trophies on behalf of the filmmakers, who were unable to attend.

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How cool are these grandparents?

So, where do I get my creativity?  I’ll give you three guesses, and the first two don’t count.