Summer Sno

The other day the boys minus one and I headed out for an evening of our own since one of our sons had a special evening lined up with his dad. As we headed to the city park I spotted a sno cone shack and held the vehicle in a hard left turn through the round about. The boys all piped up this isn’t the way, what are we doing, where are we going…. It didn’t take long for them to spot the sno cone shack either and their hopeful excitement got the better of them. After they each picked out their flavors we made our way back through the round about and to the park.

As we filed out of the car the boys all jabbing their ice with their plastic straws panic filled the air, “Moooooooom, I poked a hole in my cup!” Overwhelming disappointment washed over his little face as flavored syrup began trickling out the bottom. I had to act quick or the evening would be left to ruin. Rummaging through the console, AH! a band aid. Of course. I could tell the boys were impressed with my quick fix as we chuckled and joked mom pulled a MacGyver. And off we went with not another thought of the near devastation.

It was a gorgeous evening. My favorite time of day in fact. The sun's rays filtering through the sea of emerald leaves as they gently swayed back and forth in the evening breeze. The sky a flawless clear blue overhead framing the soon to be setting sun. The sound of water babbling over pebbles in a nearby brook. With sno cones in hand we made our way to a relaxing little spot to finish off our refreshing treats.

The boys still each jabbing their ice while mixing their syrup, after all this is how you eat a sno cone. Casually talking and enjoying each others company. Pure bliss. Until. “Moooooom, I poked I hole in my cup!” For some reason I happened to have another band aid on me. Another disaster diverted. Our chattering, playing and jabbing ice resumed. Only moments later to hear the earth shattering “Mooooom, I poked a hole in my cup!” Unbelievably I had yet another band aid on my person. Seriously I am not a walking first aid kit. Even though I like to think I’m ready for anything and we really do have a first aid kit in the car, I honestly never walk around with band aids in my pockets. It was like a magic trick and the boys thought it was great in fact I was just as astonished as they were.

Three sno cones, 3 holes, 3 band aids, 3 happy boys thank goodness for 1st aid kits. And 2nd aid kits. And 3rd aid kits.

Though summer is winding down here in our neck of the woods sno cones will never be out of season. They are a year round treat in our house. Last winter our boys invented their own sno cones. Our freezer was full of them all season long until the sno shacks started showing up. With a natural ‘sno’ maker outside the boys took advantage of the snow and would bring cups full inside then pour various liquids over the top. Some they’d eat, some they’d offer me to eat while some remained in the freezer to admire. My favorites (not for taste but for creativity) were the o.j. sno cone, the gatorade sno cone, the milk sno cone and the mystery mix sno cone.

Saved by Creative Inspiration

Today I awoke in a funk. Wallowing in pillows clambering for something to pull me up and into the day. Slumped in a heap on my bed my eyes fixated in the corner of the room still dim from the early morning hour. There in the corner of an already undersized out grown bedroom is a space. A space Cameron cleared just for me. Placed in this space is an enormously gorgeous easel that spans well above my head. Upon it’s poised frame was a canvas to match it’s beauty. It had sat there pristine white for weeks as I lay and gazed at it’s beauty. Endless images running through my mind’s eye of the possibilities. Until one morning I covered it in blues. Again it sat in the corner as I scrutinized it’s color.

But this morning while sitting on my bed in a mood a spark of creativity took light. Staring more intently at the canvas held in it’s grandeur the vision was coming. Out came my palette and oils and brushes. Creative inspiration quickly replaced the mood I was in and emotion began to expressively engulf the canvas.

To sum up my day I awoke in a funk, was rescued by creative inspiration which led to an enormous canvas filled with expressive emotion and a really great day.

Days Later...
The other morning I found myself stir crazy. Not wanting to delve into any of the usual or not so typical chores. Only 11am and I was feeling compelled to take a nap. I refused after all I hadn’t even had lunch yet. There’s just something about taking a nap in the morning that seems strange to me, unless I’m ill or recovering from childbirth. Looking for something to do to keep me occupied, rebelling against any chores or ‘to do’ items. I do those every day. I craved something that would challenge me, something I could find growth in, development, improvement, progress, expression. Something to send me spiraling along my own personal path.

There it was resting waiting calling from it’s easel. The oil painting I had started weeks ago. I’ve been letting it dry before I began phase II. It’s time I thought, even if it’s still tacky it’ll add to the texture giving it the character I want it to have. But it’s in three pieces the large canvas sits in the corner of our bedroom approximately 2’x4’ and the other two canvases rest down in the basement on my art table each approximately 2’x18”. I started racking my brains. I have two large art tables but neither could accommodate all three canvases. And I really needed all three pieces to be lined up beside each other to complete this phase. Our poor little rental is too tiny and the floor plan quite poor. There was no where to paint. Do I dare take it all outside? Frustration was really beginning to set in.

When suddenly the creative inside me took over. Or maybe just desperation. I removed all of the dinning room furniture and shoved it all into the front entry. What are the chances someone is randomly going to stop by to visit anyways. Piled the dishes into the sink, I know they’ll be kind enough to wait there.


The boys all begin to pop up one by one watching and wondering. When they see the art supplies come out they all exclaim, “You get to paint?! Aw can we?” Of course they can paint. I wouldn’t have it any other way. So I spread my canvases across the dining room floor and spread newspaper across the dining table that is now in the entry and set them up along side me. And for the remainder of the afternoon we painted side by side. We would check each other’s art out and ask for opinions while literally rubbing elbows. I still have the paint on mine to prove it.

Lunch proved to be an obstacle but we managed through and back to painting we went with little paint footprints tip toeing through out the kitchen and dining room. They were thrilled and Isaac was so excited he commented, “Wouldn’t it be great if our whole house was an aquarium? Could we make our house an aquarium?” I guess he could see the thought process in my eyes because he went on to explain, “you know where we can hang up all of our art work for people to look at.” “Oh a museum, you mean an art museum, of course, I think that’s a great idea”.

When they were really young, like all of about 3 years ago. I would post all of their art work on colored paper as if on a frame and then hang them in the laundry room. It didn’t take long before my entire laundry room was filled with their bright cheerful imaginations. It made me smile every time I went in there and became one of my favorite rooms believe it or not.

That evening a request came in, Everest has requested we paint in the park like we used to. I have forgotten about all of the art opportunities I used to expose them to. I love that they enjoy it so much and that it’s something we can do together. Next adventure will be at the park with our paints. I think it’s time to redo my laundry room too.