#10: Self Portrait(s) and explanations

Since the last entry could technically also count for a current self-portrait, I thought I'd dig out some of my old art for kicks. I'm counting all of these as self-portraits, even though one of them is a horse. From left, clockwise: A piece from my concentration, junior year. My legs, shoes, etc. The words I wrote in that circle are kind of hilarious because of my pathetic attempt at depth and meaning. Next we have a picture of my horse of choice for whenever we played wild mustangs. Black horse, blue eyes, white blaze. Every time. I don't remember when I drew it... or if I'm even the one that drew it, to be honest. Next is just a self-portrait. I'm not sure if it's supposed to mean anything. It's kind of indicative, though, I suppose. I got a 9/10, if you're curious. I probably got a point taken off for having too much white space. Next is a self-portrait I did quickly on a piece of leftover paper from a screen printing assignment. The last one is a self-portrait I did... I'm not sure if it was for class or not. But anyway, it's probably the most accurate, minus the blue skin and hair. I often wore my hair up, and it has my birth mark (Granted, this is me looking in a mirror so it's on the wrong side) and the jacket I often wore. I think that might even be a stain on my shirt... but I could be wrong. Evidence of my clumsiness, if it's a stain. Ta-da! My hair is fountain. This one also has hidden meanings!! Firstly, it's idealized because I really, really wanted blue hair back then and I also loved anime, and secondly it's not finished, and that's funny cause I rarely finish things. Anyway, I'm sure this killed my teacher because he hated all things anime and manga related (he thought it was a lazy way of drawing, I believe) and because he obviously wanted things finished. He liked the entire paper to be used. At least I meant to finish the entire piece, even if I didn't. There were others where I just enjoyed having a big blank space but he didn't agree with me.

#9: Front Door.

Yeah I ended up counting 7 and 8 together. I'm really behind, okay?
So I've got three, because apparently three blurry photos make one clear one. Somehow. Actually I'm glad they're blurry so it's seems less like I'm flashing everyone. And yeah, these are just me doing yoga poses in front of the front door because I'm kind of a show off.
I did this routine last night (minus the chanting and with modifications, obviously... my arms are really weak right now) so my muscles are kind of in shock today. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop, because for some reason I'm not sore yet. Although I find I don't get as sore when I'm doing yoga as opposed to other workouts. I think it's because I'm stretching so much at the same time that I'm flexing, but I don't really know. It's just a theory. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised by how flexible I still am, even though it's certainly less than I was before I had Maya. I'm definitely a lot weaker though, because I used to be able to push up into a back bend like the guy does in the video, and I can't right now.

#7: button

Since I'm lazy, I might count this one for tomorrow, too. (Number 8 is sun.)

#6: Dinner

This was shortly before Nathan spilled his milk on some money and property titles. The Jared-Rylie team won, with a little help from free parking. Otherwise, Nathan probably would have won, since he often seems to somehow!

As a bonus, here's a video of Maya doing that swaying-baby thing. She's teething lately, so her gums are sore, but she still laughs in a sad sort of way. Seriously, though, I really, really wish I'd gotten pictures or a video of shortly before this! She was just blinking at us over and over because she'd suddenly realized it made us laugh. She started crying when I left to get the camera though, and she didn't start doing it again when I came back. Oh well... babies.

Starting over

I'm going to just start over with the whole photo-a-day challenge. I mean, not completely, but I'm just gong to pick up where I left off, which is the 6th, dinner, and go from there. I'm not going to continue doing the photos later in the month, I'll just get to them when I get to them.

Okay? Okay.

Also, I've decided to do one of those 30 by 30 things... Have you guys ever seen those lists bloggers sometimes do of a certain number of goals by the time they turn a certain age? Like 25 by 25, or 50 by 50, that kind of thing. I have noticed that people seem to make these lists only a year or two before they turn that age, and I'm sort of falling into the same boat, but hopefully not all of the goals on my list are too difficult, and I know myself so I'm not going to cry or punish myself or anything if I don't accomplish all of these by the time I turn 30. I'll keep a running list (with links to explanations or the blog entry after I accomplish the goal) on the sidebar, but here is the list so far. I reserve the right to switch out goals as my whims dictate.

1. Run a half marathon.
2. Visit the pacific northwest area and go hiking and kayaking (would be awesome if this included Vancouver and environs!).
3. Hike the narrows in Zions National Park.
4. Finish writing a novel. Any novel!
5. Have another kid.
6. Finish decorating every room in our house.
7. Do all the kids' baby books.
8. Learn to use coupons.
9. Learn to do meal planning.
10. Learn to change a tire.
11. Learn to keep a cleaning schedule.
12. Do a pull up.
13. Do a handstand (this kind of ties into practicing yoga a lot more often).
14. Memorize a hymn on the piano.
15. Memorize a classical piece on the piano.
16. Memorize a fun song (possibly to sing to) on the piano.
17. Take (at least) Nathan on the Stewart Falls hike.
18. Go to the desert (preferably somewhere with an amazing view, far from civilization).
19. Prepare 72 hour kits for my family.
20. Go somewhere nice with Jared.
21. Swim a mile without stopping to rest.
22. Read Believing Christ
23. Teach Nathan and Rylie some piano and music theory basics.
24. Teach Nathan and Rylie some cooking and baking basics.
25. Go on a road trip.
26. Update my letters.
27. Eliminate my project to-do list (either by doing them or letting them go).
28. Learn to make two more vegetable-centric meals that I actually like.
29. Join or form a hiking group.
30. Re-learn to make a sundial compass, and teach my kids to do it.

Ugh.

Yeah, well, I was going to blog last night and then I decided to read instead. And then sleep. Because I get up at about 4 for about an hour every morning. Sometimes it's more than that, but usually it's just the one time.

Hokay, so! Here are the pictures.

10 am of the 16th: I was in the middle of teaching preschool (the topic was superheroes, something I actually know a little about... yay!) so I didn't think to take a picture. I took a picture afterward of Rylie and a stack of books I read to the kids. I didn't have any super heroine books, but I did have a couple of fairy tale books where the main character (a girl, although I may have told the kids that they were princesses to grab their attention... which sort of ends up being true... but anyway) is a compassionate, selfless individual and actively saving someone, so I read those. I also told the kids about a princess who was also a superhero, Wonder Woman, and they were amazed for about one minute. I showed them my mug, but that's all I had. These kids need visuals in a major way, so that didn't last very long.Something new: these are the pictures we had taken back in... November?? I think. I picked up the prints on Wednesday. Muy muy.
p.s. I know I'm supposed to have ones for "dinner" and "time" by this evening, but honestly, I've got nothing. Well, I have an old picture of some Thai coconut soup I made last month, but I really just need to come up with something original. And time... time? Time. No se about that one. I will post something tomorrow!

Last catch-up, the 15th

Okay, hopefully this is the last time I do this catching up thing. Famous last words.

4. A stranger. (He/She kept staring at me when I opened the kids' curtains yesterday morning... Freaked. Me. Out.)
15. Phone (Can you spy it? This picture is for the photo database we made for the kids' toys. If they're not in trouble, they're allowed to have 3 sets of or individual toys out at a time. The rest are on a shelf in their closet. If they want to trade, it's kind of hard to see what everything is just from looking at the containers in the closet. Thus, the photo database.) And seriously don't ask me why the picture is sideways, because I sure as heck fixed it before I loaded it. Ask blogger to explain the foolishness.

catching up, the 14th

More. This is for days 3 and 14. I have to admit, a couple of these pictures I'm using weren't taken on the day they were supposed to be, or even on the makeup day. Oh well. I'm already all wonky with the dates and whatnot, so you'll have to forgive me if I can't be bothered to do it right.

3: Hands (Ariel has hands... and they're in the air... Like she just don't care...)
14: Heart (more than one, in a self-portrait by Nathan)

...What?

I'm late already. Oh wells... Here are pictures for days 2 and 13, to make up for the 13th.

2: Words (from the kids' town rug)
13: Blue (Jared's and my bedroom, the walls and our blanket are different shades of blue. I want to change some aspects of this, but I must say I enjoy looking at a blank wall from time to time)

Since I'm horrible at blogging...

I'll do it in snippets. I'm going to start (rather late, of course, but aren't I always?) doing the photo a day thing that Shannon and Adrien are doing.

Here's the dealio:
Anyway, I actually took a picture inside my closet for another blog I have. Molto coincidente! To catch up, I'll supplement with back-tracking photos in order of prompt, but not necessarily taken on the day expected. I didn't always use my camera on those days, so there you go.

Therefore, I give you, without further ado, the inside of my closet:
This is basically all I've worn the last couple of weeks, not including a pair of jeans that are in the laundry basket right now. I'm trying to do that experiment where you track what you've actually used in your closet in a very visual way (my method is using this lower, removable bar that I got at Walmart to hang what I've worn recently). I don't know how well this is going to work at this point in my life, what with my fluctuating weight and everything, but it's interesting. Or boring. Take your pick.

And this is a picture for number one, my view today. This is not today. This is the day when we went to my grandparents to visit and get our taxes done.