Making Time for ME!

When I was younger, I used to LOVE to paint and do crafts. As I got older, this passion morphed from creating things that I loved just for me to something that centered around the kids.

It started in college when I took on a position as a Children's Church director at a local church.  In addition to the projects for my education courses, I began spending my free time developing activities and doing bulletin boards at the church.  I enjoyed these projects, but they weren't really for me.

After college, I took a position as a fourth grade teacher so most of my craftiness went into creating things for my classroom and developing lesson plans.

Then, I had kids.  I will say that I enjoyed creating things for their nurseries and especially making their baby scrapbooks, but again, this all centered around my children.

Now that I do daycare in my home, my creative outlet is mostly in creating crafts and activities for the little ones.  Don't get me wrong, I love doing these things, but sometimes I crave the time to create something beautiful that has NOTHING to do with the kids :)  Something that screams "I'm an adult with interests beyond apples and bugs!".  It's the same way that I long to watch something that doesn't involve Captain America or Blue's Clues, and I savor every moment that I get to spend with a book that doesn't include Elephant and Piggie!

Does it sound like I'm complaining?!

 Well, kind of, I am.

Trust me, I love my children - I'm just looking for a little bit of "me" in there, too.

That's why I'm so excited about my niece's upcoming wedding.  She's asked me to create a painting for the reception and I. AM. THRILLED!  For the first time, I'm picking up my brushes to create something that doesn't have a cartoon character and there won't be a piece of construction paper or a googly eye ANYWHERE!!

I promise to share the results with you guys, as long as you promise to go easy on me.  It has been awhile :)