January 5, 2010

New Year's Resolution

I just have one: I want to be better about keeping my laptop turned off and packed away when my kids are home.

If it's work, that's one thing, but I want to limit personal computer usage to times when kids are out of the house or sleeping. Like on weekends. I don't want their foremost mommy memory to be me hunched over a black box. I've made good progress on this during 2009 and in 2010 I plan to make even more until I'm like a real mom.

Other worthy goals like excercise, eating more cake, etc., can wait. I mean, I excercise anyway, sometimes, so why add pressure? And it's not like I need more commitment to cake.

I have vacation until Thursday and it's been nice having so many days off in a row at home. I've baked cookies with my girls, done a bit of sewing and spring cleaning and we've caught up with several of our good friends like Claudi, who designs technical outdoor wear and has an office full of buttersoft fleece samples. I could spend all day in there.

I've also been working on the illustrations for a children's book I'm writing. Probably not for publication but some day we may self publish and then I'll do a giveaway or something like that. The stories are dreamed up by Ralf at bedtime and written down by me. Here is an example.

And here is one of my illustrations. As you can see I'm not an illustrator but I've been inspecting lots of kids books and they don't seem to be that picky about artistic talent.

OK, everyone looks kind of flat and, er, broad-shouldered but it's my first drawing in about a decade. I'm bound to improve. Right?

19 comments:

  1. I think your drawing is delightful!

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  2. Limiting personal computer use is a really worthy resolution! We could all probably stand to lose a few hours in front of our computers. Thanks HPH!

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  3. I think that's a great resolution. I could do better in that regard myself.

    Loving your commitment to cake! I am with you there.

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  4. You know, I need to make that same resolution. I have good intentions but am so easily distracted by all things Internet!

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  5. Color me impressed! I love your illustration; it has such a familiar feeling to it.
    And that story of Ralf's? Wow.
    You guys rock. And I'm very excited about your childrens book prospect. I had dreams of my own about that way back when. Maybe again someday.

    I think that's pretty cool, yes I do.

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  6. Is your husband happy he's wearing a dress?

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  7. I like your drawing and the story is a winner.

    As for the cake, a girl's gotta have fun.

    Keep up the exercise and the yoga, of course!

    Good Luck with the computer time. I think it's an excellent idea.

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  8. Your drawing is so cute and perfect for any children's book. I think that's great about making sure you are present for the kids and not reading blogs :) I need to do that too.

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  9. That just sounds like such a fun project to be working on! I think your drawings would be very appealing to children! (I mean that in a good way.)

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  10. Oh I think it is really cute! Yeah for you for actually writing the stories down~! I have already forgotten so many that I used to tell my 5 year old-what a gift to your family!

    I got a new phone & plan & now I get my emails on there & ut actually cuts WAY down on my computer time because then I just check my messages instead of jumping on the comp & getting sucked into my friend's blog so much :)

    i gotta run but Happy New Year!

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  11. Oh wow. I felt like I were just sucker punched when I read "I don't want their foremost mommy memory to be me hunched over a black box." You are so right. Thank you for the lucid moment!! Happy New Year!! On that note, gotta run to put the kids to bed. :-)

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  12. Wonderful resolution! The stories and illustrations will be a lifelong memory for your children. Good job!

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  13. What a wonderful idea to write a childrens book! As for the cake, I am in full agreement!

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  14. Hey, it's a good picture. The story is set in the '80s, and everyone wore shoulder pads back then.

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  15. hp
    i have committed also to keep computer off when i am with our children. technology is robbing me of more meaningful relationships.

    my other resolution which i am so proud of....project 365. i think we should all be doing this. what a gift to our children.

    http://ijonc2009photoproject365.blogspot.com/

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  16. Wow you're capturing their whole life. How wonderful!

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  17. Oh I love this idea! So creative!
    Thanks for stopping by my blog, I'm your newest follower.

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  18. I would really love to only be on the computer when the kids aren't here. But that is just impossible since they keep having snow days at school.

    I think your book will be adorable.

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  19. adorable...that's probably what i could manage...there are sites online with drawing tutorials...and it actually doesn't seem too hard. but i know it tends to be a slow process when you have kids and other things to do...it's still great to be creative.

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