Flying Girl and the Daily Bread, or Mott and Prince Streets

Flying Girl and the Daily Bread, or Mott and Prince Streets
Golden Fluid Acrylic, Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens

Hello Flying Girl. I see you are going about your errands today. That looks like a tasty loaf of bread and is that a latte I see you drinking? I love your jaunty beret and scarf. That is a darling dress you are wearing, with it's cozy wool knit and black buttons. I especially like the pleated cuffs and hem. And I must admit, dear Flying Girl, I miss wearing heels. Not even heeled boots, as you wear, are very functional when you are chasing toddlers and stopping tantrums and climbing stairs carrying squirming children. Neither are dashing red hoops that little children would like to yank. And never mind the fact that I am in a place without an autumn and your outfit would make me sweat like mid summer.

How is your day of errands going? I know that place where you fly. I used to live around the corner. The brick wall of the old church garden really does slope like that. And those trees in the church yard really do turn that fantastically brilliant shade of yellow/orange. Perhaps my nostalgia will fly away with you as you continue on in your errands. Are you going to the bookstore to read magazines? Perhaps you're going to sit in a cafe in Greenwich Village, stare out the window at passersby and write in your journal. Maybe you're going to meet friends for brunch, and you're bringing the bread and cheese and fruit.

Fly off, Flying Girl. I know you are busy I am too.
Doodle, The Big Draw #12
Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens

This is a doodle I made while I was waiting for FG's paint to dry. There are many layers, especially in the trees... in part because she was supposed to be riding a bicycle, which, I realize, I don't know how to draw. I tried, using a reference even, but she did not come out right at all, and rather than struggling all night, since I do need to sleep, I decided to scrap the bike and keep her flying, as usual. The idea is there anyway. And I could focus on her style. Style is very important in Fall. You finally get to put away the flip flops and tank tops and take out the sweaters and jackets, boots and scarves. A little bit of my fashion dreaming, this is. And A little bit of my memory dreaming. Wishing, perhaps, that this was what my errands looked like now.

My daily schedule is more like this.

Wake up when the boy comes into my room.
Try to get him to leave me alone and play or read for a little while so I can wake up without blurry eyes and tripping over my own two feet with a head full of sleep dust.
Go get Ivy out of her crib and try to get them both to stay in the room while I go to the bathroom to dress and freshen up.
Take everyone downstairs for coffee or milk, cheerios and fruit.
Eat breakfast while the kids watch PBS (they love Sid the Science Kid) and I check my email and google reader.
Play with kids, watch Sesame Street, make their lunch.
Maybe a picnic, maybe an activity before or after lunch or during. Maybe in the garden, maybe in the family room.
Put kids to nap.
Shower (maybe)
Make myself lunch and eat while checking googlereader and/or blog comments.
Take yesterday's paintings out to the porch to photograph
Upload photos while picking up toys from the family room.
Upload photos to blog while sweeping and/or cleaning kitchen
Write blog entry, praying kids stay asleep until I finish.
When kids get up, play or activity or draw or garden or whatever.
Make dinner (usually while they are either in the garden or watching pbs/movie.
Have dinner.
Play in garden or family room while drinking bedtime milk and maybe a cookie.
Bath, book bedtime routine at which point it's about 7:45 and I
Go back downstairs to clean up whatever mess has been made.
Have a heath klondike bar, feeling like I need it like a shot of whiskey or something.
Check email, blogreader, comments while watching tv.
Sketch out FG while watching tv.
Set up on the couch with my bag of artsupplies
(This is them right here. Paints in the beach bag, sketch book, markers in a makeup bag. Pencils in their tin. Brushes in a placemat holder.)
Paint FG while watching primetime tv and maybe into the syndicated sitcoms.
Decompress for a few minutes to many minutes.
Clean up paints, brushes. Put everything back in the bag.
Turn off lights and close the door so the opinionated cat doesn't do any leavings of "opinions" on the couch throw.
Head up stairs, get ready for bed.
Check on kids, put boy back in bed since he likes to sleep on the floor.
Go to bed.
Read a few pages/chapters in whatever book I'm reading.
Turn off light.
Punch pillows to get comfortable, pull blankets up.
Fall asleep until it starts all over again.

Anyone want to know how I am productive as I am? This is how. Too much tv, too much coffee, multitasking, a pretty set schedule, and not much socializing. The days are occasionally interrupted by other things, but this is, by and large, my day. Now that I think about it, I need to find a place in that day to fit in writing. It really needs to be there for me, but Nanowrimo is coming, and it won't happen unless I build it in to my schedule.

Do you have a routine that helps you be creative?