Anabelle and Daddy Ad-veeeeen-tures! Yeah! *Jazz Hands* Day 15 –August 2

Creepy Trees are Made of These

Being barely awake from another night of rain listening put me in the perfect state to try to cram a week’s worth of work into two days.

Anabelle had another fun day at Kristen’s.  Her mom called in for pizza delivery for their lunch, specifying a pie, and two orders of garlic knots.  The tiny tin foil accompanying the pizza box confused the girls at first, until they realized there was a miscommunication at one of the key points and the delivery person brought them “Two Garlic Knots.”

I picked her up on the way home, where we both scarfed down a quick snack.  Then it was on to Uptown Art for some quality together painting time.

The “Spooky Moonlit Tree” was a perfect selection for both of our sensibilities.

The few times I’ve been there, I’ve felt a little overwhelmed that they go too fast. This time it started to hit me that the speed is designed to prevent over thinking. Going back to “adjust” something is where I normally have my biggest disasters.

Although this time, I stared at a cloud that looked like it was behind the moon that bugged me for most of the evening. Right before we left, I smudged it just right to make it look like it was in front.  I can be taught.

I’ve also learned I need to mix up twice as much paint as I think I need, even (he said in Hofstadterian fashion) if I take that into account.

Anabelle went the full Tim Burton with her picture, incorporating Nightmare Before Christmas like swirls, and only highlighting certain branches to make it look like the tree was stealing the moon’s light.

I had some other ideas when I realized with a little brush wiggling, the black falling leaves could be made to appear more bat like.  I consider it one of my life’s greatest moments of restraint that I put a tiny bat in front of the moon instead of my original instinct:

Turning the moon in to a giant, full on Bat Signal.

With our art…arted, I brought her to Grandma’s for the night, and to show off our paintings.

She collapsed almost immediately, while I went home to do more exercising and cleaning.

Yup, it was yet another in a seemingly never ending series of nights where I should have gone to sleep far earlier than I did. 

Rosa being away had nothing to do with that…  I’m not a “sleep when I’m dead” type though. It’s much more of an “I’ll sleep when I’ve pushed myself too far, get sick and am unable to move for a week.” 

Whatever works, right?


Click to continue





Click here for the index.