I am so glad to be home.  It seems I have this yawning gap of 10 days that I am going to be home coming up.  Wow – that's pretty neat!

I wanted to share a fun 'twinkie story' with you.  The twins were absolutely enthralled with something they found outside in the garden.  They were showing me these weird cylindrical 'rocks' that looked like they had embedded gems inside them.  Cameron insisted there was a ruby, and he was going to get it out.  Courtney said she saw copper inside.  Courtney was certain they would sell for a lot of money and she could buy a car.  Cameron questioned why she would want a car so soon.  Courtney said that I could drive it for now.  I suggested that finding cool things and having an imagination about those things was worth a lot in and of itself (yes, I'm such a dork).  But I wanted them to remember that even if things haven't got material worth to others – they can still be treasures.  I was channeling my inner 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' – remember the precious treasures the children wanted to give Caractacus (sp) so that he could buy the car?

I suggested that they bring the treasures to their science / math specials teacher for a look-see.  And left them chattering away as they went to the bus and off to school.  Of course I called their teacher so she would know what was headed her way, so she could nuture my two explorers.  Good teachers are precious and priceless.

Later that morning, when I caught up with Neil on the phone, I found out what the treasures actually are.  Apparently the men that put in our marble countertops in the bathrooms had drilled out the core pieces for putting in the faucets and just dumped it in the side garden by the hose when they were cleaning up.  So they are marble cores.  Still, I'm wondering what the math / science teacher will come up with?  LOL!

So here I am surrounded by this cute, chatterbox creativity.  And I realized that I've been on a real creating streak lately.  It used to be, I'd have to go away to make things, whether it was a day, weekend, afternoon – but it was always away from home.  And I just realized that I think I've finally made a creative space here that is just as inviting as being away.  Truly, creative endeavors are just about as far away and relaxing as one can get IMHO. 

So I put away the dishes, cycled through the laundry and then set about airbrushing and assembling this:

Which is a waterfall acrylic album full of Copic altering and airbrushing techniques, featuring Prima's Flirty Little Secret collection and lots of altered and colored surface materials.

Fun.  Hoping to tell you where I'll be teaching it soon.

Ok, back to the laundry.  I guess I could sort creatively for a few minutes.  It always turns into Mt. Washmore while I'm away for the weekend.  And go check on my three short people tucked away upstairs. 

Being away from them for just a few days always brings me fresh eyes when enjoying my children. 

• Brianna had a 'love-o-meter' chart in the journal she handed me today.  She handed it to me, open to a page which explained that she is upset that a boy who she has been friends with all year has suddenly been mean to her for the past few days.  Precious that she would share that with me.  I know it will change – but I'd like to freeze 10 in place for a while. 
• Cameron is still a slooooooooooooooow eater, but has this goofy grin and a little tuft of hair at the top of his head that is unruly, but he likes it.  He also likes to go everywhere, including parking lots, with just his socks on and no shoes.  Man those are dirty socks.
• Nobody says, 'Thank You', quite like Courtney; who was very practical in the things she would buy if she had $700 a day (another imaginative discussion); and that 10,000 Webkins would fill her room and she would have to be rescued. 

And then they all had an argument about who loved me more once the 'I love you more than any number'; 'I love you more than anyone at this table said they love you' at dinnertime tonight.

Home.  Heavenly.