Save our Sanity!

I'm joining in LMLD's {pretty, happy, funny, real} for the first time, today, because it's something I've wanted to do for a long time, though I don't use my camera enough.  Someone(s) has been using it quite a bit in the past week or two, so I though I would post some of their pictures.

{pretty}

I'm not artistic when it comes to serving meals.  Though I like to cook and serve good food, it doesn't always look very pretty.  Probably because of that, a couple of my kids get their kicks out of photographing their artistry!  This is my Pippo's sandwich from the other day.  Pretty sandwich AND pretty photograph!

{happy}

Meg and her good friend from down the street.  They were having a good time photographing themselves doing glamorous poses.  Of course, the best picture is where they're just happy and laughing, not glamorous!

{funny}

Poor Gus, all dressed up in the Build-a-bear clothes.  He didn't like it much, but was very patient for a while.  Then he started trying to chew them off.

{real}

The dog has a crate with a nice, comfy mattress in it, and a doggie bed that's also very cozy.  But, naturally, he chooses to sleep á la Princess and the Pea in the basket full of blankets that we use on cold mornings.

Also in the category of "real" is my sanity, or lack thereof.  We can't photograph that unless someone wants to waste a shot on my grumpy face with lots of frown lines.  Too much going on outside of home and family.  I try to keep my commitments manageable, but I signed the kids up for our homeschool co-op this fall, and that always takes a lot of time.  Not only that, but it's Drama this semester and I'm in charge of all the costumes for A Christmas Carol.

In isolation, it's kind of a fun job (which is why I signed up) and I usually enjoy the creative aspect of it.  I also signed up to help with the All Saints Party on Nov. 1, and I'm in charge of the games there.

So, if you think about that for a moment, here's the rundown:

~housekeeping

~cooking

~American Heritage Girls activities

~picking up Tom from school in the afternoons

~Boy Scouts

~piano lessons

(all that's pretty normal and do-able, and now I'm in the midst of:)

~planning/designing Victorian costumes for 30 kids

~Halloween costumes

~All Saints Costumes, which I had forgotten about

~Organizing 10 games for the All Saints party

{crazy!}

~~~

I took a day off, yesterday, from schoolwork.  Meg, Pip, and I spent the day taking the dog to the vet, and going to quite a few stores to buy necessary items for the play, Halloween, and All Saints (party and costumes).  We were all over town, but we had fun together, and got quite a bit accomplished.  I feel better about life today, but it seems we're still going to take it a little easy since Meg has a fever and Pippo doesn't feel well.  

People think I have a lot of time to knit, but I don't.  It's a sanity-saving measure.  Those few minutes here and there, or during a tedious activity, give me a feeling of accomplishment and allow me to use my creative energies instead of letting lie dormant as I did for so many years.

{Have a beautiful day!  Take time to smell the roses and save your sanity!}