Maui, Days 12-13

Yesterday was pretty bla. I was underslept and headachey, not feeling very inspired to write or draw, and missing Mike so much that my tummy hurt. I pretty much just spent the day trying to steal naps when Penny did or else watched her sleep when I couldn't, trying to pick out her features that most resemble Mike's.

Look how long she's getting!




Mom and Penny seem to be getting along swimmingly.




This morning I did some more sketching at the beach and gabbed on the phone. So and so got in a car accident, so and so finally got laid, etc....Life in Eugene trucks along with or without us. What a treat it was when yesterday I got to hear from a dear old artist buddy from my SB days. So good to still feel close and connected to those once thought long lost. Joey, I'm still counting on that mixed tape!

Today I packed, tomorrow we travel. This trip has been more rejuvinating and creatively prolific than I ever would have dreamed. Picked up some good habits (mostly a better diet and the drive n' sketch), lost a lot of the bad. Ready to jump back into "real" life and rainy Oregon all over again with a fresh perspective. Home again, home again jiggety jig.

Here are the new roughs. Feeling a little indifferent about these ones for some reason.

Maui, Day 11

Today's been pretty mellow, mostly consumed with making phone calls to family and friends. I wouldn't be writing a blog today at all except that I'm feeling the pressure of there being a Day 1-10 and no Day 11 - which is a lame reason to write.

Here are the only noteworthy things to mention about today:

#1. Penny signed snow, girl, and boy.

#2. She also took a major face plant before bed which left her bleeding from her front teeth - nothing seems to be shaken loose except my cool.

#3. Teething tablets are half as expensive here - can you beat that?

....and, I wasn't going to mention #4. for fear of sounding petty but I have to come clean and let those of you know whom I told I thought I lost 10 pounds in my stay here, it turns out it was a faulty scale but I am still pleased about losing five. It turns out that living in a household without cheese could be a good thing for me.

Maui, Day 10

This morning Penny woke up and immediately began systematically spewing her entire vocabulary of spoken and signed words, and I was surprised at how much she knows now. I don't know signs for half of the new stuff she wants to say so it's getting hard to keep up with her. So far she either says and/or signs and uses the following correctly:

hi • bye • cat • bird • dog • baby • hat • hair • eyes • mouth • teeth • nose • toothbrush • brush • horse • cow (and moooo) • this? • that? • bottle • boob • milk • drink • water • ocean • swim • flower • bath • surprise! • happy • silly • up • mom • dad • peek-a-boo • shoes • no • yes • hug • kiss • bear • ball • butt • potty• butterfly • diaper change • wind• go • car • uh-oh • wow • whoa • yuck! • Thank You (she just signed this over lunch today!)

She also called me a "Boob-bot" today which I would consider to be fairly accurate.

Mike, you would be impressed with how well she's doing with standing. Here's a video from this morning.


Another success with the drive n' sketch today - hoping this little ritual works as effectively on the mainland! - and got to have a nice long chat with Mike on the phone. This perhaps steered the direction of my sketching.