The Painting Contest

Well, it's finally here - the dreaded deadline for the boy-o's painting contest. He had 3 months to come up with a diarama scene utilizing miniatures. He waited until the last minute (as usual) and ended up doing something completely different from what he had originally planned (and bought all the minis for) in the first place. Through many tears, panic attacks and much knashing of teeth, this is what he is submitting tonight...



I won't even begin to tell you all how many minis he bought or traded for, started painting, only to declare when they were half-finished..."I can't paint this - I don't know what to do!" If I had a dollar for every time I heard that this summer, I would be on a vacation somewhere with bottomless margaritas and muscular, half-naked men catering to my every whim...but I digress...

For the last week he has been such a crabby pants kid about this contest. Things have been tense between us. But THANK GOD it's over and he has something to turn in now. Life can get back to as normal as it gets around our place. Yeah, right.

Tonight he gets to clean up the mess he has left all over the apartment because of this damn contest. But first, he will give some much needed TLC to his hamster and his fish. I will sit on the couch and knit some more on this (told you it still looked the same as last week)...



...while I listen to more whining, knashing of teeth, and all out kvetching while he takes all night to do his cleaning up and animal TLC. For torturing me for the last few weeks with this damn contest, he gets to do it all himself.

Last night at about 10pm, I couldn't take any more of him and the damn project and decided to start on presents. I can't post any details or the person (if they ever managed to read this) would know immediately what it was and that it was for them. All I can tell you is that it is a project from Stitch n Bitch Nation. There are lots of projects in the book that I will be making for Xmas presents this year as well. I made a list of everyone who is going to get something knit. It's a long one. I'm going to have to keep the gifts uber simple and prioritize if anyone is going to get anything on time. Ugh.

Speaking of...the boy-o and I have made a deal...next time he has a project and/or contest with a definite deadline, we will sit down and schedule it out. We will make a list of things needed for the project and a budget. He WILL NOT DEVIATE from the budget or the schedule PERIOD. I WILL NOT go through what I just went through with him and this painting contest. He will learn how to manage his projects be they for school or anything else if it kills me. Or I kill him. Whichever comes first - just kidding Grandma!

AND most importantly, since he's learned/inherited all this procrastinating/artist block shit from me, I will also schedule and budget out my current and future projects. This chaos has got to get a bit more in control if I intend to survive the boy-o's teen years with my sanity intact. Time to finish what we begin and etc etc etc.

I am exhausted. I am stressed. I am back at work. For more stress. Calgon take me away - PLEASE!

I need to knit...NOW...