Lost in the LEGOs

Don’t worry about what the others are doing, you must embrace what is special about you.”

— Vitruvius (LEGO Movie)

The other night my husband and I were talking about what the future will look like for our family when he retires from active duty. To be honest, I have been so focused on getting settled here in Virginia that I haven’t put much thought into it beyond “It will be so nice not to move anymore!”. He asked me what I thought I might like to do once our youngest is in school and I have time to myself. For the past seven years I’ve been a stay at home mom to our two boys and the idea of working outside the home again is pretty overwhelming to say the least. What would I like to do? The last real job I had was back in Texas teaching art classes at an art school that had just opened in Harker Heights. It was the perfect job for me at the time. I had just graduated from college with a degree in art and I loved working with kids. I was able to work there for two years while we were stationed at Ft. Hood. And then we moved to Boston and I had our first baby. I no longer had the free time to spend painting and doing art on my own. I dabbled in projects here and there over the years and let the boys paint and draw to their heart’s content. But what about my own? I never had any aspirations to become a professional artist, but I knew it was something I enjoyed doing and I took pleasure in creating things – even if I was the only one who ended up seeing the finished product. I currently have a triptych painting I started when we were living in New York. It’s been sitting in my closet unfinished for the past four years. Each time we have moved since leaving New York I have unwrapped it from the packing paper and wondered if I will ever finish it, or if it will sit in my closet as a reminder of things that once were. When I think about what I would like to do once both the boys are in school full time my mind drifts to thoughts of teaching art again. Or maybe trying my hand at refinishing old furniture. My parents are currently storing numerous pieces I found at a yard sale near their house in Tennessee. Our garage is a makeshift workshop with an antique buffet I started to refinish but have yet to complete because, well, life happens. When you have young children it’s easy to push things down on your priority list. Refinishing a buffet? Not nearly as important as a karate tournament. Or putting out the fifth imaginary fire of the day with your toddler, who is wearing his fire fighter costume. The buffet will still be there tomorrow, and maybe over the course of a few months by carving out a few hours here and there I can manage to refinish it and move it into the house. Who knows, maybe I can even find some time to finish my triptych. Someday I’ll have to make a decision on what I want to do, but for now I’ll enjoy the last couple of years of having a little one at home. As long as I don’t get lost in the LEGOs.