I’m standing in the kitchen up to my elbows in soapy water, washing the bowl we used to mix up my daughters green birthday cheesecake. Her request since her birthday is on St. Patricks day and she loves cheesecake. Jack Johnson music is playing away in the background. I pause to take a sip of my now cold coffee and glance over at my kids playing quietly with cars in the livingroom. I watch them for a moment relieved that they are not fighting! Ellie is wearing her birthday crown, with a big 6 on the front, that she got at school on Friday when they celebrated her birthday.
As I watch them, my mind drifts to this day six years ago…
I was standing in this very kitchen but I looked like I had swallowed a watermelon. My baby girl was 3 days overdue and I was desperate to know when she would finally arrive. I remember that earlier in the afternoon I had gulped down a tablespoon of tabasco is attempt to speed things along with some spice. (not recommended-YUCK!).
I was watching my husband cook dinner. Spicy buffalo chicken quesadillas- another spicy attempt to hurry this baby along. The smell of buffalo wing sauce filled the room and I could not wait to eat! But then I felt something go….
and I never got to eat those buffalo chicken quesadillas!
But the next day I did get to meet my beautiful baby girl. Every year on my kids birthdays I always find myself reflecting back to when they were born a distant far away time for them but to me seems like yesterday. I am always amazed by how quickly they grow.
So in honor of her 6th birthday, which we celebrated in style yesterday with the green cheesecake, I am sharing the oil painting I did of her recently. I love painting my kids. This one is done from a photo I took of her when we were on vacation a couple summers ago. She came out of our cabin the the morning and sat down on the steps in her white pillowcase nightgown. I love this photo and the memories that is carries with it.
For this painting I started with a black background and drew in a white outline. And although I love painting my kids, portraits are hard! I worked over her face many times in attempt to capture the essence of that moment in the photo. Of course I am always critiquing my work but I am pretty happy with the way it came out.
What do you think?
