Open houses, plumbing attempts, basement art, pottery=because I am trying to do it all

There was a time when the kids were small, when I felt like I would die, simply die, if I didn't get to leave the house.  Now, I long for days when I can get them on the bus (or even get up on the weekend) and not have to go anywhere.  

Being a SAHM, with a freelance writing gig and a 1-day-a-week teaching gig, with all 3 children in school full-time, is absolutely exhausting.  I appear to think, "Hey, I don't work full time, so I can clean my house AND work part-time AND volunteer a butt-load AND run errands AND still make time for me."  

I'm on my learning curve.

Here is what I've been up to.

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The kids' open houses report:

N takes after me by referring to herself as "Awesome."  

G's contribution to a class poem.  

Same kid who said he was from "Mordor" when we played "Around the World" in piano class.  

M likes froyo. 

The STUPID powder room:

My two sons pulled the ring towel bar out of the wall twice, necessitating its removal and repair of the drywall.  I didn't have enough of the dark brown paint to recover the walls entirely, so I used the leftover yellow/tan paint from the basement and fauxed with brown, blue and a bit of lavendar.  

With it being so much lighter in there, I decided to repaint the light fixture bronze as well as the frame on the painting behind the toilet.  

And I bought new bronze towel holder and TP holder.  

AND got a new faucet.  

I was able to remove the old faucet and get the new one in, 

but I couldn't get the water lines run.  

Is there nothing standard?  

Well, crap.  

Local plumber to finish the job.

I was pretty proud I was even able to get the old one out at all. 

Home Decor:

I am trying to take advantage of having time to browse.  

I haven't browsed in stores for furnishings/decor in over a decade.  

Just as over 10 years ago, I am still very cheap.

I got this for $7.  

I don't love the colors, and I'm not 100% behind "loving with all you've got" simply because it doesn't sound like something I would do:  Carrie loves with all she's got.

Doesn't work.

But the other things in the plaque I can get behind.

And it was $7.

I bought some frames at a consignment shop and am going to do some art down the stairwell.  

I had these little boxes, but I don't want tchotchkes in them, so I wrapped fat quarter fabric on cardboard and glued them to the backs.  

I'm going to start working on a textile art thing on an old canvas. 

 I'm sure it will start out fun and quickly become torturous. 

Pottery class:

I'm taking a 6-week pottery class with a friend.  

Today I made 4 cups/bowls/thingies and meant to take a picture but forgot.  Only one looked like it was deformed, so I was pretty happy with my first go at ever sitting at a pottery wheel. 

  My parents and MIL gave me birthday money, and I decided to use it for this class.  

I hate clothes, and don't want to spend my money on crap for the house.  

Taking a class is just for me.