Baby boy, pride and joy

This was one of my long days at school -- exciting from the point of view
of teaching -- I have wonderful students this semester -- but tiring in
the way that only teaching is. Still there is a great feeling of moving
forward, watching ideas and skill take shape.

This is one of the little drawings I did
before I began this painting
It's purple Sharpie on white sketchbook bond

Now I am going to go and paint. I found the prep drawing I
was looking for of the woman with the baby. I call the painting
Aaron's First Party. The woman holding Aaron, is not his mother.
It's a friend from the neighbourhood, who like me, is the mother of two boys.

When I started tonight this is where
it was at

As a mother of boys, I always feel a tenderness for baby boys, and boy
children. I love girls too, but having raised boys, it's like I switched
camps, and almost feel I understand boy children better than girls.
Little girls are a delight and a mystery to me, but boys are my home
territory. So part of what I am trying to capture in this painting, is
the nostalgia my neighbour seemed to feel holding baby Aaron.
Her own "babies" like mine, were well into teenage life when the
party happened. Baby Aaron is now four, as he proudly told me the
other day, and still absolutely beautiful.

I refined both faces,
although the baby still looks too old.
I began to think about the background.
That's all for tonight, I'm tired.
The painting is acrylic on canvas
12" x 12"

Have a loving-the-children-in-your-life day.