What an Introvert Does {and Some Curious George-Inspired Art}

What do you do when you're an introvert whose schedule recently has been filled to overflowing with extra social events (WONDERFUL events, by the way, with people you LOVE...but still...social events)?  

You collapse on the couch each night, just as soon as the kids are all in bed.  You open a book and escape to a far-away time and place (China, say, during the Mongol invasion).  You fall asleep, warmed by the cozy fire in the woodstove.  You wake up a while later with a mildly sore neck, walk upstairs, climb in bed, and fall asleep again.

Here's what you don't do.  You do NOT walk to the computer.  You do NOT write on your blog.  You do NOT even check Facebook or email.  You have not a drop of mental, social energy left for any of that!

At least, that's what's been happening to this introvert.

It's a funny thing though: I really have LOVED the moments spent in the company of others--a phone call from a friend whom I rarely (really, almost never) get to spend time talking with, a skating party with lots of other homeschool families (some of whom I knew, and some of whom I didn't), raking leaves for one neighbor with the help of some other neighbors, having a neighbor over for dinner impromptu, attending a retirement reception for my uncle, accompanying students in another violin recital, and so forth.  But when those things are over, I am beat.  Whipped.  Exhausted.  Completely worn out.  Weary to the bone.  In desperate need of some time alone to recharge.

Sometimes I wish I wasn't such an introvert.

*sigh*

Well, anyway, I am, so there's no use fretting about it!  :)  

Meanwhile, life moves along, and these little people I'm blessed to call my own continue to grow and change and develop and (most of the time) delight me and (occasionally) frustrate me.  Here's one of the delightful things...

Tobin is at the stage of loving to grab some paper and pencils/crayons/markers/what-have-you and draw random pictures.  One day not too long ago, he was looking through a Curious George book (the one in which Curious George learns all the letters of the alphabet), and he saw this picture.

And then he must have thought, "Aha! I can do that!" because then he drew this picture.

The detail on the head and neck makes me smile.  Actually, it makes me feel kind of sick; it's one of those weird visual texture issues I have that makes me realize I'm not exactly normal.  But if it didn't bother me so much, it would make me smile.  :)

Well, then Tobin decided to draw a camel.  And then, after he signed his name, he wanted to know how to spell "for you" and "camel" and "grass" and, in very small letters, "tree."

Another of his recent drawings has adorned our refrigerator.

I especially liked the way he drew the two birds on the branch; to me, it looks like the male bird on the left is pursuing the female bird on the right who is playing hard to get.  'Course, I wouldn't know nuthin' 'bout that.  ;-)

I also like the tree he squished in at the top of the paper...

...and the way he, after running out of room on the bottom paper, taped another piece of paper to it to make the tree taller.

I'm so grateful to have a bright, cheery drawing on my frig...and even more grateful to have a bright, cheery little boy who drew it.  :)