C and I have been fortunate to have 2 baby showers for our littlest addition.

As we've been busy preparing for her arrival, cleaning and laundry have taken over. I still have weekly Dr's appointments, and try to keep the walking/exercise habit up. Then there's making dinner, and winding down to start all over again.

Needless to say, drawing has been pushed to the back burner, but at the second shower I was given a little kick in the pants.

One of the hostesses has my 2009 calendar up in her beach house, and told me how many complements she gets on it. After gushing and blushing and thanking her for making my day, I said, "Yeah, I don't think there will be a calendar this year."

She and a few others agreed there probably wouldn't be one for several years.

Several years??! Ack!! I mean, I understand kids are a distraction and all, but I also hope to think creativity and child-rearing go hand in hand, don't they?

That was the kicker--start making excuses now and they'll be even easier to make in the future, or continue pushing through, keeping the creative exercises alive, even if it means just for an hour or so a day.

How about you? Do you have kids and challenge yourself to stay on top of other passions? No kids but a life full of distractions? How do you quiet the excuses and keep nurturing all of your interests and priorities?