Status report

Current status report:
Saturday 2:30 am 2 Poppets done.
1 calendar to go.
Groceries for herbs and bread on Sunday am.
Must Find ciappino recipe.
Dad still here.
1 load of laundry left.
In-laws come tomorrow.
House destroyed!
Kids psychotic with excitement.
No more shopping needed.
Need to wrap.
Me so tired.

Are You Ready to Rock in the Deathly Hallows?

I'm so ready to Rock, but not so ready for Christmas. I've been a little on the freaking out side. On the verge of a breakdown. You know, one of those where everyman you come across asks you if you are PMSing, and you just want to stab them in the eyeball. Yes, one of those. But I''m over it, and Mike can still see fine out of both eyes. My new boss bore the worst of it when I broke down in tears at the end of a meeting. Poor soul, he had no idea it was coming, and WHAM, it hit him. Psycho girl, sitting in conference room, crying.

You know what happened, like every man, he tried to brainstorm solutions. Like every woman, I shot them down. Then an hour after I returned to a desk, mind you I'm in the office and have no official desk, I realized it was all hormonal. LOL! Yes, psycho is a total understatement. The season doesn't help. Too many commitments, too many visitors, too many presents! The one thing I have been able to do, is take the visiting time, and enjoy it BIG time. Even if during the in between time you can see my head spinning a la Linda Blair.

The kids are amazing. I love seeing their excitement grow daily with the anticipation of Santa visiting their home. They are so psyched to be out of school and just went hog wild today. These kids are amazing, and I just can't get enough of them. I'm so glad I took next week off!

And did you hear????? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be the title of Book 7 of the Harry Potter series. I'm so excited! I think that snapped me back in to reality. WOO HOO! A title means, the book is soon after. Now I don't recall if the next movie or the next book is being released in July, but just knowing more Harry is on the way just thrills me to pieces. I'm such a geek.

Anyway, I'm sure I won't be on again before the big day, so Merry Christmas. I hope you all enjoy a glorious day with family and friends. Remember the reason for the season, and reflect on whatever that means for you. I will.

Overwhelmed, yet?

Anyone else feeling the stress of the holidays? AAAAHHH!! I'm totally losing it. Lucky for me, I have 5 year olds, who believe it or not are keeping me grounded. If it wasn't for them, the Christmas Spirit would have never found me this year.

The boys are so fun to watch. They so believe in the MAGIC of Christmas. I love to see the joy and excitement in their eyes when anything Christmas related is going on. This age is amazing, and I just can't get enough of them.

I have had quite enough, however, of Christmas preparations. And I have not done very much, let me tell you. Work is busy, because I plan on taking the last week of December off. So, I work twice as hard to make that happen. Shopping is hard because I have boys from 11am on, and most stores don't even open until 10. Being in the boonies, it takes me 1/2 an hour from any store to get to the boys school. So basically, that is 30 minutes of shopping. I can't even get through a line that fast. So, if I can't get it at Raley's, I'm just not getting it.

Lucky for me, pretty much most of my shopping is done. I will need to hit Target one more time, and Hollister in San Jose and I'm all finished. Still waiting with chewed on nails, for some online deliveries to be received. That's always a crap shoot. So far, they have all been shipped and in transit. So far, that is, except for 2. The 2 most time sensitive ones. Don't think about it... don't think about it.... don't think about it.

My biggest stress, however, is completing projects. I had the clever idea of spending a few hundred dollars on supplies to make many home made gifts this year. LOL What the hell was I thinking????? Somebody shoot me. I have made, let me count..... Uhhhhhh, and there was, oh and don't forget that, let me carry the one, and...... yeah, a big ONE, uno, 1!!! And that was only because it was for my mom and her husband and we celebrated our Christmas already. UGH!!! I still have 2 calendars and several poppets to make. Oh, and a mini-book. Uh, and a another mini-book. Um, and an altered frame with the kids' help. Wait make that 2. Did I forget anything? Oh, yeah, more poppets!!!! So, if anyone knows of a hired glue stick with excellent trimming abilities, please send them my way. Make sure the tetanus shots are current because with all the holiday chaos, my house is definately suffering.

So, there are 2 full weekends before Christmas, right? Well, dumb me let Mike be the social planner this year. So last Friday was a company Christmas Party. Sat morning to early evening it was a family party in Twain Hart. Wonderful! Then straight from there to a birthday party in the neighborhood. Basically, I was out of the house from 9am to 10:30 pm. Sunday? Well, that was Christmas celebration day with dear Mumsey. This weekend we will leave early for San Jose to make the rounds to visit the famiglia. Yup Friday in to Saturday. But wait, we need to be home in time for a dinner party at a friends in Lodi. Yup, and don't drink too much because all of Sunday will be sent in Grizzly Flats freezing in the snow to visit the Fiedlers. Honestly, I'm looking forward to that one the most. shhhh. Next week I work all week, and Dad will be coming on the 20th to the 23rd. Did I mention I work in the kids class on Monday and for their holiday party on Tuesday. I'm in the office all day Wednesday for my dept Christmas party, and staff meeting. Wait, the boys have Thursday and Friday off??? Oh, goody, just in time to spend the night Saturday to Sunday in San Francisco with other friends, and to buy the crab for Christmas eve dinner that I am preparing!! Next year, I'm hanging with the Kranks and going on a Cruise. Either that, or take away all planning priveledges from my dear husband.

So, if anyone is all ready for Christmas, either come be my personal assistant, or just come on over to watch the freak show. Becareful of the dust bunnies, though, they sometimes bite.

Happy belated Turkey Day!

Well, what did you all do for turkey day, besides eat too much? This is what we did. We ate too much. Oh wait, besides that. Well, we went to Lake Tahoe, ate too much, watched tv, ate too much, played in the tiny bit of snow we had, ate too much, gambled, ate too much, and uhhhh we ate too much. So much I gained 3 pounds over the long weekend. LOL It was a great time, being surrounded by family. So much to be thankful for this year. I'd bore you with the list, but I'll spare you. It's the same as everyones, and just as heart felt and meaningful.

Someone I am very thankful for in my life, isn't really a person, although he is a part of our family. Dear Jake. He's getting up in his years and having trouble walking. I'm so thankful to work at home. Without that, I'm sure he'd be in so much pain with the cold weather. He falls down about everytime we walks, but he's still puppy brains. He can run, if you want to give him some food or a treat. He'll run to get in the door everytime it opens. But, he'll also fall every time. I love having him at my feet all day as I work. He's a good old man, and a great friend. We're so blessed to have had him as long as we have, and hopefully next Thanksgiving I will be thankful that he is still with us.

And now that Thanksgiving is over, you know who the next visitor is, right? Yes, Santa Claus is coming to town.

The boys love this big old Santa. If you look close, you can see we still have Halloween bat clings in the windows. Yes, we like to blend all our happy holidays together, and have when big party, all year long. I love the season, but am not quite feeling like Christmas is around the corner yet. I'm just going through the motions. Usually by now I'm just in to it hardcore, but right now, I'm just taking the gift buying one event at a time. I haven't even written a single Christmas card. Hopefully I will get the bug soon. I hear it's contagious.

Lookie Lookie Me, and old lady Audrey

Lookie here. I came home from LA today from a great birthday celebration of Audrey's 40th birthday. That comes later. Well, I'm catching up on my message board reading and come to find out one of my layouts was on a really great and inspirational scrapping blog. Check it out. http://scrapbooklayouts.blogspot.com/ Very cool honor.


So, yes, Audrey has hit the big 4-0. Insane! What fun, though. All the razzing aside, she looks great for being 40, and sure doesn't act 40. Way to cool to be old. It was a ton of fun. The pinata was the highlight of the night. Way too funny. Shannon is my new idol. The food was great, the drinks were plentiful (too plentiful) and the company was amazing. It was so much fun to see old friends, meet with new friends and get a lot of the cousins together. Audrey, you planned and threw yourself a great little shin-dig.

Here's a couple pictures from the party. (Audrey, get out your bi-focals so you can see them).

Here I am, Baby

Haven't seen me in a while? Well, I can see you. See, I passed my super power eyesight on to my kids, so even when you can't see us, we see you. Truly, though. Hunter's still trying to get the hang of his special gift, and still oooooos and aaaaas over his power.

Well, they're all like 5 now. And like they are like too cool for like words. At least like all words that don't like get prefaced with like the word like. Because Austin, he's all like, ah, and Hunter he's all like oh, and like they communicate like that. Don't know where they like picked that up, but it's all like driving Mike and I like nuts. Again, look back to the like bugging eyes.

This little man is so funny, and so sharp and so amazing. Austin is totally something, right now. Very sensitive, and emotional, and caring, and smart, and the word is AMAZING. He's in to being cool. He Jell-o's his hair daily because "Like the girls like it". Yeah, he's 5. No girl is worthy to be his woman, right now. He's reading books. Yes reading! Very little help needed on the big words. And he's all about being a jokester. He even owns not 1, but 2 Wooshie Cooshies. That would be Whoopie Cusions to you and I. I just can't get enough of him.

Now the little man below is getting huge. He's towering over his brother and is a full 7 pounds heavier than him. It helps when Austin is driving him crazy. He literally tackles and just lays on him. Very nice. He's still a grumpy guy, but so obviously by choice. It is easy to get a smile out of him, because like it or not, he's really a happy guy. He took his time wanting to learn, but he's done great. He's also one of the advanced guys in the class, and he comes home secretly singing learning songs from school. He hears it once, and he's got it down. Exercise is a bad word to him, so we're working on that one. What was once skin in bones is now chunking up. He's addicted to Star Wars, so instead of bike riding we are "pod-racing". Hey, whatever it takes.

Mama, well, I got the killer flu. I didn't realize how bad it was until I was in the ER. My potasium level dropped to a point that I went in to convulsions. Mike was on the phone with me picking up the boys, so he called 911, since I was all alone. Once I was rehydrated and my potasium levels were back up, I came home. It really put me behind at work, but my great new job says, "oh well, it will be there tomorrow". Yippeee. I'm used to working whatever it takes to get it done. It's a hard transition for me, but man, my stress level has really diminished.

Mike, well, it's busy work and busy hunting. It's amazing, the hours he works and all the times he's gone hunting, yet, I still feel like we are priority. Hard to find that balance. We went to Reno for our anniversary, and saw a good show, gambled entirely too much, and partied like we were in our 20's. Crazy kids. He took time off to take care of me when I was sick, and was amazing and getting the kids all cared for, bathed, homework, fed.... WOW. Just when you think guys are totally useless, they do something usefull, like open a jar of pickles. This weekend, he's off hunting, and lucky me we'll have full freezer of venison when he returns tomorrow. I hate the hunting, but at least he eats it.

Well, I think I'm all caught up. Well, that, and I made the 2nd cut of a design team search for I Dream of Scrapbooking. I wasn't sure if it was what I wanted to do right now. Now that I don't need to for Kitspirations, since they no longer have the store going. I'm still loving that message board, and am glad it's still going. I just love the ladies on there, they're wonderful friends. I don't know why I did it, the IDOS design team thing. But I really like the ladies on the IDOS board. Even a couple there from Kitspirations. It's funny how connected you can stay to cyber friends, but rarely have time for the human friends. Anyway, I love the challenges so far at IDOS, so let's see how that all goes. There's some nice stuff being turned in, let's see how worthy I am. Hey, at least it keeps me motivated and inspired.

As far as the 31 layouts in October. Well, I'm up to 2 already! LOL!!! I actually have some great ideas for some of them, so let's see how many more I complete. I'm trying to get my IDOS challenge to really match up to one of the 31 Scraptoberfest Challenges. The one above of Hunter was my, scrap something with a flower challenge for Scraptoberfest, but also met my IDOS challenge, which was to have some blue, at least 3 pictures and at least 3 buttons. The one above of Austin was a Scraptoberfest challenge which was to use a number in the title.

I'll keep you posted. Just don't hold your breath.

Anybody need a hug?

I love this. I'm sending you all big {{{{{{hugs}}}}}}.

Has Anybody Seen My Dog?

Notice in my last post, you know the bulletin board one… Well, notice Friday to Saturday I had blocked out a little Pam’s house time? Do you see it? Go ahead, scroll down and look. I even drew a picture of how lovely I imagined her home to be. Yes, there it is, I see it now. Well, said Pam must have read how much I like to cross things off my list.

Well, a little history that will drag you to present. There was a young girl (me. Yes, I was once young) who met a poodle. The poodle happened to be so cute and sweet and innocent. I just had to make it one of my own.

So I befriended it and found out it barks. It barks a lot. It complained that I didn’t play with it enough. It always would come to me, but it would bark because I wouldn’t come to it. So here I am, thinking, Mike will be hunting, I could go visit my little canine companion. Hmmmph. That damn dog turned me away!! And then called me a name that rhymes with witch, but is obviously more canine than human. I wonder who that name really belongs to????? Let me think. Oh, and if you happen to find my missing poodle, please give a big ol wa-kah kinda kick for me. But stand back, it’s liable to fall over or spill something on you.

She's Making A List.....

Checking it twice...

For those who know me from high school, I'm still making those lists. I love listing all the things I have to do, and love even more checking things off. Sometimes if I complete a task or accomplish something that wasn't on my list, I write it on just so I can cross it off. There's something about looking at all those checked off/crossed off/highlighted tasks that make me oh so happy.

I bought that really great weekly dry erase board from Target. And it's magnetic!! I put on all my meetings, appts, visits, scheduled things, and important reminders that may be lost on the paper list. On that one, as I accomplish, attend or complete I erase them off. Makes me happy to erase, almost as much as it does to cross off. I love those magnet shapes. They'll end up on a layout someday, but for now they make me happy where they are. Especially that big question mark. Not only is it totally cute, it also marks the most important day of the week. The one day where nothing is planned. I love those days. However, it doesn't stay empty for long.

I got a lot of scrapping done this weekend. That once clean room started out so tidy and nice on Friday, and by Friday night it looks like a tornado hit it. I just don't feel like I'm having fun unless I'm making a mess. I joined 3 new message boards this last week. Crazy! I have no time for that. I was just feeling like I needed that push back in to playing with all the stuff I've been collecting. I haven't scrapped much, and really wanted to be challenged. Well, I was. I joined 1 message board for the cyber crop they were hosting. It's a newer site with a small bunch of ladies, that I really enjoyed. The big ones can overwhelm me. I like a small community where you can really get to know the people on the board. I plan to keep checking that one out.

The other 2 I joined more long term. Lifetime Moments is doing a Scraptober Fest. They are posting daily challenges for the month of October. I found out about it late tonight, so I jumped right on to check it out. A layout a day for 31 days. You end up with 31 layouts in October! You don't have to actually do them daily, as long as all 31 are done by the end of the end of the month. Overwhelming, but just the push I need right now.

Tomorrow is grape picking day. Can you tell by the big old arrow? Just in time. We had our first rain of the season today. Not much, but enough to push us in to getting some things done around the house. I was sick all week and Mike was working out of town, so today was productive day. I was still sick, but I was also sick of laying around. I cleaned house, all but the floors and dusting the blinds. I did a TON of laundry and started decorating for Halloween (the most wonderful time of the year!). Mike cleaned the garage, back dirt (no yard yet), and mowed.

And speaking of yard. We should be getting the back yard this week. And for 1/2 the price we were expecting! Totally psyched about that one!

Anyway, it's late, I'm sick, have a full early day tomorrow and I'm just plain tired. Peace out.

BLOG - check

Time management

So, I should have been working. Instead I was scrapping. I just never find the time to scrap and decided I needed to cheat a little here and there to do what I want to do. Ofcourse, I will pay later. I will have to make up the time, which I was trying to make up to begin with.

It goes a little something like this:

Saturday
6:30pm log on to work computer
6:32 figure out how many more audits I need to do to meet productions standards for the past week. (answer 35)
6:38 go through work assignment and determine how many audits to do to have work completed by month end. (averages 38 a day-normal is 16-18)
6:38 figure out there is no way I can get it done
and get stressed
6:40 Return call to Audrey
6:45 Begin to browse net while talking to Audrey
6:50 Make pop-corn while talking to Audrey
Hang-up?????
8:15 Log in to message boards to see what's going on
in the scrap communities I visit.
8:33 See fun challenge I want to scrap
8:35 On my computer, Pictures printing, looking for paper.
8:40 Making sure kids are tucked in bed (for the 100th time)
8:55 Oh scrap! Scrapping what I scrapped. Yes, taking apart layout to start all over.
9:15 Tucking kids in bed (for the 1,000th time)
9:30 Drinking my 10th gallon of H2O after all the popcorn
9:32 Pee
9:34 Reprinting a picture, after I butchered the 1st one
9:37 Tucking Hunter in (for the 1011th tine)
9:45 Pee
10:15 layout done
10:16 Tucking in Hunter (what time is this one?
Ahhhh, 1,000,000th time) This time it works.
Note to self, next time remember to turn off my TV
10:18 Pee
10:20 scan pictures
10:22 Create photomerge
10:25 Check to make sure kids are really sleeping
10:28 Pee (yes 10 minutes after the last time)
10:33 Bring in outside toys and close up house for the night.
10:45 Drink H2O and instantly run to go Pee
10:49 Log back on to scrapping communities to see
what I missed while I was tucking, drinking and peeing
10:55 start browsing blogs
11:15 Pee
11:18 back to blogs
11:35 Online screen shop
11:41 Pee
11:45 WHAT! I forgot to work!!!!
11:50 log back in to work applications
11:55 Decide I need to update my blog
12:01 Pee
12:04 H2O
12:05 Begin updating blog
12:50 Still no work, peed another 3 times. Feeling stressed because
I need to get some work done.

Sounds like I need time management help? Let me tell you what I have been up to the past couple days.

Hmm, Thursday, kids at school for 3 hours, 20 minutes, grocery shopped, work meeting, put in my 8 hours at work, did a color hunt with the boys and helped them finish up their homework. Cleaned bathrooms. Mike, well... He worked a short day and then went to play poker.

Friday, took kids to school, took the day off work, went to Target to buy birthday gifts for weekend party, grocery shopped for Mike's hunting trip, swept floors and dusted, 3 loads of laundry. Oh, yeah, 2 kids dropped off at 2:30 for me to baby sit over the weekend while parents go hunt. Kids are ages 7 and 4, adding them to my two 5 year olds, the house got a bit loud. I got a fat lip catching kid falling off bunk bed ladder. Not from kid, but from toy falling on my face, which was the cause of the fall to begin with. Oh, this was within 5 minutes after their parents dropped them off. Mike?..... Slept past noon and then went hunting.

Saturday, Annette drops off nieces Sara (14) and Maryann (7) and Sara's friend Lauren (14). Realize I left present on shelf of gift wrap area, run back to Target and leave Sara and Lauren in charge. Home in 45 minutes with bagels, smoothies and gifts. Get boys ready for party, have them make cards, and get gifts ready. Megan (7 y/old being sitted) has soccer game at 11, lucky me, her parents have arranged a pick-up and drop-off. Take boys to party, leave Brian (4 year old sittee) with Sara, Lauren and Maryann. Come home after party with grocery bag (yes again!) and back to 7 kids in the house, although one of 14 year olds is stone cold sleeping on the couch. Ride a skate board, and attempt to teach Maryann how to ride 2 wheel bike. The 3 girls leave and I'm back to just 4 kids. Dinner, desert, movies and popcorn, scrap... I think I've had enough for the day. Mike?..... hunting.

1:13 Sunday am.... signing off and going to bed. Work? That can wait. I'll squeek it in later. No stress.

May The Force Be With You

Wondering what I have been up to? So wonder why I haven't updated my blog? Well, 1st, I need to use my Jedi Powers to remove the children from the computer. Since the 1st week of school and they saw the commercial, it was all about counting down the days until the new Lego Star Wars game was released. Yes, "Lego Star Wars II, The Original Trilogy". And, it's out. Since last Tuesday. They actually only get to play Wednesdays and Weekends, but the other days are all about talking about the game and planning the next world they need to conquer. Check out the site: http://www.lucasarts.com/games/legostarwarsii/ .

I have to say, my work computer was down for an hour or so on Thursday while the kids were at school, and instead of cleaning my house, which very much needed it, you know I was playing the game. For an hour! I grew up on Star Wars. The 1st one came out when I was 7 and I remember the long lines and all the hype, and the t-shirt, and the secret fan club we would call to order hidden under my grandmother's table behind the table cloth. I remember being in LOVE with Han Solo long before I knew who Harrison Ford was.

For months now, Hunter has been obsessed with Star Wars. He has all the movies in his room, and plays them alllllllll the time. He has all the light saber colors (Mommy likes to play saber wars) So many of the Star Wars Lego ships and other die case Star Wars goodies. The best of all are the Transformer Star Wars character and ships. So, you know if this was Pokemon, they wouldn't have all this stuff. I have to say, I'm a bit Star Wars obsessed, and this is the secret fan re-living their childhood, by spoiling my children. Poor Austin has had it pushed on him, but Hunter, he is truly in love with the ways of the Force.

Hunter, my love, may the force be with you.

No looking back

So you want to prepare them for school. Make them feel comfortable with new routine, the new classroom, the new teacher, new friends..... Hey, but they can at least look back! Austin is the Power Ranger back pack kid and Hunter is the head directly on top of Austin's. He has a Darth Vader back pack that is not really visible because of the unusually large cranium his brother carries on his shoulders.

Those kids were ready. Hunter was a little skeptical. A litte on the stressed side. Wanted to eat an eggo in the car (yes on top of the breakfast he had in the house), and really I think just wanted a different prop for the pictures other than back pack and lunch box. A smile would have been nice, but he would not give one up, no matter how many eggos I bribed him with.

As always, Austin had a lot of smiles in him. He was so psyched about school. The teacher had a sign in front of the classroom letting parents know that she would have the kids line up and that no parents should come in the class, that the good-bye's should be outside to make the transition smoother. Well, Austin WOWed the other parents when he read the sign completely to us, only fumbling on the word parents. Hey, I was WOWed too.

Yup, this is the biggest before school smile I could get out of Hunter.

Most of the morning he looked more like this. Can you say stress-ville! He asked me to sit in the car in the parking lot all day to wait for him to finish school. I explained I would be back to get him, and be very early to make sure he didn't have to wait.

This is what I found on his face when I came to pick him up. Much better. He was happy the day was not too long (3 hours and 20 minutes). Just enough time for Mmommy to cry, Daddy to hug her, blink and pick the kids up.

Yup, he enjoyed the day. At least he said so. Ofcourse, Austin 1st greeted me with big smiles and nothing but happy comments. A bit later in the day when I asked about their day for the 100th time, Austin finally fessed up. The dialogue went something like this.

"Guys, tell me more about school. Did you make new friends? Did you like your teacher? Did you have a good time?"

(Austin)

"Well, mom..... It was the worst day of our lives."

(mom)

"Really? Now why is that?"

(Austin)

"Well.... I have to raise my hand to talk, and wait for my turn to talk, and stay quiet when we are working.... Mom, (pause) I can't breathe when my mouth is closed."

Yup, just like his Mama. Can't stop talking. It's like breath and air to me. Austin got that from me.

Now that a week has gone by, to them it's like they've always been there. They have new buddies, new playground wounds, fun art work for the fridge and BIG smiles when I pick them up.

Yes, they survived the 1st week, but I barely did. I'm a miserable mess. Not just because my babies are now school boys. Not just because I had to send the 2 away at the same time. Not just because I won't ever repeat one of my children's 1st day of Kindergarten. Not just because I am a working mom. Nope. Honestly, I'm not sure what it is. Maybe it is the whole package. A demanding job. Both babies now in school. Too much to do, not enough time. Working crazy obscene hours to be able to play a more active role in my kids' lives. Messy house and not enough time to find a good house keeper. I don't know, I'm just a pathetic mess. Blubbering here and there for no reason. Choking up each time I pick up my kids. It's not PMS, wrong time for that. I just don't know. I think about all the other kids I will never have, when really all I wanted are 2.

I can barely handle Mike being gone for a day's work without wanting to cry. I call him like 10 times a day with nothing new to say. He's been a doll. Just chatting with me even though he was in a major project crunch. When he's driving to the supply house or a hardware store, he calls and talks to me on the drive. He calls me on the drive home, or when they take their lunch break. He tells me non-stop he appreciates all I do. He leaves at 4:30 in the morning and gets home after 5 at night, and still jumps up to do the after dinner dishes. He makes me laugh when I'm crying. You couldn't ask for a more supportive man. Thanks, Mike, for seeing me through this time.

I guess I need to adopt the kids' attitude. Face it all head on and not look back. Go in stressed and worried, but go at it, none the less. Hey, I just may come out smiling.

Major League T-Ball

As Pre-School was coming to an end, and summer was beginning, I thought long and hard on what kind of activities the boys should commit to in order to keep them active. Medical experts say a child should have at least 1 hour a day of excertise and/or activities to reduce the risk of childhood obesity. What's the perfect summer time sport for a 5 year old? T-Ball was the 1st thing that came to mind. Running bases, running to catch the ball, or tag an oponent out. Hand eye coordination, team work.

3 weeks before T-Ball starts, Austin breaks his arm and is banned from contact sports. No running for the risk of falling. We have him participate, as long as he doesn't run. Did I really have to worry? Just look at some of the exciting shots of a game mid-season. The little girl is the coaches daughter.

Where's Austin in those pictures, you ask? Probably trying to climb a tree. Or sitting where he can keep a close eye on the game going on in the next field. Or trying to figure out which cooler holds the after game snack for our team. Look at that smile. It's all about the snack.

One game left and we're done. T-Ball, not the game to keep the kids active through the summer. I'm thinking next summer I'll sign them up for bowling.

When one picture says it all.

One day you hear from some mean old bag that you are not the kind of girl any man would ever want to marry. (before I ever did anything of that nature, mind you.) Another day you hear that you will never be successful in life and probably be homeless. Another day your doctor tells you that you will never have kids naturally.

Here's one that says stick it where the sun don't shine! I have a good job, I have a wonderful husband, I have a beautiful home, and I have 2 healthy beautiful boys that I gave birth to.

Never mind the bad scan job. I suck at the whole photomerge thing. This is my favorite picture! My kids running around my home in the middle of winter. There were days where I thought I would never find true happiness. Now I can't recall a time that I was not happy. Every time I look at this picture, I just melt. It says everything to me. Winter time at my house, dead grass, no leaves on the trees, grey skies, broken light... Paradise!

A weekend in the life of me

It's in the 80's so I can think straight, once again. Austin got his cast off on Thursday. Now comes the task of keeping a 5 year old from running, skating, biking, scooteringing, fighting, wrestling, jumping...... Yeah right! Especially the fighting and wrestling stuff. the doctor said no falling or wrestling or contact sports for 2 weeks. We've barely survived 2 days so far. The kid is board and picks fights with his brother. Hunter is done to the point he'll just fight now. Kind of embarassing in the middle of t-ball.

Oh, yes, T-Ball. Austin shouldn't be playing, but the way these kids and their team play I figured it was safe. Every hit is a bunt. At one point our 2nd baseman was lying down with her hat covering her face so she could "nap", Hunter was crouched down looking for worms or bugs, Austin was watching the other game in the field next to us, another little boy was in line with the opposite team waiting for his turn to bat, one was throwing spare balls in the air, and one was trying to play, the other 3 just didn't show. Let me tell you, come snack time, they are all focused.

Mike has been working a thousand hours a week and is so far away. He's way over by Danville and has been staying there Tuesday and Thursday nights. I guess I'm in training for hunting season which is right around the corner. Anyway, he had to work today, so he stayed Thursday and Friday night. Lucky me, I was able to get friends to agree for over night sitting at their house and I went to Danville to meet Mike.

We went out for some Italian. big mistake, we were both stuffed and so garlicy that kissing and making out was like sucking on a garlic clove. So romantic. We did get to catch up on some talking without kids interuppting, and watch TV without having it as loud as it gets. I even got to sleep by 10pm. Mike was up and out of there by 6 and I was out of there by 7 to get home, get the kids and take them to T-Ball by 9:30. Not quite the romantic getaway. I'm not dissapointed though, just feeling a little old.

One good thing was that on the long drive I got to listen to my iPod, whatever I wanted to listen to and actually hear it! That was a bonus. Peacefull, pleasant, sometimes rockin'. Then I get to Pat and Jen's and I can hear the kids arguing through the open window. Back to reality, but it made me smile anyway.

Have to say, the fighting drives me crazy, but hearing those kids not be afraid to have input and speak up for themselves makes me proud. I was always encouraged to speak my mind and that kids are people too. I'm glad my boys have that. Now if they would learn to express the happy stuff as much as the what is bothering them stuff, that would be the cherry on top.

thinking about scrapping. Since Mike is working and the kids are bushed from the oh so tiring and athletic exercise of T-Ball... I'm going to finish cleaning the house and get a little work done so tonight I can scrap. Let's see if that really happens, but's it's my goal for the today.

Hot, anyone?

This little man is the coolest cat I know. At age 5 he can identify a song and the artist from AC/DC to Eminem to Jack Johnson to Green Day. I love music, and he totally gets that from me. The dude break dances and rocks out. Like I said, 1 cool cat.

He's loving his new cast. He asked for camouflage, and ended up with red. No camo available. He's so brave about all the MD visits and the x-rays and all. Such a little man. Yes, such the man that he decided it was time to start chasing girls.

Girls???? It seems, I'm not the only female around that thinks little dude is rockin' hot. Yup. Little man got his 1st kiss on Thursday from a neighbor girl. We were hanging, having pizza and drinks while the little ones played in the play room. Both mom's were pregnant together, and Sadye was born 5 or 6 weeks before the boys, so they've known each other a lifetime (yes, 5 years is a lifetime to them). So her being his 1st kiss was no surprise, but at 5????? Can I say it again? Dude you rock! Groupies and all.

I ask Hunter if he got a kiss and he says "Eeew, yuck, I'm not kissing a girl". Good boy, only kisses for mommy, please. Then we have to go in to the big talk with the boys of no kissing little girls at school. Petrified of my sweet boys getting in trouble at school for doing was totally normal for little kids. May I mention that I was a founding member of the San Francisco Montessori Kiss-Kiss girls? Yes, Katy, Bernie and I were the original Kiss-Kiss Girls. We would take off our clothes, run around in our underwear, trap boys and kiss them. Things that make a mother proud. So, I guess it's my turn to be horrified. Lucky me. Or should I say, lucky little girls in the California Central Valley.

Speaking of hot little boys and mamas, it's been scorching hot. Yesteray it hit 112, I believe. Yes and with humidity, the heat index was something like 117. Un-bear-a-ble! The boys started T-Ball in this heat wave. Lucky us we got the 8:30 game, so by the time we ended it was only 90 degrees. Lucky for us, we had shade on 1/2 the diamond, so only 2nd base, which was rotated, was in the sun. I am also happy to say, 1 game down, 5 more to go.

Well, off to bed to sweat through the night. Sweaty sweet dreams to all.

Man I love these kids!

This is the great layout from Jenni Bowlin. Check out JenniBowlin.com. Isn't it adorable? Ofcourse, anything with 2 these faces is just adorable!! Thanks Jenni!

Just words

No pictures. I've got a million of them, but truly too tired. Little man is doing great! You'd think he was born with a cast on. He adapted so well so quickly. I'm still way too over protective and not letting him do much, but am about to just give in. He is so stir crazy and antsy he finds any way to annoy his brother. Oh and mother and father, too. Hunter is so irritated with being picked on, but also a little jealous of the attention. Combine all that with 2 little boys home over everyday while Mom tries to work full time hours from home. What does this all mean? A lot of time outs, a lot of muted conference calls, a lot fighting between brothers and ofcourse A LOT of BRIBERY.

Going to take the boys to visit their cousins tomorrow while I get some errands done and a quick drop in to work for some free open house Jamba Juice, mmmmmm. Then I'll pick up AJ for a little Nacho Libre action. He's been begging for a Jack Black attack. This is his 1st request to see a "people" movie. Now this is major for Mom. I was going to take Friday baby sitting to run to San Francisco and see Pirates for an all together much better looking JACK, and then to eat a little Haystack pizza with my sis and kids. However, the insistence of my boss getting me in the office, the bribery of Jamba Juice, and the guilt of a broken armed little boy with big eyes won. Ugh! Considering I just watched the 1st Pirates of the Caribbean movie this last week, well, I guess I'll live.

Just watched the whole 1st and only season of Geeks and Freaks. So loved it! So upset it ended there. I need to know what happens next. Why didn't I watch it when it mattered? Oh, I was busy with twin babies in the house, that's right. We only watched Baby Mozart and Bear in the Big Blue House like 1000 times each. I so relate to it because it shows that even us freaks have some geek somewhere inside. Also that not all geeks have to be brains and all freaks have to be stupid. Also, love the music, being a product of 80's highschool years, although I started highschool in1983, but even so.

Been feeling kind-a scrappy lately. Having fun with stepping out of my box and trying new things. Hey, if I don't like it, I can always make another page, right?

Off to bed. I should've been there at least 2 hours ago, but Boston Legal from Netflix and Sudoku kept me up past my bed time. Sweet dreams!

Another pathetic picture that pulled my heart strings

The little man in the recovery room. Does this picture not completely break your heart? Broke mine I think worse than his arm.

Home from CKU-A.....Again.

Home again? You ask, home again? Yes, again. 1st let me start by saying, I love the feeling of coming home when I'm gone. Ofcourse ask me a week ago and I would have said I love the feeling of getting away for a Mommy break. Love both feelings, but so much more emotional to come home, don't yout think? I just love pulling up to the house in the evening after a long drive home. Love the lights on the walk waiting for me. Love the look of the house in the sunset. Don't quite love the brown spots in the lawn, but we're working on that. I say we just dye it, like we do for the gray in my hair. Which, by the way, I have sprouted at least 30 new ones in the past 3 days. At least.

Now to the again part. As I stand in line at CKU-A in San Jose, Bab-ay, I check out my cell to see 2 missed calls from Mike. 2!!! I have been gone like a night, and spoke to him like 30 minutes before, what he could he possibly need? He goes hunting and fishing or wherever, and so happy to not have to have to cook dinner and only need to feed the kids cereal or eggos for breakfast lunch and dinner, I don't call him once. Ofcourse, there is no cell signal in the hills or in the casino. So I call back, still in line, mind you.

Me:"Hello"
"Hey"
"What are you doing?"
(Irritated beyond belief) "Standing in line to register. You know..(with a naggy little tone) when you go hunting or fishing or wherever, I don't call and bug you, I let you have your hobby time, so I would assume (yes ASSuME) you would do the same and only call for an emergency."
(remembering I did call once while he was hunting and left a mommy of twin 20 month old toddlers all alone and the power went out right after Austin fell and hit his head on the tile and passed out and Hunter was standing on the brick fireplace with the dogs blocking any way down without a fall back to have him hit his head on the brick.....)
** back to the story:
I continue with "I would appreciate you answering with 'Hi my darling wife, nothing is wrong and everyone is fine, I have a simple question and will let you return to your joyful weekend away', could you please reassure me before we continue?"
"Oh, sorry" he replies, "It's not like Austin fell at school on the playground equipment and is on his way to the hospital with a broken arm, or anything"
"What, are you kidding me?" Like he would be that cruel, but he is male and has a sick sense of humor. Unfortunately, this was not the time for such cruel humor. So I cry and tell him where the extra camera is, and I will come home right away.

On the drive home I find out the break is severe, both bones in left arm, right above the wrist and he will require surgery to reset them. I get to the hospital to see this darling little man, with a smile because Mommy is there. (With the good camera.)
What a trooper. He has to wait until 6pm for surgery and he can go home that night. He was so hungry and so scared, but so good and sweet, and all morphined out. He had a great recovery and after surgery and recovery, heads home by 8:20. After some Otter Pops he sacks out in our bed.




Mike being the good husband he is, insists I go back to CKU-A, since it is only a hop skip and long jump away, and he will stay home from work with him. Not wanting to go, but feeling like he would be offended that I did not trust his parenting skills if I stayed, I decided I had to go. Secretly knowing he didn't want me to lose out the big money spent to register for CKU-A (not really, but that was an after thought, I'm sure). So off I go, dead and tired and eyes on fire from all the crying of seeing my sweet little guy in pain.

So I go, totally un-prepared. Scatter brained and drained emotionally, and had a kick ass time. Mike, being the incredible father and parent that he is, had the good sense to send me pictures on my cell phone of Austin lightsaber fighting with his brother, or hanging upside down on the couch, or trying with all his might to break his neck or leg or something, as all fearless 5 year old little boys do. Remind me to send a box of chocolates to the smart woman (or man, less likely)that invented picture phones. Did not finish a single book, because of the need for journaling and being better picture prepared, but finished 2 last night sitting on the floor after the kids were in bed.

I needed a break, but not the kind I got.

So, I'm so glad to be home. Be lazy. Watch a little World Cup. Mourning Mexico losing to Argentina. Playing with all the new goodies accumulated from my weekend trip of broads and 2 men. Catching up on e-mails. Sitting on an entirely too active little man recuperating from a broken arm 3 days ago in the feeble attempts to restrain him. Yes, life is good, scary, but good!

I love weekends

What a busy weekend we have in store. Tonight to the in-laws in San Jose. Tomorrow to Santa Cruz to visit Katy and Baby West, then celebrate Father's Day with Mike's Dad in San Jose in the evening. Sunday celebrate at home. Monday Dad and Nanny coming over to visit. Non-Stop fun, I tell ya. For reals.

So thought I would share my badly scanned lattest. I so seldom grant my love with a cameo appearance in a page. Poor guy. He is the best Father I could have picked for my children, and he is my dream come true husband and best friend. The little hidden journaling reads: "I love that you make me feel beautiful when I feel my ugliest.. I love that you make my heart stop when you walk in the room.. I love that you make me laugh.. I love that you are my best friend." I could go on and on, and initially I did, but edited to make it fit on the little card. So Mike, I love that you love me. I love that you are a great father. I love that Austin looks just like you. I love that I can tell you anything without you judging me. I love you. Happy Father's Day to you, and to all the Father's out there that are more than fathers. You know, the ones that are called Dad and Daddy. Have a terrific day, and soak up the love.

Bad blogger!

I've been terrible about blogging. I've been so busy with work, I barely even have time to read e-mails! Totally not me. Hopefully after this week my life will be back on schedule. Ofcourse, I've said that every week for the past 2 years. I'll catch you all up soon.

Does anyone remember why I started this Blog?

Remember way back in hmmmmmmm, January? Remember it had something to do with organization? Remember that mess of a desk? This is it today. Middle of being organized.
I need to tackle my patterend paper, photos and embellishments. There's a TV next to the desk that will be outta there shortly, and I need to get some pictures up on the wall. All of that in time. All I know is I can walk in there without tripping or needing a tetanus shot and I have a work space without the fear of something falling on me. Woo Hoo! Just in time to work on the June Kitspirations.com kit and May challenge. Oh, I guess I should do a little something for Father's Day, too.

Hooray for Friday!

Man I had a bad week so far. No motivation, too much to do, kids growing up! My house is a disaster, I'm still in the "organization" process and laundry is not just piled up, but overtaking the house. Work is stressfull right now, too much work, not enough time and some scarry changes that deeply affect me on the horizon. I'm at shut down point, where all I want to do is veg out and just sleep or lay around or buy stuff I don't need.

On a good note, the boys graduated Pre-School and I am so proud of them. They were great and afterwards we went out for burgers and chocolate shakes at MooMoo's downtown. That was great. Nick, Adamo, Ralene, Viva, Charlie and Dee joined Mike and I in the audience. We just about filled up pew in the little Community Church to watch the ceremony. We gave them so much praise that they were feeling so proud of themselves. The shot above was after graduation. They were so thrilled and excited they would do anything I asked. This is what happens when I tell them to show some love and hug each other. Mmmmmmm! I wish I was smack in the middle of them.

Anyway, It's Friday and things are looking better. Plus it's a long weekend. Load #2 is in the wash. The dishes are put away either in the cupboards or the dishwasher. The boys are at home, just where I like them. The trains are all sorted out. I'm showered and dressed. Yummy breakfast in our tummies. Mike gets off early and will be working on backyard sprinklers all weekend. Hopefully that means no more goat-heads this year. I sent the pictures off to Jenni Bowlin (check out JenniBowlin.com for some eye candy) and that was a difficult task, just picking a couple pictures. And I'm just about ready to start cleaning bathrooms. Mike put together my shelves for the back room earlier this week, so today I will begin conquering that room. Work you ask? Well, that will be later. I'll get it in there somewhere. Right now, I have to strike where the motivation hits, and that's cleaning!

Some recent happy thoughts

Some recent things that made me feel all happy and proud inside.

#1 on the list: My Thrasher boys. Check them out. Hunter looks like he's slamming in the mud. Austin can't even get the whole ride thing down on the board, but check out the moves he can do. Makes me proud.

#2: Austin can ride a bike with no training wheels. This is major. He was not motivated to do it, but was always in awe of the kids who could. He also kept nagging for a skateboard. Mike said he couldn't have a skate board until he could ride a bike with no training wheels. So he goes outside and said for us to go with him. He jumped on the 2 wheel bike and said I want no one to help me. There he went. Within 2 minutes he was peddling down the drive. He was struggling with the starting the bike going once he was stopped. I gave him some verbal pointers, but that wasn't enough. He said "Mom, tell me if I do it, you'll give me $3.00". "Austin, if you do it I'll give you $3.00". That was it. Since then he needs no help, coaxing, nothing. So Mother's Day he got his board.

#3: Hunter is learning the way of the Jedi. Yes, he is turning in to a Star Wars addict. He sneaks away and watches the DVD's in his room. So far Episode 2, Attack of the Clones and Episode 5, the Empire Strikes Back seem to be his faves. He has a rebel force transformer fighter ship. He sleeps with it at night. He knows the character names and forwards the movies to all his favorite scenes. I love that. Hunter, may be the force be with you.

#4: Mike is getting so much done around the house as far as landscaping. He planted 17 trees within the past couple weeks and his planning the back yard sprinkler system. No new goat heads this year. We're still battling the old dry ones from last year, but nothing like it was. I'm so excited with all the home improvements we've made. This house was our home, but now it's also homey.

#5: Lucky me, I won a layout to be done by Jenni Bowlin. Love her work. I donated to Karen Russell's ( http://karenrussell.typepad.com/ ) fundraiser for Woman for Woman International ( http://www.womenforwomen.org/ ) and was a lucky winner. Just check out http://www.JenniBowlin.com for some peeks at her work. She is amazing and I've been admiring her work in magazines for a while. My recent favorite was the Brothers layout in the latest CK, but all her stuff rocks. Lucky me she has boys, too, so it won't be a strectch for her to work with my photos. Lucky her, my boys are beautiful, so it won't be difficult to fall in love with the job. LOL!

#6: Finally feeling like scrapping again. I was in a dry spell where nothing inspired me. He's the link to a little something I did for the May Kitspirations kit. http://www.kitspirations.com/Gallery/showphoto.php?photo=660

So? What's rocking your boat?

Coming to you from the land of...

Eenie Meenie Miny Moe, Butt Cracks and Evil Masters. I live alone on an island of nasty little creatures that I've heard are derived from the male species. There are bug guts, dirt and frog slime embedded deeply under the nails of my little men. Yes, and Austin still sneeks in a little thumb sucking here and there.

I've been a bad blogger, but I have been doing exactly what my resolution was for the year. I've been cleaning out closets and pantry and drawers, and every nook and cranny of all the STUFF I don't need. Garage sale this weekend, and what doesn't sell, goes to GoodWill. Tomorrow I conquer the kitchen cabinets. The rough part is, I have a family of sick men. Both boys and Mike have been fevered, and the little guys are pukey. Yuck! I wonder who will take care of me when it is my turn?

It seems like not a decision can't be made in this house without eenie, meenie, miny or a moe joining in on the decision process. Would you like waffles or pancakes? Hmmm? Will it be Eenie or Meenie? Do you want to wear Sponge Bob or Scooby underwear? Wait, here comes Miny and Moe. No split second reactions in this home. It takes 20 minutes to Eenie Meenie it until the one they really want gets the final finger. By then, I could have popped some Eggos in, buttered, syruped, cut, eaten and cleaned the plates. Eggos? Oh yes. I've been told I'm not allowed to make pancakes pancakes or waffles for the boys, as I royally destroy them. Who was I told by? Hmmm, I don't recall which little guy. Let me see.. Eenie, meenie, minie, moe, I think Hunter has big tiger toes.

On to a delicious butt crack story. Yes, the boys love a good butt crack. They love to run around with their tooshes touching something I would rather it not be touching. Mom, my butt crack is on your bed. Mom, my butt crack is touching the couch. Mom, my butt crack is on your back. Not so pleasant, butt (yes butt) the smile and giggles that acompany are worth it. So as I'm fighting them to get dressed, and they run rampant through the house touching butt cracks to everything, I just laugh and Eenie Meenie which one will get a slap on a bare butt cheeck, which they love entirely too much. As, I'm attempting to pin a naked butt down and force underwear and shorts on, a little sing song voice behind us says.. "Hunter, you know that pillow you sleep on every night?" "Yes?" " You know, the one you love?" "Yes?" "My butt crack is on it." "Eww, get off!" "I will once I make it breathe bad breath on it." Mom's turn: "WHAT?" "Yes, I'm going to fart on it!" Now the shocked comes when H-man doesn't freak out, he just laughs and tells me, all matter of factly: "Mom, Austin's butt has dragon breath". Moments that make a mother proud.

So, as I reminisce, on the stories of this past week, I sit and chuckle to myself. This is obviously a cue for Austin, my game maniac, to come and entice me into a game of Sorry or Scrabble. "Yes, little man, I'll play with you, but only 1 game of Sorry." "Alright, Mom, but I want to be the evil masters. I like Evil, it's fun and funny." Yes, pray for me.

My soundtrack

Do you ever sit there and wonder if you were in a movie, what song would be playing at that moment? I sometimes have a song in my mind, and decide I need to act out the song. Not really act out the words or the story of the song, but instead act the way the song makes me feel, or feel like doing. I have the UB40 song "Here I Am Baby" stuck in my head, and I feel like putting on make-up, opening the windows, or just being loud. Like, hey notice me. Not because I feel like I need to be noticed, but because the songs makes me want to be loud and silly and, for a lack of a better word, sexy. Sexy, not really going with loud and silly, but you know... Or maybe you don't.

Ofcourse, maybe "American Idiot" by Green Day fits me better on the average day. Last week it was "She Works Hard For The Money".

I do think about this quite often. I love music. I love how it makes me feel. I love to day dream to music. I can't do much without it. More often than not, the TV is on in this house, and honestly, I would love to just turn up the toons and turn off the TV. However, between cartoon, the news and poker (basically, all the boy shows) I get little music time. So happy to work at home!

So as I sit here thinking about music, I think what would be on my soundtrack? Hmmmm? Iv'e changed my soundtrack often. This week it is all alternative 80's, with a few newer tunes. Next week it could be Country or Big Band. Hip-Hop, well that is all Austin right now. He's so in to break dancing. However, he is wearing a baseball hat with a skull on it and a CBGB tee. Can't get much cooler than that.

Procrastinator Deluxe

I'm such the procrastinator. After that last post I went in to my "creating" area to make a card. Notice I use the word loosely, as little creating goes on at that table. I tend to gather my stuff up, and take over another flat surface in the house. Honestly, any flat surface that is un-cluttered will do. Reason is, that table is totally cluttered. Since I created this blog I have cleaned it perfectly twice. That's it. 2 times. My problem is maintaining. If I would just put stuff away when I'm done with a layout, then I would be so happy to go in there and create. I tell Mike it is because I work and don't have the time. HA! He knows me better than that.

I think I mentioned this before, but here I go again.
Love doing laundry, hate putting it away.
Love doing dishes (well loading the dishwasher anyway), hate putting them away.
Love vacuuming, hate putting the vacuum away.
Love shopping, hate putting the groceries away.
Love scrapping, hate putting the supplies away.
See a pattern?

I realized I needed to find my paper trimmer to make a card, so I had to put stuff away. In doing so, I decided I NEEDED to organize my patterned paper. See I had at least 2 scrapping kits sitting there, that were past their dates, so they had to be "filed". I decided I didn't like how the paper was sorted and filed, so I took all my paper out of their happy homes and made several piles. I then sorted through all my alphabets, and made more piles. I then decided I was tired and went to bed. Still no card.

2 days later, I cleaned house. I mean really cleaned house. We had a new stove and fridge delivered, so we cleaned their spaces. Cleaned the new appliances. Cleaned the old appliances really well. Cleaned the floors. Cleaned out the cleaning supply cabinet over the washer and dryer. Organized my candles. Cleaned all 3 bathrooms, including the floors on my hands a knees. Now, I know it needed it. I know it sounds like I'm a clean freak. Truth is, I was procrastinating, delaying going back in to my "creative" space and making a little card.

Found out my mom was coming to visit. Hmmmm? I guess that means she needs to sleep on the spare bed, next to my "creative" space, and under piles of paper. Hmmmm? So there go all the piles, stacked in to 1 giant stack. I swear, it looks like Richard Dreyfus either went Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind mashed potato crazy, or I'm trying to make a working volcano to rival Peter Brady's.

Now, don't get me wrong, I really, really love to play with my stuff. I just really don't want to put all that stuff away. The guilt was mounting to a point that I dreamt about Miss Manners, and all the Thank You cards I didn't send in my past.

Today my neighbor went to get a mammogram and her girls (5 and 9) are on Spring Break. I was the sitter. I decide to make a project time with my boys, and get my supplies out to the kitchen table so we can all make Easter cards. 1st Austin wants a PB&J, and Zoe decides she wants one, too. Then Hunter comes out and he wants a Quesadilla. Sadye decides a Quesadilla will do, as long as she gets some grapes, too. As they eat, the mail man comes, and the rain is sure to come soon, so I send Austin to the mailbox to gather the mail. Our mailbox leaks, so we have to retrieve it quickly. Sadye decides to join him. Hunter isn't far behind, and the dogs run out with Hunter. Next thing I know, there are 2 dogs from a neighbors house, along with their 5 year old (no parents to be seen). I blink and here comes the next door neighbor girl (4 year old) riding her bike, and her dog is trailing. Her mom yells for the dog (Phyllis Diller) and goes back in, without even a wave or a holler to see if her daughter can come over. So here I am. 5 dogs, a 9 year old, four 5 year olds and a 4 year old. I decide to just tell the kids they can play, as long as they take their dogs home. CHAOS!

So, after chasing my mail around the driveway and yard and street, keeping kids away from the eggs in the bird nest on the rocks, keeping helmets on kids and not on the ground, failing at flying 2 kites, 1 smashed toe from a scooter (mine), many muddy feet and 3 (not 2) Advil, we settle down to make some cards. Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment. I thought while we made cards, I could get my 1 card done. 5 Easter cards later, the girls go home, Mike comes home, I gather up the stuff and toss it on my "Creative" space's table, and get dinner going. Or should I say, go get dinner.

Well, the guilt was too intense. I came home, cleared a 13x13 space on my table and made the card. Whew! That's done. And I actually made something on my table. Not the kitchen table, or the dining room table. Not on the office desk, or my work desk. Not on the living room floor or the counter. I used my table. And I'm so happy to see that 13x13 space sitting there, just calling my name.


Don't read on if you are prissy or easily offended. Same thing really.

(Oh I just have to add this. I just ran spell check and the 1 word I mis-spelled was vacuum. Spell check wanted me to replace Vaccuum with VAGINA! Gotta love spell check. I should have hit the replace all. "I love Vaginaing, I just hate to put the vagina away. LOL! )

So, I was playing again in Adobe. LOL! Like I don't have a TON of work to do. You know how it is. When you are so overwhlemed with how much you have on your plate that you retreat and call everyone in your phone book, organize the linen closet and the pantry, clean out closets... Well, I sit on my ever widening behind and play on the computer. Although my closets and pantry need some serious TLC. I played with this picture tonight. An absolutely beautiful shot of a an absolutely BEAUTIFUL young lady. Sara, love ya girl. The one above I used Adobe Photoshop, Tia Bennett heart and swirls from a Flourish and Bots line downloaded from Designerdigitals.com. The font is Autumn Leaves' Aunt Marie. The one below is all the same except the font is A Beautiful Mess by Elsie Flanningan, downloaded from twopeasinabucket.com. Totally having fun with this and looking forward to my digi class.

Here's another attempt at digital scrapping.

The frame is "Doodle Framed 2" by Tia Bennett. The arrows are "Doodle Arrows" by Tia Bennett. The star "tape" is "sticky tape" by Tia Bennett. The tag is "Doodle Tag" also by Tia Bennett, all downloaded from designerdigitals.com. The fonts are "A Beautiful Mess" by Elsie Flanigan and Grandpa both downloaded from twopeasinabucket.com. The rest was done in my old Adobe Photoshop.

This is totally Hunter. Stressed and untrusting. If there was a fire he would pull a George Costanza and push women children and elderly people down to get to safety 1st. I totally laugh at this picture. It's his "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?" look.

This picture was taken when we went Whale Watching in Hawaii. I tried one of those, but had more fun with this one. I went a little download crazy one night and decided I wanted to play with all my new goodies. This was way more fun. I still made some mistakes and I'm far from perfect, but I had a good time with it.

I signed of for a digital scrapping class on bigpicturescrapbooking.com. I need some help figuring some stuff out. I'm excited for it to start, but it doesn't begin until mid-April. Looking forward to it. If you liked what I've done so far, check out the class. There is still time to register. It's fun doing it digi. Especially when I walk in my scrapbook room and get overwhelmed just looking at the mess. It's half clean half disaster. So much easy to play on a computer with an uncluttered work space. Although, I am about to enter my scraproom and prepare a very late Thank You card for Joanna Bolick for the wonderful and amazing RAK she sent me. Check her out, she's got great photography and a fun blog to visit at http://www.tuesdaysfrog.com/journal.html.

I'm off to go create.

Ok, so this was my 1st attempt at a digital layout. The "stickers" are Rhonna Farrer's and were downloaded from 2Peasinabucket.com. I can see my mistakes, and not sure I like the "denim" pattern, but it was my 1st try, and I didn't want to go spend crazy until I was sure I liked it. I liked the process, but I so love the hands on of creating a layout. I love the cutting, the gluing, the painting, the textures... Plus I have to much "stuff" to go completely digital. I just had to try it, since I couldn't find my table under all the paper and stuff. LOL!

Yes, those are worms. I just shooed him out of the kitchen, which is the 1st place AJ went to display his hard earned pay for digging in the dirt. Somehow I think Hunter was way more impressed than I was, but not nearly as proud as his Dad. Hmmmm. Well, I'm proud too, but who gets to pick the crusty worms out of the dryer that were left in some little man's pockets? Much better than a dehydrated and dizzy frog. Yes my realities!

Cheeseburgers in Paradise

Aloha, all. We're back. Yes, this is really Cheeseburger in Paradise in Lahaina, HI on the beautiful island of Maui, baby. Boy, that burger sure was yummy. Austin ordered a hot dog that would put any ball park dog to shame. He was enjoying it so much until it missile launched itself right out of the bun and landed next to a man's shoe at another table. The tears were instant, and I swear, if we weren't going to slip on that dog on the way out, one of us was sure to trip on his big old bottom lip. Poor guy. We would have ordered another one, but there was still so much more food that we couldn't finish. We were able to calm him with some little drink umbrellas and promises of ice-cream.

Hawaii was great. It was bad weather all around us, but we were lucky. We found time to do about everything we wanted to do, even to take the beautiful road to Hana. Man, there are some large leaves on that island. Kisses Sara. The only thing I missed out on was visiting to lss. To you non-scrappers, that stands for Local Scrapbook Store. One of the most wonderful things was being in Maui during the humpback whale breeding season. So many whale sightings. We could tell you a tale of a whale, or a whale of tail, or a tale of a tail... Again, kisses Sara. Nobody got a severe sun burn, or any funky diseases, so alls good.

Mahalo Grammy. Mahalo Maui. Until next time, I'll just sit here with my shades and some Jimmy Buffet.

Reminiscing

I still remember playing kick ball, hide and go seek, skateboarding, and cops and robbers. I still remember being La Senora Che-Vo-Lette. I remember playing on the roofs, throwing things at people below, making a club house, or just looking for a place to be alone in my own thoughts and imagination. I still remember how it feels to be a kid, and to laugh from the gut. I still remember.

So glad to be home!

I am so glad to be home! Mexico was absolutely great. It was fantastic to see my family. I pigged out tons, yet lost a pound. I visited one of my childhood homes and walked the old neighborhood. Check out the pictures above. The top left is our old home. It's actually a group of homes, but ours was in the back and can't be seen from the street. The top right is a church on the same block we lived on. In front you can buy the best mini sweet gorditas ever. I have often longed for them. Yearned for them so much I could taste them. And, yes they were just as delightful as I remembered. The blue house is Frida Kahlo's old home and now museum in our old neighborhood. The rest are pictures from our streets. Yup, the old stomping grounds. What memories. Man, has it changed!

Well, it was a bittersweet trip. The family was great, and it seems like time stands still over there. Everyone looked pretty much the same, except for the younger cousins that last seen were kids and are now adults. I loved seeing everyone again, and missed my Tita tremendously. The food was amazing. So delicious, nothing like anything here. The pollution: HORRIBLE!!! The poverty so depressing. So many crumbling homes. Sewer stinky in most areas. So inexpensive. Such beautiful architectual accents. So glad to be home.

I totally missed my husband and kids. I'm so glad to be home with them again. I would think about them and want to cry. What a freak!! I was an emotional mess. I remember the poverty from before and being so sad, but this time it just took over my emotions. Maybe because I'm a mother now. That's all I can think. Maybe because I'm not a self-centered child or teenager anymore, and the world no longer revolves around me. I handed that orbit over to my kids. I don't know what it is, but it's talking me ages to get over the blues. If you say BOO, I'll cry.

So glad to be home for a short while. Just enough time to feel overwhelmed with work. Just enough time to clean my house. Just enough time to do laundry. Just enough time to pack for Hawaii. Yes, excited about the next trip with the family to step out of this funk. Hawaii will be totally different than Mexico, and very welcomed.

Did I mention I was so glad to be home?

2 more days!

And I'm off to Mexico for the 1st time in 20 years! Can you believe it? I have total anxiety. Here's why:

1. I'm flying internationally with my maiden name passport!
2. I'll be away from my husband and boys for 4 and a half days!!!
3. I'm so behind with my work for my job!
4. I'm so behind in my scrapping!
5. I'm 65 pounds or so heavier than when I went there last. No I'm not 165 or over, but I weighed less than 100 when I went there last.
6. I'm totally rusty on my Espanol. My sister has been forwarding e-mails from my cousin in Mexico, and I have to read them like 5 times a piece to even get a clue of what he's saying.
7. I still have no gifts made or together to take with me.
8. I haven't even started to PACK!!!!!

I do have to say that I did clean my whole house this weekend, and did all the laundry, minus 1 load. Ofcourse this was achieved with major help from Mike. Gotta LOVE that man! If it wasn't for him, I'd live out of the dishwasher, the clean folded laundry basket and walk on dirty floors. I figured out that I hate to complete anything. That's gotta be it. Love to do laundry and fold it. Hate to put it away. Love to do dishes and neatly stack it all in the dishwasher. Hate to put the clean dishes away. Tolerate cleaning the house, although sometimes I do love it secretly. I hate to clean floors!!!! So poor Mike finishes all the dirty jobs I can't stand. He puts away the clean dishes, helps fold and put away laundry and yes, he cleans the floors. Like I said, GOTTA LOVE THAT MAN!! In the mushy and overused words of Jerry McGuirre, Mike "You complete me".

So, we saw Pam and Tony. That was so cool. It's amazing that some people, no matter how little you see them are so much a part of you that when you finally see them, it's like you see them every day. A little catching up, a little gossip, some yummy sandwiches, and some silly kids made for a great day! Then yesterday, late afternoon, I get a call from Brad and Michelle, who we haven't seen since they got married over a year ago. They were going to be at Cory and Tricia's in Linden, and hey could we come. Well, Mike, Poker Stud that he is, was already running out the door for a poker game. So I loaded the boys, their Leapsters and my camera in the car and off we went at 7pm to go visit some friends. Again, like time stood still. If it wasn't for the kids running around, ofcourse. It was so cool to see them. Cindy came with Jessica and Cody, and I have to say, Cindy will be the hottest grandma ever. Cory is so proud of his kids it's simply beautiful. Tricia and Ally weren't there, but man, has Tyler grown! Brad and Michelle will never change and I'm so proud to call them my friends. They're just amazing, so honest and real. So after a little drinking (1 beer for me) and smoking (I know, yuck) and a very funny game of Texas Hold'em, I came home feeling really fulfilled. Well, I won. Thanks for calling, guys! Seeing you all was the true payout of the night.

Well, I'm off to make a list of everything I need to pack for Mexico. #1: CAMERA.

Check me out!

Today the boys had a grandparents tea at school. A quick half hour production of all the school classes each doing 1 or 2 short songs. Nice and quick. Unfortunately, they all did the exact same songs as last year. Also, my Mom is in Mexico, my mother-in-law had a meeting, I wasn't going to be able to run over to my grandma's town to get her, and I didn't want to get my Dad to drive all the way from SF, just for a quick little production. That was fine, the boys didn't notice it was just me. We made a special lunch trip to Mickey D's for McFlurries and came home to play. We had loads of fun. I'll add the picts or a pic once I get them downloaded.

Other than that, things have been busy. I've made progress in the scrap room. Both in celaning and creating. check out www.kitspirations.com to see the latest adds in my gallery. I attached the one I did with the Basic Grey challenge kit. How precious are Sid and Serafina? MMM, I just want to devour her like her brother is doing.

I figured out how to add a banner!! And what cuties! Incase it's been a while for you, Hunter is on the left and Austin is on the right. It took me a bit to figure it out. The help features weren't great, but by reading other people's instructions and trial and error, I was able to figure it out. I added it, but then messed everything else up. Not fun. Luckily I was able to fix it, and now there they are. Beautiful as can be and at the top, right where they belong.

I miss you all, and lucky me Pam is coming to visit tomorrow. It's been at least a year since I last saw the Poodle. I can't wait to take some pictures of her to scrap. LOL! I have a one track mind. Hey, it's my train, so deal with it.

I have been feeling creative lately. I've noticed my tastes are starting to change. I'm going with more messy, dooddley and colorful. Not just bright colors, but bold color additions. I had my hair dyed red to match my mood of color. Well, it was a rusty orangish/red. So, I tried again last night at home with the boys' hair girl. It looked like I had a head wound when all the goop was in my hair. After I washed it and looked at myself in the mirror I gasped. I had hot pink hair. LOL! Once it dried it dulled to a burgandy. Still not the color I was aiming for. I want fire engine red. I've always wanted it and will keep trying until it gets there. Then'll I'll go back to black. Lucky me, Mike is good with it all.

Things are happening!

My scrap space is totally use-ABLE! I did a layout in no time at all. Alright, it took me an hour, but mainly that was prep time in cutting up all my 2005 Christmas cards. Yes, I chopped you all up, but for senti-MENTAL reasons. Actually, I was using the December Kitspirations kit, so luckily I didn't need to go through the mountain of paper I have yet to sort. That mountain is only slightly smaller than Mt. Fuji (aka pile of pictures) I need to sort through. Still, I was able to use the open space on my desk, find the letter stickers and alphabet soup acrylic letters right away, as well as finding a black journaling pen without having to steal one out of my crop bag. All this without having to move anything out of the way or get a tetanus shot! I attached a copy of the layout. The journaling I did is inside the "Where the Wild Things Are" card on the 2nd page. Do you spot your card?

Alright, so last week I lost 4 pounds in 5 days. Last weekend I gained 5 pounds in 2 days. Kind-a like a 2 steps forward, 3 steps back routine. Maybe if I'd get up and took some real steps I could make this happen. I tried doing cartwheels on Saturday, but then my wrists felt the strain my poor feet go through daily, and I think it will take weeks for them to stop hanging limply every time I lift my arms. I just look prissy.

The boys had their 5th birthday party! Can anyone believe they are actually 5? Can anyone believe that it has been 5 years since I was a walking duplex? Can anyone believe how incredibly cute and amazing these kids are? I may be biased, but these guys just blow my mind! I promise I will upload some picts of them real soon. I got a new camera and have yet to load the software on my PC. Maybe because these wrists are still recuperating and I'm not spending much time online. Anyway, they had a great time at their Scooby party. They loved having friends over, and I swear my house will never fully recover.

The guys received way too many toys and entirely too much love and attention that they have outgrown their britches. Hunter says he is now in charge. He claims to be the boss of the famly (spelled as they pronounce it). I'm thinking he needs a ring for the rest of us to bow down and kiss. He's been living up to his boss-Y role and it's getting a little trying. At the same time, I just want to laugh. He stopped telling us that the police will come take us to jail if we don't give him what he wants, but he has replaced this with threats of calling the police so the policeman can give Mike and I a ticket.

The other little man has taken to bribery. Austin offers us money to get his way. 2 nights ago he was instructed to turn of his Leapster and get ready bed. This was followed by a bribe of $100.00 if I would let him play for a while longer. So tempting. Unfortunately, behind silent laughter, I had to play the responsible Mom and take the game away. That didn't go over well, but at least I didn't need to collect that $100.00 to pay off the cop Hunter vowed to call if he didn't get to keep playing. I wonder where Austin keeps all that money? He does seem to collect change from around the house, but it never winds up in the wash. Hmmmm? I think it's time to go play pirates and see if I can find me a treasure. Arrrr Mate-y!

What a dork!

So, I go to Target. I love that store, but sometimes their staff are not quite up to my standards. I have very low standards, by the way. So, the Fiorucci line is on sale, 30% off!! I've been wanting these pants, so I buy pants, a shirt, a jacket... I had gone in there to buy a journal for an online creativity class I am taking. I buy these clothes along with my journal and some cleaning supplies (that's where my neighbor told me I went wrong). Any whoo, when it's time to leave there, I'm rushing to get the boys by 12:30 and it's now 12:40. It's Friday and our Friday routine involves me picking the guys up early, going to Mickey D's to buy them McFlurries and me a 3 point Parfait. We go home and watch cartoons and play video games until Daddy's home and hounds us for being vegetables. I love Fridays. I digress, yet again. This is just how my brain works. Scarry, huh? Soooo, going through the check stand I'm rushing. I put all my stuff from my cart in the back of the car, along next to some snow chains and a bunch of jackets, and whatever lurks in the back of my car. As I'm pushing the cart to the mid-lot cart corral, I remember a time I left a case of beer under the basket for some happy teens, I'm sure, to discover. I look in my cart again to make sure I left nothing in it, and I'm safe there. I run, get the boys, get the McFlurries minus a Parfait because I decided I needed a real lunch I could make at home (Natural Doritos and a Lipton Green Tea Citrus qualifies as a real lunch). We settle down at home just in time for Dora and Diego's Big Adventure. I bring some of the stuff in the house, and leave some in the car. We had company that evening. Charlie and Dee Dee. For those who don't know them, they are ex-neighbors who moved to the hills, which I will never forgive them for, but will love them anyway. They are more like family, and great friends. Dee Dee was even there for the boys' birth, and several of the pre-natal appts before that. To them she is like a grandma, along with the 3 others they already have biologically. About an hour and a pizza later, I decide I want to show Dee Dee my new kickin' pants. They are not in any of the bags. I tear apart the back of the car, the bags in the house. No sign of my pants and the pink shirt. I call Target and the little girl with the high voice that keeps calling me ma'am, already some major negative points against her, tells me the bag is not to be found and if I have my receipt, to call her back and they will research the security cameras, I will then get new pants and a shirt. I locate the receipts after again tearing apart the back of the car, bags and now my purse and center console, only to find it next to my checkbook on my desk. I call back and they said they would call back after security watches the tape. She calls back with that high squeaky obnoxious voice and tells me that "sorry MA'AM, but security says you took the bag, pink shirt and all". I want to reach through the phone and wring her squeaky toy, little neck. How violent of me, totally non-characterist. So I tell her, I will look again, but if I don't find it I will go down there and will ask to see that video for myself. I proceed to tell my friends all this, and they're all hot about it. Mike is totally irritated by it all, and jus keeps shaking his head. I go to my room, and go to put the jacket in the closet, only to spy my cute pink shirt and pants hanging already in there. Like I said, WHAT A DORK!! So, I walk out to show the outfit to my good friend Dee Dee, and face the laugh and ridicule that was sure to come. Martin and Sally and the girls came by later, only to join in on the ribbing. I will call back to apologize to squeaky toy, but man how embarASSing!

Nothin' new

Well, not much is new. Still haven't gone to Weight Watchers. I have been trying to do the old Flex Points program, but unfortunately, the only flexing I do is the increase in daily points. LOL! Not really, but well.. Sometimes. I did lose 2 pounds last week. I then went to a Squirrel Feed and drank too much wine, so I'm only down 1 pound now. No, I didn't eat squirrel! Mike and Austin did. Well, I think Austin only ate duck. Hunter and I are strictly chicken eaters. Yes I know I ate chicken because it was white meat and I've never seen a squirrel with this big a breast.

I cleaned out a little of the boys' room, but not enough. I spent a little time cleaning out the scrap space and finished 2 projects I started in 2003. They didn't need much, but at least they are finished. I also completed a new Design Team layout for Kitspirations.com. It's a cutie, but I totally scraplifted. That's scrapbooking lingo for copied. Basically, I followed a sketch design from another layout I liked. It was one sided so I winged it on the 2nd side. In the scrapping world, this is totally acceptable as an original, but we all confess anyway.

Work has slowed down, so I've slept a lot to catch up on the lack of sleep I was getting. Other than that, not much has changed. Which is a good thing. I'm happy as can be, so no change is fine. If change comes, then we'll take it from there. Hopefully all the change I have coming is from the grocery store who then gives me change for a $20.00 instead of a $10.00.

Update

Allright, it's time for an update. Well, this week I worked like 12-14 hours a day at work, and was too wiped out to do anything else. Tuesday was not as busy and Mike and I cleaned out all the Christmas decorations. We downsized by like 5 boxes! We have a donate pile, garage sale pile and a lot got tossed with the trash. Then Mike started on our bedroom closet, getting rid of out of style and "dream on" size clothes. I joined him, but I'm still dreaming, so I only got rid of out of style clothes. Whose style, I don't know, but definitely not my style.

My weight hasn't changed, but I started counting my points today. Yes, just today. A whole week lost. I will re-join Weight Watchers Wednesday because that's the group leader I like the best. A whole new meaning of WWW for me. I will not post a before and after picture of this because the gross is way too gross and I may be violating some FCC violation or something. Plus I don't want to be the next poster child of one of the 7 big-ones.... Gluttony.

I haven't scrapped at all with all the extra hours I've put in to work, but need to do something this weekend. I received my January kit for Kitspirations, and that needs to be posted by Tuesday. How's that for motivation?

No time for blogging, I'm off to take a shower and start scrapping!