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.