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!

2006 Goals

I'm in much need of organization. My #1 2006 resolution is to organize my life. I'll start by organizing my home. I started organizing my scrap space, since I can't get any scrapping done. I have the top of my scrap table organized, but now I need to tackle some embellishment, paper and picture organization. I'm also tackling my home closets and cabinets. Out with the old to make room for the new. I don't know how my home ever got this way. As a teenager and young adult my stuff was so organized it was almost creepy. Then came kids, and then having stuff out of site is all I needed to feel like my house was clean. Problem is I risk major head injuries everytime I open a cupboard or closet. So, I started with my scrap space, bill filing to prepare for taxes and next will be my kids closet. They got so much for Christmas that I really need to make space for the goodies by getting rid of the no longer played with toys. They also wear clothes that are floods or have holes when they have so many things still hanging with the store tags. So let's see how far I get.

Weight loss. Yes, it's the old standard New Year's Resolution. Last year I wanted to lose 35 pounds. I lost 15, but gained back a bit. I'm now 10 pounds lighter than 01/01/05. Back to Weight Watcher's I must go. I mean Hawaii is only 2 and a half months away and I'm no where near decent bathing suit weight. Oh, well. It's a long term goal and I'll take baby steps. Hey, I didn't gain it all in 6 months or even a year. My goal will be to lose 10 pounds before Hawaii. Let's see how that goes. Then I will make a "by summer" goal, and finish with a "by my birthday" goal.

I also have scrapping goals. 1 layout per week or 4 a month. That will be more achievable once I finally get my scrap space workable. Mini books will count as 2 layouts as long as they are for me, and not for gifts. Maybe this way I will get some albums caught up and some of those pictures out of boxes.

Wish me luck!