the girl who is soooo busy

You would think that once Christmas was over, I'd be less busy, but no, I'm more so. Most of it involves finding homes for all the stuff the kiddos got for Christmas and finishing everything put on hold for the Holidays. I have a long post planned with lots of pictures to share, but I have about 12 min before I have to get in the shower and then go to work...so just checking in, I promise more to come!

the girl who is celebrating!

Aren't you excited? It's my birthday!

Well, it's my middleman's birthday today! He is now three and full og himself. His big brother made him a "maraca" (sp?) out of a sprite can. lol! And of course, the simple toys are the best because the birthday boy just adored it!

Ohhh...too much to do, too much to do! I have 6 (or is it 7?) lo's to complete by tomorrow! Plus: make a b'day cake, go grocery shopping and all the other assorted stuff a mommy is responsible for. I guess the first step would be to get off line! lol! Pictures of the celbration to follow.

the girl who doesn't know much about blogger..but finally got her tree up!

Went to Target and got some fun, funky ornaments in bright colors. I tend to OVER-decorate my tree, but I love the look! SInce I don't know much (i.e. barely enough to post! lol!) about blogger, shots of the tree and some favorite ornaments are all separate entries. (sigh!) Anyone who wants to give a tutorial, please feel welcome to it!

I just got home from work about an hour ago. Everyone is asleep--including hubby, which is unusual. I've procrastinated long enough--time to work on this album for hire. I promised to have it completed by the 23rd, and I only have 2 of the 15 lo's done! The pics are of a beautiful Hawaiian vacation and I'm using mostly the Lucky line from Basic Grey. It's too perfect! If hubby fixes whatever is wrong with my printer/scanner tomorrow, I might let y'all out there in cyber space peek!

And the finished tree! I went very colorful this year--lime green, hot pink, aqua, blue, yellow, purple and silver. and TONS of lights. it's a pre-lit tree and I added another 5 strands of white and three strands of colored. LOVE those big globe lights I got at Target! 

DS#2's frog prince. He's my froggie boy so I hunt every year for frog ornaments. It's kinda hard, but I've been successful so far! 

One BIG snowman head! I think this one is DS#1's--I lose track until its time to pack them up again. At least I have the boxes labeled!

this ornament is just so beautiful! Another present from Mommy! 

in memory of my old britney spaniel, Jordan. My Mommy got me this ornament and I cried the year I got it! 

kissing snowbabies...awwwww! 

Raggedy Ann is a favorite of mine! 

Birds in nests are traditional German Christmas tree fare. I love this shot. 

DS#1's Christmas present to me! I love what they are doing in school these days, but goodness! This is a BIG ornament! 

I just love this santa--he looks so fun! 

I love how this pic turned out with the lights shining through! 

DS#1's first Christmas ornament. Isn't it adorable? 

Ornament I made in Girls Scouts a good 25 years ago. I still have it! 

DS#3's precious little teddy bear 

Star/Snowflake ornament from my Mommy 2 years ago. 

Parrot ornament for hubby. 

the girl who doesn't have her tree up

Yeah, I suck. But I have two little ones who can't be entirely trusted with ornaments and I haven't really been in the holiday mood. But I swear that I WILL get that tree up today! Of course, that means I have to get the house completely cleaned, the laundry put away and the living room rearranged first. lol! I have chronic "but first disease" I'm going to do this, BUT FIRST I need to do that...and so on.

I also think it's time I start advertsing my blog amongst my on-line buds. I started this thinking it was just for me, but only a week or so into it and I'm thinking its more of a personal validation thing. I like reading other chica's blogs (and if I knew how to link better, I would share with you right now some faves) but I also love reading the comments. I want comments! Please, please validate my mundane life and make me feel special! lol!

So...goal for today: get this house in shape and get that #$%^@ tree up!

the girl who is DONE with her Christmas shopping!

Well, it's done. The tree may not be up yet, the decorations are still hiding away in the the closets, but I have the Christmas shopping done. Even stockings! Let's hear it for layaway! I actually did the bulk of my shopping back in October. Went and picked up one yesterday and will pick up the other today. Then it's just a matter of wrapping and hiding the gifts until Christmas. Santa went overboard this year (as usual) and I'm looking back and wondering how we managed to accumulate so many gifts when we always start out with "One present from Santa, one present from us, an outfit and a pair of pajamas" It never works out that way.

On a different subject; my middleman has some speech and language delays and will be starting in special education pre-school in January. Unfortunately, the classes were full at our "home" elementary, so I need to go down there in person and beg them to accept my child. It makes no sense to me to put my three-year-old on a bus every day when the elementary school his older brother goes to is right across the street! And I do mean that literally. It's the only reason we allow our eldest to walk to school. Why waste tax-payer's money? So wish me luck!

the girl who wants to share

finally! a picture of us together!

Well, I had the afore-mentioned date with hubby, and it really was a great day--slightly hampered by the fact both of us stayed up waaaaay too late playing WoW. We strolled around the parks with a buddy of his and his wife, went on a few rides and generally just enjoyed being out without the kiddos. It was a blast, actually. And, of course, I can't go out any where without searching for scrapping supplies, lol. I bought a Spiderman comic book I have no intention of reading. Nope, I'm going to tear it up and decoupage a quart paint can with it and turn it into a bank for DS#1. Plus I picked up some Spiderman postcards I'm going to use to make an altered photo mat for a picture of him and the webslinger we had taken last year. Now I just have to get both projects done before Christmas.

I have tons of projects that need to be completed. I just need to priortize. First, I guess, would be getting those Christmas cards done and mailed out, lol. I figure as long as I have them out by Friday, I'm safe. Then I have a paid project that I will start as soon as I get the pictures! I'm excited to do this because it's going to be a perfect fit for my Lucky papers from Basic Grey. It's a Hawaian vacation and I can't wait to work with the pretties. I've seen the photos, they are gorgeous. Makes me wish I could steal away to the islands myself. The paid project is a matchbook album, altered canvas and some 12x12 layouts for the book I created last year for this couple. It'll be fun--I just need the pictures! My other outstanding project is an altered canvas and brag book for some friends at work. I'm planning on using my Christina Cole papers. Since they are having a girl, it gives me a chance to work with pink!

the girl who is excited

Very excited! and why, you may ask? Because I am going to Universal tomorrow without the kids! I know, I know, the theme park without kids? Yeah, but you see, my husband and I are trying a new thing. We have decided that we need to get out of the house more. So we are dividing up the month, he gets one day to himself, I get a day, we get a day together and we get one as a family. The point being...you MUST actaully LEAVE the house! Otherwise while one partner is trying to keep the kiddos quiet for the other one, you'll see that pile of laundry, you'll stumble over that toy, you'll get distracted by home stuff. My "days to myself" are never to myself. It just doesn't work out that way. So hubby and I are going on a date. We are actually going with another couple, but just joining them later since we aren't "all day" type of park people. And another thing that excites me: we can get pictures together! With another adult couple ther we might actually get a pic together. Since our most recent together pic is...uh, well I don't know.

Better get some rest. oooh! I'm excited!

the girl whose hair is everywhere

moi

This is an altered photo of myself I did for an on-line friend, Erin Keener (http://erinataglance.blogspot.com/). She is an exceptional scrapbooker, and I must say I am a bit of a fan-boy of hers. I made all this hair to represent my real hair. It's naturally curly and is always EVERYWHERE! I'd say, when it's down in all its frizzy glory, it's one of my most distinguishing features. There's a song--I don't remember the artist, I think Dashboard Confessional--where there's a line "your hair is everywhere" and it always makes me think of my hubby complaining about finding stray hairs inthe oddest places. I can't help it!

the girl who is joining the In Crowd

Never done a blog, never really wanted to. But I've noticed lately that everyone seems to have one these days. On line diaries. hmph, who would have thought that they would become some popular?

But there is a certain appeal. Keeping track on-line seems like an easier way than remembering to write in a journal. Since I am quite aware of my popularity, I hardly expect many people to read this, but it will be a great tool for keeping up with journaling for my scrapbooks. So I can justify it with more than,
"I just want to be one of the cool kids!" lol!

I think I've always been that way...coming into a trend too late, or not at all. I like things to prove themselves to me before I take the plunge. Please, I only got a cell phone about a year and a half ago, and even then it doesn't take pictures or do polyohonic ringtone, etc. It's just a phone. And that's all I use it for.

Of course, once I do jump on the bandwagon, I usually find myself wondering how I lived without such a thing. Hmph...I'm such a tool.