the girl who is hinting

the girl who's house is TRASHED!

What is it about Christmas that just generates more work? for me! Who bought all the presents? Who braved Wal Mart on Christmas Eve to get something for the unexpected guests so they'd have a present to unwrap? Who cleaned the house prior to guests' arrival? Who wrapped all of the presents? Who refereed the Christmas chaos? Who made a big ass breakfast to follow? Who got stuck with cleaning it up? And who is stuck with cleaning up the rest of the house today? I'll tell you this...it wasn't Santa Claus!



Yeah, I know...bitch, bitch, bitch. Hey, I'm entitled!

Anyway, here is a little photo essay of making Christmas cookies for Santa. Evidentally, to make the proper cookie for Santa, one must do a LOT of tasting. My Zack quote to go with these pictures is: (after hearing Mommy admonish Matthew for the umpteemth time NOT to stick his fingers in the dough, Zack says) "Yeah! 'Cuz you'll get your DNA in the cookies and then Santa will eat your DNA!!! Right Mommy?" Um, yeah...right. lol!

Enjoy! I hope everyone else had a great holiday...in spite of my whining, I did!

the girl who is getting ready for Santa

presents bought?

well, um, mostly

house clean?

well...sheesh...not really

presents wrapped?

lol! that's funny!

cookies for Santa baked?

I bought dough in a roll, does that count?

um, yeah...I'm totally ready!

I even need to take a better pic of my tree! it kept coming out blurry...I suck, lol!

For fun...track Santa here and play some cool holiday games here (go to the office max tab on the bottom right...they are so much fun!)

And just to enable my scrappy buddies, beautiful stuff here to drool over!

Have a very Merry!

The girl who is looking back

So...back on January 11, I blogged about a few resolutions. Lately Life has been going pretty good and its all happened towards the end of the year. I've been thinking about those resolutions and thought I'd re-read that post and see where I am now.

Resolution #1: when certain circumstances have been resolved, I am looking for a new job. If I have to work, let it be a nine to fiver, Mon-Fri.

Well, thanks to the fabulous Jen, I have accomplished that. True, I did it with two weeks left in the year...but I did it! And,might I say, after a mere two days on the job I can already tell I am just going to love it. Everyone I've met has been so welcoming, my new boss is incredibly understanding and funny (even if she does wear a tiara and expect to be addressed as "Her Royal Highness") and I have such confidence in what I'm doing. Ok, so I've learned maybe five things in two days, still...it's just nice to be doing something where I feel like I'm useful, not merely a babysitter. Maybe that's why I started hating my old job so much...it wasn't difficult, anyone with a week's worth of training could do it. I'm going to feel useful at my new job, like my skills mean something. And that means alot.

Plus the pay is TONS better and the schedule (once we figure out the babysitting) will be much better too!

Oh, and those "certain circumstances" those were my husband and his employment. I'm happy to report that THAT has been resolved as well, to the very much better!

Resolution #2: I will try to scrap, and I will try to catch up, but I will not feel guilt if I cannot attain my goals.
I'm really not sure if I've "kept" this resolution or not. I've scrapped, but not regularly and lately for calls and contests. But...I've been good with that. So I just finished scrapping Halloween from 2005? What's wrong with that? I've done more recent stuff to. I've been scraping what I've "felt" like scrapping, not chronological. I'm resigned to never "catching up" and I'm totally fine with that! I did just complete 10 layouts over the weekend plus an altered box and 2 altered calendars. (check out here...praise me,love me!) And I did most of it for a call. But you know what? That call motivated me to scrap. It had a deadline and I put it off and finally scrapped in a mad, manic three day stretch. It was wonderful. You know what? Yesterday I did a little mini-album in an altered box for DH's b'day. In TWO HOURS! It was a mad rush, and there are a few things I'm going to "fix" now that I've already given it to him, but it was AWESOME to just let go and be spontaneous. I'll share a secret that will shock and amaze my scrapping buddies...I didn't pre-plan it or sketch it a bit! And it turned out rockin! So much so, I might use it as my altered item for Provo Craft. I'll post pics after I "improve" it.

Resolution #3: get published

At the beginning of last year I had already had one layout requested. In September, I finally got to see it in print. Wow! Since then, I've made it to the finals (along with the Jens) in the Effer's Last Scrapper Standing and had 4 layouts requested for pub as well as receiving an assignment for a layout from a publisher. I'm not bragging or gloating, I'm just ecstatic that it's happened and want to share. I may never get anything else pubbed again, and I'll be happy!

Resolution #4: try and find ways to get the happiness back.

I think that resolution 1 & 2 really are ways to accomplish #4. And I am happier now. I will be happier a month from now when we've had time to kick out some debt, and even happier six months from now when I look back at life a year prior. Things are looking up and I'm looking forward to more happiness.

And to leave you with a happy smile on your face...this ornament makes me smile.

the girl who knows

My response to an older Effer Dare, an entry into the Pub Calls Blog for the Dream Street album, a tribute to both Kristina Contes and Island Jen, and one of my favoritest layouts ever!

the girl who is FREE

Yep. Last day at the good ol' HRH. As much as I grew to loathe the place, I will be missing alot of the people there. I'd still refer people to work there and I'd still visit if I had the moolah (and didn't mind paying $6 for a liter bottle of water). It just didn't work for me, personally.

But, damn! Am I glad to be out of there!

I get to be unemployed for FOUR WHOLE DAYS! Woot!

the girl who is sharing a public service announcement

This is for the Jens and their Star Wars obsessed hubbies.

Just doing my part to educate the public!

the girl who is determined to have a date night

So, since I am leaving my job I turned in all my "star cards" (hey, nice job! cards) and got dinner for two at the restaurant in the hotel. DH and I were all set to go out on a "date" yesterday and we just couldn't find a babysitter!

So I changed the reservation to tonight and lo and behold, no sitter again.

Well, I needed to use this up before my exit so I asked hubby about taking the kids with us.

***insert evil look of death here***

So, no go on that but I really wanted to use this up! So I went and got take out. Hubby had the kids fed, bathed and in bed by the time I got home. We ate our dinner and then...well, then he went to his computer to play WoW and I went to go try out my new sewing machine courtesy of Santa Mom.

Sigh! The romance never stops in this house!

lol! Really, I'm fine with it. We're spending time together just doing our own thing. So its cool. At the risk of TMI, we sort of took care of the romantic end of things already today.

Now I'm off to practice sewing hearts and junk on paper.

the girl who is counting down...

A week from today will be the last day at my current job. I've been letting people know slowly, but surely and it's kind of nice to hear the sincere, "We'll miss you!'s" A couple of people have even pulled me aside to share their "escape plans."

And still work insists on trying to take advantage of me. I give a final date and they ask "as a favor" could I extend that date?

Really!

I'm thinking not so much. No incentive you know. Plus all the "favors" I've done for little or no thanks and the fact that my "favors" became taken for granted...well, these are just a couple of the reasons I was looking for other employment.

5 more shifts and I am outta there and off to alter staplers and roladexes and tape dispensers!

the girl who is in awe

I could never be so coordinated! My Dad originally sent this to me with the heading, "This guy can sure handle his balls!" I saved it and watch it every now and then, and now I'm sharing with you!

Of course, I had to go look it up on YouTube to link it here and discovered something...high school is playing out on the internet. (Big surprise, huh?)

Here is the back story. Chris Bliss is a guy who became famous for his juggling in the '70's. So much so, that he opened for musical groups on their tours, including the Jackson 5. This particular routine has always been popular--so much so that it is his signature piece. Imagine, 22 years of doing the same routine over and over. Yet he still makes it look impressive.

Enter Jason Garfield. He is a juggler for the 21st century and Chris Bliss is nothing but a "hack" to him. I'm sure that if I were a professional or serious amateur juggler I would know his name, but he's just a big, beefy, balding guy with a chip on his shoulder to me. Oh yeah, and he juggles. And he's impressive too, however...he cannot resist "dissing" Chris Bliss. (Say that 5 times fast)

From Jason:

It's fine if people like watching chris bliss's routine They should just understand that they are not seeing great juggling. They are seeing a performance that they enjoy for other reasons. Nobody should come away from his video thinking that they have seen a great juggler. His routine isn't about demonstrating how good of a juggler he is, yet people think that he is because they don't know any better. If you understand that his juggling skill is very basic, and that you like his performance because of any other reason, then we agree. Although his choreography is also not the best of its kind and with three balls it's very easy to choreograph a routine with tricks as easy as the ones he's doing in his video. And he lacks grace, and it goes on too long in my opinion. But if you like it for any other reason, maybe you liked the song, then it's perfectly fine for anyone to get enjoyment out of it as long as they understand why they like it and know that his juggling skill is very very basic and the routine is not technically challenging. If you think he's a good juggler, you are wrong. I taped a 5 ball version because...well because Penn asked me to. It is a parody and nothing more. A lot of jugglers have been getting emails from their friends telling them to watch the chris bliss video, thinking that we'll like it. It is upsetting to a lot of us that our friends would think that we would like chris bliss's routine. We know better. We see it for what it is and are not fooled by the music and the sloppy choreography. So now we direct our friends to this video to set them straight in case any more of them tell us how great he is.

Really? Is that necessary? That would be like me saying that Lisa B. is a hack because she uses stickers on her layout and nobody does that anymore, we make our own embellishments now. (keep in mind, this is just an example using the first scrap celebrity name that popped into my head!) Ok, fine. That may be the case, but Lisa B. helped bring Scrapping into the mainstream and helped popularize it among our generation as a fun past-time, just as Chris Bliss helped popularize juggling and earned a name for that routine. Expectations have changed, horizons have broadened and yet, he still does the same routine. Why? Because it is a good routine that people like. Professional jugglers may not agree, but do you juggle for professional jugglers or do you juggle for your audience? (Keep in mind, Chris Bliss is really a professional comedian now, who just happens to juggle)

So in a roundabout way, I'm sort of sharing a lesson. Do what you love for you and for who your intended audience is. Somewhere, someone out there will think you're amazing.

the girl who knows something

I know how Miss Jen solved her little problem.

And I am EXCITED!!!!

I am sooooooooo looking forward to work tomorrow when I get to give my notice.

I just gotta say....Thanks Miss Jen for thinking of me and having confidence that I would be the right person for the job. Not only do I get to go back to an office environment, at higher pay, 9-5 no weekends and holidays off...but I get to work with one of my best scrapping buddies!

Presents for the boss are going to be so easy!

WOOT!

the girl who is still in love

I say it every year: "I feel like I've known you forever, but we just met yesterday..."

Happy 8th Anniversary to us!

the girl who is twisted

My mother sent me an email with this video today. This is the text that was included with the email, which was a forward of a forward of a forward...

University of Iowa Farm Machine Music

This incredible machine was built as a collaborative effort between the Robert M. Trammell Music Conservatory and the Sharon Wick School of Engineering at the University of Iowa. Amazingly, 97% of the machines components came from John Deere Industries and Irrigation Equipment of Bancroft, Iowa, yes farm equipment!

It took the team a combined 13,029 hours of set-up, alignment, calibration, and tuning before filming this video but as you can see it was WELL worth the effort.

It is now on display in the Matthew Gerhard Alumni Hall at the University and is already slated to be donated to the Smithsonian.

So, after watching it again and again and again, I was entranced, but skeptical. Is this thing for real? It looks CG to me. So off I went to Snopes to check it out. And I was right! Further investigation reveals that I was right, it is CG.

So I get to pat myself on the back for being shrewd and observant, but at the same time...still be amazed! I mean, all the detail that is in this piece is completely AMAZING! Just being able to sync everything up sound, music, shadows, light...this is a completely astounding piece of computer art! So, enjoy it...but know what it is.

And while we are on the subject, let me just say, this is a weird quirk of mine. When someone sends me a forwarded email, I usually check it out. Not to truly share in what the sender is trying to share with me...but to prove them wrong. Twisted, yes I know. Snopes is one of my best friends on the web. If it's incredible or unbelievable, it probably is and Snopes has checked it out. Ironically, my mom is usually the one forwarding this stuff to me, but my Dad is the one who introduced me to the Snopes site. I find that funny.

Anyway, to continue with my twisted personality...I usually email a link from Snopes to the person who originally sent me the email. I guess I like to be able to say "I told you so..." indirectly because it's something that I try very hard not to do in person. Now what does this say about me and my personality?

Yeah, that's right. I'm twisted.

For the record, this isn't a new quirk. In Jr. High during the infamous "note wars" that pre-teen girls are prone to have (You know, the ones that read "you think you are so smart and so pretty, but you're NOT and nobody really likes you!") I would correct the note sender's spelling and grammar and send it back to them.

So I guess twisted goes back a long way!

the girl who is exhausted

4:45 am alarm goes off, drag self to bathroom to get ready for work

5:15 am leave for work, pick up Larry and Judy so Mom can go to dialysis

6:00 am arrive for work, go make coffee, pick up pastries and fruit cups, get store ready for opening

6:30 am open store

6:30 am - 1:00 pm whole lotta nothing, slow day, not much to do, leave early...but with a purpose

1:00 pm Larry comes back to pick me up, kids stayed home from school today...they caught my bug...the one I've had for two weeks. The one I won't go to the Dr. for because I'm afraid of antibiotics getting me pregnant again (explanation for Matthew)

1:48 pm arrive home, check mail on the way in--new CK and MM. Sweet! Change into something that is not a uniform and shoes that are not non-skid, steel toed...but look great and feel terrible after an hour

1:55 pm go to school for IEP meeting with speech therapist and school counselor

2:00 pm meeting: Ian's language development refuses to be categorized. He has an extensive vocabulary that he uses when asked to identify pictures....he even can grasp abstract concepts on the high end of his age range. However, he can't seem to use these words to put together sentences and follows no "normal" pattern. Therapist is determined, but frustrated.

2:35 pm leave meeting feeling frustrated too. Have copies of IEP report to give to independent speech therapist I have appointment with tomorrow

2:40 pm arrive home, call pediatrician to see if she can possibly squeeze kids in before closing time. No dice.

2:50 pm load kids into car to take Larsons back to their place, decide to take kids to After hours pediatrics nearby. They don't open until 5 pm soooo...

3:00 pm take kids to Great Clips in Target shopping plaza before Coo Pa is inspired to give them haircuts too. While there, stylist convinces me that she can fix Ian. (Did I mention Ian got a third haircut after Coo Pa's and Daddy's? Yeah, he took scissors to the remains of his hair--or someone helped him--and gave himself little leopard spots in the back. No pictures of that one. I'm DONE on the subject of haircuts) Zachary gets his Ashton Kutcher do trimmed, Matthew gets his surfer cut cleared from his eyes, and Ian...Ian is now a jarhead. Perhaps I will get a picture of that one.

4:00 pm didn't waste enough time, so off to Target (we happen to be next door, why not?) Stop by $1 spot and resist. urge. to. clean. place. out.

4:05-4:45pm wander Target aimlessly and somehow walk out $45 poorer.

4:45 pm attempt to leave Target...the Starbucks by the door lures me in for a Gingerbread latte. How did I spend another $21.00? Oh yeah. Advent calendar.

5:06 pm arrive at After Hours Peds after breaking Target spell

5:10 pm fill out three separate forms for three boys with one set of symptoms, one insurance carrier and one address, phone number and guardian info.

6:00 pm get called into exam area, Zack 51 lbs, Ian 35 lbs, Matthew 32 lbs Why is there only a 3lb difference between my 4 yo and my 3 yo? Is one too heavy or is the other too skinny? Should I find something real to worry about?

6:20 pm Dr. comes in. He is not one we have seen before. He probably shouldn't be working with kids. Diagnosis? Upper respiratory infection and Reactive Airway something...whatever, it sounds scary for kids who just seemed to have colds. Nebulizer treatments all around. Luckily, I still have a nebulizer from Ian's previous asthma therapy.


6:35 pm Doc leaves and we wait for prescriptions, excuse notes, etc.

6:46 pm leave AHP office and drive to...Target. Hey! It's close and their pharmacy is open until 9pm. Plus, I like the color coding and the cool red upside down bottles.

7:00 pm drop off prescriptions and go in search of something quick to eat in the Aisles of Target. Get distracted by their AWESOME soda selection, but disappointed they don't have Grapefruit Izze, just Black Currant and Pomegranate.

7:25 pm go back for prescriptions...they aren't ready. Decide at that point it would be a good idea to refill migraine medication. It is ready before kids' stuff is. I am starting to lose it but trying to avoid yelling at the little monsters who were too sick for school but well enough to rampage the aisles of Target when Mommy is running on little sleep, no food, lots of coffee and tight (but sexy) high heeled boots.

7:45 pm finally receive kids' medication. IT IS IN PREPACKAGED, SEALED BOXES!!! Why did it take 45 f*^&ng minutes to put this stuff into a bag?

8:08 pm arrive home again to 15 messages from hubby wondering where the hell I am.

8:15 pm kids are eating Spaghettios. Yes. I know. But THEY WANTED IT and it only took 45 seconds a pop to make them (and Mommy) happy. I am loading the dishwasher with last night's dishes.

8:30 pm the kids are done eating. The two youngest go off to the bath, the eldest sits down for his nebulizer treatment. This cycle repeats until all kids have had their turn. Realize that they will need to repeat this before and after school as well as the evening. Also realize that I will be leaving this up to Daddy and Coo Pa.

8:45 pm call out to work

9:16 pm Pajamas, lovies and tuck ins

9:28 pm call Mommy to gripe about bad day. Realize I am still wearing tight (but sexy) high heeled boots. Decide to leave them on because I know I will just be going out for Micky Dee's when DH gets home.

9:31 pm tuck kids in again after the last-ditch-attempt-to-stall potty run.

10:00 pm Hubby comes home starving because 1.) he didn't eat before work and 2.) I forgot to give him lunch money so he didn't eat AT work either. I am unsympathetic as I have yet to eat anything other than a single glazed Krispy Kreme sometime around 6:15 am.

10:05 pm leave for Micky Dee's and to fill dh's gas tank

10:19 pm arrive home with food, eat and watch dvr'd Criminal Intent. Very Good episode!

11:15 pm finally crack open CK. I debated between which to open first. Do I go for what I know will make me happy, or do I go for what I want to make me happy since the last issue sucked so hard core? I go with the known. I'll leave the unkown for when I'm bored.

12:35 am Suffer a hyperventilating episode. could. not. catch. my. breath. It freaked me out! (and totally ruined the mood of what was making me breathe heavy in the first place)

1:30 am quieting guilty voice in my head, I take a nebulizer treatment myself. Just in case. After all, the kiddos have 180 doses A PIECE, they can spare one for Mom.

It is now 2:20 am and either the Albuterol has made me hyper, or I am running on some weird sleep deprived high. I have just realized I have been up for nearly 22 hours. I'm off to have a smoke, look through my CK some more and try to go to sleep!

the girl who is just wrong

is it really wrong to think he would make a beautiful little girl?

shh...don't tell hubby I said that!

the girl who is thinking

Perhaps it's the spirit of Thanksgiving, but as I was reading the paper today, I was struck by how good I have it. Civil war is about to break out in Iraq, a 63 year old GRANDMOTHER blows herself up in Pakistan and her family is "proud." A guy takes two women hostage in Chicago on Thanksgiving--it ended badly. The usual "human face on the problem" stories about hunger, loss, abuse.

I have it pretty darn good.

I have three beautiful, smart children.

I have a husband who loves me (even if he doesn't clean house without a cattle prod)

I have a hobby that I love that allows me a creative outlet as well as a little bit of recognition.

I have friends who support and encourage and yes, gossip (we all need that!) with me.

I have a family in Florida that isn't by blood, but treats me as if I am.

I have a family in Texas that I miss so much, but who loves and supports me as if I was still under the same roof.

I have a job--it may not be the best, I may not be happy, but I am employed. And, I'm pretty confident I can get something better when I really pit my mind to it.

I have a place to live that is pretty nice (regardless of what my kids have done with it) and a pretty good landlord besides.

I have toys. These aren't "necessities" but I have them and they make me happy. A nice stash of sb'ing supplies, a dvr to recors shows so dh and I can watch them together, and a puter to surf the net.

I am thankful for all of these things and more. When I think about what I DON'T have, I am thankful too.

I don't have a terminal disease. I don't have an abusive relationship. I don't have an addiction (unless you count sb supplies) I don't have frostbite from sleeping on the streets. I don't have war in my front yard. I don't have danger in my life.

I am truly thankful for what I don't have.

And I pass that little nugget of philosophy on to you.

the girl who is planning

So apparently I have just agreed to host Thanksgiving dinner. I was planning on a small dinner for just us, but my bro-in-law and his girlfriend have no plans, so they are coming over. It was going to be simple and small and now with just two guests I feel the need to be more elaborate. I just made my grocery list and it feels enormous! Plus I work that day! But I'm out at 2 (possibly I can get out earlier) and I have Mon and Tues off, so it should be doable.

I hope.

So between now and then I need to go shopping, prep as many dishes as possible in advance and clean the house enough I'm not embarassed to have people over.

I will concede to paper plates and plastic forks though.

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

hee hee! I totally stole this off of Elsie's blog when I was doing my daily stalking. I guess that would be better than, "Beloved wiper of snot noses" I'm tagging the Jens to post their obits too!

the girl who is being quiet

My voice is fading in and out. It goes from husky/sexy to adolescent voice-changing-squeaky from sentence to sentence. DH says it's like nails on a chalkboard to him, so please don't talk.

Hmph!

He doesn't know me that well, does he? Its so damn hard NOT to talk!

lol!

Breaking out the NyQuil and the vaporizor with Vapo Steam.

the girl who mourns the loss

of her baby's beautiful hair! Friday, one of the teachers--with the best of intentions--mentioned to Coo-Pa that Ian was rubbing his eyes alot, it might be time for a trim. This is Ian before that comment. A little long, but beautiful!


So Coo-Pa--also with the best of intentions--decides that trimming bangs should be no big deal and he'll do it as a favor to me. Uh, yeah. This is Ian after Coo-Pa.


Then Aramis comes home, sees the hack job on his boy's hair (and we both loved Ian's hair) and goes ballistic. Next thing I know, he's hauling Ian off into the bathroom and I hear the "bzzz bzzz" of the clippers. This is Ian after Daddy's haircut.


The moral of the story? DON'T TOUCH MY KID'S HAIR!!!! Good intentions or no, just don't do it!

the girl who has decided

I'm no longer happy.

I am quitting my job.

Do you know what it's like to go in to talk to the higher ups about an issue you feel isn't being resolved and then have the issue dismissed and the meeting turned around into "you're on thin ice"

I've never been on thin ice before.

And it isn't even my performance...it's tardies.

And being put on the spot and asked, "what are you going to do and fix this?"

and only being able to answer "try harder to be on time?'

and not wanting to tell them everything that goes on in your life that makes it so damn difficult to get to work early--which is the expectation. And not wanting to say "if you dealt with what I did, you'd just be happy I got here at all!"

because you know they don't want excuses. Because you know that they don't really care. Because you really don't want to tell them anyway. And because you know you have been trying your ass off to get to work early even and it never happens.

And because you know you're at fault anyway and wouldn't accept these excuses from anyone else.

And still..you're so damn angry at them that they dismissed your problem entirely to focus on your faults you feel like just storming out right then and there. In fact, when I presented my problem, not only was it dismissed, I was told "I really thought you were going to talk to me about your attendance, not this."

I have never stormed out of a job.

But I so wanted to say, "You've made your position clear. While you're sitting there and telling me all the ways I'm a good worker. Alll the things I've done to make this place better. All the recognition and acknowledgement I have been craving for the over two years I've worked here and never gotten..you're still telling me that I'm close to losing my position for a non-performance based issue. Therefore, I should leave before you let me go and save you the cost of fighting my unemployment claim."

If I'm such a good worker, if I am so valuable, if I have contributed so much...why have I been denied SIX transfer requests?

why was I nominated for Employee of the Month by default?

Why was I never paid or acknowledged for work I did for the company AT HOME?

Why was I taken advantage of when "doing favors" and "just this one time" deals were tossed aside and it became expected, not rewarded. to such a point that when I complained I was told "well, we need to think of the business first."

I am not a valued employee. I am a position that they don't have to train someone else to do.

and I am pissed and upset.

and I am leaving.


*******
edited: ten minutes later, the world is a happy place again.

I got another pub!

toot!

the girl who runs a looney bin

So the kids are running around wild in the house playing "zombies" and Aramis stops Zack and asks him:

"Do you love your brothers?"

Z: "Yeah, I love them. Even when they cause trouble, they're pretty cool"

A: "You know you've caused some trouble yourself!"

Z: " Yeah, I know. Sometimes I stumble."

the girl who scored some candy

Ok, so the BOYS scored some candy, but you know...a good parent should always supervise their kids' sugar intake. No gum, no really chewy stuff and definately NO CHOCOLATE. It's terrible for kids! lol! Anyway, here are the boys in all their Halloween glory!

Zachary was a zombie pirate. oooooh! Scary! Of course the eye patch only lasted for the picture session, but hey, it was cool. And this from the boy who originally balked at wearing "make-up" It was only after I started calling it "face paint" that he relented.

Here is Ian. He LOVES his batman costume, it suited his shy nature to be behind a cowl, lol! He was the most hesitant about going up to doors, but he got the idea pretty quickly. His picture taking session yielded the fewest photos because he was moving so much! Of course you can't explain to a nearly four year old that Batman doesn't fly...he has a cape, doesn't he? Why wouldn't he be able to fly?

Matthew got the most pictures. He's adorable as Superman. Of course, with his hat habit, it was hard to convince him Superman did not need a Miami Dolphins baseball hat. This is my fave pic of his. ADORABLE!

And here is me in all my witchiness. Yes, I am the booby witch apparently. Not the best pic, but the photographer (DH) was a bit unwilling. Oh well.

All in all, we had a good time. We did a complete loop of the complex and were home by 7. A quick dinner and the boys were put to bed by 8 after being allowed ONE piece of candy. Yes, I am a mean mommy. Of course, it's 9:30 and they are still awake. Time to go persudae them it is in their best interests to go to sleep. Because once they are asleep, I can go to sleep.

And then everyone will be happy!

the girl who butchered a vegetable

two, in fact. All to create my Halloween Masterpiece! Yes, I bring you the CANNIBAL PUMPKIN!!!! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!



I can't take all the credit. Well, none, actually. the idea came from Extreme Pumpkin! Really, if you haven't carved your pumpkin by now, check out this site! It's completely awesome!

the girl who went to the patch!

Went a pumpkin hunting with the little ones yesterday. Ok, let's be realistic, I went to a photo shoot and bought a pumpkin to pay for using their props! Celebration is beautiful, but it's growing closer and closerr together. What used to be quaint is fast looking overcrowded. Beautifully overcrowded, but overcroded just the same. The architecture is just gorgeous, but everything is RIGHT UP AGAINST everything else. A little overload.

We went around 5 after first picking up Coo-Pa. I called Miss Jen before we went because I thought she might like to go and I could help her wrangle her kids and she could help me with mine, but she wasn't home. So Coo-Pa got drafted instead. I could tell he didn't realize what he was getting himself into, poor guy.

There was a wedding that had just ended while we were there. The bride and groom (although it was probably the photographer's idea) were posing in the patch. Somewhere out there is a newly wed couple with pictures of a hyper 7 yo running around, behind, in front of their shot. After my fourteenth "ZACHARY EMERSON!!!" I heard a familar voice say, "Now that's a familiar voice!" lol! Yep, I couldn't get ahold of Jen because she was coming to the patch too! By that time I had my shots and Coo-Pa was reaching the end of his rope (or looking for some to tie the kiddos up with) so we only spent a few min together. But we took pictures of each other';s kiddos! lol! Only scrappers! I must say, Jen has a good scrubby. He held jackets, corralled kids, and made encouraging suggestions. She has him well trained.


I love the pp pics! They came out great, but they made me realize how much Ian needs a haircut! Poor boy! He's cute, but he's all hair! And just try taking a pic with three little boys and get them to all look at the camera at the same time. ONE semi-decent shot. Acceptable, but by no means phenomonal. Oh well, it DOES show their personalities.

Today I have some stuff to do around the house. Namely laundry. It NEVER ends! I also need to get to the store and pick up some stuff to recreate my layouts for Blue Media and get those articles finished. Hopefully I'll get my house clean enough to invite Miss Jen over to help! And now, off to watch all the episodes of Numb3ers that I have saved and get some laundry done!

the girl who hab a code

**sniff!**

**snif!**

AAAAA-CHOOO!

nubbin much gobing ob. mad ab work, but wonb go indo ib.

(nothing much going on. mad at work, but won't go into it.)

Cute Zack story to hold ya over 'till I stop sneezing on my key board:

Taken from his school journal. The assignment was to write a paragraph on how you would make the world a better place.

(grammar, spelling etc mistakes intact for the cute factor)

"The way I would change the world is I'll try to make it rain candy. An other way Is I will try to make it rain toys. An otter way is Ill try to make it rain chochlit. (chocolate)"

now THAT would be a worthwhile contribution!

the girl who is terrible at updating

Yes Jen, I got the hint...eventually.

Ok, so why the long time in between updates? No reason, really, except I realized that I pretty much talk to everyone who reads my blog on at least a weekly basis, so it seemed redundant. But, since this started really as ssort of an ongoing catalogue of events in my life so I'd have sort of a reference library when I started to scrap these events, I guess that really isn't an excuse.

First, the sad bit of rollercoaster I've gone through the past couple days. I've mentioned my Florida Mom's on-going dialysis and hopes for a kidney transplant before. Friday afternoon Mom and Dad got the call that a kidney was available. So I rushed home from work to give them the van. Mom was tested and it was a MATCH! Joy! I went to bed knowing that the next morning, Mom would be getting a new kidney around 8:30 am. Around 10:30, I couldn't stand it anymore and called Dad for an update. That's when I got the news: apparently the kidneys weren't viable and the surgery didn't happen. Mom is understandably upset. Depressed. B;ack hole depressed. Dad mentioned how she didn't want to go to diaylysis that day. Now I'M hrt and depressed and saddened by all of this and it wasn't even a kidney for me! I can only imagine how Mom is feeling--and yet, what do you say? I don't think Hallmark makes a card for this.

A bright spot in my past week has been the return of Jim & Holly to the Hard Rock Hotel. They are comic book artists, Tarot Witch of the Black Rose and School Bites, respectively. They vist HRH every year around Halloween Horror Nights and I love seeing them. I will be so bold as to put them in my "friends" category, even though atm we may be merely acquaintences, that's more my fault than anything else. I have been invited to email and call, and I just haven't pursued it. I have this weird feeling of not wanting to intrude on anyone who has a cadre of fanboys. Don't want to be accused of stalking ya know. I have to admit a girl crush on Miss Holly. I get these alot. There is an inner part of me who has always wanted a wardrobe from Hot Topic and hair courtesy of Manic Panic, and I've just never embraced it. In a sense, Holly lives my inner-goth-girl life for me, so I love her for that. The two of them are such supportive people too! Artists living their dream and they were so encouraging when I bragged about my little successes and showed them some of my work. It just seems so much more important when someone who is a success in a related field is complimentary of your work, ya know? Now some may find it hard to make a connection between Scrapping and Comic books, but it's all art in the end.

Speaking of encouraging my little successes. It's been a good couple weeks for me in that respect. Blue Media has requested two of my layouts for an upcoming idea book. Not only that, but they've asked me to write step-by-step articles for both projects! AND Cantana Books has a call out for AAM pages for their upcoming book, "hip chicks". I submitted some to that call (which isn't over, btw, so get on it!) and I got an email back from them that was very encouraging. Now they didn't request a page for publication, but I'm hoping I'm on their radar so when the calls go out, hopefully I'll be one of those lucky ones with an email in my box.


The boys area as cute and troublesome as ever. Matthew is totally without fear--check out that shiner! No, we have no idea where or how he got it. He just suddenly emerged from his room with it. Boys! That's all I can really say about that. We finally got the results from all of his cardiology appointements, and--well, I'll admit to being disappointed. I had thought that I'd be getting a clean bill of health from the cardiologist, She seemed so encouraging last time. But no, he still has the hole between his upper two chambers and she said there was some small leakage in two valves. Still not at a point where we **need** to worry, but how can I not worry? He's my baby! (For all that he is a little shit too!) And he knows how to work it too!

Ian, of course, is still my little loverboy. Sweet, relatively calm (well, compared to his brothers the Human Tornado and Spaz Boy) and terribly loving, Ian is doing great in school--except for his speech. We still can't understand him even a third of the time. His teacher recommended we get private speech therapy to supplement his speech therapy at school. I tend to think two half-hour GROUP sessions a week just aren't enough for what my little guy needs.


Zachary has recently discovered all things Pokemon, so he's convinced that Pokemon cards are now the end all be all of toys. At least they're smaller than action figures, but we still find them all over the house. He lost ANOTHER tooth and, after taking a good look at his gap-toothed smile, I figured it's time to divorce Aramis and find me a nice orthodontist to marry. There's no way I'm going to be able to afford the braces this kid will need unless I'm sleeping with the provider! lol! He's still reading like a fiend. I'm thinking it's time to get him the EB White collection. Stuart Little, Charlotte's Webb, the Trumpeter Swan. I'm reading Jouhn Irving's "The Fourth Hand" again and there's a bit about these books and the bond they create with children and parents. It reminded me how much I love these books.

Well, there ya go. About a month's worth of blogging condensed to one page or thereabouts. I'll try, but I can't guarantee that I'll be better at this!

the girl who is unsure

So Zachary and Ian have school pictures tomorrow and Zachary really needed a haircut. So I took him to the shop today after school and--for some crazy reason--found myself saying, "Two for haircuts."

And then, inexplicitly, I once again heard that same voice saying, "You know, just chop it all off." Granted, I think it's been a year or more since I had an actual haircut. Hmmm, longer, in fact. I think the last haircut I got was right before my brother's wedding in July of 2005. I tend to forget I need such things. My hair was DEAD, split ends, frizzy and the weight of it was dragging out the curl. So I told her to chop off all the dead stuff. And so I have this now. Not sure, getting used to it. At least I'm not so caught up in my hair that I forget that it will grow back. It WILL grow back, right? lol! It's certainly, uh, bouncier than it was before. I'm going to try blowing it out to see how it looks. I didn't buy the $28 bottle of shampoo that was reccommended to me, but I did spring seven bucks on some anti-frizz serum. So I'm going to test it out. What's the vote on this do?

the girl who is so proud!

Look at this little man on his first day of school...has it been six weeks already? He just brought me his first report card. Second grade is his first experience with letter grades and I was a little aphrehensive about the switch. I shouldn't have been. He's a smart boy, I've always known that, but he's had some self-control issues, so I wasn't too sure about how he's been performing. Well...he got STRAIGHT A's!! He's so proud! He called his GrandMary and Pa in Texas himself to tell them and has been waiting for the phone to ring so he can tell anyone who calls, lol. So if you call and he answers the phone...be prepared!

the girl who is just here

been sick. been disappointed. been angry. been confused. been hurt.

all different reactions to different things.

just letting y'all know I'm here, but not here.

everything will be fine, not wanting pity or anything like that, just lettin ya know.

the girl who is testing

what do you think?

the girl who is sharing her lessons

Lessons learned when making boob prints for a layout:

1. Lock your door. You cannot afford the therapist bill your children will run up.
2. If you do not tell your husband what you are doing, he will assume the worst.
3. Once you do tell your husband what you are doing, he will call you and all your scrapping friends "freaks."
4. Apply paint evenly--otherwise one boob will end up looking much bigger than the other.
5. Practice, it takes some time to achieve the perfect boob print.
6. Boob prints look most natural when you turn them upside down. I don't know why.
7. Do not cover the entire areola with paint, or you will end up with nipples on your creation the size of saucers.
8. The entire boob does not print--at some point compression makes it impossible to get the complete boobage on paper.
   
9. It is necessary to squeeze boobs together when stamping, otherwise you will end up with a 2 page layout.
10. No matter how many times you practice and how many combinations you try, you realize it isn't the paint--one boob really IS bigger than the other!
    

the girl who has a charmer

Just look at this face! Isn't he a cutie? and a charmer too! (yeah, I know the picture is blurry, but still...) And then he turns around and trashes something or tells me "No" and crosses his arms with a "humpf" (which is still cute, but unacceptable) and the only thing that saves him is...he's just so darn cute!

I bring this up because the past two days have been dr's visits. He had his cardiology check-up yesterday and his neurology checkup today. He is fine. He is better than fine. He is..gasp!...completely healthy! Yet, both dr's want to continue to evaluate him. will it ever end? Can I just have a normal baby? The cardiologist ordered another echocardiogram for his heart to see if the last hole has shrunk--she thinks it has since his murmur is much softer. It may even be completely closed (crossing fingers). After that, we'll evaluate, but it doesn't sound like there will be a need for surgery anytime soon. Possibly ever.

The neurologist loved him, saying he listened and followed directions better than most four year-olds who come to her office and that she was satisfied with him reaching his milestones and at how well his speech has come along. So, another checkup on him in six months and hopefully this farce will be over.

But back to the cute factor--why did I bring it up? Because he had every nurse and dr, and quite a few of the patients waiting to be seen, wrapped around his tiny, chubby finger. Smiles, "awwws", giggles, and "how cute!"s followed us wherever we went. I think I have an heir to the title!

the girl who made a card

for the poppy ink dt call...what do you think?

the girl who is submitting

Made through the first round of Last Scrapper Standing, along with my talented chicas, Island Jen and Cool Jen. Got the submitting bug now!

Just submitted this lo (left) for the Pub Calls manufacturer challenge for Arctic Frog.

And I'm submitting to the Poppy Ink design team. This is one of the three lo's I'm sending in (right).

The only problem...I have to make a card and I realized I'm card challenged! Working on it though. It's like a mini canvas for a page...it's allowing me to try out some combos.

We'll see how it goes.

Wish me luck!

the girl who is catching up

So...what does everyone think of my additions? lol, I'm learning still, be kind.

First item of importance is that Zachary lost is first front tooth. (Isn't he adorable with that gap tooth grin?) I just love the look of a little boy with a gap in front. It's sooooo adorable!


Then, of course, the next big topic would be going back to school. In preparation we took the boys to have their hair cut. Yes, we let it grow out during the summer and cut it the weekend before school started.

Bad idea.

Everyone else was doing the same thing, so things were crowded, to say the least. Yes, that's all three of my boys taking up booths at the Hair Cuttery. Bim, Bang, Boom! Matthew took the longest and came out the most uneven, but he's two, it will grow back...right?

Take a good look--this is what school supplies for two kids look like, and this isn't even the wide angle shot. I understand teachers have limited salaries, but why, oh why, are there things like Plug-Ins and saran wrap on these lists? Only the fact my mother is a retired teacher and I know what it was like keeps me from saying anything, but, still--plug ins kinda piss me off.

And last, but not least, here is Mr. Zack on the first day of school. He cooperated for first day pictures, Ian did not. I will probably fake it later just so I can have a page, lol!

That's it in a nutshell--I know, kind of boring, but I can't always be living la vida loca! Tomorrow starts 8 days straight of opening shifts, then I get a four-day vacation. Not that I can afford it, but I need it. Nothing planned except some Dr's appts, letting DH take an out-of-town excursion without the kiddos and getting my scrap on.

To quote miss Island Jen (who so deserves quoting) "Love, Peace, and Scrap!"