Playtime

Here are two layouts I did using the Playtime Collaboration Kit at After Five Designs.

Journaling: Meagan, when you smile, your face lights up, and your eyes sparkle with joy. You have the ability to bring such joy and happiness and laughter to a day of mundane happenings. You can lighten a mood with a look or a sweet word or a gesture. It's such a precious gift from God to be able to brighten the world the way you do. I truly hope that as you grow up, you will begin to share more smiles and less sass. You're like a real-life pocket full of sunshine, and I love that!

Journaling: What I love most about this day was how hard we all laughed trying to get our kites to fly!

Spring Break Updates

I thought as I'm sitting here eating lunch, I'd give a quick update on our Spring Break week. The kids have been pretty good, all in all, as far as attitude goes... although Meagan still insists on fighting me on everything. She can be exhausting!

The boys did their trial class of gymnastics, and LOVED it! They both did really well, actually, and caught on very quickly to the skills and such. Isaac's focus was a little all over the place, and he did lots of bouncing around in between turns (he and Meagan are a lot alike in that respect... neither one of them can seem to sit still... ever!). Other than that, though it went really well. They came home and found ways to practice their vaulting and floor exercises in our house. Of course.

We did find an Old Navy that's not too far away from us - maybe a 30 minute drive. So we got the boys each an Easter outfit for this weekend. And the kids saw the Easter Bunny at the mall. We didn't have time to stop to get pictures taken, but the Bunny did give them each an egg with prizes inside... that was worth the 30 minute drive, as far as the kids were concerned!

Bits and Pieces

Let me just start by saying that it is almost 11:00 at night, and all three kids are still awake. Church at 9:00 in the morning is going to be interesting.

Anyway, we survived April Fool's Day with no known pranks....well, other than Isaac telling us that he bought a cow, and then shouting 'April Fools!' before I even had a chance to process what he had said to begin with. That was pretty cute.

Yesterday was the kids' last day of school until the Tuesday after Easter, so I am bracing for a shift in attitude and behavior - you know, the kind that inherently comes when they get out of routine...say, like being awake at 11:00 at night. We don't have any really big plans for break, because I am still working Monday and Thursday, but a few small things. The biggest excitement that the boys are looking forward to is a free trial gymnastics class this Tuesday. They've been asking for months now to join gymnastics, but I haven't been able to let them because of the timing of the beginner boys classes...there's just no way we would make it there on time without the boys missing a big chunk of school every Tuesday...not for gymnastics. But, since there is no school, missing school is not an issue. They're pretty pumped about it actually.

Other than that, we may have to go Easter outfit shopping for the boys - and regular clothes shopping for me, as my pants are all rapidly developing holes in inappropriate places...EEEK! Meagan and I did ran some errands yesterday, and we stopped at the mall to go to Old Navy, only to find that Old Navy no longer exists in our mall. So we ended up making an over-glorified potty break at Barnes & Noble, and then leaving...pretty pointless trip actually. So I have to go online and see if there's an Old Navy still in existence anywhere near us (I'm only hung up on Old Navy because I have $75 of gifts cards that I want to use up).

In other news, Meagan has been making big birthday plans for the last few days. She is having a Tinkerbell party. We have already gotten the decorations, the plates, the cups, and all the other party necessities. She has decided she wants to have her party at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and she wants to have a big giant pizza, or maybe hot dogs, for her food. Really, she just wanted to have cupcakes for her food, but we finally settled on actually feeding people something other than cake. So anyhow, she wants cherry chip cupcakes because they're pink. And she wants green icing with purple sprinkles because her decorations are green and purple. And she has a list about a mile long of things she would like to have for her birthday. That girl is not lacking for a wish list, that's for sure.

Hmmm... other than that, we've been kind of going about life as usual. Lucas is actually not working this weekend, so he decided to work on the van instead. And as for me, I finally got around to getting groceries for the week, so we don't have to survive on the randomness that we've loosely called meals as of lately.... like the night we had a combination of cereal (for the kids), tuna sandwiches (for Lucas...definitely NOT for me), and cheese and crackers (that was mine) ... after which we had completely run out of milk (the reason I didn't also have cereal with the kids), cheese, tuna, and bread. Nice, huh?

Just Married

I almost forgot to post this layout! How could I??? This is one of Great Grandma & Grandpa H.'s wedding pictures... as they drive off into the sunset (LOL). Aren't they cute?!

Credits: {Matahati Designs} - Vintage Charm

M{eagan}

Another Meagan layout using another new kit by Bren Boone - the kit is called Power Crafter.



These pictures are also from summer vacation last year. I may end up using them again on another layout because I really like them!

Fun Is Good

Here's a layout I did over the weekend with a new kit by Bren Boone that comes out tomorrow...'The Best Thing Ever.' These pictures are from summer vacation at Grandma & Grandpa H.'s last summer. Grandma took some AMAZING bubble pictures. I know the layout doesn't do the pictures justice, but I liked all of them so much I had to include them all...thus, they're a little small. Oh well. The quote is from Dr. Suess's One Fish Two Fish. "If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good."

Staying Afloat

Every now and then - maybe once a month or so - the school has a 'swim for $1.00' day. After school, instead of coming home, the kids get bussed to the aquatic center for about an hour & a half of swimming. Last Wednesday was that day for March.

I went to pick the boys up a little after 5:00. On the way home, as they were recounting their adventures and fun, Sebastian said, "Mom, I wish I could swim in the deep end, but I'm not allowed to yet." As I talked to him about it a little more, I found out that one of his friends in his class has passed the swim test to be able to swim in the deep end. Sebastian, however, is great at swimming under water, but cannot swim on the surface very well.

This led to conversation about past swim lessons, and led Isaac to offer his two cents on the matter. "Well, I know how to swim because I learned in my swim lessons. I just move my hands and feet around really fast so they're floppy....it usually works, only sometimes I go under water. But I almost always pop right back up."

LOL! I love that kid. He has such a great outlook on life! I guess it's all in the technique (and in hoping you resurface quickly when the technique fails you!)

Needless to say, I believe we'll be getting them some more swim lessons this spring or early summer. I think Sebastian might be looking for something a little more definite than floppy hands and feet.

Fever in the moring...

Over the weekend, the kids developed a bit of a cough, but this morning, Meagan woke up with a fever. Bummer. Poor girl, when I went in to get her up to get ready for school, she said, "Mommy, I just want to stay in bed and keep sleeping because I feel sick." I picked her up to carry her downstairs (for the sake of making some form of forward progress), and she felt pretty warm. So, while she was nibbling on a banana and some yogurt, I checked her temp. Not bad - around 100 - but it still qualifies as a fever, so no pre-school for her today....which meant taking her to work with me.

We packed a bag of coloring books, Polly Pockets, DVD's, and a few snacks, and headed out. She actually did rather well...especially considering the wide open potential for all things Meagan! We really only had a few moments of Meagan-ness, and all but one of those were pretty typical 3-year-old goodness. For example, she tried to pour her own water from the water cooler...had a little mishap, so we ended up watering the plant in my office with the overspill. Another example...we were having the carpet laid and finished today at the church, so we were laying out these carpet tiles to find where we wanted to place these accent tiles. Well, Meagan wanted in on the fun, so she picked up the tiles and moved them around a few times. The only incident that made me bust out the full-name, mom-is-serious side of me was when she used my PAID stamp and a black ink pen to decorate a check that I was getting ready to mail out. Needless to say, I had to void that check and rewrite it. Really it was no big deal, and it was my fault for setting all of those things out and then leaving her in my office for a few minutes without supervision....really, what was I thinking?

So, now we're home. We had a late lunch, and a late nap. She's upstairs laying down, and coughing like a maniac. I'm not feeling like the cough medicine is doing so much good, so I have a call into the doctor as of now. Hoping for a good rest (although I'm not holding my breath), and maybe a good night of sleep! Also, hoping no one else comes down with anything. Yuck!

tidbits

While our breakfast blueberry muffins are baking (which we're having primarily because we're out of almost every other kind of food), I thought I'd post a few stories that happened through the week.


SHOPPING WITH MEAGAN:
Meagan and I played hookie from story hour. She wasn't in the mood to go, and, truthfully, neither was I...I figured in those circumstances, it wasn't really worth the struggle. Instead of going to the library, we dropped of recycling and then headed to Wal-Mart to get 'a few things' (does anyone else have those trips when you go for two things and you walk out with several bags? it was one of those days for us). I can't even really remember what we went there for, it was so boring, but as we walked past the clothes section, a dress caught Meagan's eye. She grabbed it off the wrack, hugged it to her, and said in the sweetest little voice ever, "Oh momma, it's the most perfect thing ever!" Uuuuh, how do you say no to that? Anyway, as we went in search of the right size for her most perfect dress ever, I realized that they actually had quite a few really cute dresses and clothes priced really cheap. So, we ended up with probably five or six dresses, a pants/jacket outfit, and a Tinkerbell shirt for Meagan, plus bathing suits for all three kids. And a few other things snuck in for birthdays or Easter.


OVERHEARD:
Last weekend, Sebastian went roller-skating again, so Meagan and Isaac were the only two kids around. It was a beautiful, warm and sunny day, so we got out the cars (at their begging and pleading) and let them have an open derby in the yard. They played outside all afternoon, and seemed quite happy. But Lucas said he overheard Isaac at one point having an interesting conversation that went something like this:
(In a nice, not-at-all mean tone of voice) 'Meagan, could you just not talk to me for a while. Sometimes I try to get through the day with nobody talking to me, but it's just like everyone always wants to say stuff to me. I just want to be quiet and not talk.' (Is that Lucas' child, or what! LOL)

CLEAN-UP:
Yesterday was the kids' second Friday in a row that they did not have school. Last Friday I gave them the day off to do whatever they wanted, so yesterday I put them to work. For the first part of the morning, they weren't too on-board with the cleaning plan. They SAID they were going to help, but when it came to it, they really just played and tried to look busy. After a little 'talking to,' we had lunch and then continued on with our chores (I had been hoping we would have been done by then, but I had told them that we were going to work until the job was done, no matter how long it took). So back to work we went. I'm not really sure what brought about the change of heart, but they were VERY helpful. They got all the toys out of the living room. Sebastian vacuumed the living room floor, the couch and chairs, and even took the edging tool and vacuumed around the edges of the walls. Meanwhile, I gave Isaac and Meagan a bucket of soapy water and two cloths, and they scrubbed the entire kitchen floor, the cabinet faces, and the closet door. Nice. The also made their beds and picked up their room. Even after we were done and I had released them to playtime, they were still being helpful and NICE to each other. They were sharing, they were helping each other with problems, and they offered to help clean up after dinner!

WHAT DID YOU SAY?:
I don't think I've told you this yet... sorry if it's a repeat. During Super Bowl, I noticed something that struck me as odd. When a commercial came on that caught the kids' attention, they all stopped and watched it....then Isaac cracked up laughing and repeated what he thought he had heard. But whatever he said was nowhere near what had really been said. His repeat words sounded like gibberish.

So the next time I talked with his teacher, I asked her about doing another hearing screening for him. Well, about a week ago, we got a notice from the health department that he had not passed his hearing tests (they did two tests on separate days to see if they get the same results). So yesterday we had our follow-up with our family doctor, who then referred us to a specialist. We go to see the specialist sometime in April. We'll see what happens then.

Catching Flies

I took these pictures of Meagan last summer at the zoo. For some reason (not entirely unlike her), she wouldn't just sit and smile at me. She insisted on making funny faces and sticking out her tongue. What a clown!

Credits: {Ziggle Designs} - Forest Friends, Vintage Square frame; {Katie Pertiet} - between the lines alpha brush set

Conferences

Tonight were parent-teacher conferences for the boys. Isaac's was first, and he got to guide us around the room and show us what he does during the school day. We also talked to his teacher for a few minutes. She had lots of good to say - he is a quick thinker, he participates well, he's learning quickly, and he's always helpful. She also made a note to mention that he sometimes has trouble managing his emotions, and she wondered if we have the same issues at home. YES WE DO. So we talked together about some of the things that we find at home that help him settle down. I really like that she wants to work with us so that we're being consistent in both places. She's a sweet lady, and a great teacher!

Sebastian's conference was right after Isaac's. More good stuff to report. He is 'secure' in everything except time management. LOL - He's MY child!! She said he is a little disorganized in his approach to problem-solving or accomplishing tasks. She said he is always running right up to the last minute. (Again, all I can say is, I have a feeling he learned that from watching me...oops). But, seeing as I am trying to work on my how I use my time, maybe we can work on some of those same things with him.

Now the kids are all sitting at the kitchen table doing scribble art together. It's a pretty quiet and peaceful evening around here...kind of nice really. The best part of it, by far is that they are working nicely together, sharing, talking respectfully, and making projects to give as gifts to each other. I'll take more nights like this any time!

Free Digital Kit

I thought I'd pass this along for anyone who is interested. Scrap Orchard's designers all got together and made this great collaborative kit, and they're giving it away for free! It's gorgeous! You just have to work for it (but only a little...doubt you'll even break a sweat). It's a blog train: follow the links, starting at Scrap Orchard, from one blog to the next. At each blog, you can download a piece of the kit. Eventually you'll end up back at the Scrap Orchard blog, and you'll know you've gotten all the pieces of the kit then.

Click on the kit preview to get to the Scrap Orchard blog.

Up in flames

For longer than I can recall, our microwave has been, shall we say...MALFUNCTIONING. It does all kinds of cool tricks...like cracking things, for example. In the course of the past six months or so, we have cracked the microwave plate (that came with the thing to put in the bottom to set the food on...you know, the one that's SUPPOSED to be in there) and then another makeshift plate we used to replace the original plate. We've also managed to superheat one of our microwave-safe casserole dishes until it cracked all along the side...now it's a goner!

Cracking porcelain and glass isn't the only trick that thing can do! Oh no! It can also burn holes through popcorn bags and paper plates! A few days ago, I made Isaac a breakfast burrito in the microwave, and his paper plate came out with about a 2-inch diameter brown spot on the one side of it. A few times we've made popcorn and a hole has burnt right through the bag, which leads to popcorn kernels ZOOMING around freely inside the microwave.

And it's popcorn prowess is not limited to merely releasing the kernels from their paper bag prison. There's more! Sometimes, it absolutely refuses to pop the popcorn at all...it will go through the entire 3 minute cycle without so much as a single pop. That's a neat trick. OR, It will burn the kernels in a matter of 90 seconds, leaving us with char-corn...the kids have lovingly dubbed that trick 'cow plop' (mostly because it smells THAT bad in our house after the popcorn burns).

Well, last night, Lucas and I were having a date of sorts, getting caught up on our tivo'd shows, and Lucas asked if I wanted some popcorn. My response was, I don't think we can have popcorn because of our dumb microwave. Well, he, being the determined man that he is, decided HE would be able to magically make the microwave cooperate. So, he stood watch as the popcorn popped. From in the living room where I was waiting and listening, it seemed as though, from the fairly constant popping, that he was having some success. However, just as I heard the microwave door open, I heard him say something along the lines of "Aaahh." Turns out he was too slow, and at the last second, the bag actually caught fire. He put it out quickly and managed to salvage about 1/4 of the popped corn, but it smelled like fire, so we canned the whole thing and resorted to tortilla chips and queso dip (although we were slightly nervous about heating up the dip, so we did it on the stove top).

Needless to say, we deemed our dumb machine to be an official fire hazard. Today we took a family outing to Menards and bought a replacement. Tonight we had popcorn for a snack. No burning. No laser beam holes in the bag. No cow plop.

Life is good.

Mismatched

I've been wanting to post about this for a few days now, but haven't had the free time to sit down and actually do it. Tuesday, we were getting ready to leave for story hour at the library. We were all set, with the exception of shoes and coats. I set Meagan on a mission to get her shoes on while I rounded up library books to be returned. It wasn't long before I heard, "Momma, I can't find the other one. Can you help me?"

I turned to see what she needed, and found her with one brown shoe on her foot. The other was shoeless. We looked quickly through the shoe drawer with no luck. I made a suggestion or two as to some other shoes she could wear. She picked one. Not one pair. One shoe. A hot pink one. "I think this one will be fun to wear with my brown shoe," she said. I nearly started to tell her she couldn't do that, and then stopped myself. I realized there was absolutely no really good reason I could offer as to why she couldn't wear two mismatched shoes. So, I simply responded, "If that's what makes you happy." "It does make me happy," she said. That was the end of that. We left for the library...one pink shoe and one brown.

I'd retype the journaling, but it's just a shortened version of everything I just told you! :)

Credits: {Ziggle Designs} - Forest Friends; {Amber Clegg} - Date It stamps; {Katie Pertiet} - buzz brushes; {Something Blue Studios} - worn photo overlays; {Michelle Coleman} - hand stamped alpha

Working on Time

I've not forgotten about my posting duties...in fact, I have a few little things in mind. This, however, is not going to be the time that I post them. I have something else on my mind at the moment.

For the last few months, things in my life have been being rearranged - some very small things, some more significant - from the way I approach laundry to the commitments to outside events, and so on. All of the changes that have taken place, and are still in progress, are leading to one thing: being more intentional and purposeful with my time that I have in each day.

For those of you who know me well, it may not come as a surprise to you when I say that I manage to waste a good deal of time in a day. Without meaning to. But I come to the end of the day, and the time is gone, while the list of things to do is not. Which means one of two things (or a combination of both) : 1) I've got too much in my schedule, or 2) I'm not using my time well. I think it's both. So I've been really thinking trough how I can address this. I'm tired of wasting time. If I have down-time, I want to intend to have down time (in contrast with having down time because I'm being lazy or avoiding something else I would rather not do). I also have to acknowledge that I only have so much time in a day, and I can't do everything, and I can't do it perfectly. So I have to learn to set realistic expectations for myself... a tricky one for me. I've always been a bit of a perfectionist, and it overwhelms me to the point that, instead of doing a 'perfect' job, I do a pitiful job. So, I've resolved to find somewhere in between that works for our family and for what time we have available at the moment.

I sat down tonight and tried (for about the 8-thousandth time) to block out a general schedule day-by-day for the week. Every time I sit down and attempt this, I feel like there's no way I can possibly do everything I want to do or need to do. It's a work in progress... may have to revisit it for tomorrow, but I did enough for tonight.

Anyway, not that this really affects you at all. I just wanted to post it so that I can look back at this later as a benchmark to see where I am in my progress.

Celebrating in small doses

The best part of my birthday was Lucas' coming home from training and finally getting to see him and have more than a 2-minute conversation. The kids were ecstatic to see him again!

Last night our church had an event geared toward married couples. We went to that, and it was a good time! I really enjoyed myself, and so did Lucas I believe. It was a great night all-together, and it was very good to have him home.

Today, the plan was to go out to eat and then go birthday present shopping. We got the first part of that done. We went to Max & Erma's (or Max and Erwin's, according to Meagan), and I got tortilla soup (yum!). However, about half way through dinner, Sebastian turned white as a ghost and completely stopped eating. He was struggling to even sit up, and finally resigned to laying his head down on the table. Truthfully, Lucas wasn't feeling well, either, and we were all relieved to be finished.

So, we abandoned the the rest of our plans and went home for nap time. We'll pick up where we left off eventually, whenever everyone is up on their feet again. In the meantime, I was content to continue celebrating by scrapping while everyone else slept.

Adding to the Albums

A few pages I've gotten done recently that I haven't posted here yet...

Sweet Girl: I took this picture of Meagan on her 1st day of preschool back in September 2008. Everything here is from Pink Ellie Designs - her stuff is so much fun to work with!!

Journaling: a little sassy but oh so sweet!

Expressive: These photos are from Summer vacation 2008 - the day Shane & Sebastian did their dino dig. I love the expressions on his face. He is definitely the kind of kid who can speak volumes with a single look!

This stuff is mostly from the After Five Desings March collaborative kit called Nova Vida. I also used a new alpha from Pink Ellie.

Rain rain go away: Last year at Sebastian's birthday party, we were all outside when, all of a sudden, it started pouring rain. We all escaped to either the garage or the house. Isaac, sat at the very edge of the garage, waiting on his Big Wheel for the first break in the weather so he could go back out and play. He's so cute!

This is Bren Boone's new kit, Paper Rain. The whole kit is gorgeous! I definitely have plans to put a few more of the papers to use!!

Fresh Flowers: Finally, these pics are from Meagan's princess tea party at Julia's house a month or so ago. I loved the fresh (pink) flowers on the table. Makes me long for Spring! Just around the corner, right?

This is Bren Boone's new kit, Spring Fever, and her new Wired Alpha.

Officially 30-Something

Well, today is it...my birthday! I am no longer just plain ol' 30...now I'm 30-something! :)

I've been thinking about it a lot lately - how very blessed I am. It's incredible to me the things I am blessed with at such a young age...

• Seems like, even though marriage is sometimes the hardest thing to do, our marriage is making leaps and bounds in a positive direction... Lucas is my friend; he knows me better than just about anyone; we balance each other; and it seems like, even when we have rough spots, those rough spots work in our favor, opening up communication and bringing us closer together in the end. I'm so thankful for our marriage - nearly 9 years - especially when marriages so often crumble apart somewhere between 5 and 9 years. Very blessed.
• I am momma to 3 of the coolest kids God has ever created! Also 3 of the most unique and challenging! But God has worked through them to make me a better person in so many ways! Without them, I would still be caught in my (even more) selfish, and (even more) impatient ways!
• We have a beautiful home, 2 vehicles, and no real lack to speak of. Compared to the rest of the world, we are (statistically speaking, although it's often easy to lose sight of this) in the top 8% for wealth (just owning a car of any type qualifies you for such status!)
• Going along with that, we have food on the table, and more waiting in the cupboards and freezer. We also have fresh drinking water, and running (hot) water to shower with...you get the point!
• I have an incredible job and such an awesome network of close friends who genuinely care about me, my family, and others.

I could go on forever... not trying to get all sappy... I'm just very aware that, at a relatively young age (yes, I still count 31 as young!), I can say that I have been very blessed, and that my life has held joy and purpose. That is what I am celebrating today!

Icky Sicky...again

Yesterday Sebastian was home from school with a stomach bug. Still home today, although doing much better. Pray for us...we are definitely looking forward to a continually healthy family.

This is just not happiness!

Another challenging day with Meagan - there have been a lot of them lately. I'm just trying to stay positive, and I'm trying to keep a perspective on where she might be coming from. It's been a long two weeks with her, though. I think a lot of factors are playing into the mix: she's been sick and is just coming off of an antibiotic, she hasn't been sleeping well, she's growing (pants no longer reach all the way to her ankles...shorts weather needs to get here quickly!), Lucas has been traveling and she misses her daddy, plus last weekend we traveled which always throws the routine off. Besides that, she is three, and she is female. Enough said.

Today was much the same as the several that came before it: sass, fussiness, grumpiness, and an all-around argumentative nature. That being said, there was a moment this afternoon where I thoroughly enjoyed her right in the midst of all her grumpy glory! We were getting ready to leave for gymnastics. She had (defiantly) gotten her leotard on, and was working on the warm-ups to go over it. She had the pants - those were not an issue. As she was getting her sweatshirt on, though, her wining increased to new heights. I tried to encourage her, redirect her train of thought, and whatever else I could do to get her back to even-keel. Not having it. Finally, I simply asked her, 'Honey, why are you so upset? What is bothering you?'

Her reply (in a cry/shout mix): 'All of this is just not happiness!!'

I cracked a smile, but kept my cool. Not a good idea to laugh at an agitated child (at least in our house).

Me: 'What is not happiness? What's bothering you?'

Her: 'When I put my coat on, my sweatshirt goes like this' (as she demonstrates by shoving her sleeves up to her elbows)!

The smile threatens again...

Me: 'Would you like to take the sweatshirt off and just wear your coat over your leotard?'

She nods. And smiles. Thank You, God!

Crisis averted.

An Enormous Undertaking

Last week while I was in Meagan's room putting some things away, I came to the stark realization that her room was a disaster! We have officially been overrun with all things little girl. All things tiny. With the teensy weensy rubber molded clothes and the even tinier matching shoes. With the countless rubber bands that are so easily scattered to every corner of the house. With dolls and princesses missing clothes - or worse, hair! With stuffed animals and books, and costumes, and jewels, and plastic shoes with giant gems and bows, and beads, and necklaces, and small plastic-molded rings.

So we made a trip to the store in search of organizational tools. I found a hanging blanket shelf thing and some Sterilite containers marked down at Wal-Mart, so I decided to give those a try. However, by the time we got back from the store, we didn't have time to actually do the organizing, so the project was put on hold...until today.

This morning, while the boys were cleaning their room, Meagan and I tackled hers. We gutted the dollhouse, putting all of the people, furniture, and accessories in a storage bin that fits under her bed. We (well, really, I) then moved on to sorting what felt like hundreds of little hair ties back into their rightful container.

From there, we moved on to the closet, which was overrun with intermingled Polly Pockets, Princesses, Tinkerbells, Barbies, costumes, jewelry, books, and accessories. At one point, I began to wonder if we would ever get through it all, but we kept on. And we rearranged and organized everything in her room. She now even has room for her Dora couch to be in there, which she was VERY excited about! She seems to like the idea of having somewhere to sit and look at books and draw pictures...very cool!

Surprisingly, it was only about a 2 hour project!

Run run as fast as you can...

Yesterday was a day of running... at least in the morning. First we ran to the gas station. Then we ran to the bank. Then we ran to the eye doctor. Then we ran home to make lunch. Then we ran to Wal-Mart. The morning was a marathon!

But the pace slowed once we got to Wal-mart. We had finally accomplished everything on our to-do list for the morning. And Meagan was being a trooper about it all. She was (for the first time in a while) being a very good listener, and being very well-behaved and patient in all the stores and doctors' offices and such. So, we decided to take a stroll through the toy department, where she found a LIST of things she would like to have, whether now or for her birthday, she's not picky! *LOL* I did concede to letting her get a little Polly-Pocket-ish Disney Princess... Sleeping Beauty. Of course, since we got something for her, she thought we should get something to surprise the boys with. So, we picked out a small Bionicle for each of them. About $6 each, and they were THRILLED... and occupied for the remainder of the evening.

Last night for dinner, a friend of ours came over with her itty bitty little baby boy! He is SO darn cute! We all just hung out for a while, until about 8:00 when she headed home. The kids laid down for a movie bedtime, and Lucas and I chilled. A nice relaxing ending to a day that started off in a hurry.

Full House (for a Tuesday)

Today was lined up to be quite a busy day, scheduled from morning 'til night. Tuesdays are always pretty full anyway, with library, gymnastics and small group all falling on the same day. But today, we added 2 doctors appointments in the mix, with our first one at 9:20 this morning.

Sebastian has had a junky cough for a few weeks now, getting better and then worse and then better again. Well, over the weekend, Meagan developed a crazy cough that was keeping her up at all hours of the night. So, I made an appointment for her this morning, and I thought I'd take Sebastian with me for good measure, just to have him checked.

40 minutes later, we left the doctor's office with 2 prescriptions in hand - one for each child. And our doctor asked me to keep Sebastian home for the rest of the day, so as 'not to spread the plague' (he's a funny guy...LOL). So, rather than dropping Sebastian off at school and heading to story hour, we eliminated story hour altogether, and headed to the chiropractor. I already an appointment for after library, but we went early so she could adjust the kids too.

Now we're back at home, with an extra family member at home with us for the day. They are both laying down for a nap right now. I'm hoping to get a few things accomplished before the afternoon slips away. Hoping that the nap does them good. I'll try to keep you posted.

Once Upon a Time

Here's one more layout that went together fairly quickly this evening. I used a mini-kit by Bren Boone called The Perfect Fairytale to benefit a digital designer who was recently in a serious car accident. I'm kind of starting to enjoy doing these kind of layouts. It's a fun creating process!

Apple of My Eye

A new FREE-bee kit by Bren Boone (available for download at Scrap Orchard...I'm pretty sure you have to register at the Scrap Orchard forum/gallery, but it's COMPLETELY worth it. There are some fabulous free-bee's by some great designers)

Playing Catch-Up

Seeing as I keep getting comments about the lack of blog postings lately, and the lack of pictures of the kids...

I thought I better go back and get caught up on pictures. Here are pictures from Meagan's tea party (from back in January) and the kids' Valentine's Day parties at school (most of my pictures turned out bad, so I just picked on of each of them). I also put up some pictures of Meagan...about 2 weeks ago, she built a special room in the living room, and took her princesses and the DS in. She spent almost the whole day in her little room being like a big girl. Just a glimpse into the future!

I know this is not exactly what you're waiting for...

I realize that these are not exactly the Valentine's party pictures I had mentioned. But I've had a lot of scrapping to catch up on for CT's, and I sat down and finished up a few layouts this afternoon before they slipped my mind. So, I thought I'd share. I will still try to work on pictures - maybe tonight after church if there's time.

I also realize that my scrapbook layouts as of late have been rather heavily loaded with Meagan, and a little lacking in the boy department. Basically that's because I've had lots of girly kits to work with, and I'm NOT the kind of scrapper who can make girly kits work for boy layouts...some people can. Not me.

This layout is of some park pictures from last August. I liked the series of pics of her going down the slide. Every time I look at them, I'm forced to acknowledge that she is quickly gaining her independence, and will very soon need me for very little. The kit is a new kit by Cucciola, called Color Me Happy. It's available at Sunflower Scraps.

"Dear Grandma, I have fun with you. I wish I could live close to you, and then we could play together every day. I love you. Love, Meagan"

I've been wanting to do something with this picture ever since I took it, but every time I tried, the layout just didn't quite capture what I was going for. Today, I asked Meagan what she would say to Grandma if she could tell her anything. I wrote down what she told me, in letter form. This kit is called Crush and it's by Pink Ellie. It's at After Five Designs. Hope you like them!

Open Book

Here's the layout I did for the latest Gallery Standout growth challenge - create a layout with perspective.

Journaling: In the course of ordinary life, don't lose sight of the fact that you were created to have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance, to the fullest, until it overflows.

Down Again

Blah! Lucas, Sebastian and I are all feeling junky...AGAIN. I am SICK of being sick! This time, it was actually bad enough that Lucas took a 1/2 day off of work (way not like him!). I'm really feeling tired right now, so I'm going to keep it short. I will see if I can find my way back to the blog tomorrow some time and work on getting Valentine's party pictures posted. We'll see how it goes!

Meagan Math

This morning at breakfast, Isaac decided to start up a little math quiz to test my knowledge on some of the things he's been learning in school.

Isaac:
What's 0+0? Zero!
What's 0+100? One hundred!
What's 0+1? One!

Then chimes Meagan:
What's 1 and 1?

Isaac: Two!

Meagan: NO. Eleven (11)! :)

Valentine's Cards

The kids and I went to Wal-Mart tonight and finished getting their Valentine's cards for school parties. Meagan got hers last week while Grandma was here - Tinkerbell, of course! The boys both picked Pokemon cards. Now we just have to find time to get them all filled out and ready before school on Thursday. I think we'll take them to gymnastics tomorrow afternoon, and they can work on them while Meagan is practicing. If they don't get done then, we'll have to be creative with our time and sneak them in a little at a time. Really no other option at this point... again I find myself wondering why I am such a procrastinator! It really never works out in my favor, ya know.

Meagan's #1 thing to be thankful for: a clean bed

Yesterday while I was at the grocery, Lucas took the kids down to the end of the street to play outside in the warm(ish) fresh air. They saw 6 deer and some turkeys. They also found deer poo and the spot where the deer bed down. Besides that, they generally got covered in mud from head to toe. Lucas had to wash their coats when they got back home just so they could wear them to school today.

I think Meagan was a little disturbed by the deer poo, because this morning at breakfast, she felt the need to tell me all about it - she was particular stumped at the fact that the deer sleep in the same place where they 'go.' She said, "Mommy, I think baby deers have to sleep in poop...that's gross.............I'm glad I don't sleep in poop."

I love you because...

A quick layout I did this afternoon...I've been so busy, I've kind of entered into scrapper's block, and I haven't been trusting myself to make anything decent. It felt good to get a layout completed...start dusting off the creative crusties!


Credits: {Pink Ellie} - Crush; {Cinnamon Designs} - With Love; {Amy Wolff} - Love Notes; {Cori Gammon} - Truly Blessed; {Amanda Resende} - Little Monster; {Something Blue} - Worn Overlay; {Amber Clegg} - Date It

Return to Planet Earth

No, we did not fall of the face of the earth...though it may seem like it...we merely took a vacation! Back now, hopefully for more regular posting...here's to hoping!

Well, lots of little things have happened in the last few weeks, but I've not had a free second to sit down and do them justice. I can almost promise not to do them justice even now, but I figured I'd at least get them documented.

Where to start? How about this...

Social Events: Last weekend was the weekend of social outings. It started Friday night, when Sebastian went over to a friend's house to play for a few hours.

Saturday was Meagan's turn. She was invited to a fancy girly tea party at her friend Julia's house. The girls all dressed up in princess dresses. The mommies all dressed up in pretty dresses (which was a CHALLENGE for me, since I only own about 3 dresses total, and they're all spring/summer dresses at that). They drank chamomile and peppermint tea out of tiny little porcelain tea cups (mostly Meagan's set that she got for Christmas...I was glad it was put to good use). They had fruit & veggies and summer sausage and cheese. They had cookies and cheesecake. They got their fingernails painted. And of course, they played princess make-believe games. Meanwhile, the mommies had their own fancy tea party in the 'grown-up room,' where we sat and talked and laughed for a few hours while the girls played.

Sunday then, Isaac got his turn. Before church, we dropped him off at a friend's house. He went to church with Jacob & his family, and they all went bowling afterwards...it was the Super-bowl (since t was Superbowl Sunday, you see). After bowling, he went back to Jacob's house and played for a few more hours before finally being dropped off in time for our family picnic dinner (more details to come).

In Sports: We all hunkered down (I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to use that phrase just now...I must be in a quirky mood...) and watched the Superbowl together. I made chicken wings - BBQ & Buffalo - and popcorn chicken, nachos & dip (that tasted DISGUSTING and mostly just went straight down the drain....but not before Meagan ate 2 helpings...yuck!) and salad, etc. We set up tv trays for Lucas and me, and we spread out a big blanket on the floor for the kids. Of course, thanks to the competitive nature of almost every person who bears our last name, we couldn't just be neutral observers of the football game. Oh no! Our kids insisted on choosing a team to cheer for. The kids all decided that red was better than black, so they chose Red. Meagan found a red bandanna and swung it around her head, cheering 'Go Red! Go Red!' Lucas said she made her own version of a terrible towel. Unfortunately for them, their team didn't win...fortunately for them, they were asleep by that time and had no idea! :)

Also in sports, Meagan got the chance to be in first group at gymnastics this week, which was a HUGE deal for her. Her coach always puts the stronger/more focused/etc girls in the first group so they can set the tone for the others. This week, he let Meagan be in the first group for beam. She was SO ecstatic! It meant a great deal to her, I could tell by the way she was carrying herself. Also, Grandma H. was there to see her be leader, which just made it all the sweeter!

In Career Planning: Yes, career planning.

This week, we got in a little discussion with the kids about what kind of things they like doing, and what they think they might like to do when they grow up. Meagan wants to be a builder (which I can totally see...she is always finding CREATIVE ways to construct things when she gets an idea...for example, she once made her very own throne by using a roll of paper towels, a roll of toilet paper, a dowel rod - stuck through the TP & towel tubes to hold the 2 packages together - and then sat the seat of a broken rocking chair on top of the towel/paper tower...anyway).

Isaac said he wants to be a hunter (for which he got a hi 5 from his daddy). Sebastian then said he wants to be a zoo-keeper. Lucas looked at me with raised eyebrows and said, 'Oh great, one wants to kill animals; the other wants to keep them alive'...this should be interesting!

In Other News: Since I last posted, both my brother and my sister have added additions to their families. Both Brandon & Jenny and Chris & Erica had little girls...Delaney (not sure I spelled that right) and Ginny (or that). I'm not sure when I'll ever get to see them, but I hope sometime before they start kindergarten! Delaney hasn't been feeling well the past few days, and has been in the hospital...please pray for her speedy and complete recovery. I know Brandon & Jenny will be relieved when they get the okay to take her back home.

In Closing: I think that pretty much sums it up for us. SO SORRY I've totally disappeared on you all lately. I've been catching some crap for it, trust me! I am truly working on simplifying life a little so that I have more time to do the things I want and need to do. Blogging is one of those things, so we'll see how it goes!

2008 Recap Album

I have been waiting to post these layouts because they were part of our Christmas gifts to our parents. But now that everyone has finally received their Christmas presents, I can share my layouts!!

Weekend recap

Well, the DS is a hit...even with Mommy & Daddy (I admit we've been caught playing DS after the kids go to bed)! Meagan and I went to Wal-Mart and picked out games - Pokemon Ranger, Tinkerbell, and Zelda. The boys are loving it...so is Meagan, although she requires some one-on-one help, since she can't read what's going on.

Sebastian went to Abby's birthday party on Saturday - rollerskating! I dropped him off, but ended up going back about an hour into the party. I stayed for the rest, and watched and hung out...for moral support, I guess you could say. Can I just say that I DID NOT earn my mother of the year award from my behavior at that party... I LAUGHED HYSTERICALLY! The kid has NO skating skills! He would literally take one and a half strides and crash to the ground...sometimes forward, sometimes backward, sometimes sprawled in every direction (the best laughs came in the moments when he sprawled out and took down the crowd of people around him). My side hurt, and my cheeks were burning from smiling and laughing by the end of the party. (Let's just say, the next day he was definitely sore!)

I will say he got better as the time passed. And he just kept at it, no matter how many times he fell. He just laughed and got back up. I never saw him even show a hint of discouragement, and for that, I was very proud of him. He had such a great attitude the whole time! I loved it!

All in all, he really enjoyed himself. He was the only boy at the party (none of the others who were invited were able to make it I guess), but he was relieved to see that there were other boys at the skating rink, so that was good for him.

The waiting is almost over!

Yesterday I got THE email from Wal-Mart saying the DS was in and ready for pick-up. So, last night, after we got the kids in bed, I headed over and picked it up. It was so close to bedtime when I got the email, that I figured it would be best to wait...so as not to risk a bedtime disaster!

Meagan and I went back to Wal-Mart today to pick out games. The boys wanted Pokemon Rangers. Meagan wanted Tinkerbell (big surprise!). And Lucas wanted Zelda. So we left Wally world with three DS games, a birthday gift for Sebastian's birthday party he's going to tomorrow, decorations for Meagan's birthday party (yes, I know it's not until May, but last year we waited, and the stuff was gone in May), some new gloves for me (because I lost mine), and a few other odds & ends. Nice. But it was a fun girly trip to the store.

Now, all we have to do is wait for the boys to get home from school!! It's almost DS time!

No Messing Around

Yesterday for lunch I made mac n cheese. Meagan was in the kitchen with me while I was cooking (if you call mac n cheese cooking). I was having trouble getting the box open, and I mumbled something about it...well, she overheard me.

"What's wrong, Momma?"
"Nothing, Meg, I just can't get this box open. I think I'll have to use scissors."
"Maybe you could just use an ax?"

The kid gets straight to the point and doesn't mess around!

Diamond Date

At some point this afternoon, Meagan realized that the birthday party this evening was only for the boys, and that she was not invited. She was crushed, poor thing! She started crying, and just couldn't understand why she couldn't go with her brothers.

So, we made a date. For Christmas, she got a Barbie movie (that we've watched countless times in the past 2 weeks), and it has a little outtake from another Barbie movie - Barbie & the Diamond Castle...which, of course, has only made her want to see the castle movie. So, this afternoon while I was at the grocery, I bought the Diamond Castle, and some grapes, Chex Mix and frozen pizzas (all the makings of a Meagan meal), and we had ourselves a date (Daddy included). She was ecstatic! It was her special movie, with undivided attention from Mommy & Daddy. She didn't even give a thought to the party she wasn't at. She was having her very own party at home. Very fun! I love doing that kind of stuff...it's not often that we get to do one-on-one stuff with any of the kids, so when we do get the chance, I LOVE it!

A Friendly Encounter

Yesterday was the first time that one of the boys went to a friend's house to play without me. And, believe it or not, it wasn't Sebastian. Isaac was invited to a friend's house after school yesterday to play for a few hours. However, there ended up being no school because of the weather (way sub-zero temps, especially with the wind chill around -30). So, after lunch I took him over and dropped him off. When he found out I wasn't staying, he said, "Mom, I'm going to be scared without you there." But I talked to him, and his fears didn't last long. He realized that he is without me a lot - on vacation with Grandma & Grandpa, at school every day, etc. I think he just hadn't made the connection in his mind, and once he did, he was good to go.

He was gone until about 5:30 - a long afternoon of playing! He had a great time, and is still, this morning, reenacting the games they played. Boys are fun!

Tonight Sebastian and Isaac are both invited to a birthday party. It's supposed to be a sleepover, but I won't be able to pick them up in the morning at the time the mother had requested, so I will have to pick them up later tonight. I'm thinking around9:00 or so. They are still excited to go! And then NEXT weekend, Sebastian is invited to a skating birthday party! (I'm not sure he has ever skated before...should be interesting). It's for his G.I.R.L.F.R.I.E.N.D. :) So very funny! What's the deal all of a sudden with my kids' social calender filling up? Sheesh!

Under the Weather

Wow, what a week we've had! Saturday when I woke up, I had a bit of a sore throat. Sunday I thought I felt a little better, maybe a little congested. By Monday I was highly uncomfortable, and by Tuesday I had developed a migraine and some serious congestion issues. Sheesh!

So, I've struggled to keep my energy up long enough to get through the 8:00-5:00 part of the day, let alone dinner, bath time, story time, and bed time. Truthfully, I've short cut a lot this week...dinners mainly. And I've done a lot of sleeping.

Finally, I am starting to feel a bit better...better, but definitely not great yet. Lucas is now feeling under the weather, too. Do you suppose we'll see Spring any time soon? I sure could use some warm fresh air right about now!

Credits

DiSappointed

As some of you already know, we have been enduring ongoing requests for a Nintendo DS for months now. The boys have both decided they really really really want / need one. Our answer from the beginning has been, 'as soon as you have the money to buy one yourself, you can get one.' They cost $130. We just figured that, since they already have a wii, a PS2, and 3 computers in the house, plus a Star Wars laptop and some little hand-held games that they got for Christmas, that it just wasn't necessary for us to spend $130 on another electronic device.

Well, today, the boys pulled their money. Grand total...$110 (plus a $30 gift card at Wal-Mart to get them over the necessary $130). SA-WEEET! The day they've been working for for months! So, while Meagan was napping, Lucas took the boys to Wally world to get their DS. They were gone for about an hour, and I was just beginning to wonder where they were when they walked in the door.....empty handed (well, almost, Isaac used $10 of his money to buy some Star Wars clone troopers *LOL*). Lucas said they had gone to Wal-Mart and Meijer, and neither store had a single DS in stock. Not one. All that excitement for nothing.

But not to fear...online shopping is here! Believe it or not, a few stores we checked online were sold out, including Best Buy, but Wal-Mart actually had the blue one in stock... which just happened to be the color they really wanted...and just happened to be the store where we had the gift card...love that! So, I ordered it for them. We should have a DS in hand in 3-5 business days (which must feel like eternity for them!). Not quite the instant gratification they were looking for. But hey! They've waited 3+ months, what's a few more days, right?

Love

This is one of my favorite pictures of Meagan of all time. It was taken the day she was born, and I wouldn't be surprising to me if this picture ends up in my scrapbook pages a few more times before all is said and done. I did this layout last night / this afternoon.

Credits

Another Announcement...

I've been dying to make this one, but I had to wait until it was officially announced online. I've been invited to join the Gallery Standout team! Here's a link to the announcement...check out all the ladies who are joining the team...there is some great talent there!

Also, the 1st growth challenge should be up soon, for anyone who might be interested. They post a challenge, you do the challenge & post your layout, then the team offers constructive criticism to help you grow & improve. Here's my layout I did for January's challenge:

Journaling: On days when the snow if freshly fallen, this is what I look forward to on my way to work. The forest that surrounds the long, winding drive is painted in winter white. A small reminder that creation is beautiful. - winter 2008

Credits

Show & Tell

Isaac is excited about today...Friday is show & tell at school. Today he chose to take his Darth Vader 'laptop' that he got for his birthday. Normally, I don't let him choose things that could get broken / stolen, but I just couldn't break his heart and tell him not to take it. He was just sooooo very excited about the whole idea. I gave him strict instructions on not taking it out on the bus, etc, and we'll hope for the best.

Sleep Interrupted

Last night, around 1:00, Meagan came into our room whimpering. I asked her what was wrong, and she said, "I just want to lay with you." Our kids rarely make an appearance in our room, so I figured, what the heck. She crawled in between Lucas and me, and we all went back to sleep. Mine, however, didn't last long. I spent the next portion of the night getting karate kicked or slapped or punched. Then, around 1:45, she completely rolled over on me and tried to sleep on my chest....um, you're not a 10 lb. baby anymore, this isn't working (never mind her long hair getting in my face and going up my nose every time she turned her head!).

So, I got up and put her back in her own bed. Then laid back down. And laid there. And laid there. At 4:15, I was still awake (yes, almost 3 hours later!). It was so bad, that around 3:00, I started considering getting up and drinking some tea or hot chicken broth, maybe reading a bit, I even considered blogging just for something to do! I, however, remained in bed, and kept trying to fall asleep. I think I finally started to fade around 4:30, just in time for Lucas' alarm to start going off just before 5:00...are you kidding?! Once he got up, I slept a little longer, and probably got up around 7:30. I have a feeling I'm gonna feel sleepy around nap time!

Wake Up Wake Up the Sun is Out!

Oooooo, bad start to the morning. NONE of us (except Lucas, who goes to work at 5:00 these days) was up before 8:05 this morning...and the bus comes at 8:15. Meagan wandered into my room and snuggled up beside me just after 8:00 this morning. When I realized what time it was, I shot up out of bed, but realized it was just too late. So, the boys missed the bus, and I had to drop them off at school. Isaac, who DOES NOT like anything out of routine, was less-than-pleased with the deal, but I suppose he managed okay...I haven't heard from the school to indicate otherwise. After that, though, we seemed to get our day slightly back on track. The house is a mess, and there's still lots to do in the hour before we leave for gymnastics and small group, but I think we'll manage one way or the other.

Okay...of to get some cleaning up done. That's all for now!

Winter Princess

Meagan has developed quite an attachment to our Christmas tree skirt! She has been wearing it around the house for 2 days now, and tonight was no exception. She put it on almost as soon as we got home, and didn't take it off until bedtime. She spun around the kitchen, dancing to my ipod. Once, when she thought I wasn't in the room and wasn't looking, I caught her taking bows after her dance song was over. She is quite the performer! She blushed a little when she realized I saw her, but she kept on bowing...can't disappoint the audience, you know! And, as if the fancy flowing skirt wasn't enough, she dug out her "white princess shoes" to complete the ensemble. She is something else!

And while it all looks very cute and girly, you should have seen her in her skirt and "princess shoes" the moment she had Isaac pinned to the ground stomping and wailing on him with both fists... or the next moment when she was standing with her nose in the corner (but at least she looked cute in the corner, because she had on her best skirt!).

Pink Ellie

I'm super excited to announce that I've been invited to be a part of Pink Ellie Designs' CT! Here's a link to her store at After Five Design if you wanna check it out (click on her banner below)! I am soooo looking forward to doing some layouts with her awesome stuff!

Morning Conversations

This morning on the way to preschool, Meagan and I had some funny conversations. The first one was one of those moments when I had to just choose not to argue with her, even though she was REALLY wrong...LOL! She was getting so frustrated with me, because she was CERTAIN she was right!

• When she first started school, I wrote her name on the inside of her lunchbox (although, apparently, not very well). Well, she was checking it out today in the van, and she said, "Mom, I know how to spell my middle name! H.I.L.J.I.M.Y. Hiljimy. LOL!!!! I just could NOT convince her that (a) it's her last name, not her middle name, and (b) there is no JIMY anywhere in her name. Finally, I had to just let it go. She'll figure it out some day!

Then, when we finally got to school, I was walking in with her. They had put salt rock down on the sidewalk, thanks to our lovely weather. She paused and examined a pile of salt for a second, then said, "Hey, Mom, look. It's snow crumbs. I've never seen snow crumbs before!" She is just too funny sometimes!

All Dolled Up

Here's a layout I threw together yesterday in a hurry. I did it for a specific call, and it was due last night. Unfortunately I didn't come across the call until yesterday, so I didn't give myself much time to work! :) These pictures are from summer vacation 2008 - Grandma H. painted Meagan's fingernails & toenails.



Credits: {Pink Ellie Designs} - [She's] Adorable; {After 5 Desings} - Happy Hour; {Something Blue Studios} - Worn Photo Overlays; {Jennifer Barrett} - Pretty Please (stitching); {Lisa Whitney} - black alpha; {Kaye Winiecki} - Aflafa

How Do I Manage to Forget Everything?

For a week or so before the end of the year, I had been thinking of starting a new project of sorts for 2009 - a photo a day. I've been looking forward to it, and had thought of it almost every day. However, somehow, when 2009 began, I all of a sudden forgot about it! So now, I find myself on day 3 with no pictures yet. I guess I'm just going to have to skip the first two days...seeing as I can't go back in time and remedy the problem. Oh well. Hopefully I can do a better job from this point forward remembering to pick up my camera at least once a day... however, something tells me this won't be the last time in the next 362 days that I forget. I'll do my best!