Launch

So Violet lately has been jumping down the stairs... taking them a few at a time, then, at the bottom, leaping off from 4 or 5 up. Riley has been soaking this all in, and tonight decided to try it for himself. From the top step. By himself. He launched right off. Rick was in the living room and heard a thud, then saw his son through the bannister - head on the step, feet flailing through the air, doing a perfect endo down the stairway. Rick caught him as he got to the bottom of the steps and other than being a little shook up, Riley was none the worse for wear. Thank goodness.

As for Violet, her favorite Christmas gift was from her Mama Lali and Papa... skate shoes... she hasn't taken them off since Christmas morning. She skates everywhere. She's already biffed it a few times. I am sure it's only a matter of time before I'll be able to share a launch story starring Violet too...

Christmas at the Publow house

Wasn't the same without Melinda...
so in your honor we took several photos of the little details of the day that you will appreciate. This is the first post of photos. More to follow, of course! Props to e-lan for her help in getting these uploaded. Sorry it was so difficult to do on mom & dad's computer!!


new Korean wine bottle holder


creepy Santa clinging to the tree


Liane's Christmas present from me... ;)


oooo the lighted village ornaments!


Joey McIntyre I love you!


the Liane shrine...


The Melinda shrine...


Nativity scene before Christmas. Where's baby Jesus hidden this year?


Oh! There he is! Don't tell Papa!!

coolness

The Chatterbox album I made has been selected as one of the 25 Finalists !
I'm pretty thrilled... just for being selected my album will be in the idea book (very cool!) and I'll get some nice product prizes from the company (good cause I need some new album covers!). I have to send the actual album to them for final judging, and I'll know in January if I won a cash prize... $1000 first prizes in each of the categoriesof photography, journaling, or memorabilia, and $10,000 grand prize for best album overall. Although I am pretty certain I won't win the big shebang, I am hoping for a memorabilia nod. That would be awesome!! Actually, just being a finalist is awesome!! :)

The village is up

The silver ornaments are up.
The dishes are in the cabinet.
The kids are napping.
I am about to quietly read my novel.

Now Christmas can come ;)

Since when did

throwing away a poopy diaper become a FIGHT between the kids?
I asked Violet to throw away Riley's diaper and Riley threw a FIT. He *demanded* to do it himself. He also has to be the one to turn off the TV. If *anyone* turns it off first, he goes to the TV, turns it BACK ON, and then turns it off himself. @@

The week's been a little nuts... we've put up Christmas decorations and made cookies, made cards, made crafts, and hosted a few parties. It's been fun but exhausting. And I still haven't got out the Christmas village or the Christmas dishes yet... hopefully today.

Tonight we're going to see Seussical the musical with the kids... I can't wait!!

The Happiest Place on Earth

It really was a great trip for us. My in-laws got us a portable DVD player for the car, which made the 4.5 hour drive *much* more tolerable for the kids! They watched Nemo, Home on the Range, and Lion King 1.5.

Our Disney tickets were waiting for us at the Concierge desk with a very nice note from the lady who dropped them off. It was a GREAT experience for us, and we'll probably keep doing the ebay thing for tickets!

The hotel (Hyatt Regency Orange County...we got it on Priceline for $45 a night) was VERY beautiful and VERY fancy. It had a 17 story atrium, which Violet realized *very* quickly made a lovely echoing sound. *giggle* we are just not the fancy hotel type. Our room was on the tenth floor and the kids loved arguing over who would push the elevator buttons. We dropped off all our stuff and drove over to a shopping center down the street... I wanted to get a pair of comfortable shoes (all I brought were my birkenstocks... comfortable, yes... but not for two full days of walking). We also saw a Wal-Mart and wanted to look in there for a beach cruiser bike for me, since we found one reasonably priced at Walmart.com. Sure enough, there was ONE bike at wal-mart! Already assembled and everything. I rode it all over the store and to the checkout counter. Rick made fun of me as I tried to scan the barcode (which was stuck to the front reflector) by picking up the whole bike. LOL. That wasn't working so I finally got it to peel off enough to scan it. Then I rode the bike through the parking lot to the car. I was having a BALL!! We leaded in the bike and got a pair of lace up canvas shoes for me at Payless, then we stopped at Baskin-Robbins for some ice cream dessert. Such a happy time so far and we haven't even gotten to Disneyland!! Back at the hotel we parked the car ($36 for 3 nights... OUCH!) and I rode my bike through the lobby up to the elevator. Rick thought I was insane. We tried to get the kids tired enough to go to bed, but they were pretty wired. We took them to the hotel pool, which was nice and warm but the air outside was so cold it wasn't much fun.. and the spa was waaaaay too hot. So back in the room the kids got a bath before bed and actually fell asleep at a decent time.

Kids got up at 5:30 am chanting "Dis-nee-land!!!! Dis-nee-land!!" and so we got up, took showers, and had breakfast downstairs in the lobby (buffet was $15 per person... OUCH again! I guess this cheap hotel thing wasn't such a great deal after all!). The shuttle to the park picked us up at 9 a.m. and we headed over. We met our friends Jim and Valerie at the entrance and went in and saw Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy right away! It was a great autograph and photo moment for the kids. You should have seen Riley talking to the characters! He LOVED it! He scrunched up his little shoulders and said, "Hi Mickey!" in the cutest voice! We did all kinds of rides and fun things for the kids... Small World at Christmastime is seriously my favorite. I was so excited to share that with them! Violet and I did the Matterhorn while Riley slept and she enjoyed it ("except for the scary parts," she said!). We were pretty much nonstop all day. Rick and I had a leisurely late lunch at Blue Bayou while Jim and Val took the kids to the Snow White show, which they said was awesome. The PARADE was wonderful and the fireworks were amazing. And that was just the first day!!!

On Day 2 we decided to have breakfast with the princesses at the park, and that was a GREAT choice! It was $22 for the adult buffet and $12 for the kids (Riley was free), but the food was OUTSTANDING and the fact that the princesses came RIGHT to the table to talk to us, take photos, and sign autographs was the BEST thing! Sooooo worth it! We hopped over to California Adventures and watched the Aladdin show (INCREDIBLE) and played at the Bug's Life Bugs Land (that was fun for the kids... kinda boring for the grownups). Finally at 2 we met Rick's parents and we all went back into Disneyland, rode the train, did Small World again, played in Toon Town (Violet's favorite ride was the Gadget's Go Coaster that she rode onwith her Grandpa Rich), met another family from Vegas (the Russos) for dinner, and watched the snow fall while we had mochas. Such a wonderful time. And great to do the trip with a couple of extra grownups (since I think *every* time we were halfway through a line Violet needed to go potty). Such great memories... and SIX rolls of film to develop! :)

di-nee-lan! di-nee-lan!

Riley's been chanting this for days.
I love that he really has *no* idea what is in store for him. I am so excited for him!!!
We leave tomorrow afternoon for Anaheim and will go to the park on Wednesday and Thursday. The house is clean and the bags are packed... Violet's been ready for days too. I am tooooo excited!

okeeee dokeeee

Time to get this house in order.
I neeeeeeeeeed to clean it before we go on our Disneyland trip on Tuesday. I am so excited. We bought our tickets on ebay, and actually I am a little *concerned* about that cause I've never done it before. What we did was find someone who was using the first 3 days of their 5 day passes and selling the last two days, apparently a common practice online. I found a great deal on ours ($170 for three 2-day park hopper passes... over $100 off regular price), and I am supposed to be meeting the lady who is giving us the tickets at our hotel the night before we are supposed to go. She's already got our money, so hopefully she comes through. If not it's definitely a lesson learned.

Thanksgiving was great, mostly cause there was *NO* drama!! (hard to do with 36 of us!) Tinty and Lukey were sorely missed, but we still had a great time... three turkeys (one in the oven, one on the rotisserie, and one in the deep fryer), tons of stuffing, yams, sweet potatoes, veggies, rolls, jello, and so much more. I was in charge of a relish tray since Melinda wasn't there and if I do say so myself it was great. It looked so beautiful and colorful with dill & sweet pickles, black & green olives, baby corn, grape tomatoes, and sugar snap peas in the pods. Mmmmmmmm! The kids loved the tomatoes and peas!

Tish and Leslie outdid themselves with a great Turkey Treasure Hunt for the kids, which brought the funniest line of the night, uttered by Violet.

Leslie: Where do you wash your clothes?
Violet: OOOH! THE DISHWASHER!!!!!!!!

We were all stuffed and then ate and drank some more. I think there were 8 pies. Rick and the cousins all played poker at the game table while I shared my Chatterbox contest album (woohooo!! FINISHED!) with mom, Pam, and a few others. They all loved it, especially cause Rick wrote his own journaling for the side that told his perspective.

Liane and I got up at oh-dark-thirty to hit the sales on Friday morning, making a 5:30 a.m. stop at Starbuck's for some shopping fuel. We did some GREAT shopping, and we even had to stop midway through our excursion to unload the car to make room for more stuff. Gotta love it!! She left for college this afternoon and I already miss her... it was really the best weekend I had with her in forever. I can't wait till she comes back for Christmas!!

And the pile of laundry still beckons me, so I must go...

stream of consciousness

random thoughts in my head tonight...

the house painting is rad. i love my blue wall. i love the cream walls. i love the taupe walls. i love it i love it i love it.
my scrap room is still not in order yet.
i have a butt-load of laundry to do. like i am not kidding htis pile is gi-normous. which of course is why i haven't done it. it's too big.
my inlaws will be here in less than 24 hours for a week long stay. they'll be at bob's house so there's one huge stress off my back.
my house is not ready for this week.
i want to put the kids together in one room, in bunkbeds or something and then turn violet's room into their play room. i think it would work great.
i found a great bunkbed set at sam's club... complete with SLIDE and clubhouse panels. of course it's $400 or something so it's not exactly something i will buy anytime soon.
i did a cool wedding gift for sammi and billy... got a picnic basket, put a couple of bottles of ibc root beer, those jiffy pop popcorn things you do over the stove, popcorn holders, movie theater candy, and dvds: my best friend's wedding, my big fat greek wedding, and return to me. good flicks.
our trip to az was good. we listened to shock by robin cook.
remember blindsight by robin cook? opthalmologist. lol
sammi and billy's wedding was just beautiful and perfect in every way. red roses everywhere. they were amazing.
i love the aults. i wish they lived closer to us.
i wanna move to this ranch in pagosa, colorado that has 300 acres, three houses and two buffalo. i think the buffalo is the best part. ;)
staying in a hotel with two small kids is challenging to say the least.
breakkie was awesome at the hotel too... yummy waffles, fruit, coffee, juice, cereal in the mini boxes (including GOLDEN GRAHAMS... hello! that's rad!!)... mmmm
the drive back was crazy - rain the whole way and even SNOW just outside of kingman!
getting home from trips sucks when your house wasn't clean to begin with.
i am trying frantically to finish an album to enter in a contest. i thought the due date was the 30th... but instead of being postmarked by the 30th it must be RECEIVED by then. that means really i should have it out to them by the 24th if i want to send it priority or the 27th overnight. i am looking at overnight right now. less stress for me.
lost is seriously an addicting show. i am sad there's no episode on wednesday.
i need a new printer.
we made chili tonight...mmm
the kids were on the counter helping me make cornbread muffins when violet yanked the mixing bowl out of riley's hand causing him to (topple? fall?) launch from the counter to the ground. I was down there and caught him just before he biffed it big time. or at least i thought i had. he looked up at me and i saw a cut on his forehead that was bleeding and a nice big goose egg forming just below the surface. i had to get him a little butterfly bandage to close up the wound, which probably sounds much worse right now than it actually is.
let's just say i am glad we took our family christmas photos last weekend.
we need to get thanksgiving scarves. and tint needs one too even though she's not around.
i need to go to bed.

I still have piles of scrapbook supplies everywhere.

of course here is why i haven't put my stuff away...
I need to rearrange the scrap room to make room for my stuff, including installing new shelf units.
This means I have to remove the current big cabinet that is not functional for my needs right now.
But I have nowhere to put the big cabinet.
So I decide the best place would be in the dining room... right where the piano is.
So I decide to move the piano. But there is our old ratty couch there. I move the couch out to the garage for now.
The walls are filthy. I need to paint (I've been putting this off for months).
It doesn't make sense to move the piano over there before I paint.
Now I need to decide on the color...
OH YES! I'll inspire myself with some of my prize paper :)
SEI Seasoned... the green, the cream, and the blue. You can see it on this page: SEI Paper
I have a red wall in the dining room, so this will go quite nicely.
Of course now I am painting my whole room instead of just the one wall I intended to do all along.
But I will be much happier. And isn't that what's truly important here?
Off to Home Depot. I buy paint, tape, new rollers, and brushes.
The paint department guy looks at me like I am nuts when I show him the paper that he needs to use to match paint colors. But he humors me and mixes the paint.
I come home and tape off all the walls, baseboards, and light fixtures.
Rick and I paint. ALL DAY.
It looks FABULOUS.
We still need to do the stairwell.
I'll get to that tomorrow.
Then I'll move the piano.
Then I can move the cabinet.
THEN I can put together the new shelf units.
And *THEN* I can put away my new stuff. Maybe ;)

The UPS man came to my door!!

And here's my haul - the prize package from Memory Makers!!! I am *swimming* in boxes right now. I really really need a bigger house LOL! Good LORD there are a LOT of scrapbooking supplies in my house! Thankfully Valerie helped me sort through and organize it all into manageable piles. I will be writing thank you notes for the next MONTH! hee heeeeee!!!

ThermoWeb - All their adhesives
Karen Foster - the ENTIRE line of products - papers, stickers, transparencies... everything!! It was about 5 inches thick.
Liquid Nails Perfect Glue - MORE adhesives - 12 packages of it!
Zig embossing pens, embossing powders, and the Inscriblio engraver from EK success
Paper Love Designs - their entire paper line
Go West Studios - a new company - really great embellishments of metal, wood, and acrylics
Making Memories - OH MY WORD! This was my FAVORITE!! Included: Fabric alphabet, fabric tags, fabric pockets, fabric swatches, Mailbox alphas and numbers, eyelet tag letters, rubons (several), jelly labels, metal frames, ribbon, woven labels, wordfetti, alphafetti, quotes, charmed plaques, dyeable trims, sewing kit, book binding tape, charmed words, jigsaw alphas (two!!), cards & envelopes (8 different kinds!!), embellishment paper, minibook album, scrapbook dyes, 12x12 cardstock, 12x12 patterned paper, and the book set: Fresh Paint, Sew Simpe & To Dye For!!! Oh and a COOL tote bag!!!
Magic Mesh - TWO sets of the entire line!!
Spellbinder Wizard machine and dies - personalized and in Violet color just for me!
Quickutz hand tool and Paige alphabet
Architexture sheet metal (2 sheets)
Prism Papers - a TON of cardstock - about a 6 inch stack!!!
Provo Craft - Eco Africa, Stickers, Embellishments, and an album
Chatterbox - the entire Sun Room , Reading Room, and Parlor collection, complete with the whole bookcloth set (7 sheets), Tacks, Tags, Rivets, Nails, Alpha stickers, Mailboxes, and the FONT CD TOO!!
Design Originals - Bottlecap papers, plain bottlecaps, and bottlecap stickers
Flair Designs - Their whole line - the number paper and stickers is VERY cool
SEI - Groovy Girl, Bee Bop, Sweetie, Seasoned, and a 12x12 album
Scrappy Cat - Double sided papers, cardstock tag stickers and alphabets
Meri Meri - An assortment of their line
Glue Dots - 2 each of Craft dots, Memory dots, Mini dots, and THREE of the Glue Lines
Rusty Pickle - Assorted papers, tags, letter stickers, and metal buttons
K&Co - Tim Coffey Album Kit
Sandylion - Papers and Stickers from various character lines (Disney, Spiderman, etc)
Deja Views - The Butcher Block collection (SOOO COOL!)
American Traditionals - Three collections of papers and embellishments: Party, World Traveler, Moments, and an accordian book
Sweetwater - Various papers (3 of each style), letter/word stickers, button hole strips, transparencies
Prickly Pear Stamps - Typewriter Key alphabet, various other rubber stamps
MAMBI - Paper Pads (Primary, Pastel), Cottage Collection papers, Soft Spoken, Frame Basics, Stickers, Ephemera, Woven alphas, Threads, and Jumbo Threads
Lands End - Memory Makers Master 2005 Polo Shirt

ALL THIS is in ADDITION to the Sizzix machine with Sizzlits alphas, the box of goodies from Pebbles Inc., the box of fibers from Fibers by the Yard, and the other stuff that has been promised to us once the lines from Memory Trends come out!! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Words out of Violet's mouth recently...

At the basketball game... "So, when we say Butterscotch Underwear, the blue guys lose?"

Handing me a mango... "Mommy, can we have this flamingo before we go?"

so we went driving

and found seriously the coolest house. And of course there's a super deal attached to it, as there was a buyer who fell through on it - so all the upgrades (iron railings, granite slab countertips, fancy cherry raised panel cabinets, black appliances, etc etc...) - over $20,000 worth - are included for free on this one particular house since the buyer who fell through already paid for it. Not only that but it's offered at phase 9 pricing (they are currently in phase 14), which is another $15,000 savings. And it's HUGE. Check it Out.

Of course it's totally out of our price range. Had I gotten that @%&*! job with the Rotary Club we probably would have put earnest money down right away.

I wish we had a bigger house. I wish I could feel comfortable and not crowded. I wish money wasn't the biggest issue right now in our marriage. I wish we could just not worry about stuff like that.

Just feeling a little crabby this afternoon... :p

busy days

I never did a Halloween update, so here it is....

The kids had a GREAT holiday. We had a group of friends over at our house for chili, cornbread, salad, and hot apple cider. A group of us all took the kids out from 6:00-7:30 p.m. and only hit about a third of our neighborhood... but the bags were OVERFLOWING!! As usual, it was just about the coldest day of the year around here, so we decided last minute that Riley would be too cold in his costume, so we had him put on a great little giraffe coat and he went as a nice, warm, and toasty giraffe. Violet ran the show, leading the kids from house to house in search of the best candy. One house was giving out full sized crunch bars, and the kids were all thrilled about that!!

Back at the house everyone had a great time, and about 300 kids or so came by for candy. Maybe more! We did an informal costume contest for kids and adults. Rick wore his cloak and brandished his sword, and I was Kim Possible (although Violet kept telling me I was not really KP cause I didn't have the orange hair LOL). Kristopher won as Clark Kent (he had a little Superman shirt peeking out from under his clothes), and his son AJ won as "Illuzion," his character from the online game City of Heroes. He even had wrapped one arm in foil to serve as his "robotic arm." VERY creative!

The house has stayed remarkably clean, thanks to Melissa's vow to help clean up after the party. It's so lovely to have a clean house. I've been maintaining it for the last 2 days. I think that's a record around here!!!

Still waiting for the official election results, Rick and I were riveted to the TV last night watching the election returns come in. So much so that I fell asleep at about 9 p.m. Guess it wasn't as exciting as I thought! At least I had a good night's sleep. Of course as I wake up this morning the results aren't clear, but it looks like the president will have another 4 years in office.

A busy day ahead of us... I guess I'd better get going.

words heard from my mouth today...

"You do NOT use a chopstick to stab an apple, Riley!"

cleaned house

alll freaking day. Bleagh. It wouldn't have been so bad except that Rick watched the kids all day yesterday while I scrapped. And while he is an awesome dad and spent the whole day having fun and playing with the kids, the house suffered, and suffered badly. Today I found a banana peel on the side of the couch. ewwwwwwwwwwwww

Scrapping day was great fun yesterday. We had a good crowd, especially since it was a weekday and we were there for 12 hours! I didn't get much scrapping done, but had a lovely time giving away prizes and spending time with my friends.

Today we had to get the house back in order though... Melissa has decided to use our house to have a Halloween party tomorrow. Every year we would go to Shontell's house (down the street), but she has moved away. We would have done it at Mel's house but she only has one neighbor so far. Not much on the way of trick or treating. So next year the party will be at her place. This year it will be her party at my place (which is nice cause I don't have to provide food, favors, games, or really anything but the home and the great neighborhood).

I always like the "someone is coming over" incentive to get the house really good and clean. And I love starting with a clean slate when trying to get myself back into a routine. Last month when I was trying to get back into Flylady, I tried to get the house super clean so all I had to do was maintain it. But I didn't, so I was not completely motivated to keep it up. This time, though, we did some serious cleaning. Even our cabinets have been polished. It looks great. We have yet to do the upstairs, but that is actually in much better shape than the living area. We would have finished tonight, but it was our community's Halloween party tonight.

The kids dressed up - Violet in her Sleeping Beauty costume and Riley as an In-N-Out Burger Employee... white jeans, white shirt, red napkin around the waist (held with a giant safety pin, of course), paper In-N-Out hat, and spatula. He was hysterical! He didn't like keeping the hat on, though. We brought our pumpkin for the carving contest.... and it WON FIRST PLACE! Violet was so excited to claim her prize ($5 in McDonald's coupons and a goblet full of Hershey's Kisses!)! After we left the party, we went to Ritter's because it was Free Scoop Saturday, and let me just say I don't miss free scoop day for anything. I had the Lite Espresso (mmmmmmmm). Violet had Cookies & Cream, and Rick had Chocolate. Riley fell asleep on the way and missed out on the dessert, but that's fine. He'll have more than his fair share of candy tomorrow!

Tomorrow morning we will get to the upstairs... vacuuming and dusting and cleaning windows. After that we'll carve the rest of the pumpkins, and dress up in our costumes. If I get really inspired, I'll sew Riley's cape so he can be a Hobbit instead of a burger guy. We'll see how it all goes!

pumpkin carving

Violet really has been beggin me to carve pumpkins with her, so I decided that we could do a couple today. Of course, you may recall we bought a ton, so this is just the beginning. After doing a little bit of searching, we found the perfect design for our pumpkins. Violet was so excited to begin, and was a real trooper when it came to scooping out the guts and seeds. After we drew a simple face on our smallest pumpkin, she carved it out with her kid-safe cutting tool (with a little help from mom). Then I went to the task of carving the face on our largest pumpkin. We chose those two because we wanted them to look like this when they were done. They actually look pretty great, and the best part was the lighting of the gourds after the sun went down. Both kids were thrilled at how they looked! (although Riley was a bit concerned for that poor little "kun-kin")

Violet named our masterpieces when we finished. The little one is called "saddy" cause it's sad since it's being eaten. The big one is called "Jack" cause he's mean. (???)

Jack, you be nice, you hear me?

Happy Birthday Mom!

I love you so much! I think the years are looking better and better on you. You seem happier and younger than I ever remember. Is that just cause I am getting older? In any case, I hope you are enjoying your special night. Have a wonderful time!!

The toe stretch

I love when I am cuddling Riley and getting him ready for bed and he's in that "almost ready to sleep" mode where his eyes are sloooowly shutting and I pull off his shoes and socks and I watch him s-t-r-e-t-c-h out his toes in that last little burst of energy before falling asleep.

Young Voters for Jesus.

I voted today. There's an early voting center about half a mile from my house so I thought it would be a good idea to just get in there adn get it done before the place gets crowded. As I headed over there with the kids, Violet asked me about what I was doing. As I explained to her the privilege that adults in our country have of choosing the right person to be the president, Violet pondered the facts. Then she said to me, "I know who I am voting for."
Bemused (and quite curious), I asked her, "Who are you voting for, sweetie?"
"I'm voting for Jesus," Violet replied proudly.
"Really?" I asked. "Why are you voting for Jesus?"
"Well," Violet said thoughtfully, "The president is supposed to take care of us, right?"
"Right," I answered.
"So, God always takes care of us! Jesus would make a great president!"
I had to agree.

We have officially started a new PAC (uhhh, that stands for "personal action committee, BTW) called Young Voters for Jesus, and you can send your checks payable to me. Or large bills. Those are fine too.

Vote early and vote for Jesus. That's my motto. ;)

kun-kin pie mama!

Riley loves pumpkins.
Everywhere we go he is fascinated by them. "Kun-kin mine?" he asks, as we pass by a pile of them at Wal-Mart. He loves our little collection in front of our house, and goes out the door several times to look at them and point at them and count them. He can count to three now, so he counts everything. "One, two, three, one, two, three..." He sees them on TV and in photos in the paper and at the neighbor's houses. "MAMA! KUN-KIN! MAMA!!!!!"

Violet has been obsessed with pumpkin pie because her "recipe book" from Joanne has a pumpkin pie recipe in it. She really wants to use our pumpkins to make one, but I talked her out of it and explained that the canned pumpkin is actually better for the pies. So I got a couple of Marie Callendar piecrusts ("Deep Dish," according to the package), and together we made the recipe, enough to fill two deep-dish pans. Well we filled both to the tippy top and still there was an entire pie's worth of mix left over. So I got another crust and now we have three pumpkin pies. The two I over-filled came out a bit soft (probably should have cooked them for another 10 minutes), but the third one came out *perfect*. Violet was sooooooooooooo excited to have pumpkin pies for dessert last night! Of course now I have three pies. I'll probably take one to scrap night on Friday. That would be a good, yummy dessert that I wouldn't have to eat.

Speaking of which, I have a *lot* to do regarding planning for scrap night (or I guess I should say day... it's all day on Friday the 29th, Nevada Day). We are doing sub sandwiches for lunch and Olive Garden for dinner... it will be scrumptious! I have tons of prizes already bought and a few more still to come. Right now I am trying to coordinate goodie bags for those in attendance too.

So much to do, where do I start... I think I'll have a piece of pumpkin pie!

Cover Kids...

I just got word from the editor of Memory Makers that they want to use this photo for the cover of their April 2005 issue... I am so excited! This photo was taken in July 1979 and includes, from the top: Jessica Hurd, cousin Jeanine, Alex Hurd, Cousin Mark. The little ones across the bottom are Me and Melinda. Aren't we so cute?!

It's still not a total definite... they need to be sure the photo will reproduce well (since the original is just 3.5 inches high)... but their main concern was that it would be in focus, which it is. I'll know more in a couple of weeks!

Ketchup??? On the STAIRS??

Yep. I came downstairs after getting dressed to find my son on the fourth stair with the ketchup bottle. He had poured a dollop onto the carpeted step and was dipping his fingers in it, placing his fingers in his mouth, and nodding "mmmmm!" at me.

No! Not "mmmmmm!" That's GROSS!!!
You do *NOT* eat ketchup off the stairs!!!

alas no job for me.

Club President gave me a call this morning and told me how perfet I would be for the job and listed all of the reasons why, including all of the member recommendations I received. As I was waiting for her to tell me when I could start, she gave me the word I dread. "However..."

However what?

And the however was that there were 5 other club members who recommended family members for the position. And although she said I was absolutely the best one of them for the job, I will not be getting it. She decided that, rather than choose one club family member over another to simply disqualify all the candidates and look for someone outside the club. She didn't want the other members to be upset if I was chosen, so she and the Board decided it would be in the best interest of the club.

Does that even make *sense*???

Frustrated right now... in so many ways.

Simone Olivia

will be in surgery tomorrow. Mom just called to tell me that she has a Diaphragmatic Hernia, a very rare and very serious condition that must be corrected surgically as soon as possible.

The good news:
* Surgery will be performed tomorrow when the right specialists can be available.
* She is 7 pounds, 10 ounces... a nice, healthy size. We want those lungs of hers to be well developed.
* She has people all over the world praying for her right now.

please please please pray.

she needs your prayers

Jeanine and Jared welcomed their baby daughter to the world this afternoon... details are still sketchy, but she is suffering with something wrong with her diaphragm and is now in surgery to repair it. I don't know anything more than that. Lord, please calm the fears of Jeanine and Jared right now. Give them strength to seek You out when they need You most. Listen to their cries for help. Guide the hands of the doctors. Strengthen their new baby daughter to come through the surgery with flying colors.... Wrap your arms around this new family. Help them find peace right now when all they feel is fear. Lord, make a miracle happen tonight.

labor day

My cousin Jeanine is in labor right now with her first baby. We don't know if she's having a boy or a girl. I can only imagine the anticipation, excitement, fear, joy, pain, and love that she and her hubby Jared are feeling right now... and the baby hasn't arrived yet!

We're waiting to meet you, little one... :)

jojo's party

was good times. At Mom & Dad's house and catered by Osaka. Mmmmmmmmmm. Sushi. Even Rick ate some! And he liked it!! It was his first sushi ever and he has decided that the only way he will eat fish is if its raw. LOL!

I decided against the flannels and the wools and went for a navy blue top/khaki skirt combo. Very cool looking (thanks elan for your fashion sensibilities). Club President wasn't there but a few of the board members were and they all thought I would be PERFECT for the job and declared they would say so at the Monday meeting... so, hopefully I will hear some good news on the job front very soon. THAT would just be awesome.

Back to Jojo's party though... Mom & Dad got her a pretty "Photos of Nevada" coffee table book and all the guests at her party signed it on various pages, like a yearbook. What a great idea for a guestbook and what a great keepsake for her of the state she is leaving behind. Sometimes they come up with the coolest stuff. Lots of wine was served (no surprise there), as well as Sake. I swear Mom had a glass of wine in each room of the house and as she mingled would nudge over and say "is that *my* wine?" and nudge over and have a sip. Then she would trot over to another part of the house and do the same thing. It was rather amusing, though not as amusing as later in the evening when she & Dad were on their, I don't know, fortieth glass of Sake (okay possible slight exaggeration on the glass count), and Mom kept saying, "Sa-ke. Saaaaaaaaaa-ke. Sak-e. Sakkkkkkkk-e. SAKE. sahhhhhhhhh-keeeeeey." over and over and over and over. Dad was his charming self as usual and was trying to speak "Japanese" to the guy at the sushi bar, but of course not really speaking Japanese, just making himself sound like he has a Japanese accent for the benefit of everyone in the kitchen (in case we didn't know how to properly pronounce "halibut" the authentic Japanese way LOL). That was funny, though not as funny as the time when a group was sitting around the firepot and a flaming pinecone tumbled from the mouth of the pot and rolled across the ground, landing just under Rick Wright's pantleg. Thank God my husband was sober enough to get a stick and shove the ball of flame out of the way before Mr. Wright ignited.

Yes, the party was lovely and so was Joanne. Wearing a pretty sleeveless cable knit sweater in an aquamarine that matched the jewels she was wearing, she was stunning, charming, and the perfect guest of honor. I'm going to miss her... I hope she spends plenty of weekends in Las Vegas hanging out with us. At least for the sake of game night. Without Joanne on their team, Mom and Dad have no hope of winning Trivial Pursuit. ;)

Artist Trading Cards

I am a member of the online community at Two Peas in a Bucket, and I have met some amazing scrapbookers and artists there. One of the members thought it would be fun to trade "Artist Trading Cards"... where we create/alter our own little baseball card-sized pieces of art. Mine looked like This. They were all so different and so cool. Some were heat embossed, some had been stamped, some were photo-based, some were sewn, and all were just amazing. Now I have a set of sixteen little works of art from all over the world (one girl sent hers from The Netherlands!!).

My scrap room is now 98% done. I have completely cleared out the *big* cabinet and made it ready for more supplies (I have been warned that The Box is now The BoxES and previous Memory Makers Masters said the contents will completely BLOW US AWAY... and we need to arrange for storage NOW LOL). The only thing left to do in the room now is to paint the big cabinet. All my other cabinets are a solid white, but this one has been "antiqued" and doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the room. I have the paint, I have the hardware. I just need the motivation.

Tonight is a going away party for my parents' friend (and mine), Joanne. She's moving to Montana in November, so we wanted to give her a fun send-off. I painted a little picture for her and we used it as the cover of her invitations. Here it is:



Dress for the party is something my parents coined: "Montana Casual." What does that mean? Flannels and mountain boots? Thermals and suspenders? Lots and lots of fur coats? Fleece-lined hats? I want to dress the theme, but I am not sure how to do that. Especially since the lady that is deciding on whether to hire me is likely attending the party. Do I try to make a good first impression? Or do I dress the theme? Hopefully I will have figured it out by tonight.

words heard from the bathroom today...

"MOM-MMY! Riley touched my poop!"

The funny thing is that this was not the first time I heard those words. What is with my children and poop? And why is Riley obsessed with touching it? And when will Violet learn to wipe her own butt?
::sigh::

do I have what it takes?

A really cool job opportunity kind of fell in my lap today. It would be perfect for our needs, and would be something that makes Rick extremely happy to actually have *money* in the bank at the end of the month. The best part about it is that it would only require one day a week to do the work, and much of it I could do from home. It seems verrrrrrrrry promising... but the president of the organization has asked me to provide a resume so that she can see it and set up a formal interview with me.

I know I would be awesome at this job, and I am confident. But the thought of an interview really freaks me out! Why? Is it because I have been out of the workforce for that long? I think it goes back to when I was applying for a front desk job at the Mirage Hotel (which I ended up not getting). The manager who interviewed me, during a seemingly innocuous set of questions, pushed me to the point of complete stress and tears for no reason. I had no idea what her motives were, other than to frustrate and humiliate me. Later on, while I worked in another department at the Mirage, I learned of an "interviewing techniques" course that the managers receive. One of the techniques they emphasize for jobs that require customer service is the one I to which I was subjected... this idea that they will put pressure on me and get me to the point of frustration to see how I handle stress. I could not BELIEVE that this was not only common practice in the interviewing process, but actually *encouraged* by the HR department! I was very angry at that point because I believe that I did not get the front desk job precisely because I caved under the pressure of her questions. The thing is, though, I am a pretty level headed person when I understand their motives. When I am dealing with customers, I know that they are expecting good service and they usually end up angry when they are not receiving what they expect. And I can deal with that. But for someone to come out of left field with evil interviewing tactics has left a bad taste in my mouth. Now I can't go into an interview without wondering if the manager is going to pull a stunt like that on me. I feel like I have to be on my guard constantly. And in turn, I do not get to show the side of me I would like people to see... the happy, witty, fun Jessie.

Hopefully this interview will be different...

balance

Balance is what I need to find.
Balance...

Finding my center, surrounded by my children, husband, scrapbooking, the pets (when oh when did I become the owner of so many stinkin PETS??), the house, church, friendships, errands, working out, and other things pulling me in every direction.

I think that might have been my problem the past few months. Rather than finding a good balance in my life, I have been constantly on the edge of the next thing to do or see or be... I climb and I climb and I climb and I jump to the next ledge. I haven't stopped. I haven't turned around. I haven't stopped to BREATHE DEEP.

Skipping meals is not the answer... having a balance in what I do is. My house will slowly have the "bad stuff" eliminated from it. I have replenished the healthy stuff that I let fall by the wayside due to lack of time and energy. Stuff like carrots for snacking, cheese & crackers, yogurts, and whole foods. It requires more time and dedication on my part. The stuff has a shorter shelf life. I have to make an effort to be sure it gets eaten or it will go to waste. But I know it is the right thing to do. I am also going to institute a salad night once a week. I have done salad nights before, but never on a regular basis. I need to make Thursdays salad days. (I know, I know, Liane, Thursday is already Commando Day. But that's how I will remember salad days too... it's the whole "natural" thing...)

I am also reorganizing my scrap room into a much more efficient space, and although it's pretty much a disaster-in-progress, I see the end, and the end will be good. LESS CLUTTER. More space for me to create. A dedicated space for my commissioned projects and freelance work. A place for magazines. It is actually quite lovely in my mind right now... :)

I am returning to the ways of Fly Lady as well. I did sooo well when I was FLYer. My house felt more like a home and I could maintain it better. And I felt healthier too. I never really stopped FLYing, but aside from the shiny sink everything started to go by the wayside of "I just don't have the time right now." How lame is that? Why don't I have the freaking 30 seconds it takes to make my bed in the morning? And I love Kelly's missions and dedicated Zone work. Even if that was the only 15 minutes I spent on my home a day, I felt productive, happy, and proud.

As part of my whole BALANCE thing, I have decided to be sure I do something fun that my KIDS want to do each day. Today we went to the Pumpkin Patch at the Gilcrease Orchard and picked TONS of little and big pumpkins... at least 12... and even after getting a pint of fresh pressed apple cider it still cost less than $8 total. Gotta love it. And I was reminded of all the other excellent, fresh fruits and veggies for the picking there. I think we will go back on Monday and get our week's worth of green foods, especially since it will be like a whole $5 for a basketful.

Since I vowed no more skipping meals ... off to make lunch.

how much

string cheese can one boy eat in a day?

I'll tell you. Today he had 6 pieces.

SIX.



So I have been trying to be healthy around here.
I've cut out (almost) all sodas from my diet, relying on water.
I joined Curves in June and have been going 3 times a week at least.
I've been aware of reducing my portions and eating healthier (although I haven't been cutting out sweets and stuff, cause I think I'd die if I did that so I am just reducing those as well).

And today I went to the gym and got weighed in for the first time since July.
I am three pounds heavier. And everywhere except my calves and hips (which remained the same) has grown. By an inch.

WTF?

Talk about a freaking downer.
So, why, again, am I leaving the house every night to work out? Why am I denying my self the true pleasure of a Coca Cola Classic? Why am I saying no to that second cookie when I *REALLY* want it? Why??? When it's obvious that my efforts at cutting back and being healthy are completely backfiring?? What is the freaking point of all this, when everything I have done the past few months has meant absolutely NADA?

I am upset. I am angry. I am frustrated.
I am tired... TIRED of working out. TIRED of drinking gallons of water. TIRED of it all.

arghhhghg............................................

Why is this the hardest part?

Coming up with a cool title.... it's sometimes more than my little brain can handle.

So I took an online IQ test the other day and I fared quite well, although I was disappointed the score wasn't higher. What's up with that? Why do I care? Why can't I just be satisfied with being (actually, quite) smart? Why do I need to be a "genius?" One of life's little mysteries. Oh right, it's not a mystery at all. My goal in life has always been to be the best at everything I do (dang those parents of mine for putting crap like that into my head!!), and, frankly, I want to be a genius. I used to be "Brains Unlimited" in junior high and high school. While I never knew what my original IQ score (pre-kids) truly was, I am actually attributing my current score to the fact that I have children. A recent study shows there is a good chance my IQ has significantly lowered as a result of having two kids. I always thought they were draining brain cells through my milk. Now I know for sure. Or at least, that's what I can tell myself. *snort*

I need more storage space in my scraproom. Rick is kind of beside himself about that. Oh well... he'll get over it. I am slowly, slowly kicking him right out of there. Soon he'll be on his little computer in the hallway.... mwahahahaaaaa...

But, no, really... I need more storage space. My countertop is full of product and boxes of stuff I just can't get to, and I have nowhere to actually create my art. So I have decided to build a shelf unit right abouve this desk that will hold photo boxes, supplies, and other miscellaneous things so that I can have space for stuff like my paper racks... as well as space to S-P-R-E-A-D out. I want to be able to feel *creative* here, and currently I don't. I think I'll need to do a little closet overhaul as well. But hopefully I will be able to do all this before I get The Box from Memory Makers.

Have I mentioned *The Box* yet?

It is supposed to contain *TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS* worth of scrapbooking supplies!! Some companies have donated their ENTIRE LINE of products!! I am seriously beyond thrilled. Of course I haven't bought a single scrapping item in a month now cause I want to wait to see just what's in The Box... and of course I am grateful I don't have The Box yet cause I have NO ROOM for any of it right now! Better get offline and back to cleaning the space out... and I'll head to Home Depot tonight to get the hardware for the shelves.

Oh and the kids.... they are actually doing great. Riley now says "Apple Juice please Mommy" plain as day when he wants some. And everything that is in a can or bottle is "Daddy's Beer" LOL. I decided that I'll just keep it that way for now since it is the perfect reason why he isn't allowed to drink sodas, etc. Kids. They crack me up!

Stinky Poopses!

What on *earth* has my son been eating the past few days? Ewwwwwwww.

So our fish are doing great. So are the frogs, Junior and Steve. Violet also finally named the guppy. Zack. Of course the Neons are Silly, Pilly, Willy, and Killy. Where on earth does she come up with these names??

I've been working a scrapping convention here in town called Memory Trends. It's one of the largest trade shows in the industry, and there were many many big named people there and I made loads of connections. I worked for a booth called Michael Miller Memories. They have treated fabrics that act just like paper (can be trimmed, die cut, run through the printer, etc), but give your pages the look and feel of fabric. SUCH cool stuff! I had a ball playing around and experimenting with their stuff. They liked me, too... and asked if I would be willing to teach at consumer conventions such as CKU or Camp Memory Makers. This might be a very cool career opportunity for me! I am pretty jazzed.

So I am trying to settle back into the routine of being Mom again. It's been tough working the past three days... I don't envy those moms that do it on a regular basis. I missed those kiddos (although it was nice not to have to change diapers or clean up after their messes for awhile! LOL!)

More later... after I take a little nap... :)

It was only a matter of time...

Riley learned something new today!

I should preface it with the "something new" he learned last weekend. How to open the fridge. So I should have known it was only a matter of time before he mastered his latest trick, although Violet never did such things. What is up with that? Why are boys and girls so very different? Why do I have to worry every single second when I can't hear my son that he's on top of a counter or a cabinet or a sink or a fridge? He's been caught "helping" plunge the toilet, getting himself "drinks" out of the toilet, "helping" put the entire tube of toothpaste on his toothbrush and the counter and the floor and his clothes, "helping" feed the fish, "helping" mix dog food with dog water, eating said dog food/dog water, "helping" get drinks from our water dispenser in the garage and subsequently nearly flooding it with five gallons of warm and cool running water, "helping" pick the unripe veggies from the garden, "helping" change his own poopie diapers (yes, that one was a *real* treat), and oh, so many more fun things.

Where was I?
Oh, right. The new trick.

He knows how to crack eggs.
On the kitchen floor.
He practiced with a dozen this morning. Eight at one time, and four more a little later.
Have I mentioned that egg white is verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry slippery? Well, it is.

I think he will be a chef someday.

Again with the fish.

So while I was gone in Arizona the fish tank took a turn for the worse. The water started turning green and cloudy, and fish were dying. Rick, being the brilliant fishkeeper he is, bought more fish, which, of course, also died.

All that was left in the tank when I returned were the polka dotted platy (named "Silly Pilly") and the new frog Rick had just bought (named "Junior," again). We took a water sample to Petco and learned that the ammonia levels in the water were near dangerous (likely caused by Violet's overzealous feeding habits and the subsequent fish deaths). We were told to drain the tank, 1/4 tank at a time, while vacuuming the gravel to remove the food particles and fecal residue (mmmm feces). We also added a little cup with sea salt in there that would help reduce the ammonia levels and soften the water, since Vegas water is so hard.

It took two full days, but the tank was once again clean and the fish and frog were happy. I was set to go out and get a couple more fish for Violet soon. Then last night as Rick and I enjoyed a quiet evening while the children were playing upstairs, his Spidey sense started tingling. "The kids are too quiet. I'll go check on them."

Upon arriving upstairs in Violet's room, he found Riley standing atop her dresser with an empty can of fish food, which had dumped all over the dresser and floor and in the tank. What we think happened was that he got up there and found the can, unscrewing the lid, which caused the food to go everywhere. In an effort to clean up, he was scooping it back up in the jar and pouring it into the tank.

Yep, that same tank I just had to clean due to the whole "overfeeding" thing.

This time, however, the tank was full of not just flakes but LOTS of crushed powdery food, which reeeeeeeallly clouded it up. We vacuumed the gravel about six times and were pretty confident we got it all, but as the evening wore on the tank got cloudier and cloudier. By morning, Silly Pilly was gone. Junior was still enjoying the tank, though. Strange little froggy.

I went back to the fish store. The ammonia levels were now officially "off the charts." The manager recommended a full tank cleaning. I scooped Junior out (took a few tries - that little bugger can really jump!), and put him in a bucket. I emptied the tank, cleaned out the filter completely (there was some naaaaaaaaasty film in there), cleaned the rocks, and set everything back up.
In the living room, on the niche shelf.
FARRRRRRRR away from Riley's grasp.
Junior seems to be enjoying his new environment.
We got a few more fish, including another froggy friend for Junior.
The tank is clean and clear.

For now.

Refreshed... renewed...

It's amazing how just a weekend away can change your perspective. I am more patient, less frustrated at the things that a mere week ago were driving me up the wall. I appreciate the creativity of my children and the hard work of my husband. I especially appreciate the comfiness of my own bed! :)

The trip was a lot of fun... especially when I became, for a couple days anyway, a part of a very exciting artists' community. Talking to these artists and feeding off their energy and creativity was soooo great. I was inspired many times over and came back with a renewed sense of why I scrapbook... I do it for the love of the ART. New friendships were forged adn older ones were strengthened. All in all, it was a fantastic experience!

I cannot *WAIT* for the weekend.

So my son was in the dog's food and water dishes again today. With a cup. Mixing food and water. Everywhere. Rick made him get a towel and clean it up and it was cute, so I got out the camera. Of course as soon as Riley saw the camera he was done cleaning.
"Chee, mama! Chee, mama!"
At least I have him trained well.

So I set the camera on the counter out of his reach so taht I could take a couple more photos later after he got back into cleaning. I go into the other room for a couple of seconds. In this time he has found some BUCKET somewhere, plopped it upside down next to the counter, stood on it and GOT MY CAMERA.

And
he
DROPPED
it.

On the tile.
It landed on the top where the hot shoe for the external flash is located and bent in one of the brackets. I kinda pried it back out, but I won't know if my efforts were worth it until I try to actually attach an external flash. Since I don't have one, well, I'll just have to make do with the flash that's on the camera right now, thanks.

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE, I ask?!!

Maybe this is God's way of telling me not to be so focused on material things.
If so, that's REALLY LAME WAY OF DOING IT!!
:p

I'm getting old.

Ta-da! Here is me!
My headshot for the Memory Makers Masters article:



Rick took the photo (yay Rick!). Does it look too "Mom-Jeans?" I don't want to look like an old lady. I want to be cute. But when I look at this photo all I see is my wrinkles around my eyes (when did *THOSE* appear??), the flyaway hair, that mole next to my nose I want to have removed, and the fact that I could stand to lose about 20 pounds. Why can't I be cute and young like Liane? ::sigh::

Stairs and Boo-boos

So Violet discovered that if she gets in her sleeping bag and slides down the stairs it's REALLY FUN and REALLY FAST. Riley stood at the top of the stairs and belly-laughed as Violet slid down in her little vinyl cocoon, climbed back up, and did it again. Over and over. Then one time Riley climbed in with her. The sliding... the laughing... over and over and over and over. At least 20 times. They are asleep now... hopefully for the entire night.

In just over a week I will be going to Arizona for a long weekend with some friends. Sans kids. Riley will be sans boo-boos for three nights. We've been slowly weaning, but Riley still hasn't fully given up on the deal. Naptime and bedtime I usually give in. It's so much easier than a crying baby. Of course he seems to do fine as long as the boo-boos aren't in the house. So hopefully Rick will be alright dealing with a not-quite-ready-to-be-done-nursing baby.

I'm a little melancholy about the whole thing. I love nursing my son but it's becoming a burden for me. I want it to end on a good note - I don't want it to be a bitter battle. I want my nursing memories to all be happy ones. But I also don't want to end it before he's ready. I really think he's ready, though. He's really just doing it cause my boo-boos are THERE, not cause he needs them. Of course, if I come back after the weekend and he asks for them, I probably will oblige. After all, he's my last baby and once I am done nursing him, I am done. Forever.

my kids

cause they are cute :)

Actually I need to do a headshot for this Memory Makers thing, and I am seeing if I can do a simple garage photo shoot. The way you do it is by opening the garage and letting the natural light be your lightsource. Mine was coming in from their left. I draped white fabric for the background and used another white sheet on their right as a reflector (probably didn't even need it). I did a few shots of the kids to see how it would work out. The entire shoot lasted about 3 minutes before Riley was thoroughly bored and began tearing down the backdrop. Here are some decent photos from the shoot though...


Riley and Violet goofing around


Violet, age 4


Riley, 19 months old

Not half bad for my first try! And this was still with the point and shoot. I have a couple rolls in with the SLR that are being developed right now. If those are halfway decent, then I'll really be thrilled!! Of course there's the whole problem of needing to lose about 25 pounds before I need to get these headshots done... LOL..

Point and Shoot No More

So yesterday morning Riley broke my camera. Who the &*%#)$# knows how... but it wouldn't open and kept shorting out (@@ LOVELY). I went to Wolf camera to see if it would be a simple repair, and they said standard repair on that type of camera would be 4-6 weeks and cost $129. (this camera was $150 NEW!!!) I told them I would decide what to do later. I grumbled out the door and into the car, thinking, we can't afford the digital camera I want right now... but I really don't want to spend the money to get a crappy digital, but I do eventually want to GO digital... but I just bought 18 rolls of 35mm film last week... and this was *SO* not in my plan!! ARRRGHHH.

Then I had to head to Sam's to drop off the film that was retrieved from the broken camera and pick up some prints I did the day before. When I walked in, Verna, one of the clerks was at the front of the photo lab at this tabletop display with various cameras. She asked how I was doing (did I mention that the entire staff at Sam's 1 hour photo knows me & my family on a first name basis? I am in there *quite* regularly). I told her about Riley and the camera incident and she said, "Have I got the solution for YOU!" She pulled a camera out from behind the table - a Canon Rebel TI. NOT digital, mind you, but a very good little SLR camera. It was originally $260 or something and was the last one and had been MARKED DOWN TO $110!! It was a much nicer camera and CHEAPER than if I had REPAIRED the Minolta! I decided to go ahead and get it (after all, I saved $20 on the deal, right?? LOL).

When I got home, I went into the computer room where Rick was and said, "So, I did something kinda dumb..."

To which he replied, irritated, "Show me the camera you bought."

"It's on the kitchen counter..."

Rick turned around incredulously, "I WAS JOKING!!!"

But once he saw it he agreed it's a mighty cool little unit. I think I will really enjoy it!

And the winners are...

So I guess I didn't have to worry after all...

And here's my "call story" LOL

So I heard the calls would go out around 9 a.m. Denver time (8 a.m.my time), so at about 7:30 I was obsessively stalking every messageboard I could think of, hitting refresh over & over & over & over... then at about 8:07 a.m. the first post showed up on 2Ps!! It was soooooo exciting and at that very moment my adrenaline went through the ROOF!!!! Last year they had called the winners alphabetically, so I was thinking if I *was* going to be called, it would be early. My kids asked if they could eat their breakfast outside on the playground in the backyard, and I was like, uh, sure... whatever!! LOL

I had just given them their cereal bowls when the phone rang.
My heart stopped.
Ring again.
I looked at the caller ID."Out of Area."
"Ohhhhhh Lord," I said out loud, "BREATHE."
I picked up the phone.
"Hello?"a voice that sounded as if it were on speakerphone said, "Is this Jessie?"
"YES, THIS IS JESSIE!"
"Jessie, this is Michelle Gerbrandt!"
"OHHHHHMYGOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! REALLY??!?!"
"Yes Jessie, and we just wanted to tell you..."
"OH MY GOSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
(laughter from many people on the other end...)
"We wanted to congratulate you on being selected as one of our 2005 Memory Makers Masters!"
"THAT is AWESOME!!!!! HAHA!!! I am SO EXCITED RIGHT NOW!!!!"
(more laughter, and cheers)
"Jessie, your entry was wonderful and inspiring and thoughtful, and we really loved it!"
"Thank you so much, OH MY GOSH DID YOU REALLY JUST CALL ME??!"
"Yes, congratulations again!"
There was more talking and other things such as someone would be contacting me and someone else will be emailing me and something about not posting online and something else and by this point my brain had completely stopped working and I was in a hazy fog of giddiness, pacing from living room to outside to kitchen to outside to living room again... and I hung up the phone and cheered a "WOOHOOOOOO!" once more.
Violet looked at me like I was insane and said, "what the heck just happened, Mommy?" LOL
I couldn't stop smiling all morning... then of course I got online and posted anonymously and realized seconds after I posted that I wasn't supposed to be posting at all (even anon) and I feared for the rest of the day that they would somehow figure it out and strip me of my title since I couldn't even follow the first freaking instruction they gave me.... so I really didn't breathe easily until I saw my name posted on the MM website!!! LOL!!!

Heart palpitations.

So really I thought I was a pretty level-headed person.
But I am not.

I entered this contest called the Memory Makers Masters, which chooses 10 scrapbookers to work for the magazine as Masters for the year. Very prestigious honor. I entered the contest last month and I really think I have a pretty good chance at winning (although, really, I never win anything so I should really just stop the wishful thinking!). The winners are supposed to be called between the 31st of August and the 3rd of September. So chances are, the calls could be made today!! I have been avoiding doing anything of worth around the house, letting my children run amok, while I troll different Scrapbooking Websites to see if anyone has posted anonymously that the calls have begun. REALLY!!! I need to chill out. But my F5 key is nearly worn out from all the refreshing I have been doing.

I am thinking the calls will go out tomorrow. I've already eaten an entire Toblerone bar in anticipation. I am hoping to make it through the day without stopping at Dairy Queen for a brownie batter blizzard....mmmmmmmmm........

Must....stop....thinking.....about.....contest........... :p

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

Our smoke detector downstairs is malfunctioning. I just replaced the battery last weekend, so I know it's not that. But something made it go off this afternoon while we all were in the living room watching TV. And no, it wasn't smoke. It beeped for about 10 seconds, then stopped. Then about 15 minutes later had one short beep. It's quiet now... but what the heck? I'll make Rick climb up the ladder and look at it later.

Our First Casualty.

One of our guppies got a little too close to the filter intake and was trapped. I just noticed it tonight as I was feeding the fish.

I removed the guppy for a proper burial and prepared myself for the inevitable life-and-death discussion I would have with Violet.

While checking out her fish she asked, "Hey! Where's the one with the spotted tail?" and I told her what happened. Her eyes widened as I explained how the fish got caught and he couldn't get out, so I had to flush him. "I know, Mommy..." Violet said as she put her arm on my shoulder. "Let's go to Wal-Mart and get another one!!"

Kids. So easy to please. :)

I can have a do-over, right?

So yesterday was one of those days.

A day that, were I to describe it to you, would not be believable. Nor would you believe that it all took place within a single three hour span of time.

But it did.

After having a good night's sleep though, I *can* look back upon it and actually smile. Though it's one of those smiles that you see on the face of a mental health patient after they receive their meds. Which, by the way, I think I will need.

Here are the things that happened:

Violet decided she wanted her "teeth to grow" so she locked herself into the bathroom and applied Baby Orajel all over her mouth.
After explaining to Violet that this was NOT good, we called "the doctor" (Miss Valerie) to tell her how it is very dangerous to use medicine and she could have DIED.
While that phone call was taking place, Riley was at the fish tank, placing all Violet's ceramic tea set pieces into the water. Apparently the fish wanted tea.
I brought the kids downstairs, and noticed the living room floor hadn't been swept, so I went to work doing that. Violet and Riley went to the computer room to play Nick Jr.com, which is something they have done plenty of times before.
Violet came running out of the computer room: "Riley's playing with the SEEEEE-DEEEEEEs!!"
Sure enough, he had gotten into our computer CD collection and was trying to put ALL THE CDs into the computer at once and trying to force the door shut. NICE.
I shooed them out of the computer room and put away the CDs.
When I came out of the computer room, I find Riley, pen in hand, his legs covered in pen marks.
Which means pen marks are somewhere else.
So I find them - all over the wedding photos that Lisa and Mark sent us. Pretty little circles on each person's face.
He's so creative.
On a side note, I fould out that baby wipes do a great job cleaning pen ink off glossy photos.
Oh and yes. Riley pooped.
FOUR TIMES.
While I was throwing away one of the four diapers, Riley decided to help with the dishes.
He emptied all the silverware into the trash.
All of it.
Such a helper.
Violet, meanwhile, decided to build a fairy fort in the living room. So down from her bedroom came every blanket and pillow possible.
While I was making lunch, Riley found one of my teaching tools - a plastic tube with teeny tiny styrofoam balls inside that demonstrates static electricity - and opened it up. Little teeny tiny static balls were EVERYWHERE in the living room that had JUST been swept clean.
I sat the kids down to eat and gave them each a juice box. I needed to take a potty break.
I came out of the bathroom to see Riley in the middle of the living room, waving and shaking around the now empty juice box, whose contents are covering the living room floor, rug, couch, and little itty bitty styrofoam balls.
Violet decided to be a helper and get some toilet paper from the bathroom to clean up the mess.
That got boring, so she instead started to tear the toilet paper into shreds and toss it in the air: "like confetti, Mom!!"

It was at that moment, as the toilet-paper-confetti rained down upon me, that I lost control. I yelled. I screamed. I cried. I spanked. And I put both kids to bed in their rooms and threatened them with their lives if they came out.

And, within a minute, both children were asleep.
The house was peaceful, once again.

I did my best to clean up the mess. But I was emotionally exhausted too. I stretched out on the couch and took a nap. It lasted 30 minutes, and then Riley woke up.

And the cycle continued. Pens. Paper. Toys. Poop. Riley scooping large cupfuls of water out of the toilet and pouring them onto the bedroom floor.

I got a call from a magazine asking for me to do a layout on a very short deadline - something that was a *total* piece of cake! All I needed to do was scan and print a photo using the photo restoration button on the scanner. No problem, except I noticed my color ink cartridge was out of yellows. I replaced it with a new one and printed the photo. It came out Magenta. No other colors were printing. I cleaned the heads, primed the printer, and reset the drivers.
Nothing worked. I thought it might be a bad cartridge, so I opened another one. This one the printer won't even accept.
My totally easy job was no longer easy. I had to call them back and let them know I could not fulfill my duities. They were very understanding.

I, on the other hand, think I want a do-over on yesterday. :p

Gentle Reminders for those of Potty Training Age.

Oh and I came across this little ditty and I thought I'd share.

Potty Training Tips

Let's hope it never gets to THAT in my house.

Neeeeeeeeeeeemo!

Last weekend we had a garage sale to get rid of some of our excess stuff. During the sale, Violet had a lemonade stand and declared that with her earnings she would buy a FISH TANK because she always wanted fish.

So with her $3.25 she made selling lemonade, we went down to the fish store to look at tanks and such. Of course she wanted the pretty Nemo fish. The salesman explained why that would not be possible in the little 5 gallon acrylic tank we were looking at. Instead we browsed the freshwater fish and she found several that she liked, including Neon Tetras, Platys, and even these cute little frogs.

We started pricing the tanks and equipment and at the pet store it would have been $80 for a five-gallon setup. (and Violet thought she could get a fish for $3.25!!) While we were writing all the info down, a couple of young boys (who says they are all hoodlums?) suggested we check out the tank sets at Wal-Mart across the street. We headed over there and LO & BEHOLD the exact same setup we saw at the first store was there for $50. And there was a sale on a 10 gallon tank set - all we had to buy in addition was the rocks - and THAT was $45! We decided that the 10 gallon tank would be the best bet, so on Monday we got the tank. Violet could not understand why she couldn't get the fish too, but I explained to her we had to wait 24 hours for the tank to properly filter.

Have I mentioned that the *entire* time we were in any fish section at the store, Riley simply said OVER AND OVER, "Mama! Memo! Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeemo! Mama!! MEMO MEMO MEMO MEMO MEMO MEMO MEMO!!!" as he pointed and jumped up and down and ran around the fish tanks. The whole way home, he kept telling Violet, "Vay-lah!! MEEEEMO! MEMO MEMO! Meeeeeeeeemo! Vay-lah! MEEEEEEMO!"

The tank was set up in Violet's room, and after a lengthy discussion with her regarding how the filters work and when to feed the fish, she was prepared to wait until the next day to get them.

Tuesday morning, 6 a.m. Violet runs up to the side of my bed and shakes me violently. "MOM! MOM! MOM!! We can get our FISH today! Let's GO!" I opened my eyes to find her fully dressed, including an attempt at hairstyle. It was precious! I groggily told her we would have to wait till after lunch to get the fish, since we set up the tank Monday afternoon. Violet declared that she would make me a surprise breakfast for being such a good mommy. It took a few minutes for *that* to register in my sleepy brain, but once it did, I was AWAKE. She called me downstairs to the table, where she presented to me a bowl of dry Frosted Flakes topped with banana pieces (broken apart by hand since she's not allowed to use a knife) and several spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt. It was..... so sweet of her. And actually, not half bad.

From about 10 a.m. on, every 5 minutes I was asked, "Is it lunchtime yet, Mommy? Can we have lunch now, Mommy?" until noon when I fed the kids. Then it was into the car to get the fishies. Violet acted like SUCH a big girl. She chose two neon tetras dubbed Silly and Pilly, another, larger white Tetra she named Cinderella, and two orange platys she called Nemo and Riley.

The excitement was building - we had to acclimate the fish to the tank temperature, which took 15 minutes, and then Nemo, Riley, Silly, Pilly, and Cinderella were introduced to their new home. They seemed to like it... and Violet was transfixed. She sat in front of the tank for at least an hour. Poor Riles fell asleep in the car and missed the excitement for the time being.

Later that afternoon I checked on the tank. The fish were swimming around happily. In front of the tank were several pieces of scrap paper with various letters written in 4 year old hand, a photo of our family, and a mirror. I asked Violet what all that was for. The letters were the fishies' names so they wouldn't forget. The mirror was so they could look at themselves and see how pretty they were, and the photo was so the fishies would recognize us when we looked into the tank. Gotta love the mind of a 4 year old!

When Riley woke up from his nap, Violet introduced him to the new fish. He was in LOVE and stayed in front of the tank, calling "MEEEEEMO" for a whole ten minutes!! This new little adventure into tankhood should be fun.

Wa-hoo-wa-heee-ho-ho-ho-ho
Wa-hoo-wa-heee-ho-ho-ho-ho

My First Post

Well, here it is. I have officially started a blog, because my sister Melinda and her new hubby have gone and moved to Korea so that Melinda could be a teacher with the Department of Defense, and we decided this would be the best way for them to be in touch with the daily ramblings of my life. Still trying to figure out all the settings and such, so give me a bit before I get the hang of everything.