Thoroughly Modern Mommy

2012-02-25T07:59:00.000-08:00

Blog Catch Up

Ok it has been a very busy time in our household so I'm hopefully going to play a little catch up this weekend. So lets start with my 12 project. Here is my day in 12 photos from the 12th of February in my house.

Q isn't allergic to dairy anymore (he grew out of his allergy) so he has been trying every dairy product under the sun. For his birthday my mom and dad got him tons of cheesy stuff to try. He starts his day with dairy and ends it that way. He loves it!!!!

Olivia's new favorite thing is to watch Disney parades on Youtube with her siblings and dance along to the music

This is probably the #1 parade of choice. "Move It-Shake It-Celebrate It"

Of course you need to kiss your sister after watching and dancing to several parades.

Then its time to get ready for the day....and this is how she wants to do it.

And we thought she was not going to be girly....we are proven wrong.

A new cupcake shop opened up in our area. And now that Q can have dairy and Grace can have wheat (she grew out of her wheat allergy) we can get normal cupcakes for the majority of us. Olivia will still need a special one but hopefully she will someday grow out of her allergies as well.

She was really mad at Gracie for not getting her the right snack from the cupboard. She has quit the personality!!!!

Showing daddy that she can now eat with a spoon. Such a big girl. My kids love rice with spaghetti sauce.

This is Qs 100th day of school project that he made. He put 100 tiny photos on it.

After the kids got to bed mommy got crafty. I have been working hard on a new project called Mouse Ideas. Stay tuned for more on this. Cant wait to get it all set up to share it.

I finished this layout today 11 months ago on the 12th of March we got engaged. We have a thing for 12.

2012-01-30T12:35:00.000-08:00

Guest Designing in February at Scraptastic Club

Hearts A Flutter

A Boy's Life

These kits are on their way to my house right now!!! I cant wait to get some time to play with these great kits. I have my pictures and sketches all ready to go. They also have an add-on kit that coordinates with each kit. I will keep you posted with my projects and in the mean time go check out their blog!

2012-01-20T14:31:00.000-08:00

I LOVE THIS PICTURE! I just had to share it :-)

2012-01-19T13:52:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have jumped on the Project Life band wagon. But, I am going to do it my way. I am using a mixture of the divided page protectors along with standard 12x12 ones. I tried it with just the divided ones and then I tried with just 12x12 pages and I didn't like either. So, a combo of the two is what I will use and I love it. Above is week 1and week 2 is currently on my desk ready to be completed. What I love about this project is it is forcing me to get out my camera more and really focus in on the little things in life.

2012-01-12T23:59:00.000-08:00

My day in 12 photos.

My hope is that on the 12th day each month i take 12 photos. We shall see if I can keep up with this.

Good morning its time for coffee.

Its starting to snow, we are supposed to get 4-6 inches by the end of the day.

Time for breakfast for Livie.

Grocery shopping.

Gracie finished her beautiful autobiography.

We met her at school to celebrate

Nap time.

Its still snowing.

Id like to scrapbook...but its just one big mess on my table.

Trucks work best on hard wood floors.

I love her crazy hair when she takes out her bows.

I dislike folding socks! I think I will head back to the scrapbook table.

2012-01-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

Top 11 Crafty Projects of 2011

Olivia's Crocheted Flower Hat

Baby Love Layout

First Birthday Wreath

Reverse Applique Onesie

Love That Smile Layout

Vegas Mini Book

Thanksgiving Place Cards

Stay This Way Layout

Smash Book for kids

The Luckiest Layout

2011 December Daily

2012-01-10T12:04:00.000-08:00

Is it Spring?

Last week when we had a tiny bit of snow it made one little boy very happy. He played outside for hours in the course of the two day time span that the snow stayed in my yard. There was not much there to play with but he made due. Now this week he has no snow anymore and it is almost 50 outside. 49 degrees according to the weather app on my phone to be exact. While I am relishing in the no snow factor this season there is one little boy who is really hating it. He asked me today if it was spring. When I replied with a no, but it sure does feel like it, he got a little weepy.

Meanwhile I am plugging away at getting my house tidy, finishing up that December Daily that has become a thorn in my side and starting on my very first Project Life Album. Crafty projects keep me sane. I have many more I'm working on and look forward to their completion so I can post them soon.

2012-01-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

Just so you know I'm Real

I try really hard to keep my blog on the positive and focus and all that is good in my life. But, that leaves a lot of me out. I bet that there is a lot of "me" that some of you out there can relate to so I am letting go for a minute and giving you some reality in my life that isn't so super! Below you will find pictures of our playroom and our island in the kitchen. After all the gifts were open and the kids were home for a week my house got a little out of hand. I am not even sure were to put all this new stuff. My scrapbook table is even worse. It looks like a December daily explosion. I am extremely anxious to get myself dug out of this mess so I can get to crafting more. I hope that it will get cleaning up soon, but in all honesty it will probably take me a while to get it done. I will do a little each day until it is all back in order. It gets me wondering How do others do it? How do they keep it all under control around and after the holidays? Are there lots of people out there like me or are there more people that can keep it all together no matter what gets thrown their way? Just makes me wonder. I would like to think that the "me" type people are the norm but its the ones that keep it all together that just talk about it more.

2011-12-13T06:07:00.000-08:00

December Daily So Far

There truly isn't a project that I am more proud of then my collection of December Daily's. You know how people always talk about what they would take besides their loved ones out of the house if it were on fire? This would be what I would be grabbing. They are not the most beautiful pages or mini books I have ever made but they are definitely the most meaningful. So here is what I have completes for this year so far. Spelling mistakes, you bet! Not the best pictures, of course! But, its the memories made that matter and that's what makes it perfect!

2011-12-03T06:28:00.000-08:00

Epic

December Daily Day 2

Today I have some funny Q stories from the day.

Everyday when we leave school he says "Peace" to his little buddies and flashes a peace sign.
Today he says "Peace.....on earth, goodwill towards men"
I asked "where did you learn that?"
He responds " Mom, its Christmas, thats what you say now....like in the song" In a very Duh! Mom voice

After we get home from school Q pulls out my camera "To take pictures for the December Daily" and he walks around the house taking pictures and with every snap of the camera he says "Epic!"
I ask "Why are you saying that Q?"
His response "Becasue its gonna be an Epic Christmas Mom!, Epic means the same as cool."
(Once again he says it in a voice as though he believes I am very out of touch with his lingo)
Mind you the things he was taking pictures are NOT Epic, they are things like our tile floor that desperately needs to be mopped and a close up of the toys spread out all over the Scrapbook room floor.
Then, he comes to take a picture of me and I say "Cheese"
He says " No, no Mom say EPIC!"

Over dinner Q tells the family he is going to share a song he has made up for us.
He shovels in a bite before he stands up and says "I have to stand up for this one"
He starts to wiggle his body like a cross between a worn=m and one of the Blues Brothers grooving to the music.....

"Stand up,
Hit the lights,
Touch the sky,
Get your credit card,
Everybody goes outside,
Livie stays in here with me,
Oh yeah!"

We were all laughing so hard, as we have no clue where he got this from. To be honest with you I didn't even know he knew what a credit card was. In fact, he still may not but for some reason still said it in his song.

Mind you all of these things are from one day. He is really this funny all the time. I could make a blog of all the funny things he says. Hes a lot of work and very high energy but he is a blast and super funny. We love it!

2011-12-02T09:35:00.000-08:00

Its Here!!!

December Daily Day 1

All day I was excited to begin our Daily, but I knew that at the end of the day we would be having dinner with my grandparents from Florida so I waited to take a picture with them. Not smart Mommy, not smart and here is why. Dinner started in a very lovely way. All three kids were wonderful! Behaving well, choosing their own food and able to chat and wait without the dreaded- "I'm bored" Then 3 quarters into dinner Gracie starts to feel sick. She was red as a tomato, hot and just all around yucky. So I quickly bundled everyone all up got our leftovers wrapped up and got out of the door as soon as possible. I never got took a picture. All the way home I drove thinking about how I could remedy this snafu. I thought of going back and taking a picture of the restaurant sign, no to cheesy, I thought about taking a picture of our leftover boxes, kinda weird. I thought about taking a picture from the internet of the inside of the restaurant, but nothing seemed to fit. Then as we got home Gracie started to feel better ( I think she got overheated as the place was super warm!) we all got in our jammies and talked about how it was fun even though we had to leave so abruptly. As we are sitting on the couch Olivia feel asleep like this....

So, it just goes to show you that even though there can be a snafu and it wasn't perfect does not mean that it wasn't fun, so fun that it was exhausting.

(In fact Q just said to me " Mommy, remember that place we ate dinner last night? It was a lot of fun! But, I was really sleepy when we got home" Then I said "and so was everyone else, Buddy")

2011-11-30T23:45:00.000-08:00

December Daily Eve

OK, I cant sleep. This might sound really really nerdy.......but....I'm gonna go out on a limb here and tell you its because I cant stop thinking about all the things I want to put in my December Daily for this year. This will be my fourth one. After the first year I thought-this is crazy I will NEVER do this again. But....then my kids loved it so much and I did it again just for them on year 2. Then year 3 hit and I was excited but it was more about creating a legacy for my kids. And now here we are at year 4 and I am honestly giddy at the fact that we have created all these beautiful memories together and now we have the opportunity to create more. How cool is that? Plus I write it all down so no one can ever forget. :) I love it. Its become one of my favorite holiday traditions. I'm so thrilled with it that I even made some as gifts to give to friends in hopes that they to will get into it with me. They are not scrapbookers so we shall see. Any-who here are some pictures of my books in 2009 and 2010 to tide you over until tomorrow.

Here is 2009- I LOVE how it turned out.

And here is 2010- I don't like this one as much but we cant love them all can we? I just try to remind myself that I had a newborn baby and still was not sleeping very much.

2011-11-27T06:50:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving

We celebrated our Thanksgiving this year on Friday to better fit our family schedule. So Thursday was spent cooking and preparing for Friday, looking at the Black Friday ads

and then resting so that I could go do this at midnight.....

I am in deed a Black Friday shopper. Not because I want that HUGE TV for a fraction of the cost or that sweater for Grandma for $6. But, mostly because its fun. I did get what I wanted to purchase at a good price but all the fun is in the people watching. Then I went home for a little shut eye so that I could help prepare for our Thanksgiving feast.

I turned my scrapbook room into our Thanksgiving table. So while we are all chatting about what we are thankful for we are surrounded by paper and stickers. What could be better?

2011-11-23T14:46:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Place-cards

Making place-cards for Thanksgiving has become somewhat of a tradition for me. For the last 4 years I have made special place-cards for everyone that attends my Thanksgiving. This year I stepped outside my normal just paper place-cards and used some wood! At my local Scrapbook Store they had larger blocks used as photo holders. It inspired me to adapt their project into a Thanksgiving day project with a smaller block. All in all each one cost me less then a $1 to make!

2011-11-17T07:58:00.000-08:00

This was another emotional one for me. My Grace is such a doll. There is so much about her to love. I just wanted to make sure she knows that. "Loved" is just my way of telling her.

I used my smooch spray a little differently. I took a small amount and put it in a paper cup. Then I took a tooth pick and splattered it on the page.

I also used the smooch spray to color my gray and white Amy Tangerine letters yellow to match the splatters.

Lastly I printed the pic out in both color and black sepia. I just cut out the leaf and popped it up with some foam tape.

2011-11-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

Emotional Scrapbooking

Lately I have been on a very emotional Scrapbooking binge. It can be very therapeutic for me. Not to mention my children get a sense of the real me. Its not always birthday parties and days at the beach. Sometimes its life's most basic moments that bring out the most emotion in me.

This layout "Stay This Way" is about my need to pause the moment that my children are at right now. I just wish that I had a pause bottom in my pocket I could hit so I could love on them a little longer at each age. I just want to soak it all in before we o move onto the next one.

I hid the journaling in an envelope because most people just don't want or care to read all that emotional gobbily-gook.

And then I used some twine from the Twinery....because whats a layout without twine anyway?

2011-11-06T20:28:00.000-08:00

Who needs ribbon on a spool anyway?

I have not been able to get much scrapping done at night as I would like these past few weeks due to sick children needing some extra Mommy time. So, I thought maybe just maybe Olivia could handle Mommy scrapping for a tiny bit of time during the day. It all started out good. She played with her toys in her toy cabinet and then.........

She discovered my ribbon bin that I had brought down off the shelf. She squealed with delight upon pushing her little hands in all that silky shiny stuff! I thought oh, harmless, it's just ribbon and I can still use it if its jumbled up a bit and off the spool. But then.....

Oh, it makes me giggle to see your in this mess! That large tangled mess was so worth every bit of sanity I regained from scrapping and every bit of joy she had making the mess.

2011-10-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

Family

We had the delightful opportunity to have some family over to our house for the weekend. It was the first time that my children were able to meet some of their cousins for the fist time. It was so cool to see all the kids really enjoy each others company and get to know each other. In fact you would never know that they hadn't met until now. They all seemed to mold together quit nicely. I hope there are many more opportunists to come like this. It was a BLAST! in fact, so much so that we are all a little extra sleepy today.

2011-10-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

What I know For Sure

Its been a long time since we have had a little dose of Oprah inspired what I know for sure. So here it goes!

Fall is even better when you can wear tank tops and play outside in the nice warm sun.

Q thinks hes the next great photographer. Well, he is if you are into sneaky shots of the people who are working on our house. Seriously this is one of many many many pictures. Not sure when he took my camera but it made me laugh to find them.

Being stylish is the only way to pick apples.

Olivia now wears a hear clip all of 45 seconds before ripping it out of her unruly hair!

Apples on trees are very weird to a baby.

I love making these onesies!

2011-10-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

Moments

Another page from Words to Live By

Just using some older Cosmo Cricket from my stash to create another page for my Words To Live By Album. I love this picture of my Q, I could scrapbook it over and over I love it so much.

2011-10-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

Family Time

at the Apple Orchard

I LOVE family time. I love that I get a chance to have my most special people with me all at once. I love that even if it isn't a perfect scenario its still a memory created. I love watching my children grow. I love seeing them explore the surroundings at an event that Doug and I work so hard to create for our children. I love the little moments. I love that it doesn't have to be an elaborate event to make a huge impact. I Love this life. I love my family. :)

2011-10-10T16:07:00.000-07:00

Vegas Mini

Doug and I went to Vegas back before school started for the kids. It was quick but jam packed with fun. So, to celebrate our very first getaway since Olivia was born I made this mini book! I used the Amy Tangerine line form American crafts that I just cant get enough of! I am sure to be using this line more in the future. (I purchased tons of it just to ensure that I do)

The Cover

I selected some of my favorite pages below: ( I mixed different sizes of envelopes throughout the album while all the paper is 6x11 with a few 4x6 sheets mixed in)

Here is an example of one of the envelopes. It was nice to have so I could stash extra photos or memorabilia in them. I also used some of them for extra journaling

I also used some of the October Afternoon travel line that I had leftover from another project. It goes very well with Amy Tangerine might I add.

On the below page I even added the candle that was in our special dessert.

I had a blast putting this together! I cant wait to make another one soon!

2011-10-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

Everything becomes a craft project

I think I might suffer from "over-crafty" syndrome. In this house no gift can leave without a giant bow and handmade tag. No thank-you can go unsaid without a handmade card. No school project can be turned in without a child adding that special something from Mommy's craft room. No birthday party can go without a handmade touch. No winter hat can be store bought.

I give you exhibit A:

This is the outside of a letter that I had to write for Gracie. Her teacher asked that we all write her a letter of recommendation for a classroom job that best suited our child. (They have a mini economy and all the kids had to apply for jobs) Could I just type a simple letter and stuff it in Gracie's backpack? NO WAY! Could I just add one simple stamp? CRAZY! I had to go all out adding a stamp, a butterfly, some bling and of course some doodling. I just cant seem to help myself when it comes to craftiness.

So, please tell me there are others like me?

2011-10-03T22:02:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited to share that Miss Liv got her cast off today! To her, that cast taking off and ex-ray buisness was super stressful! The rest of the day she was a bit out of sorts. So, it is midnight as I type this. She is finally asleep on my lap. She apparently had to stay awake to make sure there was nothing else traumatic going on today.

2011-09-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

More From Words To Live By

Cherish

Jornaling reads: May you always cherish life's quiet moments

Enjoy

Journaling Reads: May you always enjoy the little things in life

Nest

Journaling reads: May you always love your nest

Give

Journaling Reads: May you always give more then you get

2011-09-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Full Of Grace

Have you ever known someone that has a name that fits them perfectly? For me that is my Grace. She has always been such a graceful girl. She gracefully tells her brother to stop. She gracefully says "Yes, Mom" when asked to do her chores. She gracefully takes on new challenges. She gracefully accepts others for who they are. She gracefully goes with the flow. She gracefully speaks her mind. She is Grace. I feel blessed to have her in my life.

2011-09-18T22:47:00.000-07:00

Cupcake Party

As soon as I saw the newest birthday paper by 3 Bugs In A Rug I knew that it would be used for Olivia's first birthday party. I made little things to decorate her birthday cupcakes with as well as a wreath and if I would have had more time I would have made a banner and a part hat.

With gluten free, dairy free, soy free cupcakes. (They were not bad for what they don't have in them.) But, hey they look really delicious don't they?

I had to buy a cupcake scented candle from Bath and Body Works so even if they don't taste totally like a real cupcake at least it will smell like one! (Just might have to get candles for everything now..pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, Christmas tree at Christmas....you get the picture!)

The special wreath I made. I love how it turned out! The "1" is removable so that I can reuse for other birthdays.

The birthday girl herself. Such a sweetie.

She wasn't so sure about that cupcake either, but it didn't take long and....

Look at that mess! I love the little hands all gooped up with cupcake!

But don't you dare try o take a picture of her with her brother and sister. This is her birthday!

2011-09-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

Everyone Told Me....

Everyone told me that God would never give me two majorly energetic kids in a row. That the third child will just go with the flow, be passive and enjoy watching all that is around and take it all in before jumping in. Well, I have to tell you those people were SOOOOOOOOOO WRONG! While Q and Olivia are loads of fun they have determination and spunk! (I'm sure it will come in handy as adults...please someone tell me it will?)

Proof:

Yes thats a cast my soon to be 12 month old is wearing. (covered by pretty sock of course) So for those of you wondering, yes a sub 1 year old can break their leg! Crazy I tell ya.

She doesn't let this bad boy stop her either. She gets around quit well with it and doesn't even seem to care its there. Her personality is such that nothing will stop her from getting what she wants. I'm positive that's just the personality trait that got her in this predicament in the first place.

2011-08-31T13:51:00.000-07:00

Words To Live By

My take on the Big Picture Scrapbooking Festival

I took part in a great class(that was free might I add) at Big Picture Scrapbooking last week. Each day we got a new word that we were to incorporate into our layout. Most women did a 6x6 mini book. But, I went all out and did 12x12 layouts for each day. I am using this as a platform to teach my kids some things I really would love for them to learn in their life and use as they grow. So each day I used the word as my title and then journaled a small amount. The bulk of my journaling will be on separate pages in the book. My hope is that as these subjects arise in life (most already have many times) I can use this as a tool for teaching them these values.

Day 1

Journaling reads: May you always share a love like this.

Day 2

Wonder

Journaling Reads: May you always take time to wonder

Day 3

Less

Journaling reads: May you always remeber that sometimes less is more.

Stay tuned for the rest of m layouts!

2011-08-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

Crafty With The Kids

I'm just tickled to see my kids enjoying a hobby that I love so much. So, imagine my delight when they both want their very own smash book like Mommy. So about a week and a half ago I set all my projects aside and made two mini smash books for the kids. Theirs are 5x7 in size and perfect for them to"smash" all the goings on in their lives. Some nights we sit together and all work in our own books. I can't get enough of it!

This one is Gracie's, very girly and fun. I made a pen holder out of ribbon

On the inside flap I placed this envelope for her to keep all her little do-dads she is "smashing" with.

This is her opening page

I used lots of odds and ends of pattern paper that I have had around forever. (FYI Its a good way to use up old stuff so you have a good excuse to get some things!)

This one is Mr Quintin's. His is the same just used Boy paper.

2011-08-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

I am One Lucky Girl!

I LOVE the song "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds, and by love I mean I sing it at the top of my lungs around the house. I got inspired to make a page using this song. Doug makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world so therefore it is very fitting that I make him the subject of my page.

In other lucky news....

I am so excited to tell you that I will be guest designing at Scraptastic Club this coming winter! I in some really great company with other awesome designers and can't wait to see what everyone comes up with. it makes me feel like a very lucky girl!

2011-08-12T05:54:00.000-07:00

Finally Friday

Have you ever had one of those weeks when you think...ahhh finally Friday. I'm ready for a good weekend and then a fresh new week? It has been a week like that for me. Nothing to earth shattering happened, but nice fresh start to a week would be welcomed with open arms. So, to commemorate the end to this lovely week lets have a good long version of....

What I Know For Sure

This expression from Olivia melts my heart. I love it to pieces!

4 year old boys can fit in Rubbermaid totes

Stuffed animals really enjoy a good showing of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Just ask them, I'm sure they will tell you all about it. The dinosaur is the most chatty)

This is how much Olivia loved the Zoo

Q's tongue has taken on a life all its own

Bare feet are the best!

Water fountains to splash in are cool, even when your 9!

Creme Brulee from Archer Farms at Target is to die for....I recommend it for all!

It really makes my day to see my children enjoying a craft I love so much.

2011-08-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Keep Calm and Carry On

This is sometimes my mantra to myself. As one child spills milk all over the floor, another comes rushing in with a massive bloody nose and the third, well thankfully she cant walk yet so she can't be far. While that's all going on you can find this being said over and over again in my mind.

Recently I stumbled across a whole slew of new twists to this little slogan. There's one out there for everyone! They made me smile so I HAD to share them with all 11 of you reading my blog.

(Side note: I did some research and found out that it originated in England as a poster run by the government during WWII)

For the Blogger.....

For the Wine Drinkers.....

For the cupcake Lovers.....

For The Shoppers.....

For The Travel Buffs......

For Those that love Photography....

And this by far made me giggle the most!

For those who just can't image staying calm......

Hope I made You smile!

2011-08-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

Mommy Monday

Kids With Allergies

I Have kids with food allergies.....lots and lots of food allergies. I have looked far and wide for a good cake recipe that we can all enjoy. As I placed my last little sweet pea in her bed I decided to get back to searching for her birthday is right around the corner and the girl needs a cake! So to my plesent surprise shortly after midnight tonight I found this little jem of a place!

Babycakes

Its a bakery in NYC that has cupcakes and baked goods meant just for peeps like me and my kiddos! Free of all my little ones allergies! No wheat, no eggs, no nuts, no dairy, no gluten, no soy! Not to mention their reviews are outstanding...so they must be tasty! Then be still my heart.....they have cookbooks! So now I don't have to have their cakes shipped to my house (although that does sound a tad bit easier) , I can make them here at home! I will be sure to let you know how it goes when my books come to my doorstep. I can't wait to make my little Olivia her first birthday cake! :)

2011-07-27T14:49:00.000-07:00

Boy: A Noise With Dirt On It (Plus a Challenge)

Boys are funny people....4 year old boys are VERY funny people....4 year old boys are VERY dirty funny people!
I used a stamp that I NEVER thought I would use on this layout...as you can see above it is a square frame. But, I think its fun to use things I never thought I would. In fact my goal is to keep pulling stuff out I will "never use" and find a way to make it work. Below you can see I used it three times on the layout. So whats something you never thought you would use, but you have? If your answer is nothing I challenge you to use something soon!

2011-07-26T04:47:00.000-07:00

My little stinker....

and I have been awake since 5am. She is getting a mouth full of teeth so her clock is way off. So, how can we make this super early morning a bit more fun? Why, by sharing a layout about her!

Ive really been into ink, blotches, sprays, splatters you name it! So of course this layout has some ink on it.

I hope you enjoy. While you are just waking up to take a look at my blog I am sure Olivia and I will be ready for a nap.

2011-07-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

What I Know For Sure
Dance Competition Edition

If you have the opportunity to alter a regular t-shirt when you are 9 the rule of thumb is bring on the bling!

After a long day of dancing it's always good to cuddle up with your little brother.

There is only so much four year old boys can take of a dance competition until they try to sleep in the corner
Olivia has teeth and she knows how to use them

When asking a four year old boy to show you something...you never ever know how he will go about it. (Iasked to see the butterfly)

A formal dinner with 8 and 9 year old girls is very very cute.

This is how we all felt after a long week. It was fun but WOW! are we tired!

2011-07-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

Another layout to Share.

In between unpacking boxes and summer events I have been scrapbooking quit a bit. For nothing but to simply keep my sanity.

I love this picture of Q on our last Disney Trip. Its a story we talk about frequently with him. He of course recalls none of it, but believe me it will be one of those stories that we will tell him over and over through the years....especially when girls come around. He he he :)

2011-07-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

Where Have I Been?

We moved into our very own home! I have been very busy settling into our new home. I am sure I will be back to blogging very soon. :)

2011-06-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

Last week we did a lot of this....

by we I mean I did the make-up and the hair and Gracie did the rest. She had seven performances in a 5 day time span. She was sad when they were all over, but never fear the National dance competition isn't far away! Mommy needs some rest before that happens.
And here is a layout featuring some of her regional competition photos! I'm really happy with the way it turned out!

2011-06-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

What I Know For Sure-End of School edition

Coffee is a must with a teething baby.

Olivia is a Poser....already at 8 months old

Q's preschool teacher Mrs Gail is one of the sweetest people I have ever met.

Making your own shirt for the Taylor Swift concert is "the thing" to do

For as petite as she is she sure has strong arm muscles

They love each other.....very very much. So whoever said that siblings of the opposite sex cant be close was WAY wrong!

Melissa's purse themed bridal shower was super cute and they did a great job on the cake!

2011-06-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

Blog post turned layout

A while back I blogged about Q being able to eat gum at 4. So now, I finally turned that concept into a layout. I took pictures of each step of the gum chewing process and then inside the envelope is the final picture of him celebrating his gum at age 4.
Here is the journaling for you to read.
On another note Gracie and I went to her very first concert-Taylor Swift. It was such a great time and a very well done show.

2011-06-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

A Layout To Share

I worked on this layout in one of my recent late night scrap- a-thons. I am in love with mists and sprays as well as my stamps to add a subtle background to my recent layouts. Thank goodness I finally found a use for all those stamps Ive been collecting for years. I was beginning to think I would never find a way to justify all those purchases. :)

2011-05-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

Guess What!!!!!!!!

I was featured on the Echo Park Blog!!!! I was doing my normal blog reading while the kids happily play together. When lo and behold this layout of mine was spotted in my reading! Here is the actual post and the layout for you to view. Thank you Echo Park for making my day! :) I love your paper.
I also used the same sketch from Sketch Support but turned it on its side this time around. Gotta love the versatility of sketches.

2011-05-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Using a Sketch

I have just started getting more into scrapbooking with sketches these days. It really gets my creative juices flowing when I think I just may have lost the mojo for a while, or maybe it has more to do with the fact that the only time I scrapbook is after 9:30 at night. But I usually hit a huge creative rush when I use a sketch and am able to even complete more then one layout in a night! One of my favorite sites to use sketches from is Sketch Support.

Oh and I'm really into navy blue these days on my layouts. Not sure why but its a fun alternative to black or grey.

2011-05-23T13:16:00.000-07:00

Another addition of What I Know For Sure.

The smaller the Crocs the cuter they are!!! (Olivia's first pair :)

When you ask a four year old boy to take his picture, you NEVER know what you are gonna get.

I am now not the only purse fanatic in the family....welcome to the club Kayla. ( She brought this Disney Dooney home from her Disney Internship)

This little lady has one amazing voice! She had her first voice recital this weekend and did an awesome job!

Kayla is a smarty-pants
I never thought this would be something I know for sure but as they say you learn something new every day! This hypoallergenic Formula has made my little baby so much happier. After breastfeeding for 8 months and not knowing what it was that she was allergic to we decided it was time to give it a try and in 24 hours she was super happy and sleeping through the night again!

Have a happy day and don't forget to find out what you know for sure!

2011-05-20T07:17:00.001-07:00

Inspired By-take 5

I've been scrapbooking late at night these days after all three kiddos are in bed. Doug and I usually watch a movie or a sports game while I scrapbook. I love it!

I was inspired by Olivia's new warm-up that I purchased for her at the Disney Outlet.

More specifically this one....
Using an add-on sketch from my new favorite sketch site Sketch Support I made my very own Minnie and Mickey Cupcakes. I love them!!! I cant wait to think of more characters that I can turn into a paper version of my favorite sweet treat!

2011-05-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Gracie!

Miss Grace turned 9 on Monday so here are 9 cool facts about my wonderful little lady intertwined with 9 Scrapbook pages that feature her cute little self!

1-She is a fantastic big sister who helps out whenever Mommy asks.

2-She surprised Doug and I the other day by cleaning our room for us while we were out on a date. What a thoughtful little girl!
3-Shes funny.....very funny!

4-She writes her own music and its very good! (Watch out Taylor Swift)

5-Within the last 6 months she has really gained a lot of independence and forming her own sense of style. ( I think I created a monster in the Handbag department...she loves them!)
6-She Scrapbooks....and her pages are great! I should showcase some of her work on here sometime

7-Her nickname at school is "Sunshine" because she is always happy

8-She is a very talented dancer.

9- When her little brother was in the hospital she took money out of her own piggy bank to bring him a present. What a sweetie.

2011-04-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

What I Know for Sure

Kids think hotels are the greatest thing EVER!

If you are four taking the neighbor girl on a "date" to your table in the backyard while eating candy-canes is very cool

Falling asleep on daddy is very comfy

Grace has some mad photography skills!!!!

If you wear this outfit people will look at you crazy....yes even in Chicago.

2011-04-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

Inspired by- take 4

Everyday inspiration.....flowers sent by Doug. (Thanks Honey) I love how the flowers have an explosion of color going in all directions.

So instead of the obvious explosion of flowers on a page I made a ticket explosion....

Hope your enjoying my inspiration series as much as I am enjoying creating it!

2011-04-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

Inspired-take 3

After a long couple of weeks with very sick kiddos I am ready to share what I have been inspired by this time around. As a Disney fanatic I am constantly inspired by Disney products, places and music. In fact, I could probably do an entire Inspired By-Disney series. None the less I was inspired by the cover of Movie we have in our home.

And here is the layout....I made a door just like the picture. I used my trusty white pen on some black cardstock. Gotta love that white pen.

And inside my door...a special little "Monster"

As a bonus for this edition of inspired by I created another layout. I was inspired by the same movie but this time by the dialog in the movie. "23-19" is a line from the movie that we repeat around this house a lot. So what better then to title the layout "23-19"

2011-03-31T09:30:00.000-07:00

A special addition of what I know for sure......

When kids are sick stuffed animals are good but Mommy is best!

If you are tired enough you will sleep sitting up.

He's still so stinkin' cute even when he's as sick as can be!

(Q was in the hospital for a couple days with Pneumonia but is now home getting better. We are happy to have him home and getting better. :)

2011-03-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

What I know for sure....this week

Writing your grocery list out in a fun color at least makes it feel more fun then it really is.

You can stack laundry on 6 month old babies and they wont notice
Folded laundry does not put itself away.

Seeing this mock interstate sign makes me miss "the happiest place on earth"

2011-03-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

Inspired-take 2

Today's everyday object of inspiration....laundry piles.

Everybody has laundry and I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that most have piles of it at some point in their daily routine. I look it it a lot! After all this time I finally realized it could inspire a layout. In the laundry pile shown above there is layers and layers of clothing some colors stick out and some just blend in to the backround. While the colors that pop may draw our eye, without the drab the bright wouldnt stand out. So I decide to make a layout with a ton of layers and a few clors that really pop while letting the others just melt into the backround.

Some things that blend in are the turquise mist, the lighter flowers and the plain white paper.

I really wanted to turquoise flowers to be the equivalent of the hot pink blanket in the pile of laundry.

Here it is.....they layout inspired by laundry....now you all have an excuse to leave laundry all around the house until the inspiration hits you....or atleast thats what you can tell others. :)

2011-03-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

Inspire

I have been asked repeatedly through the years what inspires me. I never really knew how to answer that question until recently. Mainly because I wasn't totally sure where it came from. I took the easy way out and said my kids. Now I can tell you it is more then the standard kids answer. I have figured out that if I look at an object long enough (or in most cases, frequent views in short time spans) I can see the beauty in boring day to day items. I take a look at it from a different perspective and then it hits me! Boring items are inspiring too!

Now Oprah might have a fancy word for this kind of thing, "ah-ha moment", but I think for me it just might be the lack of sleep in combination with the desperate need for time to be creative. None the less I have to give Oprah thanks for giving it a schnazzy name.

So here is my first in the serious of inspired by daily life layouts.....

The daily life object:
The back of the Chex box- I know some of you out there might be thinking....What? I don't see anything cool about this. Then you need to borrow yourself a 6 month old baby who is teething and wake up every 20 min. This lack of sleep will give you just the crazy different view of the box you need.

Look closer.....
Do you see it yet?

The circle of Chex has now become a circle of paper!

And voila! The layout inspired by a box of Chex!!!!

2011-03-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

For sure....

On the last page of every O magazine Oprah has an article called "What I Know For Sure" I was inspired by this concept and decided to think about what I know for certain. It may not be as grand as Oprah's "known's" but none the less this is......

What I Know For Sure

Lotion does not make good soap....thank you Quintin, I would have never known this without you.

Almost 9 year old's are very silly people.

4 year old's are not the best Cake Pop making helpers.

6 month old babies love their feel, by love I mean, cant wait to rip the socks off so they can get a good grip on them and never let go love.

This adhesive totally rocks! I use it all the time.

No matter how hard I try, my fridge is destined to be a mess of kid schmutz, and I love it.

2011-03-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

He makes me so happy!

He works so hard for our growing family.
He makes me smile and laugh more then anyone else.
He treats me two older children as if they are his own.
He always makes time for the children, even when he's super exhausted.
He knows me so well.
He gets me and loves me for who I am.
He listens to me.
He makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
He is just the greatest guy I have ever met!!!!

I love him so much, and On Saturday.........

HE ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM!!!!!!

My ring is so beautiful and he proposed to me in such a sweet way. By sweet I mean both literally and figuratively, The waitress at Flemming's brought my ring out in a box of chocolates with our dessert. ( He had given it to her earlier in the night) Then we had a glass of champagne to toast our new engagement. What a perfect way to ask me. It was a great date night!

2011-02-28T15:22:00.000-08:00

Creativity

I've had a little time to get crafty. Even if its while a child is asleep on my lap or I stay up a little to late, its still time well spent! Hope you enjoy the new things I've made.

2011-02-18T08:59:00.001-08:00

Oh Olivia! You are so CUTE!

I made another hat for Miss Livie yesterday. I was making it for Gracie when I realized it was a bit small. Crocheting is so much fun! I cant wait to crochet something to use on a scrapbook page!

2011-02-16T09:16:00.000-08:00

February Fun

February is a hard month. Its still cold and I think everyone would just like it to get warm already. None the less we found some great ways to have fun this month.

We went to Chuck E Cheese for Q's birthday. It was a ton of fun and not a whole lot of people there so the kids had free rain of all the games.

Auntie Tina came to visit us from Maine. We adore you Tina!!!! We wish you lived close to us. We had a great time with her in town for a weekend.

I started crocheting again. Its a great project to do when the kids are cuddling up with me or falling asleep on my lap. I made this hat yesterday. Ive also done some scrapbooking and will hopefully share that with you really soon.

2011-02-07T12:51:00.000-08:00

Im not kidding...this is how she sleeps. Isn't it funny?

2011-02-04T08:50:00.000-08:00

Another layout- Proud To Have You Home

Journaling reads "They were all smiles when you came through that door. They both wanted to cuddle up with you all day."

2011-02-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

A Big Deal.....Turning 4 at our house is a major right of passage. Its when Mommy lets you chew gum for the first time. ( Call me a mean Mom, but I don't want to deal with a 2 or 3 year old with gum....sounds messy) Its when you move from a "Baby" carseat to a "Big Boy" Booster. It's when you start 4 Year Old Kindergarten. It's when you can choose an activity to participate in (Gracie choose dance...not sure what Q's choice will be yet) So enjoy all your new found 4 year old fun little man. Happy Birthday!

2011-02-02T08:34:00.000-08:00

What do you do on a Snow Day?

This is what we do....
put every flower clip that the girls have in Doug's hair. There are 12 flower clips in his hair!

After he shoveled for over an hour this is exactly what he had in mind to do today. Thanks for being such a good sport Honey!

2011-02-01T09:34:00.000-08:00

Regional Dance Competition.

This past weekend Gracie attended her very first dance competition in St Louis. She LOVED every moment of it! She was able to take classes with well known choreographers in dance styles that she normally would not have the opportunity to take at her studio as well as performed on stage 4 times. I have to admit that I had a nice time as well. (Thanks Auntie K for the shout-out to Gracie on your blog, we hope you enjoy the pictures and when you come home we have a video of it to show you. )

This is "Dance fashion" Crazy colors, fun prints and a whole lot of cute. This is what you wear to class.

Mommy and Gracie right after make-up was done She loves making the "Victoria beckham face"

They all had a little friendship/good luck squeeze circle. It was cool.

She's a little nervous in this pic. She just really wanted to do her best.

The whole group in their tap costume.

Her face says it all! She just found out they got gold in both dances and will compete again tomorrow in the "best of show".

The whole group with their teacher Kelli showing off their the ultimate award "best of show" in the Mini category. They were all running around jumping and screaming. They were so excited.

NATIONALS HERE WE COME!!!!!!!!

2011-01-27T14:22:00.000-08:00

She rolls! I can't believe how fast it all happens. For a Mama of three you would think this would be old news for me. But, it still amazes me every time.

2011-01-23T07:17:00.001-08:00

I noticed....that my list of favorites on the sidebar is quit outdated. I look at it and think I rarely shop at The Gap anymore, ScrapinstlyeTV is no longer around. I think its time for an update. Check back soon for an updated version of my favorites. Until then here is another layout.

2011-01-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

Lately....

As I sat down to write a little ditty about Q I realize that I have no pictures of the little guy lately. Ya know why? He's always running around in his "underpants" (that's what he calls his underwear these days) and a pair of socks. I'm pretty sure that no one wants to see my scantly clad young lad on the blog in only his underpants. So, an older picture will have to do.

He's a funny guy. He has some interesting thoughts that come out of that little almost 4 year old mind. Like the other day I picked him up from preschool and he started with this:

Q: Mommy, when I'm 55 I'm gonna buy a dinosaur.

Mommy: Really, how are you going to do that?, dinosaurs are extinct. (I went into the explanation of what that means)

Q: (He interrupts my little educational moment) Mom, no, no no, not a REAL one, a big giant plastic one!

He went on to elaborate that by plastic dinosaur he meant "a really big one, as big as a real one. "

So, my fellow blog readers in 51 years, if you see a guy walking around with a giant plastic dinosour you will know its Quintin.

2011-01-20T13:21:00.000-08:00

Dancing Queen

My little dancing queen has a competition coming very soon and she is so excited! I love that she has found something that she adores so much. Right now shes dancing 4 days a week to get ready for the upcoming competition...and she would do it every day if she could. She lives for it! When the competition is over she will go back to 2 days a week (and every other day of the week in her bedroom.)

2011-01-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

Another Layout.
Q loves anything with wheels. Always has and I think always will. He is currently pretty sick but that doesn't stop him from playing with trucks and cars. Love this Echo Park paper! Its perfect for Mr. Q.

2011-01-18T12:53:00.000-08:00

Easy Valentines Day Project!

I'm on somewhat of a creative roll these days making lots of fun stuff. This one is a project we will be doing at Gracie's school. It's just a fan folded piece of paper hot glued to a pencil. I stuck a large candy heart in the center and then little candy hearts in the pot to keep it standing up. It's something I'm sure many have thought of before, but none the less it will be fun for the kids to do at school.

2011-01-17T12:54:00.000-08:00

For Tori-

My dear, I know you have been waiting a long time for this picture....but here it finally is. Just beofre dance I snapped this pic of her in her cute new clothes. She wears this sweatshirt all the time! :)

2011-01-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

I love Scrapbooking! It's so much fun! Finally Miss Livie has a book of her own started. :)

2011-01-05T14:04:00.000-08:00

One Little Word

I just got out of the shower...I do the best thinking in the shower. It's quit possibly the only time I get to think ALL BY MYSELF. Needless to say I milk the shower time for all its worth. Before stepping into the shower I happened to read my friend Katherines blog. She has decided to join in the One little Word Challenge with Ali Edwards and pick a word to be the focus of her year....I got to thinking. Could I be that deciplined and pick one word for the whole year to focus on? In the end would I have found that it was really another word that best described my focus in 2011? Past tense I am sure I can describe each year with one word. 2010 would be grow. Not only did the obvious happen-my children grew, my family grew, my love grew, my belly grew, but I grew in an emotional way like I could have never thought. So then I go back to the first day of 2010, would I have known that my year would be one of growth? 2009 could be described as true. In 2009 I learned to be true to myself focusing in on what I wanted in my life and REALLY, for the first time welcoming it with open arms. But again, in the beginning of the year would I have known that? Or would I have picked another word entirely and that word would have changed my focus entirely and changed the course of my life for that year. Wouldn't it be great if I could pick a word right now it it could truly shape my life for the next year?

As I sit here typing this with 2 out of 3 children in need of my attention I realize in order to decide if I am going to try my hand at this word choosing task I need another shower to really think it all through with a clear head....so maybe tomorrow I will get that chance. Or maybe, just maybe, after the kids are all sleeping in their beds I will carve out a moment for myself to think.

2011-01-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas was good!

We had a wonderful morning filled with opening presents and then played with our new things all day. I think I am still recovering from all the holiday hoopla. I love it all so much but it sure is a lot of work. Now if only there was a service that came to your house and cleaned it all up, placing all the decorations neatly back into their boxes and organized them back into the attic.

2010-12-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

Creativity.....

I know your all loosing sleep out there in the blog world because you haven't seen anything creative on this blog in a very long time. I became concerned and wanted you all to get a good nights sleep tonight as it is cold and flu season so we should all take good care of ourselves. LOL (Sometimes I think I'm so funny)

This is the latest layout I have made: Its my first look into the little one we now call Olivia. So yes, to all those who have asked me, I do still scrapbook. Just not as much.

I've also branched out into other crafts. Like this tree skirt. I just didn't want to pay $40 for a tree skirt. So I made one for $10.

I'm not the only creative one around here....Q very creatively decorated his Christmas tree. It makes me smile! He was so proud of it. ( Make note of all the ornaments on the same branch.)

Then there's the creativity in the kitchen with Gracie and Nana. They made chocolate covered pretzels. Not just 30 or 40 of them but several hundred.
Have a creative day!

2010-11-30T18:58:00.000-08:00

She Smiles!A lot. Isn't it great? It might not be the best photograph, or the best angle but its the first smile caught on camera. So, to me its perfect!

2010-11-24T07:13:00.001-08:00

Thank You Mamaroo!
This little contraption by 4Moms is quit possibly the best invention ever! It is responsible for letting mommy sleep for 8 hours last night. Yep, Miss Olivia slept for 8 whole hours last night. I love that the Mamaroo moves like I do when I am walking around with her trying to sooth this little acid reflux princess. it also makes water sounds that trick her into thinking we are standing in the bathroom. Plus i think that Mamaroo is a really cool name for a product.

P.S. My Mamaroo was making funny noises so I called the company up and in a matter of days I had a new one at my doorstep. There arent that many companies with great customer service like that anymore! So needless to say I would recommend this product to any new Mommy!

2010-11-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

Sleeping Like A Baby???

OK, everyone knows the saying "Sleep like a baby" Right? It got me thinking......would I really want to sleep like a baby? Would I want to wake up from a sound sleep every 2 to 3 hours absolutly starving and need to eat asap! Would I want to be asleep and have to be moved from car seat to crib and back again? Would I want to only wake up because my pants are soggy? No way! Id rather sleep like a teenager. They can sleep for hours if not an entire day without needing anything! They can sleep through a tornado, earthquake or even little siblings. So would you rather sleep like a baby or soundly like a teenager?

2010-11-06T07:41:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love baby feet. I can't seem to get enough of them. As we come into the colder months I only get to see them when they are in the bathtub or when changing into a new outfit. I must confess that sometimes I pull off a sock while she is eating just to kiss those little toes.

2010-11-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

Attitude of Gratitude

I tell me kids to have an "attitude of gratitude" all the time. I think it is important for kids to be greatful for things both great and small in their life. As we approach Thanksgiving it always reminds me, as the Mommy, to be thankful as well. So this month I am reminding myself daily of the little moments I am greatful for.

I am greatful that Q has finally decided that Olivia is pretty cool to have around. No more poking and prodding her. No more fits that he doesn't want a baby in this house. No more yelling I'm the baby here!!! Thanks Q, its great to see you love her so much, I always knew you would.

2010-10-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

The cutest

Isn't she the cutest reason to hibernate? I think so! I would do it again in a heartbeat to have such a blessing brought into my life.

2010-10-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

Out of hibernation

I am now out of hibernation and back to blogging. The last 7 months of my life have been some of the most WONDERFUL times of my life, as well as some of the most trying. While I have not been much of a scrapbooker I have been a memory maker and a documentor of life. Now finding the time to scrapbook these memories will be a challenge to say the least, but is doable as long as I sleep only a few minutes a day. :)

2010-03-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

Sick...

We have had one heck of a time at this house trying to stay healthy. Its been a long 6 weeks or so and we still have 2 of us on Antibiotics. I think we are finally on the mend and will all be back to normal soon. Then it will be back to playful kids, a scrapbooking Mommy and a happy healthy group!

2010-02-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

Some more Disney....I need a dose of magic these days as Q is getting over an ear infection, I had a touch of food poisoning and poor Gracie is still hanging on to some Pneumonia. I feel at this point that God really intended for me to be a nurse :)

You know what I love about these pictures? Look at the layers come off as each day it gets a bit warmer...... It gives me a little giggle, and giggles in themselves can be all the magic you need sometimes!

Have a magical day!

2010-02-08T07:04:00.000-08:00

They love each other so much! It is so sweet to watch them care for each other day in and day out. No one could have prepared for me for the love that would pour out of these two for one another. I thought that since they are five years apart and different genders that maybe it would be a bit like raising two only children in the same house. I was wrong and I couldn't feel more blessed, happy and overjoyed at the love I get to see each day.
Look at how she helps her little brother over the snow to show him off to all her friends on the playground. It was a great way for him to feel special on his birthday. All the presents, cake and birthday happenings in the world couldn't replace this special lunch we had with Gracie that day...it was priceless and something I think we will remember for years to come. As well as something we will repeat next year. I guess the best present is a little extra time with big sister :)

2010-02-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

Discover

Last weekend we discovered new ways to combat the winter blues. It was a very fun time at the Discovery World Museum. Q was without the stroller and had a blast from start to finish. He isn't in many pictures due to the fact that he was very busy exploring the museum usually with Auntie Kayla in hand. Gracie of course really enjoyed it all as well. I think the picture of Gracie and I in the reflection of the round mirror is one of my favorite pictures of her and I. The best part was I was just there trying to see if what I wanted to do was going to work and she jumped in right at the perfect time. We have decided that this event was so fun for all of us that we will continue to scour our city for ways to fight off the winter blahs once a month.

2010-02-03T06:13:00.000-08:00

My little man is 3!!!!!!!

I can't believe that he is 3 already. I really thought that 2 would never end....really I was terrified!! Every year when my children turn a year older I become a Hodge-podge of emotion. I feel slightly sad because they are getting older and getting further and further from being my little baby and closer to adulthood. I feel happy to see them move onto a new stage and happy to watch the growth in many different ways. I feel a little sentimental as I look through their baby scrapbooks and wonder where the time has gone. But, most of all I am happy to see them experience life!

So happy birthday little man! I hope today is a good one.

2010-01-27T06:02:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Vacation Photos

I know some of these aren't great photography wise but they are great because the of the people in them. I've finally learned that not every photo has tp be fantastic lighting, placement etc. but it's the people that make them great.My Dad walking with the kids. They sure do have a great time together!

Doug and I out on the observation deck at the California Grill after a nice dinner.

Gracie and Doug laughing about who knows what as we wrapped up our last day at the Magic Kingdom.
Q holding my Dads hand while on his sholders watching the Block Party Bash Parade.

Gracie with Kayla right before we jammed out at the Move It! Shake It! Celabrate It! Parade (Kayla always says there are never any pictures of her...well Kalya I proved you wrong!)

Q and Gracie with Minnie at Chef Mickey's...ummmm check out my sons eyes! LOL

Q really wanted to get in this car with the Dino at Animal Kingdom. Can you spot his little head popping out?
Gracie really enjoyed the puppets in China at EPCOT. She ended up buying a smaller one but of course it was a giraffe!
Just love how the sun hit spaceship earth as we walked into EPCOT.

Gracie and Kayla acting silly while shopping on the Boardwalk! Yeah, you two are very scary "Gangsta's"

2010-01-18T07:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to reality!

I'm back from the most magical place on earth and thrust right into reality. More on that later first lets talk Disney!

We had a wonderful time at Disney World once again and once again we can't wait to embark on our next visit. It started off really cold but it warmed up by then end of the trip so we were able to actually wear Capri pants and no jackets! Yippee!

In an effort to not babble incessantly about Disney I will review it for you in Top 10 form

Here's my top 10 moments from the entire vacation:

10) Being extremely close to the giraffe on the safari ride.
9) The Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It parade with Gracie and Kayla
8) Breakfast at Chef Mickey's with the whole family!
7) Matching family t-shirt day. They turned out really cute M and K!!!!
6) Out to dinner with Doug and my parents.
5) The ride home on day 4 when Q couldn't stop talking about Disney and life in general. Too funny!
4) Illuminations at EPCOT, always a favorite!
3) Dinner at Whispering Canyon the last night, I want to go back there when we are not so tired!
2)Meeting the fairies with Gracie. Tinkerbell sure is a spitfire!
1) Sharing my magical place with Doug...and he actually liked it.

This picture says it all! We had a great time!!!!!

Then... reality hit!

After arriving home I took the van out to run errands and guess what?!? My van broke down. It wasn't to much of a hassle as it did get fixed. Also both kids got sick and we have been home all week from work and school because of it. So reality decided not to waist any time and make sure I knew I was home! :) Ahhh life gotta love it!

2010-01-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

I did it, I did it!!!!

December Daily Day 22

Tonight the kids went to spend some time with their Dad so I feverishly wrapped presents until all were neatly wrapped and tucked under the tree. I think it was about midnight when I finally finished the job.

My family gives me a hard time every year about my wrapping. They love to poke fun at my process. Yet, every year they also love how cool the finished process turns out. They laugh as I search high and low for a theme for my wrapping. Then I tear apart my ribbon drawer in search of the perfect matching ribbons to adorn the packaging. I even find ornaments that can be tied to the packages that match. Then the final step is making the matching gift tags. It's like scrapbooking around a package. How fun is that!!!!!

2010-01-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

Fa la la la
December Daily Day 21

Gracie had her winter school concert today. It was such a cute performance by all the grades. Even entertaining for a very energetic 2 year old. We all really enjoyed it as well as I think Gracie really enjoyed performing with her classmates.

She woke up this morning not feeling ill but insisted that she needed to be at school for the final performance rehearsal for the concert. She got dressed and sluggishly went about her normal morning routine. I told her that she could always call me if she couldn't make it and I would come to pick her up. She insisted over and over again that she was not going to miss any part of her day! I love how determined she was not to let her classmates down! What a trooper!

2010-01-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

Ho Ho Ho
December Daily Day 20

Today we took a little pilgrimage to the mall for a visit to see Santa. We got all decked out in our matching Christmas gear and waited our turn to see the big guy in red! I thought for sure Q was not going to do well with this whole process. So, I decided it was best for me to tag along with. To my surprise he did very well! I don't know if that was because I was right there with him or if it was because he just naturally would have been OK. All I know is that I was happy to have been there to listen in. It was just so stinkin' cute! Gracie was her normal sweet self and Q was just as sweet after a great example set by his sister. Gracie said she wanted the American Girl Doll Kit and Littlest Pet Shops and Q said he wanted a Tractor and a Scoop It. My Mom said that it was They booth said thank you and walked away as happy as can be. Then after the visit we sat down and my sister snapped a few pics of the three of us. Good job Auntie Kayla!

2010-01-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

A Walk Through Candy Cane Lane
December Daily Day 19

Tonight Gracie was supposed to meet up with the Milwaukee Children's Choir to go caroling down Candy cane Lane. (For those of you who read this that are not from the area- It is a neighborhood that has nearly every house filled with Christmas lights to raise money for charity. It is commonly driven down in your car and over the years has become a tradition for many family to come see the lights.) We got there and there was not anyone in site to carol with. I thought, is this a joke?
Did I show up on the wrong day?
Did I drag my kids out and it was canceled?
Instead of sit there and allow myself to get angry or dwell on the negative I decided to just let it be. We all walked around and looked at the lights and just enjoyed the moment. It was very cold so the moment wasn't all that long. Gracie did manage to find a huge chunk of ice she has named her "ice baby" ( Remember the snow babies from an earlier blog...I think they might be cousins) Gracie must be getting into the snow/ice adopting business because we will soon have an entire nursery of snow and ice babies in the yard.

Look how scared poor Gracie looks next to her crabby brother! Sorry you two it makes me laugh I had to share it :)

All in all we saw the lights, we sang songs anyway and it will be a memorable time. Oh, and for those of you wondering how the heck I got it wrong? I guess there was some information passed along that I'm not sure I got (or maybe threw away) we were to meet in a parking lot of a church and head out from there. Either way it was still fun!

2009-12-30T06:18:00.000-08:00

Ornament Love
December Daily Day 17

I love the stories that go along with ornaments on a tree. If you walk into to any house with a tree I am sure they would have plenty a story to share. There's usually some funny stories, simple stories but the best for me, are the sentimental stories. I don't get a chance often enough to listen to the stories that go with each ornament on a tree but I always think of my own this time of year. I think it would make a great scrapbook all in its self to tell the story of each ornament. It won't be forever that you will remember these stories!

2009-12-27T20:43:00.000-08:00

Flabbergast
December Daily Day 16

Today we met Gracie's Girl Scout troop for a very fun activity! Normally her troop meets in the school and does your normal Girl Scout activities of crafts, snack, community projects and so on and so forth. This was a great field trip for the girls to just play. At Flabbergast they have blow up toys to play and jump on, a huge McDonald's-esce playground, a game area and a snack bar.It was not only fun for Gracie but for Q as well! While Gracie spent time with the girls that she deeply misses from her old school, Q and I played games in the game section. Once we had a bite to eat Q went around with Gracie and her friends for a bit. It was so sweet to see Gracie in action as a big sister taking him in and out of places just showing such great care for her little brother. While I am sure she would have rather just played amongst the girls, she did not complain a bit about having him tag a long. She is one super big sister!

2009-12-27T20:29:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas "Tu-Tu" you
December Daily Day 15

Today Gracie had her Christmas celebration at dance class. Her teacher told all the children that they could wear holiday gear to class instead of their normal Black leotard with pink tights uniform. I decided that Gracie needed a red tu-tu. So, I whipped her up a nice little red tu-tu, the no sew way, while watching TV the night before. It was so easy to make and actually quit a bit of fun. I think that Gracie now needs a tu-tu in every color for every Holiday occasion! :) After class Gracie reported that it was the most fun she had ever had in dance class! They danced around to holiday music, shared what their families were up to for the holiday break and played many games that are not always played in every weeks class.

2009-12-27T19:57:00.001-08:00

Gingerbread Train
December Daily Day 14

Today the kids and I made our Gingerbread train. Last year we made a house. Well, shall I say Gracie and i made a house while Q shoved as much candy as possible into his mouth. This year was really no different. He honestly had pretty much the same agenda with a few additions to the train while chewing. I think this Gingerbread making process may just become a tradition for us. We purchased the kit at Target and just put it all together. It was a fun a pretty simple task. While I felt a little sticky for the rest of the night it was well worth the trouble. Plus it will make for a great centerpiece for the rest of the month.

2009-12-19T07:56:00.000-08:00

Prep And Landing

December Daily Day 13

OK, so this short little film aired earlier this week and was of course a big deal in our house because it is Disney. I thought it was very cute and a great holiday tradition for many years to come. What I wasn't prepared for was my kids to be obsessed with watching it over and over again in the same year. It's been officially released for a mear 5 days and we have already watched it about 10 times.

We have adopted some of the phrases from the movie as some of our own now. We sat "That's so tinsel!!!!" when something is really cool. We say "Oh frost bite!" when things just aren't going our way. Then of course the whole family erupts in laughter when anyone says either of those phrases. It is especially cute coming out of the mouths of my two little blond haired blue eyed little Christmas elves.

2009-12-18T07:17:00.000-08:00

A Whole lot of stuff goin' on!

December Daily Day 12

Wow! It's a busy day. We started our day out with some household construction. Q was so thrilled that he could use the hammer and "do his work" It sure does feel nice to have a door! Who would have thought something as simple as a door could make a woman so happy.

While Q was napping Gracie was outside playing in the snow. I would pop out to check on her and her friend here and there. At one point I saw them molding snow into add shapes. I thought nothing of it and just went about my business. The next time I went out I found them holding these oddly molded pieces. I finally decided to ask what on earth they were. Snow babies! How clever of them to pretend these pieces of snow were little babies. It gave me a good laugh and a great reason to go grab my camera!

Int he evening Gracie had a performance with Milwaukee Childrens Choir singing Christmas carols while people waited in line to take a ride on the Jingle Bus ( For those of you who are unaware: The Jingle Bus is a guided tour through downtown Milwaukee stopping at all the holiday light displays) We opted out of that portion of the event and decided to have our own version of the Jingle Bus...the Jingle Cadillac (AKA the Jingle Cadi) We decided to just drive though on our own. We got out at cathedral Square and walk through the display they had there. It was a good time and Gracie really seemed to enjoy it!

After all that was done I headed to the Scrapbook Store for our annual Christmas Party. I think I had tried to get way to much done in one day and ended up leaving within an hour of getting there because I just wasn't feeling well. I guess I have learned the hard way to not plan to much in one day. I of course went home and fell right asleep.