Meaningful Challenge

Just what I need, another challenge on another site! But the artwork was so darn pretty, I had to play along. Enjoy!

Journaling: I used to walk this shore line for hours. Now, I bring my children. I miss the quiet, but I love the joy. They make my special place even more so!

Credits: Everything from Jen Wilson's Meaning kit Fonts: Pea Girly Girl Script, 1942 report

...in which I grovel for forgiveness...

I'm sorry. I've been such a bad blogger! The final push toward the school year is wearing us all out! No swim lessons last week or this, so bored kids. Jason worked two non-consecutive 24 hour shifts, so no Daddy for four days. He brought home a cold that has been working it's way through all of us (I think we're almost done with it). And mostly, I'm just tired and not feeling very creative!

What does this week bring? Kindergarten orientation, Jason meets with a surgeon about possible surgery on his feet/ankles (fun!), the zoo (if it doesn't storm all week the way it is right now), grocery shopping so we have food for the long weekend and stuff for Emma's LUNCH BOX (waaaaaahhhhhh), maybe a trip to the library, and all the usual chores. Oh, and gearing up my heart and Emma's nerves for next week. WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I have been adding new blog prompts daily, so follow the link to the right if you would like to participate!

Fashion be darned!

Applause please...

I mopped yesterday. Those that know me well, know that is indeed blog-worthy. I also cleaned the baseboards in my bathrooms. Excuse me while I throw up a dust bunny! And it was a startling day in the cleaning world. My mom was wrong.

GASP!!!!!!

I know, that's practically impossible and there's a high chance of me being proven wrong here directly or the planets colliding or something, I'm sure. But I grew up in a house where ammonia was used for all cleaning, especially mopping. When I went to the store yesterday, I couldn't find any ammonia. (Is that some new threat or drug ingredient I don't know about and they keep it locked away until you ask for it?) So I purchased a Mr. Clean general use cleaning solution. And it worked better than ammonia. Shhhhhh, don't tell Mom! Plus, there was the added benefit of not passing out from the fumes! Bonus!

So there's my wisdom for the day. Mr. Clean is my hero. Rubber gloves make all disgusting jobs doable. And cleaning is a good way to keep kids busy, especially when you empty out the eat-in kitchen so they can skate in their socks and enjoy the echo when they shout.

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The weekend prompt from ArtCMom is to talk about our favorite childhood outfit. I can't think of a single one. Except possibly my Yodo gatchet. "Huh?" you say? Yodo gatchet is what I called my yellow rain jacket. There are many pictures of me wearing it and little else, other than a matching rain hat, standing in our yard with the water hose spraying up into the air.
I was playing fireman, duh!

To be published.....

Here are the three items (so far) that are due to be published in 2007:

Art Journal pages with accompanying instructions article:






And this is the layout accepted into a future Digital Scrapbooking ideas book:

Week of Lists: Day Five

Enough with the lists already! Last one, I promise!

I want to find more things to do with George during the school year.
I need to get away from this computer more often and out of the house!

I want Emma and George to be better about cleaning up their toys.
I need at least 50 kisses a day from each of them, and that uses up their cleaning time!

I want Jason to be home more.
I need him to go to work and make money so I can play with the kids and get lots of kisses!

I want to be a better housekeeper.
I need to get away from the computer more often and just do my chores! (Hmmmm, I'm sensing a disturbing trend...)

I want ice cream.
I need ice cream with chocolate sauce and bananas.

Off to the freezer! See you all later!

Week of Lists: Day Four

The last 10 things I did before bed last night?

1. Talked to mom on phone about book publication, did a little quiet screaming.
2. Did a last email/forums check.
3. Forced dog outside for potty break.
4. Locked all doors and turned off lights.
5. Laughed at fish trying to reach a fish flake that had stuck to tank above water line.
6. Let dog in and made her bed. (i.e. covered the couch with a blanket to reduce the mass of hair on said couch.)
7. Brushed teeth and other bathroom duties.
8. Read article in Popular Mechanics by Sen. John McCain refuting 9/11 conspiracy theories while involved in bathroom duties.
9. Changed into pjs.
10. Oh so gently nudged sleeping and snoring husband over a few inches so I could actually get into bed.

WofL: Day Three and WOW, WHAT A WEEK!!!!

Today's prompt was to share our grocery lists. It's amazing what you can learn about a person when you see what they're shopping for!

Mine is fairly boring this week because I mostly needed to restock on boxed/canned items.

Red Baron Pizza for Jason
Life cereal for Emma
Instant oatmeal (Low Sugar Apples & Cinnamon flavor) for George
Ritz crackers for me
Lettuce, cucumber, carrots so we can have salad with the 30 thousand tomatoes coming out of our garden
Popsicles
French Vanilla Creamer for my coffee
Chips
Canned peaches
Bananas

Nothing unusual, very little fresh because our freezer is stocked with meats and I don't cook as much during the summer anyway.

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NOW, for my most excellent week info!

Two of my art journal pages are being published along with short How To articles written by yours truly!!!

AND, I just found out that one of my scrapbook pages is going to be in a BOOK!!!! YAHOO!!! I'm dancing on the ceiling here, I'm so excited!!

It's only Wednesday, I wonder what the rest of the week will bring? :)

Week of Lists: Day Two

Attainable goals, huh? Okay, I'll play your little game! (Actually, it's my little game, I'm the one making up these crazy blog prompts so I guess I have no one else to blame.) Someone else commented that it's much harder to do attainable goals, and I have to agree!

1. I will mop the kitchen floor before the end of the week.
2. George will actually sleep during most nap times.
3. I will do our Christmas shopping before November. (We're probably starting our move in December, I need to have everything shipped before then!)
4. Emma will learn to get up and get moving on school mornings. (She is NOT a morning person!)
5. We will sell our house and make enough profit to afford to buy again in the expensive Pacific Northwest.
6. Jason will find an attainable goal.
7. Gracie will survive moving houses yet again without shedding all of her fur.
8. I will be better about updating this blog on a regular basis!
9. I will think of, and write, another class to teach.
10. We will explore the Washington D.C. area while we are still within driving distance!!!

Week of Lists: Day One

I love that there is an amazing device that allows me to connect instantaneously with friends and family world-wide, keeping everyone up to date with our crazy life! (Even when I put it off updating until I have people complaining and threatening my life.)

I love it when we get out of the house and do something new, especially if it's outdoors. (Especially if there are no bugs there!)

I love watching my kids laugh and play and experience the world. (Even better when they're doing all those things together!)

I love when my husband lets me sleep in on a weekend morning and takes care of the kids for me. (I usually wake up close to normal time, but oh, it is so nice to grab a book and be lazy for an hour or so!)

I love that we will be living somewhere in the Pacific Northwest within the year!!! (I don't care where at this point, just get me to the right time zone!)

I love that I've found a creative outlet for my brain and a way to use the millions of photos I take every year. (Okay, maybe not millions, but thousands, definitely thousands!)

I love that I'm getting published again! (OOPS!! Did I let that slip??? Details to follow soon, I promise!)

I love to read. (Although I did read some pretty awful drivel this last week. One bound set of five novels by an author who felt the need to have her lead female in every story talk.....like this....all the.....time.....because she was......so.....overcome......with emotion! Bleh!)

I love waking my kids up. (Well no. I love when they are sleeping, but when I have to wake them up I do love it. They are so soft and warm and cuddly!)

I love having a family that makes me laugh every single day. (This is Jason's specialty, it never fails. Love that!)

Trippy, Dude!

Whoaaaaaaaa! You've got to love the ups and downs of medicine sometimes! Benadryl at night to remove the itch and help me sleep. Ibprofin and coffee in the mornings because the Benadryl wears off after a few hours and I'm up half the night trying not to scratch my skin off!

Actually, today is better. Yesterday was awful and I was on fire most of the night, but today only key areas itch significantly. Thank goodness! I may actually be able to wear normal clothes tomorrow instead of the very loose, very minimal clothing I've been sporting the last couple of days.

And guess what! Jason had to go "shoot trees" today (Emma's way of understanding weapon practice). And guess what he found on him when he got home! CHIGGERS!!!!!!!! Wheeeeee! It just keeps getting better and better around here! Luckily we're all stocked up on Benadryl and hydrocortisone.

So basically, don't come visit right now. Our household is cursed. And bugged.

Chigger Fun in the Sun!

Quick Weekend Recap

I was going to write a long entry today, using a couple of blog prompts that I've missed over the last week. But, because I discovered THESE on my body today....I'm not. This will be quick. They are not disease-ridden, contagious, or (thankfully) on my body any longer. But I itch. Everywhere.

We had a full weekend and it went by oh-so-quickly!! Friday afternoon we had a 5 minute rainstorm that amazingly was enough to kill the humidity! It was still hot, and still is, but the humidity was down to 40% or so from the 95% we had been living in.

Saturday the kids were up early, but could, and did, play outdoors! YAY! Then we had our Food Bank deliveries to make and then raced home to eat lunch and send Emma and Jason off to DEONDRE's birthday party at the bowling alley. They didn't get home until dinner time, so we had a snack and raced off again to the Saturday Night Classic Car Cruise In. So much fun! Due to the break in the weather, that place was packed! Lots of cars we haven't seen previously, and lots of great photo ops!

Sunday we managed to sleep in a bit (tired from all that racing!), and then grabbed Gracie and went to our favorite park and hiking trails. (Have you guessed where I got those lovely chiggers?) Sunday afternoon, Emma and I headed off to Target, where we quickly spent $50 on school supplies. Yikes! But the best result of that is that Emma is now excited about Kindergarten again! Nothing like a little retail therapy to get a girl going! We BBQed Sunday evening and sent the kids to bed a tad early, so we could collapse on the couch. WHEW!!!

Today, Emma started her last session of swim lessons for the summer. I was happy to see that she was put with one of my favorite teachers, and by the end of the lesson she was doing things she hadn't done all summer!

Two weeks left of lessons, then two weeks off, then SCHOOL!!! Can I get a "YIPEE"? This mommy is ready for school to start!

Well, I'm off to slather myself in more hydrocortisone cream. Have a great evening!

Saturday Night Cruise In

Indulgences

As a family, we live pretty well. We have a strict budget that we live within, but because we do live within it, we are able to do or buy extras when we need them. We get fast food occasionally, but not every week. We only go to movies about twice a year (when we have visiting grandparents here to babysit!). We don't have a babysitter except for emergencies, so we aren't tempted to go out more. We value doing over having.

But we do indulge when the time is right. I buy the foods we like and the brands we like (no scrimping on cheese, it's Kraft or Tillamook only). We got a new computer and Jason got me a new camera when it appeared that this new hobby of mine was here to stay. When Jason gets restless for something to do, we go to Lowe's and get supplies for a project to keep him occupied. The kids have the clothes they need, plus a few extra pairs of shoes.

Now, when is an indulgence merely greed taking over? That is my dilemma today. I received an email from Adobe offering PhotoShop Elements users a half price deal on PhotoShop Creative Suite 2. (Cue opera music, Aaaaaa - aaaaaaaa!!!!) But $300? A great deal on a normally $600 - 700 product, but still a lot of money. But I want it!!!! But we're moving this year and need to save money. But I want it!!!!

Sigh. Unfortunately, I'm the responsible budget-creator and keeper of this family. So, most likely, I won't get it. But I want it!!!!

My Worry-Wort