Cute little story

Every once in a while this summer Claire would mention that she wanted to try to learn to ride her bike without training wheels. Unfortunately, she usually said this while we were in the car or at the grocery store or unavailable in some other way. Never while we were at home, with nothing to do. So it just didn't happen.

A couple of weeks ago, September 16th to be exact, we were at the barn for Jessica's riding lesson and Claire was with me (of course). Macy wasn't around so Claire had to entertain herself. I was sitting down at the ring watching the lesson that was just starting. I looked up (the arena sits down a hill from the barn) to see what Claire was doing and saw her riding Macy's bike across the grass. I knew Macy didn't have training wheels. And I knew there was NO ONE up there helping her. And I also knew we had never tried it. Not once.

SHE JUST TAUGHT HERSELF!

I looked over at Michelle, Jessica's instructor, and said "I think Claire just taught herself how to ride a bike.". We both looked up and Claire was setting the bike down and running down the hill. She said she wanted to show me something and she was SO proud. I went up the hill with her and watched her get on the bike and just take off. Just like that!

She rode all around the barn that night. And when we got home, Jonathan took the training wheels off of her bike and off she went. JUST LIKE THAT!

Have a great weekend!

We (almost) have a horse!

Isn't she beautiful!?! Jess rode her Saturday and we both knew right away that she was THE ONE. Dawn looked at the video last night and said we should go for it. Now I just have to coordinate the vet check and transportation (not that that part is easy) and we're home free. It's so exciting! And for the horse people out there - she's a 16 hand 6 yo Thoroughbred. Bred for racing, her Sire won the Preakness, but due to some difficult owner circumstances only had one start. The lady we're buying her from has had her since she was 4 and has been training her ever since. She's got the sweetest disposition and goes RIGHT in a frame as soon as you start. I just can't wait to get her home.

Whew. Once that's all settled life can get back to normal around here. I've been pretty wrapped up in the process and it will be nice to get back to SCRAPPING for one thing! And not a moment too soon either...I've got a box on the way from AllyScraps that I just know is filled with yummy new stuff. Can't wait!

And now I must get to the laundry. The one true constant! ;)

Have a good one!

Back to Blogging

With no excuse other than I had a busy summer and didn't feel like it. Nothing like a little honesty. And since the blogging is mostly for me, it shouldn't matter that I didn't feel like it. But apparently the mood has struck again and here I am. And since there's no way possible to "catch up", I'm just going to start with today.

Horses, horses, horses. This shopping for one for Jess is keeping me busy. I made a ton of calls yesterday about new ads I've found and today I'm calling back to schedule appointments. We're combining a camping trip this weekend with seeing horses. I found 3 I think might be good in the same area and booked a campsite close by. I think Jess is getting a bit burned out with the whole process but there isn't much I can do about it. I know a part of her is just hoping that Boo (that's Dawn's horse dealer) will find one for her and she wont have to work so hard at it. But he doesn't usually bring the higher level horses so the chances are pretty slim. And so we just keep plugging away. I'm getting better at it though so hopefully we wont be wasting time seeing horses that just aren't right.

Today I'm scrapping. Assuming I remember how. I've got some really pretty Crate Paper to work with from The Scrapbook Stand so hopefully the mojo will flow. I've even given myself permission to let the laundry sit and the dog hair accumulate. Imagine that!

Be good!

Adhesive Source

I just can't keep up with all the requests for peamail so I'm doing it this way. Should have thought of it sooner.

And how sad is it that this is the only post to my blog in over a month??!!

Anyway, here's the link:

Get your adhesive here!

Be back next month ;)

My poor neglected blog

The end of the school year has been non stop craziness. And it's not over yet. Jess has a horse show tomorrow. I'll be driving up to Newark on Saturday. Sunday we're busy all day with Father's Day things. Maybe by Monday I'll have some time to spend here. Until then....

be good!

Good Sunday Morning!

Had a great day yesterday.

Went to a family style birthday party for one of Claire's friends in Rehoboth. The grandparents live on the boardwalk and had the party at their house. We hung out in the yard, complete with moonbounce, snow cone machine and lots of food, then all went to the beach together. It was chilly but the kids all had a blast.

We came home for a while and when Hannah got home from work we headed to the campground at the State Park. The Quinns are down and had a cookout at their site. Being in the campground reminded us how much we love to camp and that we need to set aside some time to get out in our camper. Claire had a blast with the big kids and climbing her tree.

Today looks to be a quieter day. We're going to head out to the grocery store soon. Jonathan has some work to do. I have some scrapping to do. Hannah will come home (hopefully soon) from camping and study for exams. I'm picking up Jess a bit early to take her shopping. She needs clothes desperately. And that's it.

The sun is shining, the house is (fairly) clean. It's a good day.

A Week of June is Gone Already!

How did that happen?

The dance recital went well last weekend. Very well actually. These girls are so fun to watch dance.

Unfortunately, the horse show didn't go as well. Skittles was not behaving and Jess did her best to control him but he tossed her on the cross country course putting her out of the running for a ribbon. She got back on though and finished the course...after he finished his 10 minute bucking bronco show and allowed himself to be caught. Crazy pony! I think it might be time to get her a horse of her own.

She didn't get hurt and still had a blast. And that's all that matters.

Now we're grinding out the last week of school. Then SUMMERTIME! Wheeeee :D

Here are some photos...I still don't know how to arrange them pretty like within the post. I'll put it on my list of things to do.

Have a good one!

A Bit of Everything

We're gearing up for the dance recital this weekend. It's the last week of classes, we're making sure we have the costumes ready (I still need to sew a couple things) and I'm cleaning house for Mary's visit (mother in law). Add the fact that Jess has a horse show on Sunday and you've got another busy week for us.

But I guess you've heard that from me before.

School's almost out. Not sure who's more excited; the kids or me. No more packing lunches. No more driving to Georgetown every day. Lots of time at the pool. I do know one thing though....I will be the only one excited about the FIRST day of school in September.

Still need to lose weight. Not going up, but not going down either. Haven't managed to do the treadmill thing more than twice a week. What will it take for me to get off my butt and JUST DO THIS?!?

I'm super excited about the October Scrapbook Getaway that Pat/Peg/Dar (and others I guess) put on (through TwoPeas). With no scrap buddies and no LSS for crops, I never get to do scrappy things with other people. It's going to be a blast!

I'm also excited about getting the first monthly layout contest up and running at AllyScraps. I had it listed on the Pub Calls Blog (thank you PCP) so I'm hoping it draws a bunch of people to the site.

Got a great big headache today. Must be a low pressure system sitting right on top of my house. Wish it would go away.

I'm off...have a good one!

The Unofficial Start of Summer

That's right it's Memorial Day Weekend! And when you live at the beach, the tourists and traffic make it feel all that much more summery. Fortunately, this year the weather makes it feel like summer too. In fact, we're off to the beach in a few.

I hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Live chat tonight with Lisa from Crate Paper!

Stop by the message board at The Scrapbook Stand and check it out. It starts at 8:00 pm Central time. Hope to see you there!

A Great Prize and a New Page

This is the awesome prize you could win just for completing a few challenge pages with us at AllyScraps.

That's an entire SEI album kit!

Check out this thread and see how easy and fun it is for a chance to win!

And this is my latest page completed for AllyScraps.

Some of my favorite new products are on this page...those to die for Lil Davis chipboard letters, the yummy Fancy Pants paper and my new Primas!

You like?

Claire's party was a success!!

All the kids, and even the parents, had a great time. They loved the moon bounce - I was a little worried they would get tired of it. Seems 6+ is the perfect age for jumping. The food was good and the ice cream sundae bar was wildly popular. I'm so glad she had a memorable party.

This photo was almost impossible to get. No one wanted to sit still, sit close or look at the camera. This is the best one I got and I took about 10 shots. But what's important is the picture...I'm so happy to have a group shot from her party. (and for those that don't know her, Claire is second from the left with the heart on her cheek)

Back to the grind today...Claire has dance and Hannah has her choir concert tonight. Luckily, Jessica's lesson was cancelled otherwise I'd have to clone myself to get it all done.

Looking forward to Memorial weekend. We have NO plans. That's a first in MONTHS!

Happy Monday, have a good one.

Did I mention that I won a prize?

Because I did!

Karen Russell did a fabulous thing and put together a fundraiser for Women for Women through her blog with prizes donated by famous scrappers and Scrapbook Companies. Long story short, I made a donation and won a page by Rhonna Farrer!!

Can you believe it?!? This rivals the trip to the Olympics for "Coolest Prize I've Ever Won". Seriously. And Rhonna is on top of it. I got my email from her a few days after the drawing, sent her my photos (which I labored over choosing) and she's done the page already. Already.

And have I mentioned how completely gorgeous it is? Holy smoke it's fabulous. I'm still giddy every time I look at it. I can't wait to actually have it in my hands. It's going on the wall. I've thought about framing layouts and hanging them up but never done it. This will be the first.

Do you want to see this marvelous creation? I've posted it in my gallery at The Scrapbook Stand. Check it out! And while you're there...have a look around. It's a great site with super kits and a fun message board.

Thank you Rhonna. I'm totally in love with it!

ps - I tried to make all those links pretty but I just don't have the skills. If anyone cares to enlighten me it would be much appreciated. :D

*edited to fix links! Wheeeeee! Thanks so much for the help!*

ME on the treadmill?

You've got to be kidding!

But I did it. Finally. I've had this plan in my head for weeks, maybe months, to turn myself into a runner. Don't laugh. It's true.

I'm not the gym type. At least not now. Too fat. Silly I know, you don't have to be fit to go to the gym. But I'm not going, if ever, until I'm not embarrasing in work out clothes. So that leaves exercising at home. And luckily we have a treadmill.

So my plan has been this: start slow. I'm in the worst shape I've ever been in. Really. I think I would enjoy being a runner but when I go outside and try I get about 3 houses before my lungs are burning. So I came up with a plan (or did I read it somewhere) to walk for 2 minutes, run for 30 seconds, repeat. For 10 minutes. Doesn't sound like much but when you've done nothing for as long as I have it's a start.

And today I finally did it. It's only 3 bursts of running but I made the last one a full minute. And I enjoyed it. I'm going to do this for a week or so and when my lungs feel better I'll add 5 minutes. Then another 5. Then make the running parts all a minute. And just keep going and going until maybe I can run a full 10 minutes. The last part is vague I know. I'll work it out (no pun intended) as I go.

So anyway. I'm proud of myself. It was only 10 minutes but it's a start.

More of the same

So this weekend is Claire's birthday party. Doing the whole moon bounce in the yard party and cooking out. I messed up the invitations and put March instead of May so I'm not really sure anyone is going to show up. I need to make some calls today. I realized my mistake (thanks Julie) on the way to school that morning and wrote the correction on the envelopes (while driving) but it seems most of the kids opened them at school and only took home the card. Ugh. I feel like such an idiot. And it's my own fault for being behind schedule and not having time to mail them. Ah well, next year I'll get it right.

So anyway, that makes for another busy week. Party prep. I am together on the important things though. The moon bounce is booked and the gifts are bought. The rest will fall together easily enough.

Jessica's band concert is tonight. She hasn't mentioned anything about a solo but after the Christmas concert I told her to ask for one when Mr. Bennett was looking for volunteers. We'll see.

Got the weekly challenges started at http://www.allyscraps.com/ . There's going to be a fun prize every 4 weeks for one lucky participant. Check it out...you never know, YOU could be the winner. More about the prize later. Must get busy!

Have a good one.

more photos...

The Prom Report

She was GORGEOUS!

Definate model material.

She had a blast and I managed to get some decent pictures. I did learn a few things about my camera and lenses, my skills (or lack of) and photo shoots in general. Luckily, I didn't screw it up so bad that it's a total loss. And I wish I could get more than 2 photos to post at a time....can't seem to get them to load.

I'll try to post more...

Prom Picture Pressure

It's all I can think about today. I've been to the nail salon, the barn, the florist and through it all, in the back of my mind, are thoughts about taking pictures tonight.

You don't have to be a scrapbooker to want fabulous photos of your daughter's first prom. Just a Mom. But combine the two and you've got a great NEED for the perfect artitistic photographs.

Most of my problem lies in the fact that we have no good spots to take photos in the house or yard. There are no cool columns, no picturesque benches, no shimmering ponds. Inside is white walls or unattractive (for photo backgrounds) furniture. The rest lies in my lack of confidence to use my camera properly.

It's too much pressure.

But I'm going to do the only thing I can...take a BUNCH and hope for the best.

Wish me luck!

I scrapped again!

I've been sick all week and just now able to actually do some projects. Started and finished a page today for http://www.allyscraps.com . Love these papers from Fancy Pants!

Playing Bunco tonight.

Tomorrow is the Prom, among other keep us busy things.

And then Mother's Day.

Not a bad weekend ahead.

Hope you enjoy yours!

it's Monday again

another week zipped by. There were a few different things in there....

Let's Dish. http://www.letsdish.com/ If you haven't tried it and there's one near you. GO! After a fun (honest) 2 hour session I left with 12 yummy meals ready to freeze. Now when I'm pressed for time or let's face it, just don't feel like planning dinner, I just defrost and follow the simple instructions. Sound like a commercial? I'd do one for free...this is brilliant. No Let's Dish near you? Do a search using "prepare meal session" and you'll find LOTS of options.

FIL. For those of you not familiar with net speak that's Father-in-Law. Jonathan's Dad and his wife Mae were here for the weekend. Had a good visit despite my allergy induced chest cold.

Little League. Jessica's boyfriend (still can't get over this one) plays and the whole family went to his game. Jess must have really wanted to go to tolerate all of us there with her. ;)

But the BEST NEWS (do you hear the bells and whistles) I had was when I found out I made the design team at The Scrapbook Stand http://www.thescrapbookstand.com/ !!! I was really shocked to see my name on the list. I'm surrounded by some amazing talent and so honored to be included. Their kits are fantastic and I can't wait to get started! Stop by, check it out.

And now I have to play catch up. Claire's birthday party invitations should have gone in the mail Saturday. Probably I should start them. The mother's day gifts I had (and still do) planned to make should be almost done by now and in the mail tomorrow. Probably I should start them. And I haven't scrapped a page in DAYS. Not only am I going through withdrawals but I've gotten some awesome new products from AllyScraps http://www.allyscraps.com/index.asp to play with and I want to get started. And then there's the laundry...but for today...I'm not going there!

Much to do, much to do....I'm off. Have a good one!

I survived!

It was a crazy, busy weekend but we made it through. Here's the recap:

• dropped Jess & Brooke off at Trey's (Jessica's boyfriend!) baseball game Friday night. They had a blast. Trey's team won (he's the catcher) 10-2. Brooke spent the night.
• recital ticket sales - waited in line Saturday morning for just over 3 hours. I was 3rd in line...got 30 great seats! I played fair (didn't hog all the best seats) too.
• took Brooke and Jess (and Claire) to the barn for their ratings exam. Jess passed - she's now a D3 Pony Clubber. Heard she exceeded the standard on every question!
• raced home, showered & loaded everyone up (including 2 of Hannah's friends) for the drive to New Castle. Met Dad & Vicky, Doris and John & Suzanne and their kids at Casablanca for dinner. What a blast! Awesome food (7 courses), fabulous belly dancing and great company. I think Hannah really enjoyed having everyone together for her birthday celebration. Jonathan left from there for a hotel at the airport. He's now in Orlando at a CIMA conference.
• up early Sunday and got the grocery shopping done. Whew! Hannah went to work (she is really liking her new job at Azafran) and we cleaned house.
• Claire's dance pics were at 1:50. I was late (forgot the dance bag) but it went smoothly.
• Jessica's dance pics were at 5:20. We were on time, they were not. Didn't get out until almost 7:00. Picked up Chinese on the way home.
• Hannah's pics were at 7:45. I was going to leave Jess with Claire (after she was in bed) so I could go take pics myself but was too creeped out leaving them home alone in the dark.

At that's that! Weekends like that make me appreciate Mondays so much. And since I'm pretty caught up on laundry, the house in clean and dinner is already in the crockpot, I'm going to try to get some scrapping done. I'm behind on my list of projects.

Before I go...a little blog challenge from http://www.allyscraps.com/index.asp :

1. If you go back and change anything in your teen years, what would it be and why?

I was awful to my Mom. Not always, but there was chuck of time (when I was 17th) that I was rude and disprectful. It was the last thing she needed being a single mom. I'm so glad we have such a good relationship now.

2. If you could go to heaven for an hour to see a loved one, who would you pick and why?

My maternal grandmother. She died when I was 8 (cancer). I don't have too many specific memories but I feel wrapped in love just thinking of her.

3. What is one thing you can NOT do without besides your family?

My car. I pretty much live in it.

4. What your dream day consist of?

A clean house, my (non-bickering) kids and husband around me and lots of laughter.

5. How much time do you spend on the computer per day? and you can't say "too much" really try and figure it out.

So we really have to answer this one?? I'm going to go with 5 hours (not all at once) and then I'm going to try to cut down. Really I am.

That's all for now.....have a good one!

Not sure why....

the insanity of this time of year always surprises me, but it does. Spring and early summer around here are a flurry of activity. It passes in a whirl wind. With birthdays in March, April & May, Easter, Prom and dances, horse season starting, extra dance rehearsals, ticket sales and pictures and the rest of the regular goings on, we never stop. And right about now every year I think to myself....I really should know by now to better prepare myself for this...at least mentally.

But here I sit this morning thinking, Wow, it's Friday. Where has the week gone? And with everything on our schedule this weekend I'll be thinking the same thing on Monday.

It's all good though. We lead full, happy lives. I just need to remember we have to schedule time to eat!

I'm busy (see above) so I'm out. Have a good one!

Third Place Baby!!

That's right...in Jessica's first show of the year, first recognized show EVER, she got 3rd place. And there were 17 in her class! Not a bad way to start the season. And had she been a USEA member this show would have qualified her for Regional Championships. Next year she'll have to join, especially if she's going to keep doing reconginzed events.

This photo is the only half way decent one I got. It was rainy and I didn't have enough light for the SPEED she was traveling. It's still fun to look at though! That pony will jump anything you point him toward without even thinking about it. And obviously can clear a much bigger jump. Good thing too, since Jess will go Novice by the end of the season.

Today is recovery and reassemble. School starts tomorrow and we get to get things back in order around this house. The truck needs to be unpacked. The house needs to be straightened. The grocery shopping needs to be done. And so on and so on and so on. It's been a busy week and it shows. But we're all tired so we're going to go at it with a relaxed pace. We have all day.

Jonathan and Hannah get home tonight from St. John. We've heard from them about once a day and it seems like they've had a great trip. Sad at times but that's to be expected. I'll just be happy to have everyone home and together again.

I'm off. I'd like to squeeze some time for scrapping in today. Haven't gotten much done in that area lately.

Have a good one!

Life at the Beach

Gotta take the good with the bad I guess. Claire and I geared up and headed down to Rehoboth to hit the boards for a while. I had visions of arcade games, boardwalk fries and toes in the sand. And then the traffic. Part poorly planned construction, part tourists, part too many people have moved here lately. So it was a quick U-turn and plan B for us.

We played miniature golf instead. There's a place behind the movie theater that we've never tried. There was hardly anyone there and we had so much fun. Just the two of us. And if you're curious; Claire picked a pink ball and mine was orange. We didn't keep score but I'm pretty sure she won ;).

It was still early so we ran home to get some beach stuff (and the camera) and headed to Lewes Beach (via Dairy Queen). What a gorgeous day! Claire played in the sand and collected rocks and I took pictures and soaked up some sun. By the time the bugs started biting we were ready to go.

Tomorrow is busy....picking up Jess at her Dad's for her follow up scoliosis visit. Crossing my fingers on that one. I'm so worried that it will have gotten worse. Then straight to the barn and home by dark. Going to stop in and see my grandfather while we're up there too. Yesterday was his 85th birthday!

Time to put Claire to bed. Until next time...

Yes, I'm still here!

Reading this blog must have been like that movie Groundhog Day. Same crappy post over and over again. I think part of my problem is that when I miss a day or two I feel like I have to catch up on everything that's been going on. And usually when I miss it's because I've been busy. So catching up seems like a HUGE chore. But no more.

If I fall behind, I'll just post whatever moves me. No more feeling obligated to rehash every little thing that goes on in my life. Hopefully, that will make blogging fun again and not such a JOB!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The kids are on Spring Break this week. Hannah left for St John this morning. Her mom's friends are there and will pick her up at the airport. Jonathan is going down on Wednesday. Hannah and her mom went to St John almost every year so they are carrying on per usual. This year they have some of Chris's ashes to spread. I hope that she doesn't let the sadness spoil St John for her. I know it's one of her favorites places to be.

Claire, Jess and I are just doing our thing this week. Jess is riding a lot to get ready for her show next weekend. She's also going with Beth (her dad's fiance) and Nolan to NYC for the day Wednesday. I'm so glad she's getting to New York. I just know she's going to love the city like we do. They're going to see a show if they can get tickets.

We went to Bush Gardens yesterday. Decided at the last minute to just GO. We didn't get to ride many rides though. Got there kind of late and were a bit disorganized at first trying to get lunch and such. But we've got our season passes now and hopeufully will get to go back often this summer.

Jess is on the phone. Needs a ride home from the barn. See you tomorrow.

I promise!

Having a good day!

Despite being a bit under the weather still. Why oh why can't I kick this head cold thing??

Not only do I have my new car. And not only did I get a good haircut this morning. (please don't anyone eer let me cut my hair ALL off again.) But I found out last night that I made the design team at http://www.allyscraps.com/ . This is my first design team EVAH and I'm like a kid at Christmas. I just can't believe they picked me. I've been working hard lately on my scrapping. Submitting more, trying to do really GOOD work. Sending in a few design team applications. And it's starting to pay off. I really want to do a good job for this site. I'm excited to get started.

Busy day here...we leave tomorrow for Claire's field trip to the National Zoo then go straight from there to my Mom's in Virginia. I haven't been to a good zoo in so long I actually can't wait. Though I'm not sure if I'm more excited about seeing the animals, being with Claire and sharing her excitement of this awesome field trip or all the fabulous photo opportunities. Not going analyze it too carefully....I'd hate to suffer from self induced Mommy guilt.

Back to busy. Thursday is already a crazy day for me. I'm gone from 2 to 6 driving carpool and doing the gymnastic thing. But today I have to finish the laundry and pack for our trip AND go to the DMV. Seems my driver's license expired at the beginning of November. AAaaack! I never use it so I didn't even notice until we went to buy this car. Had to give him my license to copy before we went on a test drive. He didn't notice (good thing too they might not have let me take the car) but I did. Not much fun going to motor vehicle but at least I just came from getting my hair done and have a slight chance of taking a good dl photo!

I'm looking forward to the weekend at my Mom's. My sister, bil and niece will be there too. We're seeing Dora live on Saturday and otherwise just hanging out. Jonathan is going to fly down Saturday morning if the weather's good but Hannah has Saturday school and a job interview on Sunday so she can't come. Seems odd leaving her home...especially considering my memories of what I did when my Mom left me home alone at that age. Let's not even go THERE!

Must scoot. Laundry and groceries and the crock pot are calling. Til Monday....

Have a good one!

Taaa Daaaaa!

Thanks for the luck...it worked. I got my dream car. Didn't get exactly the price I was looking for but darned close. It really is a fabulous automobile. It's giving my camera a run for it's money in the "Karlyn's Favorite Possesions" department. And that's saying something.

In other news, there is no other news. I think we're finally all starting to get over this nasty illness and feel human again. I'm catching up on laundry and the never ending job of cleaning up animal hair. Claire is actually able to stay awake all day and the bags under Hannah's eyes have disappeared. Not a moment too soon either with our trip to the National Zoo on Friday and a weekend at my Mom's in Virginia. More on that later....

Have a good one!

Saturday we went furniture shopping...

...and came home with a car! Now, it's just on loan...to help us decide. But I want it. BAD! It's a Toyota Sequoia of course and I've wanted one for 5 years. We went south to hit a couple furniture stores and Borders (which we forgot is acually a Barnes & Noble and they don't take GC from Borders) and thought we'd stop by the Toyota dealership in Salisbury just to see what they had. As usual there were no used Sequoias on the lot. Jonathan thought we might as well drive to Milford while we were on the subject to see what they had. And unbelievably they had ONE used Sequoia. It's an 04 Limited with 29,000 miles and it's gorgeous. We didn't buy it then because the whole thing just kind of snuck up on us but they offered to lend it to us for the weekend so we brought it home. And I fell in love. Not that I had far to fall. I've driven enough of them and wanted it for so long it was just a matter of making sure it felt right. So this morning we're going back to the dealership with a number in mind and if all goes well, I've got a new (to me) car.

Wish me luck!

Just another day in Delaware

Blah blah blah. Being sick sucks. And I'm not really all that sick. Just on the edge...sore throat, a bit run down, the start of a cough. But I wish it would go away.

Claire went back to school today. No fever but she's got the cough. Jess still has it so I guess it'll be around for a while. She was really anxious to get back. She missed her friends and they missed her. Lee-elle saw me in the hall as I was leaving and she took off running to class to see Claire. I'm so glad she's got such good friends.

Hannah has been checking in from Florida. They're having a blast! She starting to get this crud too but hopefully, since she's away from the sick ward here, she can keep it at bay. I'd hate for anything to ruin this trip for her.

Jonathan goes out of town tomorrow. It's just one night but no matter how long he's gone it's always lonely around here.

I've got a couple DT submissions to send off today. I'm just going to keep trying and hopefully someone sees my potential and gives me a chance. I think ST has a deadline today that I have a couple more pages for so I need to get that done as well. Working on the 3 product challenge now. At least I've got the energy to scrap. For now...I feel a nap in my future.

Hoping the HOF calls go out today. Those poor PEAS that are just waiting and waiting and trying to stay sane....they need some relief soon!

Have a good one!

Trudging Along

Still playing nursemaid over here. Jess is back in school though still coughing but now Claire has "it". And I'm on the edge. Hopefully, one more day and we'll be slightly back to normal. (You know you've watched too much Rugrats when everytime you say or type "back to normal" you hear "back to Norman".)

Been waiting along with the rest of the Pub for the HOF calls to start. I can't imagine the torture if you actually sent an entry. It's making me crazy just watching. Gotta be worth it to the winners though...what an amazing feeling that must be.

Hoping to scrap some today. I just feel so yucky I can't seem to get anything done. And it doesn't help that I don't have any picture that are inspiring me right now. Which reminds me that I uploaded 50 or so to TwoPeas and I need to actually ORDER them to end up getting them in the mail.

Hannah called from Miami last night. Train was abuot 3 hours late which made for a 26 hour train ride. WOW! That's a long time. But I guess when you're 16 and with your friends it's not so bad. They took vans to Key West last night and are snorkeling this morning. Hope she remembers sunscreen.

The diet thing is not going so hot. Not that I've made much of an effort. I have cut WAY down on my snacking but have only lost 1.5 pounds in two weeks. I suppose for it to work I actually need to work at it. Why oh why can't there be an "easy" button for weight loss??

Til later!

The Weekend

It's a gorgeous Saturday and I'm stuck at home. Yes, that's a bit of a whine you detect there. Jess is still sick...enough so that she doesn't want to ride. Yup, that much. So instead of getting some stuff done around the house this morning then spending the afternoon outside at the barn watching her ride, I'll be stuck home all day. Wahhh.

Jonathan just left to go fly. It's the perfect day for it and if Jess had been too sick to ride but not sick enough to go to her Dad's for the weekend, we probably would have gone down to Williamsburg for the day and walked around. But she needs to be home so he's going solo to Lancaster. Apparently they have a great pilot shop there and he can get some new charts. At least he's happy.

Meanwhile, I'm doing laundry and feeling sorry for myself. But I'll get over it. I think I'm going to plant some bulbs today. At least I'll be outside for a while. And maybe the mood will strike and I'll scrap some. Who can tell? We'll go out to dinner tonight then make sure Hannah is ready for her big trip tomorrow. Just another day in Mom paradise.

Wow....I'm really quite bitchy. Gonna have to snap out of it. Wish me luck!

Happy Friday!

Another week just zipped by...did you blink? Around this house if you blink you miss it. We are busy, busy folks. Our days are full but it's all by choice. We lead full, happy lives.

So anyway. Today is an important day. Friday, March 10th, 2006. I've been looking forward to this day for at least a month. Today is the day that Rita's opens for the season. If there's ever a sign that spring is on it's way, that's it! So tonight, I'll be having a "meal replacement shake" for dinner. No, not Slim Fast. A Rita's Misto. Oh how I love my Rita's!

Jess is home sick. I was hoping her headache, sore throat, sniffles and coughs were allergy related (I know mine are kicking me in the butt) but she woke up this morning and was just plain SICK. She's got a Pony Club mounted meeting tomorrow...hope she can make it. The mounted meetings are the best. And tomorrow's theme is bareback gymnastics. FUN!

Hannah leaves for Florida on Sunday. She's about to jump out of her skin with excitement. I hope this trip turns out to be everything she's expecting. Sometimes when you build up to something like this it's easy to be disappointed. Somehow though, I don't think this will be one of those times. Her and couple friends are doing some shopping for the trip tonight. They are taking the train down and it's about a 24 hour journey so they want to be prepared with snacks and stuff. Good time ahead!

I changed my PEA title this morning. I have a goal (scrapping related) this year to earn a spot on a design team. I've only applied for 2 or 3 so I'm not surprised that I haven't gotten there yet. One of those was long ago too so I don't really count that effort. But I'm starting to REALLY want it. Bad. I recently didn't make one and I'm not surprised...the team they picked is FABULOUS. And luckily, I don't take these disappointments to heart. I've got thick skin and a realistic view of how it all works and where I am on the scrap food chain. But I changed my title as sort of a little prayer to the scrapping gods. It now reads: desperately seeking DESIGN TEAM work. Hope it works!

Speaking of scrapping, hoping to get some scrap time in this weekend. Seems like lately Monday and Tuesday are the only days I can seem to get anything done. Course, I had one of those wicked sinus headaches that turns into an "I can't function or speak coherently" headaches. Was a rough one too...I was pretty wrecked for a couple days. Not my favorite part of Springtime for sure.

Think we'll watch The Exorcism of Emily Rose tonight. Looks fabulous.

Have a super day!

Random Catchin Up Post

• Jess had a birthday. Turned 12. Had a super day with friends, movies, dinner, Cold Stone cake and presents.
• Jess got rolled on by (luckily) a small pony during her Monday lesson. She was INCREDIBLY lucky. She stayed pretty much under the saddle which made a bit of a tunnel for her. Only one leg got the brunt of the horse's weight. She finished her lesson but had to skip the next day. She was a bit achey and tired. The more I think about this the more freaked out I get. Some really horrible things could have happened to her. I'm trying to put it behind me.
• Hannah was in a Prom dress fashion show at the high school. Wowsers, she looked like Cinderella in some dresses and a movie star on Oscar night in others. Too bad for me that the photos are not so hot. I just don't have the lens for low light action shots. Not that she was dancing or running, but any movement at all and I get blur. I really need a new lens!
• Hannah is leaving for Florida for a week on Sunday for the Chemistry trip. I don't think she could be any more excited. Key West, Miami, Orlando with all your best friends and NO parents. Heck, I almost wanna go!
• Claire is Claire. Sweet and cute and stuck to me like glue. Though she is getting better. It's been almost a year since Hannah's Mom died and I think her little brain is starting to realize I'm not going anywhere. At least for a while.
• I've been scrapping. And liking what I do (for the most part). I've actually submitted a few pages and am working on a couple design team application projects. I really do think I'd make a fantastic DT member. I hope to get to prove that to someone soon.
• Trying to lose weight. Lots of it. It's been 8 days and I've only lost 1.5 pounds but honestly I'll take it. Seems like I've gained 10 pounds a year for the last three so any step in the right direction is a good one. Waiting for spring so I can get out and walk. The treadmill and I do NOT get along. Meantime I've cut out most of my snacking, I'm trying to drink lots more water and have reduced my portions. Slow and steady wins the race!

Hope all is well with anyone that happens by here. I don't post often enough for regular readers so if you've been here, please say HI!

Have a good one.

Ha, Ha, Ha

I blog as well and as often as I exercise.

I really do have good intentions though. On both counts.

Life is busy but it's all good.

Until later....

Weekend Re-Cap

Not a bad weekend. I've had better, I've certainly had worse.

Helping my grandparents went well. I don't think we got much done but they sure did. Note to self...do things NOW...you get tired quick at 80+ years old!

Jess had her semi-formal Friday night. She looked so pretty and grown up with her new dress and hair done. I didn't do such a great job with the photos but you should get the idea from this one.

She had a blast...danced the night away! These kinds of experiences are just one of the many reasons I switched her from private to public school this year. I'm so glad she's making the best of it.

Drove Jess up to Dover to spend the weekend with her Dad on Saturday. Claire and I hit Target. I've been holding out hope forever that they would start carrying Heidi Swapp products but still no luck. Claire got a super cute Hello Kitty outfit though. She wore it today and was just so hip.

Jonathan finally got home from Florida Saturday night. This trip seemed so long. We watched Wedding Crashers. Fun movie. I actually laughed out loud a couple times.

Today was grocery shopping and laundry then back to my grandfather's to help hang some pictures and such. Returned the tv we bought just two weeks ago to Best Buy. We sure do have electronic troubles around this house. What makes a tv die so quickly? Bad batch I suppose.

Gosh when you write it all out it looks pretty pathetic doesn't it?? I guess that's just real life up there. Maybe next year at this time I'll have an exciting "I'm off to CHA" post here instead! If you're going, have a blast for me too.

That's all for now.

Frantic Friday

Busy day today!

My 85 year old grandfather (and his wife Gerry) moved this week and I'm going to go up to Middletown to help him unpack. I'm so happy they finally are getting this land sale figured out and got in this house in a retirement community. They do not need to be taking care of a big yard anymore. In this community, they're on their own but don't have to worry about maintenance. So Claire and I are trudging up the highway (an hour and a half) to see how helpful we can be. They've been in a few days already but I'm sure there's still lots to do. I'd be able to get more done if she were in school but of course they had a half day today and it's the one time Julie had plans this afternoon. Ah well, she can miss a half day of Kindergarten and I'm sure my grandparents would love to see her. I just hope I can keep her entertained there while I'm working. Going to load up on DVDs (and Jessica's portable player), work books and Sweet Streets.

Jessica's semi-formal/dressy/fancy (school can't seem to figure out what to call it) dance is tonight so we're racing home after to help her get ready and put her hair up. Oh and take pictures. LOTS of pictures. Gosh they grow up fast.

Finished and submitted my BH sketch yesterday. Then I saw on TwoPeas that some folks were getting confirmations from CK. This put me in a panic because of course I didn't get one. Not that I think I'm really going to get a call but I'd at least like to know they got it. I did some searching at Gmail and they try to resend for a WEEK and if it doesn't go through it bounces back to spam. So I resent through my cable's email. They either got it twice or not at all. Either way, I hope the calls go out soon so I can post the darn thing. My gallery is getting stale.

I've got a fabulous layout floating around in my head. Hope to have some time (and a great photo) to put it together tonight. Also really hoping it turns out as fab as I'm picturing it. Course, that's what I'm always hoping!

I'm off. Have a good one!

Ahhh Belinda!

It's cleaning lady day. I just love these days. She comes every other Wednesday and it really does bring me much joy. I always leave (her preference) when she's here and when I walk in that door after she's gone I can feel my whole body relax. She shines the place up so much you can almost see the sparkles. Sometimes I think I should just have her come every week but then guilt takes over...I don't actually have a job after all...and I push that thought right out of my head. Besides, I think the magic would wear off a bit.

I'm going to take myself to the movies while she's here today. I've never done that. I usually run my errands and spend the rest of the time trying to figure out what to do until she's done. It's silly really. Driving around. Browsing in stores where I don't really want anything. Drinking too much coffee. So today I'm going to get my errands done and take myself out. Think I'll see Brokeback Mountain. Not sure though, have to check times.

The week is getting busy all of a sudden. Jess dances tonight, Claire has gymnastics tomorrow. Hannah will drop Jess off at the barn tomorrow then take herself to dance (thank goodness she can drive!). My grandfather moved yesterday and I'm going to drive up to Middletown on Friday while the kids are at school and help him unpack. Then I have to race back home to help Jess get ready for her semi-formal dance at school. She looks SO grown up in the dress we bought...I can't wait to see her when we get her hair done and she's ready to go. Sixth grade sure seems older now than when I was 11. Then it's up to Dover Saturday morning to take Jess to her Dad. I guess it's all the usual happenings but with Jonathan gone it just seems busier.

Well, I'm off. I've bored myself (much less my poor readers) and I've got cleaning to do before the cleaning lady arrives. That always makes Jonathan chuckle....but I've got to find the floor for her to be able to clean it, right!

Have a great day!

a Sketch, a Tag and other Stuff

Well, I didn't quite make it with the whole do something 7 times in a row thing but I'm certainly improving. My problem is that most days I just don't have anything all that interesting to talk about. I mean really, who wants to hear my daily to do list or never ending desire to be a person that actually exercises or schedule of kid's activities?

I've got a few hours today and I'm determined to make something of the June sketch. I've had the photos and some paper on my desk for days but nothing is coming to me. I'm just not feeling it. It's a shame too because I need to scrap these photos and they work perfectly for this sketch. I think I've just been scrapping 1-3 photos per page for so long I forgot how to do more...never mind an actual two page layout. So I'm going to look at my past CK issues to get a better feel for the kinds of things they publish and make some serious headway (if not finish) on this layout today.

I got tagged again! This time by http://revlie.blogspot.com . These tags sure can be fun. I didn't really get the first list of 5 names so I didn't do it. And I'm not tagging anyone else because I think I must be the last one to do this one, lol.

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?

I was seperated from my (first) husband and running a home day care. Jessica was almost 2.

2. What were you doing one year ago?

Typical stay at home Mom stuff. Driving kids to school and activites, cooking, cleaning and so on. Looking forward to Jonathan and I's upcoming weekend in NYC to see Wicked.

3. Five snacks you enjoy.

I enjoy all snacks. That's my problem. I racked my brain though and didn't come up with any favorites.

4. Five songs, to which you KNOW all the lyrics.

Having grown up with serious Dead Heads and having seen them in concert 32 times, I pretty much know all the words to ALL the Grateful Dead songs. I know a bunch of Little Feat songs by heart, quite a few Rolling Stones tunes and so on and so on. I'm a lyrics person. I know the words to hundreds of songs. At least.

(I've heard that people either hear the music or the words to a song. I definately fall into the words category.)

5. Five things you would do, if you were a millionaire.

Just one million? And is that after taxes?

We're in pretty good financial shape these days so I'd probably spend most of it. Here's my list:

a. pay off credit cards, cars & plane
b. book a HUGE house somewhere tropical for a month (maybe two) and buy plane tickets for all my family
c. buy a house at the lake
d. visit my brother in Indonesia
e. put the rest in the kids' college funds

6. Five bad habits.

a. I don't take care of my own health (overweight, don't exercise, forget cholestorol medicine....)
b. I spend too much time on the computer.
c. I'm a BIG procrastinator.
d.
e.

(isn't that enough?)

7. Five things you like doing

a. taking pictures & scrapbooking
b. reading
c. watching my kids do their thing (ride horses, dance, play....)
d. traveling
e. watching reality tv

8. Five things you would never wear, buy, or get new again.

I don't know about this one....NEVER say NEVER. I can't really think of anything I might never do/wear/buy/get again.

9. Five favorite toys.

a. Digital Rebel XT
b. computer
c. cell phone
d. our camper
e. our plane
f. my scrap stuff

I know that was 6!

Now on to the other stuff!

Jonathan left today for the annual manager's meeting in sunny Florida. He'll be back Saturday night so until then it's just me and the girls. I always know I'm going to miss him but until he actually leaves I don't realize how lonely I'm going to feel.

Belinda comes tomorrow so I have to get the house organized. It's not too bad; I'm getting better about keeping it together on her off weeks.

Whew, this was long. If you're still here hat's off to you! Have a great one!

Tag....You're It!

I feel famous....someone (http://mamabrain.blogspot.com/) tagged me. Never been tagged before (course I'm new at this blog stuff) so I thought I'd get right on it!

Four jobs you've had in your life:

1. Information operator in Washington D.C. (you know, "411")
2. Government contract biller for an environmental company
3. ER Registration
4. Stay at home Mom (my favorite so far)

Four movies you would watch over and over again:

1. The Big Chill (classic!)
2. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
3. Steel Magnolias
4. Mary Poppins

Four places you have lived:

1. Newark, Delaware
2. all over Southwest Virginia
3. Alexandria, Virginia
4. Lewes, Delaware

Four tv shows you love to watch:

1. Survivor
2. The Amazing Race
3. The Bachelor
4. pretty much anything MTV (I know, I'm regressing)

Four places I've been to on vacation:

1. St. John, USVI
2. Outer Banks (Avon), North Carolina
3. Greece (Olympics)
4. Cozumel, Mexico

Four websites you visit daily:

1. TwoPeas (my second home)
2. A Million Little Things (just to see what's new)
3. various blogs
4. (nothing else EVERY day)

Four of my favorite foods:

1. Breakfast
2. Lunch
3. Dinner
4. Dessert

(hmmm...wonder if this is why I have weight issues)

OK, seriously....

1. anything Mexican
2. crabs
3. my chili
4. fried squash

Four places I'd rather be right now:

1. at the Post Office shipping off a layout or two for publication
2. St. John
3. Mexico
4. Indonesia visiting my brother!

I'm not tagging anyone...too new to the blog game to start making enemies! ;D

That was fun...thanks for the tag!

Weekend Plans

Not too much on our plates this weekend. At least, it doesn't seem that way.

Hannah is in New Jersey at The Pulse dance convention. She'll be home late tonight.

Jess is at her Dad's but coming home early tomorrow for a Pony Club mounted meeting and study session. After riding that wild pony Taffy on Thursday, I'm hoping she's back on Penny and has a smooth lesson.

Dad and Claire and I are just going to do our thing otherwise. I'm hoping to scrap today. I've got my photos all ready for the June BH sketch. Claire is in a scrap mood herself as I bought her one of those kits with the album, paper, stickers and such from Michael's. Hopefully, I can get her started and we can work at the same time. Dinner will be out tonight. At least, that's MY plan. Throw in some grocery shopping, laundry and a bunch of football tomorrow and you've got one well rounded, low-key weekend.

(Check it out....two posts in row for me...I'm on a roll. And I promise, once I get the regular posting thing down, I'll work on making it interesting!)

Catching Up

I had a feeling I wasn't going to be very good and keeping this thing up to date. They say if you do something 7 times in a row it becomes habit. I'm going to test that theory starting NOW!

Life is busy. I don't know how some people do all the things they do. I think they must just not sleep very much. Or maybe they just go full steam all day long until they collapse into bed at night. Neither of those options appeal to me though so I'm just going to keep trucking along the best I can. But I am going to try to limit spending time on things that aren't on the top of my list of priorities to make more time for the things that are. It's tough sometimes; the not so important things are usually easier to do (like PEAing) than oh say....exercising.

I've been scrapping more lately. And I'm happier with the results. I'm not sure if I'm getting better at it, getting more comfortable with my style or some combination of the two but it's working for me. I'm enjoying it. And I've started submitting again. I'd love to have a page or two (or twelve) published this year. I've got my fingers crossed.

I could go on (and on) about the kids and how I'm loving my new camera and figuring out the whole digital process and about a million other things but laundry calls (Hannah FINALLY threw ALL her dirty clothes down the chute last night...why is that so tough) and I must get on with my day.

Happy Friday!

Photo of the Day 1.4

(Had my first experience with losing an ENTIRE post just before publishing this morning. Isn't that loads of fun.)

Today's picture is of my daughter Hannah. Well, she's really my step-daughter but that's not such a fun term and a daughter is a daughter no matter how you got them so I just skip the step.

Anyway...

Today's photo is significant as it's the first taken with her new nose ring. That's right, yesterday we traipsed off to a place called Mystic Realm and got her nose pierced.

Honestly, I didn't think it was such a good idea when several months ago she asked if she could get it done. I was thinking....when she's tired of it in 5 or 10 years she's going to have this big HOLE in her nose. But she wore me down (it wasn't hard really) so we agreed and gave it to her as a Christmas present.

I wont go into the gory details, but it was a super simple procedure and hurt only enough to make her eyes water a bit. She's had her belly button pierced too and said that was much worse.

And in the end, it looks pretty cute on her!

In other news....

Today I'm going to start exercising again. Not only do I need to lose some weight...well, let me be honest...a bunch of weight, but I'm in horrible shape. It's been so long since I've worked out and I'm starting to notice it. We have a treadmill but walking on it bores me to tears so I dug out my old Tae Bo tapes and I'm going to give it a whirl. If nothing else, I'm sure it will entertain the dogs.

Photo of the Day 1.3

Today's photo is of the barn Claire got for Christmas from my Dad. He made it. A few years ago he made one for Jessica as a surprise for Christmas. A month or so before Christmas this year Claire told me she wanted Granddad to make her a barn for Christmas like Jessi's. We called and Claire asked him herself. It was so sweet. How could he refuse? He even matched the paint color to her dollhouse.

So today I chose to take a good picture of the barn. The only others I have are from Christmas morning and we all know how good those pictures usually are. This barn makes me proud. Proud of my Dad who can do anything, including designing and building a barn for my daughter and making her Christmas wish come true.

Jumping on the Blogwagon

Everyone else does it right? So why not!

Actually, I mostly want a place to post my photos of the day from the TwoPeas pub challenge without clogging up my gallery with non-layout items but I hope that this turns into more. A place to share photos with family, a jumping point for layout journaling, a way to solidify my personal goals and desires and remind me to work towards them. You get the picture. We'll see how it goes.

Right now I just need to figure out how the heck this thing works. Wish me luck!