13 Days

Baby Blues for 5/21/2012 - Baby Blues « ArcaMax Publishing <-- Click there to see the comic strip.

I am so identifying with Wanda right now! 13 school days left of our school year. Send help... cookies, chocolate, and Diet Rite greatly appreciated!

We are going to be busy, Busy, BUSY this summer!

Big Blank

I’m drawing a big blank for a title for this post. Maybe one will just magically make itself apparent as I write.

We’re dealing with some issues of bullying right now. I had certainly hoped at some point that my son would stop having these problems. It’s getting bad enough he doesn’t want to go to school. Christopher is so close to graduation (Class of 2013) that I do not want to risk him losing credits to finish his education at home. Since the bullying is happening at the bus stop, there is not much the school district can do. The problem is, no one has jurisdiction at the bus stop – with the exception of the county sheriffs’ deputies. I attempted approaching the parents of the bullies yesterday. Never again. I’ll just call the police.

Mary Ann has an eye doctor appointment today. Her prescription was past due when she broke her glasses a few weeks ago. Now that the tax return is back – it’s time to get everyone’s peepers checked out. So proud of my girl! She started the school year almost a full grade level behind in reading. Something finally clicked for her! She’s almost 2 full grade levels ahead now! Look out world, we have a voracious reader on our hands. I see a lot of bicycle trips to the library with her this summer.

Nicholas has graduated from speech therapy! He went from being almost completely non-verbal two years ago to speaking very clearly. His sound production is actually developmentally advanced now! So exciting!

Katharine will be having her third cleft palate reconstruction procedure next week. I’m nervous, but I know her surgeon is skilled and takes wonderful care of her. Her speech is progressing nicely. We’re hoping this procedure will help take her to the next level by reducing the nasal sounds.

Benjamin is 3 1/2 and still mostly non-verbal. He has a large vocabulary – just trying to get him to use it! He’s quiet by nature and just goes with the flow – so he seldom really has anything to say. He’s very active though!

I went through a major burst of scrapping for a couple of weeks. Things are settling down now as a settle into a routine for scrapping with and blogging about Michelle Godin’s new releases.

Speaking of new releases…

 

I have not had a chance to play with these just yet! Hoping to get in some scrapping time on Thursday or Friday. There’s a fantastic new release on Friday from Michelle – she’s teamed up with two other designers!

On A Roll

Michelle Godin is on a roll! She’s back and she’s rockin’ it!

First… It’s the Quarterly Sale at TLP! 30% off EVERYTHING – even new releases April 13-16

Next…

Michelle has 3 new releases for your scrapping pleasure today. Yes, they are 30% off this weekend!

Here’s a closer look at just the papers included with the kit…

Now, let me show you what I’ve created with these delicious goodies!

Oh, I’m not done yet. Michelle has even whipped up a couple of freebies for you!

The first coordinates with today’s new releases and can be found at her blog. The second is a gorgeous set of mixed media papers you can find on her Facebook Fan page. Click “Like” and you can download them from the Exclusive Freebie spot! Trust me, you want to check these papers out!

PHEW!

It’s been a rocky week. The kids went back to school Monday after their Spring Break. It’s been a battle all week to get them back into the routine. I know it’s Friday… the WonderTwins were having one meltdown after another this morning. Little Mister did not even want to get out of bed. He’s usually full of sunshine and ready to face the day. Not today.

We’re planning a medium distance bike ride on Saturday morning, about 20 miles round trip. At the half-way spot, PANCAKES! The county fairgrounds are hosting a community welcome appreciation breakfast to celebrate their 25th Anniversary at the current location. There will also be some auctions and things after the breakfast, but we’re likely not going to stick around for those.

Sunday will hopefully be a day of rest and relaxation. Provided I can get all my housework done today… but with that sale at TLP, I’m not making any promises!

Distracted

I’ve been rather quiet on the blog front for months now. Just have not had much I wanted to share. I’ve been writing and scrapping, just not sharing.

I cannot hide in the shadows any longer.

The last two weeks have been a flurry of hard-drive filling craziness… My favorite digital scrapbook designer is back. After a year and a half off, she’s come out of retirement. She’s got a new style – and it’s pushing all the right buttons for me!!

Check out her guest shop at The Lily-Pad… Works of he{ART} by Michelle Godin.

She made her debut on Friday, April 6 with the release of three new products for the April BYOC at The Lily-Pad.

I even made a few things…

I also made my new siggy for forum use from the Sloppy Stencils. I’ll show that off soon.

Yesterday, Michelle released FOUR new products for the SOSN (Something Old Something New) Sale at the Lily-Pad. Since she doesn’t have anything old – you get all brand new stuffs!

I have not had a chance to play with these yet. I’ve had a nasty Easter cold/sore throat/headache thing going on. I’ve spent most of my time since Good Friday sleeping. The aches have finally eased up. I don’t feel like there is a fever threatening to take me out constantly. However, the sinus congestion, headache, and sore throat persist. In fact, today the sore throat is worse and my right ear is throbbing. For now, I have stepped up my water, vitamin C, and other vitamins. Ibuprofen is managing the pain.

Michelle has yummy new releases coming to The Lily-Pad tomorrow!! I’ve already created a layout and an ATC with it. I’ll show those of tonight/tomorrow when the products go live in the store!

For now I suppose I should attempt to get back to my real life job as a wife and mother. The dishes, laundry, and other housework aren’t going to take care of themselves. Sometimes I wish I was Samantha from BeWitched! *wiggle wiggle*

Friendship… The Yucky Stuff

Following a prompt from Tell Your Story Every Day… Journaling Challenge 9.

I honestly do not have many friends, close or otherwise. Sure, I have 500+ “Friends” on Facebook, but does that really count? Most of them are people that I went to school with some time between Kindergarten to Graduation – in fact, in a few cases we went to school together the whole time.

My first best friend, C. A guy on my street a couple of years older than me. During our childhood we were inseparable. Then the awkward teenage years, followed by my crush on him – not sure if he ever truly knew about it. He graduated, we lost touch. Enter Facebook years later – turns out maybe I never really truly knew him.

My other childhood best friend, T. and I had a falling out during middle school. She was popular. I wasn’t. ‘nuff said.

My high school best friend, T2. and I fell out of touch soon after I married my husband. We both met him on the same day at the same time at a youth group thing. Before I even knew his name I told her I was going to marry him. She claimed she would date him first. She did – one, maybe two dates. Then I started seeing him. No big deal, she started dating one of my former boyfriends around the same time. She even stood up in my wedding. Not exactly sure what happened other than I got married, moved out of town (just a couple of towns over), and proceeded to start my family. The last time we saw each other, she was involved but still single.

My current BFF, K. lives 3 hours away. We met on the internet in 2004. The distance prevents us from seeing each other frequently – but we talk on the telephone almost every single day – for hours at a time. Our husbands are baffled how we can possibly have that much to talk about. It’s funny, but some days we don’t really talk – we’re just there on the other end of the phone keeping each other company while we go through our day.

I’m here at home most days – alone, unless you count my five children. My husband, truly my best friend, travels with his job frequently. Even with the kids – I’m lonely. A lot.

I don’t enjoy big crowded parties/social situations. Anxiety.

My “filter” isn’t the greatest. A lot of times, if it pops into my head – out of my mouth it comes. This makes keeping friends difficult. I am honest. Brutally and bluntly.

I am also super sensitive. My feelings get hurt very easily. I can also hold a grudge. I’m still mad at one of my former friends for something she said & did at my wedding – this was 18 years ago. I know I should let it go, but in my head she nearly ruined my wedding.

Ok – enough about all of that. See? My life isn’t all sunshine and roses. I think I’m going to go outside and pull “winter weeds” for the next hour while I wait for the preschool bus to drop off my Katharine and my Benjamin!

HHS Mandate is UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

Ihaveasay, originally uploaded by sapphires2000.

The HHS Mandate violates my Constitutional Rights as a Catholic.

Why is discrimination against Catholic people and the Catholic Church still allowed, even encouraged??

Please visit http://www.catholicsistas.com/2012/03/06/video-cecile-richards-does-not-speak-for-me/ to see the "Cecile Richards Does Not Speak For Me video put together with the cooperation of several blogs. Please also read the materials they have about why the HHS Mandate is BAD for everyone - not just Catholics.

Project Life?! & BIG NEWS!

Ok, so I do a lot of reading of other people’s blogs and very little writing of my own. The majority of the memory keepers/scrap bookers and even the digital scrap book kit designers seem to be very into Project Life right now. I’ve been looking at the amazing documentation of the every day life that my “digital friends” are creating.

I’m intrigued.

I’m curious.

After serious deliberation… I jumped on the band wagon. Digitally, of course.

I purchased…

and

to get me started. I’ve got a ton of other stuff on my “wish lists” across the web.

Well – that’s today. I bought the stuff. We’ll see what happens from here. I really need to work on the habit of a picture a day. But with PL – I can just write something for the day if I don’t want a picture. I could even make miniature layouts (like brag book pages) if I want! So much flexibility here.

Now on to the big news.

We are officially a family of 7 now! The adoption of our little girl was final on Thursday, March 1!

Now, I’d like to introduce you to my beautiful little girl…

Layla Katharine! She’s 4 years old. She has the most beautiful smile and infectious laugh. She was placed with us when she was only 3 days old! We are her forever family… finally! So excited.

My apologies for the weird picture – she was just waking up from her nap with her favorite dog, Tyra. She and Tyra are nearly inseparable.