note this!

getting back into routines....fun!

purging, organizing, cleaning, decorating....lots of work, but makes me breathe MUCH easier knowing it is getting done. finally!

now painting. i was soooo nervous about doing it. the change is good. so far the right colours have been chosen. sigh of relief!

i was taking a break and did some blog reading. this was a very inspiring post at the Cosmo Cricket blog . go check it out!

back to work i go....

oh wow

is this not the coolest thing ever?!!

i was catching up on one of my favourite scrapbook blogs and came across this post.

unbelievable!!

they are real.

but that is not all of them....

check out Dalton Ghetti and more of his art.

going places

this week the kids are at a kids camp at our church. the theme is the "High Seas". very fun.

this is the first time helping at an event like this. i've done week long kids camps, so i'm familiar with those. but this is new to me.

my role is the story teller for the preschoolers. each group rotates through varies stations 20 minutes in length...story, craft, snack, games, etc. the theme today was "God's Word is SURPRISING". don't i know it. one of the points was that God loves us so much, that sometimes He enjoys seeing us surprised. i had not thought of that before.

one of the high-lights of the evening was with one group. part of the story involved "surprising" them with a bag of gummy worms. apparently this group was either difficult to surprise or i did not do that great of a job of being secretive. and so i said just that. one of the kids quietly says, "you're nice. we like you. so we are not surprised when you do nice things for us." awwww....cute! bring on the treats every night.

okay a second high-light. as time passed i think i got more clever with the "gummy worm" surprise. or they got more tired. let's go with clever, i like that. ha! i went on and on about hinting towards my brown bag containing worms from my garden. way over did it. then, i picked one of the kids to peek inside the bag. his expression was priceless...his eyes widened and he licked his lips!! i guess you really had to be there. when he pulled one out to eat....the rest of the kids were a little tense....until they realized they had been tricked!! oh the fun!




on the weekend, our kids got a surprise of their own. some good friends we met at our new church invited us to their cabin for the weekend. the kids got to have some more new experiences in their young lives.

here is just one set of pics that tell a story very well. i love the burst option on my camera! now if only i could figure out how to keep the camera steady on a moving boat, pulling an unpredictable tube...




Kristian was nominated to go on a "more wild" ride with the 2 youngest kids. check out the face of Kiara's friend in the yellow life jacket. she knows what is coming next.








cool!



i know i cut someone off...but i love the looks on Kiara's and Kris' faces.






good times. good surprises. good memories.

the sunset in my previous post was from the end of the visit. it was amazing.





and now...speaking of surprises....

i wanted to share a cool blog with you:

Silver Strands

Denalee is a faithful reader and commentator on my blog. i wish i could say i did the same for her! she has great uplifting posts. go check her out, and be sure to leave a comment to let her know you were there!

she surprised her mom recently. her mom was diagnosed with cancer and was going to lose her hair due to the harsh chemo treatments. Denalee happens to have very similar silver hair as her mom. she donated her hair to make a wig. it surprised her mom very much! as i'm sure you could expect. how encouraging it must be for her mom as she fights this battle. be sure to watch the video and read the story.

she continues to share the ongoing story of her life right now. but she also keeps the blog to raise awareness of those who donate their hair for various organizations.


can't end without sharing this great news....
my friend, Jan, just finished her last round of chemotherapy. we are celebrating!! {for the record...she happens to look as amazing with her wig as she does with her head of her own hair!}she is the most talented scrapbooker. even in her exhaustion, she has made some of the most amazing layouts. her attitude is also something we can all envy. yay, Jan!!

reminder

so....not a photo of anyone...but i had to share this!

red letter words

more smiles

this has seriously been the most amazing month!

there is some "gossip" about me. heehee

craft gossip. yup. go HERE.


it's been a long and busy couple of weeks. i am really looking forward to putting my feet up and watching a movie with the kids. or maybe even just sleeping while they watch the movie. either option sounds great. i have a hair appointment to look forward to. ahhhh pampering. one of these days i need to schedule a massage and then the hair appointment in the same evening. that would be bliss.


before i forget...i have decided that learning to take better photos is soooo worth it. again, i came across the most perfect photo moment and did not have my camera! murphy's law strikes again!! this morning there was a bit of hoar frost and light fog. clear skies. a completely visible full moon. even better were the colours with the sun just rising. i really hope i get another moment like that when i have my camera and the knowledge of how to do the photo justice to the real thing. a nice way to start the day don't you think?

for my kids

i just posted a story that combined our kids and art on my other blog:

Projects With All My Heart


there are photos. stories.

check it out.



resting up for one last busy week! catch you up when i can!!

reminders

for the past week i've been spending my time reviewing photos i've taken since January. and picking a few that i want developed. so. much. work. i am in the middle of June, so just a few more months to go. then i need to check and see if i finished last year off....

i skipped ahead to a day in August...

we took the kids out for an evening ice cream treat.

and then to a nearby park to play and wear off some of the sugar before bed.

the kids love it when daddy joins us. i think he has as much fun as the kids...

what do you think?!


like father. like son.

love these smiles.


this has been a rough week. seem to be making too much of a habit of these lately.

for me, my new year has always been September. that is when i tend to make resolutions or new plans. guess that all points back to a lifetime of being a student or a teacher! we are all so ready for September to be a good new start.

i'm finding inspiration in Jody {nitty.gritty.jody} and Angie {bring the rain}. the struggles that i have are so much less than what they have had to experience. there is no comparison. but they are inspiring to look at the bigger picture.

i watched the interview with Larry King and Stephen Curtis Chapman family this week. it was amazing. a story of grief, love, forgiveness.... three months ago, their son ran over their youngest daughter and she was fatally wounded. she had seen him driving up the lane and had run out to meet him...but he did not see her...he was driving cautiously and it still happened. at one point he shared that we need to look at life as a huge mural...it's bigger than we can comprehend or even see. the only parts that we see is a small portion. and we all know that you need to look at an entire mural to understand the full picture....but it's hard to see when you are only allowed to view a small portion.

right now these photos remind me of the amazing gifts i've been given.

i look forward to seeing that huge and genuine smile on each of my kids faces.

i love seeing the relationship between Aidan and Kiara develop.

i'm so glad that Kristian has a job that involves a supportive team, even though it is challenging.

i am happy that we are all together and happy.

even though i wish my babies would sleep until at least 9am each day, i do enjoy their voice when they first awake. i love being kissed and cuddled by them as i get my body to wake up.

i love that we can go to so many places nearby that make them happy. let them run. let them laugh.


definitely good to remind ourselves regularly of those little things that give us joy....

it's all about

recycling....


we were lucky to have been given a tricycle and a little "bug" for the kids to ride on when Aidan just learned to walk. and i have spent last summer and this spring trying to track down a used bike for Aidan now that he's growing. i was quite surprised what people have been asking for rusted chains and worn back tires.....that will need to be replaced....and bring it up to the same cost as buying a brand new bike. too crazy.

we were double lucky that i came across this add when i did.....brand-new bike, never used.....

which i prepared myself could mean all sorts of things. the worst being that the bike was difficult to ride and thus was never ridden. and that would mean time out of my day i'd never get back.....yes i think about this a lot! not to mention telling my little guy that we'd have to keep looking for "the one". that would be the hardest.

as you can see the kids love biking. definitely lots of their daddy....

Aidan was totally prepared. as you can see.

how thrilled i was when this bike was in the shape they told me it was in. and that it was obviously a good beginner bike.

and the happiest.....

a great day for Kiara to have a long nap.....

he rode up and down the sidewalk......for nearly two hours....

what a happy boy!

phew!!!!

and a happy momma that didn't have to replace any parts.

yesterday he (and his classmates) went searching for treasure in the class sandbox. this was his first find. i'm sure he is thinking he's on a roll with his luck!

i've noticed a great theme in scrapbooking lately.

recycling.

check out these ideas on "one little word".

and check out this contest at Prima. check out some of the ideas.

not to mention lots of the pages out there that use vintage items.

i think that "scrap" is coming back to scrapbooking.

it will be interesting to see where this will lead.

check out this winning project.

what better excuse does a person need to start scrapbooking.....



and i'm trying to think of something cool to do now that i've had 1000 views on my blog. i'm thinking of some kind of give-away. thinking about recycling....good recycling....not doing any purging at this stage of my scrapbooking....maybe a project that involves recycling....i'll decide by the end of the weekend.


in the meantime....so excited to be signed up for the "Siblings" class at Urban Scrapbook! if i can just find my supply list.....i know i got one....sigh.....it is time to "adjust the paper piles" again....already.... cool new technique....can't wait to try it out...

what a delight!

it's NATIONAL SCRAPBOOK DAY today.


and i'm heading out to another 'kids outgrown it' sale.


why am i not scrapbooking?


well....not right now....but later i sure will be!


the store is having a two day crop. a good deal. they even feed you, so that all you have to think about is scrapping. i can't go. i did think about it. but then reality of life set in. and they even have an awesome coupon for today. so a good day to just shop too!

back when Aidan was little and oh so cute. (he still is....just not the same baby cuteness....know what i mean?!) where was i? yes back when Aidan was baby cuteness and i started to put together pages for him.... with a layout to scraplift and the printed photos, i'd head out to the store. (that was when it had a different name) it took me hours to finally decide on something. often he was napping, so he looked even cuter. back in those early days a few girls at the store thought he was adorable too. one of them is part of the online company called the goodie box. another one just started her own online company this week called delite designs.

if you have not checked them out yet....go. Nadine is offering instructions to an acrylic album for FREE! even better the theme is on Mother's Day. and the goodie box girls have lots planned for the weekend too.....

so my suggestion......

go here to get your supply list and instructions. then go here to get your supplies. (okay, i'm biased...if you don't live here, then i'm sure you can find a great store nearby). then tire the kids out, have an early supper, and get them to bed by 7pm. pull out the supplies and you should be done in a few hours. with time to spare with your husband. you might want to make a couple of these. once you are finished you are going to want one for yourself anyway!

see....so easy....and everyone wins. happy mom. happy kids. happy hubby. what more could a girl want?!


....aside from the spa day.....hmmm.....is that happening next weekend?!

this week

at home....


well, holiday time is up. Kris started his new job on Monday. it went well. if you factor in that he has training stuff to do! it will be that story for awhile too. although they did put him to start on a project this week. only another engineer would find those details interesting. to me...well...i just have to smile and nod. as long as he's happy, then i'm happy! honestly we've both been quite tired this week so a lot of talking has not happened anyway. i'm sure we'll catch up on the weekend. yes. the whole weekend. he will have two days off in a row. it will be like....a mini holiday! (if you are just tuning in...he just finished a job where he was lucky to get one day off per week...so we missed him a lot.)

and to celebrate his first day returning home from work....


do you think it looks like him?!


Kiara and i made GIANT chocolate chip cookies. sorry no photo.

then Aidan and i made some cranberry oat cereal bars. (would you believe they were both Marth Stewart recipes? fact!)

truthfully....these are not my taste. but both of the kids love them. so it works.

it has three of their favourite ingredients. cranberries. cheerios. marshmallows. and really how can you lose with marshmallows?! isn't it cool how the melted marshmallow looks?

and just some evidence that spring really is trying to arrive at our house. maybe they will even bloom this week?

it is rainy. and some snow has fallen. today. tomorrow is supposed to be better. and by the weekend we should be back outdoors.

yesterday (and the day before!)

we walked to the park. together. holding hands. mostly.

they are adorable. mostly.

love this action shot!

and this one too.

so just a taste of what our summer will look like. too bad i didn't get a photo of me. the sun and fresh air are good for me too.

now if we can just get this sun to stay for longer than four days.....

i'm also on a mission these days. an exciting mission. i'm working on a mini-album class for my favourite scrapbook store. yay! and some challenges. i'm up to it! and i can't wait to share either. for now they have some new classes posted. they fill up quickly. there have been some classes that filled up right after they have been announced. okay. and that fact along has me sweating from pressure! some talented ladies.....they also have some projects displayed that are really inspiring right now.

i also was checking out angies blog today. it was a heavy post. but also a really cool word picture. she shares about her daughters learning to deal with the loss of their baby sister. and the help that her daughters have been to deal with her own grief. it's worth a look.

well...off to the chilly basement to start some creative stuff with Aidan. wonder what he'll teach me today?!

digital

scrapbooking...

SIStv is offering a 10 day online digital scrapbooking class. it starts May 5. it costs $20. and it incudes a TON of goodies. (hey i used sis and ton in the same paragraph and capitalized both words....how often can you do that AND get away with it?! haha)

go here to read more.

they also have a couple of webisodes to view some digital scrapbooking. yes. that is for FREE. i've watched them and they are good. especially for those who have never done it before. look here. (episodes 62, 61 and 63...read the titles too!) note: all of the other videos are really good too....and totally funny to watch.

you also remember me saying how much i have spent on digital scrapbooking? compared to paper scrapbooking? if i didn't like getting my hands dirty i'd have gone totally digi a long time ago. for now i'll stick to being a hybrid. kind of cool titles, eh? makes me feel like i'm trendy. like one of those cars that runs without gasoline. nice comparison. or a robot. hmmm....i really do need to get out more often.

already doing digi-scrapping? go here.

want some free digi stuff? go here or here. or browse the web...there are lots out there.

i started here for free fonts:

2 Peas
FontGarden

Abstract Fonts

so even if you are just wanting to make a boring letter look more interesting....try a new font. for free!

decide if you like it.

save your money for later when you will need it!

and while you're at it. you also need to check SIS and 2Peas galleries. there are some digi pages and projects that are going to make you gasp. at first glance they totally just look like they were done on paper.

check out nellierose. she is one of my favourites at SIS. she also has some awesome links for digi.

i could go on. but i won't. there are a lot of places to look. and i'm long winded to begin with. as i come across more amazing things, i promise i'll share!

and news on the home front....

i work a couple of days this week. wahoo! i think that now makes 5 days this year?! crazy.

we now own two cars that are dependable and safe for our children to ride in. Kris starts work at a new job on Monday. and he needs a vehicle this time. we've done well. since 2004 he has been able to ride his bike. that is a cheap transportation bill. he signed the deal on probably the worst weather day in Alberta too. it worked well for us...as the dealership had just him for a customer!

so i get to take the new car to work tomorrow. lucky me.

i wish i had the thought to take a photo of the old rustic cavalier before we said good-bye. there are plenty of them around. maybe i'll just find one like ours and pretend. that's legal isn't it?! with my luck i'll end up taking photos of one that had been stolen or used in big drug deals. if you hear of any arrests involving teal cavaliers....at least you will know what i got caught doing. all for a scrapbook page! "historical documentation, officer.....honestly...."

the dealership took it as part of a trade-in. apparently it was bad enough to have become a popular topic that day. seriously, it needed help. so glad that we don't have to worry about that part now. and soooo glad that i don't have to drive to the other side of the city in it. really, i'm not sure if i'd make it!

the car has been interesting the past few years. it didn't like to run well in extreme temperatures. more of a coastal car (before the vandalized window).

one day Kris and Cam planned to drive out to John's acreage (45 km out of the city) and help with the house building. they barely drove 20 km and the car refused to do more than 50km/hr. so they drove back home. that day it was scorching. just before home, they stopped at the local convenience store and bought huge slurpees. and i think that was the day John gave up depending on them for anything! and isn't it convenient that both Kris and Cam have dependable vehicles just as John is done. hmmmm....

our family time continues to be enjoyable. we hung out at a pool with waterslides and "river". then took the kids to a chinese buffet. they slept in the next day, but were obviously exhausted. good timing to visit Costco. today we took them to an indoor playground. and we'll try to fit stuff in during the rest of the week too. galaxyland and the science centre are at the top of the list. hopefully by next week they will be ready for a full day at home! and maybe the snow will be gone? we can only hope.

i'm dreaming

of photography lessons....



i've been noticing some amazing photography lately. some people have an eye for detail and it shows. and then some of those people actually know how to get the most out of their camera. and it shows. and then there are the people who know what a good photo actually looks like.


and then there is me.


i try.


digital cameras have saved me. like the day i snapped nearly 300 photos of Kiara....just to make sure i got ONE good shot! can you imagine me explaining to Kristian why i just used ten rolls of 35mm film and spent a couple hundred on developing costs. and if you knew me well...you'd also wonder how i could explain it to myself. because we know that i would never have taken that many photos in the first place if that were the case!! yes, i would have bought just one roll and crossed my fingers that i got lucky. besides, what would i do with 299 bad photos?! more than likely there would probably be some kind of support group for me. scary thought.


so now i can snap off a million photos in a few minutes. and the only cost is my time. (seeing as the camera has been paid for!)


and then came adobe photoshop elements. oh yeah.


i can take photos that actually show the face. there is no blur. eyes are open. smiling. nothing busy in the background.


and then i can play around with them in photoshop.

at this point i should mention that i do not have a fancy shmancy camera. it is just a point and shoot. 5.1 megapixels. this is working for now. one day we'd love to have one of those heavy cameras that need their own suitcase....haha. seriously there is a lot of stuff that can be done with a simple point and shoot.

like this. and i caution you. i am FAR from an expert. just a gal who likes to play and see what happens. sometimes i develop the masterpiece. and other times i trash it. to keep my self-confidence at a high level i also don't like to keep track. it would be sad.


so here is a shot straight out of the camera. (yes after i turned the image on my computer!)



like i said. all the basics to me are there. there is a little blur in the hands. but other than that, not too bad.

and here is the same photo after some photoshop alterations. i used a "recipe" i got from pioneer womans' photography website. and a trick of my own..."adjust color to skin tone", works magic in some photos if they include people.(still working through Scott Kelby's book....but saw this recipe first and am playing around with it right now...until Scott tells me otherwise....man i am such a follower....) the jacket is a little scratchy. but since it is denim i like it.

really, this is where i could stop. and usually do for regular photos.

but why stop when there is more to add....like this!

then a little burn on the edges. this is my new thing. still working on this one too.

and this has been fun. add text. move the text. play with the settings.

and here i added some brushes. photoshops' version of stamps....in "roxanne-speak". (which is a language most people would benefit from knowing....and would help me out a ton....)

in case you have forgotten how cheap i can be...these brushes were downloaded for free. i have paid for some, but i don't pass up a free deal either. honestly...pay for a digital camera--but i think the majority of us have these now anyway. download some free photo-editing programs to test out, or buy adobe. download free fonts, brushes, overlays, etc.

here is the comparison of the photo straight out of the camera and the one that has been photoshopped.

right now i am trying to put together photos for Kiara's final month baby album layout (see...you are starting to understand "roxanne-speak"..not that hard....really). and it should be fun because they are summer photos. but for some reason i can't get my mind to relax and just enjoy cropping. i'm worried that the problem is that i have read too much about things to do with photoshop that i'm being too perfectionistic about it all. ugh! i have also chosen the paper before i developed the photos. and one of them is a transparency overlay with the coolest frames....and i need to crop them to fit. yeah, that is part of it. but i think i need to lighten up on the photoshopping....just want to start putting the page together.

because then i get to do her first birthday page.

and then i need to go through the digital photo album and actually develop some of the photos from the last 9 months.

hmmmm.....maybe the problem is that i'm thinking too far ahead?

i think i need to lighten up and just take this one step at a time. story of my life!!

anyways, you can download a free trial version of adobe photoshop elements here. i hope that i have inspired you to play around and do funky things to your digital photos. Nitty Gritty Jody also mentioned a free site on her blog the other day. it looks like fun too.

okay no excuses. go have some fun.

and i'll take it easy and just enjoy putting this one page together. and not think about my to do list.

and to add as a post-script....Kris and I actually love reading Scott Kelby's book. sure we are learning stuff...but he is totally funny. i think you might even enjoy his humour if you were allergic to photography. no exaggeration. Sherri, i can't believe you forgot to tell me how funny he is!

and the deadline is up for ordering sausages or perogies. i know i should have told you earlier. that is what happens when you are lazy. i am trying to learn. this is an instance when telepathy would have been very useful. plus it would allow me to continue to be lazy, right?

love

this!

is this not totally cool?!

check out her other designs at Lisa Leonard Designs. and some more on her blog.

and tell me that they are not fabulous. it really is hard to pick a favourite. but i'm working on it.

i really am not much of a jewelry person. i think i used to be. before Kiara started to pull my earings off my ears. well, maybe longer than that! i once found an awesome ring at a store in Banff. it had my birthstone and was a trendy setting. do i wear it? i wish. but for some reason don't. (and before you ask....yes i do know where it is!)

and yet here i gaze at all her creations and i want. i know it will look better on me than in my box. but will i actually wear it?

why is this i wonder?

at our mom's group we have made jewelry for a few sessions. the first piece i made was a set of earings. completely a copy from my friend Kathy's. well...just a different color pearl! too funny. then i made a bracelet. not great work. this year i made a necklace to go with the earings. and i have been complimented on the set. of course the bracelet does not get worn with them. i keep intending to call Ingrid and arrange to fix my bracelet. maybe with summer approaching i'll make the time.

so i do wear jewelry from time to time. love to!

and i always wear my wedding band and engagement diamond.

but i just love several of those neckaces. maybe i can make up my mind. it would be a great anniversary gift for me wouldn't it. ahem! Kristian....

i've noticed that a lot of scrapbookers also make their own jewelry. isn't that an interesting combination? i found jewelry making quite stressful.

hmmm....

lots to ponder.

i was also just reading Donna Downey's blog. she has some stuff left over from her Inspired event. and one of them is a necklace that says "inspired"...and it looks very similar to the designs at Lisa Leonard Designs. hmmmm.....is it that small of a world?

so....now i have more to ponder.....this one might actually have a real answer!

and speaking of pondering....and answers.....

hey Roslyn and Paula....good luck with your studying and your exams....almost done! wahoo!!

thank you

Kim!

check this out....

i got my goodies last night. it was more stuff than i had thought! wow.
it was cute because the kids had fun looking through the box with me this morning. lots of "wow mommy's" and "look at this" phrases. it's nice to have a cheering section.


yesterday was a fun day. Kiara started her day about an hour earlier than normal and was pretty tired by 9:30am. so off she went for a very early nap. Aidan was in playschool. i had about an hour and half to myself. wow.

after playschool i took them to the mall for lunch and toddler time at the amusement park. the cool part was that i bumped into some friends and their kids. we ate lunch together and then later hung out on all the kiddie rides. how perfect. this would have been impossible if Kiara had not napped when she did.

we had so much fun. and i was amazed at how well both of them behaved. we even stayed on a little longer to go on a couple of extra rides.

it was the first time we went on the balloon ride. and it was also the first (and maybe only time) that the kids sat really still. Aidan even sat right next to me. arm around me. holding on for dear life. and if you know me well at all you would also know that i absolutely have "trouble" with heights. odd to have this fear...when i LOVE flying. now you know a totally odd and random fact about me. all this to say that later, Aidan was telling me that he was scared of being up so high. but he felt better sitting next to me because he knew i was not afraid. go figure that one out.

on our way out i bought some ice cream treats and told Aidan that it was because he was a great listener, behaved well and helped to make it a fun afternoon. the look on his face made the day worth every penny. i also told him that we would give Kiara a nap, and eat our ice cream without her while we watched tv. before you feel sorry for little Kiara not getting her treat....she has done very well in the treat department these days. very well. indeed.

ever since Aidan could repeat words with understanding, i have had him thank me for the fun things we share together and tell me that he had fun. yesterday i was not thinking of this. then completely out of the blue he says. "Mommy thank you for taking me on the rides. and thank you for letting me meet new friends. i had so much fun today." now doesn't that melt your heart? Kiara soaked up every word. and she repeated, "tank ou mama. i ha fun." yeah. cloud nine for this mother.


i also took the kids to the store with me last night. thankfully i had the good sense to get their pj's on before we left the house. it was a late night for them. they were so good. well, Kiara was good thanks to "auntie heffer"?! in fact, if Kiara had her way she would have stayed with the girls and let me go home without her. the only thing that got Aidan to walk out the door was the fact that he would get to see Daddy when we got home. the Thursday night girls had not been "blessed" by meeting my little sweethearts before...so it was fun to show them off. and i was so relieved to see that they were showing their best behavior. and....no trouble getting them off to bed as well. talk about ending the day well. (and i also bet that there were dreams of auntie heffer and auntie rozin....their newest best friends.)




don't you love cooperation?

love those two cuties...

any mother knows that there are those days when you just wonder how you will survive.

and then i have days like yesterday. and i know exactly how lucky i am.

and having these photos to remind me of these fabulous memories is the icing.

that is partly why i love to scrapbook. i love to brag about these special times. i don't want to forget. and i want these two sweeties to share in the memories. the days pass too quickly and so much gets forgotten.

and i know that there will be too many more days where i will wonder how i will ever make it to bedtime....but i also know that there will be even more days that are amazing with memories too good to be allowed forgotten. that is a true blessing.

tell me

how a mother can not love a face like this?!




Kiara has been having fun with her potato head family. and she discovered that the glasses could also go on her face. she looked so cute. but for some reason they get taken off as soon as the camera comes out. bummer! one day i'll be faster than her...

Aidan is a different story. he knows that photos like this make great news. i love the finger on the chin as added emphasis.

we brought out the race track that had been in hiding. we are our own little toy store. lol! some days it seems that way. the benefit is that lots of toys get "forgotten" and when we bring them out it is just like they are brand new. except for the fact that the kids know it is fun and how to use them to the best. and great for mama too.

Aidan got this one for his birthday last fall. it has been a huge favourite.

i should add that i get most of the toys at second hand sales. he got a huge box of rescue heroes...his favourite...for $25. incredible. he has a million pieces of lego that get put to good use when he is in building mode. he has no idea what a complete set looks like either. but he has a lot of options. at this stage....toy parts seem to grow legs and run away. can be frustrating with the brand new stuff. but with the used toys that come cheap or not complete....a huge stress relief for me trying to keep track of them all. cause i don't. odd where some toys find themselves.

speaking of growing legs. i was looking for something the other day and found a lot of other things. some i had been looking for but hadn't found...and others i never knew i was missing. it is the one time when i'm thankful for a little house. less places where stuff could end up. there has to be a silver lining somewhere.....right? yeah, i'll remind myself of that next time i do laundry and am putting clothes away. "be thankful for teeny closets". okay, i'll keep trying.

Aidan and Kiara made animal puppets today. or should i say Aidan and i made animal puppets? I would have added a photo for Kiara, but it wasn't her work. and really not worth the network space!

Aidan loves to see that his work gets put on the blog too. and i figure there are a few people out there who appreciate quality work from a three year old.

this is a puppy. i cut out the nose and one ear for him before he had a fit. oops! and here i thought that was something he wanted me to do. so if the nose and one ear look a little "off", well, that is because it is mommy's work.

and check this out. Aidan thought the lead singer was him. hmmm....

a friend of Angie's has been updating their blog. she posted some really neat maternity pictures from last week. i wish that photographer lived closer to us. check them out. they are worth the time.

tomorrow i get to pick up my winnings from a random blog draw. wahoo!! i cannot wait.

and i've also got a copy of Scott Kelby's book on help for adobe photoshop elements. there may be some fun stuff i'll share with you. i've done a few things that i picked up here and there...and have been impressed. but this book....oh wow.


there never seems to be enough time. there is so much that gets scheduled in a day. but it seems wrong to schedule creative time. doesn't it? maybe it's just me. as long as everyone eats and sleeps and smells good....i guess that is a good sign? hmmm....

thought for

the day...

there is A LOT of snow out there. i think about 4 inches. and i did not take a picture. i really would rather forget. but i think i have finished scrapping all of my christmas pictures. i figured i may as well do those layouts since it looked like christmas. spring is coming...right??

Kristian just groaned when he looked outside. there was enough of the stuff to have to shovel the sidewalk. he was in need of one more chore to do today.

Kiara really didn't know or care about the snow. normal 18 month old thinking pattern.

Aidan was surprised at the major change that happened overnight. he dealt with it very well. he got excited about the prospects of making an igloo. i guess someone needed to think optimistically.

and then,

i came across an etsy shop named barrel of monkeys. and i had to share.

i still remember collecting buttons when i was a kid. that was a dangerous collection. i wonder what happened to them?

check out this cool item:

it made me laugh.

Wonder Woman, The Hulk, Six Million Dollar Man, Dukes of Hazard.....

and then the 80's....

A-Team, Knight Rider, MacGyver....

and the re-runs of these shows....yeah...not as good as they used to be when we watched it the first time. but they are a lot funnier now!

we just don't have shows like this anymore. still wondering if that is good or bad.

oh what

a day!

we're getting so tired of this weather. the sun makes it look so nice out. and then you feel the icy wind. ugh!

today the kids were able to play outside for about half an hour before they got fed up with feeling cold. you can just see how the sandbox beckons them. and how torn they are in wanting to have fun in it.

not long after the kids were in bed, i see that it is snowing. great. they will be thrilled.

yesterday was a fun swimming day. and indoor playground day. well a morning really. after 1pm Kiara is wiped out and everyone knows it. but it was a great morning. we need more mornings like that we decided.

today was a shopping day. superstore and costco. same afternoon. apparently that is what happens when you delay shopping. and of course i still managed to forget something....even with a list. really...to be brave (or stupid) enough to tackle two stores with two little kids, in the same afternoon....and not lose my mind...really should be considered successful. the three of us all agree that we hate shopping carts. and can you believe not a single person was around the costco bakery to give my darlings a yummy cookie? i was feeling soft, so i bought an entire box of the skor variety. they are my absolute favourite. next to Joanne's. she has the best cookies on the planet. i have some of her recipes. good. but not the same.

i had a cool scrapbooking night last night. and it continued on to today with Aidan. he produced his own page. complete with story.

most times after i finish a page i'll ask him what he thinks. he is great for my ego. he always says something cute and complimentary. so far he has not offered constructive criticism. not sure if he even knows it is an option! we'll let time and age introduce that to him.

i realized today that i also sometimes talk about the page too. and then i take a photo of it.

today was different. he got out his "supplies" and made one of his own pages. i wish now that i had taken pictures of him in this process.

when he was finished he explained what it was about. and he listened while i shared about my page.

then he had me take a picture of his work.

a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e

of course i had to post his work along with my own. you can view it on my projects blog.

have you ever checked out this blog?

they have a monthly contest to do an entire layout using one little word as the inspiration. it also has to be used somewhere in the title. i love to look at the pages submitted. i have not entered this contest yet. but i intend to. sometime.

but they also have tips and techniques that they share. the most recent one has Lynn demonstrating how she puts a page together.

Donna Downey has done this a few times and recorded it on video. her video journals always make me giggle.

i love to see watch people put pages together. especially if they can do it in 10 minutes. lol! yes, the power of cameras...

and in closing for today.

i'm working on Kiara's 12 month page for her baby album. and looking through photos.

remembering those days when the grass was green, the sky was blue and shorts were too warm....

dreaming....

tea

time!

i am not your tea connoisseur. but i had me some really nice tea last night. (keep in mind that i am a coffee drinker. so this is high praise.) some of the girls... well some of the coolest girls in our neighborhood! shhh.... where was I? oh yeah we have a girls night out on the town. we have been trying for once a month. last night we tried felicitea tea lounge. lots of loose tea leaves to choose from. served in a teapot of your size choice. and then the cutest little glass cups. there was nothing "victorian" about it. i now have another cool place on my list of places to take people. thanks Jenny! and besides the tea, we had great conversation. maybe a laugh or two. maybe. we were all thrilled to be out of our houses and could act like people do when kids are not around!

Kiara had her latest immunization yesterday morning. she was quite amazing all day. i give them tylenol on these needle days as part of the routine! they don't have adverse reactions. but they get achy and short-tempered and a little warm and i am guessing maybe a headache. poor Aidan....i used to wait until he showed signs of needing some pain killer after the needle. when i realized he always ended up with tylenol anyway....well, why postpone the inevitable! i think Kiara may have started to get a headache later in the day. just in time for gymnastics. she is normally so happy at the gym. not this time. but after 13 hours of sleep, she woke up totally cheerful! so all of us are happy too.

here was the scene on Easter Sunday at our house. a typical scene for most mornings.

kids eating.

mom drinking coffee.

usually dad is heading to work....so it is fitting that he is behind the camera here!

sometimes Kiara has quite the sense of humour.

and other times....

let's just say that i was really glad her clothes were wet and drying.

clean up was much more fun this way.

Aidan has been dreaming about the blue bullet at the mall for months now. it has been under repair since last summer. it is his favourite water slide.

the plans are underway to build a new garage on our lot. Kristian has explained to Aidan that before they build the garage, they have to draw a plan. a trip to the building centre. some books. i get the idea that Aidan thinks it might be made by just stacking wood. i am quite certain that he will expect to be very involved in this project too. i may need to buy more lego. or something.

combine the desire to ride the blue bullet and the fun of planning for a new garage. using his doodle-pro, Aidan drew plans for his own home-made blue bullet. we were impressed.

to end on an exciting note....

i have been checking out these blog sites by Iron Orchid Designs and Prima Hybrid, both by Prima.

okay i am soooo hooked.

first, their how-to videos are extra funny.

second, i am not a stamper. but this has got me dreaming. oh wow. no one ever would have guessed.

third, you don't have to be an artist---they say---and the possibilities are incredible.

i am very impressed.

if i don't write for a few days....you know where i am!!! lol!!