It's a bright, bright sunshiney day

We still have a foot of snow and it's still COLD but the sun is shining brightly today so it feels like a psychological shot of Vitamin C! The kids had another two hour delay today because of the bus stops being under snow and they don't want kids on the streets in the dark and during rush hour traffic. Once I got Robbie on the bus I was warming up the van so I could escape cabin fever!

I hit the library and returned a couple of books and picked up two more they were holding for me. Then I decided to head into Indy and just walk around Michael's and then Archiver's. First I wandered around the scrapbooking section of Mike's and saw some cute things but nothing that said "BUY ME! BUY ME!" to me. THEN I headed to the dollar spot and I found this (Insert the sounds of angels singing!):

Not the best shot in the world but when you have two dogs trying to "help" you take what you can get! All that was $1 each! Chipboard albums! Rhinestones! Paper packs! Chipboard embellies! Regular stickers! Shiny, glittery stickers! Flowers! Ribbon! (Angelic voices being heard again!) They had four different colors of paper packs and then matching things to go with them as well as four different styles of chipboard albums and paper cut to fit into the albums. I didn't get any of those but they were cute. I COULD have brought a lot more home but I made myself exercise some restraint and keep it under $20!

Then I went by Archiver's to look for the newest Cosmo Cricket papers (they didn't have them and the clerk didn't know if they were getting it or not. I miss having a lss!!!) but I did find some stuff from KI's school line this summer that was half off and some brads in the $1.99 spot. I got stamps and shiny rub-ons that match the paper I bought this summer.

Free books from the library and scrapbooking supplies on sale...it's a bright, bright sunshiney day!

Got Snow?

I posted more pictures over on my facebook page but here are a few for you non-facebookers! The snow started shortly after noon on Tuesday and didn't stop until around noon on Wednesday. The amounts vary all over the metro area but 9-12 inches seem to be the range they're reporting. I went out Tuesday afternoon and shoveled thinking I'd stay ahead of it. Mark was enjoying a twice as long as normal ride home from work at that point. I'd say within three hours you couldn't even tell I had been out there! Yesterday I went out to take some pictures and then shoveled until Mark took over. Last night both of us were starting to feel the pain and the pain has remained with us today! The next snowflake I see falling from the sky gets it from a hair dryer!

When the kids went into the backyard Robbie said "An all you can eat snow buffet!" The dogs are not fans of the snow when there's this much of it. Poor Daisy can't even go outside without her belly being submerged in it! The upside of that is that today they aren't wanting to play "I want out/no, I want in/well, maybe I do want out!" Today it's more like I'm getting looks of "YOU go out there and TCB and see what it's like!"

I'm in the middle of an e-mail exchange with Robbie's teacher. Tuesday afternoon was not a good one for our young hero. Apparently the class was supposed to be working on a weather booklet and at the end of that time his teacher saw he didn't have his booklet and had drawn a page of his comic book he's making instead. She took it from him and threw it away in front of him which apparently caused some strife. I'm sure my eldest will tell you that my first question to my kids is usually "Well, what SHOULD you have done instead of x, y, z?" So yes, Robbie should have told her he couldn't find the booklet and NOT drawn pictures and he paid for that mistake yesterday during his snow day by spending almost two hours on school work. (Yep, I'm mean!) BUT....(and you knew one was coming, didn't you???)....why did it take her an hour to discover he wasn't doing his work? Why wasn't she walking around the class checking on all the students and seeing who might need some help? And today, in an e-mail, I found out he was sitting in the back of the classroom but "after Tuesday's episode" was being moved to the side/front. We've had several conferences, phone calls and e-mails with her since his ADD diagnosis. I thought we had covered that the doctors said kids with ADD should NOT be in the back of the classroom due to all the possible distractions. To our faces she agreed with that so why was he back in the back of the room??? Sometimes it feels like she sets him up to fail. We are doing everything we can at home and telling Robbie what he needs to be doing so WORK WITH US WOMAN! She likes to tell us that he's not eligible for the 504 Plan because that's designed for kids who are failing and Robbie's too smart. From my research it's unfortunately up to each school district to decide how they will interpret it but that some set forth criteria to prevent a student from getting to the failing point. He IS very smart but I see him throwing in the towel if we can't change something soon.

This week I've been reminded several times that parenting is not for wimps.

Creative Inspiration

It's funny the places that can inspire some scrapbooking inspiration! This morning I was doing my volunteer stint at Katie's school library. The first job I had was to finish up a project started by someone last week. They had taken file folders and opened them up flat and then glued a total of four library card pockets onto it...four on each side....and then laminated the whole thing. My job was to cut a slit so the pockets would open again. They are for the kids to use during research projects, the kids can use a dry erase marker to write on the laminated pockets and then stick their index cards into it. Well, while cutting open the pockets (they are so brave to give me an X-acto knife!) my mind started thinking of ideas springboarding of the folders! It's all still kind of vague at this point but I started thinking what a cool idea something like that would be for people doing the picture-a-day thing. I envision each month's photos on a keyring type thing and then they could go into each month's pocket. I'm wondering if you could make it work on a paint canvas.......I was also thinking of a board book with a "hollow" cut into each page so the cards in the pockets wouldn't add as much bulk. You could also do a book like that for baby's first year or school years or...or.... It's amazing how fast the mind can work when you're doing a mundane task!

Now do I think I'll play around with these ideas in real life anytime soon??? Bahahahahaha! I'm too far behind to take on a picture a day committment but I could maybe adapt it to something else. I just hope it's not another case of the idea not working in real life like I imagine it will in my head!

I had Cricut issues this week-end. Primarily operator error but some of it was on its part too! But I did finally get it to do what I wanted! I didn't get Christmas cards sent out beyond the pre-made ones I send to family since most of my extended family doesn't appreciate handmade cards so I'm making cards to send soon. So obviously most of you can't see any pictures! heehee
But I'll just make a public decree to all the former Garden Gals in Wichita...I need you to e-mail your snail mail addresses! Funny how I've been to some houses but I couldn't tell you the addresses!

Now if only I could be inspired to clean the house!

birds, birds, birds!!!

I forgot to add in my other entry until I saw the flocks flying by the window..AGAIN. The past two days there have been a multitude of some kind of black bird flying by the windows over and over. They land on the roofs and in the backyards and then start their swirling flight pattern again. IT'S CREEPING ME OUT!!! And there's something in our attic making noise off and on. I think it's birds and some of you know how I feel about birds inside a building!!! Mark stuck his head into the opening and all he could see was insulation. But I can hear them over our bathroom and now over part of our bedroom. Oh Saraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah....I need youuuuuuuu!!!

These things are really freaky! shudder shudder

Heat wave!

Tomorrow it's supposed to hit 41 degrees! First they were saying 43 but I'll take anything above freezing at this point! We've been below freezing for over two weeks so I am very looking forward to 41!

I've been cleaning today so tomorrow I can go outside and run errands and enjoy the "warmth". And cleaning counts as exercise, at least in my world! And I jogged in place while watching The Biggest Loser this afternoon. Still stunned about that outcome! And thinking Jillian's team is a little shifty!

I can't show it yet because it's in the mail to someone who may read this but I pulled out my Versamark watermark pad and stamps and made a card for somebody. I got the idea from the Hero Arts website and then tweaked it to fit what I wanted. I felt self-vindicated for using things that have just been sitting there! And since I didn't get Christmas cards out I have an idea for a card design (tweaking yet another idea I saw at Archiver's) for Valentine's for my friends. It's supposed to drop below 20 again this week-end with a chance of another snowstorm on the way (nooooooooooooooo!!!) so I hope to work on that this week-end.

Enough rambling, on to mopping bathroom floors now but HOW 'BOUT THEM STEELERS?!?!? Can I get a whoop whoop?! (annoying radio commercial for some product I can't even remember!)

Wind Chill Day??

The kids aren't having a snow day but rather a wind chill day. Just doesn't invoke the same thoughts though does it?! The actual temp was -13 (yep, that's a minus sign in front) and the wind chill was -30 when I last saw a report about an hour ago. Indianapolis Public Schools even closed and I'm told that rarely happens. It's been 14 years since it's been this cold here according to one tv weatherman though so maybe they just haven't had much reason to close that often. Same weatherman also felt the need to inform his viewers that Alaska is warmer today than we are. WHY?! Why do you feel the need to share that freezing tidbit with me???

I'm sure the builders of this house thought putting the furnace on the second floor was a good idea but I'm inclined to disagree. It's like having two entirely different climates in the house! Downstairs, where the thermostat is, is freezing but the second floor is suffocatingly stuffy. I've closed off vents up here and the blinds are shut with the curtains pulled closed over them downstairs but it doesn't seem to make much difference. It's bad when you have to dress in layers in your house so you can take off or put on as you're going up or down the stairs!

Bleepin' cold

The last time I checked the actual temperature was -6 with a wind chill of -27. They delayed school two hours this morning because of the "extreme wind chills" but it got colder during those two hours instead of warmer. I guess the upshot is that it was daylight when Katie went out to the bus stop instead of the usual dark. It's supposed to be even colder in the morning so I hope they just cancel school. Robbie's bus driver was driving a different bus because hers wouldn't start this morning. She said "It was just DEAD."

The dogs have had to go outside and both got out onto the deck and turned and looked at me like "WTH?!?!?!" I thought Daisy had hurt her foot because she was limping instead of her normal run into the door. I wiped her paws down and I think she just had a clump of snow frozen in her paw pads because she seems ok now. They're both snuggled in the kids' bean bag chairs upstairs since it's noticeably warmer up here than it is on the first floor.

I have a chicken in the crock pot and I'm going to throw stuff together in the bread machine later. Healthy eating be damned today, I'm going for WARM comfort food! I've been staying warm by scrubbing bathrooms, do I know how to par-tay or what?

happy moments

There have been a few things weighing on my mind; Robbie, money, etc, etc, etc. I've surprised myself in the past few days but saying to myself "Well, I have this to worry about in this moment so that will have to wait its turn!" It's a philosophy that seems to be working for me at the moment.

Today after school I was sitting with Robbie while he did his homework. They start teaching cursive writing in second grade here and it was in third grade in Kansas so Robbie's behind in that area. He's doing really well at catching up but it's still sometimes a struggle. Since Christmas break is over all their spelling homework and tests have to be written in cursive now. Today there were no melt-downs, no getting upset, not even when he spilled a few drops of juice on his paper. He just said "uh-oh" and grabbed a napkin. And he tackled his homework with such a positive attitude! THIS is the Robbie I remember from before the move. I sat there thinking "thank you, thank you, thank you" over and over. I sometimes think the saying "I was blessed" is over-used but today I truly felt like we were if only for that moment!

This month is tighter than usual financially and I've been worried. We got a rebate check back from our mortgage company for an amount $2 over our HOA fees that are due this month. Our insurance and taxes are in with our mortgage payment and apprently we had more in the "reserve" than they're allowed to keep hence the rebate. Robbie asked why I was dancing in the kitchen! lol

Normally I'd be worrying what calamity was waiting to fall since we had some "good luck" but not this time. This time I think we were due for some happy moments!

I miss....

my old job. Not the wildly fluctuating mood barometer of some people and the angst they provided but the FUN stuff! I miss seeing all the new stuff coming in and getting to fondle it all before we put it away. I miss certain customers. I miss when I'd help a customer and they'd say "Oh, you're so smart/creative/something else positive!" Maybe I shouldn't miss that but I do! It's nice to hear affirmation from someone not close to you so you feel its genuine and not just because they love you! I miss straightening the grids and cleaning up the paper racks--it fed that anal retentive side of me! lol Most importantly I miss my co-workers/friends! The laughs we shared, the enabling we caused, the eye-rolling we shared, etc, etc. The dogs just don't seem to enjoy my witty banter like they did! lol

And this isn't a boo-hoo, cry in my drink 'cuz I'm so homesick feeling but rather a "boy, I miss that" kind of feeling. I think it's seeing posts on websites about CHA sneak peeks that brought it on. But in less than nine weeks I'll be with them, albeit briefly, again and I can stock up on all that fun stuff I miss!

Lindsborg

First let me start off saying I hate my scanner! We have one of those printer/scanner combos and it just doesn't do what I want it to do. Some might say if I read the manual that maybe then it would but I prefer to just call it stupid and somehow muddle through it! lol

That said I scanned two pages from the album of thetrip to Lindborg, KS aka Little Sweden trip in August '07. I used a Bo Bunny 6x6 board book. There are decorated "dalas" all over the town. Different groups sponsored them and local artists decorated them. We made it our goal to take a picture of the kids with as many dalas as we could find that afternoon. I have a lot more pictures but this is the double page layout that I thought most people might appreciate! lol This was shortly after my "corneal relaxation" surgery so that's why I'm wearing those loverly sunglasses that Mary just loved to pieces!

Most of the pages are just the photo of the kids and dala with the dala name below it. I used the Basic Grey Boxer 6x6 paper pad. Have you ever tried looking for Swedish looking papers and things to scrapbook with? It's not that easy! I think this paper worked out pretty well though!

old dog, new tricks, not easy!

I'm trying to work on my getting healthier pledge. I watched The Biggest Loser today after dvr'ing it last night. WOW. I could so be some of those people. Especially the ones who said they've spent years saying "Tomorrow I'll do x, y and z." So today I've done my best to eat better and not snack on crappy foods and I'll have you all know that I have not had a single sip of Coke today. But I'm here to tell you "it ain't easy!" especially when I get irked and my first instinct is to shove that feeling down with some chocolate or something. Today though when I got irked I blew off some steam in my e-mail loop and did my best to "letitgoooooooooooooooo" (and that last part reads best if you ever saw the Reba episode where Van kept saying that! lol). However, right now I'd consider trading a child for some ice cream from Handel's in town!

This learning new habits is sooooooooooooo harrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd....said in the sing-songy whiny voice!

sad sigh

Samantha's on her way back to Wichita now. One more semester of college and then who knows where the world's going to take her! Stew-pit world! :-)

Things I learned this evening: You can't safely cry while driving in Indianapolis evening rush hour traffic! We had some freezing rain this morning and it was just slush on the way to the airport but coming home it was starting to get just a little nasty again so combine that with a gajillion cars and crying makes it difficult to see!

The other thing I learned was don't call Mary if you want to be lied to! Seriously though I knew she'd understand when I said "This sucks!".

I just know it's not quite 8 pm and I'm ready for bed. I just feel drained and don't feel like talking to people even if they're family and I love them! It's not the going into the hidey-hole feeling but the I'm exhausted and would you please just leave me alone tonight feeling. And there IS a big difference between the two!

In good news I was a reluctant volunteer to help chaperone a girl scout camping trip this week-end (cabins, even I'm not crazy enough to volunteer for tents in the snow in January!) but the girl:adult ratio is going to be such that they don't need me to go! I shouldn't be as happy about that as I am probably but I'm very happy! And Katie's glad I'm not going too...not sure how I should take that! I've chosen to take it as since I've been her leader or co-leader every year until this year that she's just tired of me always being there for scouts! I can't keep Sam here so at least give me my little fantasy about the scout thing!

I'm so excited!

I talked to Mark about my idea, he thought it was a good one, and I just now finished booking my flight to Wichita and registering for Get Scrappy 4 online! Wahoooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! Normally it's Mark who's been the one to fly away someplace due to work or heading into PA but this time I'M the one running away for a few days! Now I just have to figure out how to pack my clothes and scrapping stuff into one suitcase so I don't have to pay for checking two of them! Guess Samantha's going to have to "Mom-clean" that apartment in a hurry in March!!!

tick tock tick tock

Time is ticking away. I feel like Captain Hook in Peter Pan listening for that ticking crocodile! On Tuesday, weather permitting (we're supposed to get a 'wintry mix' Tuesday), Samantha will be heading back to her life in Kansas. It makes me sad but it is what it is. I like to think that there truly is a reason why our lives have taken the path they have in the past year. I still have no clue as to WHAT that reason is but I keep telling myself there's a reason. Hopefully someday it will be revealed to me!

I woke up before 5:30 this morning because my right knee was hurting. It still hurts and I don't know why. It was fine when I went to bed last night and I can't think of anything I did to injure it. Just looking at it it looks ok but it sure does hurt!

I actually scrapped a bit today! I know, I know! I've had a board book sitting almost finished for months and today I actually covered the front and back covers with paper and put some pictures on the inside covers. Some extras from our Lindsborg trip in August 2007 that didn't fit onto the pages. I just need to re-type some journaling (I didn't like how it came out the first time) and finish up the front cover and then it's finished. Yay!