Cool article

I know, I haven't been around at all this week. I don't really know why, but it has flown by. I have just kept busy with preschool, helping out in Megan's classroom, errands and life in general. So it seems like there hasn't been anything worth blogging about.

I did find an article that I have been looking for, for a long time. It was one that I read online back in 2002. I printed it off and tucked it somewhere safe. You know that safe place where you can never remember where it is?

So it doesn't get lost again, I figured I would put the best part of it on my blog. My scrapbooking friends might enjoy reading it as well. It is just an uplifting article about this crazy thing that seems to consume our lives. Scrapbooking.

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By Holly Christian Craft writer/designer and expert

I don't know about you, but for me it doesn't take much for scrapbooking to lift my spirits. After five minutes of looking through old pictures of my daughters I've got a goofy grin spread across my face that lasts for hours. The therapeutic value of scrapbooking is immediately evident but a closer look reveals long-lasting and life-enhancing benefits. Scrapbooking can help foster creativity, allow us time for contemplative work, provide a social outlet, and most of all, help us tell the stories of our relationships with loved ones.


The Healing Power of Story

Gathering photographs, organizing and assembling them in a scrapbook, and doing a bit of journaling about them is a fun way to spend an afternoon. But the benefits may be even greater than imagined. Studies show that when cancer patients are able to tell their deepest stories, their psychological and physiological well being often improves greatly. Scrapbooking, part of the family of story-telling modalities which includes journaling, art therapy and creative movement, has been shown to actually help strengthen the immune system.


Creativity

The process of scrapbooking -- choosing paper, thinking about placement of objects on the page, playing with color, line and form -- expands our minds in other ways as well. The creative act, whether it's making a fabulous meal, painting a picture or telling a story in a scrapbook, often bubbles over into other areas of life, allowing us to experience and respond to life in new ways.


Solitude

Solitude, though not highly valued in our culture, helps us get back in touch with ourselves. Contemplative time spent alone, journaling and scrapbooking, helps us access and strengthen our essential nature so that we can see more clearly when we venture back out into the larger world.


Social Time

For many scrappers, getting together with others for scrapbooking is a wonderful way to lift spirits. Regular get-togethers are especially welcome during those long winters that never seem to end, particularly for moms with little ones at home.


So doesn't all of that sound pretty true? I'm glad to have read that. Not that I need validation, but sometimes when you tell a non-scrapper what you do, they look at you like you are crazy. They just don't get it. So I feel validated. And like others have said before me....the cost of scrapping supplies might be expensive, but much cheaper than therapy!

Sunday

How to ease motion discomfort:

- Regulate air vent for additional air

- Concentrate on objects at a distance



-Or- don’t get into a small plane shortly after having a taco and two sodas.

Those two wonderful lines of advice are printed on the back of the Sic-Sac. The third, I figured out on my own.


Mike and I, and a friend of his from school, went flying today. We had planned on going to monument valley, but a few things kept us from getting there today. So we ended up going to Page, AZ and had lunch and came back home.

It was still a nice flight, and I don’t know why I had a hard time with this one. I’m blaming the taco. I felt fine on the way up and during lunch. Then for some reason after taking off I started to feel nauseous. I’ll spare you the details, but did you know that it is legal to throw puke bags out of small aircraft windows?

I feel sorry for anybody that might have been hiking around the Grand Canyon today. Hopefully nobody got hit with a puke bomb.

Here are some pictures from today:











Me.




Downtown Phoenix with Bob open.











The Grand Canyon













Lake Powell















Sedona











I took over 100 pictures, so I might post some more in a bit!

I can do this!

Today was funny. Trevor had his first official 'friend from school' over.

This past week when I was in the pick up line at school, I noticed that Trevor wasn't getting to the car in record time like he used to. He usually missed me so much during the day he would come running across the field at a record speed to get in the car. Instead, I would hear a knock on the window, and look over to the top of three little heads, 30 little fingers, and six little eyes looking over the top of the car door into the window.

I roll the window down and Trevor's little friends would start asking for my phone number because they wanted to come over and play. They looked SO cute. Did I mention that one of them is a little girl that Trevor cannot stop talking about? SO cute!!

The phone rang this morning and the little boy, Tyler, asked if Trevor could come over and play. So T went over to his house for awhile and had lunch. Then they had so much fun together, they came over here for a couple of hours too.

It looks like a Pokemon/Fisher Price castle bomb went off in Trevor's room. But, it is worth it because it was adorable to see Trevor with his own friend. It is always so weird when you aren't in charge of who your kids play with. I started to learn this last year when Megan would meet new people at school. Up until then, the only kids that mine ever played with were MY friend's kids. Now they meet new kids at school and bring them home, or little kids are calling my house. It is really cute.

It is hard not to laugh when you pick up the phone and all you hear is breathing. Used to be, that would be a prank call from some psycho. Now I know it is a little kid who is too shy to ask, in a tiny voice, "Is Trevor home?"

Heck, even Matthew was making plans with a little boy to come over this week when he was in preschool.

I just got used to being the social coordinator for Megan. Now I am adding two boys with friends into the mix. It is different. I am definitely learning not to be so uptight about tidyness. It is a learning experience for me. LOL!

four year well check

Matthew had his four year well check yesterday. How did that happen? Four years? Actually his birthday is next month, but close enough.

He is doing great with all of the developmental milestones. :)

There were a couple of concerns that Mike and I have had the past month that we have figured out now. He started showing the same symptoms that Trevor had when he was four....sleep aphnea and not eating well, if anything at all. Sure enough, this little guy has HUGE tonsils and adnoids that need to come out.

So we have an appointment with the ear/nose/throat doctor to schedule surgery for the poor little guy. My mind whooshes back to when Trevor had this done. It broke my heart how quickly they took him away from me, and he was crying for me until he fell asleep. I think that is a stupid rule to not allow a mom back there with them. I'm sure some hyper over reacting mom in an O.R. ruined it for everybody.

I'm looking forward to getting this done though, because it made a world of difference in how Trevor was feeling. He still has respiratory problems, but not as often like Matthew gets. So I'm crossing my fingers this will be perfect timing with RSV season coming up.

I have already promised Matthew lots of pudding, yogurt and ice cream.

How long was that anyway?

Sigh.

Well, it doesn't help that LISA keeps sending me sale emails from Target, or telling me about the awesome organizational things that she bought from there the other day....ehem. - She is taunting me.

I have to give in to my little 'how many days can I do it' challenge. I need to go buy hangers, a gift and Benedryl cream. It isn't my fault. It is totally my family's fault and my friend who had to go and have a birthday today. Unless she wants a Christmas cookie jar that I bought a few of on clearance (from Target) last year, that have been in my gift closet.

So I throw in the towel.

Target. Today at 9:30.

And yes, I'll be the one skipping through the store singing praises of "I love you Target!!!"

Next week I plan on quitting Target and Coke...cold turkey.

Hahahahaha! NOT!

So I went to Target today........

Guess where I went today!!! Yes, I know. I realize I am starting to sound like the girl from American Pie.

"This one time at band camp....."
(edited for June)


I had to laugh the other night at the convention when during a dinner break Michelle said, "Hey Kerry, if you ever go back and read your posts on your blog do you realize that almost every one says that you went to Target that day???"

Hmm. You know, she has quite a good point there. In my defense, the past two times I went I totally forgot that I needed hairspray. So I went back again today. I can't have my family going out into the world with their hair all willy nilly, so it was my duty as a mom.

The funny thing is, I had been there yesterday with my out of town guest Laura. We were killing some time before I had to take her back to the airport. What is a vacation or weekend away without visiting a Target from another state???


So last night I am in bed and for some reason I am thinking about this shirt that I saw that I didn't buy for Trevor. It was a cute button up shirt that would look really cute with a tshirt under it for Fall. "I think I will go to Target tomorrow and find that shirt, and buy hairspray." I tell myself before I fall asleep. Counting Spot the Target dog as he leaps over fences in pastures of green clover. Ahh.

Guess what? The shirt had gone from 30% off to 50% off!!! Now THAT is what I am talking about baby!! That is why I love Target. What a thrill.

Of course since I had Matthew with me, I promised him that he could look at the Thomas aisle for the usual 15 minutes as soon as I did my other shopping. Would you believe that absolutely NOTHING has changed in that aisle since yesterday???? But we still had to sit there and look, and hear about which ones he wanted for his birthday. Freakin' Thomas aisle. Please remind me that someday I will actually miss looking at Thomas for hours, because right now, it is driving me crazy!!!

There really is a point to this whole entry. I need to challenge myself. I need to see how long I can go without going to Target. So, I am stocked up on hairspray, deoderant, toilet paper, paper towels, all the little things that make me need to keep going back there. I'm even pretty good on my Halloween decorations. So.... how long do you think I can go without going to Target????

Any guesses?

Should I make this a prize winning challenge?

Place your bets!!

It is ON!

Curious George and one freaked out mother!

I don't remember Curious George being a part of my childhood. I vaguely remember the stories from school, and that is about it.

We took the kids to see the movie when it came out, and that was their first introduction to him. I have to admit that I had to remember to breathe during the scene with the paint buckets being spilled, and had to remind myself that this was animation and that no real person had to actually clean up that mess. Maybe that is why I never liked George. He was a little TOO curious and I knew he was going to get into trouble. (And why does that man in the yellow hat allow a monkey to run around the city unsupervised?!?!?!) I'm sure I held my breath until he got out of trouble. I'm too much of a rule follower. Apparently even in my TV viewing.

Last month, Matthew and I were at Target. He found this small stuffed George. Matthew about dove out of the cart to get one and begged me to take one home. He had those sweet little doe eyes that made it impossible for me to say no. He sleeps with this little George every night. If George gets lost in the dark, there is a big ordeal at 3:00 in the morning to find him. And of course, there is no going to bed until he is found.


- Now there is a program on channel 8 in the morning. A whole half hour of George. It is funny, because Matthew has this new thing where he HAS to watch George with me. It is time that I really do enjoy with him now. He sits so still and just cuddles with me and melts into my lap. This is our time now, and because of that I have a new place in my heart for this monkey that gives me anxiety attacks.

confession

I have a confession to make.



I'm not very proud of myself.



I ate an entire 3.67 oz



Dove chocolate bar. With almonds.



that means = 570 calories.



330 calories from fat.....



For lunch.



Ugh.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.....

Wow, it seems like I still have so much to post about since my trip with Mike over the weekend. I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and try to write about it.

So I'll go with what we have been up to today and hopefully post pictures from the trip tonight.

Speaking of the trip, poor Trevor has had a bit of separation anxiety lately. Us going away for the weekend was tough on him. The last image I had of him over the weekend was him looking out the front window as we backed out of the garage. He had such a sad face and was waving really slowly. :(

So today Matthew had preschool. Don't tell the Peas, but I decided that today would be a good day to play hookey from 1st grade and take Trevor out to do a few of his favorite things. Just me and Trevor. We went to IHOP, his favorite place to eat. Then we went to a bookstore and happily found three new Pokemon books that he didn't have. These are 80+ page chapter books, that he can read in one night. He loves them so much! Then we went to Target. (I know, technically MY favorite place, but it wasn't like I had to drag Trevor with me you know.)

I already found some Halloween things that came home with me. I have no will power. None. So to me it is officially fall. The weather is in the low 90's today (brr!), there actually is a nice breeze, and I have two Halloween decorations up already.

I even made a great deal with Trevor. I have a firefighter costume that I bought on clearance for $3 last year. It was just for the kids to play dress up with. (I bought two actually) I told Trevor that if he wanted to be a firefighter for Halloween, I would buy him a Pokemon figure instead. We have a deal. - THEN Matthew wants to be a pirate. I already have that costume too. I might actually get off SUPER easy on Halloween costumes this year! I'm pretty excited about that. And we have deals, so they can't change their minds 1,000 times before then right?

Megan is the only one who hasn't come up with anything yet. Yesterday it was a cheerleader. So we'll see how that goes. Thank goodness she might be past that Disney Princess stage where the price of the accessories needed to transform a dark haired little girl into said Princess can kill you.

Our nightly routine

I felt kind of bad that the last layout I did of Matthew didn't exactly put him in the best light. Haha! He really is good more than he is bad, and when he is good he is the absolute sweetest thing ever!

This actually started out as a thing my mom used to do when I was little. Even when I was a teenager, sometimes when we were just being goofy she would tuck me into bed like this. So I guess the tradition goes on because my kids laugh when we do it.

Here is the journaling:

WHERE IS MATTHEW?

I guess I'll just lie down and wait for him.

Wait a minute....there is a big lump in his bed!

What ever could he have in there?

Is it Matthew??? [pause for dramatic effect]

THERE HE IS!!!!!!!!!

It is Matthew!! [lots and lots of giggling!]

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Guess what I got to do today??? Hold a baby!! You know how much I love that. Our neighbors have been in Russia for the past two months adopting a baby boy. Well, actually he is 9 months old so he is in that really fun stage where he is just a bundle of fun. He was smiling and laughing when he came over today. The mom said that he lights up when children are around because he was used to being in an orphanage for so long and he used to get so much attention from the other kids. How sad is that? But it is a happy ending and I am so glad I will get to see this little guy grow up. He is adorable.

on a side note...we are going away for the weekend! I promise to update when we get back! :)

Steve Irwin

I have to admit, I always thought the man was a bit goofy and sometimes -even though I tried- I couldn't sit through an episode of The Crocodile Hunter. I can appreciate reptiles, but snakes are not a 'beaute' to me. Just seeing them on TV would freak me out.

I was a bit sad when I first found out that he died over the weekend. He was just supposed to be around forever! I always loved the occasional costume that I would see on Halloween every year of some kid in khakis carrying a blown up alligator. There was no doubt who that kid was dressed up as!

Anyway...my point to all of this is....Megan seems to be beside herself with grief over the loss of Steve. I know she had seen the news this weekend, but today at school it must have been a topic of conversation on the playground or something. She came home today terribly upset about it.

I think some of it may be that Mike is out of town tonight. It has been a bit of an adjustment since he started school for her since he isn't working from home anymore. A lot of times he has ground school or has to fly at night so she goes to bed without daddy being around.

I think that is what upset her so much about Steve. She feels so bad for their 8 year old daughter and their 3 year old son. She was telling me how sad it would be to never see her daddy again. Knowing that she can't even call him, like she does every week when he is out of town.

Man, it just sucks when kids have to deal with something like this. Especially when they don't know how to handle what they are feeling. I remember it was hard when John Ritter died, because Megan and I used to have a tradition every Tuesday night to watch 8 Simple Rules and have popcorn after the boys went to bed. It was our girl night. Of course then she was so sad that Bridget and Kerry lost their daddy. (Now she gets that it was a TV show, but she knows that John Ritter really did die.)

She just brought down a little alligator that came in a happy meal and said that she wanted to send it to Bindi Irwin since she lost her daddy. She wanted her to be happy. How sweet is that? I just love kids and how they think sometimes.

I'm kind of rambling, but I guess I wanted to say thanks in some way to Steve. I know he was an icon and touched the lives of many other children in the world, but really I had no idea how much he had touched mine.

Now, do I really pack up this alligator and send it off to Australia?????? ;)

Six

I did this one the other day, shortly after Trevor's birthday. I have a feeling my family is going to get tired of that 7Gypsies paper, because it is one of my favorites right now! Here is the journaling:

Six years old today! I look at these pictures and I am reminded of a quote I saw one time-


"It used to be that I could look at you and see traces of the baby you once were. Now I look at you , and instead catch a glimpse of the man you will become."

That is what these pictures say to me. At six years old I can see you changing. You are losing your babyish features and look more and more like a young man every day. I see hints of what you will look like someday, abut I also see the photo of you laughing and I realize that you have had that same expression since you were a tiny baby. I'm glad that I can always hold on to that to remind me of your younger years as you are growing older. I'm not really sad that you are getting bigger, it is exciting to see you as you start to make friends and learn more things. I'm just amazed at how quickly it is going by and I want to remember every moment."


I'm *hoping* to do a little more scrapping tonight. :)

Woooop! Woooop! Enabler alert!

I couldn't NOT share with you guys! Look at this cute scrapbook stuff that is in the dollar spot at Target as of today. Including a spool of ribbon that has 6 different colors and style of ribbon (12 inches ea) matching cards (one is missing in the picture because it has circles on the bottom and wouldn't stand, a package of 9 square epoxy stickers, some plain some with words, and a package of 20 paper tags with cool colors and shapes (mostly circles) that once Ali gets her celeb hands on them and posts about them....will be gone. They are that cute!!



AND

an extra happy thing for Beth and I......

The Halloween aisle is up! I repeat....the Halloween aisle is UP!

The candy was already out along with the decor stuff at the top of the shelves! They were unpacking boxes to fill the empty aisles with the home stuff and costumes!

AAAAaaaaaaaa! I am positively GIDDY!

Shhhh! It's oh so quiet!

Haha! Remember that song from Bjork? I am singing that around the house today. With as much enthusiasm as she sings it! Only I am not singing about new love.....

I'm singing about.....


Matthew starting preschool today!!


So for the next several months, every Tuesday and Thursday I am able to go to Target without a helper. (Or do some housework!)

Not that I don't love him to pieces, but lets just say that the Thomas aisle at Target rarely changes. Yet I have spent hours with him standing there as he stares at them. Always telling me that he wants 'this one' or 'that one' for his birthday.
I guess that is fair since I used to do that with my mom and the model horses that I stared at for hours. But sometimes you just want to get your deoderant and leave you know?

Infact, I would be there right now, but the Cox guy is here. After moving the boys to their own separate rooms, the TV needed to be hooked up in the big room above the garage. That will be our night time family room. That way we can close off the bottome half of the house and make sure those little boogers stay in their beds until they fall asleep. So for now, it is me and Ceasar. Who is very quiet but working hard. I don't know how those guys do it during these months with climbing through attics and up and down ladders outside. Yay for the Cox people.

A friendly game of tag!

Hee hee! I got tagged by my friend Kim. She is in charge of the design team at Devine Memories. Sometimes I think my long lost sister since we have so much in common! Sorry it took me a couple of days Kim, but here it is! This was fun. I have always been a bit of a geek in that I love to fill out questionaires!!!



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IF YOU COULD BUILD A HOUSE ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD IT BE? That is a tough one because I really do love my house. I think if life were perfect, I would build my house on enough land to have horses in Southern California.


WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING? jeans and a tshirt



FAVORITE PHYSICAL FEATURE OF THE OPPOSITE SEX? eyes



WHAT'S THE LAST CD YOU BOUGHT? High School Musical


WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO BE? Target

WHERE'S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PLACE TO BE? Oh gawd. The e.r. waiting room. Been there, done that.....lots of times.


WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO BE MASSAGED? feet


Strong in mind or strong in body? depends on the day, sometimes neither.



WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? during school: 6ish, weekends and summer as late as possible



WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE? the refridgerator. It keeps my cokes cold. ;)



WHAT MAKES YOU REALLY ANGRY? mean people suck. And ones that lie and think you are too stupid to know they are lying.



IF YOU COULD PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? guitar….like Edge!



FAVORITE COLOR? lime green and brown is a close second.



WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SPORTS CAR OR SUV? a Target cart

DO YOU BELIEVE IN AN AFTERLIFE? Yes, absolutley



FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK? Anything from Sandra Boynton. Especially Horns to Toes and In Between. Lots of good night time memories with that book and all of my kids.



What is your favorite season? Fall. I love fall in AZ because it means Halloween, birthdays and the beginning of the cool season here. I know I have several months ahead of nice weather.



WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE HOUSEHOLD CHORE? Two little boys. And little girls aren’t that tidy either. So…cleaning toilets. Definitely.



IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? mind control of my children. ;)




IF YOU HAVE A TATTOO - WHAT IS IT AND WHERE IS IT? No way Jose’. If I ever pass out near a tattoo parlor though, I should have a Target on my butt for my love of all things TARGET.



CAN YOU JUGGLE? No, but I can make a mean balloon doggie!



THE ONE PERSON FROM YOUR PAST YOU WISH YOU COULD GO BACK AND TALK TO? I would like to talk to my grandma and my grandpa on my dad’s side. They died when I was really young. I would like to know more about them and their lives.



WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE DAY? The day where everything just falls into place, the kids are getting along, no arguing or bickering, or whining. (sorry Kim, you described the perfect day!) plus some scrapbooking time.



WHAT'S IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR? I don’t have a trunk.



WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SUSHI OR HAMBURGER ?Hamburger baby. No fish for me. Preferably the Maui burger from Islands.



WHO DO YOU TAG NEXT?
Beth and Lisa