Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice

Spring Summer 2011 Catalogue Sneak Peeks!

2011-01-17T10:40:00.012-07:00

These are the eight, count 'em 8!, paper packs released in the Spring Summer 2011 Close to My Heart Catalogue! So Excited!!! Let me introduce you: BLISS

FANFARE

LUCKY MAYBERRY

MIRACLE

SOPHIA

SWEETHEART

WINGS

My Favourite CTMH product, hands down!

2010-11-09T12:05:00.003-07:00

Hello One and All! Well, courtesy of Facebook, I'm entering another competition, albeit a smaller one. I need to blog about my favourite CTMH product. I like a lot of their products, but at the end of the day, it always comes back to the basics, specifically, the papers. Give me some pretty papers, a glue stick and a pair of scissors (though I'd miss my trimmer!) and I can create! Papers like this:

Tell me that's not beautiful. Go on. I dare you!

Help Me Win!

2010-02-15T13:38:00.003-07:00

Hey!

I've created a video for a Close to My Heart consultant competition and would love it if you took a look! Every hit gives me points towards winning! Thanks for your help!

ABCs of Me

2009-06-14T21:54:00.002-06:00

Hi All! It's been a while, but I thought I'd throw this post up so you don't think I disappeared into the void. A little survey about yours truly! A - Age: 32 B - Bed size: Queen, though you wouldn't always know it with Mr. Bony Bum crossing over to MY SIDE! C - Chore you hate: I actually don't hate many chorse, even the yucky ones. I suppose the worst is cleaning the microwave since it's higher up than me and awkward... but even then it's not so bad. D - Dog's name(s): Right, like I want another peeing mess making creature in my life! E - Essential start your day item: breakfast! I usually am at breakfast within 10 minutes of waking up! F - Favorite color: Red! Any shade, though not into pink. G- Gold or Silver: Gold - I'm sensitive to anything not gold. H - Height: 5'3" (Though I usually lie and say 5'4") I - Instruments you play(ed): with some skill: piano, fiddle, guitar with limited skill: trumpet, trombone, french horn, euphonium, tuba, flute, bassoon, percussion with little to no skill: clarinet, saxamaphone, oboe, recorder, ukelele J - Job title: Mistress of the House, Keeper of the Zoo, SAHM, Teacher, Mummy K - Kid(s): 2 - Girl: almost 5, Boy: 3, Girl: 14 months L - Living arrangements: two story house with 3 bedrooms, far too many bathrooms (4!), and a meagerly landscaped yard that's far too hot or shady to enjoy much. M - Mom's name: Gerharda N - Nicknames: Mel - But I HATE being called Mel by any but a few select privileged people (which doesn't include my husband!) O - Overnight hospital stay(s): Mostly for hip and knee surgeries, and two of my deliveries (the other I went home that day by choice) P - Pet Peeve: Stupid people, tardiness, smoking near non smoking areas, people who say "orientate" when they mean "orient", excessive incorrect punctuation, ignorance, I should stop before you think I'm an intolerant jerk... Q - Quote from a movie: "My name is Inigo Montoyez. You killed my father. Prepare to die." R - Right or left handed: right S - Siblings: A younger sister and much younger half brother T - Time you wake up: when ever I hear the melodious cries of one of my lovely darlings, which is any time between 5 and 7 a.m. U- Underwear: nothing exciting. V - Vegetable you dislike: the bitter ones: parsnips, radishes, turnips. W - Ways you run late: when my husband sets the pace or when something is left behind at the house X - X-rays you've had: teeth, hips, collarbone, knee Y - Yummy food you make: homemade pizza, mediterranean vegetable pie, crepes. Z - Zoo favorite: otters when they slide, and monkeys when they swing.

Blog Candy... Go! Go! Go!

2009-05-03T13:38:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! Just a note to say go over to "A LITTLE SCRAPPY CREATION" and enter to win yummy blog candy... no, not the edible kind! Her site is awesome and uses lots of CTMH goodness... Check my links to the left <----- Caio!

New Releases from Close to My Heart!

2009-04-27T12:22:00.005-06:00

The New Catalogue is online as of MAY 1!!! But here's a sneak preview of the paper packs coming out...

Tinkerin'

Moon Doggie

Bella

Backcountry

Animal Crackers

When Art Inspires Life

2009-02-21T11:28:00.005-07:00

Stuff of Life

So instead of just watching the videos on Youtube, today we finally sat down and did a little life imitating art session, just me and Miriam! What fun! And since she already had seen the video, she kind of had an idea where we were going with the whole project! What do you think? Totally cute, or what? Later we adapted the design and made a similar card using layered flowers. Here's the Miriam and her final product, and the video by our heroine, Kristina Werner!

2009-02-19T21:10:00.002-07:00

Stuff of Life

I'm it!

I found this photo in the fourth folder, fourth picture. My boy Finnegan watering our rand new garden last summer. Believe it or now, by the end of the summer you couldn't see the dirt through the plants. My garden makes me happy! (Oh, except the clematis in the back there which I'm pretty sure up and died on us). Aren't the lilies soooo beautiful?! And there is one little plant in there that got to be about 3 feet tall and about 3 feet in diameter too, much to my surprise! There will be some shuffling of plants this spring! Oh, I can't wait for spring!

Reflections on Idiocy: an essay in one part.

2009-02-16T19:38:00.003-07:00

Stuff of Life

Am I crazy? No, seriously. Am I? That's what I've been asking myself for the past few weeks as I've realized the immensity of the task before me in my Master's Degree. What kind of an idiot was I to think I could finish a Masters, including a thesis might I add, while raising three children four and under? That's what I've been wondering for the past while.

Needless to say, as evidenced above, the stress might finally be getting to me. You see, it was all fine and dandy before when I was taking courses where the professors said "Here. Read this and respond in 300 words by Friday." That was okay. They told me what to read, how to respond, and gave me a hard timeline to do it in. I'm good at external motivation.

Now I have to 1) figure out what articles to read by deciding if they a) address my topic, b) are quality research, and c) are important enough to include in a literature review, then 2) read the articles and reflect on them in some undefined way to be decided on by your truly, and 3) amass a number of related articles into some sort of coherent written format known as a "Literature Review". The ONLY external motivation i really have is a due date. 9 days from today. Rough draft "just to see what you've got so far" we've been told, but in my mind if it isn't essentially finished I'm going to look like the big turd who bribed someone to let her into grad studies.

And, to complain just a wee bit more, the other people in my course are all full time students. FULL TIME! None of them have small children at home. All of them sleep when they want, eat when they want, study when they want. Okay, I'm not bitter. They were smart. They thought "I should a) get this done before I start having kids or b) wait till the kids are out of the house before I start." But I am a little bit miffed that they have a bit of an advantage. And you know I can't handle being anything but the best, so this is just extra stress, because how can I possibly be better than people who have all day to immerse themselves in their learning.

I know, you're probably thinking "Hey dumb-dumb, if you weren't blogging you'd probably be better off than you are now." Okay. Point taken. I just had to let it all out. I'm off to find another highly engaging topically relevant article with which to woo my readers (all five of them - 3 committee, Jim and my mother.) Wish me luck. Or better yet, "say a little prayer for me."

Over and most definitely out!

On This Day...

2009-01-21T10:21:00.006-07:00

Stuff of Life

I took only 3 pictures today because I wanted to mark a momentous occasion and show who you were on this day.

You have no idea of the changes happening in our world today. You have no idea that 50 years ago, the inauguration of an African American President was unfathomable; that 100 years ago it was impossible. So much change in what is really so little time. You will grow up seeing a different world than the world I saw when I was growing up. When I was growing up, the women's rights movement was still fighting for equality of treatment. When I was growing up, the environmentalists were just getting revved up with emphasis on recycling programs and the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) which are now 5 Rs (recover and the last I forget). When I was growing up I knew of the U.S.S.R and the iron curtain. When I was growing up, my world was different than the world is today.

Your world will be the same in some ways. There will still be groups fighting for fair treatment. The environment will still be a concern. There will be causes and movements. But today, on this day, your world changed. Your future changed. Because on this day your future changed to embrace a history that now includes diversity at the highest levels of government. I don't know if this government will be better than the last, if it will be very different at all. But on this day I felt hope and joy and pride in the American people, even though I am proudly Canadian. Listening to Barack Obama's speech, my eyes welled with tears of emotion for the great accomplishment this day represents.

Today is a new day sweeties.

Barack Obama's Inauguration Address

My fellow citizens,

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them— that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence— the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

All By Myself...

2009-01-19T16:12:00.002-07:00

Stuff of Life Keepin' it real! Keepin' it jazzy! Keepin' it positive! Oh wait... I said keepin' it real... hmm... maybe positive isn't so "real". Gotta tell you, I've been feeling blue. I do not know how long this feeling is going to last. It just seems like everything is tainted with the same brush of cynicism and despair. What's with that? I'm not going to go into it any further than that. Suffice it to say I am not feeling like my usual self. Been wondering how bad it would be for me to buy a ticket to somewhere far away and just disappear for a week (or two!) sort of like Ashley Judd's character in the Ya Ya Sisterhood. Probably not a good idea! Also relating to Izzy from Grey's Anatomy. Not that I'm seeing a lost lover on a regular basis, just that she also seems so removed from the real life everyone around her is living. So if I'm not blogging much these days, that's why. Not that anyone cares since my readership is a big two people (hi mam. hi Melissa) Anyways... Signing off for a while...

Inspiration Times Two

2009-01-08T15:43:00.003-07:00

Okay, I have to post these to my blog after seeing them at zenhabits. I had seen the Randy Pausch one before, but the Stanford speech is really good too. Check them both out if you haven't already seen them. The first is about an hour long. The second is 15 minutes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo&eurl=http://zenhabits.net/2008/08/top-5-most-inspirational-videos-on-youtube/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc&eurl=http://zenhabits.net/2008/08/top-5-most-inspirational-videos-on-youtube/ Not sure how to embed the actual video here so you'll have to click the links and head over to Youtube to watch.

Habit Forming

2009-01-08T07:38:00.003-07:00

Stuff of Life As a semi-follow-up to the last post on unresolutions, I thought I'd post about my new favourite life change site zenhabits.net There is so much there about simplifying life, I wish I could do it all. But I'm going to start with one challenge, and that is to form a new habit. Leo, the guy who writes the blog (and also has a book out by the way, check Amazon) says not to set a bunch of new years resolutions but rather to work towards forming a habit because a habit lasts longer. 9 Rules to Form a Habit How to succeed in THE POWER OF LESS Challenge 1. Only one habit. While you might have 3-5 habits you want to form, youʼll decrease your effectiveness if you try to do more than one at a time. Choose just ONE habit to focus on for one month. You can do the other habits in subsequent months.

The habit I am going to form is... jeepers, when I sit here frozen, mulling over what to fill in that blank, I actually have a hard time choosing. So I'm choosing not the thing I think will make me happiest (exercise 10 minutes daily so I can fit into non-maternity pants), but the thing that I know will change many things in a sort of domino effect, and that is this: My habit is to write in a prayer journal for 10 minutes a day.

2. Start small. Just commit to 10 minutes a day. This might sound too easy, but you will almost guarantee success if you do this. You can increase later. I've been inspired like this before, and thought to myself "10 minutes is such a minor change... I'm going for the half hour change!" and inevitably, I've failed every time. So I've learned, that maybe baby steps really are best. 3. Commit publicly. Join the forum on thepowerofless.com, introduce yourself, and post the habit youʼll be forming. Also tell as many people as possible -- friends, family, coworkers -- and post on your blog, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter or other service.

I'm not joining the forum, because that's one more daily internet distraction I just don't need. But I'm committing publicly here (okay so "public" really means to my sister and mother, who, I'm pretty sure are my only readers) and I'll update my status on facebook too.

4. Write your plan. Write out exactly what habit youʼll be forming, when you start, what time during the day youʼll be doing it, rewards you might give yourself, how youʼll overcome any potential obstacles. Write it down to succeed!

I'm going to write in a prayer journal for 10 minutes a day. Starting today, when the kids go down for naps and quiet time, the first thing I'll do, before anything else, is sit down in my comfy chair with a cup of tea and a nice pen and fresh journal page and just write. I won't edit my thoughts, or debate over wording. I'll just write my prayer to God, whatever is on my mind. I could follow A.C.T.S (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication) format, but I probably won't. It'll just be me telling God what's going on, how I need help, and opening myself up to His voice in my life.

5. Find a trigger. Find something you already do consistently every day -- wake up, eat breakfast, brush your teeth, shower, arrive at work, have lunch, have dinner, anything -- and tie your new habit to this trigger. Do it every day RIGHT AFTER this trigger. My trigger is nap time/quiet time! If, for some odd reason, these don't occur on a certain day, I'll do it when the kids go to bed at night. But let's be honest... I live for nap time and I don't sway from THAT routine too often! 6. Be consistent. Do not miss a day. Try to get a streak going -- 30 straight days! If you miss a day, keep going, but the more consistent you are, the more likely the habit will stick. Aiming for 30 days! 7. Report progress. Every day, report your progress on the Challenge forumʼs daily thread. I'll report back here daily. 8. Motivate. Give yourself rewards each week. In fact, give yourself a reward each of the first few days, and then weekly after that.

Gotta be honest, I like rewards... I don't treat myself too often. So, for the first week, each day after I write in my prayer journal, I will treat myself to... um... chocolate. Okay, I know this really defeats my other secret goal that I would magically become a size 10, but I can't think of anything that is smallish and something I would look forward to. But to make it better, I'm not going to oink out on a whole chocolate bar. I'll get 7 nice individual chocolates from Purdy's or Laura Secord's or Bernard Callbeaut. Today I might not have time to pick up so I'll satisfy myself by breaking off part of my chocolate M from Christmas. It's not high quality, but hey, chocolate is chocolate!

9. Be positive. Keep a positive attitude throughout the entire challenge to be successful. If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts, squash them like a bug! And replace them with positive thoughts. It really works.

This might be the hardest of all. Struggling with the whole negative self perception these days, but I'll give it a try.

The other suggestion along with the habit formation is to use the habitmantra:

I MAKE A SOLEMN OATH TO MYSELF - I WILL NOT MISS A DAY OF COMPLETING MY NEW HABIT. THIS SMALL TIME I WILL SPEND ON THE NEW HABIT IS A TINY PRICE TO PAY FOR SUCCESS.

I'm not so into mantras, but I will write this verse and post it on my fridge (which I visit frequently during the day) as a reminder and encouragement and mini-prayer:

Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to you. Psalm 102:1.

New Years UnResolutions

2009-01-05T16:13:00.001-07:00

Stuff of Life I’ve read a bunch of blogs today and it seems like most everyone has set some type of resolution for themselves. Things like lose weight, exercise, do more crafting, read, memorize scripture etc… For some reason I just have not gotten into the whole resolution idea this year. In the past I’ve successfully read the bible front to back, and read my bible daily as resolutions. This year? I don’t know. I guess I’m either not motivated, or already so convinced I’ll fail that I don’t want to resolve to do anything! But if I did resolve to do something, I’d probably have a list something like this: 1) Pray daily and keep a prayer journal. I love journaling, but rarely maintain the habit for any longer than a month at a time! 2) Read my bible and work on memorizing scripture (still working on that psalm from oh-so-long-ago!) 3) Engage my children in something new and interesting each day. Even if it’s just a little something, some days I feel like my kids just did the same-old-same-old! I know repetitive play is important, but a fun craft, or cooking activity or even new song makes the day a little less ordinary! 4) Take care of myself. This includes little things like making sure I get dressed and brush my hair before, say, eleven in the morning (!!!), eating foods that are not grain or dairy based (i.e. fruits and veggies!), exercising even once in a while and doing things that other people do for themselves but which I somehow feel I don’t deserve (like getting a hair cut, or buying clothes so I can finally stop wearing maternity clothes!) 5) Limit my on-line time. Actually this really should be a goal of mine. I am addicted to facebook and checking on other people’s blogs and following random links into the vast universe of the world wide web! Seriously a waste of time and energy. I would be so much better off just doing something rather than watching what other people are doing! 6) Try not to get library fines. I am not going to tell you how big my fines are. Suffice it to say they are big. Really big! 7) Hang out with my husband more often. You’d think that the fact that we share a house and 3 children would naturally lead to spending time together, but surprisingly this is not so. When the kids are conscious we’re both engaged in a sort of zone-defence parenting, and when they’re sleeping this last year we’ve both been fully engaed in creating lecture materials for Jim’s lectures in bio, micro, and chem. Whee. No, seriously. Whee. I’ll stop at 7 before I start really looking at how much I’d like to change in my life, and get truly depressed! Well, if you have a resolution, I hope you succeed! As for me, my resolutions are usually set in the morning, forgotten by mid-day, remembered in the evening, and sometimes scrambled to achieve in the evening or held over for another day! Cheers!

2008-12-24T07:30:00.005-07:00

Stuff of Life I just went back and re-read one of my blogs which had left off with a bit of a "cliff hanger." I mentioned our trip to the West Edmonton Mall waterpark, and my MRI experience! I thought maybe I'd fill you in on the details today. First, the MRI. I decided to participate in a University of Alberta study on post-partum depression and glucose levels in certain areas of the brain (at least I think it was glucose... it was related anyways). At the time I was nearly 8 months post-partum, and I was still dealing with some of the aftereffects of giving birth in terms of finding balance emotionally and what-not. As well, I figure it's important to help where you can with research. especially if it may lead to quality of life improvements for others. The good thing about the study was that childcare was provided! I seriously would not have participated if it wasn't... if I arrange childcare myself, trust me, I am NOT using to participate in medical research! So the nurse in the office took the kiddies and played with them in a little room full of toys, and took them for a walk and even bought them french fries! They were quite happy with the whole experience. As for myself, I answered a LOT of questions about myself, my history, my family, my medical history (surgeries, etc...). I have to tell you right now that that sort of interview process reeeealy makes me look crazy on paper! The question about have you ever seen visions or heard voices in your head - my answer was "yes." Now tell me that doesn't make you think I'm just a wee bit unbalanced! Of course I had to explain that it was during a prayer experience many years ago and it wasn't so much an audible voice as a sort of understandable wordless presence... okay, I just realized that no matter how I explain it, I'm gonna look weird on paper! Oh well. That's me. It's who I am! I've been in an MRI machine before for my knee, but this was completely different because they were doing a brain scan, so as well as being inserted in a very narrow tube, I also had this visor-like thing around my head. Quite claustrophobia inducing really! They had attached a mirror to the visor so that you could see out the end of the tube to the clock on the wall, but that's about it! As well the clock appeared not only upside down, but backwards as well so tellin time was quite a brain teaser! I decided to close my eyes for as long as I could so that my anxiety about a small semi-enclosed space would decrease... what you can't see can't hurt you, right? So after 15 minutes I opened my eyes, checked the time, and closed them again. Ten minutes passed... check the clock... close my eyes... five minutes... check... five... check... I should tell you that the MRI machine is REALLY LOUD! I had earplugs in (yuck they gross me out) and those ear protectors like you see air traffic controllers on the runway wearing. But it was still a lot of banging and clicking and thumping. The magnets in the machine are really strong and basically what they do is polarize all the atoms (molecules?) in your body by spinning them with the magnets, then they "release" the molecules and take pictures while the molecules reorient themselves. Some molecules reorient slower than others so that's how they can take pictures and tell one kind of molecule (e.g. glucose) from another (e.g. protein). It doesn't hurt... in fact you can't feel anything. So there I am in the machine and I'm hearing: boom... click... kang kang kang... buh-boom... tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat... brrrrrrrrrrr... king... king... boom... And so forth. And I'm waiting for time to pass thinking this will definitely be worth the $150 bonus they give for participating (which I'm using to treat myself to scrapbooking supplies and which, by the way, they haven't sent me yet, so I'll have to e-mail and remind them). And the last time I looked at the clock there was 25 minutes left. The next thing I know there's a bright light and I'm being extracted from the machine. I had fallen asleep. That's like falling asleep next to a jackhammer! Well, it just goes to show how tired a mother of 3 can get! REALLY TIRED! Well, I intended to share about WEM, but I'm going to go take a bath gefore wrapping Christmas presents! Scrapbook Idea of the Day Another Layout for you... this time without pictures! Yes. I am the great unfinisher! Used the Symphony (I think that's the title) paper pack and some chipoard letters which i covered with the paper (see detail above). I also ran a pice of the solid paper through an embossing/diecutting machine then sanded the embossed areas to bring out the pattern (see bottom right of the left page. All in all it turned out okay. I really like the papers, but have to find pictures to match!

Boom-Di-Ada!

2008-12-22T21:22:00.006-07:00

Scrapbook Idea of the Day

The girl is on a roll! Yesterday's More to Adore layout followed by today's Boom-di-ada Level 2 Paper Packet! I must say that Boom-di-ada is one of my favourite papers, and my sister also loves it! Something about the colours that makes me cheerful! I also had the Stickease to go with this packet (I don't always get the stickease, but the ones with this set were fun) which I pop dotted (see detail above) in two places. I love the simplicity of this layout.

In general I have to say I like simplicity over busyness. It's a trend you'll see in my layouts. Not big on more than two, maybe three patterns on a layout, and usually these must be grounded by a significant area of solid or very subtle patterns.

This time I at least got the journalling done, but sorry, no title yet. I know, it's a problem I have. I'm a great starter, but not such a great finisher. This may be why our laundry sometimes gets folded, but rarely gets put away!

Hey! She really DOES scrapook!

2008-12-22T20:44:00.006-07:00

Scrapbooking Idea of the Day

Well, it's been a loooong time, but I finally recorded some of my layouts, and thought I'd post one today! The supplies are all Close to My Heart from the More to Adore Level 2 Paper Packet, as well as a little brown ribbon (chocolate, I think, maybe cocoa).

I know, I know, I didn't do journalling or add the title, but, hey, it's a start! Also, I used my playful flourishes stamp set on the bottom right page to jazz up the simple blush pattern.

Done and Done.

2008-12-17T10:37:00.003-07:00

Stuff of Life The items I've done are in bold! 1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain (Mt Robson!) 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (See #12) 20. Slept on an overnight train (See #91) 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked (technically my mother hitchhiked but I went along too!) 23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill (Don't tell!) 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run 32. Been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Netherlands and Turin, AB...) 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (When teaching and single!) 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo's David 41. Sung karaoke (Rock Band counts, right?) 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (See #12) 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business (Close to My Heart!) 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (Not by choice) 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten caviar 72. Pieced a quilt (I think I'm working on my eleventh now...) 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (Thanks Papa!) 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chicken pox 89. Saved someone's life 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone (During my year as a substitute teacher) 99. Been stung by a bee 100. Read an entire book in one day

Confessions of a Control Freak

2008-12-15T22:45:00.002-07:00

Stuff of Life I'm not going to do an update. Suffice it to say things have been going. Not necessarily going well, just going. Our feet are still technically under us. Barely. At the end of this week, hopefully things will start to shift. But I had to blog and share my excitement about a new project, or rather an old project in a new form. Check it out in full at the FLYlady blog (google for the link... I'm lazy). It's a whole system of keeping organized and staying on top of things that I think I might love. I'm going to try it anyways. The first part of the "Control Book" starts with "My Bedtime Routine". Seriously could be the most important part of the day because how you go to sleep can change how you wake up. On the routine she has 1) Shine sink (kitchen that is, because isn't it so great waking up to a clean sink without grubby dishes?) 2) lay out clothes (a great idea for me since I spend all sorts of time finding my clothes and the kids at the same time and am usually frustrated by the process in the morning especially when we have to go somewhere!) 3) Brush teeth (good idea!) and finally GO TO BED AT A DECENT TIME! So, other than that last one, I am starting this tonight. Okay actually I don't currently have enough clean clothes to get me out of the house, but I'll put together something reasonable for in the house tomorrow while I catch up on laundry. The sink? I plan to take all the dishes out of it, stack them on the counter, clean it and leave it. Yes, that's right, tonight I'm relocating the problem but according to her, that's okay (Stack them on the floor if you have to, she writes!) And brush teeth? That's a given. And I look forward to my Cinnamon Rush toothpaste every night! Gotta Go Be Organized!

Elf Video 3!

2008-11-25T11:01:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Elf Video 2!

2008-11-25T10:45:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Elf Dance!

2008-11-25T10:41:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

The Lump in My Throat

2008-11-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

Stuff of Life We remember. We remember the young men who leave home and family to work and fight for peace, freedom and human rights. We remember the battle fields, grass crushed flat, caked with mud and drenched in the lives of the lost. We remember the targets of oppression: Jews, Gypsies, blacks, homosexuals, mentally disabled, writers, musicians, artists, politicians, and activists. We remember the innocents devastated by the destruction of homes and land, swept into prisons, doomed in the concentration camps, destroyed by massive bombs dropped from miles above and by one inch bullets shot from close range. We remember those who helped, who tended the homefires, who worked in the factories, who nursed the wounded, who hid the persecuted. We remember. I remember my grandfather, who this day remembers his own part in World War II. And I am thankful for his sacrifice, for his bravery, for his heroism which was a drop in a vast ocean of efforts to finally restore peace and freedom to the world in 1945. I remember the soldiers who have died in my lifetime fighting in different wars in different countries, with different weapons but for the same causes – peace, freedom, and human rights. I remember. And I am thankful.

My Cousin-Husband Done Treat Me Fine

2008-11-07T09:06:00.002-07:00

Stuff of Life More Things I Never Thought I’d Say: #981 Just drink your yogurt, it’s easier #653 We don’t put pennies in the CD player. #38 Stop licking each other Does it seem like a lot of my “Things I Never Thought I’d Say” involve the words “don’t” or “stop”. Hmmm… Order has always been the exception rather than the rule around here. Well, this week, all signs of order have left the building as we invited my nephew Jonah to spend the week (Sunday to Friday) at our house while my sister catches up with marking and works on report cards. Some people might call a woman with a 4, 2 and 7 month old crazy for inviting a 3 year old to join the melee, and those people would probably be right. What some people don’t realize is that sanity has taken a long vacation from my mind, so labels like plain “crazy” are kind of a compliment compared to “right round the bend”, “nuttier than a fruitcake” and “out of her gourd.” Miriam has enjoyed having her best friend, cousin and future husband around for the week. That’s right, I said future husband. Their idea, not mine. Referring back to a previous blog, they have it in their mind that people who love eachother can get married. Period. No qualifiers on that statement. So anyways, somehow this week they’ve invented a “marriage pile.” I don’t know what or why, all I know is that once in a while one or the other decides a toy or object should be added to the marriage pile. It’s all very odd, but to a crazy dame (see paragraph 1), it’s not a big deal. Of course, the additional body in the house has also given Miriam opportunity to stretch her dictatorial muscles. She’s fully tested the limits on her ability to wield power over her minions (Finnegan and Jonah), to the point where she ended up on a ten minute time-out yesterday. Unfortunately I seem to be the only one standing up to her. Jonah and Finnean are apparently happy to obey each directive. Come on! Spines, boys, spines! More later… Perhaps I’ll fill you in on what happens when a mother takes her daughter down the corkscrew slide at West Edmonton Mall… or my experience in the MRI machine…

And If You're Very Good, After Shopping We'll Go to the Car Wash

2008-10-28T12:42:00.005-06:00

Stuff of Life More Things I Never Thought I'd Say: #117 Just lick it off. #563 This is not for decorating, it's for bums, okay? (any guesses about the context of this one?) #349 If you barf on me one more time I'll sell you to the gypsies. (jokingly exhasperated!) #74 Let's not call people "fart" okay, Finny? That's right... fun around here is a visit to the old car wash down the street. Whee. I think the kids like it because while I'm out there spraying the car off, I unclip them and basically let them run wild in there (keys not in the ignition is case you were wondering). They love it. And when I vacuum they hop from seat to seat yelling "don't get me! don't get me!" So that's where we're headed today after a fill of the very empty gas tank and a hop into Superstore from milk and fruit and always a cookie at the end. On a side note, when I went in to tuck the kids in late last night, Miriam as usual was hanging off the edge of the bed and after I'd moved her back in place she spoke in her sleep saying "ti-ti, sleepy panda". I think the piano lessons are definitely working! Spiritual Thought of the Day I'm still working on memorizing Psalm 139, believe it or not. Admittedly it fell by the wayside for a while there, but I've gotten back into it, and it is coming along. If you've never memorized a psalm, I dare you to do it. It's interesting how it internalizes itself and takes on a greater meaning each time you read it. Like the gems are deeper than a brief scan of the text during a year-long cover to cover reading of the bible. I've done that before too, but this is where I'm at now. Scrapbooking Idea of the Day On pause these days since the great week in the life project (which is in pieces currently). I have seriously GOT to get through this master's course before I can focus on anything for an extended period of time. I also need a week off life so I can get my house in order and "reset", but that's another issue entirely! Oh well, life goes on. I am getting a bit excited about my recent organization of our spare room in the basement which I think I will transform into a guest bedroom/craft room. I thought maybe I'd set up a place for me to work, and a little table or desk for the kids, especially Miriam since she's of an age where the whole cut and paste thing is possible without close supervision (though her hair is remarkably shorter in the front left side of her face which indicates that perhaps my supervision of her could be closer). Anyways... Creative juices currently refrigerated while the rest of life boils over. Isn't that always the way! ;)

Food Glorious Food

2008-10-21T19:44:00.003-06:00

Stuff of Life Addendum to yesterday's things I Never Thought I'd Say: #241 Don't pick your nose with a spoon. (Note I didn't just say "don't pick your nose". That's a whole other battle that I'm generally willing to turn a blind eye to.) I'm thinking about my one meal. You know, "What would you choose to eat if you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life." If it was just one thing like tacos, I'd soon go insane, so I assume a full course meal complete with dessert. Sometimes I think in terms of breakfast lunch dinner but that really comes a bit too close to my monotonous reality (cheerios, sandwiches, and pasta are my daily reality in case you wondered). My meal (and tomorrow it might be different but based on how I feel today) would be: Salad: Greek with lots of feta, black olives with pits, no lettuce Soup: Cauliflower cheese (recipe out of the moosewood) with real parmesean sprinkled on top. Entree: This is a tough one but I'm going to have to say five cheese pesto spinach lasagne (the five cheeses are cheddar, mozzarella, parmesean, asiago, and gouda) which I've only truly had a few times in its complete glory, but which is SOOOOO good. Dessert: Bread pudding from the Highlevel Diner. There are peanut butter cookies in my oven which is why I am currently so food obsessed. Timer's going off. Over and out.

Life and Affirmations

2008-10-20T20:56:00.008-06:00

Stuff of Life Another episode of "Things I Never Thought I'd Say" #64 No, bathwater is not yummy. #842 Please don't wash the bathtub with your toothbrush #353 Could you please stop hugging the cheese. And there you have it... life goes on in our humble home. The good, the bad, the odd - we've got it all! Here's a bit of a recap of our lives at this time and in this place. You may know that I am taking a course at the U of A as part of my Master's Degree program. It's the 6th of 8 courses I'll be taking (I'm registered for another in the winter semester, and will need to travel for my last course which with be Orff Level III). Following these it'll be thesis time! Fun, fun, fun! I still have not narrowed down a thesis topic. And quite honestly, this course is kind of making me regret the whole thesis route. Research methods is a very boring course which my unfortunate professor is trying to make at least bearable if not actually interesting for us. Bleah. The text is horrendous - poorly written, redundant, redundant (just kidding), and seriously makes me want to fold laundry or load the dishwasher rather than read it - and the fact that I found our that some of my classmates bought it direct from the publisher for $40 while I bought mine at the bookstore for $135 plus tax makes me want to cry. I have 2 more classes (full days on Saturdays) and then I'm done, so hooray! Other than my course, I am also doing a little scrapbooking here and there. I just love this activity. It's a bit of a creative outlet with a purpose, and reflecting on my life and the people in it is a very positive experience. I'm planning for our next Triple Treat Scrapbook Club which I think went really well this past month and am excited for next month. As well, I am finishing my Week in the Life album and look forward to letting it sit on our coffee table and entertain our friends, family and neighbours. The rest of my activities pretty much consist of housework, driving, errands, story time, playing games, organizing, nursing, neglecting Carmen's unfinished baby quilt, helping Jim with coursework, infrequent get togethers with friends, and occasionally trying to avoid my children... Speaking of my children, I have begun a self affirmation project to help me not be so hard on myself as a parent, especially towards my most challenging child (Bossy Betty as we like to call her!) Here are my affirmations for today: 1) When I was brushing her hair today I was intentionally very gentle, and instead of just getting the job done I brushed with long strokes down her back past where her hair ended, which she enjoyed as she likes having her back tickled. 2) I encouraged her to learn the name of a new little girl at preschool so that she would learn to be friendly towards newcomers, and would practice intentional friendship. 3) I made sorting the laundry into their bins ("shirts", "pants", "pajamas") fun, not arduous by playing games of find ten socks as quickly as you can, and throwing items to be sorted onto their heads which they thought was hilarious. I am a good parent. I am a good parent... Like the little engine that could I just keep reminding myself. Well, at least I'm better than my sister (just kidding! Melissa I know you're reading this and I thought I'd yank your chain). I do sometimes look at the way she parents and wish I had some of the personal attributes that she brings to parenting such as a physical level of interaction, intimacy of reletionship, and apparent high tolerance for noise. She's a good egg that one.I can learn from a lot of people close to me about different ways to parent. Jim... well... Jim is working. All day. Every day. Every night. Frequently long into the night (2 a.m. last night). This is life for him and I feel bad that it's so singuar in dimension. I try to help out but there's a lot to be done. Next semester will be better as he is teaching some repeat courses. Good. So other than the fact that my man works like a dog I have no new news on Jim. Miriam, Finnegan and Carmen are such joy to be around when I really think about it. (Okay, honestly, in the moment I often don't feel this joy, but stepping back reminds me). It is so neat to see how developmentally different they all are. Different ages and stages and they all have their benefits and challenges: Miriam: Benefit - super independent able to be creative and explore with little help from me. Challenge - super independent and sometimes not able to take external direction without flexing her independence muscles in my direction.

Finnegan: Benefit - verbal skills are so neat to see growing daily and my presence in his life is so important to him. Challenge - rigid in his perception of the world and the way things should be, and sometimes still really whiny and demanding.

Carmen: Benefit - Sits up on her own and can play with and explore toys and just goes with the flow. Challenge - Sleeping through the night with less than 3 wake ups. I realize I should "sandwich" these statements so I don't end on a negative, so I'll sandwich them all be saying they all make me soo proud and I think they are simply the best thing since sliced bread which isn't actually a great comparison. They're the best thing since chocolate, classical music, indoor plumbing and peppermint tea combined. I've gotta go... 9:30 and we're trying to get to bed early to balance out the late night yesterday. Write me a comment... I opened them to non-googlers and I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Week in the Life Revealed!

2008-10-17T08:12:00.005-06:00

Well, it isn't finished but I managed to get at least the first bit done and so I'm posting it! I am supremely satisfied with the outcome of the project. The album will come together somewhat easily as it uses only a few supplies:

adhesive

photos

page protectors

sewing machine

package of patterned papers

black cardstock

making memories stickers

American crafts marker

That's it! Simple, huh?

My journaling block was pretty much copied off of designmer digitals site (see left bar for link) which had a sample of sweetteas:

More later (I hope). I need to pick up more black cardstock today if I'm going to get anything else done!

>Cough< >Hack Hack< >Snort<

2008-10-09T10:04:00.004-06:00

Stuff of Life

We are ALL sick over here. Sniffing, coughing, phleghmy in general. I just wanted a post to remind myself of the funny things my girl Miriam says.

At breakfast today: "Was I as small as Carmen?" "Yes. Even smaller. This small." (I point to a pice of granola dropped on my table) "Did I have feet?" I don't know if that makes you laugh as much as it did me, but I thought it was hilarious that feet would be top of her list for body part importance in utero!

While I was in the bath with Carmen this morning: Miriam comes by and closes the door "I'm just going to close this." "What are you doing?" "I'm closing the door. You're not going to want to see this." (uh oh) "What are you doing?" I'm closing the door because you won't want me to have it, so I'm making it so you can't see." "What do you have?" "You don't want me to have it. It's a surprise!" After much onvincing she shows me the bouncy chair that she's put her doll in. Don't know why she thought I wouldn't let her do that, but isn't that funny how openly and honestly deceptive she is?

The other day: (Talking very matter-of-factly to her imaginary friend while I was listening in) "Yeah, so, well, anyways I had a baby. But she was not nice and I didn't like her so I deaded her." Huh? Okay, I was a bit shocked but I'm pretty sure she doesn't really understand the full implications of "dead" and also i was a little glad that she didn't use the word "kill" because it's not a part of her vocabulary. I probably don't need to seek counselling for her! ;)

Spiritual Insight of the Day

Working my way through "Silence and Solitude." Reading it while the kids run around me like crazy and Carmen sits on my lap throwing herslf backwards into my chest. Well, I'm reading the words if not yet following the philosophy! I think it will be good anyways!

Scrapbook Idea of the Day

I love the dieline blog. I went on there and copied my favourite products which will inspire me. Currently using this one as inspiration for my Week in the Life journalling block.

Here are a few others too. There are LOTS more, but I won't give away all my secrets. check my links to the left for the dieline blog.

Done da done done done!

2008-10-05T21:37:00.012-06:00

Stuff of Life Well folks, it's officially over! One week in the life of our little family from my perspective. Here's a run down of the totals: Monday: 54 photos Tuesday: 71 photos Wednesday: 59 photos Thursday: 83 photos Friday: 59 photos (ooooh! deja vu!) Saturday: 37 photos Sunday: 69 photos Grand Total: 423 photos!!! I should add that these are only the photos that actually made it from my camera to my computer. At least as many were deleted, probably twice as many. You'll notice a low for Saturday, mostly because I was out the door at 8 a.m. to go to my class and arrived at Bob and Libby's by 5ish, and in between let's just say there was not a lot that was photo worthy. Now the tricky job of narrowing these down to my absolute favourites, planning how I'm going to arrange them in a mini-book, and then printing and assembling the lot of them! I'm lookinf forward to the challenge though. I wish I'd kept track a little more of my thoughts and moments through the week. i was lax on the journalling while taking pictures (yes, I was warned) thinking I'd remember stuff, but I'm already forgetting! Oh well. Scrapbook Idea of the Day Be on the look out for another video in the next few days! Here's a few photos that will definitely make it into the mini book!

An Open Letter to My Readers

2008-10-03T17:38:00.004-06:00

(Weird) Stuff of Life Dear Blog Readers, I don't really know how to tell you this, but I dislike your eyelashes. I think I realized it when I saw the purple monkey in your car and I saw you drive over my corned beef hash. I'm sure you're man enough to understand I'm allergic to your earlobes. I'm returning your toe ring to you, but I'll keep your suicide note as a memory. You should also know that I told the psychiatrist about the bruises and the apartment building is on fire. Greetings to your frog, Leonard, Melanie Okay. If you think I inhaled something I shouldn't have, this is just a silly game similar to Madlibs, except the phrases are preselected to match ydifferent trait of yours (for example the fact that my shirt is black inserted "I dislike your eyelashes" into my little letter!) It's silly but somehow therapeudic at the same time. Try it! Simply copy this letter and fill in the blanks by answering the questions below... and if some of it is a wee bit crude feel free to adapt it, it wasn't my creation! And please, send me your version of this letter. Post it in comments and share the insanity! Dear (Friend) ,I don't really know how to tell you this, but ___1___. I think I realized it ___2______3___ and I saw you___4___ ___5___. I'm sure you're___6___ enough to understand___7___. I'm returning ___8___ to you, but I'll keep___9___ as a memory. You should also know that I ___10___ and ___11___.___12___,then write your name here 1. What's the color of your shirt? Blue - Our romance is over Red - Our affair is over White – I’m joining the Convent Black - I dislike your eyelashes Green - Our socks don't match Grey - You're a pervert Yellow - I'm selling myself for candy Pink - Your nostrils are insulting Brown - The mafia wants you No shirt - You're mean Other - I'm in love with your cat 2. Which is your birth month? January - That night you picked your noseF ebruary - Last year when you peed your pants March - When your dwarf bit me April - When I tripped on peanut butter May - When I threw up in your sock drawer June - When you put cuffs on me July – When you smacked my ass August - When I saw the purple monkey September - When we skinny dipped in the bathtub October - When I quoted Forrest Gump November - When your dog humped my leg December - When I finally changed my underwear 3. Which food do you prefer? Tacos - In your apartment Lasagna- In your car Pasta - Outside of your office Hamburgers - Under the bus Salad – As you were eating Kraft Dinner Chicken - In your closet Kebab - With Jean Chrétien Fish - In a clown suit Sandwiches - At the Elton John concert Pizza - At the mental hospital Hot dog - Under a street light Other - With George Bush and Stephen Harper 4. What's the color of your socks? Yellow - Hit onRed - Insult Black - IgnoreBlue - Knock out Purple - Pour syrup on White - Carve your initials into Grey - Pull the clothes off Brown - Put whipped cream on Orange - Castrate Pink - Pull the pants off of Barefoot - Sit on Other - Drive over 5. What's the color of your underwear? Green - My boyfriend White - My father Grey – The Catholic Priest Brown – Your ‘My Little Pony’ collection Purple - My corned beef hash Red – My knee caps Blue - My salt-beef bucket Yellow - My illegitimate child in Ghana Orange - My Blink 182 cd Pink – The Montreal Canadian’s goalie None – My prized statue of Michael Jackson in the nude Other - The elephant in the corner 6. What do you prefer to watch on TV? Scrubs; Man O.C.; Emotional One Tree Hill; Open Heroes; Frostbitten Lost; High House; Sly Simpsons; Cowardly The news; Scarred Idol; Masochistic Family Guy; Senile Top Model; Middle-class Other; Ashamed 7. Your mood right now? Happy - How awful you are Sad - How boring you are Confused- That Santa doesn't exist Angry - That your smell makes me vomit Depressed – That we’re related Excited - That I may pee my pants Nervous - The Middle-East is planning their revenge on you Worried - That your Ford sucks Bored- That you need a sex-change Ashamed - That I'm allergic to your earlobes Cuddly - That I get turned on by garbage men Silly - That there is no solution to you being a dumbass Other - That your driving sucks 8. What's the color of your walls in your bedroom? White - Your toe ringYellow - Your love letters to me Red - Your Elton John poster Black - Your pet Blue - The couch cushions Green - The pictures from Vegas Orange - Your false teeth Brown - Your nose hair clippers Grey - Our matching snoopy underwear Purple - Your old New Kids on the Block blanket Pink - The cut toenails Other - Your car 9. The first letter of your first name? A/B - Your photo with the moustache drawn on it C/D - The oil tank from your car E/F - Your neighbour’s dog G/H - My virginity I/J - The results of your blood-sample K/L - Your left ear M/N - Your suicide note O/P - My common sense Q/R - Your mom S/T - Your collection of butterflies U/V - Your criminal record W/X – Your glass eye Y/Z - Your credit cards 10. The last letter in your last name? A/B - Told my psychiatrist about the bruises C/D - Never will forget that night E/F - Always wanted to break your legs G/H – Hate your cooking I/J – Mocked you behind your back constantly K/L - Will tell the authorities that you did not steal that whale in the back yard M/N - Told in my confession today about the moose poaching O/P - Was interviewed about the car you stole Q/R - Always will remember the pep talks S/T - Get sick when I think of your feet U/V - Will try to forget that you broke my heart W/X - Haven’t showered in a month Y/Z – Am better off without you 11. What do you prefer to drink? Water- Our friendship is ruined Beer – You should stop picking your nose Flavored water – I’m off to lead a new life as a lemur Pepsi – I will haunt you when I’m incarnated as an Eskimo Milk - The apartment building is on fire Wine – Thanks for the cocaine Cider – I have a passionate interest for mice Juice – I love Oprah Winfrey Mineral water – You should get that embarrassing rash checked Hot chocolate – Your Cucumber-fetishism is weird Whiskey - You ruined my attempts at another world war Other – I'm scratching my ass as you read this 12. To which country would you prefer to go on a vacation? Thailand – Warm tingly sensations USA - Best of luck on the sex-change England - Good luck in jail Spain - Go drown yourself China – You make me sick Germany – Go milk a cow Japan - Please don't hurt me Greece - Your everlasting enemy Australia - Greetings to your frog, Leonard Egypt – Kiss my ass France – With tears of sadness

Lost post: Day Five - Document a Week in the Life

2008-10-03T09:49:00.007-06:00

Stuff of Life

Doing this document a week in the life project has totally got me realizing just how busy our lives are right now. I'm also realizing that maybe I'm not such a bad mother after all (yes, I question myself about this issue on a regular basis). I see through my own eyes with help from the camera that my kids have it pretty good. So here is a boast list of ten things that I've noticed this week that make me a good, no a GREAT mother to these little pumpkins of mine:

1) My house is a mess - not a call-the-inspector-and-have-this-place-quarantined kind of mess, but the kind of mess that indicates that productive play happens al the time, everywhere and with all kinds of toys that aren't really toys.

2) There are kiwis on my window sill, which indicates that we've got the bases covered when it comes to eating healthy and feeding our kids healthy food.

3) I've scrapbooked, sewed (sewn?), worked on my course assignments and blogged this week, which shows I'm taking care of myself at least a little bit, so I'm ready to take care of my kids.

4) I think my kids are just about the cutest ever... forget "just about". They ARE the cutest kids ever. Every mother should think that about their kids, right? I can't stop taking pictures of their perfect faces, and it's painful deleting the photos (which i must or i might as well buy a video camera for all the shots I get!)

5) We have so much laundry that I don't just categorize it by lights, darks, and reds... we also have in addition to these towels/receiving blankts, greens and blues, yellow/orange/beige, diapers, and sheets. Oh, and the darks load is usually a double. What's so great about that? The fact that my kids don't wear the same clothes day after day, despite the HUGE temptation!

6) So far this week my kids have played with chestnuts (which do NOT taste good roasted on an open fire by the way), leaves, our van, measuring spoons and cups, nursing pillows, laundry baskets... oh, and on occasion toys. I'm raising creative kids and nurturing this in them by encouraging atypical play things.

7) I read to my kids every day, usually two or three times with many many books, including my most despised "spot the dog" series and P.B. Bear (which was hidden under the couch but with the rearranging of the livingroom has reappeared - rats!)

8) I am cheap, not just thrifty - I am on the look out for a deal when it comes to, well, everything I buy, I don't buy impulsively (well rarely anyways), and I don't buy excessively. That means our kids aren't spoiled and there's also more cashola for things like swimming, classes, special outings, and savings.

9) I am trying to let my kids be who they are, not who I want them to be. They have a lot of freedom around here to do what they want to do (within reason - no you can't play with the garbage can, Finny) and experiment and explore.

10) I know I am not perfect. This is a fine balance because knowing my imperfections is healthy when I look for positive change but unhealthy when I mope about it. I'm not a perfect person, and I'm not a perfect mother, but I'm getting better!

So there you go. I'm a great mother, even if that doubtful voice inside my head (again with the disembodied voice!) tells me I'm a failure every once in a while. This little look into our daily lives for a week is a good remind that we're muscling through the challenges and embracing the good times when we find them - which is more often than you'd think!

Day Three - Document a Week in the Life

2008-10-01T16:24:00.010-06:00

Stuff of Life

Is there something wrong with me?

I’ve been reading other people’s blogs, mostly fellow scrapbookers like myself because I often find cool tips and neat ideas on their blogs. Most of it is good. It’s real. Like the woman who posted pictures of her kids in the rain, soaked from puddle jumping and noted “the laundry isn’t done…still”. Or the women who are mourning for a two parents burned in a plane crash and their children waiting for a slow recovery (85% to the mother… she was is beautiful).

But lately I’m really wondering what it is that makes me so different it seems from the great “them” out there. The ones who post how wonderful and sweet and cool their husbands are. Or who share about how they scrapbooked with their kids while lying on the lawn in the sunshine and there’s proof they really did it because there are pictures on their blogs. Or the ones who post regularly, like clockwork, amazing layouts and projects with interesting (time consuming) techniques.

Don’t get me wrong. The DH (which I think stands for dear husband since I see it written in that context often, but for all I know it could mean dreadful handful or disastrous headache) is a good guy. And my kids are not holy terrors. And I sometimes find time to scrapbook.

But am I the only one not ga-ga over my husband’s fantasticism (yes, I made up that word).

Am I the only one who sometimes counts the minutes until quiet time so I can finally be alone?

Am I the only one who is lucky to get an hour a week with my favourite outlet of artistic expression?

I do not judge others or envy them (not in this case anyways). But sometimes I wonder… “how do they do it?”

I don’t pity myself (over this issue anyways). But sometimes I wonder… “one day, will that be me?”

So I keep truckin’ through this life. Busy, swamped really, and barrelling on through all the ups and downs and late nights and early mornings and wet diapers and dishes galore and course assignments and places to be and people to see.

I’m a juggler, and I drop the balls on a regular basis, but so long as those balls aren’t my kids (note I didn’t specify the DH – last week I forgot to put the key in the mailbox and he was locked out for an hour- oops), we’re okay.

We’re okay.

I’m okay.

Onward.

Scrapbook Idea of the Day

Still documenting my life bit by bit. I'm actually pretty happy with the progress I'm making, and some of the shots I'm getting. Should be an interesting album when (if) I get time to put it all together! So I thought I'd show off some of the pictures I'm loving. Here's just a few from yesterday and today:

Day One - Document a Week in the Life

2008-09-29T19:06:00.009-06:00

Stuff of Life/Scrapbook Idea of the Day

So Ali Edwards, my scrap idol, over on her blog has begun this one week challenge/project to document the everyday things you do for one week. Keep the camera at hand to capture the little things in life that we see daily but take for granted, the precious moments (not to be confused with those bizzare porcelain figurines) we forget so easily, the regular stuff that makes our life our life. So I began this morning. My first photo of the day and of the week was this one:

Inspired, eh? Well, it was a start, and I was still in my bathrobe at this point.

Remembering to take my camera with me everywhere and keep it near was challenge number one. I actually managed to get myself, the 3 kiddles, the diaper bag, my purse, camera, and very heavy bag of veggies out to Jackie's place by 8:45 this morning. We spent the morning making zucchini relish, and chatting about this and that. By the end of the morning we'd laughed, cried and run an enormous 48 cups of zucchini, plus peppers, and onions (thus the crying) though the food processor.

At 11 o'clock I popped the kids back in the car and zipped over to Miriam's preschool (we were late but, oh well). At which point I forgot my camera at Jackie's house. Which is in the country. Oops. Well, the lack of photos is true to my life. Sometimes things get left behind, and with God's help hopefully it'll never be one of the kids.

So back home to hang with Finny and Carmen, tidy up a bit, do not much of anything before picking Miriam up again. Carmen conked out on the ten minute drive home and I popped her in bed but nap time didn't take. Finnegan slept. So did I... not realizing nap time was not a part of Carmen's reality. I woke up in my reclining chair to Miriam about 3 inches from my face, smiling at me, telling me about something she'd just done or created. I'm not sure what - it was all foggy at that point. But the sound of my girl, who rarely cries for more than 20 seconds, screaming her head off upstairs in the bassinette cleared my head pretty quickly. Uh oh. Confession time. I have no idea how long she was crying. Could have been a while and based on the fact that it took me 20 minutes to calm her down, I felt pretty bad about it. So no nap. Makes for cheerful kids, eh?

Jim came home from work early and we had early supper - tacos, which are a crown pleaser around here! I went out to Jackie's to pick up my camera, and on the way home hit the local value village where I picked up this sweet deal Juicer for $9.99. It seriously looks like it's never been used. Woo hoo! It might even work! (Maybe I'll try it tomorrow)

Bathtime, brush teeth, bed. Carmen is upstairs having a hard time sleeping because she's so overtired. Happliy her thumb never leaves her and I'm praying she'll calm down eventually. For tonight I've got a reflection for my course, and a lecture to help Jim put together for Chem. Best of all, my day ends with one of these... a glacier/screamer which is a heavenly combination of soft serve icecream and coke slurpee. Yum! Thanks Jim!

'Til tomorrow!

Melanie

Ta da!

2008-09-29T07:37:00.005-06:00

Scrapbook Idea of the Day Here it is! I've imagined this for a few months and finally stole the time to create my first scrapping video! It took some time, but I can see the process getting faster, so I am not dissuaded from doing more in the future... thus the "Episode 1" title! Please give me feedback. What did you like? What could improve? Any ideas? Requests? Ta da! Supplies Used: Fiskars Eurotrimmer (paper cutter) More to Adore Paper Packet from Close to My Heart Adhesive (yes, mine totally sucked - I didn't have a holder and was out of the good Tombow stuff so I tried to make do. More like make don't!) I later added flowers (Close to My Heart) with a brad in the centre of each (dollar store) and "Stickease" stickers (also CTMH) As well I sponged the edge of the 4 x 4 mat on the right page using Cocoa ink and wrote my journalling with the Cocoa marker (Both CTMH)

Cuba or Bust!

2008-09-25T10:02:00.004-06:00

Stuff of Life I have to note this before I forget. There are so many laughable things that happen in our house each and every day. I really should be keeping better track. Anyways... This morning Miriam and Finnegan had my two nursing pillows out in the livingroom and had connected the crescents to form what they decided was their "boat." Such simple pleasures! So there they are sitting in their "boat" and when I asked where they were going in their boat Miriam said "We're going to Cuba" and I thought, 'I bet they're in the only boat that's actually going to Cuba. I'll bet all the Cubans heading the other way think my two are crazy!" Too silly! (We went to Cuba for vacation last year which is where Miriam gets this idea from. BTW we went by plane, not boat that time!) Spiritual Insight of the Day Last night as I drove home from scrapbooking at Tara's I was just overwhelmed by the need to pray for the lives of three women that I know. I won't go into detail, but I am so privileged to be close enough with them that they have shared the tough stuff of life with me. I sang along to the CD "Hungry" and just lifted them up to God and asked that despite the challenges in their lives He would be there with them and make His presence known. So if you're in a prayerful mood and want to add "those three women Melanie's been thinking about" to your prayer today, that would be great. And a prayer for me to love them and be salt and light in their lives would be great too. Thanks. Scrapbook Idea of the Day (Cue Jaws music) It's coming... it's almost here... get ready... is the anticipation killing you?

Sunshine and Roses... NOT!

2008-09-20T22:59:00.003-06:00

Spiritual Insight of the Day Okay, so I know "Not" is totally uncool and dates me since it was around in the late 80's. But I'm okay with that. I never once implied that I might believe myself to be cool! I have hit serious spiritual doldrums right now. For those of you who don't know the doldrums are these areas of the ocean where sailors used to sail through and get stuck for days and weeks because the winds just disappeared and there was no wind in their sails and they weren't going anywhere. Places to avoid when you're living in the 1600's and you haven't got enough food (and beer) on board to keep the crew happy and the rats are running around and the disease infested place gets filthier and filthier and everyone is just miserable and trapped until the wind picks up again. Okay, my doldrums are not so bad as that. We haven't had mice in our house since last fall (that was an ordeal) and the disease level is low (well, high if my hypochondriac microbiologist husband has his input) and we have enough food and beer to keep the crew (i.e. kids) happy... okay so we don't actually give them beer but on occasion it has crossed my mind to give the boy sedatives so he'll sleep past 6 a.m. I'm kidding. Do not call social services. I don't know what it is that has me feeling so blue. Could be some late post partum. God knows I've been through that before. I just have been feeling lately that I want a clean slate. Like I could have a big "Do Over" for the past few months. I'm all itchy to move out of our house which we love and built to our specifications but I somehow think that a new house will magically be easier to tidy and maintain. You see? I know my thoughts are completely illogical, and yet there is this voice in my head (figuratively, not literally. I haven't heard from that other voice for years now...;) that says these thoughts have merit. So I'm going to pray now that God will just keep my feet stepping one in front of the other until I have it in me to pick up the pace once again. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me, or in my case ties a rope around my waist and drags me along for a while. Fortunately God is much gentler than I am and doesn't do that but I'd be happy even with that right now! Off to bed. It's far too late and I need sleep badly!

It Could've Been Me

2008-09-18T16:24:00.003-06:00

Stuff of Life... and death Read a blog today of a woman with two kids killed in a car accident. She was a blogger and a scrappbooker and mother and creator and woman living life day to day like me. Okay, yeah, I'm a bit depressed by it. Makes me think about what I'm doing and why. I did the technological reset last week with our media blackout, but I think I've got to do more. Not sure what. Pondering. Seeking wisdom. I've seriously got to read my bible more often. Going to go hug my kids now and play Bunny Hop with them. Over and Out.

I... hic... have... hic... the hiccups...hic!

2008-09-17T15:18:00.002-06:00

Stuff of Life Well, we're getting into a good routine around here, and it's nice that autumn (my favourite season!) has arrived after some very hot summer days! I have spent the last two days in the garden during Carmen's morning nap while Miriam and Finnegan play in the "rock box" (no we're not too poor to afford sand - we chose rocks over sand because apparently it has a better crush factor when kids fall off swings, and also we thought the neighbourhood cats wouldn't have a hey-day filling it with feces. So much for that idea) I've pulled weeds out of some neglected areas of the garden like the back which is not only tricky to get at but which also is home to some BIG spiders. They look like daddy long legs, but their bodies are more like jagged ovals and even though they run away when I move the leaves they look to have HUGE fangs... at least I think those are fangs. Anyways, you can never be too cautious where spiders and moths are concerned. The point is, gardening would be a lot more fun if it was a bug-free experience. I digress. My plants are doing really well for the most part. This was my experiemental year where I just packed them in and let them fight for blossom glory. Now I have an idea of what is strong and hearty (bee-balm, creeping jenny, lupin) and what is not (bell flowers, clematis, and shasta daisy, surprisingly). I also now realize that when the plant guide says the diameter of growth is 3 feet, it actually means 3 feet. Some of my plants will need to be moved around, but I'm not sure if I should do it now or wait until spring. All in all, though, a very successful garden. And my harvest will be plentiful as well! Beets and Zucchini top the list, with some beans and herbs close behind. I was disappointed in my carrots, which granted I planted late. But I pulled one out last week and it was about as long as my pinky finger and not even close to as wide. Pathetic. Oh well, better luck next year! Miriam loves preschool and is doing so well with piano lessons through Music for Young Children. Finnegan started kindermusik and according to Oma, who takes him, he is VERY shy. He'll do what's asked of him, such as getting a set of bells or a shaker egg, but while the other kids move and dance and sing with the instruments our boy pretty much just holds them and stares at the overwhelming mass of little people around him. It'll take time, but apparently the other parents think he is SO CUTE! Carmen has figured out how to roll and gets around a bit now. Only problem with that is her spit up which was previously confined to her play mat now gets pretty much all over the place. Oh well... we'll get rid of the carpet in favour of hardwood once the kids are old enough not to play with hotwheels on the floor! Jim is enjoying teaching (20 hours a week) but not so much the prep work behind it (40+ hours a week). We are both finishing every day pretty much exhausted. If you are reading this and are a pray-er, you could keep us in mind. We need some relief from this life of constant busyness - and I thought the Ph.D. was bad. This is about 10 times worse... either that or my memory is failing me which is also likely! That's all for now. Working on my first video blog. Should be cool! (If you're a scrapbooker)

Ooooh... Pretty...

2008-09-09T21:13:00.002-06:00

Just a brief post to show off a totally cool little project I did last week. 3x3 inch cards (12 in all, two of each shown here) with a nifty little box to hold them in! Doesn't my lighting just make it look fantastic? Yay me!

When Your Baby Sloshes, You Know She's Full

2008-08-27T15:26:00.004-06:00

Stuff of Life (My Girls in Matching Shirts) (Finnegan's Last Bottle!) I have WAAAAAAY too much on my plate right now, but surprisingly I’m not yet overwhelmed! Let’s see… getting ready for preschool (Miriam, not me), refusing Finnegan’s bottle (he’s off bottles now), preparing for potty training, helping Jim plan his lectures, helping my mother organize since her back is shot, minimizing my house (getting rid of excess and junk), preparing to take a course at the U of A again, gardening, planning a baby quilt, getting pumped for a new season of scrapbooking, trying to keep up with laundry (which is impossible, I don’t know why I do try) menu planning, groceries, getting ready for Music for Young Children (we did not practice over the summer and I can’t believe how much Miriam’s lost!), day to day chores… oh, and being a loving mother to two, whoops! three children (Carmen does tend to get a bit lost in the shuffle sometimes!) Spiritual Insight of the Day I’m working on memorizing Psalm 139. So far I’m just at the beginning, but I’m enjoying meditating on the words each day, and I’m encouraging Miriam to remember them too. Scrapbook Idea of the Day Check out Hero Arts at http://heroarts.com/scrapbooking/ for cool scrapbooking ideas. That’s all for now!

My Kids Might Be Just a Little Too Sheltered!

2008-08-17T22:14:00.003-06:00

Stuff of Life So Miriam and Finnegan make friends with two little kids at the museum the other day. We’re outside sitting on the grass in the shade of beautiful trees near this Chinese pagoda-style gazebo. The kids are running in and out and are particularly curious about the ants that seem to be crawling around here and there. Then at one point Miriam says urgently to the little boy “Don’t step on the ant!” “That’s not an ant,” he says matter-of-factly. “It’s a pine cone.” Now Jim and I immediately were suppressing our laughter because we were both amused and horrified at the fact that our daughter could mistake an inanimate round woody object for a mobile insect. Perhaps she needs to get out and enjoy the great outdoors a bit more, eh? Oh dear. Finnegan was his quiet little self today at the park, to the point that I was watching Miriam and Jonah playing in the pool and realized I couldn’t see Finnegan. “Where’s Finnegan?” I asked quickly then realized immediately that he was sitting mere inches to my right contentedly eating all the Craisins he could dig out of the bag. I did a dramatic “Oh there you are!” which he thought was hilarious and, get this, he said “Gan you do it adain?” Er, you mean you want me to not be able to find you and then act surprised at the fact that you’re right next to me? Erm. Okeedokee. So I say “Sure” and look around the playground saying “Where’s Finny. Can anyone see him?” before repeating the same shocked and amazed discovery of him at my side as before. He of course thinks this is hilarious and I repeat this drama at least five times before we leave the park today. I’m not sure if I should be gladden by the fact that he’s so easy to please or worried at the possibility that he actually believes I’m senile enough to “forget” him in mere seconds! Ah my boy! Carmen was little miss giggle pants and would not go to sleep despite serious redness around the eyes! She loves it when I say “Ah boo!” and jiggle her belly (probably the only time I can guarantee she won’t spit up oddly enough!) Serious giggles and shrieks out of her until I said enough is enough and lay down beside her for a little feed. Some of you reading this may want to close your eyes for this next sentence, but I have to say I love breast feeding. Such a privilege to nourish your child from your own body and have that closeness of contact and trusting dependence from one so little. Truly blessed in this. Spiritual Insight of the Day At church we have this tradition (well it’s becoming one anyways) of reflecting on our week with thanksgiving. My thanks for this week will definitely be the two little girls who stood on our porch and knocked on the door this evening while I was out and Jim was watching the kids. Our neighbour girl Kelly, who is going into grade one and her little friend asked Jim “Can we swing on your swing?” I’d told Kelly to come over and play in our yard any time and she took it literally, asking despite the fact that we were not outside and our kids were in fact in bed. So Jim says “Sure!” and out they go and he hears the squeak of the swing. Twenty minutes later they’re back asking if they can come back later, so he says “yes” so long as they make sure their parents know where they are. They come back again and swing then he hears a knock on the back door. “Can we have a drink of water?” they ask. Hilarious! Of course, Jim gives them cups and sets out an entire pitcher for them saying “let me know if you want more but I doubt you’ll get through this entire pitcher!” They continue to swing and then it’s quiet in the yard and Jim peeks through the window and sees them sitting at the little picnic table making sand castles using the water from the pitcher. So funny, kids. So I am thankful that we have these fantastic neighbours and beautiful children and are forming these great relationships with all of them. Building community as it is meant to be! Scrapbooking Idea of the Day. Check out CMHTV (Close to My Heart Television) for some nifty scrapping demos. I contacted Tara Hawkins about my demonstrator kit today! Super excited to get started!

I Know a Boy Whose Name is Finnegan, Hey La-dee La-dee Lo

2008-08-15T15:29:00.003-06:00

Stuff of Life

Precious moments abound in this house. Every day little things that make me smile and think “I have the greatest kids” or “Jim is such a good Daddy” or “I’m glad to be me.” I’ve been watching my boy Finnegan these days. I’ve been forgetting about him a bit – not as in “oops I drove away and left Finny on the sidewalk”, but as in not taking as many pictures or noticing the milestones. Miriam is oldest and with her everything is new. Carmen is a baby and in a different way everything with her is so new too. Finnegan is a middle child, following in his sister’s footsteps but not new enough to be changing so obviously each day. So Finnegan, this blog’s for you. If you want to make a boy like Finnegan you have to have quite an assortment of ingredients. Start with a little boy body, about 32 pounds and lightly touched by baby fat. Add beautiful brown eyes framed by long eyelashes and a thick dark mop top cut slightly too short by a scissor happy mother. Pinch the left ear so it has a bit of an indent in it and scribble a tiny mole above it and a birth mark on the back of the neck. The body is the easy part. What goes on inside is the tricky part of this recipe. Pour in a significant portion of good humour blended with a go with the flow attitude. This little guy likes to giggle, so program a giggle into almost every part of his speech followed by random word like “apook” or “goke” which is designed to trigger even more giggles. Watchful eyes are a must and should be designed to effectively observe and imitate 90% of his big sister’s actions. His speech should be rapid and vocabulary higher than average, but set the discernability to medium so that “I dit in a dar wif Meeum” and “Gan I hab a dink of wada doo?” are translatable to “I sit in a car with Miriam” and “Can I have a drink of water too?” by only familiar family and close friends. Insatiable curiosity is important as well and occasional obsessions with random items and events is expected – an internal timing mechanism to ask “Is it darbage day doday?” at least twice daily for 3 or more months completes this package. But don’t mistake. This boy is not rough and tumble, so do not under any circumstances toss him in the air, turn him upside down, or chase him up the stairs with teasing crocodile snapping fingers. All three are likely to induce tears and or panic. For best fun provide puzzles, cars, trains, and small collectibles such as buttons, coins and rocks. Add some cuddles, an affection for Puppy, and an intensity of purpose and determination common in most Harmsma offspring, and you might have a boy something like my boy Finnegan. That’s my boy. He’s one of a kind and one of the best. The pride and joy of his Mum and Dad and cherished by all who know him. Our adorable Finnegan. Spiritual Insight of the Day. God is good. He’s reminding us that he does go before us and prepare the way, that we can rely on him and not ourselves for joy and comfort. My prayer these days has been that He’ll remind us of His omniscience powerfully so that we will depend on Him more readily. I’ve been praying for my kids at night too these days. Literally getting down on my knees at their bedside while they sleep and talking to God about them and me. It’s good to pray at night – they’re so peaceful at rest and the sound of their breathing and smoothness of their skin reflecting the warmth of the hall light creates a picture of beauty even after sometimes long and trying days. I talk to God about my hopes for them, my worries, my mistakes and theirs and how to reconcile the two. I talk about why I’m thankful that God gave these wonderful kids to such an undeserving mother and ask for the ability to be better towards them than I alone can be and for the ability to reflect even a fragment of His love toward them. Mostly I pray that they would know Him – not just as this religious symbol but as the loving father and caring brother and powerful Spirit He truly is. That’s my biggie. Health. Yeah. Happiness. Sure. Success. Yep. But forget all these things in favour of knowing God. Sometimes, I even just sit and listen, but that’s harder. Not so good at the listening part of the conversation, even with regular human folk. I like to talk. Listening is a trait I need more practice at. Scrapbook Idea of the Day I don’t actually have an idea today, I just want to say how excited I am to be starting 2 scrapbook groups this fall as well as my plan to become a Close to My Heart demonstrator. I have so many fun ideas and grand plans. Watch this spot for more on that later! One hint: Video Blog!

Ramblings from Provost

2008-08-09T07:14:00.006-06:00

Stuff of Life Things I never thought I'd hear myself say part 3: #897 Take your face out of your bowl. #341 You don't wear sunglasses on your penis. (I didn't say this to Jim by the way) #72 I'm not kissing your bum better. Mmmmmm.... Blueberries! I'm sitting in my sister's livingroom smelling fresh blueberry bran muffins baking in the oven. Yum. I had her honey oat bread a few days ago and was willing to forfeit all the day's calories to eat the entire loaf (I didn't, but I was willing). Conclusion: I love home cooked and especially home baked meals. I think heaven will be a place where fast food and microwave dinners are unheard of, where slow food and beauty in presentation will be a part of every meal. We're heading home today. Only a three hour drive and the kids are usually pretty good on the trip. We don't have any of those new fangled car DVD players or anything and are loathe to get one. Our TV at home doesn't even work so why would we do TV in the car? My kids watch an average of and hour a week, unless they go to Oma's or Nana and Grandpas where The Big Comfy Couch and Thomas are choice viewing. I like that my kids don't really know about TV characters, especially considering they are all mostly created to market products. According to the Bathroom Reader (which is my source of all interesting trivia... well most anyways) the writers of the newest Superman spent so much time (14 years?) rewriting because they kept having the script sent back with notes on it like "please add a robot or creature with tentacles" so that when the movie came out there would be more potential profit from action heros. Hmmm.. I didn't intend to go in the direction of an anti-media statement, but there it is. I'm enjoying August and am realizing that September will mark a big change for our family. Miriam starts preschool and following that there will be no escaping the inevitable kindergarten and subsequent schooling. We are entering the days of driving kids to and from, coordinating more than two schedules (currently just mine and Jim's), and doing school activities. I never intended to do preschool with any of my kids. But somehow Miriam discovered its existence and told me confidently that she was going. I'm assuming Finnegan and Carmen and number 4 (if there is a number 4) will do the same. I feel like I'm losing a bit of the control I've had over my kid's lives - choosing what and who will influence them. Now they'll be hanging around with media savy commercialized rugrats (yes, back to the soap box) and how will they not engage in that culture? But I can't homeschool... I just can't. I'd go crazy I think. Not that I don't love my kids, but the SAH (stay at home) life is not something I plan to do long term. Then again, once it's over maybe I'll want to go back. Seems we never really truly appreciate where we are until we're not there anymore. That's all for now. Spiritual Insight of the Day Love languages. They're important. Don't tell anyone, but when Jim and I played a "guess which love language you value most" game, Jim couldn't guess mine because it was the only one he couldn't actually remember! (I say this with a smile because I know he loves me I just think it's funny that I have to remind him once in a while that Acts of Service are far more important to me than Gifts, which he likes to buy!) For your reference the languages according to some sources are: Gifts, Acts of Service, Time, Physical Affection, and Verbal Affirmation (some sources add more). So, knowing that Verbal Affirmation is high for Jim, I worked last night to make a mini-book of Affirmations. 37 of them in honor of his 37th birthday. Why do I include this in my "Spiritual Insight" section of the blog? Well because I think God wants us to love each other and I think that going out of your way to love someone the way they like to be loved can be a spiritual discipline. It gets us out of our usual patterns and habits and reminds us that there is variety in love. So love your friends, family and neighbours the way they like to be loved as well as the way it's natural for you to love (my natural inclination is Acts of Service). Scrapbook Idea of the Day As I said, I made a mini book with NO PHOTOS. Try it. It's a challenge, but in some ways more beautiful than a book with photos. It calls upon your heart and mind in different ways. I thin I'd like to do one for each of my kids as an exercise in thankfulness and source of joy and remembrance.

Run Run Run As Fast As You Can You Can't Catch Me I'm The Gingerbread Mum (Except I Don't Like Gingerbread So Make That The Peanut Butter Cookie Mum)

2008-08-08T08:00:00.003-06:00

Stuff of Life Found a fun link to Wordle , which helped me create acool word mosaic out of one of my recent blogs. I just copied the text, pasted it in the box, and based on frequency of words, it created this lovely little picture. You can check out the actual picture in the gallery here. I haven't figured out how to copy the image more clearly to insert it into my blog. Oh the scrapbooking possibilities!

I am a bit overwhelmed at the propect of updating this blog with what's happened in our lives over the past three weeks. Needless to say it's been busy. VERY busy! Here's a brief snapshot: 1) My Orff Course - As part of my Master's Degree, I took my level 2 Orff (Level 1 two years ago was awesome). Bob de Frece instructed with Wendy and Laurel providing Recorder and Movement instruction. The days were awesome. So many fun activities which inspire me to be an awesome teacher and give me tools to create for my classroom. That was the good stuff. The bad stuff - group work. I realize I was probably the kind of kid who had "does not work and play well with others" written on her report card comments. Or if I wasn't then, I am now and I don't know what changed. Actually I do. I am WAY more competetive and this makes it hard to relinquish control in a group setting. Especially considering some people were doing the course for kicks and some (like me) are doing it for our degrees. So people come in with different goals and motivations which is tough to connect. I tried to be positive, at least when in the group situations. But really I was pretty stressed out about having to coordinate so many group projects (4 of them) and feeling like if I wanted stuff done well I needed to do the lion's share of the work. So while Orff level 1 ended with a feeling of I-wish-it-could-last-forever, Orff level 2 ended with a feeling of Thank-God-it's-over! 2) Lactation Specialist - Breastfeeding is the best. Even if it does mean I need to lactate in my professor's office twice daily! That's right - I rented a pump and excused myself twice a day to empty the girls (as I shall refer to them. I once made an off the cuff joke about what they were named, just as men sometimes name their more, um, intimate parts. To my chagrin, Melissa remembered this and told her at the time boyfriend! Ah the joys of sisterhood. For the record, I do not name my body parts, cars or any other inamimate object. And no, I will not tell you what my pretend names were.) It was actually a nice quiet time in my very noisy musical days. My girl Carmen gobbled up the white gold as fast as I could provide it and has the chubby little thighs to prove it! I'm glad for the technology that makes it easy to continue breatfeeding even when away for long periods, but am also so happy to be back to the au naturelle format too - less bits to coordinate. 3) Child Care Extraordinaire! My public thanks to Nana and Grandpa and Auntie Melissa for taking such good care of three busy munchkins! We all crashed at Bob and Libby's house for week one of the course, and Melissa came for three days of week 2. Jim covered the last two days taking on the role of stay-at-home-dad. I never once worried that my kids would be neglected or unhappy or insecure because my family is simply the best (and yes, I am singing Tina Turner's version "better than all the rest" in my head with that sexy gravelly voice of hers) If anything my kids were spoiled for the attention and loved every minute I'm sure. That's okay. Spoiling is a privelege for extended family. And Mummy's always here to ground the munchkins back to the reality of "No we can't eat perogies and macaroni and cheese every day" and "I know Melissa lets you yell and scream when you play with Jonah but it gives me a headache." So much more to communicate, but time to get ready for a day at the beach! Pictures later (maybe today)

I've Missed Being Ever-Present Mummy - That's a Surprise!

2008-08-01T21:04:00.003-06:00

Stuff of Life I haven't updated in a while... soooo busy. I'll share more later, but I wanted to get this posted before I forget. Finny came down from bath time today all towelly sweetness and said "I not have underwear." "Not yet," I said. "But are you going to have underwear when you grow up to be big like daddy?" "Uh-huh." "And is Miriam going to grow up to be big like daddy too?" At this point Miriam walks in and says "No, I'm going to have babies!" "Oh really?" "Yes, and I'm going to marry Finnegan" (We haven't yet explained the full concept of marriage except for the fact that it happens when two people love each other so much they want to be together always. So Miriam frequently speaks of her intention to marry her brother... We are not from the Ozarks. Seriously we're not. Is that how you spell Ozarks? I'm too tired to cross reference.) Anyways. Miriam continues. "I'm not going to marry Jonah." (She usually wants to marry Jonah, her cousin, which is slightly better, but we'll still have to break it to her some time this whole interfamily relations thing!) She shakes her head. "I'm not marrying him because remember when he was here for two days? He was reeeally grumpy! So I'm going to marry Finnegan." That girl makes me laugh. So does my boy and my pumpkin baby. Finnegan is so typically two. Starting to come into his own, displaying some stubbornness when he doesn't get his own way, and so communicative. He thinks he's so funny and he is really, just in a very two-year-old way. He often says or does things and smiles at me and asks "Is that so silly?" (actually it sounds more like "Is dat so dilly?" CUTE!) His big thing these days is saying "This is no" (nodding) and "This is yes" (shaking his head). He thinks backwards stuff is hilarious. But what's so funny is watching him try to coordinate saying "No" and nodding at the same time because he gets this concentrated smile on his face like he's trying to pat his head and rub his tummy at the same time. Silly. I just love him so much! I've got to write down his mannerisms before I forget them... There are some really precious habits he's got. Carmen is soooo sweet. I hope she doesn't resent me later for categorizing her as a sweet baby as opposed to adorable or cut or precious. I mean, she's all those things too, but she is so much more than that as well, and when you put it all together right now, she is pure sweetness, plain and simple. She is the BEST baby (don't tell the others!) She is so easy going and always happy. She's starting to figure out that her arms and legs are attached to her brain and that she can occasionally coordinate the two toward some common goal (like sucking on "Girrafimo" her hanging toy) She almost never cries. I mean never. I think she spends maybe a total of two minutes a day crying (unless she's gassy which can last a grand total of 6 minutes). I'm glad to be back to full time Mummy now. More on my absence later. All I can tell you is it's been an Orff-ully busy two weeks! Peace.

Now I Understand What Mr. Rogers Was Getting At.

2008-07-09T14:41:00.002-06:00

Stuff of Life A continuation of things I never thought I’d hear myself say: #317 – “We don’t put Jacks in our nose.” #128- “Good burp!” #595- “You should chew after your fingers are out of your mouth.” One of the things that brings me joy in watching my children is comparing them to one another. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hold one up and say “Oh, this one is so much smarter than those other two dummies” or anything like that. But it is so interesting to see how different three children can be despite the fact that they all live in the same house with the same parents and have inherited pretty similar genetics. Both nature and nurture are, I think, fairly similar. And yet, there is Miriam, who is so much more confident than Finnegan, my little Mama’s boy. And there is Finnegan, who is so much more go-with-the-flow than Miriam, who always wants to know what to expect. And there is Carmen, who sleeps so much better than either of the other two which may be the greatest blessing in my life currently. They are all so unique, but also similar in many ways, and I simply enjoy each of their little personalities! I am enjoying being a SAHM (Stay-at-home-mum) right now. It’s good to be there for all the silliness and creativity and questions and curiosity and wonder and exploration that life as a little person entails. Spiritual Insight of the Day I love my neighbours. I really do. Not just in the “well, God told me to love them, so I guess I should, even though so-and-so has an irritating yappy dog and what’s-his-face needs a new muffler, which I’m reminded of every morning at 6 a.m” way. Our neighbours are great. We have game playing neighbours who are fun to hang out with an laught with and comete against. We have helpful neighbours who show up to shovel when the dump truck drops a load of dirt in our yard and who hand-me-down their lawnmowers and other tools. We have young neighbours who wave with bright smiles at us and who fill the street with laughter and shrieks. We have neighbours who see eye-to-eye with us and neighbours who remind us that there is more than one way of seeing things. We have awesome neighbours. In the two years since we’ve been in this neighbourhood, we’ve actively introduced ourselves to the folks on our block, and the result is a sense of community and friendship and even security. Earlier this fall, Miriam tricycled down to “the tree”, which is one end of her boundary, and our neighbour Aileen, not seeing me sitting on our porch, came running out of her house. “Miriam, what are you doing out here?” she asked before I called and waved, and explained that the tree in front of her house is one end of Miriams tricycle boundary. I like that our neighbours know us and know our kids and even care about and protect our kids. So today, I am praying for my neighbours. I’m thanking God that he gave us such a great community with such interesting people. I’m praying that our friendships will deepen and that we will learn to be there for each other. I’m praying that they will be blessed by God in their work, in their families, in their homes and schools, and in all parts of their lives. God loves my neighbours as much as he loves me, and I pray that they will realize God’s intention to prosper them and care for them. And I’m praying that I will love my neighbour as much as I love myself. Scrapbook Idea of the Day. TURN OFF YOUR FLASH! That’s it. My big insight. Do it. It will make a world of difference in your photos. My camera turns on the flash whenever there is even the slightest bit of dim in the room. Totally unnecessary. I checked out the instruction manual, and now turn the flash off every time I turn on the camera, and only use it when I know it is quite dark, or if I want to “fill” when the foreground is darker than the background. Since turning it off a couple weeks ago, my photos are so much better in terms of light and colour and softness of image. Try it. You’ll like it.

When Pigs Influence Family Fun Time

2008-07-03T14:57:00.002-06:00

Stuff of Life I’m melllllllting! We’ve spent this week trying to beat the heat. Visits to the legislature grounds and cool malls have definitely helped the situation! Summer is not my favourite season for one reason – hot dry weather. If summer was 25 degrees Celsius and partly cloudy all day, I would be one happy camper! And thank God for our new blinds which are keeping the sun from turning our house into an easy-bake oven!!! Canada Day was so fun! Miriam has been suggesting for about a week that we should have an “Olivia” picnic. Olivia, for those of you who don’t know, is a pig who, in the book “Olivia Forms a Band”, goes to see fireworks and has a picnic with sandwiches and corn on the cob and strawberries and watermelon. So, knowing that Canada Day celebrations include fireworks, I shopped for the appropriate picnic ingredients, and on Tuesday we packed the picnic basket, walked to a park and sat on the grass under an enormous tree and enjoyed an official “Olivia Picnic!” We went home and the kids went to bed then we woke them up at nine (actually it was so hot that when I went to wake Miriam up I found her lying on her back, singing and playing with her toes.) The fireworks at Fort Saskatchewan were smaller than “big city” fireworks, but they lasted a long time and were beautiful. I was a little worried that Miriam would be sensitive to the noise as she tends to be with anything loud, and hoped it didn’t cause a major freak out considering how tired she was. But she sat with Oma and Oma covered her ears and she enjoyed the show. Finny cuddled with Jim and I had Carmen who was sleeping until the first firework went off at which point I stuck my finger in her mouth and she happily sucked away for the next fifteen minutes! NOTE TO SELF: Take the extra time and effort to intentionally make memories. This is a day we will all remember and which I can reflect on with pride knowing that on Canada Day 2008 we had a great family time together. Most of the “Stuff of Life” is little stuff like bath times and stories and playing in the backyard, but once in a while some of it should be extra special. Spiritual Insight of the Day I was talking with Carmen yesterday. More accurately, I was speaking English and she was speaking gobbledygook. Nevertheless, we had a most engaging conversation. She was completely thrilled with my singsong words and she smiled and squirmed and gurgled with all her might. It got me to thinking two things: First, isn’t this what the best friendships are about? Two people who can literally talk about nothing, yet completely enjoy the time spent together? Second, this kind of parallels what our relationship with God is like. We look up at Him and often don’t necessarily understand what He’s saying to us, but we know it’s loving so it makes us happy and we try in our own little ways to imitate His words to us. If God loves us the way I love my infant girl, are we not seriously the most treasured people ever? And to think that, as much as I love Carmen, God loves her about a bazillion times more. Cool. Scrapbook Idea of the Day It’s not exactly scrappy, more like “cardy”, but take a jaunt over to kwerner design blog. She has “Make a Card Monday” which features some cool video and neat ideas that can be transferred to the world of scrapbooking too. Also, if you haven’t yet, visit some of the sites I’ve listed on my sidebar there. I regrouped them so my daily picks are separate. I think Cathy Zielske may be the funniest person I’ve known aside from my sister or a gathering of my MacDonell aunts. She is so real. I just love it!

Great Kids

2008-06-26T22:33:00.005-06:00

Stuff of Life I love Grandparents… specifically grandparents who are willing to take the children off our hands over night so we (Jim and I) can kick back and focus on ourselves and our relationship. Good stuff. I’ve spent yesterday and today tidying the house and catching up on laundry so that when I drop two of three off tomorrow, I can come home and not think “Gee, I should just toss a load in the dryer while I’ve got time.” Nope. No siree Bob. I will NOT be doing anything even remotely resembling housework during my time off! To assist in this matter we will go for dinner, meet some friends for breakfast, and possibly lunch it out as well. The only dishes produced should be Jim’s morning coffee cup, Carmen’s nightly bottle of preserved breastmilk, and perhaps my own tea cup. Laundry avoidance strategy? We’re throwing out tomorrow’s clothes after we wear them… just kidding. I wish. A fun day with the kids today. It makes me wonder what makes one day totally laid back and low maintenance, and others wound up and stressful. It really doesn’t seem like I did anything out of the ordinary, but today was just so easy. Finnegan is starting to get a mind of his own, and is learning to ignore my requests to, for example, give the puzzle piece back to Miriam. And the counting to 3 strategy doesn’t work because he immediately starts crying “Don’t count! Don’t count!” and is so focused on me not counting that he won’t do anything at all but dance around all panicked! So silly (or “dilly” as he’d say) But we had a great day with playing outside. I can push him way higher on the swing than I ever pushed Miriam at the same age. He’s not particularly a daredevil (actually he’s a bit of a chicken – doesn’t like being swung around or tossed in the air) but I think he sees Miriam swinging high and want to be like her. Her little shadow. So cute. Miriam was so into words today. After her quiet time, she got out some paper and markers and wrote a letter to Nana and Grandpa: “Tomorrow I like to have a sleepover” complete with an illustration of her and Finnegan outside their front door and Jim and I “away” with Jim having a mad face because he doesn’t want to stand on my head but that’s the only place to draw him. On another page she wrote “Macaroni and cheese” and “Perogies and sourcream” and drew pictures as well (though what a horse has to do with KD, I have no idea). Then later after bath time she was running up and down the stairs between the bathroom and the kitchen table, and when I finally inquired as to what she was doing she showed me that she’d written the words “hot” “bath” and “cold” which she’d read off the taps and written on her page (short term memory only held a few letters in her mind at a time, thus the running back and forth!) Carmen as usual is a delight – it just comes with the territory at this age, I think. She sleeps AWESOME (ten-ish to seven with rarely a wake between.) During the day she hangs out wherever she’s dumped…er, I mean, lovingly placed… and often entertains herself with her new best friend, Mr Right Hand Thumb. This frequently results in a gradual drifting off to la-la-land. And when she’s awake, she just talks and smiles and looks adorable. That’s all for today. Off to bed to rest for my day of rest!

Nurturing Life

2008-06-24T21:13:00.005-06:00

Stuff of Life Mastitis – if you don’t know what it is, all you need to know is you do NOT want to get it. Ouch. Still on my gardening kick. I am about two days away from “done” in terms of getting everything planted and organized to the point where I can sit back and enjoy it and simply maintain it. I’m so excited about my garden. I have over 60 different species of plants growing out there. I have plants that are well on their way, and plants that are yet but seeds. I envision my garden as a place of relaxation, comfort, beauty and peace. I envision my garden as a place where my children will learn about the amazing process of growth. This garden will not be a hands off affair, though already I have consciously held back from saying “don’t touch!” Instead I tell the kids to be gentle, and how to touch so the plant isn’t hurt. I remind them to be careful not to step on plants as they wander among the new buds. I like seeing Finn eye-to-eye with the delphiniums and the Echinacea, and Miriam gently fingering a green poppy bud one day and surprised by it’s yellow petals the next. This is their garden too, where they have helped me plant less than straight rows of peas and carrots, beets and beans. They will enjoy it too, and we will be in awe of God’s creation together. This is a privilege and a joy for me. I’ll cherish it. Spiritual Insight of the Day My two hour wait for a doctor yesterday (see Mastitis above) gave me some time to delve into “The Sacred Romance” again. No, this is not some sleazy romance novel, but a look at God’s relationship with His people. The chapter I read talked a lot about what our role is in this great play we’ve found ourselves in – the epic story in which we have a part. It was good reading. I especially liked a paraphrase of one of the verses in the bible which went something like: God’s people/the church is not peripheral to the rest of society. Society is peripheral to God’s people/the church. I can’t really put into words what this means to me. I can only say it helps me feel more significant, and motivates me to be braver in my walk through this world. The chapter also remembered Jeremiah, who was a prophet sent to speak God’s word, but who wasn’t feeling up to the task. God reassured him that He would give him the right words. I know that God also will give me the right words so long as I am willing to speak them. So that’s my prayer today, that I would be willing and waiting in expectation for God to invite me to speak in His story. Scrapbook Idea of the Day Journal. Take time to remember the little things that are so easily forgotten. Like how Miriam always used to wake up with a pirate eye when she was a baby because her one eyed gummed itself shut at night. Or how Finnegan fell in love with “Olivia Forms a Band” after Melissa gifted the book to Miriam for Christmas 2007, and how he always said the same things at the same points in the story for weeks on end (“boke neck?”). Or how Carmen learned to suck her thumb at 11 weeks of age and how we didn’t try to switch out for a soother because it was a) self soothing which is good when you’re one of 3, b) better for van rides because we wouldn’t be able to stick the soother in if it popped out because we can’t reach you like we could the first two in our little escort, and c) it’s so darn cute! These details are not important. Not life altering. Not significant to anyone but us. But it’s these little details which differentiate us from all the other two-parent-three-kid-middle-class families out there.

Grow Up

2008-06-22T16:12:00.000-06:00

Stuff of Life Sometimes there’s just too much stuff and not enough life. Focusing on the positive… actually mostly just trying to ignore the negative. Spiritual Insight of the Day Start a garden. Grow something from seed. Visit a berry farm and pick a few baskets. Today it’s all about the garden metaphor… scratch that. It’s not just a metaphor. It’s also just God’s great creation. Scrapbook (Gardening) Idea of the Day To be honest, I haven’t scrapbooked in a while… not really. I’m in garden mode right now. My grandparents a few years ago gave each of their children an early inheritance gift, and my father gave my sister and I $1000 of it for ourselves. I’ve saved it in its original American currency form (darn that – whodathunk the Canadian dollar would go par? – crud). I had thought to use it as part of the down payment on our first house, but what with housing prices in Alberta so high, the thou would’ve seemed a meager contribution. So I thought, “Hey, we have no landscaping other than grass. How about a MacDonell tribute garden?” See, my grandparents were hard working parents of ten children, and as well as owning the MacDonell Inn in Cornwall (now gone), they also owned the MacDonell Greenhouse, selling plants and trees and shrubs to people and landscapers (not that landscapers aren’t people…) Anyways. We spent our first summer just getting the landscaping done to the point of grass (don’t even GET me started about our landscaper). We spent our second summer digging out the packed cement-like clay to 18 inch depth (deep for perennials – can go shallower for annuals). Now in our third summer we’re finally at the fun stage. And by we I mean me. I’m doing most of the work because quite honestly I have most of the motivation. I’m super excited to have planted 45 perennials as well as 4 tomato plants, a zucchini, basil (two kinds), oregano, chives, cucumber and seeds for carrots, beets, peas and beans. I still have to plant some Chinese lantern, sweet pea, dill and morning glory seeds, and after looking at the empty patches in my garden, I went today and picked up 20 more perennials to fill. Can’t wait to get them in, but it’s raining today, so am trapped inside watching the clock and wishing it was sunny. Maybe tomorrow. So, my scrapbook idea of the day? Be creative with whatever you’ve got, whether it’s paper and ink, or dirt and seeds. Make your world more beautiful!

Time Flies When You're Completely Overwhelmed

2008-06-17T19:17:00.003-06:00

Stuff of Life Things I never thought I’d hear myself say: #451 – “Don’t put grapes in your shoes” #237 – “Don’t eat your pasta with a pitchfork” #105 – “It’s not a good idea to put fingers in bums.”

Ah, yes… the joys of motherhood. I knew I’d encounter silly and bizarre behaviours with my munchkins, but even I can’t predict from one moment to the next what kinds of zany plots and crazy mischief these two will cook up. And as a result, my list of unusual phrases is growing and growing. If I had a penny for every time I shook my head at something I said, well, I’d have enough money to pay for a chiropractor to fix the neck damage from all that head shaking! Spiritual Insight of the Day It’s a long haul, so… Be patient. Be authentic. Be connected. Be wise. Be intentional. Be who God created you to be. Just be. Scrapbooking Idea of the Day Sign up for ScrapinstyleTV. This is a neat sight with some interesting videos (only available to members – free) and some galleries and ideas to inspire. I suppose that’s where I am right now, just gathering inspiration while I organize and sift through my supplies.

Things Which Are Excellent and Praiseworthy

2008-06-06T14:26:00.001-06:00

Stuff of Life It’s official! My wonderful husband is officially a “Doctor.” (Of philosophy, not medicine!) June 5, 2008 marks the convocation of James Sandercock as a Ph.D of Microbiology and Bioinformatics (or something like that!) I’m so happy for his achievement after 6 loooooong years of often frustrating repetitive experiments. And on a personal note FINALLY! IT’S OVER! It’s been a long 6 years for me too, not so much in the beginning, but towards the end as first one baby then another arrived and life became very busy. But this chapter is now over and we are entering into the world of “real” work with him teaching at the local college and hoping to move into something permanent. Deep breath… ahhhh… freedom… Spiritual Insight of the Day On the topic of convocation, during the President’s convocation address, she referred to the University motto “Que cum quae vera” (might be misspelled). It apparently means “Whatsoever is true” and originates from the bible, Phillipians 4:8, which states “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - thing about such things.” Of course the secular liberal arts University takes this phrase and twists it, but I digress. Here, today, is my response to this passage, the excellent and praiseworthy things I will think about: 1) The sky is cloudy and I can smell the rain in the air preparing to water the grass and plants and clean the dust off the trees and buildings. 2) Dinner last night was a splendid affair of beautifully laid out dishes, diverse flavours and enjoyable company. 3) My daughter is creative and independent and inquisitive and often eager to please. 4) My son is funny and gentle and bright and energetic. 5) My infant daughter is calm and cheerful and precious and sweet. 6) I have such fun friends with whom to play German board games and jam to rock band and scrapbook and just chat with. 7) My dishwasher ran this morning and my washing machine and dryer are busy in the basement… I’m blogging instead of being elbow deep in suds… if this isn’t praiseworthy, I don’t know what is! Scrapbook Idea of the Day I’m using Close to My Heart’s Cherish idea book to clean out my scrapbook supplies in preparation for a new batch. I take a bunch of related papers, check the idea book for a layout and throw it together in record time… no titles or journaling or even photos, but the pages are ready to be personalized, and if I’m not thrilled with the outcome, I have friends who will happily use the pages for their photos.

Bork! Bork! Bork!

2008-06-03T21:28:00.002-06:00

Stuff of Life Ever had a day that seemed to move in slow motion? That was today for me. I can’t believe it took us until 10 to get out of the house to go shopping, and I honestly can’t explain why. The store was crazy busy, and the line up about a half hour wait… at least they had cookies for us near the end! Despite the slow-mo, the day’s been great. Hung out with my girl for a bit while the little ones napped… I just love her conversational style these days. It’s so grown up and articulate. She’s using phrases like “Seriously mum,” and “No, probably not” and talking to her imaginary friends “So I was like, that’s so irritating.” My boy’s picking up some grown up vocab too. I sat down on the couch to read him a story the other day and he says to me “Aksee I dit deya.” (Actually, I sit there) He’s still working on some sounds (“Binny dop Bork ona goun” isn’t a return of the muppet’s Swedish chef, it means “Finny dropped fork on the ground.”) As for Carmen, she mostly sucks – literally! Life is good. I could complain – really I could, but what’s the point? Sometimes you’ve gotta consciously ignore your gripe and sit back and say “Life is good!” So… Life is good! Spiritual Insight of the day. I confess. After all that the other day about getting back to basics, I didn’t… not yet anyways. But I will. Seems like I’m making choices to do other stuff lately. No one to blame but myself really. But it’s still in my mind. Scrapbook Idea of the day Seriously loving Ali Edward’s Blog these days. Check it out, and follow some of her links. Really creative inspiration, and lots of up to date info on what’s hot out there! I’m purging my supplies these days. I made a big order with a friend of mine for some papers and stuff, so I’m trying to use up my odds and ends to make room. Still scrapping from my crop bag. So long as I limit my space, I figure I’ll also limit my budget, prioritize my projects, make the process simpler by minimizing choice etc… Of course, I do sometimes dream of a scrapbook room stocked to the rafters!

A Prescription to Blog

2008-06-01T14:59:00.003-06:00

Stuff of Life There's an article in Jim's Scientific American this month about the therapeudic nature of blogging. I haven't read it yet (gotta be in the mood for geek-speak) but the implication is that this here what I 'm doing right now is beneficial to my mental health... Hey, I'm not going to say "no" to a boost to my current mental stability! If I’d had my camera this morning, I would have taken a photo of Miriam and posted it. Instead, I’d leant it to my mother yesterday so had to settle for video (not scrap-worthy unfortunately) and a verbal description here. As I was on the phone with my best friend Tara this morning, the house became suddenly very quiet… when there are two children and an infant in the house, this silence is usually a bad sign. So I put Carmen down and tiptoed upstairs to check on my munchkins. They were happily and quietly playing in their closet, sitting inside the IKEA drawer shelf that holds their clothes, but which they take the drawers out of and use as imaginary cars. And get this. Miriam had on the most hilarious outfit. She’d put on her flowered cloth swim diaper, flowered swim suit, Finnegan’s swim trunks, her green and white polka dot swim suit, a fuchsia swim suit with floating Styrofoam inserts, and a ridiculous pink cap which Carmen will grow into but will probably never wear because it’s so unfashionable! Cracked me up completely, but I managed to say in a really positive upbeat voice which only a mother can conjure up in moments like these “Hey, Miriam! Cool outfit! What are you wearing?” At which point I got the proud breakdown of her attire. She actually asked if she could wear it to church! I briefly considered it, in light of the song lyrics “Come, just as you are to worship!” (Tee hee J) Finnegan is such a sweet, gentle hearted boy, not your typical rough and rowdy boy, but first thing in the morning he wakes up and absolutely BELLOWS from his crib! Not in a mad/sad/impatient way, just for the sake of being loud. I have no idea how long he yells for someone to come and get him out of his wooden barred prison, but once he’s out, he’s his peaceful little self again! I should get him up from his nap right away… but the peace and quiet in the house right now is gooooood. Spiritual Insight of the Day I gots nuthin’. Feeling a bit drained and uninspired, spiritually today. I read a blog though – my he{ART} (see left link) – and I was reminded of the importance of just the basics, that is, simply scripture. No devotional, no discourse, no history… just the Word. God really does speak through His word. I’m going to take time to read my bible today. Scrap Idea of the Day You know all those scrapbook magazines and idea books sitting on your shelf? I don’t know about you, but I have no intention of letting them go any time soon (My husband on the other hand reads his Scientific American once and never picks it up again and is happy to recycle it… not a re-reader, that one!) But other than flipping through them from time to time, I haven’t really gotten the best use out of them. So my current project is a search for journaling ideas. Flip through, find a journal that is creative, and jot down a note about the format so I can imitate it in my own scrapbooks. I’m basically a big scraplifter, but given my stage in life (4 year old, 2 year old, 8 week old, working husband, Master’s degree in progress…) that’s about all I can muster up generally. My other project is organizing my photos in my computer. I’m renaming everything based on year-month-day (08-06-01 will be all today’s photos for example followed by a, b, c…). And once that’s done, I want to create index cards so I can easily scan for photos without going into my computer.

Reflecting...

2008-05-27T13:53:00.000-06:00

Stuff of Life Miriam is learning to read, and it’s so exciting to see her “getting it!” She’s been able to recognize upper and lower case letters for months now, and has been writing them fairly independently since at least February. This next stage is giving her an excitement about reading on her own. I remember some of my early books, and one specifically, called “Play with Us” by ladybird books, was at our local library. I took it out and Miriam is totally catching on to looking at the words and pictures to figure out what it says. I know, I know… the text is super simple and really not that interesting plot-wise, and some educators would insist that the quality is poor because it is written for the purpose of word recognition, not for story line, but I remember reading Dick and Jane books (yeah, it was still “Dick” back in the early 80’s believe it or not, but I don’t think that name will be popping up again any time soon!) and it didn’t matter that the text said “Run, Jane, run! Run! Run! Run!” What mattered was that I was able to read 6 words independently, never mind that five of them were identical! Next up, some other classics like “Hop on Pop” and “Hand, Hand, Finger, Thumb!” Spiritual Insight of the Day I’ve been praying for my children’s faith experiences since before they were born. That might tell you how important I think it is that they take seriously their own spiritual beliefs. So it should be no surprise that I still look at them and their character and desire them to be the best they can be. So lately, Miriam has been, shall we say, challenging. She is by no means “difficult” or “out of control.” There’s just a few, um, imperfections that are driving me up the wall! (I don’t expect my kids to be perfect, but there’s always ways to grow, right?) And I’ve finally realized something. In order for her to improve, I’ve got to improve myself. Why? Because she is a mini-me. She does what I do, speaks like I speak, behaves like I behave… I see and hear myself in her every single day! Granted, there are some things she says and does that are all her (like “You’re a pook-a-pook!” followed by fits of giggles). But really, the stuff that makes me reminisce fondly about my pre-mother days is the stuff that I need to work on in myself. So rather than get irritated at my girl, I’m trying to deal positively with her challenging behaviours, then reflect on how I can improve the way I behave so that she has a better example from me. And my prayer in this is that I would be a light to lead her and that my light to her would be the light of Christ reflected to her when I look to him for guidance. Scrap Idea of the Day Check out Youtube for some interesting demonstrations of scrapbooking techniques. Try keywords like: scrapbook, Close to My Heart, Ali Edwards, Becky Higgins etc… Once you find one, you can link to others, or look for other posts by the same host.

Chickpea Wisdom

2008-05-21T21:40:00.001-06:00

Stuff of Life I stepped on a chickpea on my kitchen floor today… not a big deal, right? At first I was bit annoyed because I know I’ll have to clean up the mess plus I’ve got chickpea on the bottom of my sock (well part of it anyway… there’re so many holes down there I probably mostly got it on my actual foot). But then I realized… “Hey! I just stepped on a chickpea… in order to step on a chickpea, it follows logically that I must actually feed my family chickpeas (which I do).” And I felt good about the chickpea on the floor because I want to be the kind of mum who feeds her family healthy stuff like chickpeas. Thanks, little chickpea… you just boosted my mum-fidence (That’s confidence in myself as a mother) Let’s just hope I don’t step on any Kraft Dinner in the near future… Spiritual Insight of the Day Miriam got a bible memory game featuring bible characters (cartoonized and anglicized beyond any realistic image, but I digress…) and today as she was playing with it, when she found a match she’d ask me to identify the character followed by “why?” (Meaning “tell me the story”) Miriam: (holding up a card) Who is this? Me: That’s Martha (Thank goodness for the label because the picture is essentially a frowning woman with a table and plate in the background) Miriam: Why? Me: She’s Mary’s sister. Martha’s upset. Mary isn’t helping with the dishes. She’s sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to him tell stories. But Martha says ‘hey! Come here and help me clean up this mess! Help me with the dishes!” Miriam: Oh Me: But do you know who made the better choice? (Miriam shakes her head) It was Mary. It’s better to sit at Jesus feet and listen to him than to do the dishes. And that’s when the light went on. My own “A-ha” moment. Not that I’m excusing myself from housework altogether, but at the same time, it helps to have a little big-picture perspective once in a while. Scrap Idea of the Day/Still Learning Surf the Net! That’s the idea for today. To help you, I’ve spent the last few days checking out a number of sites and following bunny trails to find what I think are some of the most useful and/or interesting sites out there. This list may change, so check back once in a while for new additions. The list on the left of the screen should be a good start at using the internet to inspire and assist your scrapbooking. Over and Out!

Just the facts, ma'am

2008-05-20T22:24:00.003-06:00

Stuff of Life A brief post today... Cindy and I got together for a few hours of scrapbooking. Totally uninspired with my own project, but we created an absolutely rockin' layout for her, so I feel like the evening was a success creativity-wise! Managed to get in a swim this afternoon. I'm adding exercise now to the whole cut down on calories thing in order to lose those pregnancy pounds. And believe it or not, I actually felt energized! I came home and didn't feel like crashing at 5:30 as I usually do. I must remember this feeling when I am unmotivated to go! It's 10:30 p.m. and I've been trying to get to bed earlier, but the evening was worth it. Goodnight!

It's All for Him

2008-05-19T21:42:00.007-06:00

Stuff of Life To be honest I felt a bit blue today… until this evening that is. As I told another mum in Miriam’s music class, I feel like my life is so repetitive. Today I went downstairs to find clothes for the kids and I was like “Didn’t I just fold this laundry LAST week? What gives?” My life feels like it revolves around meals (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner… plus the milk buffet Carmen enjoys all day) and housework. Blech! But my three kids reeled me in again – Carmen had a huge smile fest this evening, cooing and wide mouthed grins which just make me smile too! Finnegan ran out to the veranda to wave goodbye when Miriam and I went to music lessons, and when he ran back in he had that adorable little diaper bum wiggle and I thought “one day, I won’t see that anymore… I should enjoy it while it’s here!” Miriam was super sweet at music lessons, being silly acting like a banana (learning about Beethoven’s 5th symphony if you can believe it) and another mum commented “is she ever beautiful” which of course makes my heart swell with pride! Anyways, I still face an enormous pile of laundry tomorrow, groceries and more, but I’ll be trying to appreciate the little things, knowing this crazy busy time in my life won’t last… and I’ll miss it when it’s gone. Scrap Idea of the Day Graphic design is a huge influence on my scrapbooking. I found this website: http://www.thedieline.com/blog/ that led me to some cute card samples that I MUST try soon! Above are some of my faves. Spiritual Insight of the Day Again, not my own insight, but a summary of day 7 in The Purpose Driven Life. “It’s all for Him.” That’s right – everything. This caught my attention because I sometimes feel like maybe scrapbooking is a waste of time – spiritually that is. But I get such joy out of creating, telling stories, playing with beautiful colours and images. Can that be bad? But the point is, I’m enjoying things that God created… beauty, colour, texture, language, rhythm, order… so, yeah, I shouldn’t spend my entire income (via Jim’s paycheque ;) on scrap stuff, but I should enjoy the process and product because even in this I can glorify God. Still Learning TOTALLY PSYCHED! Hear that? That’s the sound of my Playlist! Oooooh! Music! Seriously so excited to have found this awesome website and built my own list of tunes that so reflect me – my personality, and history. What fun! This is certainly not a baby step, as it takes a bit of time and maneuvering to get the list attached to the site, but SO WORTH IT! Thanks for Reading!

Games, the moon, time and more...

2008-05-18T14:16:00.006-06:00

Stuff of life - What I've learned: do NOT pull two very later nighters in a row when you've got kids that are guaranteed up at 7 every morning, and sometimes earlier! Man, am I bagged! Board games with the Newmanns on Friday (Keythedral by the way, which is fun and we must play again so we don't forget the rules) and Rock Band/American Idol with Steve, Tara, Karen, Paul and Melissa last night. Very fun but also very pooped!

Scrap Idea of the day

I Saw a blog with this journalling idea "5 years ago... 5 months ago... 5 days ago... 5 hours ago... 5 minutes ago... In 5 minutes... In 5 hours..." And so forth. Kind of a neat time travel and plans/dreams perspective idea that I must try.

Also, heard a fun show on CBC radio with his guy asking questions like "would you rather spend 10 minutes on the moon or a year in Europe with a $2000 monthly bonus"? I thought it was a totally obviously question as did Jim and he was like "the moon, obviously" and I was like "What? Totally Europe!" Good discussion starter, these "would you rathers" and interesting scrap idea!

Spiritual insight of the day

Okay, this isn't mine, but I've been reading The Purpose Driven Life, and today's message (day 6) is "Life is a Temporary Assignment." Basically the jist of it is do what you can with what you've got but don't get attached to the stuff of this world because this time on earth is just a blink compared to eternity with God. Good message for me as Jim and I look at our lives and future and finances.

Still learning

Today's big accomplishment blog-wise: inserting a photo (Carmen sleeping on my chair) into the post. Okay, certainly not brain surgery, but another accomplishment to celebrate :)

Preening the Feathers...

2008-05-17T09:28:00.003-06:00

Step one: Create a fun title bar. Okay, okay... I did imply yesterday that I am not exactly internet savy. So today's goal was little but big. I took a photo I like, edited it in Adobe Photoshop, and loaded it to my title bar. Lots of steps and details for something that seems quite minor, but I figure if I take baby steps I'll be a blog pro in no time! That's all for today... the kids are still in jammies and we've got a garden hole that needs digging out in preparation for perennial invasion in the next few weeks! Can't wait for a blank canvas out there and a fun trip to pick up the plants. Gotta remember to take a "before" photo today so I can compare my "after" pictures and see the progress! Take it easy!

Day One... discovering my wings.

2008-05-16T14:50:00.012-06:00

And thus, I venture boldly? hesitantly? into the world of binary:

01010111011001010110110001100011011011110110110101100101

(That's "Welcome" for those of you who are not binary literate! Thank goodness for a 26 letter alphabet!)

Welcome to you, friend reader, who have chanced upon my humble blog.

My current goal for this blog is to develop a sharing space for my creative adventures, philosophical musings, spiritual journey, and day-to-day wonderings about the world around me.

For today, I invite you to look around my site: read my profile and "The Stuff of Life", and check out my three adorable children ;)

I'm looking forward to learning and growing through this on-line adventure!