Melting Heart

I am trying to fit in some scrapbooking and would like to get back into doing blog challenges. I found one a few weeks ago that I thought I could manage easily. Had it all done a few days ago and knew it had to be turned it on the 30th. I guess I misunderstood because I went to the site today to figure out how you enter your layout and they had just posted the winner so I messed up. That's what I get for being a procrastinator, huh? Oh well, still wanted to share with somebody. Caden really likes this, it's a tad busy but I am into bright and my whole life is just busy maybe why I think it's okay to have a lot going on a scrapbook page too.

Lots of Sassafras paper and stickers that my sister sent me a couples weeks ago and a Red Robin drink coaster. Thanks, Keely!

Behind

So once again I am behind in most things including catching up our life here. Summer is just plain busy or maybe I just have to keep us busy to keep me from going deeper into the insane tunnel. In the last week we went to Fun City with the grandparents and cousins with fun swimming, go carts, and arcades; a hot air balloon race which was so cool; Aaron worked all weekend at a friend's; continued potty training ed for Ethan (God help me!); and now we are in the midst of Vacation Bible School. I agreed to be a crew leader (not of my crew) -- Reese is staying at Grandma's and the older kids are enjoying it a lot and bonus Ethan hasn't gotten kicked out of Bible School like he did last year. Three hours every evening plus driving there and back but they feed us dinner and it goes by fast. Then it was cleaning lady day so after I sent the kids to Grammy's yesterday after I did a little Target shopping I spent ALL my free time picking up and putting things back in the place they belong. Our house seriously got really messy the past 2 weeks. I've tried to pick up a few times but it's all in vain; as soon as one thing gets put away 4 more things are out in it's place. It's a lot of work to get them to help although I need to be more strict on this and by the time they go to bed I'm a zombie. Same old, same old. So this morning we had to be out the door by 8 am not an easy feat with 4 kids and the fact that I went to sleep around 1 am and then I was evidently so excited about the Studio Calico kits I had seen in their reveal last night that I dreamed about them all night -- what a geek I am and it made it very hard to get out of bed. We made it to the Y in time for Pilate's, I have only made it on Tuesdays of my Tues/Thurs class this session. I've discovered something about Pilate's: I hate it! I can't believe how hard it is. There are still things (with stomach muscles) that I can't do, I'm sure it has to do with being pregnant with triplets and another and that fact that I have a hernia and separated stomach muscles . . . but if I take another class . . . it probably won't be Pilate's. Although I'm sure it's been really good for me . . . after every single 30 minute class I am super sore in different places mostly my stomach, I really should have at least a 2 pack or a single or something going on . . . trust me I don't. Hopefully I'll be back with some photos of our latest adventures this week, just wanted to check in.

Seriously

Today I am wondering if I Ethan will ever be potty trained???? Yesterday, I had to clean poop off the slide and I stepped in it in the yard (reminder to self: always wear shoes in my own backyard). I've tried it all, REALLY, well except: I'll get you a puppy if you learn to use the potty . . . that's a last resort, I'd have to potty train the puppy too -- ugggghhhh!

The last thing I tried was naked. Everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, I've read said if you let them be naked they will not "go" on the floor. Well whoever "they" is has never met Ethan. Not only did he pee on the floor a few times, he pooped too. The first time he did it I thought it was just an accident, but he did it again on the hardwood floor right by me (while I was on the computer). He just squatted and went. I guess it's a bonus that he tells me so no one steps in it but it really doesn't phase him, he isn't sorry, he doesn't really care.

He usually tells me when he has wet his pants, sometimes he tells me when he poops. I've tried to be nice and funny and give him rewards of stickers on charts and M&Ms and we've yelled and spanked a couple times too (I know, turn me in, don't worry I'll be paying the therapist bills (for him and me)). I know what the majority of the problem is: STUBBORNNESS. I have never meant a child so stubborn in my life. And I've met some really stubborn children in my ten years of teaching. I can even remember a couple of names (which I won't name) but I think Ethan could give them a run for their money in a Stubborn Contest.

He holds it for a couple hours. When I put him on the potty, it's like a 10 minute thing of getting him to go and normally he does have to go but just doesn't want to. There's crying and screaming and laughing and begging and lots of "NOs" from everyone in the bathroom and here, everyone is usually in the bathroom at once! So if you have any advice, I need it! I want it! I want to hear it all! School will begin in 4-6 weeks, I have to get him mostly potty trained.

Pinkarrific

Addison and I had a girls day out last Saturday -- we went to Circa '21 to see Pinkalicious, a musical based on the book. We dressed up for it! Addison found some pink jewelry and I wore one of her pink boas (note to self: buy some short sleeve pink shirts -- I have none!)

She was excited but was so confused to what a play was and was thinking a movie and a before it all started and she saw all the cute pink furniture on the stage, there were tears because she wanted to be in the show!

Once it started she loved it. She was so cute and would lean over to say cute comments to me or explain part of the story. It was exactly one hour and that was perfect. She got a couple of autographs after the show but she wasn't sure what that was all about so we didn't get all of them.

We had such a great time! Frosty and the Magic Hat is coming at the end of the year, we're thinking of taking all the kids to that one.

Time Found

I somehow found some time to scrapbook since the crop. I really don't know when or how but it happened.

This one was for a sketch from Studio Calico:

This is a POTD layout using the rest of my Scrap within Reach Paper that I got from Candi for a make and take. Ignore the blurry photograph, my glasses broke and for some reason I couldn't get a photo of this LO to turn out -- whatever that is about.

And believe it or not, there are more that I have photographed yet (just 2)! Both are for my POTD album. And I picked up a photo today to do a challenge blog! I haven't done a challenge in a looooonnnggg time! I'll share when I get them done!

Crop Tired

Keely and I made it to the crop on Saturday, we stayed the whole day from 10am to midnight. I brought more than 14 layouts to create. I think I got 5 done (one was two pages). I am slow! But it was fun! We got tons of cool free stuff (it's called Favorite things crop) we got an album, paper, Thickers, stamps, chipboard, make and takes, lots of other stuff too and I won a 4th of July Kit too). We even had time to go to Scrapaganza and shop. We had coupons and Keely had yard sale credit . . . I spend $12 and she spent 98 cents so that made our hubbies happy. Great food was served, and we sat with Marion who we didn't know but she made such cool stuff and gets every fabulous kit out there. Between Keely and Marion, I imagine they own every scrapbooking product (or used to own it before they sell it at yard sales). Keely called Marion her scrapbooking soul mate and it's totally true. Marion left while I was playing a game and I didn't get to say good-bye or get her email address so Penny is trying to hook me up with her. Anyway here's something I made that I really like. It's one of my POTD photos.

And I used Penny's favorite thing . . . that little blue felt owl handmade by the Megan Klauer herself. She was at the crop but I never got the nerve to talk to her. I feel like a blog stalker and I've lifted way too many of her layouts so I just felt weird about it but I loved getting that little owl! It was such a nice time but 4 hours of sleep makes for one grouchy mom so I'm off to bed.

The 4th on the 5th

Our 4th of July was a rainy one. I had BIG plans of fun, crafts, and food so we stuck with the plan as much as possible on the 4th.

We made fun hats:

And red, white, and blue fruit kabobs:


Some Bomb drinks:

Grammy and PaPa's cookout and their town fireworks were postponed until the 5th.
We ended up going out to eat on Saturday just to get out the house and as we were putting the kids to bed we could hear our town's fireworks so we drove up to the school and watched in our jammies. We had two days of fun so on Sunday we made marshmallow pops:

Then fireworks cupcakes:


We had a lot of fun just hanging out:

It was a nice day for a cookout and the kids enjoyed being outside:


I got some funny photos of them wearing their hats:


Ethan didn't really want anything to do with it:


It seemed like it took forever to start finally at 9:30, they began. The kids loved them but we were all exhausted by the time we got home and they were in bed by 11:00 only 2 hours past their bedtime.

Days or Hours

This is what getting ready for the crop looks like for me! Aren't my organizational skills awesome? Oops, the crop at Scrapaganza is 14 hours not 14 days. I don't want to run out . . . I figure whatever I don't work on I can save for home and work on those pages if I ever have time again!

Slowly but surely

I'm still plugging along on my POTD (photo of the day) Blog. Go check it out if you haven't lately, I've been adding a few photos every day, I'm determined to get caught up!

R & R Week

So after June being a super busy month I decided this week we were taking a break and that's what's happening we are just hanging out. I didn't even look at my purse calendar to see if we had any appointments, and I don't care if we are missing any.
Next week I want to get more into a schedule of sorts but staying home more. Summer is for relaxing, sleeping in, having fun. So exercise class can be skipped some, I'll try to forgo some dr appointments, things can wait. I feel like I done a ton at home this week already. We even went to Lowe's and the grocery store yesterday and then I decided we could go to McDonald's for lunch -- totally unplanned but Ethan didn't bring shoes with him??? So we ate at the park and we were going to play at the park, but there were a couple of incidents of hitting and running away so I said "forget it". I plan on taking them back tomorrow or Friday depending on the weather. Today it's pouring so we aren't doing much, somehow I managed to sleep until 9 am. I was awake a few times in there and I don't know which kid came up and finally said "Are you getting up yet?" Maybe I can stay up past 10:30 tonight?????
I have been longing for a vacation lately -- more like a staycation, kidless, husbandless, just so I could stay home alone and sleep in and do the thousands of projects I'd like to work on. I figured 2 weeks would be good. I have quilts to cut and make (still!), rooms to paint, projects coming out the ying-yang, and now I am doing a project on our porch, because I don't have enough to do! I know it's not gonna happen but I do have a little reprieve coming Keely and I are going to Scrapaganza's Favorite Things Crop on Saturday from 10am to midnight. Scrapbooking for 14 hours straight! Of course I haven't gotten one thing ready and really don't know what I will work on. I'm excited though. Not much scrapbooking going on this summer, just to hard to find time with the kids around. I'm really looking forward to Saturday!
I plan on blogging our 4th of July weekend but will try to do that in the next day or two. Here's a cute preview:

Where'd it go?????

In a blink of an eye June is gone! How did that happen? Today I am annoyed that summer is more than a third gone and I feel like we aren't doing anything but running around for appointments and errands. We have hardly done any art projects or learning stuff. I hate going, going, going, we've been lucky if we are home one day a week so far. That's crazy. It's Wednesday and I haven't even cooked one meal since Sunday . . . that's not me. I instituted no TV during the day, which is still working but we aren't home so I doubt they even notice it. I found a couple ideas on some blogs I read that looked like good ideas for summer fun. This morning I was saying to myself, next year we're going to do this or that. Then it hit me why am I waiting until next year, we still have all of July and most of August to do fun stuff at home. Last year we did a few activities/crafts on the 4th of July during the day, this year I haven't even thought about it. So I going to make the effort to plan ahead more and stay at home to do fun stuff. Remember my word for the year? Me neither, I had to look back to remember it's NOW. I feel I'm not focusing on the NOW, I've lost track somewhere between 3 doctor visits this week, the never ending laundry, and spending 85% of my life in the van. I'm missing out, they're missing out, I want fun memories of summer, not riding in the car and me yelling to hurry up so we can get to the next appointment or place we need to be. They are 4 and 1, they want fun, they are fun, and I want them to remember the fun with Mommy! Better get to planning, huh?

My MIL is a maniac

A gardening maniac that is. Plants and landscaping not so much me. Basically I haven't planted anything in my yard in 4 years. The things I have put in are long gone and Aaron keeps pulling out more and more stuff that "came" with the house so it's looking bare and/or out of control wild. We have an area in our backyard that I have tried to do something with but everything I pulled out and cut down would come back and it just looked awful. Our other problem is 99% of our front and back yard is shaded almost all day. So I had enough of it and decided to ask my mother-in-law who always has a nice, pretty yard to help. Aaron had declared he wanted to landscape the overgrown area and then include our peony bushes and flag pole which became a huge area. My MIL came over and I figured she could tell me what to keep and I dig everything else up and get the dirt tilled then, she could tell me what to buy plant wise and then come back to tell me where to put the plants. I figured it would take a month or so . . . I know me, and with the kids' interruptions and finding time, everything takes a long time. So she arrived on Monday morning at 9am. We (she) ripped out everything except about 4 or 5 plants, cut a border for the edging, laid down the garden mat, then we went shopping (and McDonald's' lunch to appease the kids who HATE the house store). We got mulch and some plants. Aaron was outvoted on the size of the garden and I am glad we didn't' do all he wanted it would have taken up more of our yard which is really small anyway. By 5:30pm, we (she) put in all the plants and all the mulch was laid. We just set the crescent brick border, Aaron will have to dig that in later. I pulled out all my forgotten garden decorations out and they now have a place in the garden. Aaron couldn't believe how great it looked and what a transformation in one day! Here's the before (well sort of, that's my MIL in the photo. She started ripping out stuff before I had a chance to get a good before photo).

And the after, 8-1/2 hours later:

I really want to thank my MIL, Patti, for all her help and she gave us the plants, mulch, and brick too! I would barely have the plants pulled out if it was left up to me. After all we lived here over 8 years and it took me that long to decide that something needed to be done! Thanks, Patti!