Chemistry Set

I just got a Chemistry Set from the UPS man! Happy Halloween to me!

OK, it isn't real chemistry set. It is a set of scrapbooking paper and supplies from a paper line called "Chemistry" (by Cosmo Cricket) . And I got it for free! Yup, I was the random winner on the Cosmo Cricket blog - and they sent me a surprise :) Gotta love free stuff.

New Keyboard

Thanks a wonderfully eventful morning, I am now typing this on a new keyboard.

The day started off quite normally. I ate breakfast, poured myself a glass of ice water and sat down to read e-mail. I got up and got the kids dressed, but got a little hung up looking for pants to fit the Dandilion. He is growing and the weather is changing so I was searching through a box of clothes to find something that would fit. I am sitting on the floor in a pile of clothes when the Dandilion comes in grinning like a Cheshire cat and putting something in his mouth. When I said "What are you eating?" he started running, and when I caught him I discovered it was an ice cube! Think fast... "Where could he have gotten an ice cube? My glass of water! Oh no - where did I leave it?!? Ahhhhh, my computer desk!"

The rest wasn't pretty, and despite my best efforts to dry it out, my keyboard did not work when I got home this afternoon :(

The new one is nice though...

No more drinks at the computer.

Not Once, But Twice

The Tumbleweed walked in front of the swings not once, but twice today! The same swings. I would have thought that the first time she got hit would have been enough to remind her why we don't go near swinging swings, but no. Oh well, she learned the hard way - double hard. She didn't seem too worse for the wear, just a lot of crying and a bitten tongue.

Live & Learn (I hope!)

16 months

I finally made a doctor visit with just the Dandilion! It is always so hard to take both kids, as the Tumbleweed always wants attention and acts up.

He measured in at:
21.2 lbs - 10th percentile
30.75 inches - 25th percentile

I don't know what the head measurement was but it was 50-75 %ile

He got one shot, which was red for a good 24 hours.

TAG, I'm it!

My friend Ali tagged me, and since I love a game of tag that doesn't involve running... here it goes...

The rules:
1. Link to the person that tagged you 2. Post the rules on your blog 3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself 4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs 5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website. 6. Let your tagger know when your entry is UP.

Fun Facts about Me:

- I live in creative chaos most of the time. I always have ideas for projects swirling in my head. I am very good at starting things (or buying the supplies to start), but not so good at finishing things. Scrapbooking, quilting, decorating, baking --- I start it all and leave a messy trail in my path. When I run out of space to work, I spend a week cleaning and start over again.

- I nominated myself for "What Not To Wear" but didn't get on the show. They did call to find out who my accomplices would be, which got my hopes up, but I never heard anything more. Oh well. Three years later and I still have no "style" and love my sweatpants! If they came today I would probably turn them down and tell them to come back when I lose 20 lbs.

- I enjoyed working in retail (and would go back if I had time). After college I put my engineering degree to good use --- I worked at a Hallmark store. And I loved it and eventually managed & merchandised the whole store. I don't live near the store I used to work at or I probably would have gone back part time. Now I get my retail fix through shopping.

- I love a good deal! I clip coupons and wait until things go on sale just to save an extra 50 cents. I go shopping the day after Christmas to buy things for next year at 50% off. I will "stalk" an item at a store waiting for it to go on sale. I spend too much time shopping!

- I listen to oldies and 80s music. I haven't listened to any "new" music since high school. Well, except for The Backyardigans.

- I watch a lot of TV. Well, sometimes I just listen to it, but I like to have the TV on. In high school I did homework in front of the TV (don't tell my kids). When I lived alone in college, I played tapes all night long to keep me company (no cable). These days the TV keeps me company while I do dishes & scrapbook.

Now, since I don't know six bloggers, and I can't send it back to the person who sent it to me... Amy- tag, you're it!

Yipppeeee!

Creating Keepsakes Magazine is going to publish one of my layouts :) Apparently challenging myself is a good thing! One of the layouts I sent in is going to be published in the March 2009 issue. Talk about motivation - now I can't wait to scrap again!

Now to figure out how to get it there in one piece.

Two Peas

I just created an account and posted for the first time at Two Peas in a Bucket. Most scrapbookers are quite familiar with this site, as it has been "a home on the web" for scrappers for a long time. I just have never gotten around to uploading images, posting, etc.

Well, today I broke the trend and spent a little time on the site. I saw a challenge posted that I had already done a layout to fit, so I posted it. Now, this wasn't really my reason for checking the site, but I did learn how to post stuff. I had actually gone there looking for inspiration... next time I will spend more time looking for something that I haven't done already.

Hmmm... maybe I should stop looking for ideas and start doing pages...

Good Game

The Tumbleweed is finally getting the hang of soccer - well as best as a 3 year old can anyway.

Today she had a great game. She started out as goalie - which she often does. I think she likes playing goalie because every time a kid misses a shot she gets to do a goal kick - with no one interfering.

Later in the game she had a couple of chances to dribble the ball down the field. She did a great job of getting the ball away from the other kids and turning it around. She never did get a chance to take a shot at the goal, but she was totally thrilled to have "had the ball for so long".

Only two more games to go, thank goodness. Boy is it cold out there on Saturday mornings.

Field Trip

Today was the Tumbleweed's first school field trip. All of the moms and kids went apple picking. I carried the Dandlion in the backpack to make the trip more manageable.

The Tumbleweed impressed me (and a few other people I think) by already knowing that you are supposed to twist the apples off so you don't get the stems. She told the woman "You can't pick the [s]tems, 'cause then apples won't grow next year." Good memory from our apple picking trip a few weeks back! I imagine that most of the other kids hadn't been apple picking before, nevermind already this season. It is great that the kids get exposed to so many things through the MOMS Club.

More Swimming?

Today was the Tumbleweed's last day of fall swimming lessons, or so I thought. She was so sad that they were ending, I decided she could continue for next session. She has really been making progress this session, and while she isn't quite ready for the next level, she is really starting to get comfortable in the water. Hopefully she won't give me a hard time in the cold weather.

Procrastination

Why do I always procrastinate? Despite knowing when I have to get things done by, I am always doing things at the last minute. I clean the house until the very second the doorbell rings. I start dinner when I had intended to be serving it. I stay up late finishing projects that I had intented to have done weeks in advance.

I was hopeful that my new scrapbooking "training plan" would improve this bad habit, but I think it might have made it a little worse... how could that be? Well, now that I am giving myself deadlines and goals for my projects, I have more to do. I am getting more (a lot more) done, but I am staying up a lot of late nights to do it.

My next task is to figure out how to steamline the rest of my day so I can get things done without staying up really late.

Cartwheel

The Tumbleweed has figured out how to do a cartwheel :) Mommy is so proud. She was so excited to practice them during "her routines" tonight during Dancing with the Stars. She is so cute dancing along with the TV. I don't know what she will grow up to do, but she sure loves to put on a show.

Christmas is coming!

Yes, I am one of those people who loves Christmas. And, after spending several years running a Hallmark store, I start shopping early. In my Hallmark days, Christmas shopping always started in July when the new ornaments premiered. Well, since we were on vacation for Ornament Premiere this year, I waited until October to get my ornaments. I am already behind!

Every year when I go get my ornaments I miss working at Hallmark. I loved decorating the store for each holiday, rearranging displays to feature the latest promotion, helping people find "just the right gift" and wrapping presents. I guess what I miss most is the human interaction. From coworkers to sales reps to customers, I had numerous conversations with adults everyday. I don't think I fully appreciated it at the time.

Now, when I go in a store barely pushing my double stroller between the aisles, I have to refrain from asking if they need seasonal help. Oh well, it is fun to think back to my life before kids...

Bring on the Christmas decorations --- I love the holidays :)

The Great Toilet Incident of Yesterday

I'm sure every parent knows this one...

The Eagle had just gotten home and we were discussing the dinner plan. Huh, that's funny it's been quiet enough for us to talk for a while, better check on the kids. The Dandilion isn't in the family room. Not in the living room either. And as I walked down the hallway, I hear splashing. Not good. I run to the bathroom where I find im up to his elbows dunking one of the Tumbleweed's shoes. Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

So gross. He went straight in for a bath. And the shoe went right into the trash. It took me all night to get over the disgust.

From now on anytime I find the bathroom door open all I say is "Remember the Great Toilet Incident"

Scrapbooking "Training Plan"

Since Mike has recently started his marathon training plan, I decided I needed a calendar with my scrapbooking goals on it. So I spent this afternoon making the first month of my plan. On it I included several mini-projects, finishing up existing projects, making page swap kits, regular layouts and two new things. The first new thing is participating in "Calls" for pages on some of the scrapbooking websites. The second is I decided to sign up for "Not Your Ordinary Book Club" or NYOBC. This is a group that all starts with the same kit each month, everyone works on their projects, then everyone gets together to share their projects & ideas at one of the local stores.

So, today I got right down to business and called the store to sign up for NYOBC. I have to pick up the kit tomorrow, but the first meeting is 11/2. Excited about that :)

I also checked the CK website and picked a contest to participate in - turns out it is ending Friday (tomorrow). Nothing like giving yourself a deadline right? Well I got right to work on a page that I have been meaning to do for a while - since Spring 2007. What a great feeling to get it done! I stayed up late (nothing new there) and finished the page and sent in my entry.

So far so good --- getting lots of projects & pages done this month!

Groceries

I don't like grocery shopping when the store is too empty. I feel so rushed when I get to the check out and there is no one in front of me and and I can't put the groceries up as fast as the checker is scanning them. I like to organize my groceries into frozen, fridge and other on the belt.

Yes, I know how that sounds, but I do it because I have two "cold bags" and I prefer if they fill each of those with the items that need to be cold and then use the regular bags for the rest. I am pretty sure it doesn't actually make a diffence to the food for the short trip home, but it does make it easier to unpack when I get home. I have two bags of "must do" and the rest I can put away a little later.

Why wait until later? Well, I often grocery shop with the kids between activites (to save time and gas, I do things while I am out), and I sometimes have to run home, drop things off (putting the cold stuff away) and then head back out the door. I have it down to about 1 hour/1 hour 15 minutes from the time I enter the store until the time I leave the house after dropping things off.

Insane, I know - but there is something fun about trying to "beat the clock". Can you tell I am a competitive person?

Space Cadet

Yet another Mommy Moment.

I dropped the Tumbleweed off at school and took the Dandilion to his gymnastics class. After gymnastics we head to the Y for swimming lessons, so I hurried to the car. I unlocked it with my key in the driver's side door (the only one with a keyhole) and hit the automatic door lock button. I opened the driver's side back door, set the Dandilion in the car seat and buckled him in. I climbed into the car, turned it on, and turned around to check for cars. Huh!?!? The Dandilion's car seat is empty. Yup - I buckled him into the Tumbleweed's seat. I turned around laughing and looked at him, he was still so stunned he hadn't tried to wriggle out. A few seconds later, he looked at me and smiled so cute (I took a picture of course). He is getting so big. But not big enough to sit in her seat, I moved him to the other side and we were on our way.

New Motivation

Well I have been resisting the mini-book* craze, but after this weekend I am jumping on the band wagon. No, I am not giving up my usual 12x12 albums for the family and the kids, but I am going to work to use up my existing supplies to make gifts for friends and family. I am starting with the kids that have invited the Tumbleweed to birthday parties and making small albums for them to put about 6-8 pictures in. We'll seee how long that motivation lasts, but for now I am making progress and completed the first of 5 albums.

* For non-scrapbookers, mini-books are small scrapbooks about a single theme. Usually they fit 4x6 or smaller photos and have about 8-16 pages.

The CKC diet

Yup - I found my ultimate diet plan. OK, not a sustainable one, but it is a good jump start.

Here is the plan:

1- Plan a long scrapbooking weekend, with lots of fun classes & crops
2- Pack lots of things you might need for such a trip
3- Pack a few extras, just in case
4- Choose a convention far away from restaurants
5- Take granola bars, snacks, fruit & sandwiches with you
6- Attend weekend of fun
7- Get so wrapped up in classes you forget to eat (shocking!)
8- Shop for more goodies so you have more weight to carry
9- Volunteer in your extra time so you don't have time to get meals
10- Schedule activities in the rooms farthest from each other

I lost 3.5 pounds - and did a ton of scrapbooking :)

Growth Spurt?

Well, I don't have an official numbers but I am pretty sure that the Dandilion must have doubled in size while I was gone. It was only 3.5 days, but he seemed huge when I got back from CKC. Perhaps it was because I had been working on pages with his ultrasound images and baby photos while I was away. I think it is time to clean out the 12 month clothes and switch him to 18 month clothes. Ugh. I guess it is also cold enough to pull out all of the summer clothes too. I'll have to start looking for a sale on Rubbermaid Bins...

Crazy Busy

I am in Tazmanian Devil mode trying to get everything done at the last minute for CKC. I have pictures to pick up at CVS, numerous things to organize, MOMS Club stuff to drop off, plus I am trying to finish my record of "A Week in the Life"... oh and I have to clean the house and get the laundry done and clean out my car for everyone staying behind...

Off to do my own thing tomorrow at 6:30am! Woo-hoo!