Things I Wish I'd Known Sooner

I read this book by Jaroldeen Edwards.  She shares highlights and insights of being a mom of twelve children. I liked the tidbits I got out of it- and they don't relate only to moms.

She told about a business trip she went on with her husband  to Barbados. She expected paradise. But the flight was long and by the time they got there- all she saw was the airport, then a taxi with no great views out the window. Then they got to the hotel- and it was not as glamorous as she expected. Her cottage was small and dark. She says she was frustrated, tired, and disillusioned. "Nothing was as I had dreamed it would be. Nothing made sense. Where was I?Supposedly somewhere on an island in the middle of an ocean- but at that point I was not sure either the island or the ocean really existed, and I was certainly in doubt about the whole "tropical paradise" thing!"  But then the bellman swept open their floor to ceiling shutters "and there right before us, where only darkness had existed, was the huge, splendid tropical sun sun... All that glory not fifteen steps away! I just could not see it in the darkness. The glory had been there all the time, and I had not known it. I had not been facing darkness, but a window onto eternity. I was just a  breath from all I had dreamed and I had not even guessed it. Light made all the difference."

I like this perspective- I don't know all that is ahead of me, I'm not aware of all that is happening around me, but there is a plan for me and a beautiful forever ahead- even if I don't know all the details.

 

This was another of my favorite quotes: "If we spend our life wishing away the mess, the noise, the obligations, they will be gone- but so will the children! This fact is true of every moment of life. If we do not see its joys, if we do not make the most of it, it will pass- and so will all of its opportunities."

I'm so thankful to be a mom and for all the joys that come with it! I'll take the dirty walls, laundry, noise (though yesterday I seriously wore ear plugs so it wasn't quite so loud!), messes, etc for the privilege to be a mom!

This quote sums it up for me- "I never thought that you should be rewarded for the greatest privilege of life (motherhood)."  May Coker- mother of the year)

Addicted to Scrapbooking

I just got back from the CK Scrapbook Convention. It was so much fun that I am not ready to sleep! It was great to rejuvenate and learn and enjoy and see so many creative things and people! I got lots of freebies this year-I always love that!

I went with my friend Caroline- and we were crazy. At the crop they had a contest to see who could make up the best song about the Cricut. 6 finalists would sing and one would win a Cricut! I've used a friend's so I know it has lots of neat options... Caroline and I both were finalists (and sang silly songs in front of more than 500 people!). AND Caroline WON!!! 

Here's my song:

To the tune of "I've Got Rhythm"

It's got letters, it's got shapes. It's got pictures. Who could ask for anything more!

It's got a library of cartridges. Shapes and fonts- Who could ask for anything more!

Cartridges like George and Jasmine- Calligraphy, and San Serifs.Disney too and Makin' The Grade. Possibilities are endless.

It's the Cricut, personal electronic Cutter. I want it! Who could ask for anything more!

(silly- I know!)

 

I have been a little addicted to Digital Scrapbooking this month too. I love the possibilities and the way it stretches me creatively.

Here's a page I made this month:

I love how many pictures I can resize and put onto one Digital page. Maybe I went a little overboard with 28 pics... but I wanted it to be one spread. For our family reunion we had a talent night together- I learned a lot about everyone that I didn't know!

I got the neat swirls and from a digital freebie given to me for participating in an online challenge. I just had to scraplift a page and I was given this cool page kit designed by Beth.

You have all of March to play in the challenge to get this kit for free. See the swirls!!

The yellow paper I used came from another freebie from this month- and I didn't have to do anything to get this one! Beth is giving it away free on her blog.

I also made this page yesterday. Also pictures from the reunion of a nature walk near my house.

I used Beth's brand new digital kit Natural Moods.

There still so much left in the kit to experiment with. You're amazing Beth!!

 

O'kay...can you tell I'm addicted! Maybe now I can sleep since I've told someone (everyone wise is already asleep here!)

Picture Tag

So- I was tagged by Beth. I didn't think I'd actually do it, but decided to just peek and see.

Here are the rules:

•Go to your photo folder in your computer
•Go to the 6th folder of photos
•Go to the sixth picture
•Put the picture on your blog and a description of it

I figured it would be some random, old, yucky photo... but it was cute, so I'll post.

It's from the year 2001. My oldest son's 2nd Birthday. That is his birthday cake...

Gone are the days of his obsession with trains. Now it's Star Wars and Pokemon.

 

I guess I chose to ignore the last 2 rules:

•Invite six friends to join the challenge
•Link them in your blog.

 

If you want to do it, just comment and post it on your blog. It was actually kinda interesting.

Shutterfly Book

My sister had a free 8X8 Photobook coupon from Shutterfly. I've been anxious to try it out, so she gave it to me. I wanted to design all my own pages, but because of the coupon's deadline, I used one of their pre-made books. It was so fast and easy and the book amazes me. It's like I published a book. Something about holding a hardbound book... it's just so cool. I included just pictures of my boys interacting with each other.  I am going to give it to them on Valentine's Day. I hope they think it's just as cool to be inside a "real" book as I do!

 

Children's Bookshelf

This post is for my friend Christina. She wrote about wanting one of those bookshelves that Preschools use so you can see the front of books. They cost a surprising amount of money, so 7 years ago, when I taught Preschool for my first son, my fabulous husband made me one- and it wasn't that hard!

He cut three pieces of wood- two sides and a bottom. Then he screwed them together. I sewed fabric for the book slots (instead of wood shelves like most of the commercial bookcases). It was cheap muslin. It is in one long strip and every so often I sewed a pocket for a dowel to go through (5 pockets).  I don't know the measurements anymore- its been too long- I just made something up anyway. The further apart the pockets for the dowels are- the deeper the book pocket will be. I actually made different size book pockets (some books are taller than others). Then  slide the dowels through their pockets and screw into the frame.

I really like the book shelf for 2-3 year olds. My children sometimes climb on it like its a ladder though- but it hasn't broken.

Here's another idea I use and I didn't have to make anything for this one!

This was a bookshelf I found at a garage sale for 25 cents. I put a basket on each shelf. It doubles as a bookend and as a way to display books so you can see the covers. Sometimes I sort the books in the baskets by a series they are interested in, or with books I want to encourage them to pick. We keep our library books on top so they don't get mixed in.

Happy reading!!

He's Walking... well trying!

We convinced Steven to take his first step on Feb. 6th. He loves to cruise around furniture and he is very good at walking when he holds one of my hands, but he won't let go! Rob and I sit a couple feet apart and try to get him to walk to each other, but he just stands there and laughs until he falls! Yesterday, he took 2 steps. Tonight he took three steps! He was very proud of himself. We all clapped for him, so he stopped and clapped too- and then fell over! Each of his brothers is so excited to help. They try to get him to walk to them... so many people to walk to! And they walk around with him. Here's a video Andrew took (The best part is the very beginning. You can stop watching after that. I couldn't figure out how to cut the movie! Sorry about the quality!!)

Watching him walk reminds me of something someone wrote about cheering for our children. We get so excited watching our babies attempt to walk. We cheer even when they "fail". We need to remember that our older children are still learning new things all the time. We should cheer for them in the attempts that they make- even if at first they fail.

Gotta Catch Them All!

Happy Birthday David! Right now David is VERY interested in Pokemon and wants to "Catch Them All". He amazes me with how much he knows about each Pokemon without being able to read the cards! I've been learning more than I need to know about Pokemon lately too.

For his birthday we celebrated by becoming Pokemon Masters. We played eight games and after each game, we won Pokemon cards and a badge (Ash collects badges too). After we had all 8 badges (just circles of paper I made to match Ash's badges), we were awarded a Pokemon certificate, and a Pokedex (really just a coloring book I made).

Here's my attempt at a Pikachu cake... (it's a round cake pan on bottom and top with two circle cakes in the middle. At the point I assembled it- I thought uh oh- it's an egg! The ears are tips of sugar cones. I used Twinkies for the tail, feet, and hands. Oreo eyes, and fruit-by-the-foot cut for cheeks and mouth)

Here's the games we played:

Pokemon Bingo (Everyone loved it! I gave information about each Pokemon after I drew it. So glad I found http://www.dltk-cards.com/bingo/ - it has lots of different Bingo cards you can print.)

Pokemon walk (like cake walk, but Pokemon pictures instead of numbers, and you win cards instead of cake)

Hungry, hungry Munchlax (throw beanbags into Munchlax's mouth- the Pokemon that eats everything)

 

Pin the tail on Pikachu

Catch a Pokemon (Fishing)

Ash, Ash, Pikachu (Duck, Duck, Goose I was surprised how much they liked this one!)

Pass the Pokemon (Hot Potato)

David had a lot of fun- I hope his friends did too!