Happy Halloween!Friday, October 31, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
we { heart } fall
Here are a selection of pictures from our fall family photo shoot. I ended up having to take these myself (with the exception of just a few)... without my tripod. Don't ask me how I did it... it's magic.
Enjoy.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
time well spent
It isn’t already Thursday, is it? Has it been a week since I really delved into the happenings here on Woodburn Drive? Well, Father Time has gotten the better of me once again. And really, nothing has been going on. Apart from last weekend, anyway.
I received several comments late last week that were all posed with the intention of finding the answer to: “What was I doing up so late?!” Well, truth be told, I am in deed a night owl. I always have been. But that isn't the reason I was up late last week. I can tell you the real reason now. I was working on my mother-in-law’s birthday gift. I ran into one of those Great-Wall-of-China-sized-hiccups, hence the late hour. And – now that the gift is given – I thought I would share it with all of you.
Tuesday was spent, for the most part, preparing for my Enrichment meeting. I managed to get everything done. I am receiving some true help now… and I am so grateful. Inspiration is coming to me in ways it never did before. And, best of all, our activity went off without a hitch. We were able to assemble 18+ freezer meals for emergencies that may arise in our ward. Everything went splendidly. Hooray for that. My lesson/talk on compassionate service went well, I thought – and I didn’t loose my voice. I did cry through the whole thing. I really don’t know why. And why is it that we don’t cry when practicing at home, but we do in front of a herd of people? So glad it’s all over. So glad it went well.
We have been having a string of dreary days lately. I am not complaining, as I like overcast weather. But, I will not deny that it has put a damper on my mood and level of energy. I would love to tackle some of those Christmas projects. I would love to read a book. But… I just can’t find the motivation. So instead, I am building tall towers for a little boy to knock down. I am rolling a ball for him to chase. I am cleaning up mess after mess, and changing diaper after diaper. I have the motivation to do these things, so I am doing them. And I find this a blessing in disguise, because while I am building that tower and changing that diaper, I am also prioritizing my to-do list. Perfecting the method behind my madness. This way, I don’t jump head first into something and then realize, all too late, that I have no idea what I’m doing. And… It will all get done. It always does.
So, it is Thursday… and I can’t really remember the ins and outs of this week… even though I have it all written down somewhere and on my camera… and our behinds are ding dong tired. But, we’ve had full hearts even if our days may have been a little on the empty side. Time well spent, if I do say so myself.
I received several comments late last week that were all posed with the intention of finding the answer to: “What was I doing up so late?!” Well, truth be told, I am in deed a night owl. I always have been. But that isn't the reason I was up late last week. I can tell you the real reason now. I was working on my mother-in-law’s birthday gift. I ran into one of those Great-Wall-of-China-sized-hiccups, hence the late hour. And – now that the gift is given – I thought I would share it with all of you.
As you can probably see, it is a collage of photos spanning Brian’s entire life – up through his mission. I then included a photograph from Ann’s sealing to Larry, our wedding picture, our family photograph pre-Ammon, Ammon’s baby picture, and our most recent family photograph. I also included the following text (ever so slightly modified) from the Julie De Azevedo song, Angels:
The angels carried her through the fire and the rain. And the angels carried her from the end of her rope to the end of her day. And the angels sang to her, when she thought no one was there. Looking back, it’s clear – she was touching heaven all those years.
The angels have carried her through the minutes and the days. And the angels have carried her to a strong and wise and noble place. And the angels still sing to her, and I join them in their praise.
The angel that carried me until I saw the light of day, is the angel that carried me through the years of laughter, joy and pain. And the angel, she sang to me, so I knew someone was there. Looking back, it’s clear – I was touching heaven all those years.
Those words are not only touching, but fitting, I think. I am very happy with the end result, considering. I have a bad habit of letting one little mess-up get the best of me… causing more mess-ups. First off, I had to scour the world via the internet for scrapbooking hinges. I ran out of time and finally ended up dismantling another project. I mistakenly adhered a piece of vellum backwards… which wouldn’t have been an issue if there hadn’t have been words on it. Five minutes before I needed to get ready to leave, I sat on the other pane of glass that goes with the floating frame I used. Yes – I sat on it. But, Ann treasures it… and that is all that matters to me. I did find from working on this project that Ammon is the spittin’ image of his daddy. More so than I had ever before thought. I was using photographs I had never seen before… and the resemblance is uncanny.
Friday night, we delivered Ann’s gift. We were going to go out for dinner at Tampico’s with her and Larry… but, a downed power line wiped the electricity out of that half of Graceville. We ended up at The Circle Grille. Yummy. It has been a long time – as in years – since Brian and I have been there. There’s not much like a good ole’ cheeseburger and sweet potato fries. Ammon, of course, was the star of the restaurant…
We went back to Ann and Larry’s and spent the evening there. Ammon enjoyed the larger crawl space. Brian talked his mom into putting Transformers in for he and Ammon to watch on the big television (with its 60+ inches and souped-up sound system you feel like you’re at the movies). They were in heaven…
Saturday was – at its best points – exhausting. I don’t really even remember what happened. Isn’t that sad? I do remember that we had planned on going to our ward’s Fall Festival… but didn’t. I remember being upset that Ammon would be missing his first Fall Festival. I remember having a slight meltdown at that proposition. But, we did get some errands done… mostly things for my Relief Society Enrichment meeting on Tuesday.
My mom met us at our house that night. I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off – getting every little thing ready for Brian and Ammon for the next day, and packing up my things for that night and Sunday. My mom and I had a special trip planned, and I was staying at her house Saturday night.
Mom and I drove back to Enterprise late Saturday night. And… we didn’t get any sleep. Or at least I didn’t. Mom was trying to straighten out Grandma’s-plane-ticket-fiasco until almost 2:00 Sunday morning. By the time I finally went to bed, I couldn’t go to sleep. I tossed and I turned until I was so wound up in my blanket that I couldn’t move. I don’t know how much of it had to do with it being my first night without Ammon… maybe more than I thought it would. But, before I knew it, the clock read 4:30. And it was time to get ready for that special trip…
Wicked. Again. Hooray. And, yes… I wore my red shoes.
The angels carried her through the fire and the rain. And the angels carried her from the end of her rope to the end of her day. And the angels sang to her, when she thought no one was there. Looking back, it’s clear – she was touching heaven all those years.
The angels have carried her through the minutes and the days. And the angels have carried her to a strong and wise and noble place. And the angels still sing to her, and I join them in their praise.
The angel that carried me until I saw the light of day, is the angel that carried me through the years of laughter, joy and pain. And the angel, she sang to me, so I knew someone was there. Looking back, it’s clear – I was touching heaven all those years.
Those words are not only touching, but fitting, I think. I am very happy with the end result, considering. I have a bad habit of letting one little mess-up get the best of me… causing more mess-ups. First off, I had to scour the world via the internet for scrapbooking hinges. I ran out of time and finally ended up dismantling another project. I mistakenly adhered a piece of vellum backwards… which wouldn’t have been an issue if there hadn’t have been words on it. Five minutes before I needed to get ready to leave, I sat on the other pane of glass that goes with the floating frame I used. Yes – I sat on it. But, Ann treasures it… and that is all that matters to me. I did find from working on this project that Ammon is the spittin’ image of his daddy. More so than I had ever before thought. I was using photographs I had never seen before… and the resemblance is uncanny.
Friday night, we delivered Ann’s gift. We were going to go out for dinner at Tampico’s with her and Larry… but, a downed power line wiped the electricity out of that half of Graceville. We ended up at The Circle Grille. Yummy. It has been a long time – as in years – since Brian and I have been there. There’s not much like a good ole’ cheeseburger and sweet potato fries. Ammon, of course, was the star of the restaurant…
We went back to Ann and Larry’s and spent the evening there. Ammon enjoyed the larger crawl space. Brian talked his mom into putting Transformers in for he and Ammon to watch on the big television (with its 60+ inches and souped-up sound system you feel like you’re at the movies). They were in heaven…
Saturday was – at its best points – exhausting. I don’t really even remember what happened. Isn’t that sad? I do remember that we had planned on going to our ward’s Fall Festival… but didn’t. I remember being upset that Ammon would be missing his first Fall Festival. I remember having a slight meltdown at that proposition. But, we did get some errands done… mostly things for my Relief Society Enrichment meeting on Tuesday.
My mom met us at our house that night. I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off – getting every little thing ready for Brian and Ammon for the next day, and packing up my things for that night and Sunday. My mom and I had a special trip planned, and I was staying at her house Saturday night.
Mom and I drove back to Enterprise late Saturday night. And… we didn’t get any sleep. Or at least I didn’t. Mom was trying to straighten out Grandma’s-plane-ticket-fiasco until almost 2:00 Sunday morning. By the time I finally went to bed, I couldn’t go to sleep. I tossed and I turned until I was so wound up in my blanket that I couldn’t move. I don’t know how much of it had to do with it being my first night without Ammon… maybe more than I thought it would. But, before I knew it, the clock read 4:30. And it was time to get ready for that special trip…
Wicked. Again. Hooray. And, yes… I wore my red shoes.
Our trip to Atlanta was uneventful and we arrived safely. For my mom’s sake I won’t mention the humorous moments regarding the red parking lot, etc.. We arrived at the Fox a couple of hours early and enjoyed walking down the sidewalks; taking in the brisk, chilly air; lounging around the lobby and soaking in all that atmosphere. They don’t call it the Fabulous Fox Theatre for nothing. Walking up that grand staircase, thinking of Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh at the premiere of Gone With the Wind. Sitting in the Ladies’ Salon, thinking to yourself, “When has a bathroom been so delightful?!” Just entering the auditorium – an indoor Arabian courtyard with a sky full of flickering stars and magically drifting clouds – brings with it sheer awe. It doesn’t matter how many times you go there, you are still swept away by its presence and beauty. Grandeur beyond imagination.
To quote a review, “My fellow Ozians: There are times when the world could use an infusion of green. There are times when our spirits are gravity-laden. There are times when the soul needs escapism. These are times for Broadway’s Wicked.” And it – of course – was spectacular. One of those “must sees”. As my mom and I were talking about on the way home – this production affects you like none other. Changes you, in a way. Teaches a value. Shows a point. Just more to love.
The show itself didn’t differ a whole lot from when we saw it in Orlando in April. There, of course, were subtle differences. I noticed a lot that I missed the first time. There are still things that need to be caught. And, we didn’t have our dear family with us this time. We missed you, gals. I know I was thinking about you. But, I’m glad for the opportunity. Glad that Mom and I could go. Glad that we could live in the moment for that day. So often we find ourselves dancing through life, just skimming the surface, gliding where turf is smooth… it is nice to slow down every once in a while… escape to a different world… and fly.
Brian and Ammon survived Sunday with flying colors. Ammon was good in church and even sat with our sister-in-law while Brian went to sit up on the stand. Brian had to sit up there because our Bishop was there by himself. I'm surprised Ammon didn't pitch one of those fits. I'm told that Ammon giggled when Brian got up to say the prayer. How funny.
After church, they went down to Brian's parents' house. They also visited Mama and Daddy Kindig (the parents of Brian's best friend, Brad) for a bit. I'm sorry that I missed that visit, too.
Monday was mostly a catch-up day for me. Catch up on rest. Catch up on putting things away. Yadda yadda yadda. Brian was a big help… he helped do the laundry so I could take a break. He always helps with Ammon in the afternoons. That’s their time… and I’m grateful for the break.
I did start the documentation for our week-in-our-life album Monday. It is proving to be quite the daunting task. Carrying a camera around with you all day long (and actually using it) is more difficult than it sounds. And, I don’t think this is the best week to be doing this – this week is not our “usual” week. But, nevertheless, it is getting done. To no avail, I am getting photographs of those not so normal things. I will probably look back at them all on Sunday and say, “Next week would be better.” Who knows? I did decide, however, to just share the finished project with all of you… rather than pictures from each day. Such a wiser idea. I have gained something from this experience, though. I am seeing where changes need to be made. I am seeing where progress needs to be made. And, I find that I am trying harder to be better. Be better at so many things. I continue to fall short – but then again, I don’t know many perfect people. This project has – as I knew it would – show me those gaps in productivity and lack of fulfillment. And, as I am documenting this week for all to see… I am hoping to truly learn from my missteps.
To quote a review, “My fellow Ozians: There are times when the world could use an infusion of green. There are times when our spirits are gravity-laden. There are times when the soul needs escapism. These are times for Broadway’s Wicked.” And it – of course – was spectacular. One of those “must sees”. As my mom and I were talking about on the way home – this production affects you like none other. Changes you, in a way. Teaches a value. Shows a point. Just more to love.
The show itself didn’t differ a whole lot from when we saw it in Orlando in April. There, of course, were subtle differences. I noticed a lot that I missed the first time. There are still things that need to be caught. And, we didn’t have our dear family with us this time. We missed you, gals. I know I was thinking about you. But, I’m glad for the opportunity. Glad that Mom and I could go. Glad that we could live in the moment for that day. So often we find ourselves dancing through life, just skimming the surface, gliding where turf is smooth… it is nice to slow down every once in a while… escape to a different world… and fly.
Brian and Ammon survived Sunday with flying colors. Ammon was good in church and even sat with our sister-in-law while Brian went to sit up on the stand. Brian had to sit up there because our Bishop was there by himself. I'm surprised Ammon didn't pitch one of those fits. I'm told that Ammon giggled when Brian got up to say the prayer. How funny.
After church, they went down to Brian's parents' house. They also visited Mama and Daddy Kindig (the parents of Brian's best friend, Brad) for a bit. I'm sorry that I missed that visit, too.
Monday was mostly a catch-up day for me. Catch up on rest. Catch up on putting things away. Yadda yadda yadda. Brian was a big help… he helped do the laundry so I could take a break. He always helps with Ammon in the afternoons. That’s their time… and I’m grateful for the break.
I did start the documentation for our week-in-our-life album Monday. It is proving to be quite the daunting task. Carrying a camera around with you all day long (and actually using it) is more difficult than it sounds. And, I don’t think this is the best week to be doing this – this week is not our “usual” week. But, nevertheless, it is getting done. To no avail, I am getting photographs of those not so normal things. I will probably look back at them all on Sunday and say, “Next week would be better.” Who knows? I did decide, however, to just share the finished project with all of you… rather than pictures from each day. Such a wiser idea. I have gained something from this experience, though. I am seeing where changes need to be made. I am seeing where progress needs to be made. And, I find that I am trying harder to be better. Be better at so many things. I continue to fall short – but then again, I don’t know many perfect people. This project has – as I knew it would – show me those gaps in productivity and lack of fulfillment. And, as I am documenting this week for all to see… I am hoping to truly learn from my missteps.
Tuesday was spent, for the most part, preparing for my Enrichment meeting. I managed to get everything done. I am receiving some true help now… and I am so grateful. Inspiration is coming to me in ways it never did before. And, best of all, our activity went off without a hitch. We were able to assemble 18+ freezer meals for emergencies that may arise in our ward. Everything went splendidly. Hooray for that. My lesson/talk on compassionate service went well, I thought – and I didn’t loose my voice. I did cry through the whole thing. I really don’t know why. And why is it that we don’t cry when practicing at home, but we do in front of a herd of people? So glad it’s all over. So glad it went well.
We have been having a string of dreary days lately. I am not complaining, as I like overcast weather. But, I will not deny that it has put a damper on my mood and level of energy. I would love to tackle some of those Christmas projects. I would love to read a book. But… I just can’t find the motivation. So instead, I am building tall towers for a little boy to knock down. I am rolling a ball for him to chase. I am cleaning up mess after mess, and changing diaper after diaper. I have the motivation to do these things, so I am doing them. And I find this a blessing in disguise, because while I am building that tower and changing that diaper, I am also prioritizing my to-do list. Perfecting the method behind my madness. This way, I don’t jump head first into something and then realize, all too late, that I have no idea what I’m doing. And… It will all get done. It always does.
So, it is Thursday… and I can’t really remember the ins and outs of this week… even though I have it all written down somewhere and on my camera… and our behinds are ding dong tired. But, we’ve had full hearts even if our days may have been a little on the empty side. Time well spent, if I do say so myself.
sweet sorrow
Have you ever just needed a good cry? Sometimes it is therapeutic. When you have lots of emotions and thoughts running through your mind, it is a nice release. And I needed that release yesterday. So, while Ammon was taking his afternoon nap, I curled up on the couch under a nice fuzzy blanket – tissue in hand – and watched Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet.
I watched it all the way through. But the water didn’t run. Usually, I’m crying before it even gets started … because I know what is coming. I cry when Romeo is writhing on the floor of Friar Laurence's cell after killing that rascal Tybalt. I cry when Balthasar rides past the man with Friar Laurence’s letter on the road to Mantua. I cry when Romeo and Balthasar again ride past the man with Friar Laurence’s letter on their way back to Verona. I cry as Romeo dies just as Juliet’s fingers start to twitch with life.
That tragic last line, “For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo” didn’t do it for me yesterday. This was even more maddening than the depressing notions running through my mind. Just as I was about to give up hope, I remembered something. This whole scenario suddenly reminded me of an Everybody Loves Raymond episode. Of course. One in which Debra requests some alone time after Ray walks in on her bleaching the peach-fuzz on her upper lip (which Ray sees as a Snidely Whiplash-esque moustache). Ray spies on her during her alone time and sees her crying. He goes through a whole day trying to figure out why. Finally, after confessing to seeing her, Debra tells Ray, “I was just in the mood and I made myself cry.” Ray asks incredulously, “How do you do that?!” “I just take my mascara off and sometimes I put on a sad song and I make a crying face and it just comes out!”, she says. Of course, now Ray thinks Debra is a little nutty (enter Brian). Trying to get him to see her side of things, Debra asks Ray, “Haven’t you ever just felt like crying?” Ray: “Yeah, when something happens, you know, when I slam my finger in a car door. I mean, I’m a human being, but I don’t like to cry. I don’t schedule time to cry!”
Anyway, Ray – of course – loses the battle, is unable to prove his point, and the story is over. But the tag scene at the end of the episode is where I’m trying to get to. Ray decides to try out Debra’s theory … unsuccessfully. Just like me. And laughter proved to be the best medicine – yet another time.
So, to shed a little light on this most depressing of tales … here’s that little clip from Alone Time. Enjoy. So much for singing the blues.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
who the heck am i?
Remember that Twilight character quiz I posted a bit ago? Well, I really wanted Brian to take the male version of it… but I was hesitant. First of all, he would laugh in my face. Second of all, he would give me that “Why?” look. Third of all… he wouldn’t be an Edward. Of this I was certain. He would be a Carlisle. Which is perfectly fine… I like Carlisle, too.
Well, that Brian of mine surprised me once again. He saw that post and got me talking about it. I told him that I already knew who he would be so there was no point in him taking the quiz. Of course, he shocked me with, “Well, I want to do it.”.
So he did. Even though he had no idea what any of it was about. And, sure enough, he is a Carlisle. Surprise, surprise.
Afterwards, I decided to take the quiz again. Just for kicks and giggles. I remembered buzzing through the questions/answers the first time… just answering with the first thing that came to my mind. This time, I decided to really sit and think about the questions… and then give the best answer after a lot of thought. Well, this time I turned out to be an Esme rather than a Bella.
You are thoughtful and care very deeply for your family. A loving home is of great importance to you and you always try to make people feel welcome. Although you have a great capacity to love, you also have a great capacity to hurt, so at times you can be sensitive. You're firm when you need to be, but people trust your judgment and appreciate the kind way you always handle things.
I don’t mind being an Esme. Really, when I first did this quiz I thought I would be an Esme (…or an Alice…). And it is proof – once again – that Brian and I are a perfect fit. Esme is Carlisle’s wife. Funny, no?
So, I guess I am on the fence, personality speaking. One point in either direction and my character changes. Because, truth be told, I do share similarities with both. It just lends fuel to that question, “Who the heck am I?”.
Friday, October 17, 2008
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Wednesday, October 15, 2008
happy days
I guess I need to apologize for the lengthy posts that have populated this blog of late. I’m really trying to post every, or at least every other, day… so I don’t have so much to say. The main reason for this is that my memory is pretty shoddy. I believe the experts call this mommy-brain. And really, this blog isn’t meant to be just a play-by-play of our days. That was its original purpose – we wanted, and still do want, to share Ammon with our loved ones that we don’t see often. But it has evolved into a place for me to document my thoughts, my musings, and my conundrums – more or less my observations on our daily happenings. Really our life is pretty dull when you think about the lives of others. I remember saying to myself after reading Twilight for the first time, “Gosh… and how boring is my life?”. So a play-by-play of our day would be pretty monotonous to most. But, I have to admit, that even though my life is boring – it is far from uninteresting. Interesting things happen to me on a daily basis. Humorous, comical, unlucky, and otherwise head-scratchingly perplexing things just happen upon me. It has always been that way. I cannot go anywhere, do anything or go on any adventure without something happening along the way. Not everyone can boast the same list of stories that I can. Not everyone can tout the same list of comparable memories. And I am somewhat grateful for all of that. So, while I may have been terrified, embarrassed, aggravated, or delirious at the actual time… I can look back on my life experiences and let out a well-deserved chortle.
While I may not be going from one majestic exploit to another; while I may not be exploring the catacombs of a castle or the heart of a pyramid; while I may not be touring a grand cathedral or the Sistine Chapel… all of which are goals of mine – I do lead an interesting life. Even if I am the only one who thinks so. Brian’s life has always been the same way. So we are a perfect pair. Double the trouble I always say – and we have yet to be disappointed. I have a lifetime to dream about Da Vinci and Michelangelo and wreaking havoc on a whole new continent – today my majestic exploit is chasing a certain 10-month old.
And, truth be told, the main reason that the last few posts have been on the time-consuming side has nothing to do with a full day… but everything in the world to do with a full head. I’ve had thoughts that have needed to get out – and all I could do, was sit down and write. Because really, I can only talk to Ammon for so long before he starts giving me that is-this-what-adulthood-is-like face. And just think of all the juicy snippets I have to look back on when I sit down to write my memoir…
So what have we been up to the last couple of days here on Woodburn Drive? Besides dealing with a cranky, teething, obstinate boy? Not much. Yesterday was just an unfortunate day for poor Ammon. His hunger strike continued and he again chose to forgo his afternoon nap. By lunchtime he added another scratch and bump to his catalog of injuries. He received his first flea bite (we are thanking our Heavenly Father on bended knee that he doesn't appear to have his father's allergies). He learned how to unplug the television – and by doing so also unplugged the DVD player, VCR and surround sound system – and became very, very upset when he learned that this is something we do not do (i.e.: new goose egg).
We did have a very good afternoon, though. We went to visit Brian’s best friend and his wife, Brad and Millie, in the hospital. They just had their second baby boy… and what a sweet cheesecake crumb he is with that mop of hair and those luscious cheeks. Ammon, however, has had his fill of newborns for the week. In fact, while I was holding sweet little Eli yesterday, I was stroking his cheek and Ammon grabbed my arm and snatched it away. Oh, the joys of jealousy. Ever since, Ammon has been very, very clingy.
The cold medicine or the afore-mentioned mommy-brain are really starting to get to me. We had chicken pillows last night for dinner – which means crescent roll dough. I rummage through our still unorganized refrigerator, thoroughly examine my crescent roll dough so that I can use the one with the closest expiration date, and open it up. Do I stop to wonder why the can is smaller than all the other crescent roll dough cans? Do I stop to wonder why the dough is puffing out of the opening? Do I stop to wonder why the label says “Biscuits”? No. No. And another no. Now, I had double the dough to fiddle with. I can’t really use biscuit dough (or at least I didn’t have the patience or interest in figuring out how) for chicken pillows, so I had to open another can.
So, because of the dough problem… I had to make biscuits as well. I use my Pampered Chef stones for just about everything I cook in the oven. This means, my chicken pillow were baked on my round stone. I didn’t want to wait until after dinner, when my stone was cleared off, to bake those darn biscuits. I didn't think to just use one of my many other stones. No, I used a cookie sheet. Our oven is unpredictable, so I set my timer for two minutes less than the minimum bake time. When I opened the oven I didn’t find six nice, fluffy biscuits. Instead, I found six black, charred little rocks. Brian attempted to eat the insides. I, however, did not. Lesson #3,694: When Pampered Chef stone is otherwise engaged – be patient. I have learned my lesson. A lesson that really didn’t need to be learned, but nevertheless…
So, because of the rock problem… Brian had to let some water soak in the cookie sheet while doing dishes last night. Apparently it was such a problem that it had to sit there overnight. I found it this morning. Wet bread. One of my top ten can’t-stand-its. Yuck. Just looking at it makes me gag. You don’t want to be around when I have to touch it… like I did today. I had to use a lot of paper towels… like I do when picking up a dead bug so I don’t feel it crunch.
I had the strangest dream last night. Well, all my dreams are weird, but I actually remember this one. I dreamed that we were on some strange-excuse-for-a-road-trip. We were in some Podunk place… just think eating-squirrels-while-wearing-Daniel-Boone-hats and you’ll be up to speed. Brian and I had three children, but Ammon was the youngest… and about the same age that he is now. I remember freaking out because I didn’t know if the other two – clearly between the ages of three and six – were able to eat hamburgers. Brian went to get potato chips and left me in the woods with some strange Robin Hood-ish people. He came back and told me that he took so long because he met Jason and Grant (of Ghost Hunters fame) there and got caught up in a juicy conversation about EVPs (electric voice phenomenon). They wanted him to go on an investigation with them sometime soon. Can anyone tell what things we have been watching all night? And do you see what I mean by interesting?
Today has been a happy day… besides the wet bread thing. The original plan for this morning was to go to the park. But, life had other ideas for me and Ammon. We ended up going to our friends’, the Mitchells, house to drop off/pick up some things. We then ran all over town looking for one little thing that shouldn’t be so hard to find. Something good did come from it though, as we now own the new Indiana Jones movie. And you know I am all smiles about that.
And – the best news of the day, by far – Ammon ate lunch! He chomped down a whole jar of apples and bananas, a whole jar of peas, and finished that jar of chicken-and-something… which we have been working on for a few days now. The key is to give him something to play with. A habit that I do not want to indulge – but, if it gets him to eat, what the heck. I’ve also run out of songs to sing during mealtime (the other key to the mint)… today I resorted to Jingle Bells.
We are all feeling better today it seems. Brian is pretty much over the funk he had a while back. I still have a lingering ticklish-something in my throat. Ammon appears, at present, to be doing so-so.
Brian is home now, and I’m off to work on that project that has a deadline of Friday – can we have a loud and boisterous, “Yikes!”. I’ve got to pull out everything in the storage space under our stairs. Always a sure-fire good time. I have no idea what’s for dinner, but I do know what flick I will be watching this evening. I want my own indestructible fedora. There’s your idea for my Christmas present…
While I may not be going from one majestic exploit to another; while I may not be exploring the catacombs of a castle or the heart of a pyramid; while I may not be touring a grand cathedral or the Sistine Chapel… all of which are goals of mine – I do lead an interesting life. Even if I am the only one who thinks so. Brian’s life has always been the same way. So we are a perfect pair. Double the trouble I always say – and we have yet to be disappointed. I have a lifetime to dream about Da Vinci and Michelangelo and wreaking havoc on a whole new continent – today my majestic exploit is chasing a certain 10-month old.
And, truth be told, the main reason that the last few posts have been on the time-consuming side has nothing to do with a full day… but everything in the world to do with a full head. I’ve had thoughts that have needed to get out – and all I could do, was sit down and write. Because really, I can only talk to Ammon for so long before he starts giving me that is-this-what-adulthood-is-like face. And just think of all the juicy snippets I have to look back on when I sit down to write my memoir…
So what have we been up to the last couple of days here on Woodburn Drive? Besides dealing with a cranky, teething, obstinate boy? Not much. Yesterday was just an unfortunate day for poor Ammon. His hunger strike continued and he again chose to forgo his afternoon nap. By lunchtime he added another scratch and bump to his catalog of injuries. He received his first flea bite (we are thanking our Heavenly Father on bended knee that he doesn't appear to have his father's allergies). He learned how to unplug the television – and by doing so also unplugged the DVD player, VCR and surround sound system – and became very, very upset when he learned that this is something we do not do (i.e.: new goose egg).
We did have a very good afternoon, though. We went to visit Brian’s best friend and his wife, Brad and Millie, in the hospital. They just had their second baby boy… and what a sweet cheesecake crumb he is with that mop of hair and those luscious cheeks. Ammon, however, has had his fill of newborns for the week. In fact, while I was holding sweet little Eli yesterday, I was stroking his cheek and Ammon grabbed my arm and snatched it away. Oh, the joys of jealousy. Ever since, Ammon has been very, very clingy.
The cold medicine or the afore-mentioned mommy-brain are really starting to get to me. We had chicken pillows last night for dinner – which means crescent roll dough. I rummage through our still unorganized refrigerator, thoroughly examine my crescent roll dough so that I can use the one with the closest expiration date, and open it up. Do I stop to wonder why the can is smaller than all the other crescent roll dough cans? Do I stop to wonder why the dough is puffing out of the opening? Do I stop to wonder why the label says “Biscuits”? No. No. And another no. Now, I had double the dough to fiddle with. I can’t really use biscuit dough (or at least I didn’t have the patience or interest in figuring out how) for chicken pillows, so I had to open another can.
So, because of the dough problem… I had to make biscuits as well. I use my Pampered Chef stones for just about everything I cook in the oven. This means, my chicken pillow were baked on my round stone. I didn’t want to wait until after dinner, when my stone was cleared off, to bake those darn biscuits. I didn't think to just use one of my many other stones. No, I used a cookie sheet. Our oven is unpredictable, so I set my timer for two minutes less than the minimum bake time. When I opened the oven I didn’t find six nice, fluffy biscuits. Instead, I found six black, charred little rocks. Brian attempted to eat the insides. I, however, did not. Lesson #3,694: When Pampered Chef stone is otherwise engaged – be patient. I have learned my lesson. A lesson that really didn’t need to be learned, but nevertheless…
So, because of the rock problem… Brian had to let some water soak in the cookie sheet while doing dishes last night. Apparently it was such a problem that it had to sit there overnight. I found it this morning. Wet bread. One of my top ten can’t-stand-its. Yuck. Just looking at it makes me gag. You don’t want to be around when I have to touch it… like I did today. I had to use a lot of paper towels… like I do when picking up a dead bug so I don’t feel it crunch.
I had the strangest dream last night. Well, all my dreams are weird, but I actually remember this one. I dreamed that we were on some strange-excuse-for-a-road-trip. We were in some Podunk place… just think eating-squirrels-while-wearing-Daniel-Boone-hats and you’ll be up to speed. Brian and I had three children, but Ammon was the youngest… and about the same age that he is now. I remember freaking out because I didn’t know if the other two – clearly between the ages of three and six – were able to eat hamburgers. Brian went to get potato chips and left me in the woods with some strange Robin Hood-ish people. He came back and told me that he took so long because he met Jason and Grant (of Ghost Hunters fame) there and got caught up in a juicy conversation about EVPs (electric voice phenomenon). They wanted him to go on an investigation with them sometime soon. Can anyone tell what things we have been watching all night? And do you see what I mean by interesting?
Today has been a happy day… besides the wet bread thing. The original plan for this morning was to go to the park. But, life had other ideas for me and Ammon. We ended up going to our friends’, the Mitchells, house to drop off/pick up some things. We then ran all over town looking for one little thing that shouldn’t be so hard to find. Something good did come from it though, as we now own the new Indiana Jones movie. And you know I am all smiles about that.
And – the best news of the day, by far – Ammon ate lunch! He chomped down a whole jar of apples and bananas, a whole jar of peas, and finished that jar of chicken-and-something… which we have been working on for a few days now. The key is to give him something to play with. A habit that I do not want to indulge – but, if it gets him to eat, what the heck. I’ve also run out of songs to sing during mealtime (the other key to the mint)… today I resorted to Jingle Bells.
We are all feeling better today it seems. Brian is pretty much over the funk he had a while back. I still have a lingering ticklish-something in my throat. Ammon appears, at present, to be doing so-so.
Brian is home now, and I’m off to work on that project that has a deadline of Friday – can we have a loud and boisterous, “Yikes!”. I’ve got to pull out everything in the storage space under our stairs. Always a sure-fire good time. I have no idea what’s for dinner, but I do know what flick I will be watching this evening. I want my own indestructible fedora. There’s your idea for my Christmas present…
i'm a bella...
So, I found out the dreadfully obvious today. I took this quiz that I found on the blog of my friend, Tiffane. And I am so glad... it just confirms my spot on Edward's team. Seriously though, I really (I mean really, really) thought that I would end up being an Alice... or even an Esme. Definitely not a Rosalie. But the truth always comes through in the end...
You are observant, diplomatic and often aim to please. You are unaware of your attractiveness and despite being uncomfortable with any form of attention, people enjoy your company. You can be impatient, stubborn and headstrong, but you are true to your word and mature for your age, often taking care of your family and enjoying a good book over chatting with girlfriends on the phone.
If you're a Twilight fan... which heroine are you?
Monday, October 13, 2008
a little long-winded, this one is
Well, we survived last week. Barely. I got a fortune in a fortune cookie a week or so ago that read, “No obstacles will stand in your way this coming week.”. And believe me, none – and I mean none – did. Ammon has re-instated his anti-food/anti-nap campaign. We had our inspection Thursday, and I had a lot to do on Wednesday to get ready. Ammon had other plans for me. He decided to scream for 2 hours straight and not go down for his afternoon nap – on top of not eating. I ended up having to put him in his swing to go to sleep. Holy déjà vu.
We worked our fingers to the bone getting every little thing ready for our inspection. My mom came and helped a bit. I went through 3 Magic Erasers removing those how-the-heck-did-they-get-there marks. I was proud that I only had to hide a few things. I ran out of room everywhere else, but had a few leftover projects to put away. I threw them in our laundry hamper, shut the lid, and called it a day.
Thursday morning came. I decided to wake up early, get my shower, make my bed, yada yadda yadda – before all the fun started. Well, Ammon woke up before I did, so he got to scream in his crib for a bit while I got ready. I woke up feeling terrible – worse than I have felt in a long time. I really was not feeling the pending day. Around 10:00 (Ammon’s naptime. Just imagine all the excitement.) several cars pulled up – all full of people. I was really hoping that they wouldn’t all be coming into our home… because they wouldn’t fit. Awhile later, our property manager, the property owner, and the maintenance man came in. The latter went straight upstairs to change our air filter (which didn’t need to be changed because Brian had just changed it). Meanwhile, our property manager talked with me and the owner talked to Ammon – who I had in his swing in an attempt to keep his teething-naptime-leave-me-alone-shrills down to a low roar. The owner left after less than 3 minutes. Our property manager talked to me for about 5. The maintenance man was in and out for about 10 minutes trying to change our air filter. So basically, they didn’t even look around. Our property manager knows and trusts us. She knows that we take care of our home. I don’t know if this is why they didn’t really inspect everything, or not. Either way, we busted our chops for nothing. But, all that deep cleaning needed to be done anyway. So this inspection was the motivation I needed to get it all done. So no harm done… and I didn’t fly off the handle. A few minutes after everyone left, the bug guys came. Not our normal bug people who are buddies with Ammon. This was the last straw in the camel’s back for the, no pun intended, bug. Finally, he could go upstairs for his nap. Did he take one? No.
Thursday night we had to go grocery shopping. This was a given as all our food went the way of the Dodo when our refrigerator died. My mom came and watched Ammon, who was in no shape for an evening out on the town. Brian and I decided to go nice for dinner – as the coming shopping adventure was sure to be a nightmare. We went to Olive Garden… which always promises good people-watching. Brian calls me a rubber-necker – I just like being aware of my surroundings. We had a good bunch of people next to us that night. I chuckled as I listened to the first bunch wonder why their Tiramisu tasted like coffee. Well, duh… the bottom layer of lady-fingers are soaked in espresso, for heaven’s sake. The second couple was planning a tour of Europe and Russia. She was not a native of the US of A. She had one of those accents that I couldn’t figure out. German? Russian? And she was dressed like she was on her way to opening night on Broadway. Her husband looked fairly “normal” dressed in khaki pants, buttoned shirt and loafers. There they were, sipping their wine, discussing the advantages of staying in Milan or St. Petersburg for a few weeks as opposed to just a few days… then they decided to split an appetizer: chicken fingers and fried cheese. How these people end up in Dothan, I’ll never know. The bunch across the way… well, let’s just say that I couldn’t figure them out. And didn’t want to try…
Speaking of Olive Garden and wine: You know how they usually offer their whatever-you-want-to-call-it (house, special, yadda yadda yadda) wine before you order? Well, Thursday night marked the first time a waiter actually said, “I don’t even know if you two are old enough, but…”. Usually they just give us the look before we politely turn them down. This was the first time that one of them actually vocalized their opinion of us looking extremely young. Funny thing… I was just lending an understanding word to my friend, Tiffane, the other day about looking younger than we really are. I know that I’ve had a good laugh with my pal, Hila, about it. And I do look like a 14-year old. I know that – trust me, I suffer through that life. Folks always tell me that I will appreciate it all when I get older. And heck, people who have known me my entire life often forget that I am, in fact, an adult. But, even though it may be easier for other people to believe, Brian and I got a much needed chuckle out of it.
Grocery shopping wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. We didn’t, however, get everything we really needed. Some of our just-in-case-staples remained off the list. Intentionally, in a way. I’m trying to see how we do without them. We don't really need them anyway. Our check-out experience is always fun, though. We do our grocery shopping only once a month – getting the bulk of our items – then get things like bread and milk as we need them. Every single time we are asked how many children we have when all the baby food gets to the front of the line. I am always faced by that inconsiderate person waiting behind us. Most people don’t stick around, which really is a good thing. I’m usually not in good, happy, peppy mood at that point. Those who know me well know that that is a recipe for trouble when coupled with a witless person. So, I was good and didn’t make a heaven-forbid-people-have-the-audacity-to-go-to-Wal–Mart-at-the-same-time-as-you comment. I could have, but didn’t.
Saturday is (thank goodness) Brian’s day to be with Ammon. And what a day it was. I was feeling cruddy during the morning. Ammon was beyond terrifying. He decided to totally skip his afternoon nap. He was happily babbling in his crib the whole time, so at least he was happy. But no nap means no fun later on in the day. We made dinner for our friends, the Mitchell family, who just had their second baby boy. It was nice to visit with them for a bit and meet their new little sugarplum. Ammon looked like a street urchin, but at least behaved like the sweet little boy he normally is. Of course, once we got home… here it is safe to say that we were all needing sedatives. But, all hope was not lost for a good day. We had a visit from my dad that morning, we had some fun playtime here and there, Brian and I watched some Ghost Hunters after Ammon finally went to bed… so we made the most of the madness.
Sunday was not the most pleasant of days, though. Sunday mornings are always hard on me because I am getting myself and Ammon ready for church without help. Brian leaves for meetings by 7:30-ish. When I went to bed Saturday night, I decided to really get a head start the next morning. But, my body had other ideas. I did not go to sleep until about 15 minutes before my alarm went off. I was achy, feverish, and had a horrendous sore throat. Needless to say, Ammon and I didn’t make it to church. I took the opportunity of going back to bed when Ammon went down for his morning nap. Brian must have been home by the time Ammon got up… because I woke up at almost 3:00.
Yesterday evening we had a combined birthday shindig for our sister-in-law and Brian’s mom. When we pulled up, we got our normal enthusiastic greeting from our niece, Lainee. I got the normal, “Sacy! Where Aman?”. My 4-year old nephew, Caulin, then found me. After showing me his new tennis shoes – that make him run so much faster, by the way – he said, “Ooo, Aunt Stacy! I have something for you!”. He took me inside and gave me a pretty pink bloom. He then said, “You can take that home. It’s for you.”. Somebody loves me. I like being an aunt…
Overall grade for the weekend: C-. We were all at the end of our rope by the time Saturday came along, and we hadn’t even gotten to the good parts yet. Did I mention that Ammon got his first two goose eggs on his head over the weekend? I’ve heard it said in the past that raunchy rat children should just be sold to the gypsies. I couldn’t find one in my weekend travels. Probably a good thing…
This morning, Ammon and I went for a little run in the park. I was feeling a little better – more like I-forced-myself-to-feel-better-so-I-can-get-on-with-my-life – and I have needed to get back on the exercising bandwagon. We got all the way to the park, unloaded and ready to go, when I realized that I left my iPod ear buds at home. Normal people would just say, “…Oh well…”, and get on with their lives. Not me. I just have no motivation without my tunes. If I don’t have someone (i.e.: an adult) with me I have to be plugged into something. And really, I am the type of person who can still do other things while listening to music – like carry on a conversation (with others or myself), organize my week, plan out my day, visualize some realities and not-so-close-to-realities, hash out some details, sketch out some projects, layout some thoughts. But without some type of background noise, I have no focus. So back home we went. What in the world did I do before iPods? Well... I didn't do.
So we got home, I ran inside, grabbed my ear buds, ran out to the car, and headed back to the park. This time, I was having trouble with the front wheel of Ammon’s jogger (we have to take it off for the whole thing to fit in our trunk). While it worked 10 minutes before, and has never pitched a fit before, it wasn’t working for me now. Finally, all the planets were aligned just right, and we were ready to go. We usually go around the track about 10 times… this time only four. And we really only did a brisk walk type of thing, as you can easily wipe out and kill yourself on the pavement there. I mean, it looks like a mild earthquake has hit Dothan. Thank goodness for joggers. And while this park is not that great – compared to our park of preference – we still enjoyed ourselves. It was a beautiful, overcast fall morning. Still a little too warm to be perfect, but there was a nice cool, crisp breeze. I really had to convince myself that we had to go home because I could have stayed there all day. But, as we learned (for the umpteenth time) from the unfortunate mess that was last week… Naps. Must. Happen.
So I’m sitting here trying to decide what to do first today… and feel a headache coming on. Accompanied by a familiar smell. Why does my hair smell man-ish? I go into the bathroom and take a peek in the mirror and find my answer. Apparently my brush was covered in Brian’s new manly-smelling lotion – which I do not like, by the way. I prefer my natural-(but clean)-smelling Brian so much better. So, when I went to brush my hair after my shower… well, I won’t insult your intelligence by sharing the rest.
Something really awesome was going down in the scrapper-blogger world a couple of weeks ago. I personally got sidetracked with other, for lack of a better word, “projects” – and wasn’t really able to participate at that time. But – and even though it may sound strange to some – I have really felt inspired to do this now. What is it? It can be called several things – in some cases a week-in-the-life album, in others a realize-your-life journal, or just a plain old Joe this-is-what-our-day-to-day-life-looks-like-bumps-and-all.
Like I’ve mentioned before, I am an everyday-life-documenter – a life artist, if you will. I have truly felt inspired to do this. It is going to happen. Amongst the chaos. This is something that I really want to do at least once a year to document what we are doing right now, what we are thinking right now, what our goals are for right now – what our hope is for right now. You all will just have to humor me – because you’re all along for the ride – and you'll understand more once I get started and show you what I'm doing and why this is so important to me. This is a chance for me to document the nitty gritty of our everyday lives – minus a few obvious exceptions. I’ll keep everything g-rated… nobody wants to see Ammon’s dirty diapers.
I’ve thought about doing this many times before. But I’ve never felt as inspired and motivated as I do now. And don’t get me wrong… I do have other things to do. Trust me, I do. But something has grabbed hold of me – a challenge to just do it, that it will be worth it, and that I will gain a great deal from it. This something has grabbed a hold of me so tightly that I could not sleep last night due to sheer excitement. And I have a few days to go before I really get started – I plan to do this from next Monday to Sunday. I document our memories so that we can remember. So those who come after us will know us. I’ve said before that I think it is crucial that we document the good and the not-so-peppy. I think that it is also important to document where we are in our lives – so that later on, we can see how far we’ve come, how much we’ve learned, and how much we’ve grown as individuals. This is a way to accomplish that.
Finding joy in the journey and living in the now is something that I have really been trying to work on for awhile… but I’ve hit a bit of a Great-Wall-of-China-sized-hiccup recently. My need to get back on track was really emphasized in President Monson’s talk during the Sunday morning session of this past General Conference (read it here). His words inspired me – like they always do – but this time, I really felt that these-talks-were-for-me feeling.
I think it very interesting that so many of the artists I follow have been addressing this issue lately (ironically, a lot of them are members of my faith). So many have been challenging readers and other scrapbookers to participate in similar projects. Some may call it coincidence. Or good marketing. I call it motivation. A cry to do. I need to take my focus off what I will be doing in 2, 5, 10 or 50 years – and refocus my attention to the importance of today. To love, savor and enjoy all those things that I know I will miss when they are no longer a part of my everyday life. Even the diapers.
And while I may seem a little negative with the whole Ammon-in-a-funk thing, don’t get me wrong. We are doing great. He is doing great. Ammon proves that life is just so much fun when you’re 10-months old. And even though he has been acting like a 10-year old of late, we still adore him. He continues to amaze. His intuitive nature and smarty-pants way of thinking keep us smiling. It’s one of those, “Where did this kid come from?” kind of moments that leave me breathless in wonder. I do know where he came from, I know who he is… and I’m so glad.
We worked our fingers to the bone getting every little thing ready for our inspection. My mom came and helped a bit. I went through 3 Magic Erasers removing those how-the-heck-did-they-get-there marks. I was proud that I only had to hide a few things. I ran out of room everywhere else, but had a few leftover projects to put away. I threw them in our laundry hamper, shut the lid, and called it a day.
Thursday morning came. I decided to wake up early, get my shower, make my bed, yada yadda yadda – before all the fun started. Well, Ammon woke up before I did, so he got to scream in his crib for a bit while I got ready. I woke up feeling terrible – worse than I have felt in a long time. I really was not feeling the pending day. Around 10:00 (Ammon’s naptime. Just imagine all the excitement.) several cars pulled up – all full of people. I was really hoping that they wouldn’t all be coming into our home… because they wouldn’t fit. Awhile later, our property manager, the property owner, and the maintenance man came in. The latter went straight upstairs to change our air filter (which didn’t need to be changed because Brian had just changed it). Meanwhile, our property manager talked with me and the owner talked to Ammon – who I had in his swing in an attempt to keep his teething-naptime-leave-me-alone-shrills down to a low roar. The owner left after less than 3 minutes. Our property manager talked to me for about 5. The maintenance man was in and out for about 10 minutes trying to change our air filter. So basically, they didn’t even look around. Our property manager knows and trusts us. She knows that we take care of our home. I don’t know if this is why they didn’t really inspect everything, or not. Either way, we busted our chops for nothing. But, all that deep cleaning needed to be done anyway. So this inspection was the motivation I needed to get it all done. So no harm done… and I didn’t fly off the handle. A few minutes after everyone left, the bug guys came. Not our normal bug people who are buddies with Ammon. This was the last straw in the camel’s back for the, no pun intended, bug. Finally, he could go upstairs for his nap. Did he take one? No.
Thursday night we had to go grocery shopping. This was a given as all our food went the way of the Dodo when our refrigerator died. My mom came and watched Ammon, who was in no shape for an evening out on the town. Brian and I decided to go nice for dinner – as the coming shopping adventure was sure to be a nightmare. We went to Olive Garden… which always promises good people-watching. Brian calls me a rubber-necker – I just like being aware of my surroundings. We had a good bunch of people next to us that night. I chuckled as I listened to the first bunch wonder why their Tiramisu tasted like coffee. Well, duh… the bottom layer of lady-fingers are soaked in espresso, for heaven’s sake. The second couple was planning a tour of Europe and Russia. She was not a native of the US of A. She had one of those accents that I couldn’t figure out. German? Russian? And she was dressed like she was on her way to opening night on Broadway. Her husband looked fairly “normal” dressed in khaki pants, buttoned shirt and loafers. There they were, sipping their wine, discussing the advantages of staying in Milan or St. Petersburg for a few weeks as opposed to just a few days… then they decided to split an appetizer: chicken fingers and fried cheese. How these people end up in Dothan, I’ll never know. The bunch across the way… well, let’s just say that I couldn’t figure them out. And didn’t want to try…
Speaking of Olive Garden and wine: You know how they usually offer their whatever-you-want-to-call-it (house, special, yadda yadda yadda) wine before you order? Well, Thursday night marked the first time a waiter actually said, “I don’t even know if you two are old enough, but…”. Usually they just give us the look before we politely turn them down. This was the first time that one of them actually vocalized their opinion of us looking extremely young. Funny thing… I was just lending an understanding word to my friend, Tiffane, the other day about looking younger than we really are. I know that I’ve had a good laugh with my pal, Hila, about it. And I do look like a 14-year old. I know that – trust me, I suffer through that life. Folks always tell me that I will appreciate it all when I get older. And heck, people who have known me my entire life often forget that I am, in fact, an adult. But, even though it may be easier for other people to believe, Brian and I got a much needed chuckle out of it.
Grocery shopping wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. We didn’t, however, get everything we really needed. Some of our just-in-case-staples remained off the list. Intentionally, in a way. I’m trying to see how we do without them. We don't really need them anyway. Our check-out experience is always fun, though. We do our grocery shopping only once a month – getting the bulk of our items – then get things like bread and milk as we need them. Every single time we are asked how many children we have when all the baby food gets to the front of the line. I am always faced by that inconsiderate person waiting behind us. Most people don’t stick around, which really is a good thing. I’m usually not in good, happy, peppy mood at that point. Those who know me well know that that is a recipe for trouble when coupled with a witless person. So, I was good and didn’t make a heaven-forbid-people-have-the-audacity-to-go-to-Wal–Mart-at-the-same-time-as-you comment. I could have, but didn’t.
Saturday is (thank goodness) Brian’s day to be with Ammon. And what a day it was. I was feeling cruddy during the morning. Ammon was beyond terrifying. He decided to totally skip his afternoon nap. He was happily babbling in his crib the whole time, so at least he was happy. But no nap means no fun later on in the day. We made dinner for our friends, the Mitchell family, who just had their second baby boy. It was nice to visit with them for a bit and meet their new little sugarplum. Ammon looked like a street urchin, but at least behaved like the sweet little boy he normally is. Of course, once we got home… here it is safe to say that we were all needing sedatives. But, all hope was not lost for a good day. We had a visit from my dad that morning, we had some fun playtime here and there, Brian and I watched some Ghost Hunters after Ammon finally went to bed… so we made the most of the madness.
Sunday was not the most pleasant of days, though. Sunday mornings are always hard on me because I am getting myself and Ammon ready for church without help. Brian leaves for meetings by 7:30-ish. When I went to bed Saturday night, I decided to really get a head start the next morning. But, my body had other ideas. I did not go to sleep until about 15 minutes before my alarm went off. I was achy, feverish, and had a horrendous sore throat. Needless to say, Ammon and I didn’t make it to church. I took the opportunity of going back to bed when Ammon went down for his morning nap. Brian must have been home by the time Ammon got up… because I woke up at almost 3:00.
Yesterday evening we had a combined birthday shindig for our sister-in-law and Brian’s mom. When we pulled up, we got our normal enthusiastic greeting from our niece, Lainee. I got the normal, “Sacy! Where Aman?”. My 4-year old nephew, Caulin, then found me. After showing me his new tennis shoes – that make him run so much faster, by the way – he said, “Ooo, Aunt Stacy! I have something for you!”. He took me inside and gave me a pretty pink bloom. He then said, “You can take that home. It’s for you.”. Somebody loves me. I like being an aunt…Overall grade for the weekend: C-. We were all at the end of our rope by the time Saturday came along, and we hadn’t even gotten to the good parts yet. Did I mention that Ammon got his first two goose eggs on his head over the weekend? I’ve heard it said in the past that raunchy rat children should just be sold to the gypsies. I couldn’t find one in my weekend travels. Probably a good thing…
This morning, Ammon and I went for a little run in the park. I was feeling a little better – more like I-forced-myself-to-feel-better-so-I-can-get-on-with-my-life – and I have needed to get back on the exercising bandwagon. We got all the way to the park, unloaded and ready to go, when I realized that I left my iPod ear buds at home. Normal people would just say, “…Oh well…”, and get on with their lives. Not me. I just have no motivation without my tunes. If I don’t have someone (i.e.: an adult) with me I have to be plugged into something. And really, I am the type of person who can still do other things while listening to music – like carry on a conversation (with others or myself), organize my week, plan out my day, visualize some realities and not-so-close-to-realities, hash out some details, sketch out some projects, layout some thoughts. But without some type of background noise, I have no focus. So back home we went. What in the world did I do before iPods? Well... I didn't do.
So we got home, I ran inside, grabbed my ear buds, ran out to the car, and headed back to the park. This time, I was having trouble with the front wheel of Ammon’s jogger (we have to take it off for the whole thing to fit in our trunk). While it worked 10 minutes before, and has never pitched a fit before, it wasn’t working for me now. Finally, all the planets were aligned just right, and we were ready to go. We usually go around the track about 10 times… this time only four. And we really only did a brisk walk type of thing, as you can easily wipe out and kill yourself on the pavement there. I mean, it looks like a mild earthquake has hit Dothan. Thank goodness for joggers. And while this park is not that great – compared to our park of preference – we still enjoyed ourselves. It was a beautiful, overcast fall morning. Still a little too warm to be perfect, but there was a nice cool, crisp breeze. I really had to convince myself that we had to go home because I could have stayed there all day. But, as we learned (for the umpteenth time) from the unfortunate mess that was last week… Naps. Must. Happen.
So I’m sitting here trying to decide what to do first today… and feel a headache coming on. Accompanied by a familiar smell. Why does my hair smell man-ish? I go into the bathroom and take a peek in the mirror and find my answer. Apparently my brush was covered in Brian’s new manly-smelling lotion – which I do not like, by the way. I prefer my natural-(but clean)-smelling Brian so much better. So, when I went to brush my hair after my shower… well, I won’t insult your intelligence by sharing the rest.
Something really awesome was going down in the scrapper-blogger world a couple of weeks ago. I personally got sidetracked with other, for lack of a better word, “projects” – and wasn’t really able to participate at that time. But – and even though it may sound strange to some – I have really felt inspired to do this now. What is it? It can be called several things – in some cases a week-in-the-life album, in others a realize-your-life journal, or just a plain old Joe this-is-what-our-day-to-day-life-looks-like-bumps-and-all.
Like I’ve mentioned before, I am an everyday-life-documenter – a life artist, if you will. I have truly felt inspired to do this. It is going to happen. Amongst the chaos. This is something that I really want to do at least once a year to document what we are doing right now, what we are thinking right now, what our goals are for right now – what our hope is for right now. You all will just have to humor me – because you’re all along for the ride – and you'll understand more once I get started and show you what I'm doing and why this is so important to me. This is a chance for me to document the nitty gritty of our everyday lives – minus a few obvious exceptions. I’ll keep everything g-rated… nobody wants to see Ammon’s dirty diapers.
I’ve thought about doing this many times before. But I’ve never felt as inspired and motivated as I do now. And don’t get me wrong… I do have other things to do. Trust me, I do. But something has grabbed hold of me – a challenge to just do it, that it will be worth it, and that I will gain a great deal from it. This something has grabbed a hold of me so tightly that I could not sleep last night due to sheer excitement. And I have a few days to go before I really get started – I plan to do this from next Monday to Sunday. I document our memories so that we can remember. So those who come after us will know us. I’ve said before that I think it is crucial that we document the good and the not-so-peppy. I think that it is also important to document where we are in our lives – so that later on, we can see how far we’ve come, how much we’ve learned, and how much we’ve grown as individuals. This is a way to accomplish that.
Finding joy in the journey and living in the now is something that I have really been trying to work on for awhile… but I’ve hit a bit of a Great-Wall-of-China-sized-hiccup recently. My need to get back on track was really emphasized in President Monson’s talk during the Sunday morning session of this past General Conference (read it here). His words inspired me – like they always do – but this time, I really felt that these-talks-were-for-me feeling.
I think it very interesting that so many of the artists I follow have been addressing this issue lately (ironically, a lot of them are members of my faith). So many have been challenging readers and other scrapbookers to participate in similar projects. Some may call it coincidence. Or good marketing. I call it motivation. A cry to do. I need to take my focus off what I will be doing in 2, 5, 10 or 50 years – and refocus my attention to the importance of today. To love, savor and enjoy all those things that I know I will miss when they are no longer a part of my everyday life. Even the diapers.
And while I may seem a little negative with the whole Ammon-in-a-funk thing, don’t get me wrong. We are doing great. He is doing great. Ammon proves that life is just so much fun when you’re 10-months old. And even though he has been acting like a 10-year old of late, we still adore him. He continues to amaze. His intuitive nature and smarty-pants way of thinking keep us smiling. It’s one of those, “Where did this kid come from?” kind of moments that leave me breathless in wonder. I do know where he came from, I know who he is… and I’m so glad.
Monday, October 6, 2008
told you so
I told you that as soon as I bought a new pillow case the old, missing one would turn up. Well, guess what I found today? In the dirty clothes hamper. That I empty at least once a week. And check – and double check – to make sure I have gotten everything. Yes – you are right. I knew exactly what that thing was peeking out from the middle of my dirty clothes pile. I knew exactly what it was when I got my hands on it. That darn pillow case.
Apart from trying my sanity, today was a tiring, long and aggravating day. There wasn’t an hour that went by that something didn’t happen and cause my blood pressure to go up.
Ammon woke up on the wrong side of his crib this morning. He had no intention of eating his breakfast. He ended up going down for his morning nap early after his seventh meltdown – or should I say kicking-screaming-stiff-as-a-board-throwing-toy-temper-tantrum.
I was able to finish that hanging-file-scrap-thingy yesterday. I set it on my bed this morning while I made room for it by my paper. I watched, in slow motion and horror, as it fell backwards and all my sorted scraps and bits littered the floor.
Ammon got up from his nap in a better mood; however, it was short lived. Now, he had no intention of eating his lunch. He kept giving me that I-know-exactly-what-I-am-doing look as he would take off his bib. As soon as it was off, he would spit out his food. He sniffed some up his nose. He snatched his spoon and tossed it. He pitched a gargantuan-sized fit – and got his way. It was either that, or I would have lost it.
The repairman came to fix our refrigerator today. We had to get rid of almost all of our food yesterday, so I was just a little perturbed. A very kind, elderly gentleman came by and tinkered and piddled – but got it fixed. I was sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time he was here – I seriously was worried that he wouldn’t make it through his visit. He was wheezing, among other things. But, he was very polite and talked to Ammon for a few minutes. Of course, he also had to endure Ammon’s sixty-third meltdown. He even offered to sweep the floor underneath and behind our refrigerator. Two trips to the trash with the dust pan. Thank you.
I was able to get a lot done upstairs after Brian got home. He had Ammon-duty which let me finish getting Ammon’s room ready for Thursday’s inspection. I was able to finish boxing up all of his old things. I just have a few more things to do before the upstairs is ready to be checked off my list.
Brian ran to get some dinner… since we currently have no food. Ammon chose this time to refuse dinner. He and I had another boxing match, but at least he ate a little more. Brian got home and gave him his bath. By the time we got him in bed it was almost an hour past his bedtime. I was nervous that it was going to be a rough night for Ammon. He doesn't go to sleep well once he gets to that beyond-tired stage. But, not a peep. Thank goodness...
I started laundry. Found that retched pillow case. Dropped my orange fizzy pop… stupidly opened it. Orange fizzy pop spews all over the kitchen floor… right after we ran out of paper towels.
I wasn't able to finish laundry tonight. Brian decided to go to bed and there is no way that I am staying downstairs at night by myself... as I have been watching Ghost Hunters with him. My imagination is too sharp for all that jazz.
It’s been one of those days, for sure. But, I was able to accomplish quite a lot in spite of it all. I have high hopes for the rest of the week. I’ll even go so far as to say that it can’t get any worse. I’m not one to say that, in fear of what else might actually happen… but… I think in this case it’s okay.
Apart from trying my sanity, today was a tiring, long and aggravating day. There wasn’t an hour that went by that something didn’t happen and cause my blood pressure to go up.
Ammon woke up on the wrong side of his crib this morning. He had no intention of eating his breakfast. He ended up going down for his morning nap early after his seventh meltdown – or should I say kicking-screaming-stiff-as-a-board-throwing-toy-temper-tantrum.
I was able to finish that hanging-file-scrap-thingy yesterday. I set it on my bed this morning while I made room for it by my paper. I watched, in slow motion and horror, as it fell backwards and all my sorted scraps and bits littered the floor.
Ammon got up from his nap in a better mood; however, it was short lived. Now, he had no intention of eating his lunch. He kept giving me that I-know-exactly-what-I-am-doing look as he would take off his bib. As soon as it was off, he would spit out his food. He sniffed some up his nose. He snatched his spoon and tossed it. He pitched a gargantuan-sized fit – and got his way. It was either that, or I would have lost it.
The repairman came to fix our refrigerator today. We had to get rid of almost all of our food yesterday, so I was just a little perturbed. A very kind, elderly gentleman came by and tinkered and piddled – but got it fixed. I was sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time he was here – I seriously was worried that he wouldn’t make it through his visit. He was wheezing, among other things. But, he was very polite and talked to Ammon for a few minutes. Of course, he also had to endure Ammon’s sixty-third meltdown. He even offered to sweep the floor underneath and behind our refrigerator. Two trips to the trash with the dust pan. Thank you.
I was able to get a lot done upstairs after Brian got home. He had Ammon-duty which let me finish getting Ammon’s room ready for Thursday’s inspection. I was able to finish boxing up all of his old things. I just have a few more things to do before the upstairs is ready to be checked off my list.
Brian ran to get some dinner… since we currently have no food. Ammon chose this time to refuse dinner. He and I had another boxing match, but at least he ate a little more. Brian got home and gave him his bath. By the time we got him in bed it was almost an hour past his bedtime. I was nervous that it was going to be a rough night for Ammon. He doesn't go to sleep well once he gets to that beyond-tired stage. But, not a peep. Thank goodness...
I started laundry. Found that retched pillow case. Dropped my orange fizzy pop… stupidly opened it. Orange fizzy pop spews all over the kitchen floor… right after we ran out of paper towels.
I wasn't able to finish laundry tonight. Brian decided to go to bed and there is no way that I am staying downstairs at night by myself... as I have been watching Ghost Hunters with him. My imagination is too sharp for all that jazz.
It’s been one of those days, for sure. But, I was able to accomplish quite a lot in spite of it all. I have high hopes for the rest of the week. I’ll even go so far as to say that it can’t get any worse. I’m not one to say that, in fear of what else might actually happen… but… I think in this case it’s okay.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
comical happenings
Deep breaths. Kind words. Lots of patience. That’s what I was telling myself a couple of weeks ago anyway. What am I telling myself today? “Just walk away.” “Put down the hammer before you throw it out the window.” “Remember to wipe up the puddle of water on the floor so you don’t slip on it for the fourth time.” The getting-ready-for-next-week business is going fantastically well. And yes, that was sarcasm.
I woke up this morning feeling terrible again. I wasn’t able to sleep last night, so I took the opportunity to sleep in. I was jerked awake by something – causing a nice headache – and then panicked when I looked at the clock and saw just how late I had slept in.
I checked on Ammon, who was down for his morning nap, and then made my way downstairs. I walked into the kitchen to get some breakfast, and found the refrigerator pulled out from the wall. What? Brian then told me about all the buzzing, clicking, burnt-smelling-funk, yada yada yada that he woke up to. Needless to say, it was on its last leg. The repairman wouldn’t be able to come until Monday. Everything in the freezer was thawing out, causing a waterfall to flow down the front of the refrigerator and onto the floor. Did it live through the day? No. All our food is now in coolers on the kitchen floor.
I woke up this morning feeling terrible again. I wasn’t able to sleep last night, so I took the opportunity to sleep in. I was jerked awake by something – causing a nice headache – and then panicked when I looked at the clock and saw just how late I had slept in.
I checked on Ammon, who was down for his morning nap, and then made my way downstairs. I walked into the kitchen to get some breakfast, and found the refrigerator pulled out from the wall. What? Brian then told me about all the buzzing, clicking, burnt-smelling-funk, yada yada yada that he woke up to. Needless to say, it was on its last leg. The repairman wouldn’t be able to come until Monday. Everything in the freezer was thawing out, causing a waterfall to flow down the front of the refrigerator and onto the floor. Did it live through the day? No. All our food is now in coolers on the kitchen floor.
It was fairly warm this afternoon, so Ammon and Brian went swimming in the back yard. I tried to get some things done while they were outside. I hung some pictures and smacked my finger with the hammer. I put some things away in Ammon’s room and tripped over his humidifier, kicking his crib. By the time Ammon was done swimming and ready for lunch, I had done more damage upstairs than made progress.
Ammon has been having some teething-related tummy issues the last two days. I went in to get Ammon up from his afternoon nap and was met with a very unpleasant situation in his crib. I’ll let you fill in the blanks. I’ll just say that sheets, mattress pad, clothes (both his and mine) and blanket had to be changed.
Brian left at about 4:45 to go to the church to prepare for the pancake dinner thingamajig they had before the Priesthood session of General Conference. All heck broke out when he left. Ammon’s clingy-but-doesn’t-want-to-be-held mood carried over from yesterday. After a few minutes and a snack, we found a groove that worked. My mom decided to come by this evening to visit – she brought dinner and helped out with Ammon some. All this was a good thing, because my medicine decided to make me sleepy. For the first time since I started taking it. Go figure. Speaking of dinner, I probably should go and check that I got all my Chinese food out of the couch cushions. After all, I did dump about all of it out.
After my mom left, I decided to try and get some rest before Brian got home. I did need to make a call – but do you think my cell phone was working? Nope. Just a completely blank screen. After a while it started working again. What was the problem? No idea. Of course, by the time it was working again it was really too late to make the call.
Brian got home after running to the store to get more ice and Styrofoam coolers for our food. He told me that our electric skillet – that he took to the church to use to cook pancakes and bacon – was dead. At this, I decided that I was through for the day. Totally done. My plan of going upstairs and finishing up some things was now the farthest thing from my mind.
Frustration overload happened today. Some serious therapy was called for. I figured that since I was already behind, the day already shot, it might as well go out with a bang. I got that fizzy, caffeinated pop that I had promised myself I wasn’t going to have anymore of – and I sucked it down. I finished my 3-pound bag of peanut butter M&Ms. I had another bag of peanut M&Ms. I had the last of my chocolate pudding because… well, who knows… it could be bad tomorrow. And, rather than finishing the things that needed to get done, I watched Iron Man with Brian.
So, I made the most of my repugnant day. And today has had its high points. I was able to talk to my friend, Hila – which was very nice. I was able to have some good chuckles with my sweet family. And even though Ammon has continued to have a rough night – joining Brian and I for the movie at around midnight – his fussiness didn’t seem to bother me. That sugar high might have something to do with it, but, I’m in a much better mood now than I was a few hours ago. And, after all, tomorrow is another day.
Ammon has been having some teething-related tummy issues the last two days. I went in to get Ammon up from his afternoon nap and was met with a very unpleasant situation in his crib. I’ll let you fill in the blanks. I’ll just say that sheets, mattress pad, clothes (both his and mine) and blanket had to be changed.
Brian left at about 4:45 to go to the church to prepare for the pancake dinner thingamajig they had before the Priesthood session of General Conference. All heck broke out when he left. Ammon’s clingy-but-doesn’t-want-to-be-held mood carried over from yesterday. After a few minutes and a snack, we found a groove that worked. My mom decided to come by this evening to visit – she brought dinner and helped out with Ammon some. All this was a good thing, because my medicine decided to make me sleepy. For the first time since I started taking it. Go figure. Speaking of dinner, I probably should go and check that I got all my Chinese food out of the couch cushions. After all, I did dump about all of it out.
After my mom left, I decided to try and get some rest before Brian got home. I did need to make a call – but do you think my cell phone was working? Nope. Just a completely blank screen. After a while it started working again. What was the problem? No idea. Of course, by the time it was working again it was really too late to make the call.
Brian got home after running to the store to get more ice and Styrofoam coolers for our food. He told me that our electric skillet – that he took to the church to use to cook pancakes and bacon – was dead. At this, I decided that I was through for the day. Totally done. My plan of going upstairs and finishing up some things was now the farthest thing from my mind.
Frustration overload happened today. Some serious therapy was called for. I figured that since I was already behind, the day already shot, it might as well go out with a bang. I got that fizzy, caffeinated pop that I had promised myself I wasn’t going to have anymore of – and I sucked it down. I finished my 3-pound bag of peanut butter M&Ms. I had another bag of peanut M&Ms. I had the last of my chocolate pudding because… well, who knows… it could be bad tomorrow. And, rather than finishing the things that needed to get done, I watched Iron Man with Brian.
So, I made the most of my repugnant day. And today has had its high points. I was able to talk to my friend, Hila – which was very nice. I was able to have some good chuckles with my sweet family. And even though Ammon has continued to have a rough night – joining Brian and I for the movie at around midnight – his fussiness didn’t seem to bother me. That sugar high might have something to do with it, but, I’m in a much better mood now than I was a few hours ago. And, after all, tomorrow is another day.
tag #2 – five things about me
My friend, Kristy, tagged me next. I’ve done a similar tag before, so this was pretty difficult…
1… Whenever I look at a clock, the numbers in the time are always either the same or in some sort of sequential order – like 1:11, 4:44, 1:23, 3:21, 4:56. Or the time reminds me of something else – like 9:11 (September 11th), 7:11 (convenient stores), 4:11 (information). It never fails.
2… I always know when something has been moved in my home. If Brian dusts and a picture frame is not in exactly the same place it was before, I know. Some people call this OCD. I call this being observant.
3… Likewise, I like things to be in straight lines. I don’t like angles. Brian is the same way, making things a little easier around here.
4… I firmly believe that I was born in the wrong decade. I am so much more suited to the 1920s, 1930s or 1940s. I take that as a need to bring some of that class into our current time.
5… I love to travel. I love road trips. I would much rather drive across the country than fly over it. You miss so much when you’re up in the air. There’s just something about being jammed in a car for hours and hours that adds to the experience… creating lots of fun stories later on. I have tons.
I tag: Crystal, Amber F., Carrie, Jess
The rules: Link the person(s) who tagged you. Mention the rules on your blog. Share 5 things that others probably don’t know about you. Tag fellow bloggers. Visit their blogs to see what they put! Enjoy…
1… Whenever I look at a clock, the numbers in the time are always either the same or in some sort of sequential order – like 1:11, 4:44, 1:23, 3:21, 4:56. Or the time reminds me of something else – like 9:11 (September 11th), 7:11 (convenient stores), 4:11 (information). It never fails.
2… I always know when something has been moved in my home. If Brian dusts and a picture frame is not in exactly the same place it was before, I know. Some people call this OCD. I call this being observant.
3… Likewise, I like things to be in straight lines. I don’t like angles. Brian is the same way, making things a little easier around here.
4… I firmly believe that I was born in the wrong decade. I am so much more suited to the 1920s, 1930s or 1940s. I take that as a need to bring some of that class into our current time.
5… I love to travel. I love road trips. I would much rather drive across the country than fly over it. You miss so much when you’re up in the air. There’s just something about being jammed in a car for hours and hours that adds to the experience… creating lots of fun stories later on. I have tons.
I tag: Crystal, Amber F., Carrie, Jess
The rules: Link the person(s) who tagged you. Mention the rules on your blog. Share 5 things that others probably don’t know about you. Tag fellow bloggers. Visit their blogs to see what they put! Enjoy…
tag #1 – abc tag
I was tagged twice in the same day. My friend, Carrie, tagged me first. So here goes…
A is for your age: 23… I seriously had to think about this first…
B is for burger of choice: Hard Rock Burger
C is for the car you drive: Mazda 3
D is for your dog's name: We currently don’t have a dog, but I’ll mention Lacy Marie… she was my baby. Still is...
E is for essential item you use every day: Chapstick
F is for favorite TV show at the moment: Jon & Kate Plus Eight on TLC… did you know that they would love to adopt a girl from Korea? They want to know what “just one” is like. I found that out in an article I read last night in the check-out line at Wal-Mart. And yes, it is horrible that I have the time to read a whole article while waiting to check-out.
G is for favorite game: Any card games
H is for home state: Alabama
I is for instruments you play: Piano
J is for favorite juice: Hard one because I love juice… orange juice with lots of pulp or cran-grape juice
K is for whose bum you'd like to kick: Probably shouldn’t answer this one…
L is for last restaurant at which you ate: Ruby Tuesday’s
M is for your favorite Muppet: Another hard one in our house… I consider all Jim Henson characters Muppets (i.e.: Muppets, Fraggles, Sesames...). So, I’ll say: Sprocket, Boober and Cantus from Fraggle Rock; Grover, Count, Guy Smiley from Sesame Street; Kermit, Dr. Teeth and Rowlf from Muppet fame.
N is for number of piercings: One in each ear.
O is for overnight hospital stays: 3 nights when I had Ammon. Only had to be 2, but…
P is for people you were with today: Ammon and Brian
Q is for what you do with your quiet time: What is quiet time? If I had any of it, I would probably work on my laundry list of projects or read a book.
R is for biggest regret: I’ve had several, all of the same size.
S is for status: Married for almost 5 years... this Christmas.
T is for time you woke up today: Later than I needed to…
U is for what you consider unique about yourself: I can do anything with my feet (i.e.: write, pick things up, I won’t mention anything else…). Ammon inherited my feet/toe abilities.
V is for vegetable you love: Tomatoes
W is for worst habit: Procrastination
X is for x-rays you've had: My arm and foot.
Y is for yummy food you ate today: Is chocolate milk considered a food?
Z is for zodiac: Cancer
I tag: Kristy, Tiffane, Hila, Kim, Kira
The rules: Link the person(s) who tagged you. Mention the rules on your blog. Fill in your own info. Tag fellow bloggers. Visit their blogs to see what they put! Enjoy…
A is for your age: 23… I seriously had to think about this first…
B is for burger of choice: Hard Rock Burger
C is for the car you drive: Mazda 3
D is for your dog's name: We currently don’t have a dog, but I’ll mention Lacy Marie… she was my baby. Still is...
E is for essential item you use every day: Chapstick
F is for favorite TV show at the moment: Jon & Kate Plus Eight on TLC… did you know that they would love to adopt a girl from Korea? They want to know what “just one” is like. I found that out in an article I read last night in the check-out line at Wal-Mart. And yes, it is horrible that I have the time to read a whole article while waiting to check-out.
G is for favorite game: Any card games
H is for home state: Alabama
I is for instruments you play: Piano
J is for favorite juice: Hard one because I love juice… orange juice with lots of pulp or cran-grape juice
K is for whose bum you'd like to kick: Probably shouldn’t answer this one…
L is for last restaurant at which you ate: Ruby Tuesday’s
M is for your favorite Muppet: Another hard one in our house… I consider all Jim Henson characters Muppets (i.e.: Muppets, Fraggles, Sesames...). So, I’ll say: Sprocket, Boober and Cantus from Fraggle Rock; Grover, Count, Guy Smiley from Sesame Street; Kermit, Dr. Teeth and Rowlf from Muppet fame.
N is for number of piercings: One in each ear.
O is for overnight hospital stays: 3 nights when I had Ammon. Only had to be 2, but…
P is for people you were with today: Ammon and Brian
Q is for what you do with your quiet time: What is quiet time? If I had any of it, I would probably work on my laundry list of projects or read a book.
R is for biggest regret: I’ve had several, all of the same size.
S is for status: Married for almost 5 years... this Christmas.
T is for time you woke up today: Later than I needed to…
U is for what you consider unique about yourself: I can do anything with my feet (i.e.: write, pick things up, I won’t mention anything else…). Ammon inherited my feet/toe abilities.
V is for vegetable you love: Tomatoes
W is for worst habit: Procrastination
X is for x-rays you've had: My arm and foot.
Y is for yummy food you ate today: Is chocolate milk considered a food?
Z is for zodiac: Cancer
I tag: Kristy, Tiffane, Hila, Kim, Kira
The rules: Link the person(s) who tagged you. Mention the rules on your blog. Fill in your own info. Tag fellow bloggers. Visit their blogs to see what they put! Enjoy…
a hazy shade of whatnots
Do I have a sign on my forehead that says, “Come on… hit me with your best shot?” Apparently, it is Stacy-Can-Take-It week. Things messing with my mind… things piling up in the recesses of my brain… causing my to-do list to be nothing more than a haze. A hazy shade of whatnots.
My girlie-date with Kristy yesterday was… well, eventful. It was great to get out of the house with a friend. To have some adult interaction, conversation and “me” time. And while we had a few avalanches of crisis… and were often using the phrase, “When it rains, it pours.”… it didn’t actually rain. Which is a first for us. I remember telling Kristy during that fateful bathroom trip at Barnes & Noble, “Just think about it… throw some rain in with this jazz and then think about how great it will be!”. And Kristy… we’ll laugh about all this years from now, you know… I’m still finding stinky, spoiled formula in my diaper bag.
And, while it did have its lousy places, I had a good time. A fabulous time. A much needed break from the monotony of the everyday. I ran some errands; l made some necessary purchases; I got some ice cream… and even though I didn’t eat it until almost 9:00 last night, it was still yummy; my pal, Kate, got my living room ceiling fan, that has not worked since we moved here, to turn on. All in all, a fun time.
Unlike earlier this week when I was a day behind, today I have been a day ahead. Brian stayed home from work today making it feel like Saturday. Even though he is feeling slightly better, he went to the doctor. He is now loaded to high heaven with antibiotics. Hopefully, we’ll nip this baby in the bud… pronto. But, to make matters worse, I woke up this morning feeling absolutely shoddy. Just pure trashy. I thought I had gotten over whatever it was I have had off and on for the last two weeks. But, oh no. I feel a little better right now, though. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.
Ammon has been in an unusually solemn mood the last couple of days. I do not think that he is sick, I just think that this teeth business is getting to him a bit. He has been very clingy and incredibly indecisive. This shoots down any thought that I have of accomplishing anything while he is awake. That time is usually all Ammon’s anyway, but it’s nice to know that I can get something done if I need to. Not so this week… the week that I need to be doing things.
In the three years that we have lived here, our home has never once been inspected. Well, we received a notice today that our townhouse will be inspected next week – and to make sure that we have everything cleaned up so that we can make a good impression on the owner. Of all the times to decide to do this, it has to be right now – right when I decide to start all these projects and tear my house apart. I am seriously freaking out right now.
I know that I have nothing to worry about. Our home is far and away cleaner and tidier than the others around us. But, being the person that I am, I want to have everything put away. The way it should be all the time. All these projects are all over the place. I’m stressed to capacity with this, that and the other. I sat down for a bit this afternoon, though. Sat down and just thought. And while I thought, I just got inspired. Inspired… what an interesting word. I know what I need to do, and I know how to get it done. And I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I will be a kinder, happier Stacy for doing so. I do not have time to dawdle with drama. I do not have time to sit and worry about things I can not change. I do not have time to do so many things, and yet all the time in the world to do the important ones. And that is what I am going to do. The important ones. For some reason, I am reminded of that Jon Brion song, Knock Yourself Out…
So today instead of knocking myself out, I did a few things here and there. Instead of doing that last thing, I went and played with my sweet boy. Instead of taking care of that pile, I observed my husband and son just being lazy… noticing those little mannerisms that they both share, like crossing their feet. Instead of pushing a dirty diaper off on Brian, I did it myself. I didn’t forget the important things… because, truth be told, what is the rest of it really all about? And as far as that inspection business goes, I have a feeling that all will be fine… whatever my house looks like. I’ve been having a good fortune cookie streak lately. My fortune from last week read, “You are imaginative in using your skills. Apply this next week.”. I think I’ve found my way to be okay.
Brian and I had our date tonight – sickness and all. We went out to eat and then ran some errands. Brian was getting stuff for the pancake dinner thingamajig that they have before Priesthood session of General Conference. My “planning” skills were coming in handy, as I was thinking of all the things that those men did not. Just more perks of my church calling. And while we were in the check-out line at Wal-Mart, Brian had a blast from his past. He poked me and whispered, in a quite exasperated voice, “That guy right over there is the lead singer for Hadji & The Turbans.”. I had heard of Hadji & The Turbans… and questioned his judgement. He responded with, “Uh, yah… I only saw them every weekend in high school.”. Of course, this sparked an all things music and band-related conversation all the way home. Brian was feeling all better for that few minutes. It’s fun to see him that way… so animated remembering his band days, their shows and all that jazz. I know that Ammon’s love of acoustic music is going to make Brian itch to get a third guitar…
I did finish one project this evening that I have been meaning to do. I embroidered a onesie for Ammon to wear the day Brian graduated that said, “I’m proud of my daddy”. We decided to frame it so that – one day – it can be hung in Brian’s office or dream study. A nice, constant reminder of Brian’s hard work over the years. A reminder of how much we love him. A reminder that we’re full of all that good-kind-of-pride and respect.
Another one of those projects I was talking about earlier is going through all of Ammon’s clothes. Putting away things that no longer fit him, pulling out things that he will be able to wear soon. I now am sitting here staring at a huge box full of Ammon’s too-small clothes. The little shirts he wore in the hospital. The little preemie outfits he wore his first few weeks of life… and even though they were for preemies, he still rattled around in them. The “old man” pants that came up to his armpits for the longest of times. The little socks he used to kick off in his sleep. All boxed up, ready for the next round. And I must say, I shed some tears throughout this process. Brian even said that he missed that tiny – so very tiny – little boy… that little boy who Brian wanted to hurry and get bigger so they could have so much fun together.
I know that it was just yesterday that we found out that a little special someone was on their way. I know that it was just yesterday that I was puking my guts out, and reminding myself, “…this is all worth it, this is all worth it…”. I know that it was just yesterday that we found out we were expecting a little boy… to the shock of all. I know that it was just yesterday that Brian gave me that blessing because I was so frightened about the arrhythmia found in my son’s heartbeat. I know that it was just yesterday that Brian told me about the dreams he had about our little boy, helping to make the final decision that his name should be Ammon. I know that it was just yesterday that I was cleaning out the area behind my washing machine… because it just had to be done before Ammon was born. I know that it was just yesterday that I was nine-months pregnant, crawling on my hands and knees chasing lizards out of my living room. I know that it was just yesterday that I was sitting in the hospital, looking at that perfect face. Where has the time gone? Well, I know where it has gone… and I wouldn’t trade a second of it for anything in the universe. I know that time will continue to pass… and it, too, will go quickly. Just another reason to focus on the important stuff.
And I know that I should have really labeled that box, “Boy Clothes, Newborn to…” – I’ll change it later… when my constitution is stronger. But for now, until another boy wears those sweet little onesies and rompers, those clothes belong to my Ammon. My boy. My first little bundle of joy.
My girlie-date with Kristy yesterday was… well, eventful. It was great to get out of the house with a friend. To have some adult interaction, conversation and “me” time. And while we had a few avalanches of crisis… and were often using the phrase, “When it rains, it pours.”… it didn’t actually rain. Which is a first for us. I remember telling Kristy during that fateful bathroom trip at Barnes & Noble, “Just think about it… throw some rain in with this jazz and then think about how great it will be!”. And Kristy… we’ll laugh about all this years from now, you know… I’m still finding stinky, spoiled formula in my diaper bag.
And, while it did have its lousy places, I had a good time. A fabulous time. A much needed break from the monotony of the everyday. I ran some errands; l made some necessary purchases; I got some ice cream… and even though I didn’t eat it until almost 9:00 last night, it was still yummy; my pal, Kate, got my living room ceiling fan, that has not worked since we moved here, to turn on. All in all, a fun time.
Unlike earlier this week when I was a day behind, today I have been a day ahead. Brian stayed home from work today making it feel like Saturday. Even though he is feeling slightly better, he went to the doctor. He is now loaded to high heaven with antibiotics. Hopefully, we’ll nip this baby in the bud… pronto. But, to make matters worse, I woke up this morning feeling absolutely shoddy. Just pure trashy. I thought I had gotten over whatever it was I have had off and on for the last two weeks. But, oh no. I feel a little better right now, though. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.
Ammon has been in an unusually solemn mood the last couple of days. I do not think that he is sick, I just think that this teeth business is getting to him a bit. He has been very clingy and incredibly indecisive. This shoots down any thought that I have of accomplishing anything while he is awake. That time is usually all Ammon’s anyway, but it’s nice to know that I can get something done if I need to. Not so this week… the week that I need to be doing things.
In the three years that we have lived here, our home has never once been inspected. Well, we received a notice today that our townhouse will be inspected next week – and to make sure that we have everything cleaned up so that we can make a good impression on the owner. Of all the times to decide to do this, it has to be right now – right when I decide to start all these projects and tear my house apart. I am seriously freaking out right now.
I know that I have nothing to worry about. Our home is far and away cleaner and tidier than the others around us. But, being the person that I am, I want to have everything put away. The way it should be all the time. All these projects are all over the place. I’m stressed to capacity with this, that and the other. I sat down for a bit this afternoon, though. Sat down and just thought. And while I thought, I just got inspired. Inspired… what an interesting word. I know what I need to do, and I know how to get it done. And I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I will be a kinder, happier Stacy for doing so. I do not have time to dawdle with drama. I do not have time to sit and worry about things I can not change. I do not have time to do so many things, and yet all the time in the world to do the important ones. And that is what I am going to do. The important ones. For some reason, I am reminded of that Jon Brion song, Knock Yourself Out…
It’s something unattainable,
That you can’t live without.
And now the unexplainable
Has you riddled with doubt.
Things begin, things decay,
And you’ve gotta find a way to be okay.
But if you want to spend the day
Wondering what it’s all about,
Go and knock yourself out.
Why we’re put in this mess, is anybody’s guess.
It might be a test or it might not be anything
You need to worry about.
But if you’re still in doubt,
Go and knock yourself out.
So today instead of knocking myself out, I did a few things here and there. Instead of doing that last thing, I went and played with my sweet boy. Instead of taking care of that pile, I observed my husband and son just being lazy… noticing those little mannerisms that they both share, like crossing their feet. Instead of pushing a dirty diaper off on Brian, I did it myself. I didn’t forget the important things… because, truth be told, what is the rest of it really all about? And as far as that inspection business goes, I have a feeling that all will be fine… whatever my house looks like. I’ve been having a good fortune cookie streak lately. My fortune from last week read, “You are imaginative in using your skills. Apply this next week.”. I think I’ve found my way to be okay.Brian and I had our date tonight – sickness and all. We went out to eat and then ran some errands. Brian was getting stuff for the pancake dinner thingamajig that they have before Priesthood session of General Conference. My “planning” skills were coming in handy, as I was thinking of all the things that those men did not. Just more perks of my church calling. And while we were in the check-out line at Wal-Mart, Brian had a blast from his past. He poked me and whispered, in a quite exasperated voice, “That guy right over there is the lead singer for Hadji & The Turbans.”. I had heard of Hadji & The Turbans… and questioned his judgement. He responded with, “Uh, yah… I only saw them every weekend in high school.”. Of course, this sparked an all things music and band-related conversation all the way home. Brian was feeling all better for that few minutes. It’s fun to see him that way… so animated remembering his band days, their shows and all that jazz. I know that Ammon’s love of acoustic music is going to make Brian itch to get a third guitar…
I did finish one project this evening that I have been meaning to do. I embroidered a onesie for Ammon to wear the day Brian graduated that said, “I’m proud of my daddy”. We decided to frame it so that – one day – it can be hung in Brian’s office or dream study. A nice, constant reminder of Brian’s hard work over the years. A reminder of how much we love him. A reminder that we’re full of all that good-kind-of-pride and respect.Another one of those projects I was talking about earlier is going through all of Ammon’s clothes. Putting away things that no longer fit him, pulling out things that he will be able to wear soon. I now am sitting here staring at a huge box full of Ammon’s too-small clothes. The little shirts he wore in the hospital. The little preemie outfits he wore his first few weeks of life… and even though they were for preemies, he still rattled around in them. The “old man” pants that came up to his armpits for the longest of times. The little socks he used to kick off in his sleep. All boxed up, ready for the next round. And I must say, I shed some tears throughout this process. Brian even said that he missed that tiny – so very tiny – little boy… that little boy who Brian wanted to hurry and get bigger so they could have so much fun together.I know that it was just yesterday that we found out that a little special someone was on their way. I know that it was just yesterday that I was puking my guts out, and reminding myself, “…this is all worth it, this is all worth it…”. I know that it was just yesterday that we found out we were expecting a little boy… to the shock of all. I know that it was just yesterday that Brian gave me that blessing because I was so frightened about the arrhythmia found in my son’s heartbeat. I know that it was just yesterday that Brian told me about the dreams he had about our little boy, helping to make the final decision that his name should be Ammon. I know that it was just yesterday that I was cleaning out the area behind my washing machine… because it just had to be done before Ammon was born. I know that it was just yesterday that I was nine-months pregnant, crawling on my hands and knees chasing lizards out of my living room. I know that it was just yesterday that I was sitting in the hospital, looking at that perfect face. Where has the time gone? Well, I know where it has gone… and I wouldn’t trade a second of it for anything in the universe. I know that time will continue to pass… and it, too, will go quickly. Just another reason to focus on the important stuff.And I know that I should have really labeled that box, “Boy Clothes, Newborn to…” – I’ll change it later… when my constitution is stronger. But for now, until another boy wears those sweet little onesies and rompers, those clothes belong to my Ammon. My boy. My first little bundle of joy.
Friday, October 3, 2008
nine months old
Well, I’ve slacked on my blogging duties. I missed Ammon’s eight month post… and almost missed his ninth. But, he is still considered a nine-month old. So here goes.
He LOVES: his afternoon routine with his daddy – to be sung to… especially Popcorn Popping, Sing (from Sesame Street), Hello, Goodbye by The Beatles and Abadabadabadabadabadabadab Says Ammon to the Moon – books – dogs – trucks, trains, cars… anything with wheels – to play rough with his daddy – to stand on your lap or on the floor – to blow bubbles – zerberts – to be outside – to eat – playtime on the floor – any electronic device – music – to dance – to talk, squeal, laugh – his family – large amounts of attention – anything that crinkles – to be in water – his bathtub – trees – peek-a-boo – his mom’s hair – his feet – watching Transformers, Airwolf, Voltron, Scooby Doo yada yada yada, with his daddy – to play – the sound of acoustic guitars – textures – his bink – the park – nap buddies in his crib – paper – shoes – to move, move, move – Transformers, especially his Ammon-sized Jazz – to snuggle – to give kisses… be they Eskimo, forehead or slobbery wet ones – to "jump" off the couch for his daddy to catch him
He HATES: public restrooms – not getting his way – anyone or anything trying to get a peek at his teeth – having things taken away from him – his sippy-cups
Ammon had his nine-month appointment on the 8th. All went well… and no shots.
Stats: 16 pounds 6 ounces, 27 ¼ inches
Dr. Brown continues to be impressed with Ammon’s development. He is amazed at how much Ammon thinks things through. He did a bit of a double-take after hearing Ammon’s non-sippy-cup-antics. He then said, “You’ve got to quit thinking so hard, bud!”. Ammon now has some hydrocortisone cream to help treat a little eczema that was triggered by the vacation-sun-screen-fiasco. Dr. Brown said that since that was his first prescription, and considering he has gone this long without any illness whatsoever, Ammon is doing fantastically well.
Ammon currently has four teeth, and is working on getting his two incisors… still. He continues to be very suspicious of anything in close proximity to his mouth. Meal times continue to be difficult, as he only takes a few sips from his bottle before having to take a break. I think that he does this because this is what the big people do. But…
Ammon is a talker. A loud talker. He practices new sounds just about every day, still preferring muma (mom), duba (dad), num-num (used for nummy, as in “mmm, good”, and his bottle, which we call “nummy”).
Ammon’s sense of cause and effect, along with his stubbornness, will-power, and intelligence continue to astound us. He thinks things through like no nine-month old I’ve known before. He is like his daddy, and likes to figure out how things work.
Ammon is now a proficient crawler. And by crawling, I really mean warp speed travel. He can effortlessly transition from a crawling position to a sitting one. He is also pulling up on everything he can, and is doing great at sitting on his knees. He is in to everything, but is still fairly good… he is more interested in observing and quietly handling than destroying. He doesn’t put things in his mouth other than his bink. His fine motor skills have been honed to a masterful science. The child can find the tiniest of dust-motes and work it back and forth between his fingers, analyzing every surface. All in all, Ammon is looking at the world through new eyes. The world is his for the taking now, and he knows it.
Ammon continues to sleep through the night and take two good naps in his crib during the day – his stomach is still his sleeping position of choice, and he loves snuggling his blanket. With this last round of teething, though, he has had a harder time going to bed. Our bedtime routine has been a rougher time of day lately.
Ammon still loves to read books – he cannot get enough of them, and I am so glad. He picks his own bedtime stories each night. At the end of the day Ammon also helps pick up his toys and sits reverently with his arms “folded” for prayers.
Ammon loves to follow me around. Brian, too, but more so me. We have been having some separation issues of late – with just about everything. Here’s to hoping this is just a phase… we’re trying to teach him something throughout all of this.
Ammon’s personality continues to make us laugh – he is such a funny, smart and sweet boy. Everything about him makes me smile – from his ragamuffin, wild hair that I can’t do anything with, to his fat, pudgy feet – I love this boy. We all love this boy. Who could not?
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
it isn’t really tuesday, is it?
I’ve been one day behind all week, it seems. I went all day thinking that today was Tuesday. I let out lots of devious chuckles thinking that everyone else was a day ahead, and then felt sorry for them when I thought of how embarrassed they would be when they recognized their error. Well, the shoe was on the other foot in this case. I am the one feeling incredibly dumb. I’m glad that I found out what day it really is, though. I have a date with my pal, Kristy, tomorrow… I would have been in a world of hurt if I had forgotten that it was really Thursday and not Wednesday. Boy, I really need to get out more.
This week has been both fulfilling and exhausting. Last weekend was brutal for me. I was preparing for our Stake Enrichment Meeting and the General Relief Society Broadcast. Our ward was asked to develop a display of budget-concious, creative gift wrap ideas. And, being the Enrichment leader, that task fell in my lap. I did have some help, but I did a huge chunk of it myself. Friday night I sat down to finish up the last “finishing touches” of my projects, only to find that I was way more behind than I thought. After putting together several tedious packaging examples, some gingerbread cookies gone terribly wrong and other not-so-humorous mishaps, I realized that I had gone more than 28 hours without sleep. Yes, I worked through the night, and it was several more hours before I got that 45 minute catnap prior to leaving for the activity.
I think that it all went very well and I enjoyed the broadcast. I got home and found a very, very upset little boy. Those yet-to-make-their-appearance teeth coupled with his current separation issues did a number on Ammon’s mood. I took over from Brian, and it was pushing midnight before I could get him to lie down. We pulled out all the stops – the Tylenol, the music, walking the floor with that newborn-sway, rocking, singing, patting, shushing, bouncing the crib mattress, yada yada yada. Nothing would do… but, he finally just rolled over mid-scream and went to sleep. Who knows...
We had to lower Ammon’s crib mattress Saturday night. He was effortlessly pulling up and leaning over the railing – also intentionally dropping his bink over the side so that I would have to go in there and get it for him – so it was a needed change. I still have to go in and find his bink for him sometimes, but now it is because he throws it across the room.
This week has been both fulfilling and exhausting. Last weekend was brutal for me. I was preparing for our Stake Enrichment Meeting and the General Relief Society Broadcast. Our ward was asked to develop a display of budget-concious, creative gift wrap ideas. And, being the Enrichment leader, that task fell in my lap. I did have some help, but I did a huge chunk of it myself. Friday night I sat down to finish up the last “finishing touches” of my projects, only to find that I was way more behind than I thought. After putting together several tedious packaging examples, some gingerbread cookies gone terribly wrong and other not-so-humorous mishaps, I realized that I had gone more than 28 hours without sleep. Yes, I worked through the night, and it was several more hours before I got that 45 minute catnap prior to leaving for the activity.
I think that it all went very well and I enjoyed the broadcast. I got home and found a very, very upset little boy. Those yet-to-make-their-appearance teeth coupled with his current separation issues did a number on Ammon’s mood. I took over from Brian, and it was pushing midnight before I could get him to lie down. We pulled out all the stops – the Tylenol, the music, walking the floor with that newborn-sway, rocking, singing, patting, shushing, bouncing the crib mattress, yada yada yada. Nothing would do… but, he finally just rolled over mid-scream and went to sleep. Who knows...
We had to lower Ammon’s crib mattress Saturday night. He was effortlessly pulling up and leaning over the railing – also intentionally dropping his bink over the side so that I would have to go in there and get it for him – so it was a needed change. I still have to go in and find his bink for him sometimes, but now it is because he throws it across the room.
Sunday we had a family reunion for the Caraway family. Ammon was awarded a prize for being the youngest Caraway present – just perks of the position. He, of course, was the star of the show. We had quite the time getting him to eat because there was so much going on. After lunch, we went to visit Brian’s great-grandparents’, Claudie and Oscar, graves. As soon as we walked up to the site, Ammon was all smiles and giggles. I feel sure that he knew where we were – just like I know MawMaw Claudie and Granddaddy Oscar were there with us. I know that Ammon remembers them. I never knew these two people who were such a fixture in Brian’s life, and Ammon was telling me all about them during our visit.
We put out our Halloween decorations early in the week. Halloween is one of Brian’s favorite holidays, so he was very excited. I couldn’t pull things out of the boxes fast enough! I’m really happy with how it all turned out, and I’m very surprised that I was able to put everything out in our even-more-cramped-space. All except one thing, that is. Now Christmas will be another story…
This week, I have been trying to catch up on some things around our home – slowly marking things off my list. I finally broke down and bought a new pillow case to replace the missing one. I’m quite sure that the other one will turn up now.
Ammon is a crawling machine. He is a speedy little muskrat, I’ll tell you. He finally discovered our stairs… we are now the proud owners of 3, count them 1.2.3., baby gates. The ones for our stairs are swing gates, though. No hurdling on stairs for me, thank you. I also had to come up with a more effective barricade for the shelving unit that houses part of our dvd collection. I don’t mind him pulling the dvds off the shelves, but the other day he unplugged everything in that corner and was trying to drag everything – floor lamp included – by their cords.
I’m still feeling a bit under the weather, but I’m on the tail end of it. Brian, on the other hand, is miserably ill. When he is sick, he seems to be really, really sick – and this occurrence is no different. He, like me, has a hard time finding medication that he can take that doesn't make him too tired and crazy. I’m hoping that whatever we have had is not catching. Ammon has made it 9 months without any illness, and I’m hoping to keep it that way.
And for those Twilight folks out there... I have to say, it’s official. I’m in the Edward fan club. And I have a t-shirt to prove it. We were in Hot Topic the other day so that Brian could look at their band shirts, and there it was. The last Edward shirt… and in my size. I took it as a sign. They had tons of Jacob shirts… I wonder why. Gag me with a wooden spoon. But anyway, I had to have it. I don’t have many t-shirts like this. Well, none really. Just band shirts from concerts. So, I guess I’m a groupie now. But when I’m wearing this baby, I don’t feel like a groupie… just an adoring fan supporting my team. Like football. And I’ve decided that I’m going to dive right back into the books and read them again as soon as I get them back from my friend, Kira. And all I can say is… poor Brian. Another few days of obsessed silence.
And the nice girl working at Hot Topic – who always complements Brian on his choice of shirt, and is sure to classify us as frequent shoppers or regular customers – found me and gave me an extra pin that she had. So I got a free Edward pin, too. I’m so pleased. Just ask Brian… I was giddy. It now has a treasured place on my inspiration board. Not much gets up there, but this… this is something special.
as promised : my scrap space
Well, folks… here it is. My space. Where all my goodies are neatly organized. Where I create. I promised I’d share it with all of you when I got finished. Like I mentioned in a previous post, this space isn’t ideal – but it is functional and works in the limited space that I have. The greatest thing about it is that I know exactly where everything is. Every snip and scrap has a home – which makes the whole creating process so much easier. It just isn’t enjoyable when I am hunting and searching for something that I know I had five minutes ago. So, here it all is – broken down so that you can see it all in all its gooey goodness.[ computer desk ]
I love that my scrap desk is just an extension of our computer desk. I use my computer a lot when creating. I am not a digital scrapbooker, and I don’t think I ever will be. I enjoy the process way too much – I like getting my hands dirty. But, I do use my computer in some way, shape or form with just about every project. In fact, it is rare for me to not use it at all.I’d say that 97% of my scrapbook journaling is done on my computer. I’m a slow hand-writer – and when you can type 85 to 90 words a minute, it is ideal to just do it all electronically. I do make sure to occasionally write some thoughts in our scrapbooks myself – even if it is just a few words on a page. I want my posterity to know my handwriting. I think that is important.
I edit and organize all my photos digitally on my computer. I tend to have them broken down into pretty small folders for easy browsing – and, of course, everything is chronological. That's just how my brain works. I save them all on my external hard drive for easy access, and then have backup copies on disks for that unforeseen emergency. I print all my own photos, so my super-duper printer/scanner is right at my fingertips.
The slide-out-thingamajig that used to be the home for our old keyboard is now an extra work space for my projects. It is the permanent home for my paper trimmer and any on-going project that I need to put out of sight and mind.
All of our office and computer supplies are organized and stored in clear Rubbermaid boxes. Everything is labeled and sorted with similar items so we have a good idea about where to start looking for something.
[ scrap desk ]
My scrap desk houses all of my creative goodies. I have everything organized using a system that works for me.
All of my inspiration is at my fingertips. I have all of my magazines in chronological order, along with my books. You see that potential fire hazard on top of all my magazines? That is a long-term project that I am working on. I am trying to figure out a system of organizing all the layouts, sketches and tips that are in those magazines (that I like and may want to take from later on) so that I can find what I am looking for quickly, and save myself a fortune on sticky notes. My way of taking what someone else has done and making it work for me is making it hard for me to find a way to fix this hideous problem. Stay tuned for the solution.In this corner of my scrap desk, I also keep a recipe book stand that I use to hold any layouts I may be working on, prop up a book or magazine I may be using, etc.. This way, it is off my work space where it can be seen and not buried. It also keeps unfinished layouts from getting crumpled.
I also keep an inspiration board up on the wall behind my scrap desk. Here, I keep little snips and bits that just make me happy. Things that give me a boost of energy. Things that may help launch me out of a rut. On the other side of the board I keep lists of on-going projects, things that I want to get to, etc..
On my scrap desk I keep the tools that I use most often – like adhesive, scrissors, pens, my ruler, etc.. I have a 5-drawer mini tower and medium 3-drawer mini tower, both made by Rubbermaid, that house my hole punchers, photo mounts, tags, inks, etc.. Every thing is labeled and has its own drawer – this way, I don’t waste the limited time that I have rummaging through a pile of odds and ends. In a basket I keep some of the tools that are favorites of mine like my square punch, medium corner rounder and metal tool kit.My inspiration journals are kept here on the shelf on my scrap desk. In these I jot down thoughts and ideas. I always have one with me when I go shopping so that I can sketch ideas that I get. I write down a lot of my scrapbook journaling and, coincidentally, blog entries, in these little notebooks. Things often pop in my brain when I’m not ready to actually sit down and work – like when I’m in the shower, doing dishes or changing a diaper.
My scrap-ribbon jar and colored pencil bowl are not only practical – they're decorative! I keep those little bits of ribbon that are too small to keep anywhere else, but can still be used, in a jar. My colored pencils are stuck in a bowl full of dry beans. Both add a pop of color to my work space.
I have all of my stickers and rub-ons organized in their own binders. I separated each out by category – like letters, words, dimentional, seasonal, etc.. Each category goes inside its own sheet protector.I keep an inspiration folder on my scrap desk that is divided into categories as well – like layouts, sketches, tips, etc.. The things that I want to keep out of my magazines will probably end up being sorted in a similar manner.
My absolute favorite part about my scrap desk is my trash hole. I have a hole in my desk with a removable drawer underneath. I can just scoot trash into the hole and then empty the drawer when it fills up. This way, I don’t have to move and reach down below me to find a trash can. So convenient!
I have a clear, removable work space that I can set on top of my actual desk. This just extends my desk so that I have more room to work. I often use the slide-out-thingamajig on our computer desk for extra work space.[ scrap drawers ]
The drawers that are beneath my scrap desk are all organized and labeled so that I know what is inside each one. I used single, and 3-drawer Sterilite units.
My slender metal embellishment drawer houses all my... well, metal embellishments. I have repurposed Ammon’s old plastic Gerber baby food containers – and they now hold all my big clips, letters, words and book plates. These, along with my eyelets and snaps are housed in Sterilite fliptop boxes. I have all of my brads, decorative brads, little clips, buttons, photo turns, etc. in compartment bins made by Craft Mates – each goodie has its own little slot.
My big top drawer holds all my ribbon, mini albums and odds and ends. My ribbon is primarily sorted by color and is housed in ribbon sorter boxes made by Craft Mates. I have little metal boxes lining the front of the drawer. These hold my bobbin ribbon; little embellishments that don’t really go anywhere else; my miscellaneous tools like my tweezers, file and Pampered Chef scrapper (great for rub-ons, by the way); and my iPod and chapstick.
My big middle drawer holds die-cuts, chipboard pieces, adhesive tags, and paper kits. I also keep my stamps here – both rubber and acrylic – along with my acrylic stamp block. I keep all of my rubber stamps in a Sterilite fliptop box. I have a box for all of my colored pens, which I don’t use that often – otherwise, they would be on top of my desk.
My big bottom drawer holds all of my letters (chipboard, acrylic, etc.), flowers and fibers in Rubbermaid twist and seal bowls. I also keep my acrylic paint here because I use it a lot with my stamps in lieu of ink. My paint brushes have a home as well as some miscellaneous craft supplies like sheet metal, laminate and my archival mist.[ paper storage ]
Ah, my paper. I store my paper vertically. Storing paper this way makes it easier for you to find what you are looking for, you don’t have to lift up a whole stack of paper to get to something at the bottom, and you prevent your paper corners from getting dog-eared. And, ultimately, you save space horizontally on your work space – or in my case, the floor. I use Cropper Hopper 12x12 vertical paper holders. I organize my 12x12 solid paper by color. I have it divided by category – matte, textured and white-cored – each organized by color. The little 8.5x11 and 8x8 paper that I have is organized this same way. And for patterned paper – well, this is one area that isn’t really at the organizational level that I want it to be. I have yet to find a system that really works for me. Some people organize by company, some by theme, some by color-scheme. I currently have my paper by color, then intensity – meaning milder patterns come first and then more busy ones. Paper kits that I have come packaged with matching papers. These I keep together.
Another area that is lacking when it comes to organization is my scrap file. My paper-scraps are an unfortunate mess. I do have a system, and I stick to it, but it isn’t that great. I would love to have a hanging file system for my scraps. But in the meantime, I have my solid scraps sorted by color, keeping them in order from smallest to largest. My patterned scraps are sorted similar to my regular patterned paper – by color, then intensity – again, keeping them in order from smallest scrap to largest. The key to scraps is to to know what is worth saving and what is not. Keep what is feasible, but don’t go overboard. Otherwise, you will be drowning in little bits of paper.
[ why i do what i do ]
Well, there it all is. How I create. Or, at least how my creative supplies are grouped. The real question is why do I create things. And I'm not just talking about scrapbooks. I want to preserve our family memories – the good and the bad – so that we will always remember our happy little life. I am an everyday-life-artist, I don’t just crack out the camera and then scrapbook the birthdays, holidays and whatnots. The bad days are the ones that get us from one happy memory to the next. And they make us who we are. Lucie Arnaz (daughter of Lucille Ball) once said, “We need to be real on our [scrapbook] pages and showcase the good and the hard times. Families aren’t 100 percent happy all the time, and documenting the hard times and how they were handled gives people courage and hope for the future.”
So, why do I scrapbook? Why is my camera a permanent extension of myself? Why do I document our life? So that our posterity will know us, see how we lived, see how we learned, see how we grew – see how we loved.
Felix Gonzalez-Torres : “Above all else, it is about leaving a mark that I existed. I was here. I was hungry. I was defeated. I was happy. I was sad. I was in love. I was afraid. I was hopeful. I had an idea and I had a good purpose, and that is why I made works of art.”
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