Little Rascals

Yup, that's what the girls are today...to put it lightly. It's not surprising, since they have the power of two! LOL

This morning I got so much done while the girls were in school...just a bunch of errands before we leave on our big trip on Sunday. I always feel so good when I have mornings like this. I feel so productive.

When we got home, I was making lunch and I noticed it was too quiet (always a scary thing!). Heidi was nearby but Gretchen was nowhere to be found, so I started calling for her. No response. I started searching the house, with Heidi by my side being the mini mommy, and we couldn't find her. I finally found her in the basement, hiding underneath the desk, behind a chair, with a box of cereal, munching away. She got a time out, not for eating cereal, but for hiding from me and sneaking around. Sigh. Age appropriate behavior, I guess...

So after lunch I was chatting with a friend on the phone, and once again it was quiet. This time both girls were missing. Heidi came downstairs asking for a cookie, but she had this strange little smile on her face, like she was up to something. I hung up a couple of minutes later and went to investigate. They had swiped a little pack of lemonade mix from the kitchen counter, took it upstairs and made themselves some lemonade in their little tea set in the play room. Most of the lemonade was spilled all over the carpeting. Arrgh!! I made them clean it up with towels and "sentenced" them to quiet time in their bedroom. It doesn't sound too quite right now. I'm not quite sure what to do with them...maybe make them scrub my kitchen floor? LOL Then I'll hear about how I'm the evil stepmother and they are Cinderella!

I think we have everything ready to go for the trip. I still have a lot of laundry to do, but that is always the case! ha ha I'm just hoping we have good weather Sunday morning when we get out of here. Last I heard it might be sleeting/snowing, and that is never good for flying.

Well, gotta get back to my preparations. Next time I post I hope to have lots of photos!

Thanksgiving weekend - we made it!

Yeah, I'm still here. Poor neglected blog! How about if I just throw a few pages on here to summarize what's been going on?

Christmas dresses, courtesy of my mom:

Preschool Thanksgiving Feast:

Preschool trip to the farm:

Interesting find in the ravine:

Halloweekend at Cedar Point, late October:

Thanksgiving dinner at Mom and Dad's house:

And a page about my favorite Christmas movie, White Christmas:


Whew! I shouldn't wait so long in between blog postings next time!

:: Today ::
I had one of those "I'm a complete idiot" days. First of all, I totally flaked on my dear friend Moosie (aka George) on going to a concert she was playing in this afternoon. I wish I could explain why I do things like this, but I really can't. It just didn't work out that way I had hoped. This will be on my list of things to discuss with my shrink on Wednesday (yup, I have one of those now...it's fabulous!!). Sadly, I also flaked on attending a baby shower this afternoon too. So I couldn't have gone to the concert anyway. Duh!!! I get so focused on certain things that I just mess up everything else.

I'm starting over tomorrow. Sigh.

:: This Week ::
It's just 6 days and counting until our big trip. We are taking a Disney cruise with the kids and my parents. Well, I should say they are taking us. It's their 40th anniversary this year and this is how they want to celebrate. You can't knock that!! The girls are really excited and have been counting down the days. I have my to-do list going and I'm trying not to panick...

I'm having a bought of insomnia the past couple of nights. Right now it's 3am and I'm not even close to being tired...

At least I'm being productive (well, sort of...)

:: New Product - Coming Soon to PDW! ::

I've been seeing these 6x12 pages around some blogs and galleries, and I just had to try a set of them. They are really fun! My CT girls went absolutely NUTS with them and made me 8 layouts the first night!! Check it out!




:: Deep thoughts by Mish ::

Today is the first day it really feels like fall here...almost winter, even. It's 40 degrees, windy, and we even saw a few snow flurries on our way to gymnastics! It makes me want to curl up with my favorite blankie and watch TV all day. But we managed to not only do gymnastics, but I took the girls to go vote with me, and then we made a trip to the library to get some Thanksgiving books.

I've been thinking about Thanksgiving a lot this past week, as I put away my Halloween decorations and try to think ahead. It's so easy to grumble about daily annoyances, like...

This leaky kitchen faucet is driving me nuts!

I hate doing laundry!

Ugh, I have to clean out the fridge...again!

Years ago I got an email that I have never forgotten. Every time you find yourself grumbling, find a way to turn it into something to be grateful for. So...

This leaky kitchen faucet is driving me nuts!
Thank you Lord, for providing enough water to make my faucet leak. Please be with those in Georgia, Florida, and other parts of the world who are struggling to find fresh water.

I hate doing laundry!
Thank you Lord, for giving me so many clothes that keep me warm, and thank you for the family who wears these clothes. It's my joy to be able to bless them with clean, folded clothes when they open their drawers in the morning.

Ugh, I have to clean out the fridge...again!
Thank you, Lord, for providing such an abundance of food to nourish our bodies. We are blessed to be able to enjoy a variety of foods, even fresh fruits and vegetables. Help us to use this resource to Your glory.

I know, I know...this is easier said than done. But I find that it's really important, as the weather gets colder and we have less daylight each day, to be purposeful about finding the joy in every little thing. Otherwise, I find myself in dark places and I know I'm not setting a good example for my kids.

:: Layouts ::

Here's a page from the baptism of our new little godson, Zachary. I decided to try a 6x12 size, using my new templates, and it was fun!

Credits


This one is from my Grandma's Halloween party.

Credits


Heidi helped me make this one. She jumped up on my lap while I was making it, and placed the stars, bat, ghost and swirl all by herself. She also gave me all the journaling. It was so cute I had to leave it just the way it was.

Credits

I'm also working on my Christmas gifts already. Mom is getting a CD calendar. I made these templates for the PDW It's a Date: Calendar Creator kit (very cool, BTW). So far I have 6 months done:

Jan-Feb-March

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Oct-Nov-Dec

Credits

Okay well that's all for today. Adios!