hairbrained schemes

Deep Thinkers.

Jacob: Did you know there is this guy that we learned about school who walked around the WHOLE world? It look him like 20 years or something.

Me:  Really? Wow.  How did he walk over the oceans.

Jacob: I dunno...maybe he took a boat across the water.

Me:  And just walked in place the whole time the boat was in the water?

Jacob: {eyeroll}

Lucas: I KNOW!  It was probably Jesus!

All of us: What?

Lucas: Jesus walked on the ocean.  So it was probably him. It's in the bible, you know.

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Lucas:  Where do moles live?

Jason: Underground

Lucas: I know that, but where?  Like what part of the world?

Jason:  Pennsylvania

Jacob:  Actually, that's where vampire moles live.

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Lucas runs by me and I grab him and pick him up and give him a hug.

Me: I love you, buddy.

Luke: Me too, mom.

Me: Man, you're getting so big, I'm not going to be able to pick you up and hold you like this much longer.

Luke: I can still hug you...and maybe when that happens I'll get SO big I'll be able to pick you up and hold you. 

Me:  Yah, you'd have to grow pretty big though.

Luke:  Oh YAH.  REALLY big.

{hmph}

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In other news.

It's still snowing.

And it's cold.  Like hurts when you breathe cold.

So cold that your (my) car won't start in the morning and your (my) husband has to come home to take the kids to school but hey that actually works out pretty good for you (me) so why the complaining about the cold?

Before my husband came home to take the boys to school, our pooch was barking her fool head off.  She is not a barker, so naturally I thought there were criminals surrounding the house, waiting to break in. 

Not so.

This is what she was barking at:

Now, crapalicious photo skills here aside, how freakin' COOL (supercool) is that?  That's basically our driveway.  She cut right across our front yard and toodled off down the road. 

I did a couple of scrapbooky things today for the store.

This layout, which I don't love, but I try to do 12x12 layouts for the store as most of our customers scrapbook the larger format, so there you have it.

I have to say, I do love the paper, (Scenic Route Rockland), I just don't feel like I did it justice.

 

And I made this card out if the scraps:

Logic: Not his Strength.

Boys out in the yard playing in the snow.

Mother does routine check, to make sure no one is bleeding and there is no fighting going on.

Spies child sitting on top of his overturned sled sobbing.

Opens door, asks what's wrong.

Child has taken glove off and his hand is cold and hurts.

Asks child, if he remembers when he did the EXACT same thing yesterday.

Child responds in the affirmative.

Go outside. 

Help child warm hand and replace glove. 

Have YET ANOTHER conversation about LEAVING GLOVES ON AT ALL TIMES WHEN OUTSIDE.

Child says... "Except if my snowpants fall down, right mom?"

Old Mother Hubbard.

In my zest and zeal to use up as much pantry/freezer items before we move I seem to have run out of the daily stuff.

You know, bread, cereal, granola bars, anything breakfasty.

So this morning my children dined on chocolate ice cream. 

You just wait Mother of the Year has my name on it.  2006 is my year!

We were out last night at some friends'.  We had a fantastic time, but the downside is that Don is a gadget freak and everytime J talks to him his "I need" list gets longer.

I also tried my first Candy Apple Martini.  Which at 1:00 am seemed like a fabulous idea.

9 am?  Not so much. 

My headache is finally almost gone.

This is what we woke up to this morning:

 

Blech.

My sweet husband offered to go get groceries for us (he doesn't approve of ice cream for breakfast) so I wouldn't have to drive in the white stuff. 

Love that guy :)

Now I have to get back to work on the calendars.  I'm halfway done.

Maybe next year will be the year that I finally make good on my oath (sworn every December for the last 3 years) to work on these calendars every month instead of trying to finish 36 pages in a weekend.

Probably not.

Name Change.

Last year when we brought Bella home from the SPCA she came with the name.  Jason immediately wanted to change it, as it wasn't "cool" enough (he also got rid of the pretty pink collar she came with). 

Lucas dug his heels in and insisted that we keep her name. The kid was seriously bent on it.  He wore us down over the weekend if I remember correctly there may have even been tears (not Luke's usual M.O. he's more of the old school whining always wins theory)

His top argument (punctuated by a foot stomp) was "You can't just CHANGE someone's name!"

We finally figured out that a lovely little girl in his class sharing the name of our new pup was the focus of his attention at the moment. 

The other day, he told me that he thought it was time to change Bella's name. His new choice? 

Spot. 

Yes. 

That's right. 

Don't act so surprised, you know how unoriginal we can be at naming. (see also:  cat's name - Kitty). 

I told him no problem.  But as long as we were at it I was going to change his name to Tinkerbell. 

So he's dropped it (for now).

I went to my favourite craft fair last weekend and bought a few things that I finally took pictures of. 

I know I'm not supposed to be shopping before we move, but I only bought one candlestick (instead of the set of 3 that I wanted) so I think that showed great restraint on my part. 

I'm trying to get all the calendars for the Grandma's done but can't seem to focus.  I did get the cover page for our store calendar kit done.

It's super simple, but is an extra in January's kit. 

And with that I really need to try to focus on those calendars...(drink coffee, surf the web...)

Things that make me laugh:Part 1

When my 8 year old confuses the word "crouch" for the word "crotch" (which sadly comes up in conversation on a fairly regular basis in this house).

ie:  "Ah man, today when I was playing soccer at lunch I got hit RIGHT in the CROUCH!"

This weird dog of ours, who clearly has not one modest bone in her furry little body.

My trying to be sneaky husband, by finally convincing me that the boys "need" dirtbikes for Christmas, thereby ensuring that he finally gets to buy his quad in the spring.

Little does he know, I'm on to him, and feel like I am actually the winner in his devious scheme. 

Them:  Out playing in dirt on machines all day.

Me: House ALL to myself.

See?

Suck on that Gorgeous George ;)

Rock & Roll Hands: Part Deux

Jason took the boys to get ski gear yesterday (the most exciting part of which was the "free" stickers they threw in for their helmets and which the boys insisted that I take a picture of)

(if you squint hard you can see the little skulls and if you are a scrapbooker you might recognize the "J" on one of the helmets as a Making Memories font, aren't I resourceful?)

See?  What did I tell you? While it isn't rock & roll hands, it's close.

The boys now officially have nicer ski equipment than I do.  Shape skis and all.  (I'm a little envious, but then if I actually had nice new gear I might feel guilty when I take two runs and go to the lodge for coffee...)

I've been working on class kits today.  I have a card class next week and for once I'm trying to be organized.  Here are some of the cards:

The little snowflake on middle one has an earth magnet attached to it so it doubles as a fridge magnet.  Love that foofala paper!

Guilt: the great motivator.

I have packing guilt right now.

Jason has been packing since before we even sold the house.

I keep telling him we have lots of time. 

He keeps telling me, you're going to wake up on November 30th and freak out because you're going to leave everything to the last minute (he knows me so well).

I have decided today to pack some boxes, not only to ease my guilt, but to take the first step towards being a more organized together person (or maybe I can just strew some boxes around the house to make it look like I was packing and waste the day on the computer...not exactly the thought process of a organized and together person).

Nope.  I'm going to pack.  For 48 minutes.  (If I start at 10:12 that will bring us up to 11:00 am and still leave lots of time for computer). 

Before I get to work, I wanted to post the sample I made for the store's Christmas Tea Make & Take day we're having in a couple of weeks.  I used another one of those Doodlebug flower containers.  New KI paper (I am so not a "cutesy" person, but COME ON, this is stuff is adorable!) It has 3 little gift tags inside and then the box can double as a tree ornament.

   

I love lamp.

If you haven't seen Anchorman the whole "I love lamp" thing will mean nothing to you. Jason and I watched it again the other day (I love when I can talk him into a movie in the middle of the day, it feels so decadent). 

It isn't the funniest movie, but there are a few lines that totally crack me up. And Steve Carell is in it.  So that is always somewhat redeeming.

Good little time waster.

I made this card for a friend who was speaking at a women's retreat for a local church.  The quote is from The Office (funniest show on television at the moment) and I'm thinking there really should be a line of cards based on this program. 

I did this quick and simple layout on the weekend for my album that chronicles my journey towards the  "Mother of the Year" award I will one day inevitably win.

3 out of 4 Overtons agree...

that Tara makes delicious pickles. 

Jacob and I had them for breakfast (move over Wheaties) and Lucas snacked on some after his cheerios.  I'm considering hiding them from Jason, he's more of a sweet pickle guy, so why waste them?

I also went to a stamping class at Tara's last night.  (I know! ME! Stamping! ME!  Actually leaving my house and going to a home party!  And I LIKED it...) 

So much fun.

It was my sweet friend, Dianne's, birthday yesterday. 

She is the kind of mom and person I want to grow up to be.  I hope you had a fabulous day, Di!

Last night the boys and I were in the Jeep driving into town for a birthday party and this conversation took place:

Luke:  We had the BEST assembly today.  There was a lady, that was in World War II!  AND she didn't even have her arms and legs cut off!  AND she's still alive and she's like 85 or something. AND she's still alive, she didn't even get killed in the war, and there are only, like, 6 people that didn't get killed in WW II.

Jacob: (in his usual irritated with Lucas manner)  Luuuuke, there were WAY more people that weren't killed in WW II...there was like about 20....probably...right, mom?

Oh. My.

Help me, google. 

This afternoon we will be doing a little internet research to check the numbers, I think the boys are a bit off.

Rock & Roll Hands

Do you know what Rock & Roll hands "mean"?

I didn't.

I always figured banging head + waggling tongue + r&r hands = really getting down with whatever song was playing (usually heavy, I don't recomment this for the Celine Dion crowd).

Rock & Roll hands is pretty much a daily occurence in our home.

Usually when the camera comes out, so do the hands.  In fact, I usually have 2 versions of most photos.  Photo one - with the hands/tongue and Photo two - the same photo but with me requesting (demanding) they put those things away.  Typically, one of them will pull the hands back out the moment before I press the shutter down, but that's another entry.

So a few years ago, Jason and the boys were driving to Kamloops with a friend and his children and AC/DC happened to be playing on the 8-track.

Naturally, three year old Lucas and five year old Jacob had hands and tongues at the ready and the banging began.

Jerry starts laughing and asks Jason if he knows what rock & roll hands symbolizes (no) and then he explains.

The Sign of the Beast, you say?

Interesting.

To be honest, I felt weird seeing the boys do it for a short while after that.

But then I figured, there was no intent behind what they were doing. 

Intent is crucial.

And really, they're just fingers.

Here's one of my little beasties, doing his thing:

I got this new SS special issue a couple of days ago.

It's fantastic. 

Totally inspired me to get back to the basics. 

I recommend it. 

It even inspired me to do a couple of quick pages.  Here's one of them. American Crafts paper and Chatterbox chipboard letters.