2008

Recapping 2007:
*created 137 layouts, a gazillion cards and a bunch of altered items
*got braces
*Finally visited Patsi in Las Vegas
*Hit Universal Studios and Disneyland with Cedric and Christy
*met up with Addie and her family in Hawaii
*had an adventurous 10 days with Uncle Jimmy & Auntie Tina and their family
*signed up to be a chaperone for our parish group for World Youth Day in Sydney
*a whole slew of other things happened that I can't remember

Now it's four days into 2008. I've worked three of those days. I want to know who the idiot is who planned out the school calendar and had us back in school the DAY AFTER New Year's Day.

Last year's word was RESOLVE and I pretty much hit that one on the head. I resolved to basically live in the moment and not stress about the little things. 2008...HOPE. It's a big one and all that hope will entail a whole lot of prayer as well.




Here's a fun layout of two of our family rascals. Can you spot them in the picture? I used a November kit from The Scrapping Spot.







Christmas is OVER. No more presents. No more tables full of food. The tree came down on New Year's Day. Here's a tradition we carry on year after year. Used one of the December kits from The Scrapping Spot. This is a tradition that brings the best memories of childhood Christmases. It makes me miss Mama and Papa even more during the Christmas season.







So, I leave you with a thought:

Don't put off for tomorrow what you can do today, because if you enjoy it today you can do it again tomorrow.
― James Michener

Powerful words.

January Kits at the Scrapping Spot!

I got my January DT kit from The Scrapping Spot last week. KI Memories pop culture. The papers are so bright and lively. They scream fun. The lace cardstock is so cool to work with. This LO is 8.5x11 and took me 15 minutes to complete. I found the pictures in a pile in a drawer while I was looking for something else. The big picture was a little crushed but that didn't stop me from using it.



This next LO is 12x12. I turned 34 a few days ago and thought it would be something to do a layout. The picture is a self-portrait taken on the day of my birthday. Everything on both layouts is included in the main kit which is already for sale in the TSS store. The small kit is a winter kit...not much use for winter kits on Guam. Only a few left of each of January's kits. Get them here.

funny story

Lucas got this new toy from McDonald's...the SHREK line. It's Pinocchio. I asked if he watched Shrek 3. He said he watched Shrek 4. I said there's no Shrek 4. SO I said, "You still have my Shrek DVD, young man." He was quiet for a moment or two. Then he said, "You still have my Ice Age, young girl." I busted out laughing. Only three years old and he can come up with some great come-backs!

Christmas in our house........

So, I finally bit the bullet and got the tree up last weekend. Made this layout using The Scrapping Spot's now sold out Figgy Pudding kit. Did it for a challenge on Scrapping the Music's blog.

cards by the sheetload!

I made this card using the September Sheetload of Cards layout guide. I used Basic Grey Figgy Pudding scraps with a little blitzen thrown in! Figgy Pudding papers, red stickles and rub-on came from The Scrapping Spot. Cardstock and stamp from my stash.

These are the cards I will be sending out to family and friends. Better late than never! The papers are Flair Designs.

Made a bunch of quick cards!

I have been slacking in the holiday cheer department. Usually I have my gifts bought before October hits. My cards are made and ready to be sent the first week of December. The house gets "christmased" by December 8th. It's already the 14th......no tree up, no decorations anywhere. I just made my cards last night. The last of the gifts just came in the mail today.

So, I was perusing an online message board a few days ago and stumbled upon a new blog...Sheet Load of Cards
. Card-making heaven! I whipped up 24 cards yesterday. Put some finishing touches on them today. What a lifesaver! I'll post a picture later!

An awe inspiring weekend

I had a three-day weekend this weekend, but I was BUSY. ALL THREE DAYS. Friday was the Archdiocesan youth rally. As a chaperone for our parish youth to World youth day, I had to attend. It was a fabulous day, even if I was HOT in the baseball style t-shirt I had to wear. The cathedral basilica has some powerful air conditioners, but for some reason it was not cool! Must be because of the hundreds of teenagers milling around.

Yesterday was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. On Guam, we all gather for a procession around the streets of Hagatna. Read about it here. For the first time in a while, it didn't rain...not even one drop.

Then today.....TODAY....we had the pleasure of hosting Jesse Manibusan in our parish. He made learning about our faith FUN. I love that he encouraged the youth and CCD students to be proud of their faith and not be afraid to show it and share it.

God is good...all the time.

Big Girls Don't Cry

I was reading a blog........Scrapping the Music. Each week they post a song to inspire layouts full of creativity. The song for this week is "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie. I was thinking of the really OLD song by the same title......I can't for the life of me think who sang it.

I was looking for a picture I was sure I took of "Al" (I'm the only one who calls her that) crying or having a snit fit. Couldn't find one, but almost every picture I had of her from the summer had a smile.

For this layout, I used products found in The Scrapping Spot's November kits...found here and here. Everything I used came in the kits, with the exception of the Staz-on ink that I used to make the ghost letters stand out and s few stamps to do the journaling. FUN STUFF!

December...THE SCRAPPING SPOT DT LOs

 

 

 

 

1. A card using TaDa scraps. 2. TaDa kit 12x12 LO 3. Basic Grey Figgy Pudding Kit 8x8 LO 4. BG Figgy Pudding kit 6x12 LO

It's not the end of December yet and I've posted. LOL! I've been bit by the scrapping bug.........such a GOOD thing. I actually passed up my daily afternoon/after work nap to make one of those layouts. The kits are selling fast...only a few more of each so get 'em while they're hot right HERE!

This was November!

 

I seem to do these once-a-month posts.......which is more than I do in my personal journal. I used to be so good about documenting my life on paper.*SIGH* November was a slim month for creativity. I had issues with the postal service. It seems like they were holding my mail hostage and then decided to one day inundate me with mail. I just got my November Scrapping Spot DT kit which was mailed in OCTOBER. I also got a CRICUT electronic cutter! It's works like a dream and I love how quickly and easily it cuts stuff out for me. Not much really going on in my life. I live a mundane existence.

We're gearing up for our World Youth Day trip to Sydney Australia in July 2008...fundraisers, catechesis, general meetings. You can read about World Youth Day 2008 here.

I did see two movies this month (a record)...Martian Child and Enchanted. Both good movies.

And now for my collage above: 1. Mini tag book I made for Maria's birthday 2, 3, and 4. 3 12x6 pages for an album I'm doing of things that I'm grateful for. 5. Christmas Tree card I made using scraps of Basic Grey paper...this card can be seen online atBasic Grey.com 6. layout of our lone trick or treater using the scrapping spot's small December kit featuring TaDa Signature. 7. a layout of my grandparents using the scrapping spot's big November kit featuring Sassafras Lass Indian Summer; pictures and a letter to the editor from LOOK magazine (not in publication) 8 and 9. layouts using the scrapping spot's small december kit featuring TaDa Signature. You can buy these amazing scrapping kits here.

caardvarks challenge

I made this card with my last scraps of paper from THE SCRAPPING SPOT'S October "Metro Chic" (AKA the big one) Kit. Papers are Luxe Hoodie, doodlebug jewel, and hero arts bling (from my stash). The die cut purse opens up...that's where I'll write something to the lucky recipient! Thanks for looking!

This was October

Yet again I ask myself, "Where did the month go?" I feel like I should write a song with that refrain! Didn't do much scrap-wise. I didn't have the motivation to scrap much in October. Then I was out of commission for a whole week with the flu and spent the week after playing catch-up with work and with life. There went two whole weeks. Not much going on around this neck of the woods. Life is status quo...that's good, right?

This was September!

The last row of this collage repeats the first row. The top two rows are projects I did with my design team October kit from The Scrapping Spot. I still have loads of stuff left to use...good thing it's the OCTOBER KIT. I still have a whole month to play with it! It has a lot of pink...... A LOT! Sometimes I feel like I'm allergic to that color because it just makes me shudder. But, this the papers are so bold, so graphic...funky, edgy, a twist of metro. We named it "Metro Chic".......a few clicks with the dictionary and the thesaurus online and BOOM! METRO CHIC appeared! This month pales in comparison to last month, but my excuse is WORK. Most of the layouts I did in August were done the first two weeks...I was still on vacation. I'm not complaining, though. Creating gives me the much needed outlet for the stress that teaching entails. Students bring SO MUCH baggage to school with them and it's hard for them to leave it at the door so I have to deal with it as well. Now I need to decompress from the weekend, not that anything much happened this weekend.

where did the month go?!

More than half the month is GONE. When did THAT happen? I can't remember half the things that happened. Sign of age or just busy-ness? My design team gig at The Scrapping Spot has officially begun. I got my kit a few days ago. It has A LOT of pink... I am not kidding when I say A LOT. I am not a fan of things pink, but this kit is amazing. I've already done two layouts and made a little notebook with this kit. Check out the picture (courtesy of The Scrapping Spot).

This was August!

Fourteen layouts. One mini album. Eleven cards. Fifty pictures. That is a RECORD for me. It helps that the women on The Scrapping Spot's message board really LOVE to scrap. We have Ari, our whip cracker to goad us into using up stash and scrapping those pictures. Do I really NEED someone to tell me what to do?!?!? NOOOOOOOOOO! However, I love a challenge any day. It's very interesting to see how several scrappers can take one sketch or Beck Fleck page map and create something vastly different. I'm almost done with my Summer 2007 vacation pictures and it's STILL 2007. Guess I better get those 2004 vacation pictures from Mark and get working!

More of my secret! :)

I spilled part of my secret last week about my friend Jill starting her own kit club and message board for scrapbooking. Here's the rest of the story............she asked me to be on her design team!!!!!!!!!!! I've kept this under wraps for the better part of a month. It was hard to be posting on the MB and not saying something. I'm on the design team with Deanna Koontz and Ari Macias! Jill's doing stuff a little differently with the DT. We're on for 4-month terms and she'll also be having guest DT spots. If you haven't already done so, check us out. While the first kit won't be out until October, we already have lots of stuff going on with the board--challenges, things to think about and discuss. Fun stuff!!!

http://www.thescrappingspot.com/phpBB2/index.php

Daily Something

I've tried to keep up with the "daily something" project. But it seems like it's turned into a weekly (or something like that) something. We had open house tonight. Of course the parents that you really want to see don't show up. I had the pleasure of chatting with some parents, but most especially with the parents of one of my reading students from last year. He's now in my second grade homeroom. His mother had said that she was so thankful to know that he was in my homeroom this year. Being his teacher for Reading last year really made a difference academically and behaviorally for their son. Nic is a very bright little boy, but he needed discipline and lots of encouragement and motivation to push just a little further than what he was capable of. His parents felt that he got that from me. Warmed my heart to hear it. It put a ray of sunshine on a very cloudy day.

Here is MY secret! I've known for a few weeks that my friend Jill is starting a new message board and scrapbook kit club. It's been so difficult not to say anything especially to my scrapbooking friends! So now we're spreading the word! Kits will actually start in October, but the message board is up and running. Boy, is it running! Look here for updates on what's going on, what's coming, what's happening! I'm so excited for Jill!!!!

daily something

It would be so like me to start something and forget about it. I meant to post on Thursday about a daily something. I was watching the opening credits of "Love Actually" and came upon this:

"Love actually is all around."

So true!

Anyway, I'll have some exciting news to share soon... NO I AM NOT GETTING MARRIED OR HAVING A BABY.

Finding the "Daily Something"

I subscribe to Ali Edwards' AEzine. It starts off with this quote:

"There is no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day." (Alexander Woollcott)


That quote got me thinking. But there's more! Ali goes on to say, " every single day of our lives presents us with a story to tell. Wonderful little (and sometimes big) gifts that are available for us to capture if we make it a priority and pay attention.


Now, doesn't that inspire something? My day started off BORING. Uninspiring. Uneventful. First I discovered the "new" (new to us anyway) refrigerator was not cooling again. Oh joy. I kept trying to remember how much a refrigerator cost at Ace Hardware and Town House. Good thing we still had the old one outside. Looks like junk but it sure works well. Then I made stops at the post office (yay for bills), the bank (pay a bill), the $1.50 store, Kmart to return something, and the safety inspection place. Home for lunch. Quick checks on email and message boards. Dominic came to help me move the refrigerators. Then I went to pick up Lucas. Here's where the little gift comes into my day...

Maria started back to work at Hyatt today. She asked me to pick Lucas up from school. No problem. It's quite riot to pick him up...those five-minute conversations are my favorite. He asked where his mommy was and I reminded him that mommy was at work and that daddy would come home first then mommy. He says, "Nini, will you take care of me?" as he hugs me tightly. "Of course I'll take care of you. I always do." I put him in his booster seat and off we go. So, I start off by asking him about his day.

L: I don't talk to Uncle Dominic when he picks me up.
Me: Why not?
L: He makes me a little nervous.
Me: How does he make you nervous?
L: He talks to loud. That makes me nervous.
Me: Really.
L: Can you tell him not to talk so loud?
Me: Sure, I can tell him that. So, what did you do at school today?
L: We didn't learn colors.
Me: So what did you learn about?
(He gets all silly and speechs jibberish)
Me: We have to stop and get gas.
L: Okay, Nini. I will wait for you in the car.
Me: You're going to wait in the car? Does your mommy leave you in the car?
L: Yes.
(I had no intention of letting him out of my sight and I KNOW his mom doesn't leave him in the car. The gas station attendant comes out to gas my car in the self-serve line...gotta love that! So we go into the convenience store.
L: Nini, I need candy.
Me: Were you good at school today?
L: Yeah. I was good.
Me: We'll see if they have the candy you like.
We walk up to the counter. Right below is an array of bags of candy. We like the gummies made with fruit juice. Not the healthiest thing in the world, but it's all good in small doses.
Me: Do you want the music one or the abc one?
L: The abc one. I like that.
Me: Okay, but first we're going to have a good snack when we get home.
L: Okay, Nini. I'll just hold it.

On the way home we talk about some good snacks he can have...grapes, crackers, juice, chocolate milk with sprinkles (okay not so good with the chocolate and the sprinkles but it's the one trick I discovered that works for everyone to get him to drink the stuff). IN the home stretch...we see his Mama's house then his house. In to change...oh so quietly because Jakey is sleeping. Go to Mama's house for visit, hoping that he'll want to stay. Told Uncle Dominic not to talk so loud. I say I'm going home to cook dinner. Nope, he's going to follow me. I make a quick stop in his house to get his homework (homework at 2?!?!?) and we make the short drive up to my house. His mom calls. We talk. He talks. He does his homework...big fat scribbles all over the page. Works for me! Give him some milk, which he spills all over another piece of paper.
L: I spilled my milk.
Me: It's okay.
L: I'm so sad.
Me: Luke, it's okay. We'll clean it up. Do you want some more?
L: Yes, with more sprinkles.
Me: Okay.
Drinks some milk. We go outside so I can get the clothes off the line. He spills some milk all over his shirt. I take it off. He helps me take the laundry in and drops half the stack I gave him. I see a worried look on his face so I reassure him that he can go back and pick it up. And then the phone rings. He's wanted home to go shopping with his Nana. All this happened within an hour and a half. Well worth every minute. It gave me my "daily something".

Sad News

Two days after we celebrated Auntie Ninang's birthday, she passed away. I dread calls after 9pm because I immediately think that someone has died or is sick or needs to be taken to the hospital. When I heard Auntie Patty leaving a message on the machine...she never leaves a message...I knew I had to get to the phone. We decided to go to the hospital and see her. Less than an hour later, we get there only to find out that she passed away. She would always ask, "Why doesn't God take me?" I would always tell her, "He's not ready for you. He doesn't have space there for you." So she got her birthday wish. And we're all left feeling a little bereft. I like to think that now she can see and walk without pain, even dance along a path! That she's talking to Mama every moment. I miss those days when the phone would ring and I'd answer and it would be Auntie Ninang for Mama. That hasn't happened for 7 years but I can remember telling Mama, "It's Sophie for you." How we got the name Sophie, I can't remember anymore. For a while there, Auntie Ninang used to call us at 5:30 on Sunday evening every week without fail. Then 2 weeks had gone by at one point and she called so I teased her about not calling the week before. She told me that she forgot. The calls never lasted more than 10 minutes, sometimes even shorter, but she just wanted to check in with us. Who's going to check on us now?

celebrating

Today is Auntie Ninang's 89th birthday. I couldn't help but think that if Mama were alive today, she would also be 89. 89...so many years alive. So many yet to live. We celebrated with a PARTY. Lots of food, a lot of heat, but lots of fun was had. It's been such a long time since we've gathered for something happy. Of course, we all reminisced about the Easter Egg Hunts we used to have at Auntie Ninang's house. Every year. Without fail. We spent Easter "down in the valley". I don't even remember when they stopped. Toria and Allie took most of these pictures. Neither of them had the guts to go in the house and take a picture of Auntie Ninang. If there weren't so many people in there with her, I would have done it. Just not a crowd person in a small space. Predictably, their pictures centered on our family. Interesting to see things from their perspective.

highlights

Some highlights of my vacation...left to right :) Me being me, with the bartender before Mamma Mia!, my friend Patsi and me outside of New York New York, a night view of the strip, the slot machines at the airport. Next row: BETTY, our GPS, Me, Kathy and Christine at THE STINKING ROSE, A picture inside the stinking rose, had to get that picasso in the background, Universal Studios entrance. Third row: the walkway to the studio tour, at Toon Town, in front of the screaming roller coaster, inside the sorcerer's workshop at CA Adventure, trying on Merlin's hat. Fourth Row: Trying on hats at one of the Disney Stores, Me outside of CA Adventure, Me and Kathy, Me and Christine. Fifth row: eating a crepe for breakfast, Tristan and me, Me and Olivia, Phan and Me, fireworks at Disneyland. I took over 200 pictures. These are just highlights. I did not gamble one cent in Las Vegas. The only gambling I did was buying clothes without trying them on! I did not sightsee in Hawaii...I went there to visit my friend Addie and her family. Been there, done Waikiki...don't need to do it again.

Vegas Vacation

I am in Las Vegas for the very first time! The temperature has been in the 100s for the last few days...it doesn't get cooler till really late and even then it's not that cool. I feel like someone turned on the heater to extremely high and left the door open! OR, the oven is on broil and I'm standing in front of the open door. THAT HOT. Seriously. I haven't made it to the strip yet. I've done some shopping...got stuff for all the kids already. I'm the boring auntie...got them CLOTHES. Maybe I'll find something fun in LA. Tomorrow night Patsi, Maureen and I will be seeing Mamma Mia at Mandalay Bay. That's on the strip so I'll see it at NIGHT! FUN STUFF!

It's been a while

Since I last blogged, A LOT has happened! Uncle Jimmy, Auntie Tina, Jessica, Jeremy and his family came for a ten-day visit. WE were BUSY the entire time they were here. I was so exhausted by the time they left. Did the beach thing, the drive to the southern end, and a day at PIC waterpark. Tried to line up a professional photographer to do a family picture, but had to settle for an amateur and so-so pictures.

Life as we know it is finally back to normal. It's amazing how much 8 additional people can change a routine! Got to do my regular Saturday routine errands. Got carded for buying Auntie Margaret cigarettes. A great feeling to know that when the cashiers look at me they're not sure just how old I am!

Got my hair cut today. Impulse thing really. Took my mom to get HER hair cut and just decided while I was sitting there that I needed something new. As long as I don't look 12.

Layouts inspired by June Page Maps by Becky Fleck

a five-minute conversation with Lucas

Five minutes. That's what it takes to get from his school to our neck of the woods. FIVE short minutes. Over the weekend, I got him one of those booster seats for my car. It was on sale at KMart and I was so wanting to get rid of that honkin' big car seat of his...it takes up too much space. He tested it out on Monday afternoon. Anyway, I got to pick him up from school yesterday. After waiting for him to finish his snack, we got to the car.

L: This my special chair, Nini?

Me: Yeah, your special chair for such a special boy.

(got him all settled in and strapped that seatbelt across him. I discovered the cup holder on the side so naturally he discovered it too. I get in the car and turn it on. We were ready to roll.)

Me: You okay back there?

L: Yes. I need my water to put in here.

Me: Can you reach it?

L: No, I cannot reach it. It's too far.

I reach back and hand it to him. He puts it in the cup.

L: Where are we going?

Me: Home. Why? Where do you want to go?

L: I don't know. Can we go to the store, Nini?

Me: The store? Why?

L: I need candy.

ME: Candy? What kind of candy?

L: M & Ms.

Me: M & Ms? Hmmm...I don't think they have any more at the store.

L: They ran out?

Me: Yeah, they ran out.

The conversation gets a little fuzzy in my head at this point...the light turned green.

L: {blah blah blah} otherwise....

My mind stopped on the word otherwise. Because while I don't remember everything he said, he did use the word correctly in the sentence. I know he was not talking about candy so I thought okay, scot free. NOPE.

L: Can we go to the gas station, Nini?

Me: The gas station?!?!? What for? I don't need gas.

L: So I can buy candy.

Me: Do you have money?

L: No, but you do.

Me: I do? How do you know?

L: People have money in their hands.

Me: I show him each of my hands one by one and say, "No money here or here."

L: You have money in your purse.

Me: How do you know?

L: I know you do.

Me: Naw, I don't want to go to the gas station.

L: Can we go to that store? (we passed the grocery store)

Me: What for?

L: I need candy.

Me: What kind?

L: Gummy bears.

Me: I have gummy worms at home.

L: I don't like the sugary ones.

Me: You don't? You had it before and you liked it.

L: I don't like the sugary ones. My mommy said I don't like the sugary ones.

Me: Lucas, you said you don't like the sugary ones, not your mommy.

L: No, Nini, my mommy said I don't like the sugary ones.

Me: Okay, then, if I go to the store this weekend I will get you not sugary ones.

L: Nini, can we go to the small store (that's we he calls the neighborhood MOm and Pop store)?

Me: What for?

L: I need a drink.

Me: YOu have your water.

L: I need juice.

Me: You just had juice at school.

L: But, I need juice.

Me: Lucas, you have lots of juice at home. We don't need to buy juice.

(At the stop sign in front of his grandma's house now)

L: Okay, Nini.

FIVE MINUTES. He's two. TWO!

This is super cool!

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Funny Story

Funny story... A few months ago, Ethan and I had a discussion about his birthday. He said he didn't want to celebrate at school because all the kids blow out the candles. So he said he wanted to have a party at home.

ME: Am I invited to this party?

Ethan: No. Just my mom and my dad and Toria and Allie and Nathan and Grandma and Papa.

Me: Not me?

Ethan: No, but you can make my cake.

Me: HUH!?!??! I'm not invited but I make the cake?

Ethan: Yeah.

Me under my breath: We'll see about that, small boy.


Now every time someone asked about his birthday, he would just say no party at school only at home. Fair enough. About a week before his birthday, he told his mom again that he wanted a party at home with the family. But now EVERYONE had to come or it wouldn't be a party. He told his mom he wanted hot dogs and that I was making the cake. So, his mom called everyone and told them that they were serving hot dogs and french fries, and she'd have other stuff that the adults could eat. Ethan should thank his lucky stars that we had a leaking pipe last Saturday because that had me home after the men left so I could make the cake. Otherwise, I would have been at church and no cake would have been made. There's just something about cooking/baking when dust and paint are flying around.

So then that night I get to talking with his mom and he decides that he must talk to me.

Me: I made your cake.

Ethan: What kind is it?

Me: Vanilla (it was actually white cake, but I knew he associates cake with flavors).

Ethan: When I was at your house yesterday, did I tell you I wanted a vanilla cake?

Me: You didn't say. Is it okay?

Ethan: Yeah, it's okay. What is on top?

Me: What kind of icing do you want? Chocolate or vanilla?

Ethan: What are you going to put on top of it?

Me: What do you want on top of it?

Ethan: Spider Man.

Me: Again?

Ethan: Spider Man. that's what I want.

Me: Okay. Spider Man. I'll draw a web too.

Ethan: Okay.

We did have hot dogs, meatloaf and chicken, salad, rice and french fries. He just wanted to stare at his cake until we could cut it, but the lure of the hot dogs and Lucas being there won over. Here's the much anticipated (by Ethan) cake! I made the spider out of cupcakes, Japanese biscuits and decorating gel. I found the spider man figurines at the hardware (!) store.

Note to self...

...when a student is aiming to run out of the classroom, DO NOT BLOCK THEIR WAY. Did that today and ended getting punched in the stomach and kicked on the shin. Then while dragging him towards the office, kid tried to bite me TWICE. Kid's grandma works at the school. So, after I tell her what happened and what he did, her response was, "SOOOOO SORRY! I'll have him apologize tomorrow. It's from the weekend. The anger's been building up since Friday." It comes out that he can't go on our end-of-the-year field trip because I wrote that he needed an adult to come with him if we go bowling. When one of the other 2nd grade teachers asked why he couldn't go on the field trip, grandma turns around and says, "She can't handle him." She meaning ME. Requiring adult accompaniment for an ADHD child on a field trip with 80 other students was not much to ask. I have one set of eyes and ears. I hate that she turned around and made it my fault that he was upset.

NSD Layouts

Made this slide show of the layouts and card I did in honor of National Scrapbooking Day! Most of the layouts were for challenges on Two Spotted Dogs' message board. Check them out! Two Spotted Dogs

The destruction begins!

Water blasting on the exterior of our house actually started yesterday. Today I got to hear all the noise for most of the day. It was enough to bring on a throbbing ache in my head AND my neck! The yard is a mess...the old paint lays scattered in chips on the grass. Looks like dirty snow. Ick. The contractors also put in the new windows in one of the bedrooms. Turns out I didn't measure one window opening right so they had to jackhammer a 1/2 inch off the opening. The other window was a 1/2 inch short! GRRRR!!! So frustrating, but the windows are in! I had a short reprieve from the noise, dust, and general irritation of having strangers trudge in and out of the house when I went to run errands and make an appearance at China Arts. Everything was 25% OFF in honor of National Scrapbooking Day. I took advantage of that and got some Heidi Swapp ghost flowers, a pack of different colored slick writers, a medium corner rounder, and some other necessary scrapbook goodies that elude me right now. Can you tell they were so important?!?!? They gave out goody bags of SEI paper and some other little things. Shortly after 1pm, I got a call from 76, the gas station, saying that I was one of 100 finalists to win 1 of 20 wii game systems, but you had to be present to win! I debated about going for a few hours and then just decided, "What did I have to lose?" I didn't win. But, while it would have been nicer to be in air conditioned comfort or doing something else I liked, it was nice to be out of the house BY MYSELF in a crowd of people. Know what I mean? Grabbed a Wendy's bacon and mushroom junior double melt meal on the way home...yes, I got fries with that and boy did it taste GOOD! I'll be good tomorrow...

I finally got around to taking pictures of my back bumper. From a distance, the only thing you can really see is the bent tail pipe of the muffler. But, up close, you can see the circles imprinted on the bumper from the idiot's front headlights and a bunch of scratches from his hood. His car looks far worse than mine, but the point is, the bumper would have been perfect had he not been tailing me so closely! Mr. Bautista, my favorite body shop dude, is going to be adamant about getting a new bumper. Let's hope the idiot's insurance company doesn't give me bones about it!

While I was outside snapping pictures of my car and the house, I saw this flower swaying back and forth in the slight breeze. It's planted in our flower bed. I have absolutely no idea what kind of flower it is, but it's SPRING-Y for all you spring folks around the world!

recent layouts

Saturday

I am an avid reader. I have always loved reading. I buy books at Bestseller and Kmart. Sometimes I buy books at the grocery store. I ran out of new books this week. When you're sore from the neck down, you don't feel much like shopping...at least I don't. I had to dig through some old books for one that I didn't remember the plot. Not working out this week, I had lots of time on my hands. What do I do with time on my hands? More computer time! Read a lot of stuff on the internet. Stalked blogs of "famous" scrapbookers. I came across a post from Ali Edwards about how to make a transparency book. Here's my version of Ali's book. She used pre-manufactured transparency frames, library cards, etc. I used scraps...scraps of acetate sheets, cardstock, patterned paper. I used rub ons to put designs on the acetate and post it notecards. Pretty ingenious substitutions if you ask me! I made it mine. Toria's birthday is coming up so I made her this book. I'm not going to post every page here.










The estimates came in for the work we need done on the house. One was $10,000+ and the other was $15,000+. I'm going with the 10. I eliminated some things on there that really didn't need to be done. So the cost should come down to less than $10,000. It's a lot of money, but once all the work is done, it won't need to be done again for a long time (painting), or ever again (the 2 bedroom windows and new security screen doors). I'm hoping they start this coming week!

Since I can't work out...

...I thought I'd make a layout of my workout friends. The picture was taken in January after an intense workout. Monday's workouts are always intense, but still fun. Fun, you say?!?!? WHAT?!??! Yes, fun. It was Jaysson's last class with us. He moved to LA for better and brighter things. Nette, our instructor, just happened to have her camera in her purse (dedicated grandma! That's her in the blue tank top) and someone snapped this photo. This is proof that I do actually workout, that the sweat comes from a great workout, that I can still smile at the end of the hour. A few people who frequent the gym and see and hear us during class think we're flat out nuts. I've heard people say that they are afraid to try out the group cycling class because it looks so hard. Yeah, it's hard the first couple of times. Then you get used to the bike and the intensity of the workout that you yearn for something even more. I don't like to miss workouts...everyone knows I don't like to. But, I'm giving my body a chance to heal completely from last week's accident. Next week when I go back, I'll get asked where I was. Hopefully Pete relayed the news. Anyway, I used the Two Spotted Dogs April "Far Out" kit.

Brace yourself...

Some of my friends were cracking jokes about braces on my body. First, I ended up with braces for my teeth. Now I have a neck brace courtesy of being rear-ended the other day. Roseanna, one of my co-workers, and I went to Oceanview Middle School in Agat for a textbook workshop. BORING. SO DARN BORING. Since I am not familiar with the area, I was following all the traffic laws. At a YIELD sign, I yielded and turned my head left to check for on-coming traffic. Sure enough, the light had just turned green at the base gate so lots of cars coming down the road. One big BOOM! Some idiot rear-ended me. So unapologetic. Never said sorry or asked if we were okay. He asked why I stopped when I had a whole lane. WHOLE LANE!??! It was like a few yards long and I still would have had to yield to oncoming traffic. Then he made a comment that it's why he has insurance. I have to pick up the police report next week, but the officer said the dude was in complete violation of traffic laws. I tried to blow off the pain, but it just wasn't getting any better. Went to see the doctor and came home with a neck brace and a prescription for a muscle relaxant that makes me so sleepy. I only take it at night. The brace sure is uncomfortable. Good thing it's not too hot around here or I would be one very unhappy camper. Brought my car in for regular servicing this morning and asked them to check the alignment. Just got a call a little while ago...alignment's out of whack! Plus, they gave me a list of other things that need to be done. I'll be almost $800 poorer by the end of the day. Yesterday was payday...no wonder why the money just pours out!

Got my braces today!

Got off work early today for my orthodontic appointment. Had my IPOD nano all charged up and ready to go. Got to my appointment early so they got started early. YIPEE!!! It feels so weird. I have a mouth full of metal and porcelain. Haven't tried chewing yet. Had a fruit smoothie for dinner. No pain (yet) and crossing my fingers that the pain isn't a doozy! Only two more days to endure before break. It's going to be a crazy two days...abbreviated schedule to practice for our Chamorro program tomorrow and the actual performance on Friday. We'll be eating lunch at 10:15 am! Who serves LUNCH at that time?!?!? McDonald's milkshake, here I come!

GRRRRRRRRR....

Smashed my front bumper yesterday...tried to fit in a ridiculously small parking spot at KMart. I never park in that part of the lot...don't know why I went that way. The thing is, I didn't even hit...just a brush and the bumper crumpled. It looks beautiful. NOT! Went to my favorite body shop on the way home. Got my bumper ordered.Can't fix the damaged one. The owner is going to pick it up, paint it and then call me to install it. $475 GONE. But, it's a discount price...thank goodness for being a good church-going person and that the body shop guy and his wife admire me for that. He said that the bumpers are made so different now...it's hollow. Now how is that supposed to save me in an accident?!?!? Auntie Margaret will pay for it. YAY. Gotta love her!

I'm getting my braces put in on Wednesday. I took an hour off work for the appointment. I'll be missing Math. Gosh, I'm so heartbroken! By the time Math rolls around, I'm so exhausted and not into the tricks and antics of my students. This will be my last picture with my blasted overbite and slightly crowding bottom teeth.

After a year and a half of being a member of a scrapbooking kit club, I sent a message to one of the owners for cancellation. It's a great club with a new technique to try each month, but it's pricey. I admit that I haven't tried half the techniques they have had. I'm keeping one, Two Spotted Dogs. Mindy was an amazing owner and now Diane has taken over. I love how they get input from the members (at least the active ones on the message board since we're always there!) and listen to what we want. Check them out! http://www.twospotteddogs.com/

My day started at 4 am...

Well, if we want to get technical, my day started well before 4am! The power went out. I heard the air conditioner shut off. I tossed and turned for a while; opened the bathroom and bedroom doors to get some air. I couldn't get online because my internet runs on the cable modem into my wireless router...both of which hook up to POWER. There went that idea. I tried to go back to sleep, but that didn't happen. I finally got out of bed, found the flashlight, a picture, and my Two Spotted Dogs February kit and started scrapping a layout. When I was done with that, I discovered the power had come back on so I hopped into bed. Sleep eluded me. I gave up since I was going to take Lucas to school. Lucas ended up not going to school so we hung out together. He played, watched TV, made a mess, cleaned it up, had lunch (didn't bring anything from home because "My mom ran out of food!). Stinker! Then he wanted to watch "Bob the Builder". We both fell asleep for 1 1/2 hours! Didn't wake up until the phone rang at 2pm. Then Maria brought Jacob over and we hung out for a little while more. I went to my spin class at the gym and added another bruise or two to my right leg. It's looking pretty (NOT).

Braces

I made an appointment to see an orthodontist this week. I thought for sure that I would be laughed out of the office. So I found out that if I don't get my overbite and overjet corrected, eventually my bottom teeth will be hitting the roof of my mouth and push my front teeth farther out. The downside is I can't get a full set of clear braces because of my penchant for grinding and the fact that I have big top teeth in comparison to my small bottom teeth. I wouldn't want to chip my top teeth on the porcelain brackets! So it'll probably be metal bottoms and clear tops. The upside is the ortho dude predicts only 10 months of metal mouth! Maybe my TMJ disorder will go away...one can always hope.