This made my weekend

I came home Saturday afternoon to a Birthday/Mother's Day party, a flashing tiara, a decorated kitchen, a fresh baked cake, and (later) silly string. (Hey, you can't have a party without games.) Really, I have the BEST family. I am so lucky! And hey, my 10yo DD is getting to be a pretty good photographer, isn't she?

Tonight's Verse

Has anyone seen my May CK?
I've lost my May CK.
I needed it to scrap today.
Where is that May CK?


I was going to post a picture but it looked too much like the real me, so I decided not to...

Has Anyone Seen...

As I was looking for yet another scrapbooking tool that I'd misplaced, I was inspired:

Has anyone seen my punch, my punch,
Has anyone seen my punch?
I had it here before I ate lunch.
Has anyone seen my punch?

Has anyone seen my pen, my pen,
Has anyone seen my pen?
I had it here; I don’t know when.
Has anyone seen my pen?

Has anyone seen my book, my book,
Has anyone seen my book?
It was right in this little nook.
Has anyone seen my book?

Has anyone seen my blade, my blade,
Has anyone seen my blade,
I must have forgotten where it was laid.
Has anyone seen my blade?

Has anyone seen my chalk, my chalk,
Has anyone seen my chalk?
It was right here before my walk.
Has anyone seen my chalk?

Has anyone seen my ink, my ink,
Has anyone seen my ink?
What’s it doing in the sink?
Has anyone seen my ink?

Has anyone seen my die, my die,
Has anyone seen my die?
If I don’t find it, I will cry.
Has anyone seen my die?

Has anyone seen my brain, my brain,
Has anyone seen my brain?
It must have gone right down the drain.
Has anyone seen my brain?

Wed night ramblings

#1-It was confirmed today that Mattie has a very minor, very slight hearing loss. Her results were on the low end of normal, and a couple were borderline, if I understand correctly. (DH is the one who took her, so I'm basing this on what he told me plus the report.) We have to wait for the dr to call us back, and he is out the rest of the week. (He did some initial testing and examined her and then ordered the test she had today.)
#2-I've been looking around and my house, and debating some rearranging. MAJOR rearranging. In the past few years my scrap stuff has taken a bigger and bigger portion of the living room. It's not very pretty to look at. I don't know how I would be able to get my stash down to a size that could be easily hidden in a closet or under the pc table. But I'm thinking about that. (Then I could donate my paper rack to the Scrap House my sister & I have been joking about. Hmmm, maybe I could store some of my stuff there. Too bad gas is so expensive...)
I also looked at my kitchen. We have an ant issue and we had ants all over the kitchen table. I had a vinyl tablecloth on it so I just sprayed it and then wrapped the ants up in it and tossed it. My table is so pretty. The reason I keep the vinyl tablecloth is that the table is such a "central" place for us, and I did not want the kids to scuff it up and get playdoh on it and stuff. So I end up hiding it and that is too bad b/c it really is a pretty little table. (It is only about a year old; one of the newest pieces of furniture I have.)
My house, while nothing to show off, is very functional. I love it this way. But sometimes I want pretty. I feel like in order to have pretty I am going to have to give up practical and useable. Is there an affordable way to have both?
Joy

Warm Fuzzies

Today I was reminded about just how much I love my little girl. We took a walk at the park today, she entertaining me with stories about school, stopping to pet every dog, to chase a squirrel, racing me, playing tag. A lady called her "a perceptive little girl" after a brief conversation, and we had to talk about what that meant.

And I swear she walked 3 miles to my 1.5. She reminded me of the old Family Circus cartoons showing the funny paths that the kids would take to do something simple.

Anyway, I just got the warm fuzzies as I realized, again, how much I love this little girl, and how lucky I am to be her mom.

Blogging about a blog?

I am a huge fan of Stacy Julian. How excited I was to find her blog today! Here is the link:

http://stacysbigpicture.typepad.com/

I also found out she is teaching an online class on her Big Picture concept, and I'm thinking I might ask for that for Mother's Day/my birthday.

Gotta go scrap now while I'm inspired.

There came a man who was sent from God...

...his name was John. (I John 1:6)

I normally have an unwritten "rule" that I don't post about my work here. But today I am making an exception.

There was a man who was a leader. He was a leader in his workplace. He was a leader in his community. He was a leader in his church and in his family.

He was a man who cared. He cared about his work. He cared about his community. He cared about children and education.

He cared about me. I know, because every time I saw him he said hello to me. He asked about my children. He was important. I was nobody. But he treated me like I was somebody.

I went out to eat one night, and had to wait a few minutes for my reservation. I picked up a magazine about local people and events. There was an article about a couple who gave of themselves by volunteering in the schools, in Boy Scouts, and countless other community and civic organizations. It was about John and his wife. I showed the article to my husband. "They are not exaggerating," I said. I was really proud to know him, to work with him.

John Rex died this week, and he will be greatly missed. He was the President of the company I work for. And he was so much more. His legacy will live on. May I, and those who knew him, uphold his memory by doing likewise.

In loving memory, John Rex, 1933-2006

Me

Last night I was reading a scrapbooking book and trying to get motivated to do a layout. One suggestion was to interview your children. So I asked Mattie, "What is your mom's favorite thing to do?" And she replied, "Watch something funny that I did."

I asked Sarah, "What does your mom do when you're not around?" She said, "I don't know; I'm not around."

I asked each of them how tall I was. Mattie said, "I can't measure you," and Sarah said, "5 feet 9." (Of course Sarah thinks that *she* is 4'11". I think she misheard her teacher and she is really 4'7". I'm 5'2-1/2", and I hang on to that half!)

Mattie thinks my favorite food is spaghetti and meatballs, and Sarah thinks it is broccoli. Interesting that they each picked something they don't like!

They both know I "do math" at work.

As far as cartoon characters, Mattie said I was most like the mom on Rolie Polie Olie, and Sarah says I'm like the mom on the Cat in the Hat.

So there you have it, from the experts. :-)

It's been way too long

But I feel like posting tonight. Don't really have much to say, so I'll just post a picture of my sweet girl. Don't know how long she'll have this toothless grin, but I have to say, I love it so much!

Peter and the Wolf

Our local orchestra was doing a performance of "Peter and the Wolf" today. It was sort of short notice, as I only found out yesterday, but we attended today.

It was great. There was an hour prior to the concert with activities such as storytelling, making puppets, hearing the conductor speak about the various instruments, and Mattie's favorite, trying out the instruments. Along with the music, there were folks from Ballet Oklahoma who acted out the story.

I guess I've always thought of concerts as stuffy, and not much fun (unless I was performing--love that!) but this was just the opposite. I have long loved the story of "Peter and the Wolf" and it was wonderful to share it with Mattie today.

We couldn't take pictures during the concert, of course, but here is Mattie next to the Civic Center Music Hall Buffalo out front, and another of her trying out the French Horn. (Couldn't get a front shot.)


What a great day!

RAIN!!!!!

I don't know how long it has been, officially, since we had a measureable rainfall. All I know is that for the last month, Oklahoma has had so many fires that many counties have been declared disaster areas. All I know is we are "behind" in our rainfall by 12 inches or more.

Most years I don't like the grey, wet but not snowy, cool miserable weather we have in January.

Today is different. Today I welcome the rain. Today I appreciate the beauty of the grey skies meeting the parched brown landscape. Today, I hope it will rain a little more, a little longer.

Today I thank God for the rain.

Ah, Friday night...

There is something about Friday night. The girls are watching Princess Diaries II. DH is eating dinner. I'm surfing. There is something about Friday night...

Tonight's task is to learn to post a pic. So here is Mattie, showing off the space where a tooth used to live.

Cool! It worked!

Hmm, what else can I learn tonight? I'd better get dinner for the girls first.

Gotta post!

My Christian Scrapping Friends may come check me out! I feel almost the same as when I have 30 minutes to prepare my home for company. What can I post that's both meaningful and interesting to read? I'm not that great of a writer. Think of something, quick!

OK, Sarah made the Superintendent's Honor Roll this quarter! That's straight A's! I'm so proud of her! Woohoo!

Mattie was so cute tonight--she had to play in her Pooh costume. Don't ask me why. Don't ask me to post a photo b/c I haven't figured out how.

DH is home (he was gone for a week) and the limerence is high at my house tonight.

While I couldn't sleep

...I prayed

...I folded some laundry and put it away

...I hung up some clothes

...I watched "A Kid in King Arthur's Court"

...I cleaned out my closet

...I turned on "The Human Stain" but couldn't get into it

...I took a Tylenol PM and waited for sleep to come

...I ate another chocolate chip cookie

...I wrote a note to Sarah in case I'm sleeping late tomorrow

...I played Zuma

...I pea'd

...I blogged

I think it's finally time. Good night (or is it morning?)

Distraction

I went to call the office today. Saw I'd missed a call from Greg and called him back instead.

I went to e-mail my sister. I saw that I had a bunch of messages from my moms list, so I had to set up a new filter. I had installed some new software and rebooted my computer before I remembered about my sister again.

I poured a glass of iced tea and set it on the counter. The ice was melted by the time I remembered it.

I started the laundry. (My friends say it's never really done anyway.)

I did 3 scrapbook pages for a swap. (I need 4.)

I set out some margarine to soften so I could make chocolate chip cookies. It should be ready about now...

I never did make that phone call I was supposed to make before 4--until 6!

And that was just today...

Should I or shouldn't I ...

...Consider using a portion of my 30 days of personal time this year to stay home and clean my house? Would it do any good? Would it be clean for just a day or a week and then revert to it's normal state of disarray?

Or could I actually successfully retrain myself to actually finish the dishes before bed and hang up my clothes when I change into my pj's?

It is a ponderous question. I welcome any and all comments.

Tagged again

Do you have a favorite holiday treat?

pretty much all of it

What is your favorite family memory from your childhood? there are so many, but for now I'll go with dressing Snoopy the dog in doll clothes. He so hated that.

What time is it right now? 11:55PM (oops)

What song is on your (imaginary or real) Ipod right now? probably something from my Carrie Underwood CD

Digi-Scrapping, Paper Scrapping, or Both? Paper mostly, with the occasional digi enhancement

Coke or Pepsi? Coke, but only diet

Five things you would go out and buy right now if $10,000 fell into your lap? just off the top of my head: some new clothes for work, the Khaki QuicKutz alphabet--the whole thing, an Ipod, a scrapping armoire, some books, a tattoo for Jonna


One thing you absolutely, unequivocally LOVE about who you are.I can do math.

Name one quote, song lyric, overused sentiment, whatever , that means a lot to you, that changed or shaped the direction of your life today. "Do everything without complaining or arguing." (NOT that I live up to that.)

What's your favorite color? Blue

(Yes, Jonna, you scared me with that tattoo thing.)

I'm tagging Karin again b/c I love her so much.

Gingerbread Cookies

So Mattie & I sat down tonight and made the gingerbread cookies. She recited a rhyme she said she'd heard on tv: "Children's years go flying by like cookies off a plate, so make a batch with them tonight and maybe time will wait." Or something like that. I hope she's right! We did have SUCH a good time tonight.

Cutting out the cookies went fine, but decorating was another story. I'm used to sugar cookies, just frost and sprinkle. For these we had gotten some of the frosting in the can, and a tube that was supposed to be easy. Neither one of those worked very well at all. The frosting in the can either wouldn't come out, or it came out way too fast. The frosting in the tube would not come out through the decorator tip. So finally we just put the white frosting in a plastic bag and cut the corner off to make a little hole. That method works ok until the hole gets too big.

We were using mini M&M's for eyes, and they looked like the googly eyes on a bobble head dog the girls have. When I used frosting for eyes, the poor gingerbread men either looked angry or worried. That gave us the giggles. There is nothing better than sharing a little silliness with a 6 year old.

We ate some of the cookies, but in my opinion they were dry and too chewy. Maybe I cooked them a little too long.

I think gingerbread cookies were meant to be painted and hung on the tree. Next year I'll do just that.

But for tonight, my kitchen smells yummy, and my little girl is happy. Mission accomplished.

As long as I'm posting

For some reason this year has been the year for me to get back to some old traditions. I finally sent Christmas cards again. I meant to in 1995, I really did, but it just never happened. So then I was going to do New Year's, and then Valentine's, but I just couldn't get my act together. Incidentally, 1995 was the year my first child was born.

The baking didn't end quite so quickly, and I usually do sugar cookies if my husband doesn't get around to it first, but we have discovered that Pillsbury is easier and yummier (although some connoisseurs disagree.) But the real baking, the pumpkin bread and different kinds of cookies and carmel popcorn, etc., it just faded away gradually.

Well, I'm back. Sent out my Christmas cards by Dec. 1, to immediate family. OK, so it's Dec. 18, and the rest of the batch is still waiting to be addressed, but it's a start. And then the baking. Thursday I did pumpkin bread and mini muffins. Friday I did 4 batches of carmel popcorn. And yesterday I did oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, fudge (not "baking" but...), and gingerbread dough (still sitting in the fridge waiting to be baked, but it will be). Oh, and apple crisp. I think that was my 3rd apple crisp since Thanksgiving!

And since I was in the Christmas spirit, I updated my CD collection: Sandy Patti (ok, that one was old, but I still love it), Stephen Curtis Chapman, Mercy Me, and NewSong (that Grinch song is hilarious!)

So that's what I've been up to. Christmasing. I hope yours is merry.

I've been tagged

A-Z's of Me

A - Age: I don't do age
B - Bed size: double
C - Chore you hate: scrubbing toilets
D - Dessert you love: good chocolate
E - Essential start your day item: diet coke
F - Favorite actor(s): Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan
G - Gold or Silver: it depends
H - Height: 5'2-1/2"
I - Instruments you play: used to play trumpet & French horn
J - Job title: Actuary
K - Kids: Sarah & Mattie
L - Living arrangements: Typical family of 4, plus 3 gerbils
M - Mom's name: Betty
N - Nicknames: Spousal Unit, SB
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: No
P - Phobia: spiders, snakes and other creepy crawlies
Q - Quote you like: "Nothing is worth more than this day." --Goethe (?)
R - Right or left handed: right
S - Siblings: 4, sisters Jonna, Betsy and Cassi, one brother Tim
T - Time you woke up today: 5:30 am, on a Sunday, what's up with that?
U - Unique habit: playing with my Palm in meetings
V - Vegetable you hate: brussel sprouts, beets
W - Worst habit: procrastination
X - X-rays you've had: I don't want to talk about it
Y - Yummy food you can make: beef fajitas, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, DH's grandma's apple crisp, and carmel popcorn
Z - Zodiac Sign: Taurus, for whatever that's worth

I'll tag Karin, b/c she's the only one besides Jonna who's usually paying attention