Just a quickie...

post for today! I missed yesterday too. So I thought I'd just jot a little bit. O is boycotting nap #3 today but he is playing nicely in the living room. Away from cords!

The 2P's challenge for today is to List your 5 best attributes, in your opinion.

Well, let's see... tooting one's own horn is not my favorite thing to do. So if you disagree about my best attributes... keep it to yourself!

1. I have a good sense of humor. Sometimes a little mean but all for fun. I like to play tricks on people. And it's more fun when I get someone else involved. (Like Maggie or Nikki or Lori!)
2. I have nice hair. The color is a golden strawberry blonde with a blonde streak in the front. It's soft and shiny. It doesn't really do much but it catches the light nicely.
   
3. I am honest. I'm not a good liar. I've gotten better at telling the truth in a kind way. Even though I'd rather be blunt.
   
4. I try to pray everyday. Even for people I don't like. And I try to remember that God's plan is better than what I probably have in mind. Even if I don't agree with it.
   
5. I'm fairly normal and rational. I'm not a criminal or in jail and I don't do stupid stuff too often.

Not a very exciting list is it!? Oh well. I'm just a regular girl living a regular life. Not gettin' on America's Most Wanted or Jay Leno for that, now am I!? That's okay. I don't like Leno anyway!

Here's...

Owen!After a little tweeking I was able to get this one to post the right direction. This is now his new favorite thing to be doing. Standing up! Or pulling himself up. It's only a matter of time before he's walking, isn't it!?
On another note. I forgot to post my fitness progress. I lost another pound last week. So I'm up to 5.2. I've missed my workouts for the last 4 days though. Tomorrow I will get back on my treadmill!

It's Monday...

already!? The weekends seem to go so fast! Yesterday was cold, blustery, and sunny! Today it's warmer, 17˙ currently. But I think the windchill might be really cold. I haven't been out yet. And it's no sunny.

I had my monthly crop on Saturday. That was fun. 9 people total. I spend most of my time chatting so I don't get much work done! I did finish page 2 of my All About Me Album though.

You can't tell from the scan but the stitching is a varigated pink and white rayon thread. I got some smaller needles for my machine so the stitching looks better on paper. Now I'm on to page 3!

I managed to fall down 2 times this weekend. That hardly ever happens to me. I am not very tall and I have big feet so I've got pretty good balance. Well while I was bringing my really heavy scrapping tote thingy into the house I lost my balance and fell into the little garden by our garage. I was mostly stunned as to how it happened and wasn't hurt at all. Then last night I went out to move Morgan's car and slipped on some ice on our driveway and hit my head! That hurt. More than anything I think it scared me. It just happened so quickly. So I spent the rest of the night with ice on my head. It seems to be better today.

Owen has started pulling himself into a standing position on the furniture. I went into his room the other day to get him some clothes and when I cam back into the living room he was standing up at the couch! I knew he could do this. He's been pulling himself up to his knees for a couple weeks not and climbing over everything but it was the first time he'd done it all by himself! I have a cute picture to post but blogger only wants to upload it sideways not the right way. So it will have to wait. And it seems my little man it up from his nap already! For the last three days he's only taken 2 naps a day. He has refused to take a third! I am not ready for this!

A cute story...

My MIL sent me this little story and I thought I'd share it with all of you.

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk 's office was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. "What I mean is," explained the recorder, "do you have a job or are you just a......?" "Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I'm a Mom." "We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically. I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall.

The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar." "What is your occupation?" she probed.
What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations." The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire. "Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?" Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research, (what mother doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field, (normally I wo uld have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money." There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up and personally ushered me to the door.

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another Mom." Motherhood!

What a glorious career! Especially when there's a title on the door.

Does this make grandmothers "Senior Research associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations" and great grandmothers "Executive Senior Research Associates"? I think so!!! I also think it makes Aunts "Associate Research Assistants".

Being Owen's mother is important to me. In a "this is my job" sort of way. I did not intend to have children. I wasn't going to be "just a mom". I was a career girl. I wanted to make use of my mind. But after I had gone to school and taught and gone to school some more and continued to teach I changed my mind. I don't know why. I don't know what happened that made my mind change. It just did. And I'm so glad it did! The writer of the story is correct. It is a career. You do it for a lifetime. And there are women who are not mothers who still mother. Maggie, Lori, and Nikki are not mothers but they way they teach and the way they care about and for thier students make them Associates of the Child Development and Human Relations field! My sister Miranda is not a mother either. But she is an excellent Associate too. For someone who had not spent much time around babies, she and Owen have taken to each other like best buds.

And I have to say I think I'm still using my mind. My perception of what a teacher is changed a lot over the years that I taught. And the important things I learned along the way I didn't learn in grad school or from a professional development session. I learned them in my own classroom with and from my own students. And they are skills that I use everyday with Owen.

A new little...

project. I found this blog through another P's blog. And she taught a class titled "a deck of you". She used a deck of cards and on each card she has the response to a prompt. So she's doing it again and so are some other people so I decided to join in. Here are my cards so far. I'm just cutting cards to be 3x4. I using all scrap pieces of paper.

The first prompt was Something you are proud of.The second prompt was What is powerful to you...And the third prompt was to finish the statement I am...

On a sour note the scroll ball in mouse is not working. I am rather upset about this as I use that feature all the time. I need to take it in to be replaced but I can't do it until I get my AppleCare box in the mail and register that. Then it will be back under warranty. I almost bought a new mouse last night at Target. They have wireless ones that are compatible with a MAC but I like that my mouse matches my computer! And I'm not spending $45 for a new wireless Mighty Mouse. So I am scrolless!

No sun today...

Yesterday the sun was actually shining! But not today. I think that tends to have an adverse affect on my mood. I like to have a little sunshine and here in MN those days can be few and far between in the dead of winter.

The 2P's challenge for today is: Do you live more in the past, present or future?
I would say I live in the present. I frequently don't know what time it is or what day it is! So I can't be looking ahead if I don't know where I am! I have occasional bouts of nostalgia but not very often. I think my living in the present has a lot to do with staying home and being a mommy. I used to live more in the future. Not that I didn't enjoy what was going on while it was going on but I always had a plan for something in the future. I think that's the nature of being a teacher. You always have plans. Either for the day, week, month or quarter. Teacher's are planners. And I was always working and thinking on a schedule. I had to know what time it was because I needed to get a certain amount of material in during a period of time or get my class to where they needed to be on time. I just don't have to function like that anymore. It was a difficult adjustment at first. And I still have a schedule and a routine but it's not a strict. So it's also part of who I am. But I like to just enjoy what the day brings. Sometimes Owen is happy all day. Sometimes he's a fussbucket. But I want to enjoy everyday with him because he's growing so fast. I have a journal that I keep were I write to him. Tell him what he's doing and document how he's growing. So someday he can read all about himself. And I can look back in it and see what he did when. And for when he's an unpleasant teenager and I need to remember what a sweetheart he was!
When I was younger I spent a lot of time planning my future and simultaneously mulling over the past. I wasn't very happy. So I try not to do things I will regret and plan in a way that makes me happy. And I also try to be happy with the person I am. That way I can enjoy each day I have.

Finally...

Morgan decided on a new year's resolution! Not that everyone needs to have one. I don't think he gets into that the way I do. But last night we were talking, he was talking, I was mostly asleep, and he said his resolution for the year was to stop thinking crazy! I told him it was great that on January 23rd he had found his goal for the year.

Morgan is a thinker. Always busy in the head thinking about something. And sometimes they are what he calls "crazy thoughts". Irrational, obsessive, and just a bit out there thoughts. This happens when he gets a little overwhelmed by work or his projects or when he doesn't get enough exercise. Yes, he's one of those people who goes a little bit nutzo if he doesn't get his workout in.
I think OCD runs in his family. His sister struggles with this on a serious level. Morgan tends to be a little bit low grade. And his mom, well, they get it from her.
So Morgan's new philosophy is "no regrets". No shoulda, woulda, coulda thinking. No crazy thoughts! I hope it works out for him. I'm sometimes not much help! Being that I'm the worrier!

Here is my new T-shirt. I found it at Target. Seasonal wear! $7. And it's a soft shirt. Usually the seasonal shirts are poor quality cotton and not soft at all. But this one is soft. It has 3/4 sleeves for my 3/4 length arms! I love it when I can find clothes that don't need some altering! It's a bit big, I can never tell for sure how shirts will fit and I didn't have time for a trip to the fitting room. Oh, and the best part. It has sparklies on it!! I LOVE that!
The 2P's challenge for today is to write about a tattoo you would get. Well, I think I'd probably get one of these. The claddagh. Morgan gave me a sterling silver bracelet for a wedding present that has them on it. It's a rather timeless design. I would be okay with it on my body when I was 70. It's not trendy or tacky. However, I am a pansy when it comes to needles so I do not and will not have a tattoo! Oh, and i would probably have it on my lower back or hip. I had a sorority sister in college who had dolphins around her navel. I wonder what that looks like now!?

The first day...

of baby class! Owen and I went to our first ECFE (early childhood family education) class today. I was skeptical of taking one because I really thought they were for people who didn't know what they were doing. But my friend Pam spoke very highly of them and another girl in my book club said it was the highlight of her week. Since Owen and I spend most of our time with just each other I thought it would be good for us to get out and be with other people our own age. Him with the babies and me with the grown-ups. Oh, and it turns out, they are for people who don't know what they are doing. And that includes me!! Because Owen didn't come with a manual.
So our class is for 6-11 month old babies. Owen is the oldest by about a month or six weeks. Although he wasn't that much bigger than the 7month olds. A lot of them were sitting up though and that bothered me. Because Owen still doesn't sit up much on his own. But I have to keep in mind that he is developing at his pace and doing what he needs to do. Another mother, who has 2 older children, said he may just bypass that and start walking. I just want to be sure I'm doing all the things I can so he grows and developes appropriately.
There are 10 other mothers and babies in the class. More boys than girls! Hooray! In my book club there are a bunch of babies and Owen is the only boy. We did introductions, had a little free play and then split up. Mommies on one side babies on the other. Neither Owen nor I had a problem with this since he's been around lots of other people for his whole life now. And we were only on the other side of the room. Our mommy discussion was introductions and a little bit about ourselves. It was fun to get together with other people who are in a similar place in their lives. I think many of them were around my age too! But I'm not a good judge of that. It reinforced for me that other woman are having children when they are older.
So the class went well. Owen didn't crawl over anyone. He did manage to snatch someone's toy but we gave it back. No fits either. Normally he would have been napping at this time but we got a quick nap in before we left for the class. I had to wake him from his nap but he didn't fuss about that either. Some days I marvel at how easy going he is now considering what a fuss bucket he was for the first 3 1/2 months. The only part I had a hard time with were the cute songs. I am licensed to teach grades 1-6. I do not have an early childhood degree. For good reason. I am not an early childhood person. Little kids scare me. I know this sounds silly but I'm just not so good with kids under, well under age 8! Owen is the exception, he's mine. So it's a stretch for me to sing all these cutesy songs! But I will get better at it. Owen seemed to really like a few of them. Especially the ones with movements. I'm also looking forward to making some new friends. Not that I don't love my current friends. Because I do. It's just that they can't come over and play during the day!
Now since Owen is down for a nap I'm going to go have a little creative time! I haven't had any projects to post recently!

Working hard...

I don't mind working hard. I've been doing it for a long time. I tend to work hard at whatever I do. It's the best way I know to do a good job. What I don't like is when it is so difficult!

As you know I decided I needed to get back in shape this year. And I've been working hard at it. I workout 6 times a week. If not 7. Sometimes I take Sunday off but for the most part I try to workout everyday. I also keep track of my calories in a journal most everyday and try to stay within a certain number of calories. I try to eat good things and get lots of vegetables, fruit and healthy carbohydrates and protein. I eat three good meals a day plus two snacks and drink at least 8 glasses of water. I don't mind doing this. I enjoy running. I am happy that I am making my body healthier. And my mind too. I feel good about myself and what I'm doing. What I don't like is when the working hard is HARD. I don't want to feel hungry. I don't want to have cravings for things I should not be eating. I enjoy the challenge of running and working out. I do not enjoy the challenge of nourishing my body. I have always had difficulty with food. I am not a person who can have candy or sweets of any kind in the house and just have a few. I will eat them all. Whatever it is. I will make sure it is eaten! That's the part I don't like. The struggle with food. Still, even after working so hard. I want to eat to fuel my body and stay fueled until the next meal and lose the 2 pounds a week. I don't want to get behind. And I am. That bothers me. But I'm not going to stop. Stopping doesn't do any good. My goal is to lose the extra pounds by May. Owen's birthday. And I'm not doing anything else between now and then so I might as well keep at it. So everday I make a choice. I choose to care for myself. So I can care for Owen and Morgan. And keep up with them both!!

The daily challenge...

Blog about what got you started in scrabooking and what keeps you in this wonderful hobby.

One day my friend BJ and I were out for dinner down in Apple Valley. That's where she was living at the time. We happened upon the Archiver's store that had opened not to long before. This was their first store. I had been stamping and making cards for several years before this and had also done a variety of other arts from the time I was little. So we wandered in not sure what we would find and the rest as they say is history. I had swore I would not start scrapbooking. I was not interested in doing that. I didn't really think I had anything to scrapbook. But I was wrong. Sometimes it seems more like a paper collecting obsession though. I love paper. The embellishments and such are nice but I LOVE paper. And stamps. I started stamping because drawing was a very slow process for me but I like adding color to the images and putting images together. So I started stamping. For awhile I worked for the original owner of Inky Antics rubber stamps. I made the stamps and packaged the stamps and made samples for the shows and worked the local shows. It was a lot of fun. And now I like to scrap and stamp with others and share ideas and such. That's why I decided to become a Close to My Heart consultant. So I could share my ideas. I am not a good sales person though!

Last night we had dinner at my friend BJ's. She has a daughter who is a year older than Owen. Her birthday is May 8th, Owen's is May 5th. BJ is my best friend from college and the only sorority sister I keep in touch with. We don't get to spend enough time together so it's always fun to see them. She and her daughter are the ones I made the bags for. They loved them. She made me a set of coasters that have pictures of Owen in them. So cute! I did not eat well for dinner last night. Well, that's not completely accurate! The food was fabulous! Just not low fat! And today I have not been too careful either. So hopefully I did not ruin all the hard work I did this week.

Have you seen this website? Bless This Chick? I created this cartoon version of me there! I really like her crown!

Isn't it amazing...

where life can take you when you let go of the expectations you have of it? I was just thinking on my way home from work that I would never have expected to be a mortgage planner's assistant. But here I am. I also didn't think I'd be a mommy. Or married to Morgan.
At one time I thought I would go to law school after college. Then I decided I was going to be an industrial hygienist. But failing trigonometry put a kabosh on that! Then I somehow decided I was going to be a teacher. I love teaching. I just decided I would teach here at home for awhile. Maybe someday I'll go back. But right now I am happy with my life. Yes, we live on 1 income but it's working out. I've learned to get by one less scrapbooking stuff! And selling a little CTMH stuff and a few handmade things on the side provides a little play money.
I think what I'm most surprised at sometimes is my marriage. I was not good with boys for a long time. Well, mostly I couldn't decide! It turns out the indecision didn't have much to do with them. It was mostly me. I was trying to be someone I wasn't. And that's what I love about Morgan. I can be myself with him. I don't have to pretend to be funny all the time or clean and dressed up all the time. He loves me even if I'm still wearing my pajamas when he comes home from work. And he accepts all of my quirks and flaws. Which are many!
He's not the man I thought I was going to marry. That man is probably still trying to make enough money to be happy. And I'm guessing he's still not happy. Which didn't have anything to do with me either. I was engaged when I was 22. A junior in college. Very naive. Idealistic. And still a little impulsive. My mom was very upset by this and didn't talk to me for almost 2 weeks I think. But the thing about being engaged was that we never really discussed planning a wedding or being married. Now that I look back on it, and hind sight is always 20/20, we were both looking for something the other couldn't give. We had to find it in ourselves first. And when we broke up I wasn't really sure where my life would go. I couldn't envision myself with him, but I couldn't envision myself without him either. But I found my way. And I have to say that I am a stronger, happier, and more content person because of it.
Vee had this quote on her blog:

We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."
— Joseph Campbell

I am a planner. It's hard for me not to do it. I had all kinds of ideas about how my life would be when I was younger. And now the idea is mostly that I want to be happy. Do something that pleases God. And be a kind and forgiving person.

And that's enough deepness for me! Now I think I'll finish watching Win a Date with Tad Hamilton. Where I can just gaze at the beautiful Josh Duhamel!

Tonight...

Morgan is working late. He is in charge of the newsletter for the Toast Master's chapter that he is a member of. I can't remember the last time I spent a night home alone. It hardly ever happens. So I got to catch up on some blogs! Soon I'm going to go downstairs and work on some thank you cards and birthday cards that need to get done. It's funny how a day can be so crazy and then at night everything is so settled. Mostly because I know that Owen is down for longer than 2 hours!

Ali Edwards Ezine for this week is about Essentials. What supplies do you consider essential. Here's my top 10 list of things I need to have to scrap or create.

1. My see-thru grid rulers. I LOVE these. I have one that is six inches long and two that are 12 inches long. I cannot scrap without them. I'm pretty good at lining things up but sometimes I need to be exact. And just for measuring! They are just great rulers.
2. A mechanical pencil. Not a regular pencil. I need to have a mechanical pencil.
3. My bone folder. Not so much for scrapping but definately for card making.
4. My paper trimmer. I love my new fiskars one.
5. Scissors. I have 3 pair of Close to My Heart scissors. They are small and super sharp.
6. Adhesive. I use a variety of adhesives for various purposes. For wet glue I use the close to my heart pen type one. For dry adhesive I use a tombow tape runner mostly but I recently discovered glue dots and love those for harder to stick items like embellishments.
7. Paper. This is a given right? I like neutral colored papers. My favorite probably being the kraft color. And then shades of neutrals.
8. Photos. This is tricky. Since we've gone digital I don't always get pictures printed in a timely manner. So when I want to scrapbook I need to plan ahead.
9. Some good words. I have a constant narration in my head but I need to work on writing it down more often. Otherwise the words end up disappearing!
10. Time.

2 more...

bags! I jus finished these for my best friend and her daughter. Matching bags! The big bag is about 12x16 and the little one is about 8x12.

A bud...

My orchid has a bud on it! My friend Nikki gave me a beautiful white orchid as a going away gift when I left school last April. It has about a dozen flowers on it at the time and then slowly they all fell off. Then the stem started to dry up a bit. I didn't really know what to do with it. My MIL gave me so orchid information and I read that but didn't really understand what it was telling me so I just continued to water it off and on, they don't need much water, and left it alone. Then it began to grow another leaf and now there's a bud! I'm so excited about this! I always wanted an orchid. I think they are just beautiful flowers. The conservatory at the zoo here has an orchid room. It's my favorite room. But I thought they would be difficult to care for and in the last year and a half I've mananged to kill off about 7 plants. It's turned out to be sort of a blessing since it's less for Owen to get into. But I still felt bad. So when I discovered how easy this orchid was to take care of I was very happy!

My mom stopped by yesterday to visit and she brought the bags she had made. So I took pictures to share will all of you! Neither she nor my sister follow a pattern. They both just make them up! The nice thing about felting the bags is that it will hide a lot of flaws. That is a good thing for me! That way I feel a little more comfortable experimenting with them. My sister just finished one that is grey with an orange skull on it! I will take a picture of that one on Thursday. The 2P's challenge for today is:Blog about your exercise regimen. Do you have one?
Yes I do. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I run. Sort of run. I am following a thirteen week walk/run program. Basically you increase the amount of time you run over the course of 13 weeks from mostly walking to all running. This is how I started running. And while I may not need to go all the way back to beginning I decided it would be a good way for me to ease back into it after being pregnant. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday I do 10 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weight and resistance training. Sunday I take off or I do a video or just some sort of outdoor exercise with Owen and Morgan. For my T,T, S cardio I walk on the treadmill or do a video. I recently got the Turbo Jam DVD's and they are pretty good. I haven't done all of them but they are high energy and incorporate strength training, which I like. I also like the Denise Austin DVD slim your female fat zones. She's a bit crazy but it adds some variety to my routine. When it's warmer out I like to inline skate, walk with my girlfriends at Lake Harriet, bike, or hike with Morgan and Owen.

Here is the second page of my Word Journal. It is the Marianne Williamson quote.
I have three people interested in doing a circle journal with our words. If anyone else is interested please post in the comments and I will contact you. I'm going to get a journal set up for this and get it going by the 1st of February!

Brrrr....

it is COLD outside! Our current temp is 4˙ and I think the windchill is well below zero. I guess last night was the coldest night of the year thus far. Yesterday we woke up to 3" of snow! Morgan stayed home to avoid the roads, get some work done, and go skiing! Supposedly it's going to stay cold for awhile now. It's nice to have a little snow finally. It covers up all the brown and gray!

I weighed and measured myself yesterday. I lost another pound and 3 1/4 inches! I guess all the sit ups I'm doing are working! I can actually get my old jeans on again. I'm kind of finicky about how my clothes fit though so I would wear them yet! I don't like things the least bit tight. Unless there's some stretch in them.

2P's challenge for today: This winter, what do you do that means comfort to you?
Snuggle up with my big blue blanket. It's super warm. I have it on our bed most of the time. But when I'm watching TV or reading I drag it out and wrap up in it. It's actually a quilt that my grandma made a long time ago. One side has long blue stuff, almost like stuffed animal fur. I always loved it growing up. It was my favorite blanket at my grandparents house. When my grandma was cleaning out stuff one year she gave it to me. All of my room mates in college loved it too. I would frequently find of my sorority sisters curled up under it. So the blanket itself is comforting but so are the memories that go with it.

A little bit to share...

I found this quote today and thought I'd share it. It just reminded me how fortunate I am and how fortunate many of us are, and we don't really even stop to think about it most of the time.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive the week. If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back,a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75 percent of the world. If you have money in the bank or in your wallet, you are among the top 80 percent of the worlds wealthy. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not. Author Unknown

And I thought I'd also share these pictures of Owen enjoying his lunch. I tried out some little pasta rings today. He enjoyed playing with them. Didn't get any in his mouth on his own but ate the few that I gave him. I tried to get him blowing his lips together but he wouldn't do it while I had the camera out.

And below is what I was left with! As I was picking him up he burped and of course a little came up on both of us. So I wiped it off my shoulder , gave him his bottle and put him down for a nap. As I was checking my e-mail I couldn't figure out why my shoulder was wet. Well, I got more on me than I was aware of!

Tis' almost...

done. Here is the main part of the bag after felting. I think I'm going to put a lining in it after all. That way I can use it for small things too. I rarely go anywhere without a writing utensil anyway. I actually have no idea what I'm going to do with this bag. I just thought it would be fun to do. Since my sister was doing this! She starts something and then my mom and I get on board too. Can't seem to get her to scrapbook though! Maybe I'll sell it. After the handles are attached of course! Here is the before picture so you can see how much it shrunk up. Pretty cool what wool does!? I'd love to make a pair of mittens this way.
Hoping to get out to Maple Grove and do a little shopping today. Just to get out. I need to stop at the Vet and get toothpaste too. Yes, we, well Morgan, brush Ludwig's teeth. Greyhounds have terrible teeth. So they need to be brushed daily. I don't do it mostly because after we got him I was a bit afraid of being that close to his mouth. I had been attacked by a rotweiller about a year before and was still a bit leary of new dogs. Now I wouldn't have a problem with it but Morgan just does it. So I'm not stepping in to take over!
I also want to make a little something for one of the ladies at church. She is moving to Pennsylvania next week. She is 86 and has been a memeber of our chruch for 50 years. She is a wonderful little lady. She calls everyone on their birthday. EVERYONE! It won't be the same place without her.
No headache this am so hopefully if I eat well, drink my water and don't eat anything sweet I'll be good for the day! I did get my workout in this morning and that didn't produce a headache. Sometimes it does. Too much blood flowing to the brain I guess. And is it possible to be in love with shoes?? I LOVE my running shoes. Unfortunately I left my old pair in MT. My MIL is going to send them along with O's Christmas gift that was too big to pack. But they haven't arrived yet and they are the ones I wear just out and about.

And just a little wondering for Wednesday... When I was in college I had a friend from Australia. He did not like peanut butter. He said Australian's don't like PB. It's gross! WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?? So are there other countries where they don't have PB and have the same dislike for it? Or can anyone who is from Australia explain this to me? My FIL doesn't like cheesecake. This I cannot understand either. Just a little off topic thought for the day!

Ugh...

I hate headaches. I've been getting them a lot lately. I'm not certain why. In the past I would get headaches due to stress. Like when I was student teaching and had a headache for 18 weeks. About seven years ago I started getting migraines. The first one I went to the emergency room because I had been seeing spots and the pain was so bad. Well, I didn't know it was a migraine until later and the spots were an aura. I don't get the auras anymore. I'm not sure why not, but I don't. Just a bad headache. I've been eating well. Getting exercise and drinking PLENTY of water! So one would think that the headaches would not be here.
Headaches to me are like having a paper cut on your index finger. They get in the way of normal functioning and everytime I bend down or turn on a light I'm painfully reminded that I have one. Of course the pain is worse but just as annoying. And they tend to bring out my inner demon. The one who likes to eat chocolate by the fistful. Or since we don't have any in the house peanut butter sandwhiches. The demon is the one who decides it's better to watch TV or read blogs than get a workout in. Or something else productive. The demon is also the one who had two boyfriends, at the same time, in college. So the headaches bring out my split personality. I think that's most annoying!
Owen has started climbing. Add that to rolling, crawling and up plugging electrical cords and you get a mommy who can't leave the room. Even to pee. Did I mention all the water I've been drinking. You name it, he's into it. My mom asked me the other day what I had expected he would be like? Well, maybe a little bit slower! He likes to climb on stuff so I got out a bunch of pillows for him to climb around on. Thinking he would LOVE it. Yep. For about 2 minutes. Then it was back to the dog bed and the electrical cords. None of which are plugged in but I still don't want him getting the impression he can chew on them.
Did I mention that we still have our Christmas tree up? We do. Hopefully we will have time to get it down tonight. That's another source of temptation and entertainment for Owen. Sometimes I get tired and think I should just let him do whatever he's doing but then I remember all of my good teacher training and redirect him. I came to the conclusion a long time ago that teaching and learning are all about consistency and repetition. Children will consistently and repeatedly do what you don't want them to do even though they've learned not to and as a teacher or parent you have to consistently and repeatedly redirect and continue to teach them what they are to do. Somedays I can't believe I taught a class full of children everyday. I can hardly keep up with Owen! Thankfully I did not have to change diapers while I was teaching.
On a creative note. My felted bag is done. It's drying. I took a before and after picture. I have to attach the handles and I think it might need a lining but I will decide when it's dry.

The first page...

of my FEAR journal. Just the word. I will put the Marianne Williamson quote on the next page and do a little journaling about it.
Now it's off to the treadmill. I lost 1.6 pounds last week and 2 1/4 inches!

There's a reason...

why a camera has a setting for kids & pets. Neither of them are still long enough to take a decent picture! Unless of course they are sleeping. I was taking pictures of Owen the other day. He turned 8 months old on Friday. I frequently use the tripod when I take pictures of him but now I need to set up the camera and tripod across the room from where he his and then take them as he's coming toward me. He loves the camera and tripod. The tripod legs are great for sharpening that tooth! So here he is after he got to me. I had taken the camera down by this time to get down to his level.

Here is a better shot of him. We are practicing sitting up. He can do it pretty well. It's just that sitting doesn't get him anywhere and he prefers to move. I 'm getting the impression that he's going to be walking before he is going to sit up on his own. I just can't believe he's 8 months old already.
A couple days ago the 2P's challenge was to blog about a craft or hobby you would like to take up. Well, I don't really need to take up a new one. I already have too many. I love crafts and art and all the stuff that goes with them. My sister has made a couple of felted bags and on Saturday we went to the Yarn Cafe in Maple Grove. A neat little shop with lots of yarn, books, helpful people and a cafe. I bought some wool and found a pattern and am making a little bag. Below is the first part. I am working on the other square. I'll post a picture when it's all done.

I found my word...

when I was reading Cathy Z's blog this morning. She had this quote on there.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ---Marianne Williamson.

My word is Fear. I am afraid of a lot of things. I always have been. When I was a child I was afraid for a long time that my grandpa would die. And when I was 24, he did. And I was okay. The fear didn't serve a purpose. And I know this about fear. Her post and her quote made me realize that I hold back a lot because I am afraid. I need to stop. So this year I will work on that.

I've got one person on board so far for a Words Circle Journal. Anyone else??? Noelia? Aimeslee?

An idea...

so I've read several blogs with people discussing Ali Edwards Ezine from this provoking us to choose a work for the year. If you don't get this you can go to her website (see link in my blog log) and check it out.
I thought it would be fun to do a circle journal of these words? Anyone interested? I'd be happy to get us going. If you are interested post a comment and I will put together a list and contact everyone.
Now, I need to preface this by telling you I have never done a circle journal before!!! So it would also be an experiment!

It turns out...

I wasn't done. That's how most of my projects go. I do something and think it's done but in my mind I see something else. Or something more. And have to keep working on it. Playing. Tweaking it. So here it is. Again. Unfortunately you can't see the glitter I used on the letters. I was going to post about the 2P's challenge but I have to stop. There doesn't seem to be anything slowing Owen down today. Well, only the 4 walls of the house. And why surge protectors need a shiny red light on them I do not know! Talk about temptation!

Right now...

I'm supposed to be making soup. But the thing is, I don't like to cook. Yesterday I boiled pasta for the salad Morgan made. Technically that was cooking. So here I am, on the computer, waiting for O to wake up. And now he is. Perfect timing! Little stinker. And if I'm right about his BM's there will probably be some stink. I just wanted to ramble a bit and post this funny picture of O. He is playing with the packaging of some toys my mom has at her house. I suppose it's how all babies are. Curious. Into everything. Fascinated. I guess that in turn fascinates me. Today while I was feeding him lunch he was swung his arm up at the same time I was coming in with a spoonful of green beans. The beans and the spoon ended up all over the table. The funny part is the look he gave me. Waiting. He was waiting for my reaction. You know when you've done something that you probably shouldn't have and you wait for the reaction of another person? That. I smiled and said something, I don't remember what. And then he smiled. I don't want to be the mom who gets upset about messes. Life is too short for that and he's too darn cute!And speaking of cute. Here's my hot husband on New Year's Day. He likes to make funny faces for the camera. He's a bit of an odd ball but I think I'll keep him. If I don't I may starve. Because he DOES cook! I just love these boys!

What a...

DISASTER! Yes, my craft room has been declared a disaster area. Morgan never sees it when it's neat and tidy. Even though I made a point of showing him. But he always notices when it looks like this. "What happened in there??" He always asks! Nevermind that in a few short days our storage space will become his wax room for the ski season and also as slick as ice! This year he said he's putting down cardboard!
It's 10:30am right now. Owen just woke from his early morning nap and so far he's logged in 2 poops! Who poops that much!? He usually averages 3-4 a day. Mostly before Morgan gets home. Lucky Morgan! I'm just amazed at home much this kid goes. And he is one busy baby. He is into everything, all the time. I guess that's why he's gotten to be such a good sleeper. So I shouldn't complain, right!?
Dinner last night with my girlfriends was great. I love those three. They are nuts. I didn't get to bed until 11pm. I slept good though!
I decided to forgo my workout this morning and do it during nap number 2. Instead I did some laundry and started my All About Me album. I ordered one of those kit albums by Lisa Bearenson. I even stared it in the midst of the chaos! Which I hardly ever do. I usually have to clean up in order to start something new.
So I got out all the supplies and organized the little packages that are arranged according to pages and started. I even got a layout done! Here it is!
And lastly, I apologize for the disorderly arrangement of my post. I managed to set all the pictures to the left when I meant to center them and I didn't want to have to reload them all!

Hump day...

is here. This used to be a big deal to me when I was working. I only know it's hump day today because my girlfriends are coming over for dinner and I had to remember that it was happening on Wednesday! It can be somewhat annoying to not know what day it is but if I don't have to be anywhere it works out fine.

Tonight Maggie, Lori, and Nikki are coming for dinner. I haven't seen them all together for a while. I miss seeing them everyday. That is the hardest part of staying home. I have a little present for them too! A late Christmas gift. But getting late presents is nice. It's like celebrating all over again!

The 2P's challenge today is:
What is one thing you wish you could relive or do over from your school days?
I don't think I would ever wish to relive those days! I miss college from time to time but I wouldn't go back and relive it. There are things I would do differently but I also tend not to dwell on things like woulda, shoulda, coulda. That said... if I knew then what I know now I would have kept dancing. I took lessons from the time I was about 3 until I was in high school. Then when I started on the danceline in high school I stopped taking lessons. At one point my dance teacher also told me that I was getting to fat. Yes, you did in deed read that correctly. AND this was from a woman who was overweight herself and I think had probably struggled with it her entire life. She had gastric bypass not to long ago. Or stomach stapling or something like that. Her opinion of me really affected how I saw myself and what I could do. It shouldn't have. I loved to dance. I still do. Someday maybe I'll take lessons again.

Have any of you seen Little Miss Sunshine? I love how Olive, the little girl in the movie, is not the typical beauty pageant sort. And it doesn't matter. She doesn't care. She just loves doing it! We all need to approach life like that. Do what you love, regardless of what others say or think. As long as it's not harmful to yourself and others that is!

Happy New Year!!!

And what a New Year it is! We have snow! Yes, really! We have snow. It began yesterday as rain and then turned to snow last night. I think we've got about 3 inches. Morgan is very happy. He might be able to ski after all. Unfortunately, the lack of snow has hindered his ski racing. He hasn't be able to train and he hasn't entered for any races as we can't really count on the snow. The fees are non-refundable and we can't afford to waste the money.
Last night we went bowling with my family. My mom and sister bowl on a league so they are considerably better than Morgan and I. We had fun though. We just passed Owen around and he had a good time too! He is never lacking attention when his Grammie and Auntie Sissy are around.
Then we spent the night at my mom's house. My uncle was there also. We ate, watched some tv, played a game and rang in the New Year. We had breakfast in the morning and just hung out. It was a nice New Year's.
Today is the beginning of getting back to being healthy. I started my running program. I have a treadmill so I am able to walk/run in the winter when it's cold or dark. I always feel so much better after I've had a good workout and I am baffled by how easily I drift so far off course sometimes. I guess being pregnant and adjusting to parenthood and being a SAHM contributed. But I'm putting my evil chocolate eating ways behind me and making a fresh start. Chocolate isn't bad. I just need to learn some moderation. That's why I can't keep it in the house.
I am hoping to live up to my full potential as a runner. I was a dancer for many many years but I did not do a sport (even though I considered dancing a sport!) while I was going to school. So as an adult I took up running as my sport. My goals are simple. Finish and don't be last. So far so good. This year I'd like to be faster. Truth is, I couldn't get much slower!
I'm not good with team sports. Mostly because I think there are too many silly rules to most of them! And I've always thought I was too short to play most of them. Now, I know lots of small girls who play sports, but I wasn't one of them when I was in school.
I have lots of other resolutions and goals for this year. That's what I love about a new year. The potential for new and better things.