Scrapbooking

In an effort to find the office floor, I have been updating scrapbooks. I love scrapbooking and here's why:

I am not artistically very gifted or very precise and my pages will never be featured in a magazine, -I'm just not that type of scrapbooker. However, I can slop a few pics, some paper and a few stickers down on a sheet of paper and it doesn't look half bad.

Once a year, Scott goes to the AAP (American Association of Periodontics) and his mom graciously volunteers to watch the kids so I can go too. I take a suitcase for my clothes and another full of scrapbook supplies. So for a few days, I sit in a hotel room surrounded by pics of my family. The are perfect smiling angels and it makes me miss them.

I am the last person on earth that has 8x11 scrapbooks. I like them b/c I can use standard page protectors and binders. I don't have to do them in order and it's not a large investment My kids regularly take one to bed. They love being the star.

Most of all I love scrapbooks, b/c it forces me to focus on the positive. There are no pages devoted to practicing violin, doing chores, back-talking,wetting the bed or getting ready for church on time. Even during Scott's residency when I felt like we never saw him, there he is-even smiling. Occasionally, we do snap pics of our kids when they were acting out, but being removed from the moment, even those pics make me smile. Some might say that it isn't a realistic view-which it isn't, but I think it's us at our best.

Priceless

So John and Kate meltdown is all over the media. It's made me wonder what the price of privacy is. She's always been controlling and demeaning and he's always been a lovable doofus, so maybe they were doomed even w/out TLC. I've heard they get $75K/episode, but I don't think it's worth the total destruction of your family. No one's offering me large amounts of $ to film my family's every move, but I hope I'd decline. I just think your family's privacy is priceless.

It's also made me think about $ and happiness. We probably made more last year then we did the first 8 years of our marriage. This isn't to say that we made a lot of $ last year-we just lived on a mixture of grants, scholarships and student loans, odd jobs and the generosity of relatives -which usually didn't get us out of the single digits. I remember being shock that if we made $30K/year we'd still be considered poor-because that seemed like a small fortune at the time.

We aren't any more happy now then we were then. Financial things are less stressful and we eat out more, but we were happy then and we are happy now. I don't think $ had anything to do with it. Guess money really can't buy happiness.

Air Show

So don't I look graceful coming off the tank? That aside we had a pretty good time. It made me proud to have my husband serving our country and grateful for all the brave men and women that sacrifice so much keeping all of us safe. Spencer decided he wants to be a pilot and honestly, I think that would be a great job for him-much better than a jockey or escape artist. At one point, we were inside a tank and f-18's were very loudly flying over. I was grateful that the only time we have jets flying over head are during air shows or other peaceful exercises. I pray that it was the only time that my boys are ever in a tank w/ jets flying over. Today I am grateful for peace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The red shirt-or should I say scarlet

The other day I pulled out a few of Spencer's hand-me downs for Eddie. I was pleasantly surprised, that there were several things that looked pretty good, for being a past member of Spencer's wardrobe. When Spencer was 4 he refused to wear anything w/ a collar except to church. I had brought the boys several matching polos (they were adorable) and was frustrated that he wouldn't wear them. We went on vacation to MO to visit some friends and so I only paced a limited # of outfits for each kid. Of course, I packed the matching polos. Spencer particularly hated a red striped one. They wore them to church. After church, we all changed and he was mad he couldn't, so I let him, but warned him that anytime he didn't follow the rules he had to wear the red shirt. It was the best discipline solution ever. Time-out is hard on vacation, but the "red shirt" was awesome, b/c it didn't slow the rest of us down-he'd just have to put on the shirt.

I just love Spencer. He is a great kid and makes me laugh. He is very curious and very physical, so he must touch and/ or climb on everything. Sometimes this gets him into trouble. The funny thing is when we got our pics back, Spencer was wearing the red shirt in almost everyone.

Eddie's Graduation

I think pre-k graduation is silly-especially since he's doing it again next year, but he sure is cute.

Best wish pic ever

Why you shouldn't let 4 year olds take pictures

Why you shouldn't let your kid's play at the nieghbors

I can't figure out how to turn this-sorry. It's save right on my computer, but keeps coming up wrong here. Spencer was digging in our neighbor's yard. The water level was very high and this is the result. I was horrified, but Scott said he wanted to take a picture before I yelled at him.

Why you shouldn't let 4-year olds drive

Panic!

So I’m upstairs minding my own business, when Riley screams the following, “Ewwww! There are 3 cockroaches in my house! Ewwww! I stepped on one! Ewwww! Look at it! Ewww-that’s disgusting.
I’m horrified. I’ve been battling ants for the past 2 weeks and know that there is no such thing as only having 3 cockroaches in your house.
I went downstairs to check things out. She was playing Wii Animal Crossing and it’s only her virtual house that has cockroaches. Pheww!

Anger Management

May 1, 2009
So there are 3 things you need to know to understand the following story:
1. Spencer is pretty laid back kid-except for once or twice a day when he explodes. He’s like a tea kettle that needs to let off steam every now and then. We’re trying different ways of dealing w/ this. Anyone got any parenting advice?
2. We love the movie Elf. Our Christmas Eve tradition is to lay down beach blankets and have really great snacks and we watch Elf. Usually it’s the only time I let them watch it, so it’s special, but we went to NYC a few weeks ago and so we let them watch it on the drive up.
3. Spencer hates all homework, especially abc order and spelling tests.
Last night was crazy. Riley had her All-County Orchestra concert. They did really great and it’s amazing they are only 5th graders. We did get home late and never got around to spelling tests. This morning, I gave him a practice one and he missed almost all of them and had to write them each 3x-this set off the tea kettle reaction. Eddie very matter of factly stated, “He’s an angry elf.” It was everything Riley and I could do to hold it together.
Spencer didn’t find the comment the least bit funny.

Watch the clip if you like