Brag time!

I had a conference with Hailee's teacher Wednesday. It was wonderful! I really love her teacher, and Hailee seems to be learning a lot.

Mrs. V said "Hailee is my best artist/drawer in the class. I can always tell her work from the other students because she always has so much detail." That made me happy. We knew she loved to color and draw but didn't realize how well she did with it.

She got mostly S's (satisfactory) in all "subjects". A couple P's (progressing)...but that's good. 2 were in areas that the class has only covered a small portion (like letter sounds) and the teacher can't say for sure that the kids know them all since she hasn't covered them all. One area was talking out of turn. lol Hailee will giggle with Gavin (sheesh, a boy) while the teacher is talking...but she stops immediately when the teacher says her name and it's not a daily thing. So that needs work. Oh, and she will only tell you that her birthday is "when it snows" and not the day so we need to work on that. lol

She said Hailee does really well with the other kids, is quiet (yeah right!), and can work through "arguments" with the kids when they come up. Mrs. V says "Hailee is quiet, and may look fragile, but she has some fire in her!". Boy she has no idea how much fire Hailee has! lol

It was great, and the teacher seems to agree with me that if Hailee wants to spend her free time with crayons and pens, then let her. That's her outlet and what makes her happy....and it's even helping her penmanship (I was amazed at the other artwork on the walls from the other kids...Hailee really IS advanced in that department). Last year her teacher would tell her to do her free time, but when Hailee wanted to color everyday she wouldn't let her. That really bothered me. So now I'm happy, and so is Hailee!

Now for Braden! wow, he's really starting to talk! He says "nana" for banana, "ni-ni" for night-night, "Nanny" for Sammy, "I-eee" for ice, hi, hot, yummy, daddy, mommy, and is sort of saying "a-eee" for Hailee. Plus he's doing really well with his signs. He's remembering to sign "more" when he wants more and not just grunt. Plus he signs "please" and "thank you" at the right times! Darren and I have noticed he's not learning as early as Hailee did, but all you have to do is show him once or twice and he can do it. So what was I thinking when I showed him how to climb a box??? The other day he climbed Sammy's toy basket and was sitting in the middle of our end table. Monkey I tell ya.

Thanks for letting me brag!

the new model for STARBUCKS!

They couldn't get a cuter model if they tried! lol When mom was here we went to Bass Pro Shops so she could get some things to take home for Joe. The highlight, for me, of that store is the Starbucks. Of course we stopped during our browsing for latte's and mocha's. Mom wanted to get the kids something so she had the guy whip up a coffee-free strawberry frap. Well Hailee wasn't all that thrilled but Braden LOVED it! So, the scrapbooker I am snapped this shot. But my little camera doesn't do that great indoors so it's dark...but you get the idea anyway!

Hi.

I'm here. I either have nothing to say or I'm not in the mood to say anything. I know I need to get more stuff uploaded from Arbuckle, but I really am not motivated to go through the whole process! sorry - lazy days here in Broken Arrow. I've done a lot cleaning and decluttering lately and frankly, I'm worn out!

So hi to all who read this, I know it's not many - and I'll be back with a more interesting post soon!

is HE big? or is SHE small?

Braden went in for his check up and shots yesterday. He weighs 23 pounds and is 32 inches long.

Hailee went in today for her cough (bronchitis) and weighs 35 pounds and is 40 inches.

SO...12 pounds and 8 inches seperate my kids who are more than 4 years apart in age! This just cracks me up! I look forward to seeing them in another 2 years to see where they are on this chart of mine!

Here are pictures of them from Sunday at the Arbuckle Wilderness thing!

Wanna kiss?

isn't she cute? This was taken on our trip to Arbuckle Wilderness. It was so cool. I'll post more details and pictures later!

Today we flew some {sort of like} kites!

the "Easter Bunny" got the kids each a "kite in a can", ready to fly! lol Poor things. They were horrible! Now I won't tell Hailee that because she had tons of fun! Darren did manage to get Braden's up pretty good for a few minutes, but that was about it. At least they had fun and we have pictures to show for it!

My lucky streak!

Well, I've had sort of a lucky streak lately. First I won the contest at the Unpubbed Blog, and was their famer after that. THEN, I won the I spy contest at the Tinkering Ink Blog. THEN, I won the newsletter drawing at The Scarlet Lime Blog! Good grief! lol

I received the unpubbed prize from their sponsor right away, and have used up some of their fun stuff (wish I would've taken a picture). Haven't received my prize from Tinkering Ink yet, but really looking forward to it.

Today, I received my prize from Christy Tomlinson (yes, I got mail from CHRISTY!). She was so gracious! Look at this picture, people! The Autumn Leaves stamps were calling my name at Target the other day, but I knew I couldn't spend money at the time and not have to listen to Darren griping about scrap supplies....and I haven't seen the vinyl thickers yet...but oh my I just *heart* RED!!! and the Making memories stuff...FUN, and Heidi Grace..CUTE! So such a little drawing brought HUGE smiles! Thank you Christy!!!

yay for me!

Braden and I went for a walk today. We took Sammy and off we went exploring. Because there is a lot of unfamiliar area in the surrounding neighborhoods I didn't venture too far. But after our walk we got in the car and checked out those areas and found the route we will follow tomorrow! I'm really excited about this!

Diet mumbo-jumbo

Yes, I'm dieting...but I'm actually doing pretty good this time! I was all set to start taking those Alli diet pills, but $60 per month? I can buy lots of scrap stuff for that! lol So, I'm watching what I eat on my own. And really, it isn't that difficult (but yes, the big mac's have called my name really loudly a couple times) if you set your mind to it! I know cheese it pretty much out, and that's fine (except for the nights we grill burgers). I am loving all the steamed veggies! Add some rice and a little parmesan and I'm full at the end of the meal! I'm really proud that I'm making myself stick to this, and am showing my kids a good example. Now if I could just add in some more exercise~

Braden likes to dance, and he likes when I hold him to do it...so for 10-15 minutes I hold an extra 22 pounds while hopping, stepping, jumping around the living room...and we do it 2-3 times a day. I'm hoping it's helping...I haven't weighed myself since I last learned of the 6 pound loss....I know it's time, but what if I go up and down on the scale? ugh. Anyway, I'm hoping that when I hit the next big mark on that scale I'll be able to add in some more cardio - like one of my videos. I know that'll boost the pounds off too!

And fall is coming - that means cooler weather for days at the park! And Braden isn't in to all the playground stuff yet so I can do some walking, swing pushing, and more walking and we'll both be happy at the end of an hour!

So that's my thoughts for the day....add exercise to my diet. Now that I've put it here I'm stuck to doing it, right? I mean, once you tell someone you're pretty much done...can't go back on your word right?

And I have to say, I'm inspired by Ginger Rohlfs http://gingerrohlfs.blogspot.com/ - she's lost 31 pounds! Isn't that amazing? So, you may get more talk on my blog about weight loss, too, just bare with me, ignore me if you must, and watch for scrappy, kid stuff in between!

Have a great week!

an evening at the park!

We took the kids (and the dog) to the park last night for some walking and playing. Hailee took her bike and rode while we walked a lap around. Then we stopped at the playground! The little people had so much fun! and so did we! watching them laugh and play just makes us smile! Here, you can see....and maybe smile, too!

The Heir, and other things.

Well here he is. The heir to the Precision Lawn Maintenace fortune (rofl!)

If you haven't made it over to the Playground yet (link to the right) then now is the time! I'm hosting the month long layout of the day mini album in September. It should be fun....a great way to get something done, but small enough to make it easy for those busy days when you barely have enough time to pee! lol I will be posting the challenge/requirement each day. You just create something based off of it. Here's my Sept. 1st page....and no, I won't tell you what the challenge is...you'll find out tomorrow!!!!

So come out and play! We'd love to have you! (and everyone who does all 30 days gets put into the drawing to win a great prize from Wendi!)

and my disclaimer - since I'm not able to be in the drawing myself - I'll be slacking towards the end when my mom is in town visiting from Seattle!!!!

Happy Birthday my friend!

Today is my friend's birthday! Please sing to Nicole today, and wish her a wonderful day!!!


Hope you get all your camera-snappy wishes and wildest dreams!!!!

(check out this awesome lo she in honor of her special day!)

Love ya my friend!

just a post to say I posted!

lol, not much going on. a busy Monday. Braden went to the doctor, then we ran errands and came home. Braden only napped about 1 1/2 hours today, so he was in bed at 7pm...Hailee is on her way now! Hope ya'll had a great weekend and make it through the week!

trying again...

to add some more pictures! More of Hailee's first day at school.


Hailee with Mrs. Van Dolah

Getting off the bus after her 1st day!

She's a KINDERGARTENER!!!

Yep, today was her first day! She was SO excited, which made us happy! Darren and I took her to class today, got some pictures of her with her teacher, Mrs. VanDolen, then we left, she never looked back :(!

While she was at school, we spent at least 4 hours cleaning her room...yes, it took THAT LONG! It was AWFUL! but it looks great, she's happy, and now the lesson comes when she learns to KEEP IT THAT WAY! lol

We met her at the bus that stops at the end of our road, and she said she loved the bus ride, and wow it was fast. It sounds like she's the first stop from school, so that's good, because the buses don't have a/c! Today was 104 BEFORE the heat index! ick!

Here are some pictures, enjoy!

wahoo! look at me!

thanks UNPUBBED!

http://unpubbed.blogspot.com/2007/08/coreys-15-minutes.html

Well I have to share!

I showed you pictures of Braden's hair cut so Hailee says I should show hers! Her bangs were trimmed and long layers added...it looks better when it's down now.....but even better yet when it's styled!

then of course she started loving on Braden so I kept taking pictures! They are so cute I just want to squeeze them!

What a difference a day makes!

Wanna see a cool kit?

Okay....tell me what you think? Great isn't it? I thought so. Wanna buy it? You can! Go to the link over there on the right...the one for Pieces of Time. All the info you need is there...but I'll tell ya it's a measly 25 bucks, plus tax & shipping...and all you have to do is send an email to piecesoftimeonline@yahoo.com! So simple and inexpensive! So what are ya waiting for? Go get it! HURRY I SAID!!!! :)

Back to normal

After 2 days of back-to-school and fridge shopping, I'm trying to get back to normal. What is normal you ask? Ugh, the boring stuff! Laundry, vacuuming, bathroom cleaning, and kid tending! lol Okay, so the kid part is there any day, but after so much running around Braden is sleep deprived and in need of sleep! He can go pretty long without a nap when we're out running around, and he is still a good kid! So today we are going NO WHERE! Darren is back at work for his yucky, long Tuesday and the kids and I are in our jammies! :)

Hailee just got done painting.
Braden is finishing up his 1st of 3 naps that are scheduled!
I just finished my blog and message board hopping.

Now to go switch the laundry out and unload that dishwasher. One of these days I'd like to go in the kitchen and have the dishwasher already unloaded...by someone other than ME!

(a girl is allowed to dream!)

Happy Tuesday everyone!

hmmm....

I received my prize pack from winning the Unpubbed blog challenge. What a fantastic prize! The sponsor was 2scrappychix.com. They have AWESOME kits! and along with their kit they also sent me a prima paper pack! what a nice treat!

So, the monthly kit includes the Brittany's Castle collection from Cloud 9 Designs. If any of you know the paper, it's a lot of purple! Also in the kit is an 8" chipboard flower by Making Memories. Well it doesn't get any better! I'm going to alter the flower with the paper to hang in Hailee's purple bedroom!!!!! PERFECT! Now, I've learned that Yes paste is better than Mod Podge....but I don't have any. the hmmm.... part is how do I convince Darren that a trip to Michael's is in order tomorrow for our new fridge and school clothes shopping? Not sure he'll believe me, but trust me folks, I'll try my darndest! lol And as soon as I have this flower finished, I'll be sure to share it here!

I really don't like when it pours.

You know the saying, "when it rains, it pours"? Well it's pouring here in Broken Arrow! Two days ago Darren calls me and says "time for a new canopy, the window just broke". (this is on his truck) We knew the time would come, he's been babying it to avoid just this situation, but apparently he couldn't hold it off any longer. We decided Monday we'd go looking around and find out just how expensive they really are.

Last night Darren tells me "we need a new fridge". um, okay.....but why? It won't get any colder than about 41 degrees.....that's in the red on the thermometer. GREAT! So now he's going to hold off on the canopy and we have to move stuff out of the house fridge and into the garage until checks come in so we can go buy a fridge.

oh, and Hailee starts school in 2 weeks and I've done exactly NO SHOPPING yet! No clothes, no supplies, no backpack...nope, haven't started. Guess holding off for sales wasn't such a great idea after all!

Hope everyone else is having a better week than we are here :)

Another Unpubbed Lift...

well there is just some amazing talent on this blog (link to the right) that I had to do this weeks Famer lift! Thanks, Elizabeth, for the inspiration!!!

Well this is it. Not {EXACTLY} the way I visioned it, but it's too late to remove things now. So I'll just go with it and hope it's liked a little bit! lol

I'm just tooting all over the place!

Well....this is only my 2nd (that I can remember) win based on my actual TALENT! I've won things based on random drawings many times, and it is exciting, but not like this!!! Well here's the layout that won, and check out the rest of the blog, it's awesome and has some really talented scrappers!!!!

Thanks Unpubbed Gals!!!!

http://unpubbed.blogspot.com/2007/07/favorite_19.html

And the WINNER is..........................

okay, I drew a name. I know, I should've done all the formalities of showing the steps of putting the names in the basket, shaking it, and pulling out the winning name. But I didn't. I'm too lazy for all that. So here ya go...your winner of a big pack of messy paper! lol :)



JUDIE-BETH!!!!!!!!!!!!


get me your addy and I'll get this out to you sometime this year! lol

Surprise!!!

Okay, I'm not doing the drawing for the big pack of paper until tomorrow, but there were so many similar answers I did an EXTRA SURPRISE drawing! So many people answered with Basic Grey, that I thought I better give some away! So I put everyone's name in a bowl that included BG in their reply and drew one name!

Anonymous said...
Wow that is a nice gesture. I love all papers - dcwv, junkitz, basic grey, scenic route. i love how they coordinate their papers and the weight is great for bg. i also love chatterbox papers - so pretty.stephanie

So Stephanie, email me your address and I'll get this out to you sometime next week! Congratulations!!!

Got Paper???

I just did some scrap cleaning....WOW! Let me tell you - I have paper I don't even remember buying! So I filled up a 12x12 ziplock with a HUGE stack and I'm going to give it away. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post...tell me your favorite paper company and why. On Friday I'll do a random drawing for a winner! Good luck!

(want an idea of companies? Imagination Project, Paper Salon, Polar Bear Press, DCWV, and MANY MORE!!!!)



oh, and I have 2 bags...but am only doing one now...so check back often, ya never know when I'll do another!

Our Shining Star!!!

I created this layout today for the challenge at the Unpubbed Blog (link to the right). I used all papers by Scrappy Cake. The flag is cut from their paper and then I painted clear glitter on top of it. I like the layout and love the picture of Braden. Thanks for looking ya'll!

Self portrait.

Katie Jones challenged the playgrounders to do a self portrait and then scrap it. I did it. My kids will thank me someday...I hope. :) This is also for Summer's challenge at Busy Bee to use 3 different patterned papers by 3 different manufacturers. I love those kind of challenges, really gets me to think outside the box and just have a little fun!

There are good days and there are bad....

Yesterday was a great day! The kids played and were in wonderful moods! Here are a few pictures. Braden learned to get around on his "car" while Hailee mastered her 63 piece jigsaw puzzle she received the other day!

That brings us to today. First let me set up the scene...Braden has his crib in our room...he naps there during the day but we have his playpen in the office for at night. When we go to bed we put our extra pillows in his crib. Braden is in the middle of my bed, playing with the fringe on a throw pillow while I get his crib ready for his morning nap. I'm talking to him and he's smiling....Sammy comes in the room and Braden wants to see. In less than 2 seconds he's at the end of the bed...I turn and see him falling but can't catch him in time! His face hits the floor and his back flips over him, bending his neck backwards! OMG! He starts SCREAMING and I of course start crying out of sheer PANIC! I get his blankie and take him to the rocking chair to calm him down. I make sure he can move his neck on his own and walk before putting him down for his nap. whew. but this is what he has when he wakes up...rug burn on his eye (and cheek a little bit). poor little man!

Pictures from the 4th!

We had a great day Wednesday and I'm happy that I did get some pictures this year!