Thursday Thoughts

Okay the idea here, is that every Thursday I'll do one "fluff free" post with random thoughts about my personal experience as a mom or frustrations, and maybe rewards that I find along the way.

Today-

• I really really really have to clean this house whether I want to or not. I'm doing it FlyLady style with the timer 15 mins on, 5-10 mins off. Why is it that I can't just except that part of my job is keeping this house clean and just learn to enjoy doing it? I still muddle through but I wish so desperately that I was better when it comes to that aspect of homemaking
  
• I am not alone. Even though things, for some reason, have been rough for me emotionally lately - one thing that that I can't deny is that I am not alone. For me, that one fact is unbelievably meaningful. Sometimes your mind gets so blurred that you miss the most important things... Today I can see what matters, and I'm going to try to let it just sink in.
  
• All morning these boys have been building with legos. Legos are my new best friend, I swear the are the only thing that isn't crumbly, gooey, muddy or wet that will keep those guys playing peacefully for hours on end. Mr. Lego I would love to shake your hand.
  

I'm drawing a blank, but MAN I'd really rather keep posting random thoughts than start cleaning again. My timer beeped... Wish me luck! Hope that my Thursday thoughts aren't boring your pants off, don't worry cute pictures will be back soon.

My Guy

We went on a walk a few weeks ago and I got some of the cutest pictures of my boys. You've seen the great ones of Owen in the last several posts. Here is my favorite one of Gareth from this walk.

Goodness it is strange, he is SO big, I can't call him little anymore even if I want too. Still it is fun to have a picture looking down at his sweet face from above. He really is "my guy" SOO sweet with his mommy, and so good about reminding me all the time that I am loved. It is clear to me how precious his spirit is, and I just feel lucky to have this guy in my life.

All of these elements are from Dani's Digital Fabulous Fall Paper and Embellishment kit. I must be in love with this kit because I just CAN'T STOP using it!

Perspective

This is a page I threw together with pictures from tonight of our crazy messy house and our crazy messy kids... All having crazy messy fun. I was feeling stressed out and George put it all into perspective for me. These are my boys in my house, enjoying eachother, enjoying life. Maybe it's all just in how you look at it.... I should paper my walls in this page, so that I can always remember to slow down, sit on the floor with my family so I can see it all from the right angle. Maybe sometimes, it is time to just enjoy the mess.

Big Day!!!

Today is a big day! My dear friend Dani just opened her very owen Digital Scrapbooking Store: Design by Dani. I'm very very excited for her because she has had TWO booming chats today and she is giving away the greatest paper pack for free until monday. I made this page with her kit and I really loved it! SO GO GET IT!

I'm also thrilled because she inivited me to be on her design team, and man, am I in good company! plus I get to play with all of her kits any time I want... It is such a great opportunity for me to grow as a digital scrapper.

So stop by the store this weekend. Check out all of the beautiful kits and just feel digital scrapping call your name! Then look at the fun growing gallery, I'll be on there in the design team section as Shawna. Check it out people!!!

And a HUGE congratulations to you Dani!!! Wishing you the VERY BEST!!! I know you'll do great!

Owen

This is a Digital page I made for my new Design Team. These elements were all from the "Fabulous Fall kit by Dani Mogstad. (I love this Kit!!!)

I loved watching Owen go up and down the stairs so carefully... he is so big and so small at the same time.... He's at that stage where I really just want to watch him all day long. Gotta love this guy!

Teeth Brushing

So I sent the boys in to brush thier teeth before bed, and when I came to check on them this is what I see. As a mom my days are filled with surprize after surprize, but I'll never get tired of surprizes like these. Here are my boys brushing their teeth as buddies.
I love watching these guys grow as friends.

Future Jedi

Use the Force Reece!!!

Here's the little guy playing starwars with his brother's light saber last week.

Sweet

Using Dani Mogstad's "Berry Jam" digital kit. She will be opening her very own store this weekend and I'm lucky enough to be on the design team! I'm so honored.... more about all of that later, but for now enjoy this LO of gareth and Owen in a genuine HUG last November.

Virtual Photographer

I am bursting with excitement! My friend Dani just showed me the coolest program ever to add to my photo editing software. It is called Virtual Photographer and it does the neatest things to photos!

This picture here started with the center one... it's cute, ofcourse, I mean we're talking about Owen! But look at all of the fun moods we can add to it. From classic black and white to a soft edged reminiscent black and white. The sepia tone is so subtle, and look at all the options for colors, I love the really sharp colors an the far left. But that sixties feel is fun too! I can't even BEGIN to tell you what it means for me as a scrapper (and as a blogger too... you'll see!)

From what I can tell it is for Photo Shop, Photo Shop Elements, and it said something about Paint shop too, so I don't know for sure but it would be worth a try. If you are a digital photographer and/or a scrapper GO GET THIS!
(and if you aren't, then I guess you are just going to have to enjoy these 9 adorable pictures of one cute little guy)

Soccer Boy

"The summer you turned 4 you played on your first sports team. The city had a league for 3 & 4 year olds - and you were so happy to be on a"team," although you were a bit more interested in making friends than scoring goals. We could definately see your people love personality shining through. Gareth Shawn we love you and we love watching you grow."

Gareth in his soccer gear Summer of 2004

Here Comes Trouble!

Well look at our Reecey!!! He started taking some steps. He stood up with his little hippo and figured out he could PUSH it. You've never seen such a proud little guy!
He pushed that hippo all the way across the floor, and then we turned it around and he pushed that puppy back. Over and over. This little one was GOING places!

I'm so proud of my little late bloomer... and, I'm a bit afraid! I've just noticed him playing with his brothers more like a big boy, even fighting with them... It seems babyhood is leaving us behind...

What are we going to DO when this guys is walking??? Before you know it, a trip out of the house will never be the same....

Look out world, soon there will be THREE little men ready to wreak some havoc!

*Okay everyone I'm sorry that I was too lazy to snap up reece's snaps before I took these pictures, and now he looks like he's wearing a dress! I know, I know! It was a silly thing to not do, and now I'm sure I've scarred the poor guy forever.... what can you do?*

So you want to digi scrap

(disclaimer, this post is going to bore your socks off unless you are interested in digital scrapbooking. Sorry everyone! I promise another cute post with fun pictures soon, so just bare with me)

Okay, I know a few people that have been asking about how to start digital scrapping, so here is what I know. Now the thing is I'm a HUGE novice, so the best thing for me to do I think is to link you to some great tips from other sights, because Its already done so well other places. So just click the links and soak in all the wisdom from people who actually know what they are talking about.

Here is where I think is the best place to start. Scrapbook-Bytes has really basic tutorials on how to put together a REALLY simple layout. After you know the basics, you will start selecting and pasting in paper from kits to make your Layouts really neat. But here is a great place to start and learn how to get things started on your program. From what I know there are three programs you can use to digiscrap Paint Shop Pro, PhotoShop, and PhotoShop Elements (a simpler version of Photoshop).
So here are the links: For Paint Shop Pro, For PhotoShop, For PhotoShop Elements

Once you have those basics figured out then it is time to start working with kits (these are sets of digital files with things like patterned paper and cardstock, ribbons, stamps, alphabets etc. if you can find it at your local scrapbook store, you can probably find it in digital form to use on a digi-page.

My friend Dani, has a great blog that she is always adding great info and links to, plus she is an awesome digital kit designer, and you can find out where to get her stuff, but you can ALSO find some really useful links on her site. She also posts in the forums at 4 Scrappin Divas with me although we are smaller and our group of digital divas is somewhat small, you are guaranteed to get some great one on one attention from Dani in the digital forum and you get to see me there too :) always a plus!

The other link that Dani Highly recommends is a blog that this gal set up: Digi Scrappin' With Jen. She has taken the time to write everything you need to know about the ins and outs of digital Scrapping. Right now the top of her sight is filled with info on kits that are selling to raise money for the hurricane relief effort, but if you scroll down, almost to the bottom of the home page you will see a "Table of Contents" and from there you can pick topics that you would like to learn more about.

So I'm hoping that anyone that wants to know more can find some useful things in my links. The last thing I wanted to offer everyone is a few great places to browse tons of digital layouts, just to get your brain a-turnin' and to get you thinking about all the possibilities in the Digi-World. My favorite place of all time to browse digital Layouts is none other than the Two Peas Digital Gallery I love looking through this because I am always amazed at what people think of!!! Another great site that I post layouts to is Digi Scrappin I love this place because there is a great variety of Layouts to look through, and a bit less intimidating for posting than Two Peas. Plus there are great chats with freebies there! I LOVE that. If you do get into digi, please promise me that you will also post on 4 Scrappin' Divas too, because I really want to see you there!

So there it is, that is all I have to give as far as digital scrapbooking is concerned. Here's hoping that some of these links help some of you out. Digital scrapbooking is so fun and has some definate advantages: it is cheaper, all of the resources are right at your fingertips (everything you need you can get on the www with out even leaving your seat), and it doesn't involve taking out a ton of things and then putting them away. I still do love being a paper scrapper, and I really don't plan on giving that up EVER but I love having the option to go digi when I'm feeling lazy, or neat, or tired, and especially when I get my hands on a great new kit... By the way... all of these images are great kits by Dani that I have loved working with. Click on them to see where you can pick them up to give you something to play with while you learn!

Good luck to everyone!

Elmo the Caterpillar

Today we found a caterpillar while we were outside playing before the school bus got here. Gareth and Owen were really excited (although neither of them wanted to touch it or hold it). Gareth insisted we get a jar (aren't you proud of me G? I had one!) and make a home for our new friend so that it can turn into a butterfly and we can watch. ... I told him I don't know what will happen, but we will at least keep him for a while.

So now our new friend is in a jar. Gareth thoughtfully decided to name him "Elmo" but not with out discussing it with Owen first. Although Gareth had to rush off to school, Owen has made sure that Elmo is not lonely. He played cars with him, Took him in to the back yard and put him in his play house (so that "Elmo can play with me"), and wanted to carry him with him everywhere ("Elmo play with ME mommy!!!"). Eventually I had to tell him to keep Elmo on the desk where I could see him because I was worried that poor Elmo wouldn't live to see Gareth get home from school.

I'm not really sure how it is that you keep little Caterpillars alive in jars – although the boys assured me that we just needed to feed them leaves, and provided Elmo with a bona fide leaf feast. Honestly I feel a bit bad for the poor guy who has, by now, given up on looking for a way out of his lonely little spaghetti jar home and set himself on a leaf looking ever so bored. Poor Elmo.

We'll see what the future holds for Elmo. Perhaps my guys can be convinced to let him free, but for now my boys are officially the owners of their first pet caterpillar.

(Scrappers, this is a Digital LO made with a digi kit by Dani Mogstad and Michelle Pearson I got it as a freebie at a DigiScrappin chat)

Silly Hat

This is Owen this July when he was showing off a hat for me, the Journaling reads:

"One of the best things about being a stay at home mom is that I am always able to catch moments like these. On this particular morning you came and found me to show me your "HAT" you though you were so silly as you took it on & off, on & off. I was so lucky to have the camera handy but even more so, I am lucky to have day after day filled with moments like these. These pictures will be a reminder for me of this precious time in our lives."

It is hard to see, but there are clear acrylic letters held by those ribbons above the journaling that says "h a t". In real life the light catches them and makes them shine. (these are my new Heidi Swapp Ghost Letters, I love 'um). Unfortunately even my super great Scanner won't catch them like real light does.

This was a therapeutic LO (that means LayOut for all you non-scrap types, that is just a way to say scrap book page that makes you sound like you are oh so cool) that I did today to remind myself why I love to be a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom).

This Morning....

• I've been screamed at... quite a bit, by a two year old, a one year old AND a five year old.
• I've changed 4 diapers.
• I've lost something vital for kindergarden, searched for it like a mad woman (while being screamed at) and found it (thank the Lord!)
• I've enforced 2 time outs
• Broken up more fights than I care to count (but if you want a guess I'll say about 12)
• Fixed 7 Owies (Reece ran into the wall a few times, fell down once, and had his feelings severly hurt when a brother took his toy, Owen bit his toungue at breakfast and somehow injured himself in a scuffle with Brother, and Gareth actually hit himself with a play sword) Luckily all they needed was about 45 kisses.
• Oh, I was screamed at some more
• And to top it all off: I was pooped on, had to change MYSELF, change baby and change then yet another diaper.

All this and I've only had TWO cups of coffee, isn't life cruel? It is not even 10am yet... Somedays are definately longer than others.

Oh The Joys of Boys!

Last week we had our little buddy over and the boys ran around the house and through the yard yelling, whacking things, and enjoying themselves thuroughly!

But like any other successful playtime encounter, it had to lead to turning on the hose and making mounds of mud.



Oh, the joys of little boys...

Can you blame these guys? It looks like fun doesn't it?

1st Day Of School

Can you believe it??? Our Big Guy climbed on the bus and headed off bravely to get his education. He was nothing but excited, and not in the least scared to climb in and find a seat on that big yellow bus, actually I barely could get him to stop on the steps for a big school boy picture.... I'm already counting down the hours till I can meet him at the bus stop and drag every detail about his day out of him.

Can you believe they grow so fast???? YIKES!

Phone Call with MeeMaw and Pappy...

Yesterday the boys spent at least an HOUR talking with their grandparents in PA. When I walked in to the Living room to check how they were doing, this is what I saw.

They had a great time talking with you MeeMaw and Pappy! We love you guys!

Why I Love my New Scanner...

Never again will I have to upload a murky, shadowy, colorless, distorted Photograph of one of my Layouts.
I LOVE MY NEW SCANNER!!!

Reece Stands Up

This is a digital Layout I did with Dani Mogstad's new kit Celebrate Life. Dani generously decided to donate 100% of the Profits to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund! So if you are ready to try digi scrapping, or already do so, try out this new kit. You are sure to enjoy it, Dani's kits are always wonderful, plus there's nothing like scrapbooking for a good cause!

This is a picture I got of Reecey the very first time he stood up. Journaling reads "Reece my little man, here you are actually standing for the first time it was such a cute scene. Dad had just put you boys down to bed when I hear your brother Owen shouting, "Mom, REECE IS STANDING UP!!!" Sure enough when I came in to the room there you were, standing in your crib, looking proud of yourself! Your brothers, your daddy and I cheered you on heartily while you grinned. We were all so PROUD OF YOU too!"