Twelve Things on the Twelfth...Well the Thirteenth

This post should have gone up yesterday, but I had already posted PL week 2, so I waited until this morning. I can totally live with it being a day late...I think...

He:

1.  has obviously matured a lot when it comes to being on the basketball court. He shines as a leader and encourages the other kids on his team. So proud of him!
2. has started reading while using the bathroom, resulting in longer times spent in there. He is a man in the making. When I asked him about it he said it's quiet in there and his brothers don't bother him.
3. made all A's this 9 weeks! His semester grades were also all A's. He was so excited! Super proud of him!
4. is looking forward to baseball season and going through the draft again. He is a little nervous about the team he will end up on.
5. is a Band-A-Loom fanatic. He and Ethan have started a business called Swag Brother's Bracelets and are taking orders from classmates for bracelets. They sell them for $.50 each.
6. is still hard headed and prefers things his way.
7. is eating more and more all the time and growing taller every day.
8. loves watching Duck Dynasty and Alaska: The Last Frontier.
9. and his Daddy discuss and watch sports together a lot.
10. wants an iPod Touch for his birthday in May. Then he wants an Instagram account. 
11. likes going to bed early and getting up early, like his Mama.
12. loves eggs in a hole for breakfast.

He:

1. is a pest. He enjoys irritating & jumping out and scaring his older brother and picking at his little brother until he screams.
2. has been whiny and moody lately. Not sure what is the deal with that.
3. is enjoying basketball this year. He is a little more aggressive than last year and more confident with his playing.
4. is obsessed with technology. He loves being on the computer, the Wii, the xBox, and the Kindle. He pesters us about it constantly.
5. did really well on this 9 weeks report card. He is on or above grade level in both Literacy and Math. He won't start making letter grades until he is in 3rd grade.
6. loves the color pink lately. 
7. is playing rougher with Jude and getting in trouble for it.
8. is making plans for his 8th birthday party in March.
9. wants an iPod Touch for his birthday too. Great more technology...
10. needs new basketball shoes. 
11. is growing taller, but not eating as much as he should. He is more of a junk food-snacker.Ughhh
12. likes going to be late and getting up late, like his Daddy. But it makes him grouchy.

He:

1. will be 13 months old on the 13th.
2. is fascinated by balls. He has one in his hand or is asking for one 99% of the time. He even sleeps with one and won't lay down until he has snuggled up with it. 
3. is a few weeks shy of being able to run.
4. follows his big brother's around constantly.
5. gets his feelings hurt when they close their bedroom door and he can't get in.
6. loves to play on the high school basketball court before games.
7. has begun dancing. It is sort of an up and down wiggle. So cute!
8. has a fat, little belly. His older brother's were long and lean. 
9. calls most food "nana" and wants to eat all.the.time. This could be part of the belly issue.
10. loves the cat and calls all animals "kitty."
11. is wearing 18 month old clothes easily and could probably wear some 24 month clothes.
12. is constantly snotty. Thanks to day care. Grrr.

He:

1. doesn't get his picture taken very often. He is not a camera guy.
2. is in the beginning of conference play with his high school basketball team.
3. is not stressed about the season quite yet.
4. is trying to keep his girls under control, which is difficult coming off last years State Championship win.
5. may be getting a kidney stone, due to some stress and overage of Mt. Dew. He won't discuss it. I dread it.
6. is excited since Oaklawn Park opened live horse racing this weekend.
7. snores. It makes me nuts.
8. gets frustrated watching the boys play basketball because the referees are awful.
9. is an avid newspaper reader.
10. makes jerky constantly. Some he sells, some he eats or gives away.
11. needs to exercise. He hates when she tells him that. 
12. needs a new cell phone. He has a Motorola flip Razr that is taped together to keep the battery in. 

She:

1. is suffering from a bad sinus infection. Antibiotics are working slowly, very slowly.
2. is cleaning house constantly at mom speed. It will catch up with her and she will collapse because she is exhausted. 
3. would love to hire a house keeper, but know she would clean before the house keeper arrived. So what's the point. 
4. is enjoying blogging again.
5. is 13 days away from turning 38.
6. currently has problems with acne on her chin, due to the cold weather, dry skin, and decongestant meds. Ughhhh.
7. is never far from her phone.
8. got a Silhouette Cameo and a nice, big set of plastic canisters to use in her pantry for Christmas. Neither have been opened. :(
9. weighs 30 pounds more than she'd like.
10. prefers yoga pants to dress pants. (see above for reason)
11. wore leggings for the first time last week, with boots, and a long tunic. It was cute, she needs more tunics and another pair of boots. 
12. is voraciously reading The 39 Clues series (book series for middle grade students) & plans to read an adult book before the month is out. 

Project Life 2014 (January 5 - January 11)

Thoughts of the week:

This week was all about getting back into a regular routine. Fresh off a two week break, you would think that we would all be renewed and ready to go back to work and school. I think that this is true for the boys and Jess. Jude and I on the other hand were not so ready to go back . Jude has reached an age where he understands that I am going to leave him at daycare each day and he has begun to cry a bit when I leave. That hurts this Mama's heart every.stinking.time. :( Luckily I think much of it is for show, since he stops soon after I leave and is happy to find toys to play with. His current toy of choice is a small ball that fits in his hand. Evidently he carries this particular ball around with him most of the day and if some other child makes a move to take it, he throws a fit. Good grief!

Like Jude, I was not ready to go back to school either. For one, I hated sending my kiddos back to school and daycare. I am sadly aware of how quickly all three are growing and I love having them around me. It's hard with Jess and I both working, especially this time of year, to have quality time with the boys. The other reason I hated to go back was that I had gotten very little accomplished over the break due to the fact I was and still am battling a nasty sinus infection. One of the worst I think I have ever have. I waited too long to get on medication to get rid of it. Because of feeling so lousy I didn't get the house as clean as I would have liked before starting back to school. I already felt behind and it was just Monday. *Sigh*

Highlights of the Week:

Monday night I met Mom to get the kids back and have supper. She went to our old meeting spot and I was waiting for them at our new meeting spot. So we had about ten to fifteen minutes of waiting and confusion before we met up. Very typical of us!

Everyone was back on a normal schedule Tuesday and headed back to school. The only problem of course was the crazy Polar Vortex which had made being outside next to impossible. The school has a policy in place that requires the temperature to be at least 32* before students can go outside for recess. Being in the South we don't have auxiliary gyms/rooms for students to play in so students are kept inside. This makes everyone cooped up crazy, especially Carter and Ethan who need lots of physical activity, otherwise they act nutty once they get home.

 A cold, rainy front began moving in Wednesday morning and the drizzle began freezing on overpasses and bridges around town by mid-morning. Because of the freezing precipitation school let out at 2 o'clock so people could get home safely. We came straight home and relaxed in front of a warm fire.Around the time we finished eating dinner the power went out due to a wreck on the highway. This led to an early bedtime for all of us.

The highlight of Thursday was getting Jude into the bath without him throwing a screaming fit. I have know idea why this time was different, but it was heavenly. Considering that most baths are nothing but a clingy, wet race since he screams the whole time.

The big boys both had basketball again Saturday. The three games were spread out starting at 10:15,  & 11:05 for Carter and 1:45 for Ethan. We had to be there early for team picture, so it made for a long day. I don't mind sitting in the gym, but Jude on the other hand struggles with it. He is a busy boy and many times the games fall during his morning nap making for a grouchy, fussy boy. Today he finally gave it up and napped in Jess' arms for about 15 minutes and then napped later in his car seat while I ate lunch at Sonic. Not my first choice of a lunch place, but it did give him a 30 minute nap before we headed back to the gym for the last game. We are adjusting to having him at games and the big boys are good to help corral him to keep him off the court and from stealing the game ball.

These two love playing basketball. They have both improved from last year and we can see an improvement from last week to this weeks games. Having boys who are athletic and enjoy physical activities are a blessing. 

Until next week!

Wordless-ish Wednesday

Yep, that's a tangerine in his hand. He thought it was a ball, then realized it was food and bit into the skin. He wasn't happy with the taste or the fact that his mean Mommy took it away from him.

This kid will eat any and everything. If you are eating it, he thinks he needs a bite. If a stranger is eating near him, he thinks he needs a bite. He wakes up every morning and I hear him asking for "nanas" over the baby monitor. Nana is his word for food... any food, he especially likes bananas.

I fear for his future waistline. Crazy boy!

What I See

Earlier this week I downloaded our Christmas pictures in an attempt to finish my December Daily 2013 album. While looking at this year's photos I was struck by how much the boys have changed over the past year. I know, I know days pass quickly and children continue to grow...so maybe I notice it more because Jude is a baby and babies change so much the first year. Whatever the reason I really see differences in all three boys from Christmas 2012 to Christmas 2013.

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2013

Jude of course has grown so much in the past year, but Carter and Ethan have as well. Carter is still in a non teeth showing phase...wish he'd get over that. Ethan has now lost those front teeth and the new ones are continuing to grow in...those take forever! Man I love these boys! Some days I wish I could freeze time, but I know that is not really possible. So I will continue to snap pictures, take notes, and try to get it all recorded so that one day we can look back and remember all these fleeting moments. 

I also have GOT to work on my camera skills. That AV mode, which I love, is killing me! Especially in our dark house while trying to photograph fast moving little boys! Grrr

Project Life 2014 Week 1 (December 29 - January 4)

Okay, I'm going to try Project Life again. Does it count that I have collected supplies and mentally done it for about three years?? Good Grief! I am actually very physically prepared (I have lots of stuff) and I know how I want to get it accomplished, so lets do this thing!

I think the best way to keep up with each week is to blog it. Will I consistently do this? Doubtful, but I'm willing to give it a try. I really just need to get a weekly plan going and then find time to physically do it. That's next on my agenda after recording it here.

Now let's get on to the first week.

Thoughts on the week: This week was actually pretty calm. I have been waiting for this week for months. Once November arrives our schedule picks up due to holidays and the beginning of basketball season for Jess' Senior Girls and both Carter and Ethan. We end up traveling lots and being out later each night for this practice and that game. After Christmas we have a week that I use to just relax. I seriously do very little. I am very sloth like the whole week. It is an opportunity to catch up on rest and prepare myself for  the beginning of the next few months, which are as busy as November and December.

Sunday our family lit the final Advent candles of the Christmas season. It was nice to stand up in front of a congregation that we love and to share the scriptures that go along with the birth and celebration of Jesus Christ. The boys did great, Carter and Ethan both read out loud and Jude did great sitting still in Jess' arms. I was fearful that he would decide he wanted down and would cause a cute little scene, but he did good. The bad thing is I didn't ask anyone to take a picture of us. Oh well.

Monday Jess had his final game in the Summit Bank Shoot Out in Hot Springs. Since the team didn't make it to the finals I chose to keep the boys home. This is rare for us because we always travel to games, but we were all tired, it was pretty cold outside, and Jude and I were both suffering from sinus junk. The big boys were not happy at all, but got over it rather quickly when they realized they could play their new XBox.

Tuesday we stayed home for New Year's, as we have the past few years. I spent most of the day sleeping and taking meds for my sinus infection while Jess and the boys watched tv and played. The boys stayed up to watch the ball drop with us and then went to bed.

Wednesday Jess went home to visit with his dad and get more firewood. The boys and I huddled up around the fireplace and spent time playing games, working Legos, and playing on technology. I cooked a ham, black eyed peas, and cabbage. Because you have to have those on New Years Day.

Thursday went pretty much the same. Lots of play and technology. The boys also bundled up and spent some time playing outside. Their favorite activities right now are shooting cans with their bb guns, playing football and basketball. Outside play only last an hour or so and then they are back in to warm up. Thursday night both boys had basketball practice, so Jude and I sat in the cold gym for nearly three hours while the each practiced/ then played while the other practiced. Not my favorite way to spend the evening.

Friday I cleaned house with some help from the boys. Jess came home and then headed back out to practice. My parents came over to spend the night and brought cousin Beau with them. The boys were so happy to get to play with him and show him all their new stuff.

Saturday we had four basketball games in a row. FOUR...FOUR!, but it could have been worse. It could have been four games spread out through the day, luckily ours were back to back. Both boys played pretty well considering it was the first games of the year. After the games all three boys loaded up and went home with my parents for the rest of the weekend and Monday. I went home and took a nap!

This is our first week of the new year. Not a bad week at all. I don't feel overly accomplished, but I am okay with that, because I have realized that I need to slow it down and enjoy being a bit lazy on occasion.

Now I'm off to print photos, pull PL supplies, & check my social network sites for extra tidbits to add to this week's spread.

Happy week to you!

Wordless-ish Wednesday

I taught Ethan how to drive the four wheeler at Grandma and Papaw's house a couple of weekends ago. Scary for Mama, exciting for him.  

Not sure which was more fun, riding alone or taking Grandma for a ride. Regardless of which was more fun, he smiled the whole time he was driving. He was so proud of himself.

Disorganized Overload

This weekend I began working on my Halloween 2012 mini album using this Bag of Bones project kit from Cocoa Daisy. The Bag of Bones kit is from last year & is sold out, but this year's Halloween Kit Full Moon is still available.

Once I get through Halloween each year, I am so over all the decorations and candy that I tend to just pack it all away until the next year. That is why I usually don't tackle my annual Halloween mini album until the fall of the next year. I know... weird...but I kind of enjoy scrapping the previous year's photos and reminding myself how quickly time passes.

As I began working this weekend, I noticed that it was going rather slowly and my creativity was missing a flow. I figured out rather quickly that I was working in a very disorganized manner. It looked like this:

My table was an absolute disaster! I had literally just pulled out a whole bunch of papers, washi tape, inks, stamps, & embellishments that I thought I could use along with the kit. Rather than trying to start out in an organized manner, I just chunked it all on the table (which was already covered with things from my previous crafty endeavor) and went to work. What was I thinking? I had stuff strewn out everywhere.

 The kit was stacked in the chair beside the table. Underneath the kit were other papers and kits I had gotten out to use in the next few weeks.

On my other desk behind me were stamps I was using on the project as well.

In all this disorganization I had basically managed to reduce my productive work space down to a very small area & even within that area I was constantly having to push things out of my way to be able to work. All of this left me frustrated and unable to work in a timely, creative manner.

My solution was just to stop working. This frustrated me a lot because with a busy household, my creative time is usually a bit limited. But at the same time I knew I had to clean up a little so that I could use my time better and find a better flow to the project.

I seriously would have loved to have taken my arm and just scraped everything off onto the floor, but I realized that there were to many sharp objects, items that could stain the carpet, and paper that could tear or wrinkle. Dang it! That would have been so therapeutic. So instead I just began making piles on the floor and putting unneeded things away.

When I was finished my table looked like this:

Things on the table were so much more organized and like items were grouped together.  I seriously think that I heard an Angel chorus singing when I stepped back and took it all in. At this point I really felt my crafty mojo coming back and the frustration leaving my body. I was instantly happier to be in my space.

Now that I had things where I wanted them it all seemed to flow much better.

Out of the chair & onto the right side of my table was the neatly stacked kit and additional colored cardstock that I will use to mat photos.  


                                      

Stamps, inks, embellishments, and washi tape are all stacked neatly on the left side of the table.

Photos are grouped by both boys, just Carter, just Ethan, family, & pumpkin carving. I will go back through these and determine which ones to use and which ones to put away for other projects. 

 

Most importantly I made a list on a scrap piece of graph paper. Now I have an idea of what I want to get accomplished in each step and it becomes more of an assembly line process. This is not usually how I work, but I don't do mini albums too often and I think that this will speed up the process, give the project more continuity, and keep me from getting disorganized again.

I know many of your craft spaces look similar to mine & I know that much of this post is common sense. But sometimes I think we forget that the clutter around us, whether creative or not, has an affect on how we create &/or how function within that space. Sometimes just by cleaning up a bit we do find the tops of our work spaces, but more importantly we find peace within that space again.

I hope you will take time to straighten your space a bit this week. I promise that it will make you feel quite accomplished! :)

 I will post my completed album later this week (once I finish it) & let you know how the assembly line process worked.