My New Calling and Special Friend

So last Sunday I got a new calling.. Primary Music person (I'm sure there is an actual name for this calling other than person but at the moment I can't remember).. I will be released from my Cub Scout calling eventually but the Primary Pres. asked if I would do double duty for a short while because there is only 4 more Sundays for practice of the primary program and it would be nice if I had more than a week to get things going and I agreed.. I have had this calling before so it was a "no-brainer yes" kind of thing.. I actually think it's one of the hidden "best job's of the church" you get to have fun it's always new etc.. and you have your Wednesday nights free (although I will still end up being at the building due to my boys activities but no pressure).. don't get me wrong I do love cubs but thinking back I've been doing cubs in some form (and in 3 different wards) for 6 or 7 years.. so it's time for a change.. and i'm happy it's this one..

So on to my "special friend" this is Alto the Singing Elephant.. or at least that's the name I'm considering at this moment.. I'm open to other musical names for this so please comment if you have something far more fun sounding! if your thinking his Nose is looking a little limp well that's because the concept behind Alto is that a good behaved/singing kid puts his/her hand through the nose and leads the music while everyone sings.. I wish I could take credit for this idea but in primary as a kid our primary music person had an elephant just like this (or at least what my memory remembers).. so now every time i have this calling my first order of business is to make a singing elephant.. it actually didn't take me very long and with KayLea in Kindergarten i used my new found 3 hours per day to get moving on this.. of coarse i can see it's flaws but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.. now wish me luck that the kids won't think it's totally lame (it's really more for the Jr. Primary so hopefully they aren't too jaded yet!)

ta ta

Tooth Fairy is back in Business

So on the last day of the first week of KayLea's first week of Kindergarden she lost her first tooth! this has been loose for a little while and i think it only became loose out of sheer will by her.. She has wanted a loose tooth for SOOO LONG.. She didn't even cry when it was a "little bloody" (her words).. She is VERY excited for the Tooth fairy to leave her money tonight... The tooth Fairy hasn't had much business due to the big boys who already don't believe..

its been a fun day for sure!

ta ta

First Day of School

So we survived the first day of school... Brad started 7th grade Hunter 5th and KayLea started Kindergarden.. i can't believe ALL my kids are in school... the Beginning of the day actually started out very well except for the fact that KayLea kept waking up every few hours in the night (i think because she was SOOO excited) and ended up sleeping on the floor beside my bed (a 3AM compromise to her sleeping WITH us which she desperately wanted) which ment she was UP at 5:50 with Brad yippee.. and was so excited and asked about every 5 min (is it time yet?) OyVey, afternoon kinder is going to be the death of me i can feel it!

But in the afternoon the report of from the kids was as follows:

KayLea: "I have had the best day i ever had.. and tomorrow is going to be Awesome"

Hunter: "I think Mrs. Lee is the best teacher i've EVER had!"

Brad: "I guess it didn't suck.. can you believe i already have spanish homework!"

So here's to a new year!!!

ta ta

Last Day of Summer

So today was the last day of summer i honestly and truley wanted a day to just exhale.. it seems as though as GREAT as our summer has been we have been running all summer and have had little to no time to just breathe and take it all in.. i suppose going to the lake and stuff but honestly i was always thinking of what ever was the "next" thing i had to prepare for.. But we've had a GREAT summer my only complaint would be that our summer was kind of short BUT i feel good about school starting tomorrow and i'm sure i'll have pic's to share.. the boys have informed me they will be riding the Bus because having your Mom take you on the first day is just SO NOT COOL so i'm trying not to be crushed by this statement and just going with the flow of having older COOL kids.. KayLea has to be taken to school so she doesn't have a choice for me to take and dote and i'm going to do my best not to shed a tear in front of her (mostly because Ben will razz me horrably!)
i'll post pic's tommorow!
ta ta

When Inspiration meets DESPERATION

So Ben took the boys camping for 2 days and so it's just been "the girls" we've had fun, we've had fights but all in all it's been good...

I don't know if I have shared this before but after our initial burst of home improvement energy ie: painting the down stairs we've pretty much been out of time, money and energy (frankley mostly out of money) to do anything else...Because of this there is one thing that has suffered.. my WINDOWS! I swore I was going to stick it out and wait until we could afford "good" blinds (the nifty vinyl/wood looking ones at lowes that are around 25-30 bucks a pop) and to insure i wouldn't cave (as Ben has wanted to on more than one occassion) and buy the ugly cheep mini blinds..i was going to leave the windows bare the theory being hopefully i'd get so sick of seeing bare windows (and being exposed to the open road in front of our house) i'd go with out something else and just buy the stupid good blinds.. well we've been here 6 months now and nothin is budging and i'm getting a little tired of my family tacking up sheets and blankets when watching movies to avoid the glare from the windows.. don't get me wrong, i've embrassed ALLOT of our white-trashery ways but this is where i put my foot down!
Sooooo, i was at a discount shop (kind of like Big Lots but a local store) and found these cafe blinds.. (i'm taking the name off the pkg so i'm no help on what they are actually called) this color (maroon) probably wouldn't have been my first choice (first choice would have been chocolate brown!) but for 5$ per window i can't complain and even with the rods and hardware it only increased the cost to about 7.50/ window which is a far cry from what the good blinds cost.. and i actually think i can duplicate these in a color that will match the den (now i'm on the hunt for fabric)

Before

After

My next project i'm on the hunt for a love seat and chair (or 2 love seats) our Couch is just too big and i want more of a sitting area rather than a place to stair at the TV...and no time like the presant because the couch broke yes the arm broke (remember it was cheep furniture in the first place) and i can't even blame the kids.. Ben did it! so i'm looking at thrift stores and this seams to be the season for yard sales here in new england so i've got my eyes pealed! (my plan is to slip cover what ever i find so i'm really not that picky!)

i'll keep you posted!

ta ta

Capital "L"

**So just a forwarning my keyboard is shot and i've tried posting now several times since we've been home from AR but I get frustrated and have to stop so we'll see how this goes..**


So with KayLea starting Kinder next week it has resurfaced some school issues I had EVERY year until i was a FRESHMAN.. what is it you say?? the CAPITAL L in the middle of my name..

My parents have a very cute story of how when they told my Grandma Merry what they were going to name a girl Kyleyne (not even sure they had worked out the spelling at that point yet) she got excited and said "Oh how cute we'll call her Kyle" My father wasn't too happy about that because Kyle was a BOYS name and no girl of his would be mistaken for a boy... so they came up with a way I would be never be able to be called that.. they put a capital letter in the middle so it kinda seperates the name Ky--Leyne.. all fine and dandy right.. well not when your kind of pretentious young kid and you give your Teacher any amount of grief.. I had to bring in a note from my mother EVERY YEAR saying this is REALLY how i spell my name i was argued with and told it wasn't correct grammer and what parent would do this?? (yea really happened!)

So of coarse this experience would do what.. prompt us to pass along the maddness to our off spring and put a capitol L in KayLea's name... We have done some prep with her, she's known how to spell her name (with upper and lower case) for a while now and of coarse when we met her teacher I told her a condensed verson of my story and she laughed and said as long as thats how it's on her birth cet (which it IS) she didn't see any issue with it.. So maybe folks here in the East are more accepting or maybe KayLea hasn't gotten a bad reputation yet we shall see...

on a side note you know how my dad was so bent on girl name vs. boys names 2 of my brother's nick names were Jody (short for Joseph) and Jackie (nick name for Jack) everyone assumed if we were rattling off names of kids they were GIRLS hehe!!
shhheeewww made it through i've got to go replace this keyboard!!
ta ta for now!

last summer trip

So with summer coming to a close we decided to make a last ditch effort to see Mom and Dad in Arkansas, we made it ok with minor drama and we brought the rain with us.. they are in desperate need here so it really shouldn't be tha bad but the kids have already been stuck inside at our house for a while and so coming here also raining is kind of a bummer..
Jeff wants to take the boys to the diving range but i can't imagine it would be open in the rain...

the night before we left (friday night) I was able to take Brad to his first Temple trip for Baptsms he had a great time and it was fun to see him take this service seriously.. also it was great to see we have lots of boys in our ward that all get allong very well... there are older boys that are great examples and all are fun which is a bonus! We have very few (i think like 6) Young women total.. which is too bad but they are pretty great also.... h

so thats it for today.. i havn't taken any pictures yet pretty much nothing to take so far.. we are going to the condo friday (tenative) so i'm sure i'll have some kind of photographic proof at some point this week..

ta ta for now

another tag kinda

So i saw this on someone elses blog and although i wasn't officall tagged it seemed interesting and i'm avoiding doing laundry like the plague so what the heck~

Have and Have Nots
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped (but not the traditional way.. i did a reverse bunjie with my one and only college roomate at the LA county fair; fun but now i look back and think "that was i thinking")
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty (my good friend Gina was pick-pocketed and got her camera stolen inside! true story!)
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables (only tomatoes successfully)
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (during sacrament meeting talk)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse ( was in elementary school it was cool!)
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31 hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time (my job now and the part time job in Arlington before that pretty much no way)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach (Jr Prom)
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume (remember i worked at Discovery Zone in college.. enough said!)
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone (i don't think they ment mediating my boys fights)
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over (many times for new job opportunity's for Ben but never just for the heck of it!)
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job (Kinderfoto in high school totally railroaded by an ugly boss!)
76. Won money (vegas baby!)
77. Broken a bone (do toes count.. if not never if yes then probably all of them at one time or another)
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days (does kayaking count.. in college with my awesome aunts!)
83. Eaten sushi (once did NOT enjoy)
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school (no, but I'd like to)
89. Changed your name (my last name)
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes (tried them at a southern buffet)
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch (I've taught myself many things...I just don't know how artsy these things are)
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair (in TX my bows)
102. Dyed your hair
103 Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep (one of my favorite things to do)
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Prepared a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play (Will Rodgers folley's might be the worst play EVER!.. still wanting to "re-do that one someday!)
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train (would love to again but BEN is terrified of them!)
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place (pretty much anywhere in New England is historic)
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage (i've sang solo's or in duet or groups allot does that count?)
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon (a 5k once as a teenager.. trying to block it out of my memory though!)
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter (no but a blimp)
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking (what's spelunking?)
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted (if you ask Ben YES but i'm a skeptic!)
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss (I am the mom)
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers (it was the 1980's)
167. Ridden in a limousine (my great grandma's funeral.. it wasn't a fancy one or anything)
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz and polka. (thanks to Dexter McCarty middle school i can Waltz and thanks to Sister Hester i can Hula.. or , at least i know how!)
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator (not a good story!)
172. Had a revelatory dream (seems this is how i get allot of answers)
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale (isn't this illegal unless your an eskamo?)
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint (I know the theory but have NEVER completed a project)
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt (i think as a child)
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma (it's been a while, every time i went when i was young, i had a fever.. felt totally fine but for what ever reason.. then after having babies, nursing etc.. i've only done it a hand ful of time.. shame on me!)
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible (ridden in never owned)
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter (ok am i just dumb what is NJP stand for?)


so it looks like i've got some livin to do hua!
it was fun though.. if you didn't get it the bold is what i HAVE done and the regular print is the HAVE NOT's..
ta ta

do YOU get some personal self esteem from Ebay feedback??

So I really can't say I'm an Ebay addict.. I kind of go in fits and starts.. I have periods of time where I tend to use ebay allot then I'll go months with out buying anything.. I wouldn't say I'm at a period of ALLOT use now but I just recently purchased a box of reeds for Brad (at half the cost as the store, including shipping, not to brag or anything).. and 2 rolls of vinyl for my nifty cutting machine.. (it was WAY cheaper than the craft stores and i can get as much as i want instead of just one little square)
anyway I'm getting off topic.. (what a shock!) am I the only one who gets a little excited when my feed back rating goes up one more.. its like free adulation.. people who have never met you saying "ada girl!".. or things like "A++ Do business with this e-bayer", I have dabbled in selling on e-bay, when i was doing little girl hair bows i did some (found it wasn't worth the time/energy for what people would pay for them) then I cleaned out my craft closet and sold some stuff (the mentioned punches in the previous post.. GONE!.. and I did OK on those too BONUS!).. so I ALWAYS posted nice feedback but I've noticed a trend for NASTY feedback I mean I get it wen people don't pay or stuff you on stiff you on what your purchased you need some remedy but come on the nasty stuff people put on these things it's down right personal.. and how about those folks who won't post any feedback until YOU (the buyer) post positive for them.. ebay has actually changed some of their policy's regarding this but previously it's like they were holding your good feedback hostage.. and if you felt there shipping was slow or the product wasn't quite in mint condition as stated in the add they would leave you NEGATIVE just for your honest feedback.. I must not have been the only one who felt that was unfair because now if you leave negative for a seller they can not retaliate I'm not exactly sure how that all works I just know it seems like a good change...
so here's my question to the all of 2 people who read my blog.. am I the only one who feels a since of happy when people who have never met me give me a cyber "high five".. or do I need to look into why I'm needing that kind of validation Hmmmmmm.

Open letter to ANY scrapbook company;

To Whom it may concern;

When i started Scrapbooking 12 years ago i was excited and eager to document every life moment of my then FIRST newborn babe.. I received from my wonderful aunt a Scrapbook starter kit with templates of shapes i could cut my pictures and then matte them.. Stickers, Paper and a glue stick it was enough but i craved MORE.. so I started buying decorative scissors and finding fun paper.. My 2nd Son came and I think i was just as excited.. Soon after he was born i started obsessing over punches and finding new and exciting ways to use them.. I ended up having well over 200 punches and boy they were fun.. Scrapbooking wasn't just a craft it was an obsession, one that in certain periods of my life was even my anti-depressant..

Although 12 years ago i felt somewhat of a trend setter.. the craze was just taking off and anyone who would look at my then scrapbook would oooh and awww and say how cute the pages were etc.. even now i get good compliments but i have a complaint to submit...

When did Scrapbooking turn into it's own art form?.. when i started Pictures were king... all techniques were to help preserve your photo's to last into the next lifetime.. and the larger size (12x12) was to get as many pictures on the page as remotely possible.

NOW it seems as though all that's needed is one picture and a host of ribbon, buttons.. weird paint techniques etc.. don't get me wrong i use ribbon, buttons etc.. but it seems as though Pictures have taken a back seat to the "artist's" creativity.. and I've decided i just don't have very much creativity because my scrapbook pages are very formulated.. there's a title, pictures then a box (usually done on the computer) that explains the activity going on...

Is this why I'm finding it frustrated to keep up with my scrapbook??.. am i comparing the other works of art and thinking i can't measure up so why even try??? I don't even get the same excitement going into a scrapbook store (if i had one anywhere close to me)...

So I will continue with my formulated scrapbook pages.. and ignore all the new fads.. i do it for my family history.. and so what if i just completed 4 layouts that only get me through April of this year which means I am STILL way behind.. I think this letter has released my inner frustrations and hopefully will catapult me to be more motivated to keep up with this.. Because if it doesn't my husband is going to write his own letter titled: what to do with hundreds of dollars in scrapbook crap!!!

sincerely
an old fogey scrapbooker..