all things vo

december

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

And I’m officially caught up!!

All templates are part of the Monthly pack from Cathy Zielske. The kit is Just Because by Three Paper Peonies. And the twill is from the Week in the Life Twill by Ali Edwards.

See the other months here.

I'm back to using Project Life for 2012!!

november

2012-01-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

All templates are part of the Monthly pack from Cathy Zielske. The kit is Just Because by Three Paper Peonies. And the twill is from the Week in the Life Twill by Ali Edwards.
See the other months here.

logan: 48 months

2012-01-03T17:14:00.001-07:00

Logan, this month:

You are:

So excited it is December! You woke up cheering “It’s December, it’s December!” on December 1st! You have a lot to be excited about in December – Christmas AND your birthday!
Convinced you will be 40 pounds and 4 feet tall when you turn four. Not quite. But you were just shy of 40 pounds and are 40 inches tall at four!
Super cuddly and I LOVE IT!

You say:

“Is that REALLY the truth, Mom?” (suspiciously!)
“Doody section”. Yep, no idea there.
“Budget” and giggle uncontrollably as if it is a potty word.

You made:

A lot of fun out of a roll of bubble wrap when we laid it out on the floor like a runway. :)
TONS of crafts when Kristen was in town visiting! And ornaments for everyone for Christmas!
Me super proud when you helped us pick out the toys and take them for donation before the holidays. You have such a kind heart, buddy.

You, quoted:

“I hate Best Buy! You can only buy things that are like fifty bucks!”
“Daddy, have you ever heard of a bed dreidel? It’s a bed that is shaped like a dreidel that spins and spins!”
“Nuttin’ means coal, right Mama?” When listening to I’m getting nuttin’ for Christmas.

I can’t believe you are four already, baby. The other day you told me you didn’t want to be a real hockey player anymore (what you said you wanted to be when you grew up). When I asked what you wanted to be, you said, “Your baby, Mommy. I want to be little forever.” You will ALWAYS be my baby, little man. I could not be more proud or adoring of you. You have made this crazy thing called motherhood the greatest adventure of my life. Every day is more special and a LOT more fun with you in our lives. You bring us immense joy and overwhelm us with love.

Love you more than there are stars in the sky, buddy!

logan: 47 months

2012-01-03T17:08:00.001-07:00

Logan, this month:

You are:

Wolverine for Halloween! Too bad you upchucked and didn’t much feel like Trick or Treating!
Obsessed with the Aristocats movie. You are particularly fond of Marie. Of course. :) You also enjoyed watching Pocahontas for the first time this month!
A hockey fan! We went to see the Avalanche and you had a great time. You got a lottery ticket from the blimp that flies over and won forty bucks!
A Lego maniac! Every single day I drop you off at school, you pull out the Legos first thing and ask me to work with you for awhile.
The best big cousin to Duncan. You sang him lots of songs while we were visiting and held him for a little like a big boy!

You say:

“Lame!” when I sing you a song. Yep, don’t like that one!
“But I like to be cold!” when I ask you to put your coat on.

You made:

Me super proud when you were so patient while we were delayed at the airport headed to see Auntie and Uncle. :)
Me put a little mark (in marker, of varying shapes) on your hand every day when I drop you off so when you look at it you know I’m thinking of you!

You, quoted:

While having a tickle fight (super serious) “Guys, the more you make me laugh the sooner I’ll turn into the Joker!”
When we got on our plane to head to San Fran, I told you that we were flying on the plane with the antelope. You replied “Does it give us cantaloupe?”

Love you more than there are stars in the sky, buddy!

one little word 2012

2012-01-01T21:09:00.001-07:00

Ali Edwards began a tradition five or six years ago to select “One Little Word” in lieu of New Year’s traditions. One word to focus on for the year – one word to keep your purpose clear and driven.

I’ve never participated in this concept. I’ve never been one to be too focused on making New Year’s resolutions (and even worse at keeping them if I did make them). Last year I attempted the Happiness Project and dropped off the bandwagon quickly. Boiling down an effort to improve myself into one little word is both appealing and frightening. Appealing in the sense of simplifying, frightening because I might choose the wrong word.

I’ve spent a few days pondering my goals for myself, for our family, for 2012. And there is one big overlying theme – we have too much excess, too many distractions. We’ve been blessed with so many things in life – both in terms of people and material things. But those materials things are getting in the way of what is truly important in life, and they definitely do not bring me lasting joy. I know I can’t make this change for my entire family, but I’m hoping by setting an example, I can affect a positive change in all of our lives.

So my “one little word” for 2012 is Less.

Less technology. Less web-time. And yes, less blog-time.

Less junk food. Less eating out. Less excuses for not exercising.

Less spending. Less shopping at Amazon, Target and craft/scrapbook stores and sites (eek!). Less grocery shopping without a list!

Less possessions. Less clutter. Less of what we don’t use.

Less stress in December by making 1 handmade gift a month. :)

Less over-analyzing. Less self-deprecation. Less excuses. Period.

My hope is that all this “less” will bring me more of what matters. More focused time with my husband and son. More time and energy to do the things that I truly enjoy – crafting, scrapbooking, baking, and even a bit of blogging. More living with intent. More living in the moment.

If you are interested, Ali has an online class for her “One Little Word” program that looks fantastic. Normally, my interest in something like this would get me jumping into buying the class right away. But I’m going with the “less spending” and “less web-time” and am practicing restraint. I am going to give this a shot on my own!

Happy New Year! What are your resolutions?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-12T20:46:00.001-07:00

Yep, I’m still here! Just have a holiday to do lists a mile long and trying to simplify where I can. Which means this sad little blog gets no love this month, except for this holiday card post!!

Love this free holiday card template from Rebecca at Simple as That! I ordered my cards pretty early from Shutterfly so I didn’t see this cute template until it was too late. But I thought I’d share it as an ecard from us to you. Happy holidays!!

30 days of gratitude: days 22, 23 and 24

2011-11-23T14:39:00.001-07:00

(image from One Little Mama)

Day 22: I am so grateful for a clean house. I’m incredibly grateful to be able to afford having cleaners come in every two weeks (I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I do) and walking in a clean house after work is AMAZING!!

Day 23: Today I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to go to lunch at my son’s school. He was thrilled to pieces to have me there. It was fun to try their “Stone Soup”. :) I just loved spending time with the little guy during my regular work day!

Day 24: Yes, I know that is tomorrow! But I already know what I’m going to be grateful for - the opportunity to be with my new nephew in San Francisco for Thanksgiving!!! Yay!

30 days of gratitude: day 21

2011-11-22T08:35:00.001-07:00

(image from One Little Mama)

Today, I am grateful for:

Mumford & Sons. Silly, I know. But their music makes me happy!
Having the foresight to prepackage items for Logan’s lunchbox so lunch-making is a breeze! Need to get better about doing this on Sundays!
Meals that are already made and stored in the freezer for nights like tonight! Chili for dinner!
Family that sends sweet care packages to my son. Particularly the ones without candy. :) (Thanks, Mom!) It’s the only thing that can get him out of the “I fell asleep on the way home and now Mom is making me get up” grumpies.
A sweet sweet boy who gives the best hugs and tells me he loves me all the time. Even if he shouts “Lame!” after I sing a song.
Glee’s mashup of two Adele songs and the joy it brings my son!
A short week!

30 days of gratitude: days 18-20

2011-11-21T09:13:00.001-07:00

(image from One Little Mama)

It was a jam-packed weekend, so I'm going with bullets again!

I'm grateful for:

Day 18:

A fun group of people to work with. We were kicked out of the office at 4:30 to get margaritas at the Mexican place down the street!
Kid's movies with good lessons. Tonight we watched Pocahontas for the first time with Logan. It had such a good message for him!
Fun texts with my nephew. I miss my family!

Day 19:

An amazing kiddo that is SO good at the barbershop. I'm also grateful for his cute new haircut. :)

A sweet baby to hold (we visited Trung's cousin and her newborn - he's only like 6-1/2 pounds so so much smaller than Logan ever was!)

A yummy bowl of pho! And a kid that is happy to eat at places like a pho restaurant!

Day 20:

Breakfast with one of my favorite girls! And goofy shopping at Goodwill for craft supplies!
The opportunity to take Logan out on the ice before the hockey game. We were there with some of Trung's work friends, including two other little boys so it was a great time. Aside from one fall, he had an awesome time! Here's us in the player's box.

A great time at the Avalanche game. I forgot how fun hockey games are - I haven't been since before Logan was born! We even got a lottery ticket that was dropped by one of the mini-blimps that went overhead during the TV timeout. Logan loved scratching it off - and was so excited that he won $40! Not quite enough to pay off our tickets or food for the evening, but nice nonetheless. :)

30 days of gratitude: days 16 and 17

2011-11-17T09:57:00.001-07:00

(image from One Little Mama)

Day 16: I am grateful for happy mail. I got some printed scrapbook layouts yesterday, which always makes my day! Then earlier in the week I got a photobook (see last post) I ordered through a free coupon.

I’m also grateful for the fun Shutterfly deals I got online and through my House Party so I can get fun projects printed and get that happy mail.

I’m also grateful for happy mail I can send to others, including some of those fun discounts that I got from Shutterfly and some pictures drawn (or cut out) by my son. :)

Day 17: I am grateful that I have the ability to purchase lots of fun gifts for my son for Christmas and his birthday. I know it isn’t all about the presents (or even close) but it sure is fun to shop for him! I ordered a couple gifts this week - which means more happy mail coming my way. :)

photo book

2011-11-15T09:47:00.001-07:00

I got a free photobook from Shutterfly with a purchase I made at a scrapbooking store I frequent. So I made up a quick photobook of the photos Kate took of us in October. It was super fast using their templates. I used some fall quotes I found on the web. Love!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Turn your favorite photos into a photo book at Shutterfly.com.

30 days of gratitude: day 15

2011-11-15T09:32:00.001-07:00

(image from One Little Mama)

When I started this project, I worried that I’d find something to talk about every day. Now I’m having a hard time narrowing my list down. So today I thought instead of trying to come up with something in one topic, I’d do a random bullet list today. I’ll try to keep it about the little things instead of the obvious (family, friends, health, etc. ;))

I’m grateful that even though Logan was sobbing when I went to leave, Ms. Tori calmed him down and got him to work on a project before I left.
I’m grateful that my son loves me so much that he wants me to leave a little mark on his hand in marker every day. This way when he looks at it he knows I’m thinking of him. :)
I’m grateful for some time last night to craft. I’m putting together a December Daily album this year (first time paper scrapping one). I love that I’m ahead of the game for once and prepping in advance since December is always so crazy!
I’m grateful for some quiet time at work where I don’t have to work long hours. Although I am getting bored quickly! :)
I’m grateful for a husband that is an amazing father!
I’m grateful to have my Christmas cards already ordered and checked off my list. :) Of course I still have to write them out!
I’m grateful for the time and money to be able to go visit my new baby nephew next week. I CAN’T WAIT to hold that little guy!
I’m grateful for friends that want to continue our cookie and handmade gift exchange every year. It’s one of my favorite holiday traditions!

30 days of gratitude: day 14

2011-11-14T15:39:00.001-07:00

(image from One Little Mama)

Today, I am grateful for a much easier dropoff at school. Logan was so upset when I dropped him off at school on Friday, so today’s normal dropoff was a relief!

30 days of gratitude: days 12 and 13

2011-11-13T14:05:00.001-07:00

(image from One Little Mama)

Day 12: I am grateful for a lovely morning with friends. I’m also grateful for quiet times with my hubby when we can curl up and watch a movie after the little guy is in bed.

Day 13: I’m grateful for this lazy Sunday, because they are few and far between. We are all still in jammies at 2PM and it is AWESOME! No major to-do list, no errands, just hanging with the boys. Oh, and laundry and dirty dishes to do – those never go away!

30 days of gratitude: day 11

2011-11-11T12:38:00.001-07:00

(image from One Little Mama)

I’m completely and utterly grateful to all the veterans who have courageously fought (and sacrificed much) to maintain the freedoms that we often take for granted.

I’m also grateful for the families of veterans for turning their lives upside down to allow their loved ones to fight for their country.

I’m so honored to be a citizen of this country. Happy Veteran’s Day!

30 days of gratitude: day 10

2011-11-10T17:14:00.001-07:00

(image from One Little Mama)

Today, I am thankful that my day went much better than feared. :) I have this crazy project I’m working on - it is a big rehab of a dam. Sounds like a cool project? Maybe if you aren’t slightly claustrophobic and afraid of heights. The tunnels are HORRIFYING!

I don’t usually have to do job walks since we are providing limited services on that project, but today the owner asked me to participate in a warranty walkthrough of the first phase, which was before my time. I was expecting to have to walk through the tunnels, or worse down the scaffold which is currently the only way to get into the tunnels.

By the way, the bottom of the scaffold is the same point that the water comes out in the photo above. So probably a good couple hundred feet above the river. YIKES.

Lucky for me, my walk was only of the control house at the top and bottom of the dam (which we could drive to).

It’s the little things, right? :)

october

2011-11-09T22:16:00.001-07:00

30 days of gratitude: day 9

2011-11-09T16:55:00.003-07:00

(image from One Little Mama)

Today I am grateful for a constructive parent/teacher conference with Logan's teacher. She's so caring and offers such great, helpful observations about his development!

30 days of gratitude: day 8

2011-11-08T09:26:00.001-07:00

(image from One Little Mama)

Today I am grateful for a sweet little man who wanted to give me “a new kiss” before I left his school this morning. He came running to the door to give it to me. The best!!

30 days of gratitude: days 4-7

2011-11-07T08:43:00.001-07:00

(image from One Little Mama)

Day 4 (Friday): I am grateful for Fridays. :)

Day 5 (Saturday): I’m grateful for good friends, good food, and tiny babies. :) We had lunch with some good friends at our favorite place, then got to visit Trung’s cousin and her new baby boy in the hospital Saturday. He was just 24 hours old when I held him - so sweet!

Day 6 (Sunday): I’m grateful for educational apps that I can download to our iPod Touch to bribe Logan to go to the grocery store with me, but not make me feel guilty because he may just learn something doing them. :)

Day 7 (Monday): I’m thankful for Logan’s smooth transition with the time change! I’m also grateful for that 30 seconds of tight hugs when I get him up in the morning and carry him downstairs. He holds me so tightly and snuggles his face into my neck - it’s the best part of every day!

30 days of gratitude: day 3

2011-11-03T12:27:00.001-06:00

(image from One Little Mama)

Today, I am grateful for my husband’s cousin sharing an amazing photo of my son’s great-grandparents.

I don’t have a lot of heritage photos (or information, really) on my husband’s side of the family and that is something that I wish I could provide for Logan someday. This photo already means a lot to me!

By the way, I have a series of photos in our upstairs hall that includes wedding photos of both of our parents and photos of both sets of my grandparents and one of Trung’s other grandparents when they were young. I’m thrilled to pieces that I’ll be able to add this to that collection!

our halloween 2011

2011-11-02T17:00:00.000-06:00

I thought rather than explaining our Halloween, I’d share a 2-page spread I just did tonight!

Credits:
Template by Cathy Zielske (from Design Your Life class)
All papers by Crystal Wilkerson (Stripes-XS Collection, Oh Boy Collection, Neutral Paper Pack)
Ticket: Unknown (let me know if you know where I got this freebie – I don’t have a TOU!)

Journaling reads:
This wasn’t exactly the ideal Halloween. After dinner (but before candy) Logan walked out the front door in costume and threw up! Poor little guy. Maybe it was too exciting! But his costume was unscathed and felt a lot better after that. So he did a little trick or treating on our block, but then just wanted to come home. He had fun watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and handing out candy to trick or treaters at our house. I noticed he was a bit more liberal with the candy he gave out when there was a girl at our door!

30 days of gratitude: Days 1 and 2

2011-11-02T09:26:00.001-06:00

I was inspired this morning reading some posts from one of my favorite blogs, One Happy Mama, (graphic above is hers!) to start my own month of gratitude. After a challenging weekend and a frustrating start to my week at work, I think remembering the things I’m grateful for this month will be the perfect kickoff to this holiday season. I’d like to keep this light and about the little things. I think it’s obvious that I’m thankful for my child, husband, family, friends, my home, etc. This month I’d like to celebrate the little things that might not be as obvious, but I am thankful for just the same.

Since I’m a day behind, I’ll list two things I’m grateful for today. No pics today, but I promise to include them when I can!

I’m grateful for this little blog. I know I don’t post often, but it is nice to have an avenue where I can do projects like this and share them with loved ones!
I’m grateful to have a good car that gets me safely to work on snowy days like today!

Have a lovely day!

logan: 46 months

2011-10-31T22:00:00.001-06:00

(photo courtesy Kate Kintzel Photography)

Logan, this month:

You are:

Officially a “rester” instead of a napper! Sometimes you fall asleep in the car on the way home (which means disaster) but usually you do pretty well. You crash fast at bedtime and mostly sleep through the night!
A big negotiator. I tell you it is time for bed and you say sweetly, “how about just two more hours?”
So tall! I’m not sure when it happened but you seemed to have sprouted overnight. Some of the 4T clothes I get for you almost look like they will be too small soon!
You weigh just under 40 pounds. And you eat A LOT.

You say:

Taunting things in a sing-song voice. Like “you can’t find me!” in a tone of “na na na boo boo!”
“Woo” when you see the word “wow.” As in “Next time, we should go to Woo, Mommy!” (Wow is a store next to IKEA)
Words like “puke” and “vagina” and then giggle madly. We are working on that.
Again, again, again! When you want us to do something over and over!

You made:

A boy list of boys you like and girl list of girls you like. Mommy isn’t always on the girl list. Not too keen about that.
A Mater lego kit with little help from Dad. You did a great job following the instructions!

You learned:

All about the solar system. Like that Jupiter is so big all the other planets could fit inside. And that if there was a bathtub big enough to place Saturn in, Saturn would float!
More reading skills. Last week you read one of the 2 series reading books. The only word we had to help you with was “Metropolis”.

You, quoted:

When asked if you wanted to see the pics Kate took of us, you answered, “No, I only want to see pictures of Duncan!”

Love you more than there are stars in the sky, buddy! (By the way, when I say this to you, you always whisper in my ear “Love you more than Daddy!”. Secretly, I don’t blame you. :)

family photo session part 2

2011-10-30T20:07:00.000-06:00

Here’s the 2nd set of photos from our family session. All photos are courtesy Kate Kintzel Photography!

family photo session 2011

2011-10-25T21:15:00.001-06:00

We had the amazing pleasure of having our family photos taken by the uber-talented Kate Kintzel a few weeks ago. I’m thrilled to pieces with the results! I am having such a hard time narrowing down my favorites! In fact it varies by day – I’m sure in a month I’ll look at this post and think I’m missing the most important one!

I’ll split this into two posts so you don’t get overwhelmed. :) All photos are courtesy Kate Kintzel Photography! (thanks, Kate – you ROCK!)

september

2011-10-16T21:55:00.001-06:00

Time to close out September!

All templates are part of the Monthly pack from Cathy Zielske. The kit is Just Because by Three Paper Peonies. And the twill is from the Week in the Life Twill by Ali Edwards.

See the other months here.

This month I’m linking up to the Simple as That Month in Photos linky!

Logan: 45 months

2011-10-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

Logan, this month you are:
You are:

Taking less naps, but then sleeping through the night. Thinking it is time to lose the naps!
Super shy when introduced to new people. Or just new for that day – you hide behind me every day going into school.
All about girls. At night, when you say you are sad and I tell you to think of something that makes you happy, you say you are going to thinking of Auntie, Ha, Beda and Faith. Those are your girls.
Very curious about what foods are healthy. The other morning you refused my offer of a PB&J by saying, “Uh, sugar!” with your head cocked to one side as if to say “Duh, Mom!” You sometimes will check “the facts” on the side of containers to see if something is healthy!

You say:

A few things wrong and I refuse to correct you because they are cute:

Mommy, is this worther more?
Ready, setty, go!
Constructions instead of instructions
Key-acters instead of characters

“School is boring.” Sigh. Seriously? You are three!!!
Uh HUH! (With lots of emphasis on the "huh!")

You learned:

So much more in reading and it blows me away. Today, without assistance, you sentence the phrase “Canada touches three oceans – the Arctic, the Atlantic and the Pacific.” I mean seriously, kid. Did anyone tell you you are only three?

Your favorites:

The Pioneer Woman cooking show. I love that! Not sure if it is the cooking, the ranch scenes, the kids or the hostess with red hair (you have things for redheads!).
Yogurt in any shape or form. You eat three a day!
Your “fortress”. We threw a quilt over the couch in the front room and you love to hang out in there (particularly if we join you) with your stuffed animals and the lantern that Grandma and Grandpa sent you.

You, quoted:
"No! I want soup! Daddy never let's me get anything healthy!" (when Daddy asked you if you wanted to get pizza for lunch.”

Love you more than there are stars in the sky, buddy!
Love, Mommy

2011-10-04T21:32:00.001-06:00

I never shared my last pages!

Day 23: Scrap the numbers

Everything (papers, label, word art, stitches) is by Crystal Wilkerson

Day 24: Scrap a page inspired by lyrics or a song

This is a quick page by Splendid Fiins

Day 25: Scraplift yourself

Word Art by Paislee Press and Label by Crystal Wilkerson

Day 26: Scrap in your newfound style

Papers, washi, word art and journal card are all Paislee Press’s Photobooth kit

I did it! I haven’t scrapped since but I feel like I accomplished a lot. I got a lot of pages done, better understood my scrapping style, and got my desire to scrap back. I’ve taken a break, but am excited to do my September roundup pages after things settle down in the next week. We have lots going on over at DSSP this week and my parents are coming in this weekend, so it will have to wait. But I’m not worried – I’ve got some great tools from this class to keep me going!

2011-09-21T22:46:00.001-06:00

Still keeping up! Only four more days of this challenge left after today!

Day 19: Pick a photo and scrapbook it, even if it out of order or against the rules.

Template (Whimsical Sketches) by Kitty Designs
Papers by Paislee Press
Splatters by Splendid Fiins

Day 20: Emotion

Template by Molly Schneider
Boyfriend Kit by Cosmo Cricket
Label by Crystal Wilkerson

Day 21: Shaped Photo

Freebie Template by Kitty Designs
Wishing Jar Kit by Paislee Press

Day 22: Scrapbook an “end”

Template is by Tiffany Tillman
Flower Accent by Kathrin Pfetzing
Papers by Joyce Paul Designs and Hazel Olive Designs (Orange)

memory monday

2011-09-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

More pages to share! I fell a little behind due to a head cold that sidelined me Thursday and Friday, but I made it up over the weekend!
Day 14: Stamp on your page.

Template is by Tiffany Tillman
Papers by Crystal Wilkerson (including extracted little stars) as is the "Hair" font. Other font is CK Becky.
Brush is by Ali Edwards

Day 15: Scrap a difficult topic.

Quickpage by Paislee Press
Heart by Traci Reed and Alpha is by Doohikey
Day 16: Use a photo you’ve used before.

Template is by Paislee Press
Papers are by Cosmo Cricket
Day 17: Free day

Made a paper page this time! I used Thickers letter stickers, a Basic Grey brad, random buttons, Bazzil cardstock and a patterned paper scrap. The title is because he’s wearing a Guns & Roses onesie (not sure you can see with it this small so I thought I’d explain. :))
Day 18: Follow a Selected Color scheme

Everything is from the Instant Photo Kit by Three Paper Peonies except for the staples, which are by Paislee Press.
Happy Monday!

simple things photo:

2011-09-18T22:03:00.001-06:00

My silly boys! This is a photo of them watching the video for the Party Rock Anthem song by LMFAO (Logan calls it the “Shuffling Song”.) I love that Logan is just hanging out in his cape. :)

I’m participating in the simple things photo challenge this week! Click here for more information:

2011-09-13T20:18:00.001-06:00

I’m still going strong! Here are the latest. Even though I’m not sharing every layout (some are gifts and others just a bit too personal) I’ve kept up every day – on day 13 now!

Day 7 – Scrapbook like it’s 1999 (stickers, themed pattern papers, etc.)

Template by Cathy Zielske

Papers by Crystal Wilkerson's Oh Boy Collection (including the candle stickers, they were extracted from one of her papers)

word art by Three Paper Peonies.

Day 8 – What do you need?

Template and papers by Paislee Press

Day 10: Black and White Photo

Template and papers by Paislee Press

Day 11: We followed a sketch.

Papers and elements from the Vagabond kit by One Little Bird

Day 12: Use a subpar photo.

Template by Cathy Zielske

Papers by Echo Park

Scallop Brush by Crystal Wilkerson

Day 13: Rituals

Frame set is by Paislee Press

Graph Paper Overlay by Splendid Fiins

Journaling Card from For the Record by Echo Park

Other Papers and elements are from the Early Bird kit by Cosmo Cricket.

San Fran Album

2011-09-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

After the shower, but before my husband’s trip this past weekend, I took advantage of some down crafting time to throw together a mini album on our trip to San Fran this spring. I used an amazing mini book from the I love it all shop (unfortunately it is no longer available!). I added some pages from my stash since I got a little out of control on the number of photos. :) Typical. I have some journaling to add still, but it’s 95% done, so I thought I’d share it here!

I had ridiculous amounts of fun making this album!! I can’t thank Monika enough for creating such an inspiring product. The varying page sizes gave me creative license to put all sorts of memorabilia right in as their own pages (like the Muir Woods map and the TSA sticker Logan got).
It was a blast to make and so gratifying to get this done so quickly!

2011-09-07T06:32:00.001-06:00

Today I have more pages from my LOAD (Layout a Day) class!

Day 3: Scrap the photo that says "I really need to scrapbook this!" But somehow you never get around to doing it.

Credits: Layered Quickpage from Crystal Wilkerson

Day 4: Determining My Minimum Requirements for a Page -this is a “bare bones” page so to speak :)

Credits: Paper from June 2009 Neutral Papers and tag from Color Combo 02 Labels, both by Crystal Wilkerson.

Day 6: Self Portrait

Template by Ali Edwards. Papers and splatters by Paislee Press (from sociologie and altered ego kits).

simple things photo

2011-09-05T21:41:00.000-06:00

It was a long crazy weekend. Trung left on his trip Friday morning, and Logan didn’t have school on Friday (or today of course) so we had four days on our own. I’m not sure I could say it was a relaxing weekend, but we did pack in a lot of fun time with friends. Including a trip to the zoo with some friends that we don’t get to see very often!

Here are the boys checking out the hippo. So cute!
I’m participating in the simple things photo challenge this week!

august recap

2011-09-04T08:57:00.001-06:00

Apparently this layout a day mindset has gotten me hyper motivated to get pages done! Here’s the recap of August!

You can find my other months here.

This month I’m posting on time so I can link up to Rebecca’s A Month in Photos!

july in review

2011-09-03T23:20:00.000-06:00

At least I’m not more than a month behind. :) Here’s July’s recap!

All templates are part of the Monthly pack from Cathy Zielske. The kit is Just Because by Three Paper Peonies. And the twill is from the Week in the Life Twill by Ali Edwards.
If you want to see previous months, click here.

pages from my class

2011-09-02T22:52:00.001-06:00

I’ve been participating in the MotherLOAD class at Big Picture – it’s a class by Lain Ehmann that ends with 26 days of layouts (LOAD stands for Layout a Day). My goal is to kickstart my scrapbooking a big and get more pages done. This hobby of mine is rewarding to me in so many ways. I’ve always loved projects that have a distinct end to them. I love that burst of accomplishment and pride. And every page serves as that project to me. But the best part, more than most other craft projects, is that I also get a memory recorded and build a wonderful book of pages to enjoy for years. I love looking back through my scrapbooks.

Well the layout a day portion of the class started at a rather inconvenient time – Trung is out of town on a motorcycle trip for the next four days. But I managed to get my two pages done for yesterday and today, so I’m rather proud of myself! They are simple pages, but it feels good to document them. And after a rough day it feels great to get this accomplished!

Day 1 Prompt – Document a Goal

Word art by Ali Edwards.

Day 2 Prompt – The last time you laughed.

Template by Cathy Zielske. Patterned Papers by Cosmo Cricket. Solid Paper from the sociologie kit by Paislee Press.

Here’s hoping I keep it up this month!!

Logan–44 Months

2011-08-30T21:50:00.001-06:00

Logan, this month:

You are:

Singing all the time. The other day when we left Whole Foods you sang the song that was on in the store for like 5 minutes (“Pumped Up Kicks”)
Pretty clingy at dropoff again. It’s sure hard to leave you when you are begging me to stay!

You are interested in:

Adele and her music. Obsessed may be more like it. Your favorite song is “Boomer Has It” (aka, Rumor Has It) and you demand it nearly every morning in the car. This morning you were asking me questions like where Adele lives, what her house looks like, etc.
Wearing plain white t-shirts everyday. Daddy wears one under his dress shirts and you like that you are just like him.
Playing in the pool every day!

You say:

I don’t know. It’s your deal! (When you want us to choose something).
Is that soooooo??????
It’s a bird! It’s a airplane! It’s Superman!!

You made:

The coolest picture of our family plus Auntie, Uncle and Baby Duncan under a rainbow. We won’t go into Uncle’s giant head. :)
A super bunny costume from your cape and bunny ears. You wore it around the house a lot. When show and share day came around, you decided to only bring the bunny ears, because “we only bring one thing to show and share, Mom.”

You learned:

How to count to a million! OK, so you count to a hundred, then count by hundreds (one hundred, two hundred…) up to 900, then announce “A million!!”. It’s pretty cute.
Even more addition problems. We’ve started to work with you on flashcards.
Your colors in Vietnamese, thanks to Auntie!!

Your favorites:

Listening to Adele – every day you ask to listen to “Rolling in the Deep” and “Boomer Has It” (aka Rumor Has It). You won’t let me sing the lyrics – only the backup.

You, quoted:

“Did you know the people in these houses like rock music? So turn it up!” (while driving and listening to who else – Adele!)

Love you more than there are stars in the sky, buddy!!

simple things : pool

2011-08-28T21:48:00.000-06:00

I’m not sure why I didn’t just do it earlier in the summer, but I finally broke down and bought Logan a little kiddie pool. It’s been so hot, and the pools were finally on clearance (clearnance as he calls it!) so I picked out one of the larger inflatable ones. It turned out to be a big hit in our house this week – he played in it 3 out of 4 days since I bought it! Such a nice relief from the heat – luckily we can put it in the shade!

I’m participating in the Simple Things Photo Challenge this week. Click below for more information!

sleepyhead

2011-08-25T22:34:00.000-06:00

Credits: Template by Tiffany Tillman and Word Art by Taylormade (“Lemonade Stand” Collab), both from the 25 Days of Summer (2010) Class downloads (Find 2011 class here). Star and Paper are from “Wishing Jar” by Paislee Press.

hello sunshine!

2011-08-22T22:24:00.001-06:00

Credits: “Sweet Summertime Quick Page 09” by Crystal Wilkerson; “Bring on the Sun” Word Art by Ali Edwards

Logan–43 Months

2011-08-20T08:36:00.001-06:00

Logan, this month:

You are:

40 inches tall and weigh 37 pounds
An official hiker! We went on a long hike and you did great!

You say:

Can I please stay up/play for just seven more minutes?
Woo hoo!!!!
Mommy, feel my muscles! (and flex)
Pretty PLEASE?????
Mommy, honk your horn! (when people aren’t going fast enough at a green light for you)
I love you more than Daddy! (your often answer after I say I love you more than there are stars in the sky)

You made:

A sweet little note for me that says “I love you, Mommy". It’s awesome!

You learned:

How to brush your teeth (or at least how to tell Mommy how to brush your teeth) thanks to a dentist visit.
How to read 2 syllable words! You are reading lots these days!
Even more math – you can add many two single digit numbers.

Your favorites:

Sticking baby tomatoes and grapes in your cheeks like a chipmunk

You, quoted:

If there was a dinosaur in real life and he was being mean to you, I am going to turn it into bones with a flashlight!

Logan–42 Months

2011-08-20T08:25:00.001-06:00

I’m catching up on these – and I decided making my process simpler will make it easier for me to finish every month! Here’s last month’s.

Logan, this month:

You are very interested in:

Being healthy so you can grow strong and get excited when you weigh more on the scale.

You say:

Constructions (instead of instructions for a game)
Smell my breath!
I’m a little shy!
I’m a little scared. Can I hold your hand? (at bedtime)

You made:

Lots of pictures, including some of our family and some of a bunch of lines of colors that you say is the “Doodle Jump” game.
A couple books! We made one together – you were the illustrator and the author – I just wrote the words you say.

Your favorites:

Board and Card Games (Uno, Candyland, Ladybug Game)
Dancing! You make up crazy names for the dances too. My favorites are “W-arms” and “robot”. You love to play dance video games

june in review

2011-08-10T22:25:00.002-06:00

Yep, I’m a month behind. But these FOUR pages took me all of 30 minutes tonight. LOVE LOVE this project!!

All templates are part of the Monthly pack from Cathy Zielske. The kit is Just Because by Three Paper Peonies. And the twill is from the Week in the Life Twill by Ali Edwards.

See January here, February here, March here, April here and May here. Hopefully next week will bring July’s. :)

memory monday – finally!!

2011-07-25T06:06:00.000-06:00

I’ve gotten over the idea that quickpages are cheating. My family will never look at this page and think, “wow, she totally cheated on this page!” They will just see the memories and the pics.
Crystal Wilkerson has some great quickpages – hers are layered so you can move things around or replace items (or delete them) more easily than the usual quickpage.
All I changed in the one below is to make the journal box larger and move up the title to accommodate. Finally out of my scrapbooking hiatus! Quickpages like this help me push through and make a page fast, even when I think I don’t have time!
Credits: Layered Quick Page from Crystal Wilkerson – Sweet Summertime Quickpage 06

simple things

2011-07-24T08:24:00.001-06:00

This is a little over a week old but I could help sharing (since I’m behind in uploading photos and just rediscovered it).

We are a bit in flux with naps. He never wants to take one, but is so much more pleasant in the evenings he does. On the weekends if he falls asleep in the car during errands we are usually out of luck on a real nap. On this day he obviously needed it regardless of the nap in the car. He fell asleep watching Daddy play a racing game. Sweet little face – not very often I get to snap a pic of him sleeping in good light – we keep his room pretty dark. So love this photo and couldn’t resist using it for the simple things photo challenge!

Find out more about Rebecca’s simple things photo challenge here:

simple things photo challenge

2011-07-10T17:19:00.003-06:00

We had such a great vacation with our family! What did we do? Well, not much of anything. Just hung out together, played a lot of cards and board games, ate a lot of food, played a lot in the hot tub, and enjoyed the scenery. It was a perfect vacation except for one important missing person! :(

My sister bought Logan a new board game. We much have played it 14 million times. But Logan loved it every time! The best part about this photo? I got out of that round of the game. :) Hee hee.

Participating in the Simple Things Photo Challenge. Find out more here:

changed my life

2011-07-08T22:41:00.000-06:00

This post changed my life.

OK, slight exaggeration. But it's my new favorite way to avoid a hot hair dryer on hot summer mornings.

Everyone thinks I spent all morning curling my hair. In reality, it takes me about 2 minutes before bed the night before and I wake up with bouncy curls. LOVE!

a recent conversation

2011-06-28T21:33:00.000-06:00

Auntie was working with Logan on some flashcards of the states of the US. He did great! Obviously he felt it was a bit easier than we did.

A: What’s this one?
L: New Hampshire!
A: Wow, buddy! How did you get that one so fast?
L: Uh, because it says New Hampshire.
Um, yeah.

simple things photo challenge

2011-06-26T21:09:00.002-06:00

My apologies for being MIA lately! Obviously most of you know about my other blog, which has been taking up a lot of my time lately as my partner in crime in that venture relocates (sad face :( ). But work has also been insane for both of us, and we’ve been on the road some and have houseguests a lot this month. Including these guys.

So excited for the new baby they are expecting, and even more excited to see them as parents. It was a super short visit, but we’ll see them soon for the baby shower!!!

Later this week my family arrives in town, so we are busy bees these days. I’m pretty sure Logan will be spoiled rotten by the time this visit is out. Can’t wait. :) I love having family in town!!

Participating in the Simple Things Photo Challenge. Find out more here.

Oh, can’t resist sharing an outtake. Of course, Tam still looks gorgeous. Not sure if Matt and Logan are in pain, or just afraid? :)

may in review

2011-06-02T22:05:00.002-06:00

All caught up! I’m still loving this project – in a couple hours (if that) I’m able to get a month recorded. I was behind and hadn’t completed April yet, but by doing them at the same time I was able to save a lot time. I can’t wait to have an album of a full year printed. So much fun!

All templates are part of the Monthly pack from Cathy Zielske. The kit is Just Because by Three Paper Peonies. And the twill is from the Week in the Life Twill by Ali Edwards.

See January here, February here, March here and April here.
I’m participating in the Simple as That “A Month in Photos” this month!! Click here for some major inspiration!

april in review

2011-06-02T22:00:00.000-06:00

All templates are part of the Monthly pack from Cathy Zielske. The kit is Just Because by Three Paper Peonies. And the twill is from the Week in the Life Twill by Ali Edwards.

See January here, February here and March here.

Logan – 41 months

2011-05-27T21:26:00.000-06:00

Hey, little man. I’m sorry I might have been grumpier than usual this month. It’s been a challenging month for me for various reasons, and I hate that I took it out on you sometimes – that we argued when we didn’t need to and I wasn’t as understanding as I should be. I know that no mom is perfect, but you deserve better. Things are looking calmer these days, so I’m working on snuggling you more and listening and soothing you more. You sure do try your best to be a good boy and I appreciate that a ton! You are so polite and giving. You’ll share anything with me – sometimes even forcefully (Mom, try this grapefruit! It’s good!). :) And you are doing so good at saying please and thank you (although often any please is followed by “didn’t I ask so nicely?”). And you even call me ma’am sometimes! Super cute. I really couldn’t be luckier – I’ve got the best family in the world.
Speaking of being a good boy, you were the best travel companion this month. Just you and I flew back to South Dakota for Faith and Caleb’s graduations. It was our first trip without Daddy, and only your third airplane trip ever(although you don’t remember your first because you were only 3 months old!). You made it so easy on me. In fact, if I hadn’t been so foolish to schedule our return trip during nap time (and even then it wasn’t so bad) it would have been too easy! On the trip out you were a perfect companion (I won’t mention your demand for privacy in the airport bathroom stall). Almost better than Daddy (ha!). :) We had such a great time on the trip. I really wish you lived closer to family. You get so heart-broken when we leave everyone! In fact I think that was part of the reason you had a bit of a rough time on the return trip. But that was my fault for booking a flight at naptime!
We had your parent-teacher conference this month too and I couldn’t be prouder of you. You are excelling in everything. We are working on your handwriting, since that needs some work (or motivation!) but really even that is advanced for your age. You are such a smart little guy. It blows my mind every day!
We have this new game we play every day that cracks you up. You came home a few weeks ago insisting that your teacher, Ms. Tori, told you that you shouldn’t see mommies kissing daddies. You were pretty adament that first night. Now you just smile and point out you shouldn’t see it. We might kiss a few more times in front of you just to make it funnier. :) The other night you told Daddy not to kiss me because it was taking my breath. Daddy of course thought that was awesome and reminds us of it every night.
We are in this in between stage with you on naptime. You still seem to desperately need it (you are SOOOO grumpy at night when you don’t get one!) but you don’t want to take one. We are trying to figure out if an earlier bedtime and no nap is the solution. You still climb in our bed in the middle of the night – sometimes pushing Daddy out. We need to work on that too!
You are so obsessed with Ariel from Little Mermaid and Princess Peach from Mario Kart that it cracks me up! I’m not sure why you always pick the princesses. Tonight at Target you saw a display of the Disney princess dolls and you stood there for like 5 minutes staring at it. Then you decided that the Ariel doll didn’t look like her and left. :) Auntie Kelly took you to a bookstore to pick out anything you wanted and you got an Ariel book. The airport incident I mentioned above on our return flight is because you thought the new Princess Peach car Auntie Kelly got you would be scared to go through the conveyor at the security checkpoint. And it was a disaster when you left your Ariel Pez dispenser in your cubby at school the other night (lack of nap that day didn’t help). I’m not sure why you are so suddenly attached to a Pez dispenser. Good thing Auntie Kristen got it for you because I am not sure what happened to the old (as in 1994) Ariel magnet you carried around disappeared to! Daddy says it is because you have a way with the ladies. :)
This month when Daddy turned on the lawn sprinklers for the season, you discovered the joy of running through them. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you that ecstatic (that is the picture above)! You were laughing HYSTERICALLY! I love that you can find such joy in the every day. It inspires me to work harder at it myself!
I know I say it every month, but it is so true that I am so incredibly blessed to have you. I love you more than there are stars in the sky, buddy. We are going to have the best summer ever – I can’t wait!
Lots of Love,
Mommy

simple things photo challenge

2011-05-15T09:01:00.001-06:00

Sorry I’ve been MIA lately – things are a bit crazy in our house these days. But that makes us appreciate the simple things even more!

This is the joy of a 3 year old finding out our lawn has an automatic sprinkler system. Too bad it isn’t a video for you to hear the hysterical laughter that was involved! We enjoyed the sunshine while we had it – it’s been rainy for most of the rest of the week.

Linking up to the Simple Things Photo Challenge!

happy mother’s day! {33 things}

2011-05-08T08:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Mother’s Day to my amazing mom! I owe everything I know about being a good mom to her and my incredible sisters, who both have raised some pretty amazing soon-to-be high school graduates (headed back for graduation in 2 weeks!). I’m so lucky to have grown up in such a family full of incredible women.

Remember this post last year? I listed 22 things I’d learned from my two year old. It is a post that I absolutely LOVED writing. So I’ve decided to add a few on this year. For those that need a refresher, I’ll reshare the first 22 as well.

33 things I learned from my 3 year old:

Sucking on a pacifier is a good way to stop talking long enough to fall asleep.
Yogurt makes a yummy dessert.
A coffee table (even a padded one) in front of a couch is asking for gymnastics and bumps and bruises.
Trains do not make very good bedtime companions (ouch!).
Ground in Play doh is difficult to get out of carpet.
A dog is a mother's best friend at mealtime with a toddler.
It's more fun getting places if you gallop like a horse.
Bath time before bed is not relaxing. It's a splash fest.
Asking "do you have to use the toilet?" is a stupid question. The answer is only "yes" when tucked in bed.
The iPhone is an easy tool to get through dinner at a restaurant without annoying neighboring diners. But good luck getting it back.
It hurts to step on a Matchbox car. A LOT.
Apparently boogers and farts are funny to boys at any age.
There really is no reason not to have a pickle with breakfast.
Someday, you'll miss when he used to say "ladygub" instead of "ladybug".
It's a good idea to match the color of the lunch you pack with the color of the shirt you are wearing (e.g. a red shirt if you are packing strawberries).
Fleece inside a winter coat is warm, but it holds onto woodchips/mulch like superglue.
Although it feels great to take a nap, the couple of hours of "me time" can be more refreshing.
It's just as fun to smash sandcastles as it is to make them.
Disney movies (and all other kid movies for that matter) can be pretty scary!
Although it may result in more work for you, asking little ones to help with simple chores makes them happy and teaches them good lessons. Who knew Logan would love to water plants (something I always forget to do!)
Moms feel physical pain at the sound of their child's cry. And sometimes at the sound of any other random child in an airplane or grocery store, particularly when she's away from her own child!
Time speeds by so fast. He won't be little forever. Drink in every second of every day, every giggle, every smile, every word, and especially every hug and kiss.
Don’t let daycare pressure you into potty-training before your child is ready. All the books are right – you can’t force it until he is just ready. Eight months of 2-3 sets of clothes a day is a hard way to learn.
Spontaneous dance parties are AWESOME.
Be conscious of how often you use a word before you ban it from your child’s vocabulary. (I’m threatened with timeout on a daily basis for saying the word “whatever”).
Never stand in front of your male child while they are sitting on the toilet. You WILL get peed on.
Never stand with your face directly over your child’s head when they are standing. They WILL jump and you will probably cry. (Took me two times to learn this one!).
Don’t underestimate the fun a plastic hanger can provide while Mommy is showering. It is a sword to fight off bad guys, a slide for imaginary miniature friends and the hook makes a good bow when armed with one of mommy's hairbands as an arrow.

When taking a small child through airport security at a busy airport, send the stroller through the baggage scan first. Then when you get to the other side you can strap him in and not worry about him wandering away while you gather the rest of your things.
Care packages from aunties and grandmas should be opened AFTER dinner. They inevitably contain dessert.
Every child needs a collection. Be thankful when it is rocks and not worms.
Get over your mess anxiety and break out the washable paints already.
Jump in every puddle you see.

Happy Mother’s Day!!

Logan–40 Months

2011-05-06T21:35:00.001-06:00

Dear coolest kid on the planet,

Have I told you I loved you? Or kissed those adorable cheeks today? Oh, yeah. Probably only a few dozen times. You are too much, buddy. Every day is literally an adventure with you! You are quite a “key-yecter” (your way of pronouncing the word “character”)!

You’ve started reading! Yes, that is right. My little guy is reading. We picked you up some early reader books and you are blowing me away. We read 2-3 of them every day and you are so good at them! I’m pretty sure there’s no way we could be even more proud of you. You are so patient and proud when it comes to reading. OK, so on occasion you do try to convince me it is my turn to read. :) But you don’t argue when I ask you to just sound it out!

You are such a super loving guy and even though you and Daddy wrestle on almost a daily basis (more on that soon) you let me give you tons of kisses and snuggle me when I need you. You offer to rub my back when you are laying down with me and ALWAYS say “I love you too!” after I tell you how much I love you. It’s awesome!
Your vocabulary is pretty awesome. There are some crazy profound things that come out of your mouth. But it seems you are getting more self conscious lately, which makes me a little sad. Sometimes when I giggle when you say something you tell me not to tell Daddy. You are always smiley and giggly when you say it, but I can tell you’d prefer we didn’t recap your silly comments! Sometimes I have to sneak Daddy a text of the crazy things you say just so you won’t hear me tell him!

We had such a great trip to San Francisco this month to see Auntie and Uncle. You are so excited about the idea of your new baby cousin coming! We are thrilled too. You always ask when your baby cousin is going to be here (It tell you that he or she will be born around Halloween and we talk about when that is compared to now and your birthday. I really wish you had family close by to grow up with. Sometimes it breaks my heart to think you’ll miss out on that experience.

While we were in San Fran you became obsessed with playing Mario Kart with Auntie and Uncle! We’ve been playing a few nights a week with you and you love to just hold your own steering wheel and help us jump. :) Oddly you know all the track names – so much more than I do! It’s so funny to be playing with you and hear you complain “awww, Old School AGAIN?” It makes me giggle every time!

You’ve been hesitant about going to school lately. There was one day before vacation that you cried and cried when Daddy left you. I’m not sure what was going on but thankfully I think we are just about out of this phase. Atticus, a five year old, is one of your very best friends. He’s there almost every day before you and always willing to play superheroes with you. So it makes it a little easier to convince you to stay when we drop you off. Thank goodness – it breaks my heart when you ask to come with me instead of staying!
After a week of crazy wrestling with Daddy every night, we got some feedback from your teachers that you and some other kids were roughhousing and getting too wound up in class. You had to sit out of some activities a couple times. Then the other night you and three other kids were caught throwing rocks at cars from the playground (scary, considering you have a pretty good arm!). We’ve had a few talks since then and cut out the wrestling and you seem to be back to normal. Let’s hope it was just a little phase!

We are so lucky to have such a good natured little guy. I noticed recently while with some friends that a little tantrum you threw was incredibly odd to witness. I think you were just reacting the same way as the other child was, but it was so weird to see you whine and cry over getting your way. We are so spoiled to have such a hapy little guy who doesn’t throw the typical toddler tantrums. I am sure a lot of it has to do with your ability to verbalize what is wrong instead. It’s pretty awesome.

You are such a sweet little guy (you conned Daddy into buying me roses earlier this week) but also so much fun! We love you more than there are stars in the sky, Buddy!

Love, Mommy

favorite children’s books - april 2011

2011-04-28T10:48:00.001-06:00

It’s been a while since I updated on our favorite children’s books so I thought it was time to share our recent favorites!

1. Little Owl Lost - This is a new library favorite that Logan LOVES. It’s a cute story of a little owl that falls out of his nest and a silly squirrel that helps him find his mama. Great illustrations and they made sure to keep the story light.

2. Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad - We love the Ladybug Girl series and own Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy - that one has been a favorite for a while. This is a great series that teaches valuable lessons. Lulu, the title character, fancies herself a superhero by the name of Ladybug Girl, so it is right up our alley!

3. DC Super Friends - Heroes United - Couldn’t make this list without some Super Friends! This is a great paperback book - it’s two stories in one (flip to read Attack of the Robots!). The two stories are separated by paper doll superheroes and a backdrop you can punch out! Long after Logan has tired of the dolls we are still reading this one most nights before bed. It’s great for the younger superhero fan- it’s a very non-violent version of the characters (or key-acters as Logan calls them!).

I’d love to hear your favorite children’s books!

kisses

2011-04-28T09:24:00.000-06:00

This little man told us last night, “Ms. Tori (his teacher) said we don’t like to see mommies kiss daddies.” I asked her about it this morning and apparently it was something in a book they’d read yesterday.

Of course anyone that knows my hubby, knows he milked it all night. “Logan, Mommy is trying to kiss me!” Then Logan would come running over with a stern look and say, “Mommy, don’t kiss Daddy.”

Apparently it’s a one way street because Trung asked Logan if he could kiss me and Logan said that was OK. As long as I didn’t kiss him back.
Guess that just means more kisses for Logan!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately! We were on a wonderful vacation last week to San Fran! I’m working on his 40 month post so should be up soon!

Kisses! :)

delay tactics

2011-04-19T14:15:00.002-06:00

We are those parents. You know, the ones that lay down with their kids to get them to go to sleep? No, he doesn't sleep in our bed (although he has been known to climb in most mornings at about 4AM), but we lay with him at bedtime to get him to go to sleep.

I blame it on the terrible plan to get him out of the crib at 18months old (he wouldn't sleep through the night anymore) and everything went downhill from there. Basically I have no idea how to get him to stay in bed and not just turn on the light and read books or play. Any ideas would be appreciated. :)

I had a plan when he was 2 to stop but then my husband (who is non-sentimental, so it was even worse) pointed out how sad I'll be when Logan is old enough to not want me to lay with him at bedtime. I stopped complaining.

Anyway, so we lay on the floor next to his bed (which is a mattress on the floor for now) each night and pull the blanket over our heads (we swap nights) and mess around on the phone/iTouch until he falls asleep. (Forgive me if you get a badly spelled email from me between the hours of 8-9PM at night - it's because I'm typing on my iTouch under a blanket).

We are also at that age where Logan will try every delay tactic in the book to put off sleeping. He needs water. He needs to go potty. He needs a stuffed animal. Etc. But typically, he just asks random questions or tells us random things. I like how you can hear his brain working, processing random bits of information. It cracks me up the things he's thinking of as he's fighting sleep! Here are some of my recent favorites.

Random
Mommy, what is 3 plus 3?
Mommy, is the human torch a good guy or a bad guy?
Mommy, do you know how to spell meat?
Mommy, what comes after Monday?
Mommy, do we still have the Avatar movie? (yes) But I can't find it!

Just plain silly
Mommy, my feet are like ten feet long!
Mommy, guess what? What if a giant plant rolled me up? (a giant plant?) yeah, a real giant plant. We'd have to get a knife to cut off the real giant plant!
Mommy? I feel my bones. They are inside of me. If you took them out you'd be flat like toilet paper. Or cookies.

Gets me every time
Mommy, I'm scared!
Mommy? I love you!
Mommy, I am going to get a stuffed animal for you!
Mommy, do you want me to rub your back for you? (yep, totally got me on that one)

By the way, forgive any misspellings. I typed this on a blogger app on my iTouch under a blanket last night.

simple things photo challenge

2011-04-17T16:56:00.000-06:00

Trung and Logan went fishing yesterday morning! Trung has always enjoyed fishing, and has been itching for Logan to get old enough to go too. Used to be I had to go with (I’m SO NOT a fisherman) and wrangle Logan while Trung fished. But Saturday, they went on their own with some friends of Trung’s from work and had a great time! They caught two bass!

Love that this picture means Daddy and Logan bonding time. It wasn’t terrible that it also meant I had time to myself on a lovely Saturday morning. :)

Not very often that I post a photo I didn’t even take, but this one is well worth it!

Linking up to the Simple Things Photo Challenge!

a recent conversation

2011-04-13T15:00:00.001-06:00

Logan and I were discussing the fact that I needed to get him sandals for school soon, since he has grown out of the ones from last year. I prefer to send him in good sandals in the spring and summer - am I the only parent who has a child who dumps a bunch of wood chips/mulch on my floor when he takes off his shoes? Sigh.

M: I’ll try to find you some sandals this week, buddy.

L: Yeah, you should look at the store.

M: Yep, I’ll go to the store to find you some new sandals to wear.

L: Mommy, you should find some on clearnance (spelling intentional).

M: What, baby?

L: You should look for some sandals for me on clearnance.

We think alike, my son and I. :)

memory monday – date nite

2011-04-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

Boyfriend Kit by Cosmo Cricket
Kingthings Trypewriter Font
Heart is by Traci Reed (Little Miss Can’t be Wrong Kit)
Photos are via Hipstamatic App
Forgive the liberty on spelling – it worked better on the page that way! :)

Dance Machine

2011-04-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

With sweet green mukluks. Love that kid. :)

march 2011 in review

2011-04-03T21:30:00.001-06:00

simple things photo challenge

2011-04-03T14:24:00.001-06:00

This is one of those photos that I just can’t resist. Logan decided all his own that he wanted to make a mask out of three pieces of paper he’d cut. Trung cut him some eye holes, and I cut him some string. Then he wore it for like an hour straight. :)

Sure, the eyes aren’t as in focus as I’d like them to be. The composition of the photo is slightly off. But boy, this makes me smile anyway. His creativity, his half smile, his cocked chin. Too cute.

Lightroom Preset by Lightroom Killer Tips.

I’m linking up to the Simple Things Photo Challenge again this week!

15 Years

2011-03-31T10:01:00.000-06:00

Fifteen years ago, this boy asked me to be his girl.

It’s always funny to me when people ask how long we’ve been married. I can only answer 5 years, which seems like nothing! It doesn’t speak to our history together - how we’ve almost spent as many years together as we’ve spent apart.

In the last fifteen years we’ve seen lots of ups and downs, lots of changes in jobs, homes, and priorities. And we shared what I think we’d agree is the best day of our lives:

Sure, we are often clasping little hands instead of each other’s hands now. And there’s often a squirmy, bony jointed little monkey sleeping between us when morning comes.

But one thing has remained constant - he has been my best friend from the beginning. Thanks for giving me 15 amazing years and one silly, funny, adorable little guy.

I love you, babe!!

Logan–39 Months

2011-03-28T21:38:00.001-06:00

Dear Logan,

Oh child, what am I going to do with you? Last week your teacher told me that the classroom is like a comedy club when you are there. I can’t decide if that is necessarily a good thing? :) I guess you enjoy life and are almost always happy, so it can’t be all bad. You sure crack us up with your crazy moves, silly words and goofy facial expressions.

Last Saturday you were laying in bed between us and rather fidgety. It was barely sunrise and I was not looking forward to getting up to so early. All the sudden I heard you whisper “P-p-p-pokerface!” Dad started giggling because you were doing the hand moves from the dance game we play with that song. All while laying in bed. I guess you were whispering so trying to be quiet?

You get on certain kicks with words and repeat goofy things over and over for like a week’s time. For example, your recent saying is “hairy eyeball.” “Mom, you have a hairy eyeball!” “He poked me in my hairy eyeball!” Etc. No idea where they come from (actually I probably do – SCHOOL!) or why you get so obsessed with them. Aside from “stinky” anything, you usually get over them in about a week’s time and move onto another phrase that you repeat all day long.

You are learning so much these days and amazing me every single day. You can spell probably half a dozen words (all three and four letter words!) and can sound out a bunch more. You often ask me how to spell certain words. The other morning you decided you were going to spell out “Voltron” on our refrigerator. (Daddy got you into that silly cartoon). When I told you that you couldn’t since we only had one O, you were very insistent that you could. This is what you ended up with, without any help from me. Not bad for 3 years old!!

You have been practicing your writing a lot and can write your name pretty legibly all on your own (no more tracing!). You must have learned about patterns at school because you tell us about them all the time. When I try to share a 3 item pattern with you (red, blue, green, red, blue, green), you insist I’m wrong because a pattern only has two things. :) But you otherwise grasp the concept very well!

You are big on keeping collections of random things lately – particularly leaves, rocks and sticks. We’ve started to keep them in piles in the backyard because they are getting a little out of control. A few weeks ago you came home from school with like 10 rocks in your pocket! I didn’t even realize until I took off your jacket and noticed it was so heavy! I’ve already washed a rock too because I missed it!

We still sit with you while you fall asleep at night (bad, I know!) and you’ve lately been telling me “Mommy, I’m scared!” while laying there. I always tell you to think of something happy (which you once responded with “Nothing makes me happy!!"”) I told my friend Gretchen about this and she was sharing a similar story with her 6 year old, who responded to his dad “sleeping in your bed makes me happy!” I told your daddy this story and you must have overhead, because that is now your response every time too. :)

Now let’s talk about this other issue you’ve been having. Let’s just say you are a gassy guy. I swear you burp like a grown man. Sometimes of course it cracks you up! You are fairly good about saying “Excuse me!” (although better at reminding us to!). But you also have other gassy issues lately and say “I tooted!” and laugh hysterically. Seriously, you are only three years old. Do I have bathroom humor to look forward to for the next 15 years??

I’m not sure how time flies so fast but you are definitely not a toddler anymore – you are a big boy full of personality. It’s so much fun to watch you learn and grow – and to see that personality shine through.

I love you more than there are stars in the sky, cutie patootie!!

Love,

Mom

Chunky Monkey

2011-03-27T21:21:00.000-06:00

What if I told you that you could make delicious banana chocolate chip ice cream at home?

And what if I told you that it only takes 5 minutes, requires only a blender (no ice cream maker) and 3 ingredients?
Now what if I told you it was pretty much good for you?

Yep, that’s what I thought. This recipe blew my mind! Definitely recommend giving it a try. Logan thought it was real ice cream and thought I was giving him a decadent treat!!
The ideas are spinning in my head of other flavors to make. I’m thinking of tossing some espresso ice cubes (make them with my leftover espresso sometimes) next time!

simple things photo challenge

2011-03-27T08:19:00.001-06:00

This photo totally makes me giggle. Trung ordered some new goggles for his annual snowboard trip tomorrow (Cesar Chavez Day – yep, I know, he gets the craziest holidays!!). Logan decided to try them on with his helmet while we were enjoying some sunshine on the front porch. I’m sure he was yelling something at the time – he loves hearing his voice echo through the neighborhood.

I’m linking up to Rebecca’s Simple Things Photo Challenge! Click the logo to find out more!

memory monday

2011-03-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

Template by Ali Edwards
Kit by Margote
Journaling reads:
This was the day you finally “decided” to walk. Your first steps were almost three weeks prior on November 21. I’d picked you up from daycare, and while getting my shoes on outside the door, you took two steps all on your own. I am not sure I would have believed it if another mom hadn’t been there to witness it too. I was so excited, but you weren’t convinced. Sure, we tricked you into repeating it a few times in the following weeks. But we had to distract you to get you to walk again. But on this day, December 11, with a big huge smile on your face, you decided to let go and walk to Daddy. You were so thrilled that you could make your way to him without holding on – you were so proud of yourself. But not as proud as we were. You haven’t stopped moving since.

simple things photo

2011-03-20T20:52:00.002-06:00

The time change was a bit rough for us this week, but it had some perks. Like enough light (and warm weather) outside after we got home from work/school that Logan could play outside while we were able to finish up making dinner. I think it was good for all of us!

A recent conversation

2011-03-17T21:24:00.000-06:00

The other night when Logan had a night out just the two of us, he was excited to see the moon just appearing in the sky through the window while I was buckling him in the car seat.

He told me he wanted to take the moon home with us. When we got home and got out of the car, this was our conversation.

M: Look up, buddy. What do you see?
L: (excitedly) Some stars! And the moon!
M: That's right! See! The moon followed us home!
L: (with a confused look on his face) The moon followed us home?!? I didn't know it could drive here!?!

time change

2011-03-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning on the drive to school, Logan summed up the time change for me quite well. “I’m so tired, my head’s gonna fall off.”

I have yet to figure out a good transitioning system for him during time changes. I’ve tried it all – adjusting his schedule by 15 minutes a day and even going cold turkey. I just can’t figure it out.

memory monday

2011-03-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

Template by Tiffany Tillman
Kit by Crystal Wilkerson
Hope this isn’t too embarrassing for T & M. :)

simple things photo

2011-03-13T16:17:00.000-06:00

We had a beautiful spring-like morning yesterday, so we took advantage of it! I drew a hopscotch area on the sidewalk for Logan and he had fun showing off his moves. I admit, I may have played a few rounds. :)
This image was treated with “Hawaii Five-O (Strong)” from Lightroom Killer Tips.

february in review

2011-03-11T23:32:00.000-07:00

All templates are part of the Monthly pack from Cathy Zielske. The kit is Just Because by Three Paper Peonies. And the twill is from the Week in the Life Twill by Ali Edwards.
See January here.

banana oatmeal chocolate chip muffins

2011-03-10T22:22:00.001-07:00

Sounds healthy, right? Well, maybe not. But the ingredients will surprise you! Whole wheat flour (love finding recipes to use that!), applesauce, bananas, oatmeal – can’t be all bad, can it?

This is our new favorite recipe from allrecipes – made twice in the last month! I use regular oats (don’t have the quick cooking ones on hand) and they come out slightly chewy but super good. Oh, I should also note that because there is no accurate information on a bag of chocolate chips as far as how many cups are contained, I translate that 3/4 cups of chocolate chips = 3/4 bag. Yep, I know that’s probably a bit off. :) But it sure makes for a yummy muffin!

Find the recipe for banana-chip oat muffins here!

happy belated birthday, tam!

2011-03-08T22:59:00.001-07:00

I’m lucky to call one of the most incredible women I know my sister-in-law. She has been such a blessing in my life. There were times in my life that I don’t know what I’d have done without her. She came to my dress fittings for my wedding gown. Visited us the night Logan was born. Gave me advice on family culture/traditions when her silly brother just rolled his eyes at me. Stood up for us at our wedding. Cooked us many meals when Logan was a tiny baby. Does my dishes constantly when she is visiting. :) She lived with us for a while, and I can honestly say she was the easiest housemate ever. She is one of Logan’s very best friends. We are so lucky to have her.

She celebrated her birthday this week, and I wanted to put a little post of photos together in a pathetic effort to show how much we love her. Thanks for everything, T. You are the most incredible sister-in-law ever. But I can honestly say that even if we didn’t have the family bond, there is no doubt that I’d choose you as my friend. You are one of the most thoughtful and generous women I know. You are constantly helping me, even when I don’t know I need help. And you crack me up ALL the time. I’m pretty sure Logan got his sense of humor from the Vo side of the family. Love ya!

a recent conversation

2011-03-08T07:08:00.001-07:00

Logan (to Trung): Auntie is your sister!?!
Trung: That’s right, buddy! Mommy has a sister too. Do you know who her sister is?
Logan (to me): You have a sister?
Me: I have two sisters, baby! Do you know who they are?
Logan: No. Who is your sister?
Me: Kristen and Kelly!
Logan: Kristen and Kelly? WHAT!?! That’s impossible!!!!!

paper cutting

2011-03-06T22:05:00.000-07:00

Logan is BIG into cutting paper with his own scissors lately. As in it has to happen at least every day and is often expressed as “I need to cut paper, Mommy.” I love his crafty obsessions of late. Like mother, like son, right?

I think since I made some tissue paper poms for a future post at DSSP, he has been interested in folding the paper into an accordian and cutting off the ends. It’s like a long snowflake, I guess. He calls them his “menus.” :) It brings him so much joy, that I can handle the random slivers of paper scattered all over our house. Just can’t figure out what to do with the large quantity of finished product?

So this picture of him with a big smile on his face cutting one of his “menus” is my simple things photo for this week. So happy it brings him so much joy!

Logan–38 Months

2011-03-01T06:00:00.004-07:00

Dear silliest boy on the planet,

Yep, that’s you. You are such a goofball! You are constantly cracking jokes and making up words and doing silly dances and just being a total joy to be around. You are absolutely hilarious! You make this goofy monkey face when you are doing your crazy dances that just cracks me up!

As silly as you are, you are super sensitive and sweet too, and I’m pretty proud of that. Daddy might not be as much – I know he’s always telling you to be a big boy and not cry. But I appreciate how sensitive you are. We still struggle watching new movies and shows – sometimes you burst into tears when there is a scary part or someone is hurt. Sometimes you go hide in another room when you are upset and tell us you want to be alone because you are sad. It breaks my heart, but it also warms me to know that you are so sensitive to others being hurt. It makes me love you even more!

You are very thoughtful too. When you and daddy are sharing dessert, you always want to make sure I get a bite (which is sometimes difficult when it is something I don’t like, like grapefruit, and I have to act like I like it since we are trying to teach you to try new things!). You often ask me “how was your day today?” even if we’ve been together all day long. And sometimes you wake me in the middle of the night or in the morning just to tell me you love me (hate the waking up part, but LOVE hearing you say it!).

You are big into asking the meaning of words lately. I struggle sometimes in responding. Today you asked me what the word “include” means. And then when I explained it (terribly) you actually corrected me and gave me a simple explanation. So I’m not sure how much it is that you don’t know the meanings versus you want to hear my crazy explanations.

You are also always asking what certain colors mixed together. “Mommy, what does green and black make?” Then you go through all the colors of the rainbow with that one color. “What does red and black make? What does orange and black make?”… I decided that this was a sign that I needed to let go of my fear of letting you paint and invested in some good washable paints to let you play and experiment yourself. In fact you are big into crafts lately and always want to do a “project”.

You are also always asking us the sum of two numbers, then want to count it out on our fingers. This one is pretty cool, but challenging when we are driving to and from school (when it often comes up), because I can’t hold out my fingers for you to count. We also have debates about 1+1. You have a hard time grasping that adding two numbers is not the same as writing them side by side, so you insist (very vehemently) that it equals eleven. That’s another tough thing to explain to you!

You are still big into superheroes. In fact this weekend we rented a Super Friends DVD from the library, which was pretty funny. You ran around all weekend insisting you were one of the Wonder Twins.

We are having so much fun with you these days – it amazes me how it keeps getting better and better. You are my sunshine, buddy. Every day is better with you in it! Love you more than there are stars in the sky, little guy!

Love, Mommy

Memory Monday

2011-02-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Credits:
Template by Tiffany Tillman
Kit (Wishing Jar) by Paislee Press
Word Art by Ali Edwards

simple things photo challenge

2011-02-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

I’ve become a bit of an OCD mom, I admit. It makes me crazy when he gets super messy and as a result, we’ve never really painted together at home (other than paint with water). Logan paints at school occassionally, so I convinced myself he was getting the creative time he needed. Plus I’m free with the markers and crayons – for some reason those weren’t as scary to me!
But yesterday it occurred to me that if I got some decent washable paints, it couldn’t be all that bad. So I broke down and got them and we’ve gone on a painting fest since then. All in all, he’s pretty careful with his painting, so I don’t know why I was worried in the first place. I love that he’s so free with adding and mixing colors. He’s been big on asking me what certain color combinations make. So I love that he can see it for himself.

By the way, I’ve become completely obsessed with Lightroom presets. This one was treated with “Matt’s Vintage Style” from Lightroom Killer Tips.

changing direction

2011-02-21T14:41:00.001-07:00

I think most of you know that my friend G and I have started an etsy shop and party blog - Did Someone Say Party. Between that, working full time, being a mom to a toddler, a wife, the family memory keeper (scrapbooker, etc.) and just wanting to do some fun crafts, this little blog has fallen to the wayside.

As a result, I think I'm going to change the direction of this blog a little bit. I initially started it to track my favorite crafty projects. Since then, I've happened upon Pinterest, which I LOVE, and am tracking everything there. So that need is fulfilled elsewhere.

But I love that I can use this blog for memory keeping. I love writing Logan the letters monthly, which serve as both fodder for scrapbook pages (more on that soon) and communication to loved ones of all the little things he's been into lately. I love participating in the simple things photo challenge (behind this week thanks to a cold and family visiting, but back soon). I love sharing my scrapbook pages and keeping myself accountable on my happiness project.

So I'm keeping this blog going, but I'm changing gears. Instead of making this partially about me personally, and partially a blog to share crafty projects I admire, I'm going to keep this blog all about us.

It is all things vo after all. :)

This means the three on thursday will be no more. But stay tuned for more memory monday, simple photo challenge updates, etc. I’ll keep you posted on any of my own crafty projects (non-party related of course, for all things party related check out DSSP!)

Thanks for understanding! And happy Monday!!

three on thursday

2011-02-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday!

1. Oh my goodness, how can you resist this shark hoodie by sew kate sew? I’m totally on the hunt for a gray hoodie – let me know if you find one!
2. Pioneer Woman. Frozen Cappuccino Cups. Really, need a I say more? OK, here’s two more words for you – yes, please!
3. I want one of these owl softies for my bed! Head over to Ucreate for the info!

DSSP Giveaway!

2011-02-16T09:50:00.001-07:00

So excited that G & I are offering a DSSP giveaway over at Pure Joy Events! Make sure to check it out and enter to win!

Comic Book Letters

2011-02-15T17:08:00.001-07:00

You know my boys are superhero obsessed. My husband has a ridiculous collection from his childhood that he insists is worth big bucks. And my son walks around in Iron Man underwear blasting bad guys from the palms of his hands.

So how perfect are these comic book letters from You Made That? I know just the place for them too! I have comic art (a great framed print a friend got us and some random comic book cover art that I found) in our office. I’m thinking we need to get some of these letters up there too. But what to spell? Save the day? Super? Ideas welcome!!

simple photo challenge: 5

2011-02-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we helped some friends celebrate their son’s 4th birthday. It’s amazing how time flies. Even though they live minutes away, I don’t think we’ve seen them for a year (at least I haven’t, I think Trung runs into them downtown occasionally). We’ve known them for probably a decade – since well before we both had kids. It is so easy to get caught up in our day to day activities that we don’t make time for simple things like getting together with friends. We had such a great time catching up with them!

Happy birthday, Andrew!!

three on thursday

2011-02-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday!! Hope you are having a good week. I can’t believe Valentine’s Day is Monday! I have some work to do on the little guy’s valentines!
1. If you need some help on those Valentine’s, you can download a free printable I designed for DSSP here! Or you can check out this list of 35 printable valentines over at the Long Thread!

2. I’ll take this brownie stuffed chocolate chip cookie from Picky Palate for my valentine!!

3. This Felt Quiet Book featured on the Crafting Chicks is one of the cutest I’ve seen! Not sure Logan would take much interest in it (he’s sadly an ipod addict) , but it would sure make a sweet gift for a little one!

New Products in the Store!

2011-02-09T06:42:00.001-07:00

I’m excited about our new products this week over at the DSSP shop. Click the images to see more!

This cute green and yellow pack has a version for the little girls (crayon favors) and one for us big girls too (handmade soap favors)!

Which is your favorite?

February–Financial

2011-02-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Nice alliteration, huh? This might be a boring month. :) But since my goals were a little finite (and tax season is around the corner) it seemed to make sense to devote the shortest month to what should be the easiest task to get done. This one again is all about removing the stress to allow me to be happy. It also speaks back to the “complete nagging tasks” part from January.
Here’s the plan:

File our taxes.
Investigate refinancing.
Setup a will.
Setup envelope system (I think this is from Dave Ramsey?) and stick with it.
Find a coupon strategy that works for me.

The last one is more about finding a balance. I love finding good deals, but couponing can take a LOT of time. So I’ve been working on a system that will work for me. I have a feeling this will tie into my paper management class very nicely.
We are blessed that we are at a time in our life that doesn’t require us to pinch every penny. So losing out on that great deal isn’t going to be the end of the world. But it is still awesome to be able to cut back where we can and save for the future.
If you are following the Happiness Project, what’s your goal for February?

january recap

2011-02-07T11:38:00.001-07:00

I’ve done Project 365 for two years now, and although I love the outcome (and the Project Life kits) it just was getting to be too much pressure to journal it all. I have about 8 months of journaling missing from my 2010 album. Not sure what I’m going to do with those little pockets. But I loved the part of Project 365 that captured our every day (and kept me “caught up” so I’d never feel guilty about not getting to scrap certain pages).

So this year, I decided to cut myself some slack. I mean, I make the rules on what projects I do and how I do them, right? I started to notice two of my favorite bloggers, Cathy Zielske and Rebecca Cooper were using a monthly approach. It was as easy as documenting the random things in that month on a few pages instead of a 2 page layout for every week. Perfect!

Here’s my first attempt. I’m pretty pleased. It took me probably one hour combined to do these pages, and now that I have the papers selected, it will probably go even faster next month, which is AWESOME. The best part is I can use photos I’m taking on my iPod and phone thanks to the photo grid with smaller blocks. I also cheated with journaling and copied in some of my statuses from facebook and tweets. Momento, an iPhone/iPod app, made this super easy.

All templates are part of the Monthly pack from Cathy Zielske. The kit is Just Because by Three Paper Peonies. And the twill is from the Week in the Life Twill by Ali Edwards.

Yes, I realize this is a three page layout, which kind of presents album problems. But I’m trusting the different months will flex and change in page count based on the number of photos I want to include. So I’m not going to worry about it too much.

simple things photo challenge: 4

2011-02-05T22:08:00.001-07:00

I promise one day to post a photo without my son in it. But there is truly no one or nothing else that makes me smile like he does!

This photo is a simple one, but again, I see so much looking at it.

This is his favorite toy these days – the Bat Cave that he got from Grandma and Grandpa for his birthday. It’s about the only toy that he will sit and play with all by himself for 30 minutes.

I see a bandaid on his finger, which is normal these days – not because he has constant injuries but because he feels the need to wear a band aid until any evidence of a wound is completely gone (and since bandaids are cheap, I’m happy to oblige).

I see bare feet even though it was a super chilly day because the kid will NOT wear socks inside. :)

I see a photo that I might have missed, had it not been for the joy of love photo class I've been participating in! This was my photo for day 1: "what they do".

And I see a setting for a lazy day, which was odd for a Wednesday. Schools were closed since the temperatures were at record lows so we were home together.

Lots to smile about here, although to the naked eye, it’s just another photo of a little boy playing.

January–Declutter Progress

2011-02-04T15:38:00.005-07:00

Remember my post about the Happiness Project? I admit, I lost my way a little bit in January. Well, not entirely true. I think I made huge steps to conquering clutter in my life. I just struggled with keeping up with tracking it and making it a daily habit.
However, this is a project that is meant to last all year. I still have plans to include the goals in January in my life for the rest of the year. So here’s an update on where I stand.
1. Get rid of the junk. I kind of went crazy on this one. There is not a drawer or closet in the house that hasn’t been conquered. I had two donation pickups this month (did you know some charities will let you schedule pickups online?). So we purged a lot. I got our files under control, my shredding up to date (big task – had a back log due to an inefficient shredder that has since been upgraded). I didn’t get to the basement, which is the biggest problem. Of course that isn’t a purge area – just in need of organization.
2. Establish a maintainable paper management system. Improved, but not well established. But I have signed up for an online class for March to help me figure this one out (sorry – you missed the early bird signup special).
3. Adopt a "one in, two out" lifestyle. Still working on this one. This is more about remembering it than anything. Been doing less purchasing at least but still need to work on this one.
4. Complete two nagging crafty projects. Done! I got a few done actually!

Logan’s quilt – yippee!!!

Printer tray photo collage for our entryway – bought this printer tray six months ago and it is finally hung up!

And actually I got three done - Crafty gift for my friend for Christmas (sad, this one was weeks late but she was so kind not to care.) I’ll post more on this one later – forgot to take pics!

Stay tuned on my update for February!

Three on Thursday

2011-02-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday! Kind of feels like a Monday to me. We’ve had terribly cold temperatures the last two days (like a lot of the U.S – at least we didn’t get the snow) but that meant Logan’s school was closed like most of the schools in the area. Funny how work doesn’t shut down when it gets super cold! So I’ve been attempting (strong emphasis intended) to work from home since Trung was home with a sick Logan part of last week. Working at home is a bit challenging with a toddler who doesn’t have anyone to play with and can’t burn off energy outside!!

So back to work! But I wanted to make sure you still got your Three on Thursday. I’ve been a bit lacking in posts lately, but I promise I have plans to improve! Thanks for sticking with me!

1. Love these crinkly owl teethers from Homemade by Jill. She has a link to a free pattern so you can make your own! They would make a cute baby shower gift!

2. Samoas (or Caramel Delites in some areas) are my weakness when it comes to Girl Scout cookies. It was easy to avoid them since they were only available certain times of year. However, Sweet Kiera has destroyed that diet strategy by giving us a recipe for making our own samoa cookies – YUM!

3. Remember my holiday art display plan (here’s Christmas and Thanksgiving)? Em-il-ie Handmade has made it easier by offering this free printable art for Valentine’s Day. Love the clean modern design!!

Pretty Packages

2011-02-02T16:05:00.002-07:00

I have a dangerous obsession with pretty gifts. We have a few friends and family with birthdays over the next couple of months so giftwrapping has been on my mind. Of course most of the folks with birthdays are far away and require shipping, so not sure I’ll be trying any of these beautiful ideas! Regardless, be prepared to be inspired by these pretty packages. Sources are below (and photos are linked).

Logan–37 months

2011-01-31T09:19:00.001-07:00

Dear Logan,

Oh, buddy. Every day with you is such a joy. Sure we have our struggles and our battles (and occasional time outs!) but you crack me up more than not. You are full of character and far more grown up than I give you credit for. Somehow you are a month past your 3rd birthday – yet you talk all the time about how you will soon be four then five (yikes!). I’m not ready for that. I wasn’t even ready for you to be three! But I don’t really have a say in it – you are just growing up so fast!

You are such a good boy when we go places and it makes it so much easier to be out and about. It’s fun to take you new places like the museum – you get so excited to see everything!

We’ve had some recent struggles with lying. Part of it is that you don’t want to get in trouble, but part of it is that you also don’t want to have caused someone pain (you are overly sensitive that way). For example, if you step on my foot and I say so, you get all sad and say I stepped on your foot! I’m pretty sure I was there and saw what happened. But you get so sad when I suggest that you’ve hurt me that you act as if I’ve hurt you! For some reason you seem to think your medicine tastes good so you often tell me something hurts so you need medicine. It’s so hard to tell when you are actually hurt or sick!

Everything I read says lying is normal at this age, but it can be a bit frustrating. I remember being so excited that you could speak so clearly that you could tell me what was wrong, how your day was at school, what hurt when you were sick, etc. But now it’s just a little difficult to tell if what I’m hearing is the truth or if you are manipulating the situation.

You are a big negotiator these days too – on the verge of manipulation. Particularly when it comes to food, which is funny (I try not to laugh, but that can be tough sometimes!). The other day on the way home from school you told me you wanted to stop at King Soopers (not just the grocery store, but you specifically requested King Soopers by name). When questioned why, you explained you wanted a cookie. I told you we have dinner before dessert (which is almost a daily discussion we have these days). I explained we were having pasta, which is one of your favorites. Then you tried to convince me in your sweetest voice, “First we’ll have a cookie, then we’ll have pasta, then we’ll have dessert. Does that sound like a good idea?”

You are using all these big words that sound so funny coming out of your little mouth. “Actually” might be my favorite. You often start sentences with it, and impressively use it correctly most of the time. “Actually, I want goldfish for breakfast.” “Actually, I want to play Chutes and Ladders.” It’s pretty cute. We went through a bout of you responding sarcastically, “Whatever, Mom” when I told you to do something. I know you got that from us – we are particularly bad at it. I realize that now that you correct us five times on a daily basis after I corrected you. “We don’t say whatever, Mom”. It’s difficult to explain to you that it can be used nicely too! So when I say, “We can have whatever you’d like for dinner,” I get reprimanded. :)

You are completely potty trained during the day now, and sometimes good at night too. However, we are still working on sleeping through the night. For a while you were sleeping in a play tent we had placed on your mattress. It seemed to make you feel safe (and got us out of laying down in bed with you, although we still had to stay with you until you fell asleep). You decided after a couple weeks that you didn’t like the tent, but at least we still don’t have to lay down with you. Most nights you wake up at 3 or 4 and come to our bed. You’ve even taken to bringing your water cup with you, which is convenient. The other morning, you woke me up to tell me “Mom, I peed on my hand and wiped it on your bed.” Not sure how it happened, but I guess I appreciate that you told me?!?

You are officially pacifier free, which I admit, took longer than it should have. The truth is that you are such a chatterbox when you lay down in bed it was the best way to make you quiet. Now you just babble to yourself instead of us, which is OK too. Sometimes you’ll be whispering who knows what to yourself until the second you conk out.

Your favorite toys these days are the Batman bat cave Grandma and Grandpa gave you (you could pretend to fight bad guys for hours!) and the gears that Kate and Jeff got you – it’s like moving Legos to you. You really go through phases still with your toys, so I’m sure it will change next week. You still love to read books and are doing a great job of sounding out words. Unfortunately you have most books memorized after the 2nd or 3rd time we read them to you, so its difficult to tell if you are reading some words or just know it by heart Of course that also makes it difficult with the long ones when we try to skip a sentence or two to get through it faster and you catch us! You love to play games on PBSkids on my computer or play games on the iPod. You also love to show off your “inja moves”, which are pretty sweet. You do crazy spins and poses. It all started in an aisle at Costco for some reason.

You know a crazy amount of music, and your tastes are expanding. The other day you were singing along to a song by One Republic and it cracked me up! Somehow you pick up the lyrics by hearing the songs only a few times. It’s pretty awesome. Glee of course is still your favorite, although since there haven’t been new episodes for a while we haven’t watched it as much.

All in all, you are a total joy and crackup. You make me giggle and bust out laughing ten times a day. I can’t even imagine my life before you even more – you are the best part about it. Thanks for being such a good boy and so much fun. I love you more than there are stars in the sky, buddy!!!

Love, Mommy

simple things photo challenge: 3

2011-01-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

We've been blessed to have some amazing weather this last two days. It was in the mid 60s on Friday and mid 50s yesterday. I'd love to say that we spent the weekend outside enjoying the weather, but Logan came down with a fever on Thursday and we haven't had much opportunity to get outside. We hung out in our front yard for a little bit yesterday, and my little superhero found enough energy to run around and fight some bad guys.
Of course now that the weekend is wrapping up and the weather is getting cold (high of 0 forecast for Tuesday!) he’s back in fighting form. :) I'm just glad he's feeling better!