Remember Me?

Ya, so Super Blogger I am not.  But that is just fine with me.  It's not like I haven't been spending my fair share time on this world wide web.  In fact, a wee bit too much time has been spent.

Three and a half weeks ago I made the decision to take on skrapnchat and I could not be happier about how things are.  With a fantastic DT, and a membership that could not be more dedicated and powerful women, we stand at 185 members and just hit #85 on the top 100 scrapbooking sites.  I know that starting from fresh would have been a whole other ball game, and that the closure of compupro allowed this to happen.  I am thankful for all the support that has been there to make it  happen and have such high hopes for it's future.  #1 on the "list" isn't the goal, it's already #1 to so many. And that is what makes it great.

The kids are really into dress up right now, which is a ton of fun to watch.  I love seeing them role play and see how their imagination works.  Always interesting to listen in the background!!

Goofball here went skiing for his first time on Monday with me.  I could not be prouder!!  After a few runs on Paradise, we headed down the Cut where he did awesome.  Because he had a stay home day with me on Monday, tomorrow Kaylee gets a stay home day.  The weather won't be nice enough to go for ski with her, but I'm sure we will find some good girl stuff to do!!

8am beer

8am and I cracked my first beer.  Goes with coffee right?  Na...it was for the stew.  The booze is long gone after eight hours in my crockpot, but I always laugh when I crack a beer first thing in the morning. 

Princess Disaster

We've been calling her Princess Disaster for a couple of months.  Last week she decided to no longer be Princess Disaster - just Princess Cute.  However this morning, while playing music Wii she somehow fell off the chair and face first into the rod hockey game that was on the floor.

This photo was taken several hours after the incident, however the future Oscar winner knew how to make the most of it.  She is fine, and Daddy took good care of her all day.

The title Princess Disaster came from the fact that she makes a mess wherever she goes.  If she is drawing - Kaylee is the kid that ends up with felt marker on her back.  If she is painting, it's in her hair.  If there is a mud puddle, it's hers for the taking.  She's a girly girl with the spirit of Pig Pen looking after her.

So while the owee looks bad, and I am sure it hurts, I am most confident that this will surely not be her last.  And as all good scrapping Moms do - I will be sure to scrap this soon!

A few things to catch up on

Yes, so I knew that posting every day would get away quickly. It's been busy, with lots going on, and not a lot of quiet time to reflect. But that is okay.

Last week nothing totally special happened, but lots of little moments to remember. I have been asked to do a mural for a friend in her day care, three seperate walls. That should be a lot of fun.

The skrapnchat forum is going well, and I spend a lot of time chatting away and being inspired by the talent and the support of the friends there. I have done a fair share of scrapping this week, and really enjoyed it. Bought a few new papers and things to play with, which I always love doing. Need to come up with some lay outs for our upcoming crop.

The Knibbs came over for dinner last night, and Jen and I attempted to make the clocks that we planned on making before Christmas. However with the extra assistance from the children, the creation was not completed. Hopefully we can finish them this week at some point.

Got to ski twice last week, both days were beautiful. The city has been encased with fog and the mountains have been bright and sunny. Oh the priviledge of living up high.

That is it for now. Hopefully more tonight, and more on a regular basis.

Yankee Noodle

Chris has finally decided to learn to play his guitar that I bought him two years ago.  His big plan is to spend 3-4 nights a week after dinner (tonight he did it before we ate) for half an hour practicing.  His number one fan Kaylee went to listen, and of course dance.  He's learning the big hits, classics you know.

Tonight is Pasta Monday - a night that I usually serve pasta cuz it's fast and easy for a Monday.  Spaghetti with ground turkey was on the menu this evening.  I remembered part way through the dinner that I should be taking more photos, and of course, my goofy family was more than willing to be in front of the camera.  Well, the youngest two were.

Kaylee is trying to learn how to spin it onto her fork, and finds it easier to eat with her fingers.  Her goofball brother (who apparently had a fight with his hot chocolate earlier, thus the large spots on his face) is also  mastering it.  As Kaylee held up her spaghetti for me she says "yankee noodle".  Chris and I laughed - he played Yankee Doodle for her on the guitar.

Monday Blahs

This is not the weather today.  Today it is raining.  But apparently the weather is changing, which I hope.  I could use some sunshine.  I need some sunshine.  I need to get outside and enjoy the fresh air more.

When I came home for work last night, after doing the grocery shopping, the last thing I wanted to do was walk the dog.  But it was a Stealers playoff game, and Chris seemed rather comfortable on the couch, and Takaya seemed as if it was time to go.  Although the walk was short, it was needed.  After spending the day responding to complaints, it was nice to have some peace and quiet.

I was so tired from Christmas break, that all my master cleaning plans for the weekend did not happen.  I plan to catch up on sleep this week, and power through the house friday.  One day I will catch up on things like laundry.  Maybe even find those soccer shorts that have been missing for months.

I'm heading back to work.  I need to do something exciting - this blah Monday isn't shaping up to be much.  Wonder what is in store?

A couple quick notes

Chris and I went out on a date last night, dinner, a little shopping and home to watch the hockey game.  Nice that the kids spent their evening at my parents.  We went to bed early and I slept in.  Still trying to catch up on some time to sleep!

Today we had brunch with Chris' family.  I gave Gumpmom her Christmas gift, which was this tin of photos of Braydon and Kaylee.  She loved it.

Spent the afternoon playing with the kids.  Went to the bookstore and got a ton of new books which will keep us busy.  Working on Braydon learning to read, which apparently only works on days that he is interested in.  Guess we will keep working.

Off to watch hockey, hope the game tonight is better than last night.

We now return to our regular scheduled program....

Yup - day seven of the new year, and I didn't keep up the first resolution of blogging every day.  That being said, I have been busy with my new little world of skrapnchat.com.  I'm so happy that it all came together and seems to be a happy place to be.

I FINALLY have a day off.  And of course, I'm supposed to be doing lots of other things.  Like right now, I gotta run to the bank and stuff, but I'm here.  I will leave for the bank in a few minutes.  Promise.   I did take down the Christmas decorations and do plan on organizing the house today and tomorrow.  Plus some me time to scrap and stuff.  It will all come together right?

The sun is attempting to shine, which is a nice change from the monsoons that have been happening.  After all that snow, and now all that rain, flooding is a concern everywhere.  We should be fine, but hopefully others are too.

I do promise to be back here tomorrow.  Maybe even get my camera out on the kids some more.  Simplicity is about enjoying now I have found. Not so worried about later.  It just works better that way.

What a difference a day makes.

I had to start my day by announcing to my friends at CompuPro that the site was closing.  My "happy" place where I share stories, creativity and some sillyness was closing.  Sad indeed.

But as they say, when one door closes, another one opens.  Through a variety of conversations and some quick thinking and decision making.....we have a new place to call home - Skrap N Chat.

The site is just coming together, and with the help of some amazing women, I know it will be the best place to call home.  The little site that could.

I end my day in a much happier place.  And best of all, it happened to be the most simplistic way to do it!  It's gonna be a great year!!

Goodbye

This morning Chris received a call from his father with the sad news that his Granddad had passed away last night.

Gordon welcomed me into his family with open arms.  When Braydon was born, Gordon and I started a new chapter in our lives, an "e" relationship.  While I have only had the privilege of meeting him in person only a handful of times, I would email him and his wife Ericka often with pictures of his great grandchildren.  Last summer, he finally had the chance to meet Kaylee (and see Braydon for the third time), and both kids seemed to light up his life.

While I believe he had not been healthy for a long time, his departure was more sudden and unexpected than we anticipated.  Chris and I are both saddened by his passing and our thoughts are with Ericka on this difficult day.  Good bye Gordon, and thanks for letting me into your life.

MORE Snow!

I have lived in this beautiful city my whole life.  I have NEVER seen snow like this.  It started the last week of school for the kids. Usually we get snow, then we get rain, then we forgot we even got snow.  Nope, not this time around.  We got snow.  We got more snow.  It got cold, then colder, then more snow.  We had a white week before Christmas, a white week after Christmas and a white New Years and it doesn't look like there is an end in site.

Now, Environment Canada says it was supposed snow 1-3 cm, then turn to rain. Today alone there is 15cm fresh on the ground, to add to the 30 -40 cm we already had.  Plows can keep up, salters can't keep up, parking throughout the city is ridiculous, and well, at one point today I claimed I was done with snow.

Then I cam home and took Takaya for a walk.  I have worked a lot, and my kids miss me, my husband misses me, and my dog misses me.  But after dealing with "unique" people all day (that is me being nice), a 30 min walk in the fresh snow with just me and my puppy was great.  And since she was having so much fun in it, when I got home I dragged the kids out to play.

We borrow a neighbours sled and both Braydon and Kaylee's smiles were so warm that you forgot it was still cold outside.  They laughed and sledded to their hearts content.  Then inside for some hot chocolate and as KJ says "smarshmallows", we warmed up and ate dinner.

It's been a long week.  And the snow brings challenges.  But it also brings fun.  It's "supposed" to warm up and change to rain.....but there is a part of me that we get one more day to build one more snowman.

Day 2

I cannot express how tired I am.  I think everyone in the entire city came to the mountain today.  All of them.

I'm tired and going to bed.  Tomorrow, more. I think.

Simplify 2009

That is my word for the year. Simplify. The challenge is to choose a word that you think will represent your year. What you want from the year, what you think the year will be. I choose simplify.

I choose this because sometimes, I end up with too much stuff. Too much of stuff I don't need. I have all the good things in life, plus more. I am blessed and I know it. I have a happy family, a healthy family. I am loved and I love.

But there are lots of places in my life that could use, shall we say, simplification. For example, I hate clutter - yet I am surrounded by it. We "keep" too many things that are not needed, toys (dare I say old scrapbooking things), papers.....stuff. Stuff that doesn't need to be in my life.

I am also trying to organize the things that I do want to keep around. I will NEVER be Martha (nor do I have any real want to be anything like her, just want her craft supplies!). But I know that some organization around here would sure help.

Simplify also means to me to not do everything because everyone else is. I suffer from trying to be Super Mom and Super Employee and Super Wife and Super Daughter....and to be honest, I'm not super at any of them. Know what, that is good with me. Slowing down will probably help with simplicity.

While I am not a huge fan of resolutions (never keep them anyway) I do think that the start of anything new does allow time for reflection in what you may want to do differently this time around. So here are a few. And if you are reading this later in the year and know that I didn't do them, well I already wrote the disclaimer.

1) Be healthy. Inside and out. That had a lot to do why I choose simplify as my word.
2) Blog daily or close too. There will be days that I am not at a computer, or have nothing worthy to say, or just don't feel like doing it. But, I have really enjoyed this journey this past year, and finally found somewhere that I actually take the time to write down pieces of my world.
3) Take more one on one time. More for Chris and I, more for Braydon and I and more for Kaylee and I.
4) Take some more me time. I'm not trying to be selfish, but survivalish. I need to be alone sometimes, which for me is a newer realization. Always the social one, always the coordinator, always on the go. That almost broke me a couple times last year, but this year (through simplification) it may not happen. Okay, it will, but I will hopefully realize it earlier.

There will be more, but those four are fairly do-able. I think.

Simplify.
Do you have a word?