Rock Climbing 101

_{Background from Oil Paints 2 by Gina Miller, Borderlines 4 by Sande Krieger, Tattoo Graffitti by Rhonna Farrer, Date Stamps by Amber Clegg, Highlighter (Modfied), doodle circle and doodle line from Dear Diary by Erica Hite, Cardboard tear by Linda Gil Bildal, Backward Staples by Jenn Patrick, Labels by Janel Kretschmann, Cluster Frame by Nancy Comelab, Journal star by Catrine, Star water color by Ida, Alpha by Powers Sisters, Font: DB Michael, Distress, Chalkdust, and Downcome}

Text:Rachel was able to climb to the top of her first outdoor route on a Memorial Day trip with her dad and siblings. Michael took the kids to Sand Rock, Alabama and was able to teach the kids more about the basics of climbing. Aaron got to work on requirements for his Climbing Merit Badge, too. Rachel and Aaron were a great team!

Michael makes sure Rachel is properly tied into the rope using a figure 8 knot. Aaron helps encourage Rachel while he is on belay. This wall is a great practice wall for beginners.

::::::::::::::::::::::::Testing is Finished!::::::::

::::::::::::::::::::::::Girl Scout Cookies::::::::::

are finally being mailed to the troops! The young man that is the brother to one of Rachel's troop members was able to get his mother the address for his brigade in Iraq. We will be mailing them in the morning using the flat rate shipping boxes recommended for troop items.

::::::::::::::::::::::::A Big Shout Out:::::::::::::

for the inventor of the quick seal for envelopes! I can remember eons ago when I would help my mom lick envelopes for mailings going out for the Autism Society. The glue didn't taste half bad, but the paper cuts were a killer! Licking envelopes reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when George's finance licks all of their wedding invitation and ends up dying from a poison in the glue. George was being cheap, so he bought some cheesy foreign envelopes. It was very funny in a macabre sort of way.

Smiles!

Memorial Day Update:

The kids got to ride horses during their climbing trip.
_{Twig Frames by Carol Abram}



The kids hanging out on top of a rock.


I'm working on a layout of Rachel rock climbing and Aaron belaying her. Michael thought it was great getting the shot of Aaron helping Rachel.
I have had very litte computer time now that the kids are home and I haven't felt very well either. I even forgot to take Aaron to his first day of testing for the Iowa Basics Skills Test. It is a two day test. I did get him to the second part of the test today and he will make up the first part tomorrow. The test proctor had to take Aaron's watch from him because he kept checking the time.

A friend of mine and my mom saw this cartoon and made me a copy:


Seattle Post-Intelligencer is where you can find more of this hilarious cartoonists work.


:::::::::::::::Thank You Note:::::::::

Today I recieved a lovely Thank You card from the gentleman I made the slideshow of a Philmont scout trip. He was very pleased with the outcome. I used LightScribe enabled DVD+R with a 4x burn rate and it seemed to keep anything from stalling, or skipping.


:::::::::::::The Sisters Grimm:::::::



This book was a bit intense for kids Eve's age (4-6), and Rachel got a little spooked during the graphic ending. The author gets to introduce to the modern reader the authentic Grimms' tales, which have been very watered down by such cultural icons as Walt Disney. The kids were surprised by the original bits of the different fairy tale characters who are trapped in Ferryport Landing due to a strong spell. These fairy tale characters are called "Everafters" and due to a fear that they would come in conflict with humans the take on disguises and try to fit in to this community. Their are characters that everyone will be familiar with in this book, but the opinion that you have of each of them may be quite altered after finishing this book. Overall, the book is imaginative and clever, but be aware it is intense.

Here's another Rhymes with Orange cartoon that seemed appropriate for this book review:


::::::::::::::::Personal Project::::::

I would like to take our 2006 Disney World photos and create a slideshow. I already have all the music I need. The kids do love to see themselves.

What's that I hear? Dishes calling and laundry wailing!

Smiles!

Memorial Day Weekend:

The kids went off with Michael to go rock climbing and even ended up horseback riding. Check it out here: Michael's Blog.

While the kids and Michael were away I went over to my mom's and we had our nails done. I got both and French manicure and pedicure. What, especially, happy toes I have today. Then, mom and I went to a wonderful Chinese restaurant near her house. The owner is so friendly! I had broccoli chicken, egg drop soup and a spring roll. YUMMY STUFF!


::::::::::::::::::Started reading::::::

the next in The Sisters Grimm series called The Unusual Suspects.

I will review the first book later, but Noah is clamoring for his turn on the computer!

::::::::::::::::::This Morning:::::::::

I woke up with the sensation that I had undergone a bionic sinus transplant that my body is rejecting. UGH! Michael had some sinus and headache medicine, so I took one. I hoping for the best.

:::::::::::::::::Layout from Spring Break:::::



_{Sparkle paper by Gina Miller, Journaling Papers by Catrine, Fonts: Too Many Secrets/ DB Michael, Cluster Frames by Nancy Comelab, Popping Swirls (modified) by Tracy Ann Robinson}

Sugar:

There are several definitions for the word sugar, but I am referring to the colloquial Southern term in this photo of me:




In the South the term sugar means kiss. So whenever family members see each other they might say, "Come give me some sugar". This is my grandaddy Bill with me at Christmas time.


Background paper from Chocolate paperz and Sugar Alpha by Anna Benjamin at Paper_Moon
Borderlines 3 by Sande Krieger, Calendar by Misty Mareda, Vintage Frames by Nancy Comelab, Really Big Bow by Natalie Braxton

::::::::::::::::::::::




I was able to do a marathon read at my mom's house on Saturday and a hour nap! COOL! Here is my review of the book Passionate Minds about the relationship between Emilie du Chatelet and Voltaire: David Bodanis does an admiral job relating this unorthodox relationship of Emilie du Chatelet who possessed a brillant mind for math and science and the life of Voltaire who became a renowned poet and writer, best known for Candide. Their story begins in early 18th century France where most marriage were made for political and financial alliances. "Love" was kept for relationships that were kept "discreetly" separate from the city your spouse was staying in. Emilie du Chatelet was married to an older man with the military and had 2 children. He was often away on duty and had relationships with other women and it was accepted by both of Emilie and her husband that she, too, would have her own diversions. Her longest lasting relationship besides her marriage was with Voltaire. They acted as each other's muse. Emilie could use Voltaire as a sounding board to figure out how to write more exactly what she wanted to say. Voltaire used Emilie has his inspiration for several of his characters and, for the most part, appreciated her critique of his writings. She often participated in his plays that they put on for friends.

My moral code is different from these two characters, but my serious ethos bent didn't keep me from respecting the talents of these two brillant people. The time in which they lived put them on the cusp of The Enlightment and dying before the French Revolution. They lived in an era of rampant corruption in the Catholic Church, a stagnant class system that created feelings of rancor from the lower classes, marriage was not based on love, which led to clandestine relationships that left both participants statisfied in the short-term, but bankrupt in the end as their deeper emotional needs were never met.

Emilie was able to help Voltaire with his science experiments, while at the same time working on her own experiments on light. They both entered their research for the Academic Prize. Though Emilie's was superior to all other entries she was given 6th place and Voltaire recieved 7th. Emilie also translated the Principia by Newton. Emilie was trying to bridge her understanding of the work of Newton and Liebniz, which was a Herculean effort because, at the time, you were in Newton's camp or Liebniz's camp. Bodanis points out Emilie, because she was a women, and was not allowed into the scientific circles of the men could see from a perspective that saw how these two, who both claimed to be the creators of Calculus, had research that could both gave useful information. Emilie leaned more into the Liebniz camp because he saw a Supreme Being's hand in the creation of the things she was understanding in the amazing calculations.

This book interweaves the bizarre political machinations of the time as Voltaire gets involved with Fredrick the Great of Prussia and the court of Louis XV. Voltaire and his friend Richelieu are the ones who introduce Jeanne Poisson to Louis XV. She later is given the name of Madame De Pompadour. Voltaire was hoping for control and influence through Jeanne Poisson because the mistress was a way to get the King's ear. His hopes were dashed when she had her own agenda.

Emilie and Voltaire's relationship becomes extremely strained after the Academy competition. The both get into separate relationships and Emilie gets pregnant at the age of 42. Emilie realizes she will probably die in childbirth. This is when she stays up for hours each day to translate the Principia. Her husband comes home to cover for her pregnancy, and Voltaire stays with her, too. Unfortunately, Emilie's foreboding feelings were correct and she and her baby daughter die. Volatire goes on to live to a ripe old age and write Candide.

I found this excerpt, especially, interesting:
"The British critic William Empson liked describing the power of ambiguity in literature. If an author insists that only one view is true, there's little we can do but accept or reject that view. It easily gets tedious, like a prose article we can read only once. But when the author holds two contrasting views and weaves a narrative where both are somehow true, then we're pulled to it more. (Good music is similar, being both powerful yet also evasive, so that we can listen to it over and over, our mind approaching it afresh each time.)"
I wonder if that is why the Bible and other books of scripture bring such lively discussions. There are so many different interpretations of any given passage.

Though there was a sad outcome for Emilie she wrote this passage in a manuscript she on "Happiness": It's rare to admit it, but we all secretly like the idea of being talked about after our death. In fact, it's a belief we need." It is kind of interesting to think that somewhere Emilie might be happy because I write this, today, 258 years after her death.

::::::::::::::::::::::::Hilarious:::::::::

I grabbed this from Julie P.'s blog
Pick your birthday month:

January: I kicked
February: I loved
March: I karate chopped
April: I licked
May: I jumped on
June: I smelled
July: I did the Macarena With
August: I had lunch with
September: I danced with
October: I sang to
November: I yelled at
December: I ran over

Pick the day (number) you were born on:

1: a birdbath
2: a monster
3: a phone
4: a fork
5: a snowman
6: a gangster
7: my cell phone
8: my dog
9: my best friends’ boyfriend
10: my neighbor
11: my science teacher
12: a banana
13: a fireman
14: a stuffed animal
15: a goat
16: a pickle
17: your mom
18: a spoon
19: a smurf
20: a baseball bat
21: a ninja
22: Chuck Norris
23: a noodle
24: a squirrel
25: a football player
26: my sister
27: my brother
28: an ipod
29: a surfer
30: a llama
31: a photographer

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:

White: because I’m cool like that.
Black: because that’s how I roll.
Pink: because I’m NOT crazy.
Red: because the voices told me to .
Blue: because I’m sexy and I do what I want.
Green: because I think I need some serious help.
Purple: because I’m AWESOME!
Gray: because Big Bird said to and he’s my leader.
Yellow: because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars.
Orange: because my family thinks I’m stupid anyway.
Brown: because I can.
Other: because I’m a Ninja!
None: because I can ‘t control myself.


Mine is: I jumped on a birdbath because I think I need some serious help.

Got Moves?

These are photos of Rachel dancing during the class picnic for the final day of her 3rd grade experience. All of the classes had their lunch period outside at the front of the school. There was a D.J. playing music and leading the kids in different games. Rachel was frustrated waiting for her teacher to give the go ahead for joining in the festivities. The teacher wanted everyone to eat their lunches first. Rachel, eventually, got to show off some of her moves!

_{Vintage Dreams -Retro Kit By Michelle Coleman and Lori Barnhurst, Hand Stamped Alpha by Michelle Coleman, Paint Strokes by Rhonna Farrer, Button element by Natalie Braxton from the Summer Collab kit, Journal paper by Lauren Grier, Backward Staples by Jenn Patrick, Borderlines 3 by Sande Krieger, Font: Pea Noa}



:::::::::::::::::::Singin' with the Car Radio::::::

is one of my favorite things! I went to the grocery store by myself to grab a few things since my thirsty brood are home for the Summer holiday. I was able to turn up the radio and sing. Taylor, Party of One... yourself as the audience. I'm always a crowd pleaser! (I also sing for myself in the shower. Yep, I sound fabulous to myself there, too! ;0)

Anyway, this song came on:


Black Water by The Doobie Brothers
(Patrick simmons)

Well, I built me a raft and shes ready for floatin
Ol mississippi, shes callin my name
Catfish are jumpin
That paddle wheel thumpin
Black water keeps rollin on past just the same

Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi moon, wont you keep on shinin on me
Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi moon, wont you keep on shinin on me
Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi moon, wont you keep on shinin on me
Yeah, keep on shinin your light
Gonna make everything, pretty mama
Gonna make everything all right
And I aint got no worries
cause I aint in no hurry at all

Well, if it rains, I dont care
Dont make no difference to me
Just take that street car thats goin up town
Yeah, Id like to hear some funky dixieland
And dance a honky tonk
And Ill be buyin evrybody drinks all roun

Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi moon, wont you keep on shinin on me
Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi moon, wont you keep on shinin on me
Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi moon, wont you keep on shinin on me
Yeah, keep on shinin your light
Gonna make everything, pretty mama
Gonna make everything all right
And I aint got no worries
cause I aint in no hurry at all

Id like to hear some funky dixieland
Pretty mama come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand pretty mama
Come and dance with your daddy all night long
I want to honky tonk, honky tonk, honky tonk
With you all night long


...I love to sing lead and back up vocals on this one. I do this on most songs because all the parts are so fun that I don't want to miss out! I remember singing this song on innumberable trips to Phenix City, Alabama to visit my maternal grandparents. So, fond memories and a great audience...I couldn't ask for more!

:::::::::::::::Change of Plans:::::::

I was going to take Aaron to see Pirates of the Caribbean on Saturday, but his friend, Jacob, called and I let Aaron go spend the night. I try to stick to matinees, so maybe next week sometime. The other kids aren't interested in seeing the movie, but I am.


:::::::::::::::I Shall Attempt To::::::

read my book that I have picked up about 50 times, to put it right back down to solve some family "crisis". Crisis in the Taylor family dictionary is not having socks, helping Eve in the bathroom, or monitoring who is on the computer next. Kinda paltry terms in the grand scheme o' things.

Smiles!

Bathroom Rant:

What do most folks do the first day their kids are off school? If they are sane they may take the kids to the park or to the pool. I let mine watch Jeff Corwin movies about bats (they watched this one twice because they love flying foxes), amphibians, and different animal encounters. Aaron was off to a friend's house most of the day and Noah played computer games, which he kept asking me to read the directions. So, while they were mostly being self-sufficient I cleaned my bathroom and theirs.
Now for the rant: ARGH! I always cringe when I clean the bathroom knowing that in seconds the surfaces will be defiled by my family members. It is the same reason I hate doing laundry. You clean it. They put it on, then get it dirty and it winds up on the floor in just a few days for the process to start over again. The other thing I hate is that anyone can miss the large hole in which to deposit their offerings to the porcelain g*d. I'm thinking it wouldn't be so bad to build a guardrobe, but we don't have that much room between our house and the neighbors to let the smell waft. Also, my dear husband chooses to trim his own hair in the bathroom whilst sitting on commode, or standing in the shower, so fine black and grey hairs get sprinkled like some pepper around the bathroom and in crevices. It's kinda of like a chihuahua blew up! In the kids' bathroom there is a smearing of different colored toothpastes on the counter and the mirror behind the sink. You know the culprit by the toothpaste colors. Green (watermelon flavored Colgate) that would be Noah's, Red (strawberry favored Colgate) that would be Eve. Toothpaste spit on the mirror that is usually Aaron. Rachel's M.O. I'm not so sure about.

Product endorsement for the day is a nice, but not overwhelming smell and cleaning ability of Lysol Bathroom Cleaner.

:::::::::::::::On the Bright Side::::::

My name was the first one picked from the hat for a gift certificate to 2 Peas. I'm so excited!

Noah is demanding to be back on the computer!

Later, Smiles!

Climb On!

This is a layout from photos taken on the 6th of April. Michael took Aaron, Noah and our nephew, Gabriel, rock climbing in Sandrock, Alabama. Aaron was nervous but completed the climb and stopped to smile and flash a peace sign along the way.


_{Stamps and Ledger Paper by Meredith Fenwick, Fonts: Dead Letter Office, DB Michael by Darcy, Date Stamp by Amber Clegg, Hand Stamped Alpha by Michelle Coleman, Cluster Frame (modified) by Nancy Comelab, Paint strokes and black punched alpha by the Powers Sisters, Boy Buttons by Natalie Braxton, This Way doodle from New House Doodles by Kate Hadfield, corner doodle by Jackie Eckles, hand sketch from internet}

:::::::::::::::::As I Sit Here:::::::::

this song is running through my head:

Well we got no choice
All the girls and boys
Makin' all that noise
'Cause they found new toys
Well we can't salute ya
Can't find a flag
If that don't suit ya
That's a drag

School's out for summer
School's out forever
School's been blown to pieces

No more pencils
No more books
No more teacher's dirty looks

Well we got no class
And we got no principles (principals)
We ain't got no innocence
We can't even think of a word that rhymes

School's out for summer
School's out forever
My school's been blown to pieces

No more pencils
No more books
No more teacher's dirty looks

Out for summer
Out 'til fall
We might not come back at all

School's out forever
School's out for summer
School's out with fever
School's out completely


...today is the last day of the 2006-2007 school year. I will be taking Eve and Aaron to visit Noah and Rachel for their respective class picnics.

***This song by Alice Cooper is one of the kids favorites, thanks to the Muppet show on dvd. I believe all four can "Name That Tune" in the first few chords with no words. Alice Cooper seems to be more fun than creepy.

::::::::::::::::::Speaking of dark, long haired singers:::::

when I was out and about driving I heard the song a "What a Wonderful World". The song written for and performed by Louis Armstrong is famous, but the one singing on the radio was Joey Ramone. I really enjoyed his rendition of the song. I checked up on Joey with Wikipedia. The release date on the song was 2002 and he died in 2001 of lymphoma.

I have enjoyed the crazy, fun sound of the Ramones since I watched the movie Rock 'n' Roll High School. I enjoyed jumping around to the theme song and yelling, "Hey Ho, Let's go! You can hear sound bites of their music on Amazon.com. I love to crank up the tune "I Want to be Sedated".


:::::::::::::Bus Driver Gift::::

I went by Bruster's, a local ice cream shop, and purchased two five dollar gift certificates for the bus driver, so each child could give her something. I hated riding the bus as a kid, but my kids seem to think it's okay. The school has increased in population quickly over the last 5 years and I wouldn't want to drive over there to sit in a long line of cars while my old car tries to over heat. So, thanks Ms. Becky for picking up my younguns'!



_{Mo Moodles 5, Vehicle Doodle by Kate Hadfield, Borderlines by Sande Krieger, Font: Chalkdust/ CAC Shishoni Brush, Chocolate paper by Paper Moons (Anna Benjamin)}

:::::::::::::Noah's New Camera:::::::::

has taken plenty of photos of the wall, my butt, miscellanous photos of Oinkey, Eve posing on the coffee table (what a goof ball)...and I did mention my butt (that kid needs to get out more)! He took a short movie of the movie we were watching and used up his small memory card. Hopefully, he will get this out of his system before our vacation.

Well, off to give Aaron a math test, so "Hey ho, let's go!"

Smiles!

Bathing Beauties:

Miss Muscogee Pageant 1939





_{Mo Jackson's Mermaid and Swimming Pixie kits, and Moodles 4, In Vogue kit elements from Scrap Artist, Font: Fairfax Station/Shishoni Brush/ Susie's Hand, Arrow Doodle by Holly McCaig}

My maternal grandmother was a contestant in this competition held in Muscogee County, Georgia. I don't know which one of the ladies won. I just thought the photos were pretty cool!

:::::::::::::::Greek Mythology Day:::::::::

We have watched several stories that introduce Greek mythology to children. The series is really well put together.




...other interesting videos: The Cultural Revolution, Inventor: Alexander Graham Bell, and Life Science.


:::::::::::::::::::::Slideshow Complete::::

I finished the slideshow for a gentlemen in Jim's scout troop. I hope the discs I burned work on everyone's players. I created 8 copies and did the labels using the lightscribe printer. I also created a page that slipped into the dvd sleeve.

::::::::::::::::::This is Pretty Funny::::::

Warning Label Generator




Remember the Quick Trip motto: "If effects last for more than 4 hours PARTY ON!

Smiles!

Happy Birthday, Noah!

_{Yellow background by Amy Wolff, doodles by Kate Hadfield, staple by Michelle Coleman, and tag from Welli Designs at wedoscrap}

::::::::::::Ocean's of Fun::::::::::





Text: A Tuna Fish that can't carry a tune? A Star Fish that can't get an acting job? A seven-legged Octopus? A Zebra Fish with spots? Join in the aquatic fun as little Tiger Shark and his unique collection of friends discover how their differences make them each special.

STAY BACK! STAY BACK!
STAY BACK from Great White! We guard him all day! We guard him all night!

Noah was a swordfish guard in his First grade production of Oceans of Fun". Dad, Aaron, Eve and Mom were in attendance.

Song: "We're Sharks! Leaving our marks!"

Summer Collab Kit at The Lily Pad,
Cluster Frames by Nancy Comelab,
Pirate Doodles and Musical Doodles by Kate Hadfield,
Thought bubble, arrow doodle and wave doodle from Dear Diary By Erica Hite,
Orange fish doodle by Pascaline,
Font: Farrah/ Mia's Scribbling/ Susie's Hand




Mom, Michael, the kids and I went to see the first showing of the morning for Shrek 3 on Saturday. The animation was spectacular. My favorite part, visually, was the wet fur on Puss and Donkey. The sub plots are always a lot of fun giving layers on meaning to this humorous adventure. I think my right and left lobes of my brain got all twisted up during a scene with Pinocchio! I think the visual homage to The Bionic Man with "Gingy" the Gingerbread Man was a hilarious! Prince Charming in his 80's leg warmers made me think of Fame. Eric Idle voicing a Birkenstock wearing Merlin was so perfect. The writers and artists seem like they grew up with me and watched the same shows, so the jokes seem crafted for me, but my kids got it on the physical comedy level. The soundtrack for the film also reminded me of some of my favorite 70's and 80's artists. The kids loved Snow White's sweet singing changing to the primal scream of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song".

Since we joke about Noah being all thumbs we will use a Noah rating system for the film today and give it 10 THUMBS UP!

::::::::::::::::::::Noah's Bowling Party::::::::::

We took Noah Cosmic bowling for his party. Noah, Granny Alice, Rachel, Carson, James, and Hayden played on the bumper lanes, while Michael, Aaron and I bowled on a regular lane. Aaron beat us both times. Noah's favorite gift was an "Omnitrix" from Granny and Grandpa Towhey, which is from the show Ben 10 on Cartoonnetwork. The Omnitrix allows the wearer to turn into one of 10 different aliens. Michael and I bought him a digital camera that we found on clearance at Wolf camera. It is a Canon with large controls, so we thought that would be easier for his little hands. He got a couple of Ben 10 action figures and some fun planet stickers for his walls. Granny Alice got him a voice changer, little pump rocket, a swimsuit and beach towel. We had a cookie cake with an alien on it that Noah didn't want to eat. He just wasn't interested. Everyone else enjoyed their pieces of cake (Eve licked the icing off her).

:::::::::::::::::::::Ninja Warrior:::::::

After the party we went to my parent's house and watched t.v. The one show we all liked was Ninja Warrior. The obstacles were pretty cool and each contestant had us rooting for them because we were amazed that they would try this stuff. The most dizzying was a barrel roll down an incline. The other interesting aspect to the show was that no one actually has to win. Another thing is the number of people who keep trying.

:::::::::::::::::::::Sunday:::::::::

Leading music was kinda crazy on Sunday. Michael made the comment that it was like all of the kids were on crack. They were all squirmy and chattery, and the older boys were literally bouncing off the walls.

We went to my Dad's house after Church and showed them my Shutterfly books and had a yummy lunch. Alice had made sweet potatoes, pinto beans with okra, cornbread, sliced tomatoes, turkey breast. My dad just got back from his second trip to Liberia on a mission trip for his church. He leaves today for North Carolina where he will be helping re-build a house for a blind lady. Later on in the Summer he and Alice will both go to Montana to help out with service there and to do some sight-seeing.

Then, we had family home evening on the opposite side of the highway in McDonough...(pronounced "McDonna" *thanks for the translation Donny and Kim :). Again, I showed off my various Shutterfly books. The kids were thoroughly filthy from playing with the dogs in the back yard and just playing around. They had a lot of fun playing with their cousins.

The kids were exhausted when we got home, but they were dirty so they all got a bath. I thought Rachel was going to disintegrate into a puddle of estrogen because she was so tired. I helped her wash her hair while she soaped herself up and rinsed. No time to read just prayers and sleep.

:::::::::::::::::::Finishing Slideshow today:::::::::

I'm finishing up the slideshow project today. I have to design the cd cover and burn it with the lightscribe printer, then create the dvd cover. Unfortunately, my color ink is running out and I can't find a replacement. I need to check a couple more stores today.

Smiles!

Celebration Time is Here! Weekend...

If the day doesn't bring you a rainbow see if you can find a six-year old to create one for you.



_{Background paper from Canvas of Color by Gina Miller, Glitter Scalloped edge by Gina Miller, Rainbow Felt by Tiff Brady, Green arrow doodle from Dear Diary by Erica Hite, Nessa Alpha by Erica Hite, Doodle Frame with green by Kate Hadfield, Doodle Frame from Chalked Full of Fun by Lisa Whitney, Say It journaling blocks by Dani Mogstad, Font: Jane Austen/ Sketchy}

This is the last of Noah's Mother's Day Art Collection.

::::::::::::::::::So, What Happened to the Chicken? ::::::::



_{Chicken is from Happy Easter by Studio Sausan at Scrapbookgraphics}


This infamous question is asked by Michael before family reading time. The question is always directed at Noah who has biblionarcolepsy (falls asleep when a book is being read to him). Noah hasn't fallen for it yet. I filled him in on the last two chapters he missed in our current book, The Sisters Grimm, The Fairy Tale Detectives, because he had fallen asleep and the others begged to forge ahead without him. Noah was actually awake last night and working on his current Bionicle creation, when Michael asked one of his silly chicken questions. Noah rolled his eyes and said "There was no chicken!" The older kids are beginning to add an entire sub plot to the story about this chicken. There is something really great about families and their inside jokes.

:::::::::::::::Inventor Day::::::::

Aaron and I watched shows on Inventors as a part of our day. We learned about: Leonardo Da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, James Watt, Louis Pasteur, The Wright Brothers and Eli Whitney. Aaron was fascinated that all of these men were proficient at things at his age. I wonder if that message will sink in?


::::::::::::::Acting Debut:::::::::

Noah is a swordfish guard in his first grade production of "Go Fish". He has one line and he is sooooo excited.

::::::::::::::Vacation Plans:::::::

There are so many things to see on our route to Niagara Falls. Our planned detours should be a lot of fun. We are using Frommer's Guide and Fodor's to get the information about local spots and suggestions from ladies at Digishoptalk. When we stop in New York City I considered finding the kids an inexpensive Broadway show and Blue Man Group: Tubes looked really cool, but the ticket prices I found were $78.00 each. I wonder if they come cheaper than that? The guide gives approximate hotdog stand and pizza by the slice prices that seem reasonable. The ladies at Digishoptalk said we need to go to Serendipity's for a Frozen Hot Chocolate. I looked it up and boy that place made me gain five pounds from reading the menu.
Our current goal is finding a good value motel that we can park our car, grab a shower and easy access to Manhattan.
I'm enjoying reading about the myriad of sites going North. I hope we can structure our itinerary enough that when we want to be spontaneous we can. (This really does make sense!)

Smiles!

Mementos:

Noah created this artwork just for me! He was very protective of the painting and was upset when I glanced at it before Mother's Day. After several minutes of consoling his tender feelings I was able to convince him that I could forget what it looked like exactly. I was, Happily, surprised on Sunday when my sweet son gave me this painting of a clown. The hands are extra special because they are his traced hands. The hands are also his and my favorite color, green.
Thank you, Noah, for my Mother's Day present!

_{Sande Krieger's French Laundry Papers, Coasters, and Alpha, Borderlines 2 Rhonna Farrer's Snapshot Frames and Paint Strokes, Tia Bennett's Joined at the Hip kit. Font: Mia's Scribblings}

::::::::::::::::Epcot Bands::::::::

We really enjoyed the music at Epcot, especially Off Kilter in the Canadian Pavillion. Some of our other highly recommended music stops are Mo Rocka, the Mariachi band is fabulous, and Mazuriza (or Masuriza).



_{Doodle Frame and Music Doodles by Kate Hadfield, Font: DB Michael}

::::::::::::::::::::Insight::::::::::

Michael's blog can give you a little insight on our family and our particular weirdness.


:::::::::::::::::::It's Shaping Up:::::::::

to be a buzy weekend. Aaron has the end of the season bowling party this Friday. It will be 9 pins, no tap, which means if you knock down 9 pins it counts as a strike. We are taking Noah Cosmic Bowling for his birthday. Sunday is a big Family Home Evening with Michael's family. It is supposed to be a picnic outside with lots of different salads.

Now, to run and rustle up the children for some grub! *( just had to share this quirky thought: If I was a beetle and I had to wake my kids, then I would be rustling up the grub for some food....Hmmm?!?)

BACK TO YOUR LIVES, CITIZENS!

It's Always Somethin' :

:::::::::::::::::::Noah's Nasty Injury:::::::



Text: Noah came home from school with his hands cupped in front of him. He had a slight simian pose. I asked him what happened as I looked at the palms of his hands. He said he had been playing on the monkeybars and was only one bar from the end. He said his hands felt hot, so he looked at them and they were blistered. The teacher sent him to the clinic where they put a cold compress on his palms. She gave him a bunch of bandaids, but he doesn't want anything on his hands at all!

Chalk Full of Fun by Lisa Whitney,
Doodle frame and Zoo animals by Kate Hadfield,
Punch alpha by the Powers Sisters,
Notebook Alpha by Ash Scraps,
Date Stamp by Amber Clegg,
Cardboard tear and flip by Linda Gil Bildal,
The Ultimate Tear pack by Fhung Lie,
Fonts: Laundromat 1967/ Farrah/ Bulky Refuse Type



::::::::::::::::::More Bridging Layouts:::::



_{background paper from Little Day (QOTC) by Sausan, painted overlay by the Powers Sisters, felt flowers by Natalie Braxton from the Summer Collab kit at the Lily Pad, Chalked Full of fun kit by Lisa Whitney, measturing tape from the En Vogue kit at Scrap Artist, Staple from Softly Softly by KSharonKFont: Tk Doodle, CK Love Note, Jayne Print.}Granny and Grandpa Towhey are your biggest fans! They make sure to come to all the important events in your life. They invite you to do things with them and are eager for you to be a part of their lives. You bring them...



_{background paper from Little Day (QOTC) by Sausan, Chip alpha from the Summer Collab kit at the Lily Pad by Audrey Neal, Cluster Frames (modified) by Nancy Comelab, Black punched alpha by the Powers Sister, Chalked Full of Fun by Lisa Whitney}

::::::::::::::::::::::My Funny Brother-in-Law:::

Stephen sent me this link:
Think Geek. He knows us all too well!

::::::::::::::::::::::Comparative Religion Day::::::::

Was yesterday for Aaron's homeschool class. We had videos that introduced Buddism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity and the concept of religion. It was interesting to see the different symbols of each religion and the significance attributed to each.

Tagged Tuesday:

I was tagged by my digi pal Julie P., so here goes.
The rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following...They MUST be real places, names, things...NOTHING made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question...
SCATTERGORIES...it's harder than it looks!
Your Name: babyofmine
1. Famous Singer/Band: Vedder, Eddie
2. 4 letter word: Vest
3. Street: Victoria St.
4. Color: Vermillion
5. Gifts/Presents:
6. Vehicle: Buick
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop:
8. Boy Name: Vernon
9. Girl Name: Valerie
10. Movie Title: Vacation
11. Drink: Vermouth
12. Occupation: Veterinarian
13. Flower: Vanilla
14. Celebrity: Viveca Lindfors
15. Magazine: Veterans
16. U.S. City: Valhalla
17. Pro Sports Teams: Vikings
18. Fruit: ?
19. Reason for Being Late for Work: Vexed at sleeping in.
20. Something You Throw Away: Vacuum
21. Things You Shout: "Varmint"!
22. Cartoon Character: Veronica (from the Archie and Jughead Comics)


::::::::::::::::Just When You Thought You Were Safe:::::::::

Two more Shutterfly Albums came in yesterday:


<sub>Doodlebird by Meredith Fenwick, Crayon Doodles by Ida, Background paper by Rhonna Farrer, City Limits Doodle by Andrea Burns, Glassy blue brads from Movin' On by Sandra Boddington at Scrapbookgraphics, Glitter swirl from Michelle Coleman's Birthday Elements, Weather Doodle and Birthday Girl Doodle by Kate Hadfield, Font: Tk doodle by Taran Conyers, The "rose colored glasses" were from the letter "g" in 2Peas DW Summer Fun, Journal paper From Just Need to Write My Thoughts by Lauren Grier



Papers and brushes from Peachy Keen by Rhonna Farrer, Font: Jane Austen/ Hello Sark</sub>


:::::::::::::::::::My Knight in Shinging Armor:::::::

rode up on his steely grey iron horse and fixed my tire. Aaron, Evey and I went to the library to deal with my crazy dvd requesting situation. We were there about an hour and a half. The librarians were kind enough to explain some nuances of the library system to me. For example, now I know how to use the suspended request and my list functions to delay my requests, while maintaining them in an accessible form. I did end of checking out the collections on religion for kids for a comparative religion study I'm doing today, Inventors, several Eyewitness films, and a series for health on the human body. For Noah I checked out all the movies on the Transformers so we can get steeped in Transformer history for the upcoming movie. For Evey I checked out a couple of My Little Pony movies, Angelina Ballerina and Strawberry Shortcake. Rachel really likes the Eyewitness stuff, so everyone was covered.

Sooooo, we walk out and deposit the 3 plastic grocery bags and one armful of videos into the car and I noticed the front tire was flat. We were already running late for our end of the year party for Homeschool run club, but I didn't want to drive on it and bend the rim. We went back in and the librarians let Aaron call Michael at work. He took the rest of the day off and came to get us. He said I had enough air in the tire to drive the short mile home. We grabbed the stuff for run club from my car and all of us went to the park for the party.

The got to eat pizza and snacks, while the kids had a squirt gun fight on the lawn. Eve, Michael and I stayed dry and ate strawberries and brownies. The squirt gun fight was halted long enough for Aaron and the other children to recieve trophies and awards for participating the the Presidental Fitness program. Then, back to another half hour of maniac squirting.

When we got home Michael found the problem with my tire. I had run over a nasty old screw. He put a plug in the tire and filled it with air. I need two new front tires anyway since my car is front wheel drive the tires loose tread much quicker in the front than the rear.

::::::::::::::::::::A Good Knight's Work::::::::

is never done! Michael took a quick shower then went off to his scheduled apheresis appointment at the Red Cross. They accidentally missed his vein in his right arm and the fluid created a golf ball sized swelling. He called their attention to it and they fixed the problem. OUCH! He watched Mission Impossible 3, which he said was awful, while he gave platelets.

::::::::::::::::::::New Suit:::::::::::

I took the girls to Target and the grocery store, while the boys watched Transformers. Eve informed me that she liked my flip flops and it didn't bother her to have the strap between her toes anymore, and she wanted some right now. Rachel needed another swimsuit, so we picked up one for her. It is a light robin's egg blue and brown with a hibiscus pattern. It is 3 pieces, so she can get to the restroom quickly. She will wear the surf shirt with the bottom piece and the bikini top will stay in the drawer to pair it up when she grows out of it. On Saturday, Michael and I picked up a tankini for Eve. It is pink with a hibiscus pattern. The surf shirt and shorts look adorable.

::::::::::::::::::::This is hilarious::::::::

A great digi-gal, Carol, is participating in an amazing challenge about things that never really happened.Carol's blog. Her layout is so funny. I'm going to have to try this bit of nuttiness!

::::::::::::::::::::Jaw Dropping Amazing::::::::

Dream House post by Sande Krieger is BRILLIANT! She has crafted an intricate home symbolizing some of the wonderful aspects of her family. I am in AWE!

Monday, Monday...

so good to me. (Mamas & the Papas).

I hope y'all had a marvelous Mother's Day! I started the day nervous because I had to lead the Primary Children singing in the Chapel for all the moms and grandmas. The pianist started a bit early because she couldn't see her own granddaughter walking along the front. There were too many tall kids in her line of sight to me, but we were only a couple of beats behind and caught up. The second song about grandmother was adorable and the kids remembered to pause. I must have been a bit distracting because I was on the middle pew four rows back, so the kids would be able to see me. I was swayin' and gesticulating (some people who lead music call it "conducting" from what I hear)! All in all...SUCCESS!

After Church we watched a Disney movie called "Hot Lead and Cold Feet" with Jim Dale who also narrates the Harry Potter book series. Then, I went and fell asleep for a 2 hour nap. BLISS!

During the movie I created this layout:



_{background paper from Little Day (QOTC) by Sausan, Mixed flower element from Collectibles 1 by Sausan, Squiggle Fleurs by Jen Wilson, Cardboard border by Amanda Rockwell, Doodle Alpha by Kate Hadfield}

::::::::::::::::Vacation Plans:::::::::

Coming together. We have a gentlemen in our ward who lived in Pennsylvania and told us to go the Shady Maple when we get to Lancaster for a wonderful Amish experience.

I have to go feed the Thundering Heard!

Happy Mother's Day!

_{Seasonal Sampler by Shabby Princess, Fonts: DJB JEN, Jane Austen}

Never with the Times:

You have entered Victoria's Time Machine, again! Since I don't scrap chronologically you never know what will pop up. These are layouts I, recently, created for our 2005 vacation:



<sub>Staples from Softly Softly by KSHARONK, Font: DB Michael


Spring Break paper by Dani Mogstad, Alpha Doodles by Kate Hadfield, Cluster Frame by Nancy Comelab, Date Stamp by Amber Clegg, Font: DB Michael</sub>


::::::::::::::::::::Vacation Ideas for 2007:::::::::::

We are hoping to do several things as we take our family North for the first time. Here are some of our beginning ideas:
Monticello (home of Thomas Jefferson)

Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.

We are hoping to stay in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a couple of days to see things such as The Liberty Bell and Indepence Hall. Michael wants us to try "whatta ice", which some people pronounce as Water Ice. This stuff is supposed to be refreshing with bits of fruit. We will also pick up a Philly Cheese Steak, which you simply order as a "Cheese wit" (with onions), or a "Cheese wit out" (no onions).

New York: Central Park, Empire State Building, Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, a baseball game at Yankee Stadium.

Then, drive over to Niagara Falls and take a Maid of the Mist tour and go over to Canada.

On the way back go through Amish country.

We are in the early planning stages, so we hope to finalize plans in two weeks.

Bridging:

Frame by Kellie Mize.

Rachel has moved up from the rank of Brownie to Junior in the Girl Scouts. Granny and Grandpa came for the the bridging ceremony. The girls were nervous to speak in front of the adults. The only down side to the event was the copious amounts of goose poop on the grounds around the lake where we were holding the ceremony.

We made sure everyone got a bath when we got home, which no one fussed about due to the goose situation.










<sub>Quote by Captain Crewe "I believe that you are...and always will be my Little Princess." from A Little Princess

Live for the Joy kit by Kay Miller Designs,
Ribbon Stitches and rivited ribbon by Natalie Braxton,
Flourish (modified) by Ida,
Faux Jewels by Shabby Princess,
Cluster Frames (modified) by Nancy Comelab</sub>

::::::::::::Aaron's Shutterfly Album::::::::


Frame by Gina Miller,
Book Cover: Space Doodles by Kate Hadfield,
Background paper by Jessica Sprague

::::::::::::::::::::::Spencer::::::::::::

My awesome nephew, Spencer, had his palate surgery a couple of days ago. He is doing well. His folks say he is getting pain reliever every 4 hours, but he needs it every 3.5 hours. Poor little guy!

::::::::::::::::::::::Librarians:::::::::

Do they have a hit list? If they don't, will they make one just for me? I have 179 video and book requests and they are all coming in. The librarians have to separate the dvd and the case until check out due to theft issues. I am surprised how quickly all of my requests came in. Their is a group of videos for earth science, comparative religion, the Middle Ages, Physical Science, and the ones Noah will be so psyched to get...Transformers on dvd. I thought it would be cool to do all the Transformer back history before the movie this summer. For Eve I requested the dvds for Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony. So it seems that I have most of them on hold. I wonder if I should send Michael to pick them up because one of the librarians thinks he is a hottie? Hmmmm...I'll have to weigh my options.

::::::::::::::Passionate Minds:::::::::::



This is my current personal reading book. Here is a synopsis from Amazon.

Stone Mountain Sweet Gum:

_{Background paper from Oil Papers by Gina Miller, Really Big Ribbon by Natalie Braxton, Vintage Frames by Nancy Comelab, Borderline doodle by Sande Krieger, Chocolate Notepapers by Anna Benjamin at Paper_Moons, Thought bubble from Ceres kit by Jackie Eckles, Fonts: Cats, Typical Writer, DB Michael, Date Stamp by Katie Pertiet, Botanical brushes from internet, staples by Jenn Patrick}
Text:
Stone Mountain Sweet Gum:
Pioneers once peeled the bark and scraped the resin-like solid to produce chewing gum.
The bark of this species of Sweet Gum tree is mottled with a variety of colors. The colors of this Stone Mountain Sweet Gum attracts both male and female Homo sapiens. Once attracted to the tree's bark the Homo sapiens deposit a wad of fresh gum to the tree's exterior, thus protecting it from the elements.


::::::::::::::::::::Music Maven::::::::

Eve and I had the opportunity to spend time together on our drive to her check up and she offered her opinion on the tunes we were listening to on the radio. The first song on our journey was by Evanesence called "My Immortal".
Eve asked, "Did someone die?" (Echo from the other day).
"I don't know." (I reach to change the channel).
"Don't change it. I like it!"

The next song was by a group called The Killers. The song is called "Somebody Told Me". She told me to turn it up, up, up!

By the time we got half way to the appointment The Police song "Roxanne" came on the radio. Eve asked, "What is he saying?"
I replied, "Roxanne."
Eve: I don't like it! Turn it off!

Eve also came up with her own song this evening:

"I want to be like my mommy!
I want to go camping!
I want to be like my mommy!
I want to send e-mails!"

(She was wearing panties at the time, so my guess is that she won't make it in pop music...good thing!)

The New Family Reading Book is:

Here is a link to the website for theSisters Grimm.

This series was recommended to me by my friend Kim and is rather good at letting me know about great books. We are only through a chapter and a half and the kids want me to keep reading. Noah insisted that he didnt' fall asleep during the attack of the pixies, so I would keep reading. I told him that we would pick up reading where he left off tomorrow night.
The characters already show the menacing edge that you see when you read about the Baudelaire orphans and the crazy folks that would be their "guardians" in A Series of Unfortunate Events. The book also has the Sisters Grimm parentless, which drives Michael kinda nuts. This is our second orphan book in a row, too. Anyway, the book has a rich history from which to mine its characters. The creative possibilites are endless and it appears Micheal Buckley has done a superb job. Here is a review bySondra Eklund.



:::::::::::::::::::Check-up:::::::::

Eve goes to Dr. Maron for a check-up on her gum where he had to pull her tooth last week. She loves to see him, so the visit should go well.


:::::::::::::::::::Hand of Death::::

an explanation on this term as it pertains to Rachel. Unfortunately, for the tadfrogs and Rachel, the two tadfrogs she picked up to get a closer look died shortly after being held. Rachel was devastated by the turn of events. She decided to add a spider and a worm to another terrarium to find that both were dead when she got home from school. I hope she uses this as an opportunity to learn about species in their own habitats.

::::::::::::::::::::Noah's Question of the Day::::::::

When was Bubble Wrap invented? Well, here is the scoop on that: Bubble Wrap website.



Do you want to relieve some stress? Try this: Click ME!



Smiles!

But Wait, There's More...

Here are two more 8x8 Shutterfly books I recieved yesterday:


Heart doodle by Lisa Whitney,
Alpha by Sausan,
Zoo Doodles by Kate Hadfield,
Flourish by Erica Hite,
Paws (modified) by Rhonna Farrer


Photo frame by Erica Hite, Doodles by Maya, Susan Long and Lisa Dozier. Background paper and journal block from Tiffany kit by Misty Mareda, Alpha by Rhonna Farrer, Borderlines by Sande Krieger, Crown by CBaumann, Whimsical word blocks by Hope Wallace


Pages from a couple of the albums:

At Magic Kingdom the kids loved to pretend to be captured by Zurg. Then they had their photo taken with Pleekly from the movie "Lilo and Stitch".

Crime Scene tape from Mary Fran's Who Done It,
Arrows and Stitched Alpha by Kate Hadfield,
Color Me Funky by Gina Miller and Kate Hadfield,
Doodle Frames by Erica Hite,
Date Stamp by Amber Clegg,
Font: DB Michael by Darcy


Folded fabric template by Fhung Lie, papers from Spring Break by Dani Mogstad, Cluster Frame by Nancy Comelab.



Vintage frame by Katie Pertiet, Journal paper by Catrine, Cardboard fold by Linda Gil Bildal, Doodle Alpha by Kate Hadfield.


::::::::::::::Noahism of the Day::::::::::::

To put this in context Noah and Rachel were playing a game from the Chicken Little movie dvd that had them answer multiple choice questions. Noah would insist that he knew the correct answer, so Rachel would select it and press enter. The answer was usually wrong, then she would grasp his head and give him a knuggie (sp?). She walked into the kitchen muttering in frustration and Noah took over the remote control. Then, Noah says matter of factly, "Stop Rach! If you were my age you would be just as lame!"