Mermaid in Training!

Eve's first real swim!


During her third swimming lesson Eve was able to use her arms and legs with her face in the water to swim to her instructor, Laura.


_{Darcy Baldwin: DJB Teacher, DJB Doodl E Doo, DJB Karenscript at The Digichick
Kay Miller: The Blue Lagoon
Font: Doorkeeper 41}

:::::::::::::Another Layout from Our Summer Vacation::::



::::::::::::::::Another Great One:::::::

This is too true:

Index Card blog





:::::::::::::::Some Really Neat Artist Links:::

This is a great site: Artist Freebies

Acme License Generator

Smiles 'til later!

Feeling Loquacious

Text: Eve found this use of the hammock far superior to relaxing int its web!

_{Darcy Baldwin: DJB LORRAINE1/ DJB Doodl E Doo/ DJB A Bit of Flaire at The Digichick
Kay Miller: Organic Kit
Kate Hadfield: Heavy Duty Staple
Jenn Patrick: Backward Staples
Birgit: Gralpha
Jessica Bolton: Teeny Tiny Alpha (Using Organic kit paper)
Weeds and Wildflowers: Layered Alpha (graph paper)}


:::::::::::::Water Heater::::::::::::

Michael and I spent Saturday installing a new 40 gallon water heater. We have a small house and the 15 to 20 year window to recoup the cost of a tankless system had us replace our old one with the same system albeit more efficient. I was the gopher girl for odds and ends needed to finish the task. After Michael dropped molton solder on his finger he related this fact: Your wound self-cauterizes...isn't that neat?! He accidently got some molton solder on my exposed toe (yes, he advised me to put on more than my Croc sandals for this activity...but NOOOOO! I hate shoes...so confining.). There was standing water from a previous test on the sweated pipe that failed and the molton solder hit the water and popped off like grease in a frying pan and landing on the third toe of my right foot. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as Michael's finger. There is a bit of a leak in the cold water side of the connection to the water heater. To fix it we would have to shut off the cold and hot water at the valves and drain the new tank, cut the pipe to the cold, tighten it down, make a new connection and sweat the pipe, again. Michael is so thrilled with this perspective that he is in a "Let's just watch it for a bit and see how bad the leak is." I translate that into, "My finger really hurts and I really don't want to do this again, but I know I'll have to fix it soon!" It's nice to have such a handy guy around! He showed my how to cut pipe with the cutting tool, how to turn off the main gas to the house, the main water cut off and explained along the way what the different pipes did and how the water heater works. We even took the opportunity to clean the part of the duct system Michael knocked off wall trying to solder the cold water pipe. Nasty dust...just NASTY!

:::::::::::::Blogger Silliness:::::::

Your Karaoke Theme Song is "Baby Got Back"

You're a total show off who is willing to risk looking like a fool to get a few laughs. In fact, you'll go for the cheap laugh if you need to... because it's better than no reaction! Your friends can count on you to get a party started, and you'll party hard until you can't remember their names. You're charismatic, charming, and a total character. With or without a few drinks in you. You might also sing: "I Touch Myself," "Oops I Did it Again," or "My Humps" Stay away from people who sing: "Candle in the Wind"

What's Your Karaoke Theme Song?

You Are Banana Pocky

Your attitude: fun and lighthearted Unique and unforgettable You are cutie everyone falls for

What Flavor Pocky Are You?

Your Driving Is is: 48% Male, 52% Female

According to studies, you drive both like a guy and a girl. This means you're a pretty average driver, with typical quirks. Occasionally you're frustrated and or a little reckless, but that's the exception - not the norm.

Do You Drive Like a Guy or a Girl?

::::::::::Really Cool:::::::

I saw this on Julie P.'s site and took the test twice. My first score was 42% bionic. The great thing about this test is that the five tests are the same, but the questions with in the test are different, so when you retest you aren't repeating what you've already seen. There is one test, now I think about, on reflexes that is the same, so 4 out of 5 are different.

See What You're Made Of - Visit The Official Site


::::::::::::::::Sunday Family Fun::::::::

For our joint Family Home Evening we went to Stephen and Shelene's house. The kids really look forward to playing with their cousins. The food for the evening was soups and stews. Michael made homemade chicken soup with noodles. Our kids kept asking for more of daddy's chicken soup. Eve even wants the left over soup for breakfast. What a compliment for Michael! There was also a savory and spicy chili by Marcus and Laura, Stephen made a delicious crab chowder, Melissa brought some yummy potato soup, Christopher made "George" a concoction of chicken and rice soup all his own...and quite tasty. Benjamin and Missy made stewed cabbage. Shelene supplied one of my favorites, cornbread...rub the tummy good stuff! There was also some very good sourdough bread. Noah at Ritz crackers...what a nut!
The lesson for the evening had us write positive traits about the others in the room. Stephen shared how his positive attitude often creates an atmosphere that allows and prompts people to be positive in return. He encouraged to look at the cards that had what people said about us and build on those and add to them.

::::::::::::::::::What You Hear While Making Soup:::::::

Michael called me downstairs while he was working on the chicken soup and said I've got to tell you what Noah said before I forget it. (Noah and Aaron were playing some game with their Legos at the time).

Noah: "Suppose I were to go back in time and bump into my kid self and my kid self would probably say, "Who are you?" and I would have to say, "Let's just say we're related."

Michael and I just laughed and Rachel was listening to this too and shaking her head.

A Bit of Silliness!

***Edited to add a new layout.

Aaron
Noah
Rachel
Eve
Michael
Me

Here is a Simpsonesque family portrait of both Michael's side of the family and mine:


Hey...they already thought I was weird!

:::::::::::::On Another Note:::::::::

My mom gave me her coupons for a new music website called Connect . I redeemed the 4 song credits for songs by Electric Light Orchestra or better known as E.L.O.
I downloaded "Mr. Bluesky", "Evil Woman", "Telephone Line" and "Hold On Tight". A wonderful part of growing up was listening to the radio on the many drives to visit my grandparents in Phenix City, Alabama and I remember singing along with these songs and several other E.L.O. songs. Such fun stuff. Check them out!

::::::::::New Layouts:::::::::
are in the works. I have tons of photos, so I hope to get a vacation book created by start of school, so the kids can show their teachers and classmates. Rachel recieved a sweet postcard from her new teacher. The teacher asked her about the specific places Rachel said she was planning to visit over the Summer. We grabbed a selection of different postcards from the trip and Rachel wrote her a letter, so we will pop that in the mail tomorrow.


***New Layout: "Where 2 First?


_{Borderlines and Traveling Stamp by Sande Krieger, background paper from Full of Life by Kay Miller, Teeny Tags by Jessica Bolton, Chippy Alpha by Audrey Neal from the Summer Collab kit at TLP, Cluster frame by Nancy Comelab, Date Stamp by Amber Clegg, Alpha sticker by the Powers Sisters, Doodle Alpha by Kate Hadfield and Font: DB Michael by Darcy}

Reading time!!!
Ciao for now!

Life's an Adventure With You

Life's an Adventure With You


Text: Eve you make me laugh when you choose to eat regular sized carrots that you call "Mommy Carrots", so you can have a treat. You love to pretend you are a horse, a lion or a house cat. You love to get your photo taken. You could play at the park all day, but if you are told you have to walk somewhere you protest. In the morning you call my name and when I go to check on you you are hiding under the covers. You giggle as I "look" for you and give me a big hug when I find you.



::::::::::::::::::::Mad Libs:::::::::::



As a kid I always looked forward to book fair time. My parents didn't have a lot of money, but I would be able to at least get one book and a Mad Lib. I would have hours of fun with my family and friends asking them to come up with adjectives, nouns, names of body parts, verbs, colors and names of places. So, it was funny for me when we went for lunch at Arby's and the kid's meals came with a Mad Lib booklet and one Mad Lib printed on the bag. Invariably, the word "butt" is used as a body part and the kids snicker and giggle.
Aaron and Rachel stayed up last night laughing over the Mad Libs they were coming up with using the little booklet. I suppose I will need to make a run to a book store and grab a couple of these for the trip.

Mad Libs as described by Wikipedia.

Here is an on-line version that is similar: Wacky Web Tales

Here is another site: Madlibs.org

Here is another Mad Lib generator from a teaching site.
::::::::::::::::::::Earache::::::::::::

My ear still hurts and I think it is getting worse. I suppose I'll call for a doctor's appointment if it doesn't improve by tonight. JOY!

:::::::::::::::::::::Carol has done it again!::::::::

For a side-splitting laugh...this really is a good thing...think of all of the endorphins and life extending qualities of a good laugh!...check out her newest layout of things that never really happened: Carol's Blog




Have a great day! Smiles!

There's Even More Where That Came From:

Surprised that I had yet another bunch of climbing layouts? I think I'm done now.



Text:
Even though Noah was nervous he roped up for his second climb of the year on this same wall. Michael belayed and gave encouragement. Noah was able to get higher than he had before.

_{Naked Stamps by Meredith Fenwick, Boy Buttons by Natalie Braxton, Font: DB Michael, Tasty Tattoo used as an overlay, background paper from Chalked Full of Fun by Lisa Whitney, "U Shine" doodle by Bee Good Designs, doodle arrow by Kate Hadfield, backward staples by Jenn Patrick}

Text: Courage is not the lack of fear but the ability to face it."
---- Lt. John B. Putnam Jr. (1921-1944)

_{Background papers from Chalked Full of Fun by Lisa Whitney, Grunge Alpha by Birgit, black bunch Alpha by The Powers Sisters, Naked Stamp Sheet by Meredith Fenwick, Boy Buttons by Natalie Braxton, Font: DB Michael,Dalyhand, Cold Coffee, Ripped and Torn template by Jen Caputo, Tasty Tattoo used as the two corner overlays, date stamps by Amber Clegg, backward staples by Jenn Patrick}

Tree Castle Island is our current family reading book. The story takes place in the Okefenokee Swamp. The kids like the different terms they are learning about in the story. For example, there are islands called "blow ups" that are made of peat moss which appear like a normal island, but when you step on them you sink. Another term is "hammock" which, in this context, means an area in the swamp with hardwoods like oak and sweet gum. We have only completed 3 chapters, so I will give my review when we complete the book.

:::::::::::::::::::::It's Midnight::::::::

and Rachel is creating collage faces using my digital scrapbooking magazine. The faces are very quirky and she's having fun. What a great combination!



::::::::::::::::More Lidocaine, Please!::::::

The family has been applying periodic doses of lidocaine to our red skin. Hopefully we will be better in a couple of days.

::::::::::::::::College for Kids::::::::

Today Rachel begins her third Summer in the College for Kids program. She is involved in their future authors class. She loves creative writing and the program is to help expand her ideas for writing. The school has a vanity press, so all of the participating students will have their finished writing piece printed. Grandpa plans to pick Rachel up tomorrow, so they can talk about her first day. Michael will then pick her up the rest of the week. Michael can't go Monday because he has his regularly scheduled apheresis appointment at the Red Cross.

:::::::::::::::Discover Magazine::::::::

has an article on Autism in their April 2007 issue. "Autism: It's Just Not In Your Head"

::::::::::::::::Fuzzy Math:::::::::

Discover Magazine had an interesting math question, which I posed to Michael and he answered it immediately, then went on to explain how he came by that answer. Here is the question from the magazine: Heavy Eggs.

What interested me more about this question happened at our family swimming over at Stephen's house. I had Michael ask two of his brother's the question and they thought about it and gave their answers. They were close. Noah, in a very brief stint out of the pool, came up and began explaining how to get the answer. Michael and I listened as he explained the process correctly using his hands to mimic how to go about weighing the eggs. He didn't mimic the words Michael had used, but used his own ideas. We didn't realize he had been paying attention. What a funny dude!

Here is another funny Noah story on Grandpa Jim's blog.

:::::::::::::::::Christmas 1974

My mom found these photos and I remembered having such a blast for years with these toys:

Text: I'm not sure if there was anything left on the shelves for other kids in 1974. Some of my presents included a doctor's kit, playdoh, View Master, a make-up and hairstyling set, Barbie's Jet, Barbie clothes, new pajamas and a Baby of Mine. I went to get the kids who were spending the night with my mom and on the floor was the red leather Barbie jacket which is the one in the photo.

_{Background paper from by Kay Miller, Beauty Mark blog freebie by the Powers Sisters, Handpainted Alpha and Holiday Label by Michelle Coleman, Really Big Ribbons by Natalie Braxton, Vintage frames by Nancy Comelab, Font: Dalyhand/Jane Austen}


Smiles...and OUCH!...off to apply lidocaine!

My Own Particular Idiom:

Excerpt from Monty Python and the Holy Grail:
Sir Lancelot: No, no, sweet Concorde! Stay here! I will send help as
soon as I have accomplished a daring and heroic rescue in my own
particular... (sigh)
CONCORDE: Idiom, sir?
Sir Lancelot: Idiom!

****I love the word and concept of "idiom".




<sub>I was just having fun with idioms!

Background paper from Midnight in the Garden by Kay Miller,
Mermaid by Mo Jackson,
Space Doodles, Stitched Number and Pirate Doodles by Kate Hadfield,
Fonts: Piracy, Sketchy, Texas Hero, CK Good Point</sub>