Ear We Come To Save The Day...

...mighty pediatrician on the way!

Eve is complaining that her right ear hurts. This happens to be the same ear that is infected on Noah. I wondered if it was a sympathy pain, but as Michael was washing her hair she cried in pain. I'll be calling to make a sick child appointment this morning. :(

I didn't reach my goal of having our Summer vacation pictures completed by the first, but I did create another layout:


Credits:
Darcy Baldwin: DJB MANDY at The Digichick
Shabby Miss Jenn: Trashed Brackets and Folded Paper, staple from Old Letters lil kit
Birgit: Summer Foliage
Jenna Desai: Brick stickers
Linda Gil Billdal: Torn cardboard
Natalie Braxton: Things on Stringz
Alpha is from "Promises" a freebie by the Shabby Princess
Kate Hadfield: Black Doodle Alpha
Nancy Comelab: Cluster frame

:::::::::::::Laptop Update::::::::::::::::

We went to an electronic store called Fry's and found a Gateway notebook with 3 Gigabytes of RAM and a 250G Hard Drive for $50 less than the one we were looking for, so we bought the better one instead. Success, me thinks!

:::::::::::::My Husband?::::::::::::



My husband, Michael, blogged about this cartoon. It really is how he answers stuff and how some people perceive his responses.

:::::::::::::One of My Favorite Photos::::::



I love this photo and I have it scrapped in Noah's album, but I enjoyed playing with a sepia tone for this layout.

This is a scraplift of Omega021 (Monika)http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=279759&cat=fav


Credits:


Darcy Baldwin's DJB CHLOE, DJB CHRISTINEC at The Digichick
Catscrap's: Primavera Collab and Come Out To Play
Catrine's: Doodle flourish
:::::::::::::Library Books::::::::::

I had a slew of books due today, but I turned in several last night. I can't find a book Eve checked out, so I'm off to seek out her different reading spots to see if I can find it.

Slow Learner...

but a willing soul. I am just took my second Wilton Cake Art lesson last night. The instructor went over how to hold our hands at the right angle and apply the right amount of pressure to create different decorating effects. I was most fascinated with the piping gel. That is so wicked cool stuff! Here is my very flawed cake decorating, but it was FUN!


Eve is my biggest fan. The second I walked in the door she rushed down stairs to see what I had accomplished in class. She just ooohhhed and aaawwwed over how "beautiful" it was. She gave me a big hug and just kept smiling. My head didn't get any bigger, but my heart sure did!



::::::::::::::::::::::::On Target:::::::

Wiley Miller is often on target with his observations of the world. This latest cartoon is perfect for anyone who loves to digital scrapbook or anything with Photoshop:
I signed up to gocomics.com. You may want to check it out and see if any of your favorites are there.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::Guest for the Month of February:::::

for SCARLETHEELSmedia. Her name is MiYon and she has a great attitude and such fun designs. She has some of her designs at The Sweet Shoppe. I'll be posting a layout tomorrow with her things. I've mostly been working on Shelene's Christmas present.

Smiles!

Say What???

I was driving the kids over to sleepover night at my mom's house and the song "Long Train Runnin'" by the Doobie Brothers came on the radio. I told her I liked this song as a kid when I was about Noah's age. I told her I liked the harmonica, especially, in the song. Rachel responded excitedly, "I like it too! I can't believe we like the same song. The harmonica sound makes me think of what it might be like on a ranch, or in the desert...or in jail!"

Hey if that isn't insight I'm not sure what is!

::::::::::::Where Is A Video Camera....:::::

when you need one? As we were channel surfing during this same loud car ride to my mom's I thought it would be fun to stop on the song "Pieces of Me" by Ashlee Simpson to annoy Aaron in the backseat. Well he ended up making everyone laugh while doing a lip sync and crazy pantomimes to the music. I'm so glad I didn't wreck because I kept glancing in my rear view mirror to watch his crazy antics. He was very funny!

::::::::::::Highland Games:::::::

As my family likes to joke..."If it's not Scottish it's cr@p!" My mom and Aaron are planning on going to the Highland Games at Stone Mountain Park. The Highland Games are almost like a journey to Mecca for my mom. Alex Beaton probably sets aside 10 minutes of his schedule if he's in Georgia for a chat and photo opp!
Another favorite is finding anyone to sing the "Scotsman Song". It makes me laugh every time.

::::::::::::::Report Cards:::::::

came today. Rachel actually kept bugging me to look at hers. The kids both did great. Rachel does need to work on her math facts, but her teacher said she is an enthusiastic learner. I can attest to that. I had a Life Science video about viruses, bacteria and allergies that Aaron watched earlier in the day. I came down to tell Rachel and the others to get ready to get in the car and she said, "Just a minute we're watching this cool video on viruses and bacteria."

:::::::::::::::Wiley Miller::

Michael and I both enjoy his cartoon and I read his children's book The Extraordinary Tales of Ordinary Basil to myself last week. This week I put it in as a read before our regularly scheduled book. Noah can usually be found in a supine position during reading time, but with this book he was perched up next to me with his chin on my shoulder eager for the next word. He would get so upset when I said it was bed time. We finished the book yesterday and he asked when I could get the next in the series. I'll have to start reading to him from the Sunday comics until the next book is published...if one is forthcoming.

Michael quipped to me the other day that he thinks that he and Wiley Miller think so much alike that with two people in the world so similar that one of them is redundant. Since Wiley Miller is a better artist and conveys his thoughts so much more succinctly that Michael must me the redundant one. I told him pish-posh on that. Mr. Miller would have to come over and fix tasty Japanese cuisine and fix all the stuff that breaks at our house and I'm pretty sure he won't so Michael's place in the world is secure. I'm not sure he was at all comforted by my words.

:::::::::::::Doobie Brothers:::::

That name always made me laugh as a kid...still does a bit. This group makes me tap my feet and sing out loud. And the two best places to sing are in the shower and the car. Since I don't have a radio in my shower I can only sing along in my car. "Black Water" came on the other day and that is one of my favorite songs to belt out with the boys on the radio. What songs do you like to sing with gusto?

:::::::::::::Key Rings:::::::::

I was thinking about my key ring because Eve always wants me to detach what I have on the ring and let her play with it while I drive. My mother bought me a little multi-buttoned thingy that plays sound bites from the "Blues Brothers". The kids think it's hilarious and they have never seen the movie. It came on the other day on one of the channels and was so censored you couldn't figure out why the nun got mad at Jake and Elwood.

Do you have something cool on your key ring? Can you tell the house is empty, except for Jasper the Ferret, because I'm talking to the computer?

I hope y'all have a fantabulous weekend!

Yep! It's Me Again

::::::::::::Another Family Reunion Layout::::



My son was playing along the shoreline at the lake and was a bit disconcerted that I kept aiming the camera at him.


Darcy Baldwin: DJB MISH/ DJB DEBBIEC at The Digichick
Nancy Comelab: Utimate Background Vol 1, Vintage Frame
Natalie Braxton: Cut Outs II freebie
Kate Hadfield: Staples, Wordy Bits, Doodled Arrows, Paper Swirl
Jenn Patrick: Backward Staples
Bren Boone: Cool Summer, Luscious Solids
Katie Pertiet: Curled Vintage Frames 4
Michelle Coleman: Hand Stamped Alpha

::::::::::::::::::::Ordinary Basil::::::::

Wiley Miller, the cartoonist who pens Non-Sequitor, also wrote a children's book called The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Basil.

I saw this book at the library and decided to check it out. The illustrations are fantastic and the story line is a fluid and interesting adventure. There is a particularly interesting bit of dialogue that has Basil think about how we view the history we learn in school, which is delineated by the different wars. This is in contrast to the history of the "fictional Helios" which teaches the various periods of history with positive human discovers and creations.
I will be tacking this read behind our current family book.

:::::::::::::::::::Swimming:::::::::::

Aaron and I have been a couple of times this week for his physical education time and just to let him practice. I have fun doing some laps, treading water, diving and floating. It is really funny when Aaron wants me to go to the bottom of the pool and I can't stay down. I keep feeling like an undunkable Weeble Wooble.


:::::::::::::::Let's Groove:::::::::

I'll leave you with a song that makes me happy!


Smiles!

A, Mostly, Clean House

::::::::::::A Toe Tappin' Great Movie:::::::

I spent the Saturday cleaning while Rachel was at a sleepover, Michael and Aaron were out doing a clean-up day and rock climbing at Sand Rock, and Noah and Eve were at my mom's house. I'm one who likes background noise, so I had popped in "Murder By Death" and listened to it as I moved around the house. When that movies was over I grabbed Strictly Ballroom.
This movie is so quirky and fabulous! Michael and Aaron came home near the end of the movie and Michael was excited...yes, excited to see I had that movie playing. When it was over he rewound it and played it again. He told the kids to clean in the living room and that they would enjoy watching the movie while they cleaned. There were a couple of times we sent Rachel to do something and she would plead to, "let me just watch this scene, then I'll go!"
I think Michael and I are in agreement that our favorite character is Doug Hastings who is the father to the main character, Scott. This mild mannered geeky guy is a closet innovator and amazing dancer. All of the characters are like a caricature...a little bigger and more colorful, than in most movies. This movie is enjoyable from beginning to end! I highly recommend this film!


::::::::::::::Dryer:::::

Michael was able to fix our dryer that was broken for three days. I have the Mount Everest O' Laundry to clean. The thermal fuse died and I looked up a schematic on-line and looked for information on our type of dryer and diagnosed the problem. Michael took the information and hot-wired the dryer to test the theory and sure enough I was right. He was able to get the part and fix it pretty quickly. What a handy guy!



:::::::::::::Fly On The Wall...Perhaps?::::

Again, this cartoonist has captured one of the quirks in our family. This cartoon depicts how Michael reads books to the children:


If the kids want the book read "right" they give the book to me. If they need a bit of silliness they give the book to Michael. Sometimes when the books are short we will do the readings on the same day. I love Michael's "intrepretations" they are always funny and fairly bizarre.

:::::::::::::::::Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins...Oh, my!::::

Michael's family came over for family home evening and we had French bread pizzas and salad. Michael's mom brought cupcakes and a cake to celebrate the September birthdays, which were Aaron, Rachel and Eve. After everyone left Eve asked, "So why didn't anyone bring me presents?" I told her that it wasn't a birthday party for her, but everyone was wishing her a happy birthday. She, surprisingly, accepted my explanation. The kids love to play with all of their cousins and the kids are really polite. I have some amazing nieces and nephews!

:::::::::::::::::Ballet and Tap:::::::::

Eve begins her ballet and tap classes today. She is chomping at the bit to get started. She keeps wanting to take her outfit and shoes out to try them on.

:::::::::::::::::Cub Scouts::::::

Noah starts back to Cub Scouts today. He seemed accepting, but not excited.

::::::::::::::::Layouts::::::::::

...they are simply ideas floating in my head. Maybe later today I can create one!

Smiles, fine folks!

Some Fun and Shabby Comments

My husband saw this comic strip and thought of me:



A little background on this as it relates to being funny to us. When I was a kid my mother would introduce me to people and they would then begin calling me Vicky. My mother would politely correct them that that was not my name. This scenario has been repeated all of my life. My husband, Michael, is a "Michael", so when folks call and ask for Mike I just laugh and tell him that someone we don't know is calling. Once someone who purported to know us well introduced us from the pulpit as "Mike and Vicky". We cringed. Names are important, or else we wouldn't use them and name and classify everything. I try not to be pushy about it, though. Rachel will usually tell people for me. She will say, "My mom likes to be called Victoria."

So, if I have been getting your name wrong let me know...after my little diatribe. ;)


::::::::::::::::::Jim Dale of Harry Potter fame::::::::

I love Jim Dale's voice and he was hilarious on Wait! Wait!. Got to the section called "Not My Job". You get such tidbits as where he got the voice for Dobby.


:::::::::::::::::::::Date Night?::::::

Michael and I are hoping to go on a date night and see The Bourne Ultimatim. We enjoyed the previous two films.

::::::::::::A Shabby Invitation...never looked so good:::::::

Once my dsl was repaired and I opened my email this invitation was waiting for me:


I'm excited to be able to play with her great designs in a few months.
I get to sport this little thing as part of the November Guest C.T.



:::::::::::::::Shopping with my Girly!:::::::






::::::::::::::Book Review::::::::
The Sisters Grimm: Once Upon a Crime


Another action packed story from Michael Buckley that kept the kids pleading to, "read ONE MORE CHAPTER! PLEASE!" The action takes place in NYC where the rag tag group led by Granny Grimm go to take the injured Puck. The king of Fairie, Oberon, is murdered and the Grimms, along with ex-sheriff Hamstead (one of the 3 little pigs) and Mr. Canis (The Big Bad Wolf) try to track down the killer. There is even a love interest for Mr. Hamstead. There is also the pungent cocoon that follows Sabrina around that creates a lot of laughs. The Wizard of Oz also plays quite a prominent role as a friend of Veronica Grimm, the girls' mother. Everyone is surprised to find out some information about Veronica that makes Sabrina rethink an important decision. This is a wonderful continuation of the series and we look forward, excitedly, to book 5 that will be coming out in December.

Non Sequitur
Just thought this was funny in light of the whole fairy tale genre book review.



:::::::::::::Aunt Teashy:::::::


This is one of my SIL's with our twin nieces.


Text: When Corinna and Dakotta saw Aunt Teashy they set off running and she scooped them up into her open arms.


_{Midnight in the Garden kit by Kay Miller
Word Art by Bethany Mott
Doodle Journal art, Pipecleaner flowers, doodled photo corner (Color Me Funky combo with Gina Miller) by Kate Hadfield
Doodle Frame by Holly McCaig
Black frame, scalloped border and white tab from Springtime in Paris by Michelle Godin
Doodle Alpha by Weeds and Wildflowers
Proof frame (modified) by Christina Renee
Block Alpha by Natalie Braxton
Font: DJB MANDY by Darcy Baldwin at The Digichick}

::::::::::::::::Next Family Reading Book::::::

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift


Have a happy weekend!

Smiles!