Here is one of my first Tim Holtz layouts. I know it doesn’t look like it since it’s a typical Karen layout but this page uses pretty much only Tim’s products. List below.
Journaling Reads:
Nathaniel I don’t think David or I will ever forget the first time you ever gave David a hug. He was playing by the couch and you just walked up to him and gave him a hug from the back and we were both shocked. But you kept hugging him all day long. I think it was one of David’s favorite days of all time. We will never forget it. We love you so much!
Tim Holtz Products used:
Lost and Found paper
Shabby Vintage paper
Timepieces
Symphony tissue tape
Alphabet Soup Grungeboard
Red Pepper Paint Dabber
Trinket Pins
Ruler Ribbon
Type Charms
Mini Pins
Details:
Today was considerably better than yesterday but still very much lacking in the productivity department. Oh well, I guess this weekend was meant to be this way. Next weekend will be a whirlwind, too and then school starts for my little boy. Ugh. Summer ended way way too quickly. Way too quickly.
I did the three big tasks for this weekend which were to get David’s school stuff ready, print more photos for upcoming scrappy projects, and to cleanup and organize my table. I still have emails to reply to, a few todo list items for Jake’s upcoming birthday, and some prep work for creative therapy. And I still have that happiness-project wrap up post to write and my August plans to share with you. Ugh. Yes, this is shaping to be one of those months where I play nonstop catch up.
Nathaniel spent a bunch of time playing with a bowl that was on the floor today. He’d flip it and kick it.
and just work himself into a laughter. It was so much fun to watch.
And then the headphones of course. He loves loves those things.
We tried to put him down for nap this morning but he wouldn’t take it. While he was trying, David and I did his reading exercise (he’s up to #43) . And then we read some of the books he checked out from the library. He has some attention span issues where he tries to guess looking at the photos. But if he pays attention and takes his time, he can actually read. It’s quite phenomenal to watch.
In the afternoon, we tried to put Nathaniel down again and this time he did nap. Afterwards, Jake took David for his haircut, during which I’m told he misbehaved and fidgeted a lot. When he got home, he was miserable. Crying and saying he was itchy and that he hated the haircut. He did calm down a bit but it was not pretty. I asked him if I could get some photos of it, and this was the best he let me snap.
Love the boy. A little bit more reading, some playing and then it was time for dinner. My last catch of the day was Nathaniel signing “thank you” which is a new one for him. He’s learning to sign, slowly but surely.
And now they are both in bed and I am wiped as usual and I don’t think I can get much more done. So I will finish off a few items and curl in bed with a book. I hope your weekend was wonderful!
Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that David’s been reading so well and enjoying it so much. It is such a treasure to watch him.
2. I am grateful that Nathaniel is taking not having one hand in stride. He’s been in good humor and the hand does not seem to be getting worse.
3. I am grateful that we have a short but happy vacation coming up. I am excited to spend even more time with my boys.
Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. reading library books.
2. new spiderman shoes for school.
3. daddy and mommy and nathaniel (he said he will be grateful for all three of us everyday from now on).
Well, I never saw today coming. My plans for this weekend were the opposite of audacious. I wanted to rest some, play with the kids some, and read a bunch. I hoped to get up and take David to Target for back to school shopping and then to the library for some books. And we did do all of that. Then I came home, already dead tired to find Nathaniel’s thumb swollen and filled with puss. So I called the doctor who told me to bring him in right away. So I rushed right back out. Then we waited for way too long. Nathaniel has just woken up from a too-short nap and hadn’t eaten. After the really long wait, the doctor had to have two of us hold him down to puncture his thumb, get a sample, put ointment and wrap it like crazy so even if he sucked it, it wouldn’t matter. Nathaniel was weeping the whole time.
Then, we had to go to the Stanford Children’s Hospital to drop off the sample she took which involved a very tired mommy having to walk a long long way and then wait in long lines. Then I tried to get his medicine but the pharmacist wasn’t sure what the doctor wrote and the doctor’s office was already closed so we had to wait for over 45 minutes for the doctor to call us back and confirm the medicine. By the time we made it home, we were both a huge mess. I put him right on his chair so he could eat. And he swallowed the food like he hadn’t eaten in days.
Having only one thumb made things considerably harder for the little boy.
During lunch, David’s third tooth fell off and he was super-excited.
Once he was fed, Nathaniel did return to his good mood.
Even with a sock covering his arm.
As the day wound down more, he got a lot more frustrated and emotional. Cause he wanted to play like he usually does but he didn’t have the two hands he usually does.
During bedtime, we had to unwrap the whole thing and put a new one. And that was yet another challenge. Lots of weeping, turning purple, mommy freaking and yelling later we finally had him in bed. And I must say I am ready to crawl in bed myself.
Best laid plans.
Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I had the mind to call the doctor when I saw his thumb.
2. I am grateful that the school shopping (at least preliminary) is done.
3. I am grateful that my whole family is a lot more relaxed and chilled out than i am cause I don’t think it would work any other way.
Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. new legos he got for doing so much work on his reading.
2. mommy.
3. daddy.
One of the things I really wanted to do this year was to find a reading group.
51. Find a reading group
After several months into the year, I finally decided to start my own. I emailed a bunch of friends from work and we started. Around the same time, I also enrolled in Palo Alto Menlo Park mom’s group and joined their book club, too. And just recently I decided to try out the local library’s book club, too, but they then shut down abruptly, so that one didn’t work out. But then my friend Kathy started a “children’s and young adult book club” and since I have not read most of kids books I thought that would be fun!
So far the one I started has read:
– Let the Great World Spin
– When You Reach Me
– Lonesome Dove
Up Next: The Forgotten Garden
The PAMP one read:
– The Post-Birthday World
– East of Eden
– The Happiness Project
We’ve already picked the books for the next six months and they are:
– Of Human Bondage, by W. Somerset Maugham
– She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders, by Jennifer Finney Boylan
– The Cookbook Collector, by Allegra Goodman
– Foreign Affairs, by Alison Lurie
– Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese
– The Imperfectionists, by Tom Rachman
And finally, the list for the C.O.O.L. club (Children’s (Or Other) Lit) is:
– Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster)
– Island of the blue dolphins
– Peter and the starcatcher (Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson)
– Sisterhood of the traveling pants (Ann Brashares), Winnie leads/Kathy hosts
– Tales of a fourth grade nothing/Superfudge (Judy Blume)
– Ozma of Oz, Road to Oz (L. Frank Baum)
– The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
And I am really enjoying all of them. Just being a part of a book club is something I really like having in my life.
For reasons that are truly inexplicable, I am still quite grouchy and I am waiting to snap out of it. It hasn’t been easy being around me and I am frustrated with myself for letting it get to me so much and for not being able to snap out of it. That’s my goal this weekend. Serious attempts to snap out of it.
Nathaniel took a four hour long nap today so I spent the time working and being grouchy and when he woke up, we all went out to lunch. And then did some grocery shopping. So it took me much longer to snap photos today. I started with the big boy.
Nathaniel was snacking on animal crackers when I snapped his photos. He was putting them in his hair, which he loves to do.
So I just snapped while he made some faces.
And finally we both laughed.
Even the big boy.
And now I’m rushing to get the kids to bed cause I have to go out for my new book club. Maybe that will do the trick. Happy weekend to you!!
Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that the dev build went out nice and easy this morning.
2. I am grateful for my kids who make me laugh again and again.
3. I am grateful that I took the time to go out in the sun and to shop. I love when my fridge is full of delicious fruit.
Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. lunch with mommy and nathaniel
2. strawberry yogurt cheerios.
3. daddy.
I love love love love my little man.
I made this layout using A Million Memories August kit. It uses the sketch designed by Zoe. If you haven’t been using our monthly sketches and playing along with our challenges you totally should. You can win a gift certificate to buy goodies at the store!! Here’s the August challenge
(temporarily removed for publication, coming back!!)
Journaling Reads:
I have taken photos for as long as I can remember. In high school, I was the editor of the school yearbook. My closets were always overflowing with pictures.
But I didn’t really get into photography until I decided I really wanted a digital SLR. The camera cost a lot of money and I couldn’t justify owning one unless I learned some true photography skills first.
My husband had taken photography classes in high school and still had his 35mm, so we grabbed his camera and drove to Venice Beach where he taught me about aperture and shutter speed and so much more of the basics of photography.
That was the beginning of a true love. I have since started my own photography company, bought two other SLRs, and four amazing lenses. I take pictures every single day. Hundreds in a week and over 50,000 photos of just my family every year.
Photography has changed the way I view the world. The way I live. I know people say it stops you from living the moment, but for me it’s the exact opposite. It enhances my memories.
Lots of photos today. As with all mornings recently, I got up, gave the kids food, exercised, did some art, some reading with David, and then started work. I found Nathaniel like this today and I grabbed my camera right away. I love the idea of my kids reading and reading is definitely my favorite thing to do with my time so I hope hope that the love has passed on to them, too.
And, David, too.
I don’t know if you remember, but back when we went camping, I was looking for the shoes I bought for Nathaniel. I had looked and looked and couldn’t find them to save my life. And, guess what? Nathaniel found them today! (and he is wearing different clothes cause he peed on the other ones. happens often in our house sadly.)
And then tried to put them on.
And then gave up and chose to play with the box instead.
Then, I put them on for him. He wasn’t sure he liked them but since he discovered them, he didn’t complain.
He kept walking to the door, so we decided to take a little walk.
We often walk to this bridge by our house. I like to take photos there. So we did again.
On the way back, the kids played for a bit. I love the way David looks at Nathaniel here.
And how happy they both are, here.
And the way Nathaniel’s looking at his brother here. Look at that love.
On the way home, David did what he does best: run run run.
All in all it was a good day. Good time with the kids, good work done, some art done, some chatting with friends, and some reading with David. I am still in a bit of a funk but way better than yesterday which is good news for tomorrow.
Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for the art I’ve been creating. Some better than others but I like that I’ve been doing it consistently.
2. I am grateful for work being relatively smooth this week. I am not done yet and shouldn’t jinx it but so far, so good.
3. I am grateful that David’s making such big strides in reading. It’s so wonderful to see him get excited.
Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. legos
2. eating a peanut butter sandwich.
3. daddy.
I made this layout using A Million Memories August kit.
Journaling is about how much Nathaniel loves building blocks and legos.
Details:
I should have written about Hand Wash Cold a long time ago. I read it months ago and I loved it.
I loved it.
I really really loved it.
There are so many things I want to write about this amazing book. So many passages I highlighted. So much that has affected me and I want to read this book at least two more times and I never reread. I want to savor it. I want to think about every little piece of it. I was so moved by the book that I emailed Karen the instant I put it down. But if I wait until I can sit and write up all the passages I highlighted, I will never actually do it.
So just trust me that this is a great book. I really liked it and it really spoke to me.
Bad bad bad day. I woke up from the wrong side of bed today and could not seem to shake the feeling all day. I got grouchier and grouchier. It was insane. And I am still not done being grouchy it seems so I am going to keep it short today.
Nathaniel’s really into putting things in bowls lately. Loves to collect his little cheerios.
He puts them in the head of this guy.
And then eats out of it. Ugh.
And here’s the big boy who’s really been super patient with his amazingly cranky mommy today. I was a bad bad bad mommy.
I am going to say goodnight and let this day end hoping i wake up from the other side tomorrow.
Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for happy mail today.
2. I am grateful for the two layouts I finished today even though I cannot make my peace with them.
3. I am grateful that my kids were still so happy, kind, and generous despite my totally grouchy mood today.
Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. watching my DVDs
2. watching Preschool Playhouse on dvd.
3. daddy.
I made this layout using A Million Memories August kit.
Journaling is about how David is so mature and helpful that sometimes I forget he’s only 5 and this is to remind myself that it’s ok for me to let him act his age a bit more.
Details:
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projects for twenty twenty-five
projects for twenty twenty-four
projects for twenty twenty-three
projects for twenty twenty-two
projects for twenty twenty-one
projects for twenty nineteen
projects for twenty eighteen
projects from twenty seventeen
monthly projects from previous years
some of my previous projects
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