... funny things are everywhere

Life is for living...

In the first two months of 2007, I have been to two wakes to pay respects to my friends' parents... I have gone to sit shiva with a Jewish coworker, and I attended a "celebration of life" for the father-in-law of a good friend. Eight weeks... it's only been eight weeks since 2007 started. Such a short timeframe to have witnessed so much loss and sorrow.

I thought I was doing okay... until today, when it hit me. That life is unpredictable, at best, and in some ways, it seems almost cruel. It tore me apart yesterday, seeing my friend who is normally so intensely private, on the verge of tears as he talked about his dad. I was struck by the grace with which he received family and friends... vulnerability mixed with a good dose of strength and courage. It all seemed unreal to me, that someone younger than I could lose his father so suddenly in an accident. That it could all be taken away, just like that.

So today, as I reflected on all this, I resolved not to let it bring me down. Life wasn't being unfair. I reminded myself this is just the way the life unfolds sometimes. I decided I needed to make good on my promise to myself. I would live life without regret... enjoy the ordinary, everyday moments, sieze the opportunities, look for the silver lining, embrace imperfection and learn from past mistakes.

Today I listened to soothing music on my iPod and drank herbal tea. Today I learned some new science. Today I took the time to admire my children's artwork. Today I hugged my family extra tight. Today I made plans to attend a seminar to broaden my horizons and (hopefully) make me a better mom. Today I volunteered to do an important job. Today I took pictures of my life. Today I gave thanks for all I have. Today... today was a good day.

random thoughts on a wintery day

1. My house is a mess. But everyone expects it to be, so they're not shocked when they walk through the front door. That's probably not a good thing.
2. I am a caffeine addict.
3. We need groceries in a bad way. Still, it's amazing what you can cook with the stuff that's always in the house but never gets eaten.
4. The days are getting longer. The sun is just starting to peek out on the horizon when our alarm goes off.
5. It's totally annoying when I wake up before the alarm. I LOVE to sleep and can't really seem to.
6. In my quiet pre-dawn moments this morning, I registered the kids for soccer, submitted a couple of scrapbook pages, and got caught up on my blog-reading. This internet thing is so darned addictive.
7. I wish I were here today... that's Skye in the picture, my friend's daughter...
   
8. February's almost over! Man, where did it go?! You know how I remember when the end of the month is near? I get all panicky about writing the school council newsletter. I'd better do that today, just so I can stop panicking. *sigh*
9. Craft Club at the school... it's actually going okay. I need to come up with something for the next two weeks. And it can't be girly! :S
10. Next year, if I'm still able to volunteer for a noon hour club at the school, I vow to do something that boys are interested in. Except I'm a bit scared at the thought of being in charge of a bunch of rowdy 10 and 11 year old boys for forty minutes. Eeeek! I guess it'll have to be a REALLY good activity! LOL
11. I made this for the eyelet challenge on Michelle's blog... I should have added another white flower. :S
    
12. I havne't taken any photos all week. I'd better get on that so I have something to scrap for my LO a Week challenge.
13. I'm behind in scrapping my pages for that album, but I do have photos taken. Really.
14. What should I have for dinner? I vow to try a new recipe tonight!
15. I think I'll bake cookies... but then we'll have to find another family to share them with... because we don't really need 24 cookies in our house.

Okay, my littlest monkey is up. I'd better get some breakfast going. I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend.

Go, Katie, go!

My good friend, Katie Squires, was chosen as a Top 50 contestant in the Making Memories Idol contest... I'm just soooooooo happy for her. She's an uber-talented gal with a heart of gold. Check out the blog, register for voting reminders, and VOTE for my girl, Katie. Pretty pleeeease?! :)

gung hay fat choy!

Okay, so I haven't had a chance to celebrate Chinese New Year in any sort of traditional way for years and years now. Probably not since I lived in Toronto before Mike and I got married. But hey, we did cook some Chinese dumplings for lunch (ummmm... does it still count if I bought them from the frozen food section of Loblaws?), and last week... well, look closely and you'll see my first-born child participating in some sort of Chinese traditional dance in the picture below.

So there's not much new in my world these days. I am busy. But it's a good kind of busy for the most part. I met a friend for dinner on Thursday (hi Cynthia!)... and I did week two of the Craft Club at my son's school... that was fun. Ummmm... what else? My scrap desk is a mess again, but I'm sure it won't take long to tidy up. Hopefully I can do it tonight. Grey's was brutal this week... *sigh* and I've read the third installment of the Shopaholic series (thanks to Michelle for getting me hooked!).

Scrapping... I did scrap this week. I made some door hangers as samples for the Craft Club, and I made a couple of birthday cards for the parties we went to this weekend (so many February birthdays!)... and I also scrapped a page for a challenge at Scrapbook Centrale's forums. Yes, another forum to be addicted to... blame it on Nathalie! LOL

A few more pictures to share with you here...

Uncle Andy came to visit the boys this morning, and they were very high strung, bouncing off the walls. We painted some pictures for him (just so Mike and Andy could talk in relative peace... for all of 20 minutes the boys were engaged!), and then we all played a game of Cadoo. Mike was a good sport and let one of the boys win... but Thomas was not so gracious after getting four in a row. The gloating and jeers were very typical of a grade one child, but still... I think we need to teach him how to be a good sport in winning and losing.

This afternoon, Thomas started swimming lessons again. I put him in private lessons at the club, in the hopes that he will be swimming independently by the time summer rolls around. I would have LOVED to put James in lessons too, but he's afraid to get his face wet, even in the shower or bathtub, so I'm not so sure I'm willing to pay for lessons until he's a bit less fearful. Anyway, Thomas had a GREAT time today, and I have no doubt he'll learn quickly. :)

Okay... I'm off again. We have a family dinner to attend tonight. I can't wait until life slows down a bit. Not sure when that'll be. Maybe when James is 20 or so? :P

February 14th

I loved this day as a kid, but as an adult, I rebelled against the hype of this Hallmark-made holiday. But these days, it's hard not to get excited about Valentine's Day. The boys are so pumped. They had a little ticker on their computer that counted down the days. They wrote cards... they begged me to bake treats... and I, with Guilty Mommy Syndrome, complied with their wishes. Mike and I baked shortbread cookies for their classmates tonight. And they were YUMMY! (You've gotta sample them before sending them to school, right?)

Anyway, I am not going to be a cupid killjoy. I will wish you a happy day and send you all our love...

Happy Valentine's Day!

(heart coloured by James, age 4)

random things...

1. Thomas and I are at home today. He is sick, and I'm not too much better. I might have enough energy to tackle the huge mountain of laundry that's accumulated.
2. It's freeeeezing out today. I have to say that, despite having lots of winter fun on the weekend, I'm getting mighty tired of winter already. Maybe that trip down south made me a winter sissy this year. I dunno.
3. I can't figure out how to cut open this tennis ball that's sitting next to me. Someone isn't feeling well enough to go to school, but his creative flame is still burning strong. He wants to make a tennis ball face, with a slit for the mouth and yarn for hair and googly eyes and... That kid is an artist, even when he's got a fever and a cough and can barely eat or drink.
4. Two more sleeps until Valentine's Day. My boys are very excited.
5. I wonder if I should bother to bake heart-shaped cookies for their classes. If I could find a place that sold nut-free treats, I'd pay big bucks to avoid the stress of baking.
6. Why is it that I only seem to burn cookies and muffins when I'm planning to send them to school?! The boys' teachers must think I'm a terrible homemaker. Burnt baked goods, crappy boxed lunches, pants with holes in the knees...
7. My scrap desk is a mess again... paper, paper, paper!
8. I've purged some of my paper collection. I've chosen some of the older lines of flowery paper to give to the noon hour clubs at Thomas' school.
9. Eeek! I have to make a sample project for the Craft Club this Friday. I think it'll be door hangers. Whose name should I put on the sample? Anyone want a door hanger?! ;)
10. Man, I feel terrible. I'd better get off the computer and make myself another cup of coffee. Oh and get going on that tennis ball face.

ETA: We did it! I managed to cut a slit in the ball without incurring any injuries, and I discovered that Pioneer brand double-sided memory tape does, in fact, stick to a fuzzy tennis ball surface without much difficulty.

Have a great Monday, my friends! :)

before you clean up!

To all my scrapping friends... next time, after you finish a page, before you put all your supplies away... just use the pile of perfectly coordinated papers and embellishmets you have sitting out to make a card or two. :)

The paper is by SEI... the page is 8x8, and the card is a standard 4.25x5.5 size.

Other stuff... we've had a very busy few days here... appointments, a school dance (JK-5... so cute!), museum outings, gymnastics and back-to-back parties. We are totally wiped, so we just took it easy this morning (Sunday), and the boys wrote their Valentine's cards.

Off to find something entertaining for the boys to do!

tired of winter?

When I'm tired of winter, I scrap summery photos!

I actually made this page for my friend's daughter's school project. She is doing a research project on Nova Scotia, so how cool was it for me to be asked to contribute my two cents' worth?! I had so much fun doing a digital page for her, and then when I printed it for my album, I botched up with the dull blade of my paper trimmer and had to actually use paper and adhesive (and metal photo corners!) to salvage it. I acutally like the paper-and-glue version of it better. Even though it's simple simple simple, there's something about adding dimensional elements to a design. I suppose I could hone my Photoshop skills or something to get rid of the flat look of my digital pages... hey, come to think of it, most of my paper pages are pretty flat too! Hmmmm...

Anyway, it was a busy day... as was yesterday. Will write more later. Gotta get to bed soon. I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend ahead. :)

still obsessed...

I've made quite a few more cards for Shane... now I'm afraid my coworkers will think I'm nuts (or have waaaaay too much time on my hands) when I ask them to sign the box of cards I'm going to leave in our coffee room. :S

Anyway, I took a break from the birthday cards today to make this:

Things are still busy at home and at work... and this weekend will be even busier. Gah! Hopefully I'll have a chance to post some pictures on Sunday.

birthday card blitz

Okay, so I have a wee bit of OCD at times. Not about the things that other people do... you know, like cleaning. I am NEVER obsessive about cleaning. Ever. Much to my family's chagrin at times... LOL. But I digress...

My latest obsession has been making cards for Shane, an almost 8-year old boy who is fighting cancer at the Children's Hospital here in town. You can read about him here. C'mon, send him a card and help him reach his goal.

Or even better, join my obsession! I've made mare than 30 cards so far... I'll take them to work for my coworkers to sign and then deliver them to the radio station that's collecting them. :)

Must. Set. Deadline. For. Self. Obsessive hobbies take too much time away from real-life duties. *sigh*

A question to all my scrapping friends out there... how is it that I can make piles and piles of cards and still have what seems like a TON of paper scraps left in my collection? How many cards will I have to make to use them all up?!