it's done...it's finally done

The week. It seemed very long!
It's Friday. I have a huge amount of email waiting for me. I have seriously neglected my email this week. But it's also been a fun, good week. Birthday celebrations abound (another tonight!), scrapbooking, family time, good TV, and today, mail love in the form of my new Memory Creators kit.

I started a new mini book on my birthday. Yes, I scrapbooked on my birthday. It was pure heaven. Time to myself to scrap. Gotta love. The minibook I started is unofficially titled 2906. It will be all about me and where I'm at for 2006. I've started a couple of "sections" for the pages (Observing, Thinking About, Loving...). I'll get the section tabs done, then add pages as the year progresses. Should be fun! For now, I've just got the front cover done and am working on the first section page.

So, my kit arrives today at work. Nothing better than a little mail loved received AT WORK. Especially on a day like today when I was up to my eyeballs and had a 10 hour day. I put off opening the box until I had a good few minutes to peruse and absorb. Can I just say...

*heaven!* in a box.

MY heaven, to be exact.

Here's a little taste of what I'll be playing with this month:

There's other great and fun stuff in it, but these are of course, the absolute highlights for me. Oh, and one VERY cool lasercut swirly, designed by one of the amazing DT members. Can't wait to play! I'm almost hoping tonight isn't a late night so I can get home and scrap. Obsessed much???

lucky or not...

here we go!

almost 30!

Today I'm 29 years old. Wowza...getting closer and closer to the three-oh. I have to say it doesn't bother me one bit. I'm comfortable and happy.

I'm also totally behind in life, thanks to J's surgery. He's doing really well, but I honestly took a big break and just concentrated on him. We have spent a lot of time together over the last week or so, and I have to say it's been awesome. Fun and bonding and all of that. Making me wish I could stay home with him more often. Oh well...onwards and forwards and it's time for some catching up!

The lovely and charming Stayce (aka BK @ MC) tagged me.

The rules are : List 5 weird things about yourself or your pets. Tag 5 friends and list them. Then, those people need to write on their blogs about 5 weird things, and state the rules, and tag 5 more people. Don't forget to let the people you tag know by posting a comment on their blog!

My response:
Weird? Me? Never.
Right then.
1. I have a thing about being able to see open cupboard doors in my peripheral vision. It bugs the hell out of me.
2. Yesterday I ate three pickles for breakfast.
3. Sometimes I'm a neatfreak and sometimes I'm the most disorganized and messy person. And I'm becoming OK with that, even though even I think I'm weird that way.
4. I don't watch any TV or movie at home without doing something else (cleaning, scrapping, sudoku, fidgeting, falling asleep if I attempt to just sit on the couch and watch).
5. Sometimes I let my cell phone die and I don't charge it for 3 days.

And, because I suck and I'm a procrastinator and I have to get to work and can't think of 5 people to tag and I don't have time to go and tag them on their blogs right now and I'm often the killer of the tagalicious blogger fun....I tag no one. My heartfelt apologies to anyone who is sad and disappointed by my actions.

Just a few more things...

Today, I walked into work and my office was decorated ceiling to floor. My sister hung mosquito nets and ribbons and streamers and a happy birthday banner and then she and Josh and Leanne hid around the corner to jump out at me and yell "surprise! happy birthday!" and then started clapping. It scared the crap out of me but then I laughed. I almost spilled my coffee, though, which would not have been good. At all.

Last night, I went for dinner with my mama and my sisters and my auntie and my friends Colleen and Maridee. To Watermark. It's ON the beach. Oh. My. God. It was amazing. I had grilled salmon. Prawn spring rolls. A martini. Some amazing red wine. Others had seafood stirfry. Mussels. Steak. The food and company and surroundings were incredible. I took some photos, but haven't downloaded them yet. Hopefully some turn out!

I also have new hair for my new age. It's been almost a year since I got my haircut. Have I mentioned that I am a procrastinator? Yeah...well, here it is. (I got one bright red streak and Jaxon tells me I have FIRE HAIR...like a superhero. That's right boy...just call me....SUPERMAMA!!!). And now I really must get to work!

quick update

It went really well! He's recovering well, "thwollen up penith" and all. He has SUCH a good attitude and did pretty much from the time he woke up in the morning until he fell asleep at night. He's on tylenol w/ codeine and it's pretty obvious when that starts to wear off. In and out of pain, in and out of energy, but mostly coping just like the little hulk he is. Love him.

Yesterday, he settled nicely into the role of being waited on hand and foot, after a few attempts to go out and play with friends or have some over. Yeah. So he had me hoppin! In between catering to his every need, talking to him, trying to put together some decent meals and cleaning up after BOYS, I'm getting into work for a few hours. Mum's helping out with childcare. Love her.

This week's dare is super fun! Totally awesome guest. Make sure to check it out.
























I used the wicked patterned paper and tag from Lazar Studiowerx, labels from the office supply store, heidi stars, magic mesh, and georgy stamps from Fontwerks. This page was quick to put together...I love when a page just falls out of me like that.

I think I'm gonna scrap and watch Star Wars w/ J!

Yeah...okay nix that. The doorbell just rang and I'm gonna let J play his Star Wars video game for a little while with friends. We'll see how it goes. He's already told them his "weinie is all thwolled up". Fabulous.

wish us luck (it's all about the penis)

Today is the day Jaxon will be having surgery. Circumcision to be exact. TMI? Yeah well...let's get the party started!

Circumcision is no longer a regularly practiced procedure when boys are born here. Whoever back when decided it's really not necessary and usually when people choose it, it's now for religious or personal reasons. So, you have to pay to have it done. My concern when I was pregnant was that I didn't want (my possible son) to feel different, look different, etc. etc. The doctor was like "well...most of his peers won't be, so he'll fit in just fine". She was quite blase about the whole thing and I felt like this really wasn't a big deal. And I'm sure for lots of little boys it's not.

I guess J didn't play with his enough or who knows what to make the skin fall back on its own, naturally. I don't have a penis (really!!??) so I have no clue what's supposed to happen. We have all girls in our family, even the rest of the kids, so we really didn't know what to do with a boy at all! Along the way we've learned funny and super helpful tips like "make sure when you're putting the diaper on you face the penis down and don't let it lie upwards". Why? So the pee doesn't travel up along the onesie all the way to his neck. Yes. Thanks.

We've tried for over a year now to help Jaxon get that darn skin back with this medicated lotion to stretch the skin and it's been a long road. There's been an infection, there's been pain, and we're done. The pediatric urologist recommended at his last visit that we operate.

I have mixed feelings about it, but when I heard a story of a friend's 13 year old relative needing circumcision, I realized I really don't want any of us to be dealing with this over the course of his life. It will hopefully be not too traumatic, and will take care of the problems once and for all. Of course, surgery comes with side effects and it's hard to know that my little baby boy will be put to sleep and cut and completely in someone (several someones, in fact) else's care for at least an hour...complete strangers. It will all be fine, I know. But I'd totally appreciate some kind thoughts of us, praying...whatever it is that you do. Thanks much...I'll update later. Mwah!

are klutzes born?

or bred? I'm a full-on, total 100% complete klutz. I always have bruises. I often hit my head. Or my hand on a door frame as i'm walking through or elbow on a wall or stub my toe on just about anything including the flat ground I walk on. I spill things and drop things, but it's mostly self-abuse that I'm about. J is a total klutz too. I think he spills a drink at least once a day. And I don't know what to do. It's almost becoming comical. Tonight it was a nearly-full can of sprite. Onto the area rug in the living room. Don't worry - we're nothing fancy here and I really don't care all that much about the rug. But whether it's water or milk or juice or the occasional pop...I'd really rather it just stayed on the table.

In other news, kindergarten is going quite wonderfully. At least I think it is. J seems happy. Mind you, when I ask him what he did in kindergarten today, the answer is usually the same(ish). "I don't really know". "You don't know what you did today in school?" "I just can't talk about it. I just don't want to talk about that anymore." Oh. Well excuuuuse me!

Oh.
My.
Goodness.
How I love this boy.
Just this very minute, you know what he said to me?
"Mama?"
"Yes sweetie"
(sigh) "Oh nevermind"
"what is it?"
"oh.....I'm just sorry I spilled my sprite. Mama are you mad at me?"

melting
my
heart
right
now.

So, we're adjusting alright to the new schedule. Read: I'm adjusting alright. I think I'm the only one with issues about change and adjustments.

It's very Mondayish around here. Our receptionist at work is quitting. Honestly...I feel exhausted just thinking about it. I've thought a lot lately about back in the day when we were such a solid, small group and worked together so well. I'm the only one left and it's hard to even think about the hiring process and training process and just....ugh. What can I say...it was a Mondy through and through.

I'm going to pour myself a glass of cab sauv and sink into a hot bath. Have a good steam, put the kid to bed, and get ready for a couple hours of scrapping and Project Runway at 10:00. Actually, that sounds like kind of a heavenly end to a very Mondayish Monday.

back to the dares

and it feels so good.

our dare this week was sponsored by the fiskateers. check them out...too cute. crafting ambassadors...whodathunkit!? we played with some heidi grace stuff. it was really fun (and kinda challenging!) to mess around with some "girly" type stuff. i've been drawn away from pinks lately, which i normally love. i will have to remember to get back to it more.

and it's friday!!!! i love fridays. i'm going to scrap up a storm this weekend. and maybe clean a little bit. happy friday all!

where have i been?

No, really, I'm asking. I mean, busy, I guess? Had nothig to say, I guess? Hmmm. Oh well. Taking a break is never a bad thing. I *have* been pretty busy and sick and working and appointments and all that jazz.

I've been scrapping a TON but mostly stuff I can't really share just yet. Bummer. Note to self: do some stuff just for fun. But having a serious amount of fun with what I have been working on, which feels just SO NICE.

Oh...I stumbled upon THIS just a few minutes ago. Brand new TATTOO influenced brushes from the genius brush maker Jason Gaylor himself? HELL YEAH! (i say). Or, if I were a tad more conservative, HECK YEAH! like someone southern or with a U.S. of A accent. So cute.

Off to finish making the dinner (it's 7:16pm) that I had the best of intentions about but me & J ended up eating tuna fish sandwhiches instead because he was starving and so was I and in all reality it's not going to be done for probably another 45 minutes considering I forgot to start the rice and it's brown and brown rice takes a million years to cook.

At least Dren can have some. And at least my lunch and dinner tomorrow will be yummy.

LOVE!

sick, sad & happy all at once

So I'm sick. Got a cold. Totally hit me yesterday and I passed out about 8:30. Today I'm feeling better than yesterday but I sound way worse. Go figure. Dosed up on Dayquil today, and while it's not quite as effective as Tylenol Cold and Flu, at least I'm vertical. Sinus colds in the summer suck. Also our whole house is infected. Ick.

Sad & Happy at the same time. Weird huh? But I'm sure it's totally normal. (as if I have to assure myself that my feelings are "normal" when what is "normal" anyway and I never pretended to be "normal" a day in my life.

But I digress...I suppose the Dayquil might have something to do with me going off on a philisophical tangent...let's not shall we? OK then.)

So. Jaxon started kindergarten yesterday. But yesterday wasn't the first real kindergarten day. Because the parents and kids basically met the teacher, they got a "welcome to kindergarten" award, name tags, and coloured a poster that said "Today is my first day of kindergarten" and got their photos taken with said poster. We learned the rules of kindergarten, were told to bring a change of clothes and healthy snacks, stayed for 45 minutes and all parents and children went on their merry way. All of this happened at 11:00am...perfect timing for working parents I might add...I feel grateful and lucky to have a somewhat flexible job where I can do this sort of thing with my kid. It was totally fun.

Today was the first "official" day of kindergarten. The door to the classroom stayed closed until it was time, and then when we got to the door Ms. Sran nicely but firmly said "Kids only today, no parents!" with a big smile on her face. My heart sort of leapt into my throat. Slight panic set in. We can't even enter the classroom now? What about all the instructions I have for you about the daycare teacher picking him up after the hour was done? What about this plastic bag I have full of clothes that you told us to bring? He can't walk away from me without his spiderman lunch bag...he needs to remember to take it when the daycare teacher picks him up! Will you remind him? I only had about 17 seconds to spit this out (in a much calmer manner than I was feeling in my head and heart and tummy). While we had been waiting for the door to open, Jaxon had sweetly whined/whispered "mama will you stay with me? why can't you stay with me? i want you to stay with me!". At that point I had been the strong one. Once that door opened and the teacher spoke, he was all "bye mama!" as the lure of the fresh new classroom pulled him in. I was happy about that, and at the same time, as I walked away, I couldn't believe we were here already. I called Dren and left him a message about how our baby was growing up and could he believe it and I was sad and happy all at once. I want Jaxon to grow up well-adjusted and happy of course, but transitions (huge transitions) like this make me a little bit unsure and sentimental. I'll do my best to help him make it through, and in time everything will get easier for me as well...I know that.

As I drove to work I thought about the little book I started last month for the Memory Creators newsletter front page project. The title of the book is "Jaxon starts school" and it's an altered board book that I gessoed and painted and have begun to embellish. I am definitely going to put this to good use. As well as recording his changes, accomplishments, and trials during this time, I'm going to make sure to add mine as well. And I'm thinking it might just help ease my soul.

hell yes.

project runway season 3 premiered on the life network last night in canada.
i am relieved (SO RELIEVED) to be out of my miserable suffering due to being completely and utterly deprived for the last several weeks while my girls in the US chatter about show details making me completely insane.
project runway is back.
this show makes me happy and crazy inspired.
and it's back in canada (yo).
hell yes.

inspired

love saturday.
sipping on hot dark coffee w/ lots of milk.
4 kids in the living rooms making lots of noise.
sunshine.
going for brunch @ lolita's with friends.
read mg's blog this morning and was reminded about the new garden blooming.
i LOVE the amount of inspiration found there. and i'm only halfway through page 2.
theme = art = happy gen :)
i'll be back later to soak up some more and feel the need to scrap.
although i should really clean my room and the bathroom first.
the afternoon will be filled with some of my favourite things to do on a summer day:
family
friends
cleaning (not kidding...i do love it)
sudoku
cold cider
being inspired
scrapping
good food
so happy this saturday.