New Goodies

Look what I got:

These are going to be fun to play with! All sorts of creative possibilities!

Cooper Escape #1

I have often said that if Cooper gets out, he will be gone forever.

Well, he got out today. I came home from visiting friends, did a few things around the house, talked on the phone a bit. Then I realized the door was wide open. Commence panic.

By this time it was dark outside. I ran outside, calling Cooper. Nothing.

I ran inside and grabbed the flashlight and finally found his glowing eyes under the neighbor's Jeep.

I am hoping this means he would stay close. I cannot lose this boy!

A Fun Week

I have had my college friend and Maid of Honor in town this week and we have had a great time. We have shopped (she is a VERY bad influence), gone sightseeing, spent a lot of time reminiscing about the "good old days" in college. Well, more like the days when we did really stupid stuff for kicks ;)

We were shopping yesterday at Alderwood. I wanted some new jeans and new shoes. I think I am fairly fashionable and up to date in what I wear. But Amber has a great fashion sense and always looks great. Well, I went to try on shoes and she refused to let me try on the ones I liked, calling them "clodhoppers" and "treehugger shoes". I needed her to steer me into 2008. She is one of those friends you can count on for an honest opinion! Apparently, she will fly back up here if I start wearing Birkenstocks.

I really wish she lived closer. We get along so well, just as well as we did in college. Our kids would love each other and I know we would appreciate being closer.

We have implemented a plan; that we talk every month around the first of the month. If I have not heard from her, or she has not heard from me, we pick up the phone as close to the first of the month and make sure we get all caught up. We have one of those friendships that time goes by but nothing changes, even if we have not talked recently. But we want to change that so we made this plan.

I am so glad she made the trip and I feel so happy that she came up here and spent every moment with me and the kids. When someone loves you so much to make such a trip, it feels wonderful.

Oh, Love

Lucas, looking stressed out in the car after school:

Me: What's wrong Lucas? You look stressed.
Lucas: I am, there is a little problem.
Me: Oh yeah? What's that?
Lucas: It's Macy. She follows me and looks at me funny and I have told her a million times I am NOT her boyfriend!

Too much for one day

This happened:


And....I was checking into Kindergarten Orientation and Registration, which are both coming up.

Organizing School/Artwork

I have finally found a good way to keep all of the kids' artwork and stuff they bring home from school nice and organized.

Here is my system:

Tools you need: box for dumping, 3 hole punch, big binders, page protectors

Smallish items go in protectors, or stuff I don't want to punch:

Stuff that is too big gets folded up to fit and then punched

Shows it unfolded:

Multiple small items can be lumped in one protector:

I just had to show what this says (yes, it is incorrect but they write exactly what the children say)

Big things get folded up again and then punched so that they can be unfolded without taking them out:

Shows the painting unfolded:

I know it seems like a lot of work but it really is not. To me, it is worth it to have everything in one place, organized and not all over the house begging to be thrown away. I also put in stuff they do at home as well. I don't keep everything by any stretch but I do keep MOST things.

I think it will be nice for the kids to see all the work they did when they get older and it will all be organized in a series of binders.

I Resolve

I don't normally do resolutions or if I do, I don't tell anyone. To me, it is somewhat of a personal thing but I want to write them here this year and share them with you.

• I resolve to exercise and get in shape (which will hopefully lead to losing some weight)
• I resolve to become more efficient in my life (making the most of my time)
• I resolve to learn new skills and better the skills I have.
• I resolve to scrap more.

My guru, Ali E, chooses a word of the year. See her blog entry for details. I have thought about it and I am selecting PRIORITIZE as my word this year. I feel like if I carefully prioritize the elements, people, activities in my life, that accomplishing my goals and being the best I can be will come naturally.

Take a few moments to think about "your word". You will be glad you did!