All Digital....

This is only a test......Just playing in photoshop. This is my first totally digital layout playing around with freebies I found on the web. Pretty cool!

It has been a while.....

Well, it has been a while.... There has been quite a bit happening around here. Thursday night Amanda was so excited to have a sleep over with her cousin. We went to dinner with Bob, Kaye, Seth, Josh, Megan, and birthday boy Anderson. The wait staff sang to the little guy as he eyed the ice cream sundae in front of him. Amanda told uncle Bob she was not happy with him. By going to dinner at a restaurant, we were delaying the sleep over festivities. She rushed us through dinner so we could go home and play with Megan. Here are some pictures.....

The girls played, watched movies, had popcorn, and stayed up late. All the requirements for a fun slumber party.

Friday, both girls came with me to Sports Club so we could watch Nicholas do gymnastics. Then I was off to my scrapbook weekend. I spent most of Friday, Sat., and Sunday scrapbooking with Mo. It was a lot of fun. I got a lot of pages done, I got a lot of psycho therapy from Mo, and I had fun doing something for me. I will have to upload some of the pages later. Here is one, all about Amanda..... I had a love hate relationship with this page. Finally, finally, I think I got it right. It looks better in person, the colors are much brighter!

Finally, this past week I got a new book club going. My friend Lisa and I have been talking about it for awhile. The old book club we belonged to wasn't working for us and everyone lived far apart. Thus, our new book club..... I'm hosting the first meeting at my house in May. It will be great getting together with friends and doing some reading again. Now I have to find a book. I have been asking everyone for suggestions, and I have narrowed it down to three. I need to get some opinions. Also, I should be able to read the book because we just planned a vacation. Yeah!!! We are going to Florida to see Mom and Dad and Michele. I can't wait. We need some relaxation, some down time, and some sun.

I don't want to make this entry too long so.... I'm off to watch Dancing with the Stars........... Have a good night!

My Mom and Dad

I just want to say..... I am so LUCKY to have parents who love each other, balance each other, and who have developed similar idiosyncrasies over the years. You are an excellent example of how marriage should work. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

The Rules

Sooooo, the rules are.....NO throwing balls in the house. It is okay if you want to throw the balls in the basement. If you want to play with a balloon upstairs that is ok, just don't throw BALLS. While I was on the computer sitting at the kitchen table, Nicholas throws a tennis ball and it hits my new Easter Bunny dish sitting on the counter. I was not happy. He knows the rules, and I put him in time out. He knows he is not suppose to throw balls. Soooooooooooooooo, what can I say about this:
So let me put this in perspective for you.....................


I guess this is the story. Nicholas was playing ball with Tug. I didn't say playing with Tug in the house was not allowed, it is not against the rules. I ask him how the ball got up there. He replies, "I'm too strong enough." Well, how are we going to get the ball down Nicholas. "Tug can jump." He can't jump that high. "I will give him some fast power so he can fly." What will he think of next? I guess it will be a good excuse to get the ladder and vaccuum up there. It is pretty funny. He didn't totally disregard the rules, he just bent them a little.

Speaking of rules, if you could change the rules what would you change? Amanda says she would be allowed to ride her bike upstairs and rollerblade in the kitchen. Oh yeah, and eat cupcakes for breakfast.

That would be great. If there were no rules, life would be a heck of a lot more fun. It would be a chaotic, ball throwing, rollerblading circus with kids bike riding on a sugar high! (Perhaps a little destructive, but lighten up, you only live once.) Boy does it stink to be the parent and squash the dreams of little ones!

Sick again???

Once again, I have been feeling a little under the weather. Last night my stomach was bothering me, and I still didn't feel right this morning. I took it easy today, hung out with the kids, watched some TV, and did the laundry.

I thought this picture was cute. I came across it as I began touching up photos so I could upload them and have them printed. I'm totally looking forward to this weekend. (I'm scrapbooking with Mo.) Steve says I need to decompress. I say we need a vacation. We need to get out of this house and hang out with each other. We need to have some fun! So Steve is looking into it............ I can't wait.

Finally, I know many of you don't have a lot of spare time, but............... here is a great site to waste some time. http://www.boxerjam.com/kia/ Steve and I love to play Boxerjam. It is basically trivia. We haven't played in a while, but we did tonight. It was a lot of fun.

Give it a try. See ya!

Easter Details..........

I know it has been a couple of days. As usual, we have been VERY BUSY around here. Saturday, Steve and I worked, decorated Easter eggs with the kids, baked some desserts for Easter dinner, and went to Josh/Anderson's/Bob's birthday party. It was a good day and a lot of fun. Here are pictures from Saturday.

We tried a new Easter egg technique this year. You actually applied the dye directly to the egg in a plastic baggie and shook it all around. Then came Nicholas and Amanda's favorite part, shaking on the glitter. That is where we had to step in and referee.

Amanda and I were very busy in the kitchen. Here are our delicious creations. I think Amanda did an AWESOME job making the Easter bunnies. She is a little Martha Stewart.

The birthday boy and cute cousins.........

Finally, here are some pictures from Easter morning. Amanda awoke at 3:30 a.m. and came into my bedroom ready to hunt for eggs. I told her it was still night and to go back to bed. Unfortunately, for Steve and I, we could not fall back asleep.

Later Sunday afternoon we had a great time at Mom's. It was so wonderful not to cook and get a fantastic meal. It was great to see Uncle Leon and Laura who I don't see weekly like the rest of the gang. The only bad thing about yesterday was the SNOW. That is unheard of at Easter. I always want a white Christmas, but a white Easter is awful! Finally, a few more pics.......

Well, I'm off to get ready for bed. I'm exhausted.............. Hopefully I'll have more energy after a good night's sleep.

Free Rice

Good Friday Everyone! I'm enjoying a relaxed morning. While the kids are lounging in PJ's, watching cartoons, I came across this............

http://freerice.com/index.php

It is addicting. It makes you feel smart (or not so smart) and you get to donate some rice in the process. Check it out! My husband is going to excel at this, he absolutely loves WORDS.

Have a good day!

A Positive Attitude.............

I have been feeling a little discouraged lately. I have been trying to find someone I can hire to watch the kids several days a week. I really need help in the summer when Steve's hours no longer accommodate my schedule. I also really want to take a class or two. There are 2 courses at the local community college that interest me. One is in graphic design and the other is in digital photography. Unfortunately, registration began on the 10th and I haven't registered. I can't take a class without some help. I do not like the prospect of putting an ad in the newspaper. I have gotten all our other sitters through word of mouth. It stinks that we lost our incredible sitter last Jan. I guess I really need to ask around more. So if you hear of anything......

Not much else happening. I'm trying to prepare some photos for my upcoming scrapbooking weekend with Mo. Here is one...

The only other thing I have to say is Woo Hoo tomorrow is the first day of spring. I hope good weather will follow. I need sunshine. (Though I heard we could have snow flurries Friday.) I'm trying to maintain a positive attitude. Speaking of a positive attitude, here is another quote for you.............

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes. Charles Swindoll

I too believe life is 90% what you make of it, how you react to things, and how you handle daily stresses. This is something I am always working on and it is not always easy. So... I hope you all join me in trying to stay POSITIVE, it is one of the keys to HAPPINESS. Have a good night!

Tuesday Thoughts...........

I kinda feel like I have been in a rut lately. I'm looking for a way to break free from it, to let the work, cleaning, rule making, button pushing, constant decision making not get the best of me. I think this is where I will try to focus some energy this week..........We'll see how it goes.

I haven't left a quote in a while. I came across this on another blog (Ali Edwards, I just love her creative philosophy).

Leo Buscaglia : The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. It's overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.

I like the thought that we all have the potential to touch other's lives, whether they are family, friends, co-workers, or strangers. That is a good thing to keep in the back of your mind as you live your everyday life.

As promised here are some of my latest pages.............

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As I post this I see that some of the page elements are off center. Oh well, I'm not sure if that is the scanner or the operator. I hope you are impressed Michele. Do you see the digital brush? How about the rectangular box with the white writing? Slowly, I'm learning that crazy photoshop.


And here are the final Tiger Woods shots.


I'm not totally thrilled with this design, but I'm moving on. They are still good memories. Have a good night!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all! Amanda wants you to know she was unable to find any of the leprechaun's gold at school, instead she came home with these beads and the shamrock. She said that the leprechaun left a mischievous note that said no one would ever find his gold. I guess she will have to wait until next year.

Today has been weird, I feel like I have been in a funk all day. Nicholas was coughing last night and ended up in our bed. Maybe that is why I am so exhausted. He also woke with a little bit of a pink eye. Instead of bringing him to the kid's center this morning, I went into work late so Steve could watch him. I have to keep an eye on his EYE. If it gets worse tonight I'll have to take him to the Dr. tomorrow.

Anyway, I went to Target after work today because we had absolutely noooo toilet paper. Well, I walked in for toilet paper and left with the new Brad Paisley CD (which I love) and this cute little egg stand. Amanda just loved it when she saw it. It will be perfect for our glittered, tye-dyed Easter Eggs this year.

Finally, another Nicholas comment to share as I was racing him out the door to pick up Amanda this afternoon. As usual I wanted to quickly run to the dollar store for some wrapping paper before we got to the bus stop. There was no way he was going to cooperate. He was throwing a fit and I didn't want to deal with it. (Like I said earlier, I have been in a tired funk all day.) Therefor, I resulted to bribery, sugar-bribery. I would give him a lollipop if he would get his boots on and stop crying. He gives in with an ALL-RIGHT. Yes, I think. "Now, do you want orange or red?" He starts crying again because he doesn't like those kinds, he wants hop scotch. "Do you want Butterscotch, Nicholas?" "Yes, I want hop scotch."

Have a good night!

I'm back..........

I know I have been away for awhile....I will try to get back on track tomorrow. The last few days have been typical chores, errands, playing, work, etc. Friday night Steve watched the basketball game while I photoshopped some pictures for scrapbooking. Those will come in a later post. Saturday was all about errands with the kids. After work, and visiting with Mom, I was off to the grocery store and Target. I bribed the kids with donuts and a horse ride if they were on their best behavior. Every two minutes Amanda was asking, "Are we being good Mom?" Of course they got their donuts, I just overlooked the dropped bananas and grapes on the floor, the sticky hands in the recyclable machine, and the getting in the cart, getting out of the cart, sitting on the bread, etc. Overall, it went well.

Today, was an absolutely selfish day for me. In between loads of laundry, I redeemed my Mother's Day gift certificate for a massage. It was WONDERFUL. I felt soooo good afterwards. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon scrapbooking with a neighbor/friend down the street. It was GREAT! It is so nice to have a wonderful husband that encourages me to do things for me. He took the kids out for breakfast and to visit Aunt Michele. (I hear they had a great time.) He finished folding the laundry and gave the kids a bath. WOO HOO! We even ordered in dinner. This was so great. I didn't have to worry about anything when I came home. I helped Amanda finish her homework and the kids are now in bed. I only feel semi-guilty, and I will return the favor for Steve. I will post some of my finished scrapbook pages this week.

We rented the movie Michael Clayton last night. We made it 1/2 way through the movie and I started dozing off. We are about to start the rest tonight. It is one of those movies you really have to pay attention too. I will tell you the verdict tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a happy and LUCKY St. Patrick's Day! Amanda is sooooo looking forward to the leprechaun visiting. She has been searching our house for a pot of gold, however, she has been coming up empty handed. I really hope she finds some at school tomorrow..................

Ooops, I almost forgot, my good (Jewish) friend Lisa found these adorable cupcakes for Easter. She forwarded me the website..... http://www.boxtops4education.com/Recipes/RecipeDetail.aspx?Rid=42245&cid=336 They are adorable! Thanks Lisa.

Finally, the SUN!

Finally, the SUN! The 50 degree weather wasn't too bad either. I pumped up the kids bike tires and we were off. I jogged after the kids as they rode their bikes around the block several times. It was very wet and there was a little ice, but it felt sooooooo GOOD to get some fresh air. I think spring may be just around the corner. I can definitely feel it. It felt so great to get everyone exercising outdoors.

Not much else to report at the Herdoiza household. I made this asparagus soup for dinner. http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=454832 I really like it. The kids gave it a resounding BLECH! It has a lot of asparagus and spinach in it. I think it is fresh and light. Some of the reviewers on the website thought it was bland. I have to disagree. It was very healthy. I made it with orzo instead of rice. Give it a try and let me know what you think. It would be perfect for Lent.

A Bargain, Sauce, and a Rectangular Prism???

Wednesday mornings Nicholas and I usually go to the library to play, however, this morning I had errands to run and we were off to the mall. I found Nicholas some clearance sweat pants for $1.99. What a bargain shopper! I know I would make Mo Mo and Justin proud. Those two are the ultimate bargain finders.

Nicholas and I had lunch at Panera. I had tomato soup and Nicholas had chicken noodle. I asked him how his soup was and he replied, "Good." Then in true Nicholas fashion he asked me how my sauce was......get it the tomato soup looked like tomato sauce. That made me smile!

We finished our day by making macaroni and cheese and blueberry muffins before running off to tennis. I know that is quite a dinner combo, but Amanda requested mac for dinner and Nic really wanted some muffins.
Anyway, when we got home I went through Amanda's papers and homework. She is studying 3-d shapes. I recognized the sphere, cube, cone, and cylinder, however, the rectangular prism threw me. I guess I should brush up on my geometry. (I always hated that class.) I don't even vaguely remember the term. I googled it and frankly, it really EXISTS. I just hope she doesn't have to calculate the volume and surface area next week. Oh well, I guess there is always Uncle Justin in Calculus V to offer insight!

A Runny Nose...............

Once again I am amazed at how differently children and adults think. Let me prove my point..... Steve had to meet me at work today so we could swap kids in the parking lot. I was leaving work, and he was going to work. This is a little glimpse into the car ride home. I am asking the kids what they did this morning with dad, if they are hungry for lunch, did Amanda start her homework, did Nicholas work on his letters, etc. My mind is also racing. I need to finish cleaning, make dinner, call Justin to invite him to dinner, finish homework, return a few phone calls, etc. etc. Amanda then asks how I am feeling. You see, I think I have picked up a cold. I tell her ok, but not great. She then proceeds to ask me if my nose has been running. "Yes" Did I bring kleenex? "Yes" How many times did you wipe it? What kind of question is that! Around 15 times, definitely under 20. That gave me a good laugh. Up until that point, she was repeating all the questions I usually ask her. I guess next time I should ask for the official nose wipe count. Never a dull conversation around here......


Nothing else is new. I worked on this page last night.... I'm hoping to get something else done tonight before I watch Biggest Loser. I love that show! Anyone else watch it? Have a good Tuesday night.

Mrs. FIX-IT

I am giving myself a pat on the back, thank you very much! Let me tell you why................ This afternoon, I was doing my weekly upstairs cleaning (yuck I know, and it falls on a Monday, double yuck). I went into our masterbath to clean the bathroom and I just got FED UP! There were towels all over the place. You see, our two towel racks broke and they have been broken for the last OH...... 9 months to a year. I guess I was just waiting for the handyman to fix them. Yeah right. Well, I guess it didn't bother Steve, because he never fixed them. (I swear he will say he doesn't have time, which is true, but we are talking over a 9 month period.) So I gave Nicholas a paper towel and put him to work drying out the bathtub while I sprung into action. (Wow, did that take him some time, especially because he kept turning the water on while he was in the tub.) I proceeded to the garage for some toggle bolts and tools. If I had any engineering sense to me, I probably would have looked at the holes in the wall before going to the garage. Needless to say, 5 minutes later I was back in the garage getting wall anchors. Using a screwdriver, an allen wrench, and some pliers (don't ask) I fixed the two towel bars. I did this in 30 minutes which also accounts for my several trips downstairs. I was SO EXCITED! I hung up all the towels lying on the counter tops and I did a dance. It went like this, "I fixed the towwellls (running man in place), I fixed the towwwellls (cabbage patch in place followed by jumping up and down." "Are you so excited I fixed the towwellls Nicholas?" He replies, "Who cares!"

Anyway, I'm proud of my handywork. I can decorate a cake, scrapbook mini-albums, make a great chicken pot pie, and now FIX a TOWEL RACK. I know I would make my Dad and Uncle Leon proud! Now, if I can only fix the running toilet..... I just might tackle that tommorrow!

Busy, Busy, Busy, and the Laundry Disaster

Wow, I can't believe I haven't blogged in such a long time. It has been very busy around here lately........

Friday, the kids and I were busy baking Grammy Gerwatowski a blurry Birthday Cake! When I got to her house my brothers and sister were there and guess what they were doing. Trying to learn bridge with my Dad instructing. I guess he has played in the past and had some cheat sheets printed regarding points and bidding. It was very comical and boisterous. I'm sure they were not following the proper bridge etiquette. There was a little bit of charades involved, a little name calling thrown in, some taunting, and a lot of laughter. I can't wait for Dad H. to visit in the summer and give them a lesson or two. He is going to be in for a shock when he sees how my family attempts to play this civilized game. (And oh yeah..........shouldn't Mo be paying attention to the cards at some point......)

Here is an action shot from the party. Overall, it was a fun night. I hope my mom had a happy birthday and that she has a great year!

When I got home I put the kids to bed, and our friends Robert and Debbie stopped by to play some poker. They finished off the birthday cake and Steve finished off their money. He has been on a winning streak!

Saturday, we finally got to spend some time with Michele, my sister-in-law, before she moves to Florida this week. Most of the afternoon was spent entertaining the kids. I tried to figure out somethings in photoshop on my computer, but to no avail. I was getting frustrated, so I took a break to do puzzles with the kids and run on the treadmill. When Michele came over we went to dinner. It was very lively, as it always is with Aunt Michele. I can't even repeat some of the conversations. (You know what I'm talking about Seth and Josh.) Anyway, she is always fun and we had great time. After dinner, I asked her for some photoshop help on my computer. (After all, she was a graphic designer in her former life.) Let me tell you..... What I couldn't figure out all afternoon, she had finished in no time and she was teaching me new techniques. It was so cool and I was soooooo excited. She was an AWESOME teacher. She is going to do great in Florida. Thanks Michele!

As Michele, was finishing up her instructions for photoshop, you'll never guess who knocks on our door. It is 9:30 and Robert and Debbie show up with dessert and are ready for a poker re-match. Guess who the winner was last night? Steve, AGAIN. It is crazy. I have to admit, I had the early lead twice, and still lost. UGH! When will I make it to the final table again?

[Oops, I almost forgot something.....This is for Dad H. Michele was wondering why I would even consider you as a bridge partner looking at our past history together. Do you remember the canoe trip down the Loxahotchee? Need I say more. I can't believe we didn't sink, drown, or get bitten by an alligator. ]

Getting back on track.... Sunday, was chaotic. There were errands and grocery shopping to do. In the afternoon, I wanted to do the kids laundry before we went to this winter carnival at 3. Steve left for work at 2:30 and I was just about out the door myself when I went to pull the clothes out of the dryer. The kids needed clean clothes to wear. When I started to take the clothes out, I noticed Nicholas white shirt had a big brown stain on it. I couldn't believe I missed it. I spent 20 minutes pre-treating the kids clothes prior to doing the wash. Anyway, I pull out another t-shirt to dress Nicholoas so we can go, and the t-shirt has some brown splotches too. That is funny. I don't make that many mistakes. I would have noticed this. Uh oh, I start to get a sinking sensation in my stomach.......... Amanda's tights, brown splotches, Nic's pajamas brown splotches, the kids socks.....you guessed it......brown splotches. I freak.....I freak even more when I find the chocolate Easter egg in the dryer with the crumpled pink foil clinging to the dryer sheet. AMANDA!!!! (please see the pack rat post) Guess who put a chocolate Easter egg in her pocket, which I put through the wash, which was then melted in the dryer. I know.........LOVELY! Instead, of getting out the door, I spend the next 30 minutes getting stains out of all the clothes. Arg!!!!!!

We finally left, after I revoked chocolate Easter egg privileges. My friend Dale, had invited me and the kids to a fundraiser held each year at her school. She is the principal, and she told me it would be amazing and the kids would have a good time. Well it was! There were moonwalks, inflatable slides, games, face painting, a silent auction, tattoos, prizes, and food. We stayed until 7:15. Amanda's favorite thing was the Cake Walk. It was like musical chairs, but when the music stops you are left standing on a number. If your number is drawn you win a cake (or cookies, brownies, candy.) Well, right before we left, we tried one more round and Amanda won. She was so excited. I felt bad for Nicholas. So we tried one more go around. There were 50 numbers on the floor, and wouldn't you know it, Nicholas won too! Everyone was a winner, and we have a lot of junk food in the house!

As I'm writing this, I finally hear the dryer turning off. The clothes are free of chocolate and will need to be folded, so I am off to do just that. Hope everyone has a great week!

Gratitudes, Bridge, & a Nap

So I have not been posting the gratitudes lately so here goes.... March 3, I am grateful for my home. I am lucky to have a beautiful home in a nice neighborhood, that keeps me and my family safe. (I am REALLY grateful that my husband agreed to purchase it at an astronomical price that he never lets me forget. But, I DOOOOOO LOVE my house) March 4, I am grateful that my kids are healthy. They might drive me crazy some days (yesterday), but that is because they are normal. They can run, jump, play, get in trouble, have the ability to hear me & ignore me, and for that I am grateful. March 5, the gratitude today goes to the washing machine. I am happy that my life is so easy. A client of mine brought in some pictures that his daughter had sent him from El Salvador. She is in the Peace Corps. There were some pictures of the women washing clothes in the river with stones. They carried the laundry back to their village on their heads. It really makes you appreciate the modern conveniences in the good old USA.

Another thing of note.... Did you know that there is some type of world championship Bridge convention in Detroit this week-end? I took note of this because my father-in-law loves to play bridge. He is always saying I should take it up. I read the article and found out that it is a great way to stimulate the brain as opposed to poker (Texas hold em'). You need to know simple arithmetic, I think combinations of 13, and you must read body language. Well....I think I could do that, the math is easy enough for even moi. The article went on to say that two players that love bridge are Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. Maybe there is something to this game after all. I'm thinking at some point I could learn the game and my father-in-law could meet me for one of these conventions in Detroit. What do you think Dad?

I was also so excited to see this today............................ It is so rare that Nicholas would ever take a nap. While we were reading books he fell asleep on the couch this afternoon. I had to snap a picture. He looks angelic and I love those lashes.

Finally, here is my last design team project. It is a mini-book all about Amanda. Take a look............

Well, off to relax. Have a good night. (Try to get some sleep Michele. I can't believe the movers will be there in the morning. YIKES!)

the Backpack BATTLE

It is 9:10 a.m. I just dropped Amanda off at the bus stop. The bus was REALLY late. I think we were the only school that did not have a snow day today. Oh well......... I just wanted to share a little pet peeve of mine with you. Here it is.....my Amanda is a pack rat! She loves to collect "trinkets and treasures," and does not like to throw anything out. She is the total opposite of me. I could purge just about anything. Every school day Amanda and I usually have some battle about her backpack. She likes to bring all types of unnecessary things to school. I tell her that when I went to school, if you brought toys, the teacher would take them away. She responds by saying she is allowed to have them at recess. I don't like it. I don't like to keep track of her stuff. The last few days I have not checked her backpack. She tells me it has the same stuff in it that it did on Friday (which I approved). So guess what.....her backpack breaks. The strap entirely rips off (could it be from the weight of the backpack?). She can hardly put the thing on her back in the first place. So this morning I go into her backpack and this is what I find: a webkinz, a webkinz pencil case, a folder, her lunch, and gym shoes. Not bad right..... That has all been approved. Then I proceed to open the other pockets and zippers to find: 3 lip glosses, 5 littlest pet shop toys and all the accessories (hats, tea sets, bowls, crowns, etc), a bracelet, a necklace, 2 plastic rings, a treasure box, a sea shell, a mirror, a flashing glow bird, a pen, a pen that blows bubbles, perler beads, a notebook, stickers, and a hand full of chocolate easter eggs from my counter, oh yeah and 2 water bottles because one in her lunch is not enough! I was not to happy. Why do you need all that stuff for school? Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. I know I really shouldn't care, I bet I have a bunch of that stuff in my own purse. I guess this is one of those things you just have to laugh at. I am just tired of the backpack BATTLE!

Totally Whacked Out!

I can't tell you how wiped out I was yesterday. 4 hours of sleep just doesn't work. 6 hours is do-able, but not 4. By 7 I was in bed and had set a show up for the kids to watch. I could hardly funtion. Today, I've been a little whacked out too. Boy, I guess I really need my sleep.

Hopefully, today will be a little more productive. I have laundry and cleaning to do. Steve is off to work in 10 minutes and then I know the kids will really need my attention. Well, I'm gonna go, but here are some recent layouts I have been working on for my final design team projects.