Transitioning to summer...

Busy weekend. Let's see...my mom flew in Saturday. Sunday, Nathan watched the boys while Mom and I enjoyed a lovely afternoon of pedicures and shopping. (Very fun...soooo much easier and more enjoyable to do some shopping without boys in tow sometimes! And, I got some great deals with the Memorial Day weekend sales!) That evening, Mom watched the boys while Nathan and I went out to dinner and a movie. (Hee hee...did you notice that I got to go out during both parts of the day?) Monday we had friends over for a little water fun in the front yard (picture six kids running around with water balloons that weren't really water balloons so they really didn't pop well and were just plain entertaining to watch) and some grilling and chit chat. Today (Tuesday), Mom was supposed to head down to Colorado Springs to a graduation, but as luck would have it she's got the flu. Yeah, she's down in the basement guest room sleeping but at least she's not throwing up any more. Pray that it doesn't make the rounds.

So. That was my weekend. It was fun and the weather was so much nicer than the thunderstorms we had today. Oh, and here's a picture of me and my mom...don't have nearly enough of these!

 

Now, is it just me, or does Memorial Day seem to signify the unofficial change from spring to summer? This week in particular, I'm wrapping up some things as I gear up to tackle the summer...

- The boys had their last music classes of the "year" today. We're going to take a break for the summer and start up again in the fall (which meant some running around today finishing up teacher thank you cards and gifts). We've been attending pretty much non-stop since Noah was 2...love those classes! Our summer schedule is already going to be full enough with swim lessons and parks/rec sports classes and my own trips (CKU and, hopefully, CHA) and summer field trips. Incidentally, the music classes are called Philomusica and are wonderful. (I did the website a couple years ago...need to update some stuff and am thinking we may try a new look come fall.)

- I've got a few smaller scrapping assignments to clear off my desk before the larger summer ones can begin...and I need to figure out a better system so that I stop burying myself after each project is finished.

- I'll be mailing my local homeschool group's newsletters out tomorrow (I'm the newsletter go-to person) and it's chalk full of activities to put on my calendar for the summer...starting with the co-op I organized for this Friday at a local Natural Area...hope the weather improves along with my mom's health, as I'm counting on her to help me corral Micah. :)

Also, I'm trying to work out a new daily routine that helps me get some more regular exercise as well as a block or two of work time in addition to the extra things the boys have going on for the summer. Oh, and Nathan and I are trying to re-incorporate our "special nights" with the boys...we take turns taking one boy out for some one-on-one time each week, though a rotation with two parents and three boys is tricky at times. So much to work into each day. Where are the time turners from Harry Potter when you need them?

Basically, this is one of those transition weeks. (I feel like I have a lot of them.) Trying to tidy up loose ends and get things ready...summer, it seems, will be here before ya know it and I have the sneaking suspicion that I won't be ready. ;) 

Alas, I'll just have to handle things the Muggle way and make a list...I love lists. ;)  

Sharing my toys...

So I had this grand idea about reorganizing my stamps. To start, some crazy thought entered my mind about spreading out all my stamps on the floor so I could get a better idea as to what I needed in the way of storage, right? As I had them spread out in my office yesterday, I was sitting at my computer doing something and Micah wandered in (he'll be 22 months old next week, yikes!). He seemed to be playing nicely and not getting into anything so I went back to what I was doing. After a bit he toddled on out, happy as could be. I turned around and found this:

 

Maybe I'm just weird (okay, not maybe) but this was just so beautiful to me. I've not even seen him attempt to stack the wooden blocks we have for that purpose as of yet, but look. (Totally amazed he didn't knock the tower down.) Man stamps are cool. ;)

Incidentally, I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do storage wise. I have lots of cool ideas that require more space than I currently have and a few that would work with what space I do have but require some lucky finds (can't really peruse the antique stores with the boys in tow *laugh*). In the meantime, I just piled them all up again so I can vacuum.  Isn't that how it always goes?

Well, we don't have any big plans for Memorial Day weekend. My mom is flying in tomorrow (yay!) so we'll probably/hopefully do some shopping and will likely grill in the backyard. Other than that, though, nothing special. Looking forward to just a nice weekend with those I love. How 'bout you? 

Prism Card Contest

Just a quick announcement: 

Prism is thrilled to announce a contest for World Card Making Day! We are hoping you can help us by creating cards that will "WOW" the world! Let your creativity run wild and show us cards for every occasion ( i.e. Birthday, Anniversary, Valentine's Day, etc.) made with Prism Papers.

REQUIREMENTS: The cards can be any size you choose. You are allowed to use tools of your choice...such as punches, die cut machines, stamps, computer printing etc. You can use generic embellishments such as ribbon, mini brads, simple rub ons etc. But if embellishments are used, they should be used in very limited amounts only to accent the card stock. We ask that each card uses Prism Cardstock only (no printed paper). Our goal is for each card to be 99% Prism Cardstock.

Card images must be emailed to prismpapers.contests@gmail.com by 11:59pm MST on June 4 th along with a product supply list. Product supply list must contain: your first and last name, phone number, and specific names of all cardstock colors used as well as any other accents used. Winners will be announced on our website www.prismpapers.com on June 11th.

The PRIZE for winning cards will be a collection of our wonderful Prismatics valued at over $100.

We hope you are as excited about this contest as we are! We can't wait to be amazed by your incredible talent!

There ya have it. As part of the Prism Papers Design Team, I can tell you that this is an awesome company and very generous! So, get creating! 

Bleh, but then again, not so much...

Apparently, I need deadlines. I haven't really had any big scrapping assignments this month. It feels a little odd. At first, I thought, "okay, this is good...time to regroup, find some balance, refocus on homeschooling...maybe even get some of my own scrapping projects done." After months of big assignment after big assignment, it seemed like a good thing, right? But. I find myself staring at my scrap supplies more often than not. I can't seem to find the inspiration to complete any projects lately. I find myself in "shuffling" mode...you know...shuffling papers around my desk and then shuffling them again just for the sake of shuffling. ;) I just plain work better with deadlines.

However. All is not lost. I've been having great fun with the boys and really *have* been managing to get some aspects of our life in order. Look at these silly boys earlier this week. It had rained that morning and while the guy with the mobile AC repair was working on the van (again...we did this same thing last summer), they escaped the house to play in the puddles in the street. (Fortunately, our cul-de-saq is wonderfully quiet.)

 

 

Yes, Noah and Asher are still in pajamas. Yes, I probably should have had them stop playing in the middle of the street, particularly when they soaked Micah with their splashing. Yes, the AC repair guy probably thought I was nuts grabbing the camera rather than a towel. But, look at how much fun they had. I love times like these...such incredibly simple and cheap entertainment.

So, I may not have been "productive" with my scrapping this month, but I'm not worried. I'm collecting plenty of material to scrap later... :) 

Camping highlights.

Yay! We had such a nice weekend! Once upon a time, Nathan and I enjoyed going camping. Since having kids, though, we just really haven't had the opportunity. We've been wanting to at least make a start, though; and, when a friend of Nathan's offered the use of his cabin for the weekend, we planned an impromptu camping trip. Picked up some new sleeping bags for the boys (wow...why didn't they have sleeping bags like these years ago? Nathan and I are definitely going to have to get some for ourselves...great CO company called Big Agnes with way awesome stuff) and headed out Saturday.

Incidentally, dude, packing for camping (even just overnight) with three little boys takes up a lot more room than you'd think...almost forgot diapers! We're so out of practice...did end up forgetting a number of things and taking way more than needed in other areas. For instance, totally forgot a first aid kit and then was paranoid the entire time that Asher (our accident prone one) was going to injure himself...fortunately, he didn't.

Anyhow, we arrived up there to see the lovely cabin and discover that the electricity and, therefore, running water, was not working. Not a huge deal, but we'd packed in anticipation of having those things.  No worries...had fun by candlelight (after moving all oil lamps out of Micah's reach) and it was a fun adventure in going back in time a bit (yup, worked some little history lessons right into it all).

Well, I could go on and on but instead I'll just give you a brief run-down by way a handful of the weekend's pictures. To start with, Micah got right to business playing in the dirt while we unloaded...

 

We then set up the tent for Nathan, Noah & Asher...played some games...made a campfire. Noah & Asher weren't impressed by smores (don't know what's wrong with them) but Micah thought it was all great fun (and had to continually be retrained from walking too close to the fire). ;) Asher was just mesmerized...

 

Then it was time for bed. Micah and I slept in the cabin's beautiful guest room, cozy with the fireplace going downstairs. Nathan and the other two slept out in the tent (by choice, there was plenty of room inside). Gotta love those new sleeping bags. (The boys are still trying to sleep in them now that we're home. They have a wonderful pocket on the bottom for an air mattress so you don't slide off ever...very comfy!)

 

After a yummy breakfast over the gas stove, we set out on our "exploring walk" (NOT a hike, as Asher refused to go on a hike). We MAYBE did a mile round trip what with little legs and all, but it was a fun little walk...stopping for a few pictures (both Noah and I holding things up when we stopped to take photos) and to examine things.

 

 

 

We made it back to the cabin to refuel. Then, Micah, Asher and I stayed behind while Noah and Nathan took off for a bit more of an actual hike...climbing up out of the little canyon we were in to see this view.

 

After they got back, we all packed up and headed back home. Whew. Well, that was a brief run down and just a handful of the 300-400 pictures that Noah and I took. ;) Good times.