Another summer day . . .

Have I mentioned I'm a fan? Yes? Well, let me do that again. I LOVE IT! Waking up late, naps in the afternoon, watching TV late into the evening . . . simple things really, but I can't do those simple things when school is in session. I don't have the time nor the energy. I love my job, but the reality is it takes a lot out of me.

Let's see. Thursday was Jen's last day of swimming. Her main teacher is an old friend of Em's, and Jenna absolutely loved her! She is a water baby, just like her big sister.





















On Friday I took Jenna to story time at Dow Gardens. They do such a nice job, and after the story the kids get to work in the garden, watering the plants or weeding. They also had a scavenger hunt through the kids area, and Jen had a blast. She got mad at me when it was time to go, and off she ran. And ran. And ran. Until I couldn't see her anymore. Yep, the little scoundrel made a run for it. And while I can laugh about it now, I was in a complete and utter PANIC. What if she took off and hid somewhere in the gardens themselves? What if she fell in the water? These are the thoughts that were racing through my head as I made the long walk back to the main gates. And there she was, getting a drink, as if nothing had happened. My blood was BOILING. She got sent to her room for a good while, that's for sure.





Last night went to a crop and got four layouts done with the July kit from A Million Memories. I was surprisingly productive, probably because the kit was so gorgeous! Made a mini book while Jenna was napping today, and need to scan and send it.






Tonight we went for a bike ride out to the nature center again. Jen fell off the tandem bike on our excursion to see deer and turkey. Bill made a sharp turn, and down she went. She fussed for a while, but got back on the bike. We found these blackberries and had a little snack. The cows weren't out, and Jen was bummed, because she spent time collecting apples in her shirt. We also walked down by the water and looked for clam shells.

OK, Jen is fighting for the computer. Her aunt bought her a Webkinz, and she is addicted.

Have a great Saturday. I'm off for a glass of wine and to read my book. It's The Pact by Jodi Picoult. Sad. Anyone read it? If so, you know what I mean.

Peace out!

A Blog Mystery

I have two sites that are linking to my blog, both French. I know this because I have a tracker on it. Even though I took three years of French, I can't get into the sites that are linking to me. Any french-speaking bloggers want to tell me what's going on?

The two sites are: creablabla and creations scrapbooking. TIA!

I've been tagged . . .

by the fabulous Amy Coose. Here are my answers.

My roommate and I once: Well, that's tricky. Because my only roommates have been family members. I commuted my way through college.

Never in my life have I: gone skydiving. I don't expect that to ever change.

High school was : a bummer for me. I was not involved, and thought it as a waste. Now I teach it. Go figure!

When I'm nervous : I eat. So obviously I'm nervous a lot! LOL!

My hair : is grey. Almost totally. Have I mentioned how much I love my hairdresser?

When I was 5 : I broke my arm. Had a cast, and got heaps of attention, which I loved.

When I turn my head left : my neck hurts. Slept on it wrong, I guess!

I should be : organizing Miss J's 5th bday party. Or scrapping. Or cleaning. Or finishing the laundry. Well, everything else but this.

By this time next year : I will better understand how to take fantastic photos on a more consistent basis.

My favorite aunt is : Aunt Leora. She's a touch eccentric, but has a wonderful heart.

I have a hard time understanding : Why people spend time being nasty to each other. Where is the entertainment in that? I just don't get it.

You know I like you if : I'm going to quote Amy here, and say "trust me, you'll totally know it if I don't." Seriously, I can find something to like in ALMOST anyone.

My ideal breakfast is : Coffee, my yogurt bites bran flakes, followed by more coffee. Did I mention coffee?

If you visit my home town : you'll wonder why I never left! Seriously, it's a cool town for family and for education, my two biggest passions. So it's perfect for me!

If you spend the night at my house : you'd better not be allergic to cats, because I have two that love to sleep with whomever will let them.

My favorite blonde is : Miss Jenna

My favorite brunette is : Miss Emily

The animal I would like to see flying besides birds : Well, this is a tough one. How about pigs?

I shouldn't have been : anything in the medical profession. Weak, I am.

Last night I: had a horrible stomach ache and laid in bed reading and complaining. Maybe I should have lied here?

A better name for me would be : Kelly. I've always felt I would have been a better Kelly than a Kay.

I've been told I look like : Well, dh always thought I looked like Jodi Foster in my younger days. Now? My sisters, I suppose!

If I could have any car, it would be: a minivan. A new one, that is clean! I was so against the van, and now it's what I would get again. I don't care too much about cool cars, (obviously!)

Now to tag some peeps . . .

Jami
Kim
Tonia

Hey Tuesday Fans!

I'm trying to sound positive here. Not really feeling it. It's a blah morning. Didn't sleep well at all last night . . . knees and back hurt from running. And maybe, just maybe, the lack of sleep can be attributed to the iced mocha I drank after dinner. Getting old is the pits!

It is my favorite time of the year TV-wise. Yep, you guessed it, Wimbledon. I absolutely LOVE tennis. Obsessed may be the better word here. I'm much calmer when I watch tennis, as opposed to hockey where I yell like a madwoman (Go Wings!). It will be on my TV until the final day. That's for certain. I can't wait to see what happens with the Henman/Moya match.

Went to WalMart and picked up a picture I had printed to poster size. It turned out GREAT! And for $11, you can't go wrong! I am making a wall of pictures, black frames, white mats, b&w pics. It's taking me way too long to decide on the pictures, but eventually it will get done. I also need to back up some pics, and clean out my external drive. It's full, so I know I have duplicates somewhere.

Dishwasher died today. That's just great. I've been saving for scraproom furniture, and now this. DANG. But what are you going to do?

Em comes home from Colorado today, and that's exciting! I know she'll have a lot of pictures to share and stories to tell. It's back to school for her next week for a summer class. Bummer, no?

OK, off to face the day. Did I mention I'm tired?

Summer Weekend

I just love the pace of summer. Have I mentioned this before? I stll have a to-do list that's a mile long, which is distracting at best. I always imagine I will have more time than I actually do in the summer. Time to kick back, read, lay in the sun . . . but nope. It's laundry, dishes, entertaining Miss J, etc. But still, there is a state of mind, a really being in the moment, that I cherish. When J wakes up in the morning, I can lay with her, and talk about her day, and really BE there. I love that. More than you can imagine.

So here are my big weekend happenings.

Coffee at moms
Trip to Amish furniture places in Clare looking for scrap furniture
8-mile bike ride to the Nature Center
Trip to the Fun Zone
Finished a "scrappy" project

Not much, eh? I like that! LOL!

My local camera shop owner called and asked if I would like to teach some Photoshop classes. How cool is that? (Thanks, Allison!)

I decided to join the contest "So You Think You Can Scrap" at Scrapper's Bliss. I haven't a snowball's chance you know where, but am welcoming the challenge. It will keep me scrapping, when I'm not really making the time for it like I should. This will keep me going.
For the contest I needed one altered item, and two layouts. This is my entry. Wish me luck, I'll need it!

Have a great one!

Early Morning Mojo

So I woke up early today and whipped out a quick layout before Jenna woke up. I just had time to upload it, and up she was. It was pointed out to me just now that it was the "Featured Layout' at Two Peas. How cool is that?

Took Jen shopping today. We went to Birch Run to the Pottery Barn outlet so I could dream of scrap furniture, then to Gymboree. Bought her some new skirts since she is skirt-obsessed. I tell you, she's such a girl! Then I splurged and bought some new shirts at J. Crew. Then we went to Frankenmuth to the bead store to check out the classes they are offering and to look for some inspiration. I want to make something in the worst way, but it's been so long since I've even attempted jewelry. Hopefully this weekend.

Then we went out for pizza for dinner and Jen and Bill are out playing kickball. It's a gorgeous 75 degrees. Feels like Wisconsin to me!

Have a great Friday!

Another pic w/actions

This is from last night at the Gardens with Em and Jen. Em got her to laugh by giving me rabbit ears, which was Jenna's idea. She's a little imp, this one! Hope you like it.

So far a very uneventful day. I'm loving this summer vacation thing. Get up, have coffee and surf the net, wake up Miss J and play for a few hours (today we went to my mom's for coffee) and then off to swim class, lunch, and Jen naps. I've been walk/running during lessons, and can hardly move today. I guess you could say I'm a tad out of shape. OK, more than a tad. A smidge, really.

Em leaves for Colorado tomorrow for her cousin's wedding. It's her first time, and she should have a blast!

OK, off to finish "The Kite Runner." I think I'm probably the last person to read this book, and it's awesome. I'm off to B&N to pick out my next book tonight. So if you have any suggestions for a good summer read, drop them here!

Tuesday news . . .

I did another layout today, before Jenna even woke up! I have been setting my alarm clock for 6 a.m. (which is a 45 minutes later than school days), and I've been waking Jenna up at 7:30 a.m. every day. I'm setting the summer routine, for my sanity. She has the same wake-up, nap, and bedtime every night. So far, so good. Wish me luck!

Crossed a few more items off my endless to-do list. Went running while J was in swim lessons today. Can I just say ouch? I am so out of shape. One step at a time, no?

Went to Dow Gardens, and saw a fantastic performance outside of Center for the Arts. Got NO PICTURES due to a camera/card malfunction. Still stinging from that, don't ya know. Here is a description of Strangefruit "Swoon." See the video. I'll go back, trust me! Very cool.

Have a great Tuesday. Peace.

Happy Father's Day!

And to celebrate, here is a layout of our girls. Speaking of celebrating, I got 4 layouts done already this weekend. It has been so long, and I was seriously worried that I had forgotten how to scrap. Not that any of them are masterpieces, but it's a start! Three are being held back for a surprise in July, and here is one just for me.

We got bill new slippers from Cabela's and a new Garmin GPS for his truck. We'll take it with us on our trip to Columbus and see how it works. He's pretty happy with his gifts. He deserves them, he's a great dad. He and Jenna are outside cleaning the quad.

We're off to my parents for a Father's Day lunch, speaking of excellent fathers. My dad is the best. And while he is stuggling with Parkinson's, he manages to keep a positive attitude. He has had a bad week or so, and we're hoping to get some answers/help from the doctor tomorrow. We chipped in to get him a new lift chair. It's a tall, and I think he'll be able to manage in it better.

Have a great day, and hug a father. They deserve it!

This just in . . .

Miss J is now learning to ride her bike without training wheels. It makes me a little nervous, knowing that there will be spills to follow, but you can't hold them back forever! She giggles non-stop when Bill lets her go. The girl has NO FEAR. You go, girl!

Let the games begin!

Foolishly I signed up for a grad class the first week of summer vacation. What in the heck was I thinking? The good news is 1) it's over and 2) I had some fun teacher friends in the class and I truly enjoyed their company, as well as met some other teachers from our district. All in all, it was a good week. Especially since it's over. LOL.

Yesterday we went to a Detroit Tigers baseball game with a bunch of administrators from Bill's district. It was my first time in the park, and it was a lot of fun! The thing I will remember the most from the game was THE HEAT. The sun was just baking us, to the point where we were seeing stars. The combo of the sun and the mondo daquiri proved interesting. I think I sat in my assigned seat for two total innings. The rest of the time Bill and I wandered around Comerica Park and checked everything out. Then we ate at Fish Bones in Greektown and went to the casino for about a half hour. While I'm not exactly a big gambler (for instance, I wondered where you put the coins), I did win enough to pay the babysitter. It worked out well.

Next on my summer to-do list is to scrap. I think I've forgotten how. Seriously. I don't even know where to begin. So I think I'll get a triple-espresso and try to bust out a layout tonight. Night is normally not my most creative time, but it is summer after all!

Have a great weekend. Peace out!

The Final Countdown

It has been CRAZY BUSY these last few weeks. And while I feel a touch overwhelmed, it's making the time fly by! Last weekend included soccer practice, a soccer game, a graduation party, plus a steak fry dinner with one of Bill's shooting clubs. Crazy busy.

So here is a rare picture of moi. Bill grabbed the camera and snapped Miss J and I. Try not to focus too much on the wrinkles around the eyes. Dang, I look like her grandma! Ah well. Such is life.

Tomorrow the photography group meets for the first time. It's a group of us with SLR's and no idea what we're doing. We're going to use the book "Understanding Exposure" as our guide. I'm looking forward to it.

As far as the end of the year, it's a smooth one. I have such amazing students, and I will miss them. Only one more hour and it's all over. Makes me a touch sad. I was always the girl who cried at the end of the year when school was out, and to be honest I still feel the same way now. I hate goodbyes. Despise them, really. But I'm ready to spend some time with my girls this summer, so it's all good!

Peace!