17 Random Thoughts (that came to me as I was driving to work today....)

Photo take in April....I was alone today!

1. I like Rob Thomas.
2. It's too blessed hot outside.
3. I'm glad my car's air conditioning works.
4. Robert Pattinson isn't really a good singer. (listening to Twilight soundtrack)
5. The only good thing about working on a Saturday is you can turn your music up.
6. Why wasn't I born rich instead of beautiful?
7. I haven't seen my daughter in 2 weeks, but I have to work today.
8. I'm going to make something good for dinner, but what, I don't know. I should have something healthy.
9. I have a 40% off coupon for the Blick Art store burning a hole in my wallet.
10. A few months ago, I wouldn't even go in the art supply store because I was afraid they would know I was pretending to be an artist.
11. The people at the art store are not snobs, they're nice and helpful. That guy Emmett is sweet and he doesn't think I'm pretending to be an artist.
12. Snobs are snobs and I try to avoid them. 
13. People may think I'm a snob, but the truth is I'm really shy.
14. I have focaccia in the fridge and I will use them to make something yummy tonight.
15. Actually, I think I'll ask my boyfriend (or man friend, as my mom calls him) to make dinner - he's a better cook.
16. iTunes genius chose Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" for the Indie Rock mix....that's kinda funny.
17. When I get home, I'm going to make a list of 17 random thoughts that came to me on my way to work today.

Notes on a Saturday Morning

Some happy, some sad.....

Today is my sister's birthday. She wants to spend it at the beach. I haven't been to a beach since I was pregnant with my now 8 1/2 year old son. Of course, the first thing that ran through my mind was, "Yay, beach photos!" and the second was "Oh no, swimming suit!". I then told myself to shut up and enjoy it....I mean, it's the beach!

I'm transforming my unused living room into a place we can create in - I've moved the computer out of my bedroom, and restored my bedroom as MY room. I've also set up a table where the three of us can work on art projects. Matt's taken to it quite quickly, as he's been tracing Pokemon out of his books. I woke up to find this:

How Sweet!

And had a peaceful morning that looked like this:

Just 2 more days until my birthday....

The kids have been discovering the joys of bubble wrap....not the little ones, the BIG ones and they sound like firecrackers. Hmmmm....I like it....safe firecrackers!

On a sad note: A childhood friend's husband passed away suddenly yesterday. My thoughts and prayers are with her, their 1-year old son and their families. I'm still too shook up to observe my dessert tribute that I wrote about here, but if there ever was a time to stop and think about how important it is to enjoy the little things, it's when a young life is cut short.

I wish you a happy, peaceful Saturday! Enjoy all your blessings today, and every day, ok?

A Weekend Agenda

Big weekend ahead -

• Ana's graduating from 8th grade on Wednesday, June 2nd and due to travel schedules, we're having her party this weekend. Making some goodies for that with my nephew (who likes to cook)...
• My niece and nephew are getting ready to spend a month in Arizona with their Grandma and it's my (self-appointed) job to make sure they have enough to read. Taking my nephew to The Frugal Muse today to get him some reading material ..... all my hardwork shoving books in his face since he was a baby has paid off and he's a "reader"! Yeah! His hardwork helping get ready for his cousins party will payoff with some summer reading - I'll let you know what he chooses!
• I've got some much needed time off to recharge my batteries - the "work battery" (Memorial Day Weekend) and the "mom battery" since the kids will spend some much needed time with their globe-trotting father this weekend.
• I've had the itch to paper scrap this week....I'll share some stuff soon. I have a book I've been working on for Ana about Real Beauty, that she will get later this week.....
• Also, have a digital scrapbook Summer book in the works using some of the fun papers and elements creating by the awesome Jen C Designs, which I will get to share this weekend, too.

So, fun stuff for me....hope you have some fun things planned as well.  See you soon with some pics from our weekend!!!

The Party Animal's Lament or that's what DVRs are for

A bit of advice...When your children ask you to let them stay up late, late, late on Saturday to watch multiple episodes of  iCarly...expect them to be sleepy, sleepy, sleepy in church on Sunday morning. Expect them to give you "the look"... the one that says, "Are you seriously going to make me get dressed and drag me out in the cold? I'm cold, I'm tired. I'm JUST a kid." But, sweeties, that's part of the deal....stay up late, no trouble in the morning...oh, and tonight, bedtime is 8pm.

Another Saturday Morning

Don't really know why, but I'm feeling a measure less tense that usual. Maybe it was the couple of days off work that I took to be 100% MOM, or having a good idea of what I want to focus on, either way, I woke up this morning with a renewed sense of hope that I would be able to make the most of this weekend. Nothing profound here, just living on a Saturday, which is profoundly wonderful.

I made breakfast this morning that didn't involve shaking the contents of a box into a bowl:

I laughed at Ana's attempts to raise both her eyebrows separately:

I finished the scrapbook pages that I started last night:

I did an assignment from Shimelle Laine's Blogging for Scrapbookers (this post, and the scrapbook photo set up).

Next, I get to take my little Karate Kids to their class, going to my mom's house to watch Pretty in Pink (because when I mentioned that Ana might be ready for John Hughes movies, she gushed that she LOVES those movies), then, who knows....saving cleaning the house for tomorrow after church....

In a few moments on a Saturday morning

In a few moments on a Saturday morning,....

• the rest of the house will wake up and there will be places to go, mouths to feed, and a dog to take out.
• I'll need to choose one of the many projects I have started and commit some time to completing it.
• some small corner of my house will become clean again, laundry started, dishes washed, and toilets scrubbed.
• I will realize that the grass needs to be cut before the neighbors start complaining.
• the cats will crash into the wall because their play has become more spirited.
• the TV will go on, and Spongebob will be drowning out the quiet hum of the air conditioner in its last day of use (hopefully) for the summer.
• my coffee will be ready.
• I will realize that all I wanted to accomplish in this day can never be done.
  
• I will sigh, and begin to do the best I can with this day I've been given.
  

But for now, I'll savor these last few moments of quiet, when all I need to do is be thankful for this day and these moments, since every moment is my life lived.