Not Everyone's Mama

Are you guys?  At least you guys in the states?  It’s one of my favorite days because everyone is my family is there.  Including my sister’s new baby who I have only seen that 1 time.  I was sick for so long, even with a cold I didn’t want her to risk catching it.  I have a feeling I should invest in a new compact flash card for my camera with as many pictures as I know I’ll take when I finally get to see her again. 

My mom called the other day and asked me if I’d make the fruit salad – a staple for holidays in my family.  I HATE making it by myself.  It’s not so bad when you have someone with you doing it to pass the chopping time by chatting.  I said to Pato, mom wants to know if you’ll make the fruit salad.  He said, why?  I said because you chop faster than the rest of us.  ROFL  He said he’d make it.  Little does he know, mom asked me to make it.  LOL  Mom knows what I did and she thinks it’s funny too so I’m not in trouble, yet.  LOL

My neighbor stopped by the other day after not coming over for a week and said, Holy —–, it’s only been a week since I’ve seen you.  How far are you?  I said 28 weeks.  She said what are you going to look like in 12 more weeks?  ROFL  I don’t know, but I’m huge.  It must be because he’s the 4th one.  My back, my stomach muscles, even my legs are sore from carrying around this huge ball of something in front of me.  I’ve been spending a lot of time on the couch with my laptop with my feet up.  I tried using my maternity belt that I had from being pregnant with Alyce, and it wasn’t doing anything but making me more uncomfortable.  I know I should be enjoying every minute of this since I’m shutting down the baby making factory after this one, but I can’t wait for it to be over.  I’m not someone who enjoys being pregnant.  I love the baby, not a fan of the 9 months it takes to make it.  LOL

Speaking of the baby, I did a layout finally of Christian’s U/S pics.

Am I the only one that can make even an U/S layout messy?  LOL  Credits here.

Well, that’s all I have today.  It’s going to be a day of doing laundry and cleaning the kitchen.  Tomorrow is family day, then Friday I’m leaving by myself at 4 a.m. to hit the stores.  Fun fun!  Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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The other day I was playing the praise game and came across this absolutely GORGEOUS layout!  I had to give it a go myself.  And here is what I came up with!

I love it, it just makes me so happy to see!  For the credits, look here – because I used lots of stuff.  LOL

Then I had to enter it in the Pen Scrappers contest over at Wacom.  So, if you like it, might you go over and vote for me?  If you really love me – ROFL – ok, if you have nothing better to do, you can vote every day.  LOL

I also entered a second layout.  This one here.  I love that one too, but the one above is my favorite!

So, I’ve got a house full of sick kids.  Last nigh I took Jordan and little Miss Alyce to the doctor.  Jordan’s got bronchitis and Alyce has an upper respiratory infection.   Both are on antibiotics.  Jordan also got an inhaler.  That is turning into a pain in the butt this morning.  I took his inhaler up to school, but forgot to take the box.  I filled out the parent medicine sheet.  Then it turns out with inhalers, you actually have to have a doctor’s note.  So, I called the doctor, they are going to fax it over.  Then the nurse called me and told me she needed the box that the inhaler came in.   Which is my own fault.  But that the school really wants an inhaler to keep up there because they don’t like the kid to take it back and forth, they might forget.  So, then I have to call the pharmacy, who said the doctor only wrote the prescription for 1.  They are faxing the doctor asking for a second inhaler, and then we have to deal with insurance and whether they will cover a second one.  Fun fun!

Oh, but it gets better.  Katiana was FINE all day.  FINE at the doctor.  Running around like a chicken with her head cut off – AKA a 4 year old.  LOL  We get home, I put her to bed, she gets up and starts coughing so hard she puked all over my living room floor.  And I didn’t realize that she had puked, I thought she was just coughing (I was in my bedroom getting Alyce down – trying to figure out why she left the bed).  I got up to check on her and stepped in it.  UGH.  Gave her some cough medicine, which she fought like she never has, and she has fought a lot when it comes to cough medicine.

I’m going through pregnancy induced insomnia I think, so I tossed and turned all night trying to decide if my kids should go to school today or not.  I listened all night to whether anyone’s cough was worse.  Kat got up this morning and really only coughed 2 major times.  So, I let her go to school, and told them to call me if they thought she needed to come home. 

Jordan doesn’t have a fever, and the doctor said as long as he was fever free to send him to school.  Took both of them in.  But, felt bad about it.  I don’t know, I hate them to miss school, but I feel bad when I know they aren’t feeling their best either.  Jordan will just have been in school a month here next week.  Today is Kat’s 4th day.  I hate them to miss already.

So, I’ll feel guilty til they get home and I see they are fine.  LOL

Well, Alyce is wanting some attention, so I’m going to sign off!

Have a great day!

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*sigh*  I took Jordan to school this morning, and yes, I got a little weepy.  I lost my helper during the day.  He’s been so good with his sisters.  So, I will miss him 8 hours a day.  *sending kisses to Jordan at school*

I already did my layout.  That’s how much I missed him.  LOL

I used Raspberry Road’s Higher Awareness kit that was in Bella Scraps this month.  Awesome kit!  I also used my Old Edges and Doodly Do School Brushes.  If you haven’t noticed by now, my Old Edges line are my absolutely most favorite frames to use.  LOL  I use them CONSTANTLY.  And I used Gina Miller’s snowbell alpha.  ROFL  I know, I know, it’s not a winter page, but I thought it went and it’s an awesome alpha!  I think Gina would be proud of me for thinking outside the theme of her products, wouldn’t she?  LOL  Full Credits

Then, I made this page of Jordan just be silly at mom’s house the other day.

Isn’t he fun?  It’s a more simpler page than I’m used to doing, but with the pose, and the extraction, I didn’t think it needed a lot.  I used OScraps Summer Fling Collab.  Full Credits here.

still *sighing*  I still miss him.  LOL  I know, I know, he’ll be home at 4.  ROFL

I’m at that time of year where, well, last year I didn’t panic, I just got busy.  This year I’m panicking.  You see, last year, the 4 year olds had soccer games early in the morning and the 9 year olds had it later in the day.  Got the schedules and 3 games overlap with Katiana and Jordan being over an hour a part a couple of times.  (in distance – like her game is at home at 2 and his game is over an hour away at 2:30).  Yep, going to need mom and dad’s help.  You should see my Palm Centro’s calendar with purple dots for Kat and Orange dots for Jordan, all overlapping, my phone saying, I don’t know how you think you can be in 2 places at the same time?

I’ve got another decision to make.  You know the test that you can take to find out if you need an amnio?  The one that can tell you if there is a possibility of Downs or Cerebral Palsy (speaking of which, isn’t that a thing you’re born with?  I keep seeing adds on TV for cerebral palsy lawyers.  Is that something that a doctor can cause?  Or what is it that would cause the need for a lawyer?)  Anyways, I would never terminate.  So, I don’t know what the point is of taking the test to see if I need an amnio, and then going through with the amnio just to fuss for the rest of the pregnancy over something I can’t control.  And if there was something, we would just deal with whatever it is and love the baby just like we do our other kids.  So, I don’t think I need the test, but my doctor keeps asking.  I’m 33.  I don’t think I’m at the risky age yet?  I don’t know, did you get the test?  Did it help you?

Alright.  I’ve got some things going on in the store right now!

I swear I worked on this kit forever. Morning sickness killed my mojo. But, it’s done! Woohoo! It is such a fun kit!

Another view of the elements –

The Papers

And a few layouts by my wonderful CT!

by Cheryl

By Vicki

By Anne

By Andrea – she also used my savor the rainbow alpha and Doodly Do Wings brushes (I didn’t even recognize my wings. She is awesome!)
And it’s on sale right now during my back to school sale for 40% off!

It’s a Beautiful Morning

While you’re at the store, make sure you look for the 10 hidden products on sale for a $1.00! There are 5 designer tools, 1 set of brushes (both the personal use and the designer tool are on sale, don’t grab both on accident.), 1 kit, 1 element set, 1 paper pack, 1 bracket album! These products have NEVER been on sale this low!

Have a great day!

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I did it again.  Do you see how long I went without blogging.  That’s just wrong.  I’m just exhausted.  But no energy pills for me.  Just got to keep plugging along and hope that with the end of the first trimester here shortly my energy will return. 

I did get a couple of layouts done. 

Miss Alyce posing with her new bows from Tammy’s shop.  I love them so much!  The frame here is from my Old Edges set.  Everything else is from Joe Designs’ beautiful new kit, All About Flowers. 

And my next layout – May I first say that the lovely Jen Ulasiewicz asked me to be a guest CT for her this month.  I’ve been a fan of Jen’s since I first started scrapping many moons ago. 

Everything on this layout is from Jen, and it’s quite the list, you can see all the credits here.  And that’s another picture of Alyce modeling Tammy’s bows.  We had a little photo shoot this weekend.  )

How do you think the shadows are on those?  I’ve really been working on making my shadows realistic, and I hope I’m getting there.

Not a heck of a lot going on other than it’s time to start getting school stuff bought for both kids.   And we need to start getting them ready for soccer.  Get them outside practicing.  Which is really hard for me to want to do when it’s close to 100 out.  Blech.  I’d rather just sit inside in the air conditioning right now.  They want to go to the pool, and I don’t even want to go outside to get to the pool.  It’s too hot. 

All I keep thinking is it’s almost fair time and these temps had better go down before then because I don’t care how badly Pato wants a turkey leg.  I’m not going.  He’s gonna be hitting the Iowa State Fair by himself.  Or he can take the kids, I won’t mind.  LOL  That’s the one thing I can’t stand while I’m pregnant.  It was the same way with all 3 kids, the heat knocks me on my butt.

I’ll never forget the fair we went to when I was pregnant with Alyce.  It was close to 100, and he lost me.   or I got lost.  My purse was in the bottom of the stroller that he was pushing.  So, I had no money on me for water.  I had my phone, but turned out he had left his in the car.  3 hours.  3 hours I wondered around trying to find him.  I was ready to go to a red cross center when he finally went out to the car to get his phone and called me.  I could have killed him.  He said I was dark purple when he found me.  And he hurried and got some cold water for me and we left.  Yep, don’t want a repeat of that this year.

Alright, my children are fighting.  Time to sign off and get them separated and occupied.

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I forgot that I scrapped a new layout the other day.  This is a self portrait of my little man and me that we took after his Christmas concert last year.

I love how it came out!  I swear making a layout like this versus one of my messy, something everywhere all over the page layouts takes me so much longer.  But I really love this one!  He’s my mini me.  See those cheeks.  Those are mama’s.  And that nose, and the mouth, and the eyes – minus the eye liner.  ROFL  He’s my child who looks like me.  The girls, not so much.  LOL

For this layout I used –

Call of Nature by Joe Designs

Old Edges 2 by me

Soft Wash PSP Script for the photo effect, by me

We took the kids to the pool last night.  First time this summer for Alyce and me.  I usually hate going during the day because the older kids are obnoxious.  I’m always worried one of my little ones will get hurt.  Pato says I’m overprotective.  I say I’ve seen kids get bonked on the head from the older kids taking a running leap off the side and over the heads of the kids in the pool. 

Last night it was just us and another lady with 3 girls.  The kids had a blast.  Alyce is a little fish.  My goodness.  No fear.  Which of course makes me nervous, because a good dose of fear keeps us safe right?  ROFL  Ok, maybe a little overprotective.  Just a tad.  I always think it’s funny how different Alyce and Katiana’s personalities are in some ways.  Alyce is always willing to try something new, jump right in so to say.  I was trying to get Kat’s water wings on her and Alyce saw the pool and just took off towards it.  I had to run and grab her, and sit her in the chair, blocking her from getting out while I got Kat’s wings on.  (Pato was in the bathroom washing off the baby inner tube in the shower.  LOL)  Alyce got mad and was trying to escape through the hole between the arm of the chair and the chair.  She really had no fear. 

Katiana on the other hand spent the first 5 minutes whining about how she didn’t want to get in the water before she stuck a toe in.  She finally got in and started paddling her little bootie around.  And Jordan, he loves to swim.  We’d live at the pool if he had his way.  Unfortunately, mom won’t take all 3 kids to the pool by herself.  I’m scared something will happen to one of the girls while I have the other one and someone will go under.  So, pool time is reserved for when daddy’s here to help.  Poor deprived children.  )

I also sat down and made my sister’s baby shower invitation yesterday.  I ended up using bits and pieces from different Jofia kits.  I started out with Sweet Lullaby, then added some from Diamond Rain, Beautiful Day, and Spring Birds.  It came out really pretty, but I need to edit out the name and address before I show you guys how it came out.  I am also thinking I need to change the color of the font so you can read it better.  It looks fine on the screen, but when you print it out, it’s not as contrasting as I want it to be.  I’m waiting for my sister to look at it before I make final changes.

I think when the shower is finished, she’ll need a truck rental to get home.   Not sounding greedy.  LOL  She’s the baby of our family, so I’m sure we’ll all spoil her.  Plus, we really only do showers for the first baby in our family, so using that logic, it’s the last shower we will have for awhile.  My brothers’ wives and I have all had showers for ours, obviously. 

Using that logic too, I probably won’t get a shower for this one.  But, I’m so in trouble if it’s a boy.  I got rid of all of Jordan’s baby stuff when I got a divorce because I wasn’t planning on having anymore.  Boy how that changed huh?  If we have another girl, I’m set for life, but I have NOTHING for a boy.  I was thinking as soon as we find out what we are having, we need to pull all of the itty bitty baby clothes out of storage and see if I have any sleepers in neutral colors.  Which, if I remember right, we don’t have a lot of.  I loved dressing my girls in pink.  Pink pink pink everywhere.  LOL

Alrighty, Alyce is being awfully quiet, so I’m going to sign off and go see what she’s getting into.  LOL

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(If you’ve been to my CT blog, the first part of this post is the same as over there so that I have my layouts where they need to be.  Just scroll down past my layouts if you’ve read it already.)  I went to check my ArtsCow account yesterday because I knew that 2 of my free photo books was expiring soon.  Turned out they were expiring yesterday.  I had 27 layouts ready to go that hadn’t been in a book yet.  I needed 3 more because they give you 30 free pages.  So, I hurried up and made 3 layouts, the cover, spine, and back.  The cover is so simple.  I just took a piece of the same paper for all 3.  Wrote my layouts vol 1.  ROFL  and put 2008 on the spine.  The layouts didn’t have any rhyme or reason to them.  Not all were of the kids – some were of Pato, some were of myself.  That’s why I called it that.  I know, I’m so imaginative.  Hey, where your on a time limit.  LOL

There’s Jordan at the 4th of July parade.  He is just growing up so much.  I used Baby Got Back, Old Edges 2, Just Bag It – Journaling papers (which are free in the store), the yellow glitter is from Li’l Tart, the silver glitter is from Flashy New Year.

These are the best pictures I actually got of my kids at the parade.  It was so sunny.  No one wanted to look at me.  Oh well.  It’s a memory.  ROFL  I used everything from my Some Gave All kit, Some Gave All – Add on (still free on my CT blog), and Some Gave All – Alpha (which you still have time to get on the CT blog for doing this month’s challenge.)  I also used my Old Edges 2 here.

And the last one.  Miss Katiana wrinkling up here nose at the parade.  LOL  I used Berry-Licious and Old Edges on this one.

Really quick on the ArtsCow if you sign up now you get 400 free prints and a free photo book with 30 pages.  (Plus, referring your friends gets you LOTS of other awesome stuff for free!)  Shipping is kind of high as it’s coming from Hong Kong I’ve heard, but I got 1 – 30 page photo book, 50 4X6′s, 50 5X7′s, and an Italian charm watch with Pato and my picture in it for $28.  That was the shipping.  So compared to what I’ve paid at Shutterfly for one book, that wasn’t bad to me.  And I’ve heard the shipping doesn’t take long.  I’ve also read really good things about the quality of their prints.  I’ll review it when I get my stuff.  )

I am pooped lately you guys.  I cannot wait to get out of this first trimester can’t keep my eyes open tiredness.  I usually stay up until 1 or 2 in the morning and lately, if I don’t lay down with Alyce during her nap, I’m ready for bed at 8.  Is  that not sad?  LOL  Pato took the oldest 2 with him last night to get his and Jordan’s hair cut.  Then they stopped to get tacos at a stand.  I slept for about an hour with Alyce.  Then got woken up when they got home by Katiana FREAKING out.  My goodness.  It was raining really hard when they got home.  And Pato had his hands full.  So, he did what we always do with a 4 year old – get her out of her car seat and let her walk with us.  We don’t have to carry Katiana very often anymore.  Unless there is a lawnmower near by.  Pato said they walking up to the door and all of a sudden this huge thunder hit and the lightening lit up the whole sky, and Katiana FLIPPED out.  Screaming, crying, running with her eyes closed.  He picked her up and ran her to the house, but the damage was done.  She was soaked just from the run from the car to the door.  And she was crying so hard. 

We got her out of the wet clothes and I wrapped her in a blanket and just held her, rocking her.  She wouldn’t calm down for the longest time.  It really scared her.  I let her in on a little secret that I’ve kept from my children.  Mommy is scared of thunder too.  I didn’t tell her it’s close to a phobia and that it’s really hard to mask it while I’m with my kids.  LOL  I just said, that mommy is scared of that boom too.  But you know what?  I know when it booms, my whole body jumps and I’m scared, but in my head I have to know that the thunder is just a big loud noise and that it can’t hurt me.  So then we sat and rocked and talked about the big boom.  I don’t think she likes thunder anymore than she did before we talked, but at least she calmed down for a bit.

Kat is one who is scared of loud noises period.  My other 2, noises have never bothered them, but poor Kat takes after her mom.  I’m not so much scared of loud noises, as I’m not a fan of them either.  The thunder though, that’s a fear for me.  An irrational one, but a fear none the less.

If the rain stays away today, we are going to the camel and ostrich races as Prairie Meadows.  Who doesn’t love a good ostrich race?  Huh Kristine?  ROFL  I think my double stroller is wet though.  It was on the porch last night when it rained.  Pato moved it as close to the door as he could, but it got wet.  I’ll have to put it out in the sun if it ever comes out today.

Pato works today, so I think it’s going to be myself, the kids, and my parents going.  My brother Josh said he wasn’t too impressed with them last year.  Here’s a post I did last year about this time about the races.  There’s some pics I found on the net about other camel and ostrich races.  LOL  If you go, look how far my CT and I have come in a year! 

Have a great day!

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I told you guys when we took Alyce to the doctor last Monday that she just had a virus – ya di da, same old same old.  Watch and wait.  The rest of the week she was the same.  Runny nose, cranky, fever off and on, but she was wetting her diapers, ALOT.  She was drinking a lot, but not eating great. 

Friday night I changed her super soaked diaper at 7, before bed.  In the morning, I ran to get a treadmill off that someone gave me off of ReUseIt.  (I figured that would help with the weight gain in the middle of December when I can’t take the girls out in the stroller.)  When I left Pato, Jordan, and Alyce were all still asleep.  I took Kat with me.  Got home, she was up.  We had to run down and pick up Pato’s car that was finally done.  YAY for that.  I asked him on the way out the door if he changed her when he got up with her.  He said she wasn’t wet.  Well, that’s not unusual for Alyce, she will be dry when she gets up, then go a lot right afterwards.  So we go get his car.  Come home, I check her she’s still not wet.  I called her doctor’s office because at this point I was starting to get concerned.  The doctor’s office had just closed and I asked to be put through to the nurses line.  Told her the symptoms and she agreed that I should take her down to the ER.  By the time we got to the ER it was 3:30.  Still no wet diaper.  They poked and prodded her.  The doctor said she had decreased bowel sounds.  That she looked dry.  By the time they started her IV under her eyes it looked like she hadn’t slept in a week.  They have Pato and the kids leave the room for the IV, I was up by her head, the nurse was putting it in and 2 paramedics were helping to hold her down.  I just about died.  I just kept my forehead pressed against hers telling her mama was there.  Mama loves you.  Mama’s here.  Get the IV in, she draws blood from it.  Then starts the IV, something wasn’t dripping right.  So, out comes that IV.  She said, do you think she’ll drink some pedialyte?  I said, I don’t know.  She brought me a bottle, I tried to get it down her.  She shoved it away.  Didn’t want anything to do with it.  So back out goes Pato and the kids and back in comes the nurse and the 2 paramedics to do her other hand.  Oh lord that was hard.

They gave her fluids for 2 hours.  Then the doctor came in and we were both amazed at the difference in her.  Her eyes were no longer dark under them at all.  She was up giggling, laughing, yelling at the kids.  He said these little ones just turn so fast.  When we start getting dehydrated our bodies can compensate as adults.  The little ones just can’t.  He thinks that she had turned the corner on the virus, but her body couldn’t catch up on fluids.  So, he sent us home to check in with our doctor today.  I decided to call yesterday, just in case her doctor was on.  He wasn’t.  But I left a message.

Alyce seemed fine all day yesterday.  Lots of wet diapers, drinking like normal.  Running around with the kids.  Then last night.  Ay cabron.  She was up all night screaming and digging in her ears.  At 4 a.m. I gave her some ibuprofin, then got out the tea tree oil (which I use when my ears hurt – it numbs it), put one drop in each of hers, cotton balls, and she promptly went to sleep. 

This morning the doctor’s nurse called and we both agree she needs to be seen.  Her doctor is out of the office today.  I’m going to take her in to the walk in as soon as Pato gets up to help me get all the kids showered – and myself.   Once again this morning she is up running around happy as can be.  I gave her some tylenol in the meantime just to make sure she doesn’t have pain for it.

Poor baby has been through so much this weekend.  Hopefully she’ll get a round of antibiotics for the ear and start feeling much better.

So, that was our weekend.  How was yours???

Oh, at the hospital I did find a new pregnancy concoction and I was in heaven eating it.  It started out as a nice normal turkey and cheese sub with miracle whip.  But it needed something.  So, I hopped over to the vending machine.  Chili Cheese fritos?  YUM!  Smooshed them up, put them on the sandwich.  So yummy.  Pato thought I was revolting.  ROFL 

I think after all this I should look into one of those European cruises.  Ok, possibly in my dreams.  I wish.  LOL 

I have a new kit in the store – I couldn’t wait for July 1.  )

All Gave Some and Some Gave All.

So true.  And I thank each and everyone of you!  I have made a new kit to celebrate our men and women of the armed forces and their families behind them.

For the month of July, you will be able to get the add on to this free on the Purple Paper Flowers Blog.  And starting July 1st, we’ll be giving the alpha away as part of the challenge my creative team is throwing for July!  Watch for those starting July 1.
You can buy the kit without the alpha and add on here.
If you don’t plan on participating in the challenge, you can get the kit with the alpha and add-on here.
(and you can see the previews for both alpha and add-on in the extra images of both kits.)

I’ll leave you with a layout I made on Friday.  I wanted so badly to lift this absolutely stunning page here.  I tried.  Started, then ended up going off on my own.  LOL  Came out with the final –

All products by Vera Lim except the photo effect – which is my own Soft Wash PSP Script.  Full credits are here.

Have a beautiful day!

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5 layouts in one day has got to be some kind of new record for me.  LOL  The first 4 layouts all use my new collab with Robyn Gough called Strawberry Mint Chip and my new Doodly Do Cutie Birds.

Ok, this one doesn’t use the doodly birds.  LOL

The gardening pictures were all taken at my mom’s on father’s day.  The kids were pulling the weeds out of mom’s garden.

This one was for Vera Lim’s blog challenge using the words ‘happy being’

I used my Soft Wash PSP Script on it.  The rest of the credits can be found here.

I also found a way to fix all of these pictures I took at my sister’s wedding that didn’t come out great.  They were bad enough that they weren’t usable, but I didn’t want to chuck them.  I mean, they were from my sister’s wedding.  So, I made a script that makes those bad bad pictures usable again.  Especially good for pics your going to blend with.

I never could have thrown that picture of my sister and my dad away.  Isn’t it beautiful?

Fix It PSP Script

Ok, I must now go and break up 2 children and find my cell phone that I think Katiana turned off before the littlest one lost.  (  Don’t anyone call me til I find it.  LOL

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