Sadness

I hate when art projects don't go as expected. I signed up to write an article for a magazine at school that wanted an idea for something cheap and original. I remembered seeing a mural on Extreme Home Makeover that I really liked and thought I could duplicate it. After searching everywhere online I couldn't find any mention of it nor anything that looked remotely similar to it. So I had to go at it alone. The idea is to use old books to create a mural. Use books you have at home or buy some at the thrift store, whatever. Then make them into cool patterns, weave ribbons, flowers, construction paper, whatever, through the mural and wa-la! You have an awesome, personal piece of artwork that recycles old stuff and is relatively inexpensive. I tried it and I was so excited but it didn't turn out like I wanted it to. I don't know if I just didn't have enough books or if I didn't get the right colors or something but it did not look at all like I remembered on the show. And to add to the disappointment, I can't actually see putting it up on my wall. That was the big thing, I wanted to actually use it when I was done. So I wrote the article and I'm sending in pictures but I wasn't happy. Sad. Anyway, you can judge for yourself. I know that the idea is great and maybe I just need to try it again. Find some different (or normal) colored books and just start over. But I don't have justification to spend that time or money anymore so it may take a while longer to get back to it.

Lots of Children!

Hello everybody!

I've definately had a taste of what more kids will be like. This past week has been interesting. My sister left town for 10 days and I've had her littlest (Andrew) here the whole time. I've had the other two (Julia and Carolyn) over all day three days now while my mom is in school. Its been quite an adventure. Andrew fits our schedule quite well and takes naps when Emmaline does. And the two of them play fairly well together. Andrew is still young enough that he just looks at you weird when you take a toy from him then moves onto something else. Lucky for Emmaline becuase having to share everything has been really really hard on her.

Emmaline's behavior has become interesting. Because Andrew screams a lot she feels like she should be allowed to scream...She has been taking toys a lot more (mostly because she is getting to that age but also because she has competition for 'her' stuff) and starting to pinch and push and hit. Thats partly an age thing too but I think she is getting some influence from the older cousins. Thats okay, we are working on it.

Anyway, I think it'll be weird come Sunday when Andrew goes home and only Julia is coming over again on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It'll seem quiet or something!

I took about 7 pictures before Emmaline finally sat still. Then her daddy came home and decided to help!

I'm a Mean Aunt

I'm a mean Aunt. And I have proof. 1. I babysat Carolyn the other day. She was sent with a snack- fishy crakers, animal crackers, rasins and fruitsnacks in a trail mix style. Since Emmaline and Carolyn are so close in age, they get cranky over what eachother have that they don't. So I searched through my cupboard for fruitsnacks to give Emmaline. All I could find was a halloween candy of sorts that was no longer squishy but hard. I knew that Emmaline would have a hard time chewing those snacks so I took Carolyn's fruitsnacks, gave them to Emmaline and dumped the hard(er) candies in Carolyn's bag. I know I know, how mean! But Carolyn didn't know the difference, they both got what they wanted and I had no choking.

Carolyn- about 2 1/2 2. Sometimes I get headaches during the day and all I want to do is sleep. When Julia is over I can't really do that unless I know she is having her rest time too. So sometimes I have her start her rest time, work on the computer for another half hour (or putz around cleaning or something) then decide I want a nap too. Julia's nap time is only ever an hour but when I fall asleep, I make her stay on the couch for an hour and a half sometimes- and she still thinks its rest time! I know! Thats horrible of me! Making her have a longer rest time just because I'm tired is mean. What can I say? Julia- about 5 1/2

3. I popped popcorn yesterday in front of my nieces and didn't let them have any. I was snacky and wanted to eat popcorn. Their snack time was in 15 minutes and I could have waited that long but instead I popped the popcorn, sat down in front of them and proceeded to chow down on it. Now, I did give them a few pieces but only a few. And when I was done, I got them their snack. Can you imagine? Being 2 years old, smelling popcorn, watching someone else eat it and only getting 3 pieces for yourself? Thats got to be torture! 4. I made Julia go to the bathroom while Carolyn was in there. Talk about a lack of privacy! Carolyn needed to go so I sent her in. Just as Carolyn was flushing the toilet, Julia realizes that she desparately needed to go- so much so I was afraid she'd pee her pants. So I sent her into the bathroom while Carolyn was washing her hands. I didn't want to let Carolyn leave the bathroom without washing- so the two of them had a little sister bonding time.

My Purse

I got 'tagged' by my sister in law...

Here's the rules: 1) Post a picture or two of the purse you are carrying now. Do not cheat and go and grab that cute purse that is stashed away in your closet, post what you are using now. 2) Post how much you spent on your fabulous bag, and if there is a great story to go along with it then include that. 3) Tag some people to see what they're using as their bag and the stories that go behind them.

I got my purse for Christmas a few years back. It must have been a more expensive purse because it has made it this far with only a little wear and tear. It totally fits my personality. I don't really have a great story. I was carrying around a purse that I liked, it was sort of a grey bag. It slung over my shoulder, was way casual and I guess a bit teenagerish. My sister told me it was cute when I bought it but come to find out... she meant that it was cute for 'every once in a while' not all the time. She told me this as she was giving me my new purse! Gotta love sisters. But hey, I got a really great purse out of it!

In it: wallet, two full tic-tacs and one empty one, keys, chapstick, pen, walmart giftcard with 8$ on it, candy wrapper, two pennies, a wad of tissues (unused, thank goodness!), two barretts, another wad of tissues (we are going through a runny spell here obviously), my gym work out pass and earbuds.

Now I'm goin to put one barrett in, throw away the garbage and take a picture. Say Cheese!

Now I find it mildly amusing that I set my purse on a wipes container with playdough in the background...if my purse doesn't show it, something will!

Now I get to tag Christal and Laura! Show me your purses!

Some Updates

Okay. So i'm updating a few things that I've mentioned in passed posts. 1. Our fishtank. We got four neons, a snail and two guppys. Last I posted, our snail killed a guppy and tried to commit suicide. Since then, one of our neons have died (sorry Shemp) and we have had several baby snails born. The baby snail eggs were on the plants we bought and we were told the are like rabbits so we are going to need to buy a snail eating fish to get rid of them eventually. Until then baby snails are cute and keep my neice occupied for ever looking for them. 2. School. I'm only taking two classes right now- Rhetoical Studies and British Literature. Sometimes I feel so busy I don't want anyone to talk to me and other times I'm so bored that I watch movies all day. Neither is a really good balance of my time. 3. Emmaline. She is begining to climb onto things- chairs, the couch, toy boxes, you name it. Every once in a while she forgets that she knows how to climb back down and get scared. It snowed here for a few days and she HATES the snow. Generally we can put her coat on and let her walk to the car when its time to go anywhere but she sees the snow on our doorstep and freezes and starts crying immediately. I tried to stand her up in it and she was clawing me trying to get up again. She'll probably be a skiier when she grows up :) I can't think of much else to update everyone with. Just doing the day to day grind.