What I Learned

Posted on | July 31, 2009 | 6 Comments

At my Educational Technology conference that I’ve been attending the last two days:

Am I the only one who doesn’t know this person? I felt like I’ve been hiding under a rock cause all my colleagues know her!!!

Ok, seriously, I did learn some neat web tools for education, for example Wordle. I can see a student using that on me to see how often I use filler words when I teach… like uhms and so. I can see him/her emailing me a Wordle file. This quiz site is really cool too: Quizlet. There are already many different fun quizes you can take… try racing to one! And since I’ll be moving to the UK, I’ll be working on this: Epsilen. It’s a free e-portfolio (if you have a .edu email addy). So if you’re a teacher, there are some freebie info for ya.

So I’m not totally dense but Lady Gaga was sure entertaining {::SMILES}. On top of that, the M and Jovie have been a-ok with dad. He even used the baby carrier. He said it ain’t bad -- ha, I told him so (he refused to use it before… I think he was afraid it’d ruin his manliness)!!

Have a great weekend peeps! M and I will be scrapbooking tonight. The hubby’s letting us go cropping. YEAH!!! Not sure how many I’ll whip out but it’ll be nice to be with the ladies and not on mommy duty while crafting. Laters!!

Runaway Bride

Posted on | July 29, 2009 | 13 Comments

There’s something wrong with our M. For example swimming. She was so pumped about going, excited about all the things she’d do, and when we get there, she’d barely got herself wet. She’d get all freaked out about water getting into her eyes, nose, or mouth. She’d just be a wreak! Last Thursday she got her ears pierced. This piercing deal has been a 2-yrs ordeal, yes no yes no yes no. Finally last week she said she’s ready. So I said ok and got everybody on the road within 30-minutes. We got to Claire’s and she was fine until she sat on the chair and she went insane! Well, momma here wasn’t going to go back without holes in M’s ears and so the assistant manager and I held her down while another person did the piercing (I was surprised the cops didn’t come in to see if anybody was being attacked). We did one and asked M if it hurt, in between sniffles she said no. So we said, ok, lets do the other one and she freaked out again. WTH? After she got pierced… she was so dang happy. She pranced around showing EVERYBODY her ears + earings. I asked if they hurt. She said no. I asked why she freaked out and she said she didn’t know. I asked if she was mad I had to wrestle her and she said no. She’s glad I did she said and giggled. ARGH!!!

Yesterday while driving to our little lunch date we talked about M and hubby said: Man, when she gets married, we need to make sure we lock all the doors and window and tie her down after she gets to the alter. I’m not paying for a bride-less wedding.

Kids!!

So here’s a page of M, at 5, blowing her candle at pre-school. I cut-up some Sassafrass paper and scattered some buttons and flowers (I used another one of Clouds’ crochet flower) here and there. The swirlies was from Glitz (rub-ons).

Have a nice one! Thursday and Friday I’ll be at a conference in the city. I have to meet up with my colleague at 6:45 a.m.!!! That’ll be tough since my wake up time is 10 a.m.!!! We’ll see how Jovie and I can handle being gone all day and pumping in the car and dumping my precious milk somewhere since I have no way to store it at the conference.

I Like* You

Posted on | July 28, 2009 | 14 Comments

That’s what we use to write/say when we were dating and haven’t said the BIG “L” word. You know, when you read something and there’s an asterix next to it, there’s usually some sort of disclaimer or more info on that item. So it was our way of saying more than like {::SMILES}.

Fast forward and it’s now our 6th anniversary. Time sure flies when you’re having fun! So many things have happened too since then and they’re all great! We’re very very lucky and I am thankful each and everyday. Like I said the other day, don’t think our relationship’s all peachy, we do have our down time and we have habits that annoy the heck out of each other but we somehow make up and things are great again.

I wish I can share a wedding picture but I don’t have any. WHAT? Well, we never had a nice white wedding. Actually we almost didn’t have a wedding because hubby had to go to work (military time ya know). But we did, legally and without anybody dear with us that day. There were two reason why we did what we did: Miss M and we’re both divorced Catholics.

For a couple years we’ve contemplated on getting annulments so that we could do a church wedding but for different reasons we couldn’t. I won’t share hubby’s reason but mine you can probably guess… my ex and I are the bestest friends and finding a good reason for an annulment have been really hard. Plus, we don’t want to pretend it didn’t exist.

Now, I still wish for a white wedding (and I’m always drooling over other people’s wedding pics) but I don’t know, it’s been six years. Seems silly ya know. Hubby knows how much I love France and since we’ll be moving to England he said I can plan a vow renewal there. I think I’d like that. Something very very very small but memorable and shared with the kids…

Anyhow, that’s my wedding story. The day of the marriage was not memorable (except for the fact that we almost couldn’t do it) but the relationship that we’ve had from the day we met to today has been. That’s what matters right? I mean a white wedding doesn’t always guarantee a happily ever after. So, happy anniversary to us. It might not have started with a bang but I hope it’ll stay wonderful!

Nuff of that… here’s a card that I made for the husband. I should have used the asterix but I did this instead:

For our anniversary we left the kids at daycare and went out to lunch. After lunch we bought us a nice leather sofa, chair + ottoman. This is our 2nd big household purchase… the first was our sleep number bed. The next is a TV, in the UK since a US one won’t work there. Our current one is from 1999 or so.

Have a great week all! Til next time!!!

PTI Blog Hop

Posted on | July 25, 2009 | 41 Comments

I decided to join the blog hop today at Papertrey Ink. I wish I can do it regularly but I either forget or too last minute to try and make something decent. Plus, I like type and thought I’d give it a whirl. It’s simple due to this thing (Jovie’s 7-wks and wondering what the black thing -very often pointing at her - in front of mom’s face was):

But I did get a card done using type (using my Klic-N-Kut machine) and a stamp from PTI. The strip of black polka-dot paper’s Sassafrass Lass and the rest are Papertrey’s goodies. Oh, I used my CB polka dot embossing folder too. I was going to do more experimenting (especially using my die-cut machine sine I rarely use it) but just couldn’t. But, just like card making and giving, it’s the thought that counts, right? {::SMILES}

Ok, happy blog hopping! Can’t wait to see what you all created!!!

Travelingmama Challenge #4

Posted on | July 24, 2009 | 11 Comments

Hiya! Tina aka Travelingmama is now hosting a challenge, a travel/places inspiration one, and for this week the picture she decided to use was one that I submitted, challenge #4. Fun!!! This was a picture that I took during our trip to Germany fall of 2007. This was our last stop before heading back to the U.S. (saaaaaaaaaaaad). The town we were in is called Rothenburg ob der Tauber and it’s on the Romantische Strasse aka the Romantic Road. I believe this town is the biggest preserved midevil town. Very touristy but gorgeous!

For this challenge, I decided to make the card below.

I used the colors from the picture to create my card and somewhat used the picture as a sketch. See the blue door and my little blue piece of card stock? The red ribbon’s inspired by the ribbon on the door and you see the pink speckles on the bottom right? If you look at the picture there seemed to have been flower petals on the ground. That’s what I did on my card too. For the speckles I used the stamp from the Branch Out set. I should have added some texture but forgot.

Ok, have a GREEEEAAAAAT weekend! Hope the picture inspires you too!! I can’t wait to take more European pics. There are tons to see in the U.S. but there’s something about Europe that makes it oh so photogenic and I am so so looking forward to our time there!