Happy/Merry Everything

I seem to have missed the holidays & so with 2008 looming just 2 days away, I've pondered some resolutions for the coming year. So here we go!!

1) I will be more patient & kind. Even to people who are idiots (you know who you are). I can't stop being sarcastic because, come on, that's who I am. If I weren't sarcastic I just wouldn't be funny. And who wants to be around un-funny Tab? Yeah, not me either. Patience I can do, sarcasm I can't live without.

2) I will not, WILL NOT hoard my scrapbook supplies. It really is a sickness. You buy that super cute rub-on, paper, whatever & then it sits & gathers dust until that super special project comes up. That never comes up. I hoard, hoard, hoard. Well hoard no more. I'm using it all!!

3) I will be patient & kind. Did I already say that?

4) I will get this photography thing off the ground. One way or another. No excuses.

5) I will keep in touch with people. I will email, call, write letters, reconnect. Yes, I'm busy but I need to make time to keep in touch with my peeps.

6) I'm chubby. The chubby has got to go. NOW. I want to wear cute clothes again & maybe buy a bra that doesn't look like something Norbit's girlfriend would wear. (If you didn't see it, don't bother. It was horrible.) And this one I already started. Got my run on a few times this week & I am trying really hard to stick to it.

7) BE PATIENT & KIND. Ugh. Maybe I should scratch this one??

I tried to get the kids to take a nice family picture. Of course, Vinnie was pulling his best Sean Penn impersonation & refused to cooperate. And the wee ones wanted to screw around more than take pics. So I would get 2 of the 3 to cooperate at different times. However, through the gift of bribery, I did manage to get one decent picture of the 3 little ones.

I haven't scrapped in almost 2 months but I did manage to venture out last night. Went to MDW, glued one picture to a sheet of paper & then stared at it for an hour before I finally gave up. My lack of inspiration is making me crazy. Which is completely pathetic because I have more product than anyone will ever need. I could probably scrap everyday for a year & still have a ton of stuff left over.

One last resolution:

8) I will blog more often. Really I will!!! Have a wonderful New Year!!

lagging

Yes, I admit, I lag. Especially when it comes to blogging. So I was running into the local Target and ran into my friend Dawn who prompltly said, UPDATE YOUR BLOG!!! OK Dawn, here's the update!!!

The best news of all is my boy Gavin is getting potty trained. Any mom who goes through this knows what a chore it is. But so totally worth it because after this boy, I am done with diapers!! At least until I get some grandchildren which, God willing, won't be for years to come.

Vinnie turned 15 a couple of weeks ago and I finally met some of his friends from school. He is at that age where he is petrified that I will embarass him. But I held back. Lord knows I wanted to whip out the pictures of him and his friend Anthony in the bathtub when they were 2 but I restrained myself. He is growing entirely too fast. I'd post a picture of the birthday boy but lately, this is all I can get out of him:

Lovely huh? Yeah, I am hating this age but he seems to be growing out of it. And just think, I get to go through this 3 more stinkin' times! Oh joy!!

And lately I have taken to creating at home. It is just such a chore to drag all my stuff to the store and I have plenty of room here to do it. So I've been spending my Saturday nights here and scrapping while Jim does his thing.

I bought this lovely little gem at Target on clearance for $4!! I thought it was just the 4 letters in a cardboard box but when I got home I realized the box was actually made of wood so I inked it up, smacked some paper on there with the Podge and added some ribbon and stickers to the letter. Love it!

I've made more but haven't had a chance to take pics yet.

And finally, some things I've been pondering. While the kids were on Thanksgiving break I watched entirely too much television and here's what's bugging me:

1. Why does Diane Keaton wear white in all her movies? And what's up with the gloves and the scarves on her neck? Does she have old lady chicken neck she's trying to hide?

2. Has Marie Osmond made it this far on Dancing w/the Stars because of the sympathy vote? I love watching her but lord, last night with the whole doll thing, one word: HORRIFYING.

3. Reality TV: ok come on, you want some reality? Come to my house for a week and I'll give you some reality. Kids hanging off the banisters, husband who can't retain anything I tell him unless it has to do with sports or TV, getting by on 6 hours sleep on a daily basis yet still managing to get kids to school, do homework, clean house, cook, do laundry, etc. and yet I am not an alcoholic or surviving on some substance to keep me going. Of course, I'm bitchy but wouldn't that be the good part of the show? I mean, who hasn't heard me yell at Jim, 'WHICH PHONE ARE YOU ON?' Now THAT is funny. And real. OK, enough.

Alright peoples, that's it for now. Bundle up, stay warm and love each other. Even if they can't retain anything.

Go Wong Kie

So the kids have all been on vacation for the last 2 weeks. Unfortunately it wasn't much of a vacation as they all caught pretty bad colds. So much of it was spent indoors. But just before the sickness hit, we had a fun day outside playing with the boys. It is so nice to be able to take them out front & let them play. All of them are such boys so it is inevitable that they will be playing baseball, football or cops & robbers. With the exception of Vinnie who is usually hiding in the 'Bat Cave' which I affectionately call his room. Ah, the life of a 14 year old boy. How many days can you actually live without sunlight? Apparently that is the experiment he's been conducting on vacation.

Once they all got sick they were relegated to playing football in the house with a foam ball. Hence, the title. Jamie, God love him, has the worst time pronouncing his L's. So the other night as I was cooking dinner, I hear him shout from the living room, Go Wong Kie. Now, I am not a cruel mother but I do have a twisted sense of humor so of course, I am trying not to die laughing because I take it for what is sounds like. Go Wong. Get it? Ok, maybe it's just me.

Scored this shirt at the local Target.

Could it BE any more appropriate? He has got his daddy wrapped around his little finger. For which, I of course, am paying for. Jim spoils him rotten while I'm gone & then when I have him at home during the week he is a holy terror. It doesn't help that he is cute as heck & knows it. And see that hair? Hasn't been cut since MARCH. I don't want to make some poor person have to deal with him screaming while they cut it & we're too scared to cut it because he's so darn stubborn he'd sooner cut his leg off than cut his hair. I figure he's making up for all the other men in this family sporting the military cut.

Speaking of military, my brother should be back stateside (at least, Hawaiian-side) any day now. Thank God. Most of his unit made it back last weekend & he should be home hopefully sometime this weekend. Can't WAIT.

Jim had his cochlear turned on Monday however there is still too much scar tissue for it to work effectively. However, when they turned it on, he could hear. Woohoo! In no time at all he will realize how funny his wife really is. Do you know how many perfectly good jokes & witty responses I've wasted on him? So we wait 2 more weeks for a bit more healing & then try again. But the good thing is it worked so far. Yay!

Alrighty then, enjoy this wonderful Autumn weather. Take some pictures of the changing colors, bake some pumpkin bread, light a fire at night & cuddle up watching movies. And remember,

Go Wong

Busy, busy, busy

But never too busy to take a picture with my boys. And who is the photographer behind this lens? My very own Kieran. He has taken an interest in the camera & check this out, no cropping or anything. He did this all by himself. I'm impresed. But not to be outdone...

Jamie got in on the action too. I am so loving that they are interested in what I do when I leave them for the weekends. And this weekend was a long one. Spent all day Sunday helping with the store move & yesterday at a loooooong shoot in Clayton. I am definitely feeling my age. Or maybe it's because I'm out of shape. But I'm on the road to skinny again. OK, let's not go crazy here, at least less chubby. I've been hitting the Bowflex a few times a week & walking more. It makes a difference but it's slow going.

That's my girl Nancie & Miss Mallory. Very excited for Mal because she is off to start a new adventure in her young life. She is leaving us to continue her education at UC Davis. Ah, to be young again. We had a great little party for her & gave her a big send off. Luckily she won't be too far away so we will see her still but it's not like it was. Such a smarty girl!! The party was awesome & our pal Wendy taught everyone this very cute project that her & Nance created. Those crafty girls!

Haven't had a lot of time to crop since life is keeping me hopping. Between the kids, helping my dad with his business & work I am just wiped. But luckily the next few days will be mellow. Jim is going in for his surgery on Thursday & while I am sure everything will be fine, the whole 'surgery' thing is scary. But the end result will be so worth it. If you haven't heard, he's going to get the cochlear implant so we are very excited. Imagine being able to hear after 40+ years! The surgery has a 95% success rate (or so I'm told) & we are both anxious to get this done.

And we are literally counting the days until my brother gets home. If all goes well & there aren't any delays he should be home either the 1st or 2nd week of October. And we can't wait. He has been gone way too long & we will all breathe easier with him home & safe.

Last 2 pics for now. I love Jamie's glasses with the transitions lenses. They're cute & I love that they tint when he's outside because his eyes are a little sensitive. And Kie found Uncle Beto's old Army Ranger hat in the garage & I got some beautiful pictures of him. Can't wait to show them to my brother.

Have a wonderful week & God willing, I will blog more!!!

Kieran 2 Kindergarten 4

So school started last week. And of course, Kieran decided he didn't want to go. Needless to say, the last week has been very exhausting. First day, I stayed at the school for over an hour before I snuck out. Then 20 minutes later the assistan principal called & had Kie in his office crying. Picked him up, brought him him, everyone had a long talk with him about how fun school is, etc. Next day, he is not going to school. End up having a one on one meeting with the assistant principal & then is wonderful kindergarten teacher. That woman is a saint. I have spent the first hour of school with her everyday & I honestly don't know how she handles 20 kids at a time. I have a hard enough time with my 4. But she is just the cutest thing. Looks just like Reese Witherspoon, whom I love, so that made leaving him there easier. So today, FINALLY, he went to school & tells me, Mom, you don't have to stay with me today. I'll be ok with my friends.' And the clouds parted, the angels sang & all was right in my world. My little man is growing up. And while one part of me is happy, another part is sad because he is growing so darn fast. But lucky me, I have one more!!

So I have been the creative fool the last few weeks & I feel soooo good to finally be back in the swing of things. This lovely thing was a huge cork board we had at our old place. Jim, of course, was like, throw it away. But oh no momma, I looked at that & thought PROJECT! After staring at it sitting in my room for 4 months I pulled it out last weekend while we watched a movie, grabbed my bag of scrap paper (ok, not bag, BOX) & started adhering. Piece after piece & two hours later this was the result. Looks like a quilt but add some pics of my favorite people and..

I just love the heck out of it. Plus I was able to fit a bunch of pictures on it so that made it even better. THEN I finally got on the acrylic bandwagon & created some goodies. I'll post them at the end but I have to say, I am loving it.

So the kidlets are in school & finally life is calming down. Crossing my fingers this keeps up because I could so use a break from hectic! Have a great week!

I'm on Fire

Not literally, but creatively. It's been months since I actually didn't have to scraplift something but I am finally being more creative on my own. WHEW! Like writer's block, scrapper's block can be a scary thing. You have hundreds of dollars worth of scrapbook stuff sitting there looking at you yelling, USE ME!!! And you're looking back going, HUH? So I finally decided I have sucked long enough (Get your mind out of the gutter), put the pen (or in this case, rub-on, sticker, ink) to paper.

And since I was feeling creative, why not make the kids create too? We put up the table & they painted some little wooden trays & had a lot of fun choosing which paints to use. Jamie opted to ride his bike in the driveway. So proud of him & how well he's doing.

So 1 more day until school & now Kieran is pulling the 'I'm not going to school' bit. I am so not looking forward to Tuesday. I can see it now: me being the awful mother dragging my kicking & screaming son to kindergarten. I'm sure the teacher is going to LOVE that. Hey, in the next few years, Gavin will have a reputation to uphold. He will be one of those 'wild McIntyre boys'. Which explains this picture:

This kid turns everything into a gun. His Mickey Mouse Lightsaber, a toilet paper roll, anything. Then the other day he points to the Army sticker on our refrigerator & says, 'What's that say Mom?' and I say, 'It says Army'. And he says, 'Oh. I wanna be in the Army like Uncle Beto.' So maybe we'll have another military man in the family. Or a police officer. As long as he's not out whacking people for the Sopranos I'll be happy. But the more I watch him, the more convinced I am that he'll be a performer. Tonight while Jim & I were watching a movie he kept trying to get Jim's attention by dancing in front of him & Jim wasn't paying attention. So he climbs onto the table next to the TV & really starts dancing. We were cracking up.

So that's about it. Life's about the same, crazy, busy, hot. And anxious about the new school year ahead of us. How did I end up with a teenager in high school so quick? That's just not right. And guess what? 40 is right around the corner. What a year I'm having! Have a great week!

Ick, yuck, gag, Blah

What a C r a p p y week I had! You know the saying, when it rains it pours? Well it was a freakin' flood here. My washing machine broke, the brakes on the Jetta went out (thank God not when I was driving) & it was just an all around overwhelming week of EW. So here's hoping this week will be better. Once good thing is Jim is a whiz at fixing stuff so he saved us about $500 by fixing everything himself. What would I do without him?

But then on Saturday things started looking up. I went out to my mailbox & found this little beauty in there. Can I just say, the mailman in Brentwood kicks ass compared to the hobos they had delivering mail in Pittsburg. I mean seriously, why did I not get my mail until 4 or 5pm in Pittsburg & get it by noon in Brentwood??

I've only read the first page but the boys started going nuts & I really want to absorb every last bit of the final installment of this series. I am soooooo sad it's the last one but I did get a little ray of hope when J.K. Rowling's publicist hinted that it may not be the last one afterall. One can only hope. But then again, you saw what happened to The Sopranos. And that's a whole other can of worms I can't even begin to open.

So it's the last week of Summer vacation. Kids start school next week & while Jamie & Kieran are excited, Vinnie & I are not. Vinnie, of course, is complaining that his Summer was too short. And I am just sooooo not ready for Kieran to start school yet. I can't believe he is already starting school & I am being the overprotective, clingy mom & just dying for an excuse to keep him home. Horrible huh? But I will do the right thing & take my baby to school & know he will shine like he always does at home. It will be a new adventure for all of us & I am excited to see how much this new world will change my boy.

We did manage to make it to the Cornfest last weekend. Yee-frickin-haw. It was blazing hot & being the paranoid mother I am, I didn't trust the rinky-dink carnival rides enough to put the kids on. But we did manage to get some pictures of me with the kids. Vinnie opted out. Country livin' ain't for him.

And this is how excited Gavin is about being the last kid at home with me.

Aren't I the luckiest mommy in the world? You know I am. Have a great week!

Weapon of Choice

So at 4:30am Saturday morning, the smoke alarm goes off. Just for a few seconds but nonetheless, I get up to inspect the house. Walk to the hallway, smell no smoke whatsoever. So me being paranoid, I go wake up Jim (who would rather let me get attacked than him so he complains about being woken up) and we head downstairs. But what if there's someone down there waiting for us to come down? So what do I do? I grab the closest weapon I can find.

That's right. The Wiggles guitar. Not only is it heavy, but used correctly I can beat the crap of you but actually do it to the beat of 'Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy'. Jim looks at me like, what the hell are you going to do with that? I was like, 'Hey, if someone's down there, they're going to get the ass whoopin' off a lifetime and imagine that story on the news: Man (or woman) gets beaten down by crazy mother with a Wiggles guitar'. That person will NEVER be able to show their face in public again.' Yes, I am crazy. But I'm protecting my family so that makes it ok right?

So, obviously, no fire. No intruder. Just a 6 foot tall redneck in his Fruit of the Looms & a crazy mom holding a Wiggles guitar. After our little adventure, we went back to sleep for a bit & then went to the Remember When grand re-opening. They have a new owner & I know we are all praying the store will be better. It's a shame that scrapbook store owners are having such a hard time keeping their stores afloat nowadays. Damn big box stores. Cuz you know a Target will never be as cute as a personally owned & decorated scrapbook store. Speaking of, have you seen the new store in Texas?

Here's the link to their blog: http://tracykeith.typepad.com/tracy_keith/ I'm sure everyone has seen it by now. Big thanks to Miss Corinne for the hook up. This store looks amazing & really, is Houston THAT far away? I think not. I am DYING for that frame on the wall. Beeaaaauuutiful. Anyway, hope they are successful. And we need more of these out this way.

After the visit to RW we headed to the Concannon Vineyards in Livermore for the Sports Section picnic. Lots of fun & who knew there was such a beautiful vineyard smack dab in the middle of Livermore? Of course, that's not the only one, there are several. Apparently Livermore is becoming the new wine country. Go figure. Luckily, we got a break from the heatwave so it was very nice out there. Here's some pics:

Helene wearing her Audrey Hepburn sunglasses & looking so cute. This girl is bubbly!

This is where we had lunch. It was really pretty with the grapevines growing over this & grapes hanging down. Definitely want to do this again with the girls.

Lucky me got to crop at Young Play in Tracy with Nancie, Wendy, Daniela & Diana (great getting to know her!). I am itching to get in there & do some creative stuff but it is so hard finding the time.

Last but not least, I found this on another blog (http://withsprinklesontop.blogspot.com/) & liked the idea so here it is. Don't what all this 'I've been tagged' stuff is because I'm still new to this blog thing but if you read this, PLEASE explain to my lamo-butt what 'tagged' is & also YOU'RE TAGGED. Fill this out & let us know about you ok?

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Bewitched of course. And please, enough with the, can you wiggle your nose? crap. I've heard it a million times & it just isn't funny anymore.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Last week when an old friend of mine called that I hadn't heard from in months.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Sometimes. Usually when I'm NOT scrapbooking my writing is fabulous. Then when I am scrapping it looks like crap.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH MEAT? Prosciutto & hot coppa

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? 4 lovely, rambunctious, destructive boys

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Hella yeah. I'm helluv funny

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? On a daily basis. I would not be me if I weren't sarcastic. It's my charm

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yeppers

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Does the Great America bungee thing count? Did that twice & it was AWESOME.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CEREAL? Cocoa Puffs

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Depends on how tired I am. Mostly no

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? When I have to be I am

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM? Vanilla Gelato from Trader Joe's

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their eyes

15. RED OR PINK? RED

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My tummy.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Hanging out with my little brother

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? uh YEAH!

19. WHAT COLOUR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Charcoal shorts

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Egg salad sandwich & spicy Doritos. Breakfast of champions

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The kidlets playing & a movie called 'Chumscrubber' that is very weird

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE? Crimson

23. FAVOURITE SMELLS? Gavin's toes, Jim's cologne, vanilla & jasmine

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Vinnie

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I don't know this person, I stole it off of her blog.

26. FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Baseball GO YANKS!

27. HAIR COLOUR? Addison Red (Grey's Anatomy)

28. EYE COLOUR? Black like frying pans

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No

30. FAVOURITE FOOD? Italian

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy Endings

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? This crappy depressing Chumscrubber

33. WHAT COLOUR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? charcoal

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer

35. HUGS OR KISSES? A really good big hug & sweet butterfly kisses from my Gavin are the bestest

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Whoever isn't busy

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Whoever IS busy

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Expressions:Taking Extraordinary Photos for Your Scrapbooks & Memory Art

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I'm on my laptop so there's just this finger mouse thingy

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Law & Order

42. FAVOURITE SOUND? Gavin singing, Jamie laughing, Kieran talking to himself & Vinnie acting like a dork

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Old Beatles

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Washington DC loved it

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I take good pictures & I'm funny as heck

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Walnut Creek, California

47. WHAT SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU LIKE? Flying or being invisible whenever I want.

Yep, it's long but interesting ain't it? Kids are ready to kill me for taking so long so I'm off to jam on the Wiggles guitar. Rock on!

Back From Fantasyland!

And Tomorrowland, and all the other wondeful places in Disneyland. We had a blast & I can't wait to go back again. However, the next trip may be sans family because OMG these guys were a bunch of poopers! Vinnie complained about walking, Jamie was afraid of the rides that went through tunnels & Jim was just flat out impatient when I wanted to take pics. Don't get me wrong, the entire trip wasn't like that but enough for me to go, yeah, next time I'm coming solo. Kieran & Gavin were fine, adventurous & anxious to ride everything. I swear, if I put Gavin on a rollercoaster that kid would have loved it. Talk about no fear. Kieran had a blast but they were all a bit aprehensive about meeting the characters. Which, of course, left me to have to go up to everyone for autographs. Not that I complained, it gave me an excuse to act like a kid. But at Disneyland, do you really need an excuse to act like a kid? Vinnie is at that age where anything your mom does is embarassing. Which just made me want to embarass him more. I am beginning to hate this age. What happened to the kid who thought I was cool? I mean, I'm still cool, right? RIGHT??

So look at these little beauties. Ain't they somethin'? I was so thrilled to see them & their daddies. Everyone looked wonderful & happy. The twins are absolutely amazing & just so beautiful. Very rewarding to have been blessed to be a part of bringing them into the world.

The kids have been bugging me for like, a year, to take them on a bus. What is with the male fascination & transportation? So we got to kill two birds with one stone. Took a shuttle both days to Disneyland which made it a lot easier. Dropped us off right in front of the park & in front of the hotel so we didn't have to make the long trek back & forth. And when it says on a hotel website, '2 blocks from Disneyland' it isn't like 2 REGULAR blocks. It's like 2 bigass city blocks. The kids would have killed me if I made them walk. Notice Vinnie? Yeah, acting like he doesn't know who this crazy family is with all the boys or the lady with the red hair & the camera growing out of her face. This was the theme of the weekend.

I just love the giant letters between the parks. They make great props for pictures. And see how well I taught Jim? You can actually tell who the people are in the picture. When we first met & I would have him take pics I would look teeny tiny because he would stand a mile away to get the background. I learnt him good huh?? And yes, that is Vinnie on the far left.

This was the best traffic we experinced in LA. Of course, it was like 9pm so everyone was already home. Seriously, how do people live there & travel? OMG It was THE worst traffic I have ever seen. When Frank told me that it was bad after 5pm I thought, I've driven in SF traffic. How much worse could it be? Believe me, MUCH WORSE. Luckily the kids were so excited about going to Disneyland that they didn't complain about the traffic too much.

All in all, it was a great trip. Alas, my 5th trip to Disneyland and I STILL haven't ridden Pirates of the Caribbean. What's up with that? But I did get lucky and saw the one and only hottest man alive.......

He hasn't replaced my Patrick but every once in awhile you need a little dirty in your life.

Love Me Some Dollar Store

Hit the Dollar Store the other day & found these great glass frames. I was like, hmmmm I could do something with these. And oh my, was I right! I only bought 2 but you know I'm going back to buy like 20! Super simple to do & they worked great with rub-ons. It was a little difficult doing the rub-ons on the bottom curved part but the result was beautiful. Don't you just get that giddy feeling when you create something?

I also made a few altered clipboards for Jamie's teacher's.

They loved them & they came out soooo cute! I am starting to get out of my creative slump so that is good. Like writer's block, scrapper's block sucks!!

Thank God school is finally over! That drive over the hill everyday was killing me. I know the kids are grateful that they won't have to get up at 6am anymore. Between that & the 2 hour round-trip drive, they were hatin' me. And it's official, Vinnie is now a high schooler. Oh joy of joys. How is that possible? I mean, just yesterday this kid was hanging all over me because he adored me & now I have a moody 14 year old who thinks I'm a dork. And I'm not. Hey, you KNOW I'm funny. But I guess at 14, it's a rule that your parents can't be cool. And just think, I get to go through this moody crap 3 more times. Can you say CUERVO?? I'm sure by the time Gavin hits his teens I'll be headed to Betty Ford.

Next week we are finally heading to Disneyland. The kids are so excited & so are Jim & I. I can't wait to see the twins again. They are getting big & just absolutely beautiful. I can't believe it's already been over 3 months since they were born.

On a sad note, our friend, Michael, did not make it. Thank you for your prayers, they were much appreciated. He was a great guy & will be missed. And not to be depressing but on a side note, don't take life for granted. Mike was a healthy, young & vibrant man & in the blink of an eye he was taken from us. I wish we had one last chance to talk to him & tell him what he meant to us. So don't waste a moment. Tell your family & friends what they mean to you. Life is too short to let it pass us by & way to short to stay upset about trivial things. In the grand scheme of things, all that matters is that you love & are loved in return.

Prayers

Hey everyone. Just wanted to ask if you all could say some prayers for our good friend Michael Pugh. He suffered a severe brain anuerism last week & was taken off life support & we don't expect him to make it. He has been Jim's friend for a long time & is just a great guy. Please pray for a peaceful passing for him. Thanks.

On a happier note, we took the kids to the Brentwood Farmer's Market on Saturday & I have to say, it was the smallest farmer's market I've ever been to. I know Brentwood is small but with all the stuff I saw in the newspaper I expected more. Literally it was one block & about 10 booths & not one farmer from our area like I expected. After all, I drive by farms on my way to the boys' school everyday. But all of the booths there were from produce farms in Watsonville which is way the heck out by Santa Cruz. ANYWAY, I've taken to getting us out for a walk at least once a week now that the weather is nice. And walking around the neighborhood definitely gives you some insight into how your neighbors are. I thought this was hilarious:

Now I'm sure it was a joke but in Pittsburg, you would literally have to tell them not to take the tree. Haha! But we are enjoying our new environment a lot & so are the kids. There are so many parks around here but so far we've only been to 2.

Kids are gearing up for the end of the school year & our big trip to Disneyland. They are all so excited as am I. We are just hoping it won't be unbearably hot when we go.

Got to crop with Corinne & Nance on Friday which is always fun. However, we went to a place I prefer not to name specifically (sounds like December Den) & without fail, the freak of the week was there. God love her, but there is this one lady who is there usually on Friday nights & of course, she was there last Friday. She is one of those people who just does not shut up. She has to say every little thing that pops into her head & it goes on ALL FREAKIN' NIGHT. And for our added pleasure, she knows every single stinkin' song that comes on the radio. And has to sing it loudly for everyone. Don't know the words? Hell, she'll make 'em up. The sad thing is everyone feels the same way but doesn't have the heart to tell her to clam up. And she is completely clueless. What to do? With the variety of scrapbook stores dwindling, it's slim pickins when it comes to crop spots. Thank God I had Corinne & Nance there to ease the pain.

We let the boys ride their bikes in the driveway yesterday. We're both paranoid about taking them out for an actual ride until they're a little better at it so the driveway is it for now. Gavin loves putting all of his gear but will only sit on his bike but not ride. For a fearless kid he is awful cautious about riding his bike.

I just adore that little face. And that cut is fading fast thank God. Have a great week!

When It Rains, It Pours

Quite an eventful week in the McIntyre house. We will start with this:

Yep, those are stitches on that beautiful little face. Of course, people remind me that since I have boys I should be used to it by now. Maybe I should. After all, they've all had stitches at least once with the exception of Jamie. But nothing is easy about holding your baby (Yes, he's still my baby!) while someone stitches them up. This was no exception. Long story short, we all know my boys are wild. Crazy, rambunctiously WILD. So Kieran & Gavin were fighting over the computer last week when Gavin grabs this big car that Grandpa got him for his birthday. Holding it over his head, ready to launch it at his tormentor, Kieran takes defensive action & throws a plastic wastebasket at him. NOT GOOD. The minute he realizes he not only hurt Gavin but made him bleed, that kid made a beeline for his room & proceeded to wail for the next hour. All while I am trying to stop the bleeding, email Jim so he can meet me at the emergency room, & get them both into the car to go. I was in emergency mode, flying down the street trying the fastest way to get to the freeway. And really, out here, there is no such thing as fast way. A freakin' horse would have probably been faster. So here is the result of yet another McIntyre dispute. It's like the freakin' Hatfield's & McCoy's in this house. Except minus the shotguns. I mean, they are toddlers after all.

Next adventure is Jamie was kind enough to bring the flu home from school. Which is always such a joy. I mean, who doesn't like a good flu? Yeah. So far only Jamie & Gavin have gotten in so I am sending big prayers that no one else gets it. I have had enough blood, barf & (pardon me) diarrhea to last me a lifetime.

On a happy note, Jim went to get his CAT Scan yesterday in preperation for his surgery. We should be hearing from the surgeon sometime next week & scheduling the surgery for this summer. Very exciting though the thought of Jim getting a hole drilled in his head doesn't sound too thrilling to me.

Also, I managed to get 4, yes FOUR layouts done last weekend. Nancie, Corinne & I went to crop at the new & SOOOO not improved Stamper's Warehouse. One word: FREAKVILLE. Oh my, the girl working there was like Lurch from the Munster's (or was it the Adam's Family?). Barely said a word. And the people there were totally stuck up & just plain rude. Which, of course, made me seem even more loud & offensive than usual. Needless to say, we will not be going there again unless it is an extremely desperate situtaion. But I guess the icky environment made me creative so here's some of my stuff:

And I finally took the plunge & signed up for some photography classes at Wolf Camera. Don't know how useful they'll be but what can it hurt? Also, if you haven't heard, Big Picture Scrapbooking is offering their photography class online again. Registration starts on Monday, June 4th & the class is $150. The last one filled up fast so I'm thinking this one will too. If you want to check it out go to http://www.bigpicturescrapbooking.com/photo101.php

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!