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!