Play ball!

Well baseball season is finally about to start & I can't wait. The smell of fresh cut grass, the crack of the bat hitting the ball. Getting up at the crack of dawn on a cold rainy day & dragging my butt out to the baseball fields. Oh joy of joys! But seriously, I do love baseball season & I lucked out this year. All of Vinnie's baseball games are in the afternoon so no freezing my butt off in the morning. And since he's playing for a different & better league, no muddy parking lots to trudge through! What more could a mom ask for?
I am totally in Spring cleaning mode. Tearing through the house & purging out all the junk we don't use or need. I can't wait for the rain to stop so I can hit that backyard & start getting it ready for bbq'ing! Woohoo!
On the home front, my brother is coming home at the end of April & we can't wait. Only for 9 days but we'll just be happy to have him back where he belongs even if it isn't for long. Gavin is starting to talk more & more. Mocking people mostly but it is so cute to hear him trying to speak. Of course, he's nailed down the essentials to being a McIntyre boy: he says 'Don't' and 'Stop' quite clearly. Kieran is showing a lot of interest in cooking now. He loves helping me make breakfast everyday & help me with the baking that I've taken to doing a couple of times of week. Maybe I have a future chef on my hands! Jamie is doing awesome in school & I still can't believe how different he looks with his glasses. He looks so much older! And Vinnie is gearing up to start his season this weekend. I am so glad he is enthusiastic about baseball this year. I think starting with this new league has made a huge difference. It is amazing what a difference it makes when people are organized & really care about the kids having fun & not whether they win or not.
It's been a few weeks since I've scrapbooked & I am so happy to say I will finally go crop with the gals this weekend. It's been too long & I have so much to do. I should be doing my first party within the next month & I am anxious & excited. Cross your fingers it goes well & I impress everyone!!! Have a great week!

I am in love

Yep, there he is. That's my new man. He's 39 years old & he's a surgeon. Super cute, super smart & charming as all hell. I know, I know, you're jealous. But I just got lucky. Ahhhhh, sweet love. So I'm hooked. I am totally loving Grey's Anatomy. How did I go a whole year & never catch this show? But I watched it a few weeks ago & now I can't wait for Sunday night. Life is good again.
Besides the new love of my life, things are about the norm. Kids are doing great & baseball season is about to start so all is well. I did my second shoot yesterday in Antioch. 1000 kids! I didn't personally shoot 1000 but I shot a lot of freakin' kids. Luckily the weather ended up being beautiful and it was nice to be outside.
I haven't scrapbooked in a couple of weeks & I am missing it big time but next weekend I finally get to hang with my gals again! It's been way too long & I can't wait to see everyone. Maybe I can get out of this slump & start creating again. Let's hope! Have a good week!!

Remembering....

Most of you know that I lost my son Gino to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) quite a few years ago. It's been 13 years today since we lost him & it is still something I live with everyday. I don't talk much about it because I know it makes some people uncomfortable but in honor of this anniversary, here are some reminders of what you can do to prevent SIDS:

At this time there is no known way to prevent SIDS in all cases, but there are steps parents and caregivers can take to reduce the risk of sudden infant death:
Place your baby to sleep on his or her back at nap and nighttime

Do not smoke while you are pregnant and don’t let anyone smoke around your baby after it’s born

Use a safety-approved crib with a firm, tight fitting mattress covered with only a sheet

Remove all soft, fluffy or loose bedding & toys (including blankets, soft or fluffy bumpers and positioners)

Use a wearable blanket to replace loose blankets in your baby’s crib

Do not put your baby to sleep on any soft surface (sofas, chairs, waterbeds, quilts, blankets, sheepskins, etc.)

Room sharing is safer than bed sharing

Do not dress your baby too warm for sleep; keep room temperature 68 - 72o F

Educate relatives, baby-sitters and other caregivers about these important safety tips

I am grateful that in the years since we lost Gino, the SIDS rate has been dramatically reduced since the SIDS Alliance released these safeguards to prevent incidents of SIDS. At the time that we lost him, while I did receive a pamphlet about SIDS when I left the hospital, it was not something that was widely discussed. In fact, when he was born, the hospital had him & Vincent sleeping on their tummies. It wasn't until about a year later when they were more dilligent about advising new parents of the safefuards to prevent SIDS. While it is not 100% foolproof, it does reduce the risk and gives parents a piece of mind when putting their baby to sleep. I pray for the day when there are no longer any SIDS deaths & we can all put our babies to bed & know they are safe from this. Have a great day & hug your kids!!

Must....stop....blogging!!

OK I admit it, I am a total blog freak. I check everyone's blogs everyday to see what awesome creative people are out there. And there are lots! So I was looking at a blog & found a link to ANOTHER blog where I saw this absolutely beautiful paper and the link, http://www.a2zessentials.com/products.shtml Absolutely amazing stuff and perfect for those summertime layouts. YUMMY!!
I am obsessed! I love checking the blogs everyday to see who has what up & I never cease to be amazed by other's creativity. My links are on the right if you want to check them out. But be warned: I started with only a couple of blogs in my favorites & now have over a dozen.
On the home front, life is moving right along. Vinnie is enjoying baseball after a 2 year break & I am getting used to practices several times a week. Jamie is doing fantastic at school & I am amazed everyday at his improvement. I love when I praise him & he always says, "I'm getting big huh Mom?" So freakin' cute. Kieran is turning into quite the little helper at home. He is always wanting to help in the kitchen when I'm cooking or baking. Future Emeril? One could only hope. And Gavin is turning into such a little performer. Jim & I have had the joy of getting our late night performance at about 9:30 every night. This kid is a live wire. Everyone is asleep but him & he comes bounding out of his room, dances in front of the television for about 10 mintues & then crashes. It's hilarious. Yes, I need to videotape this.
And the most exciting news of all: the anticipation of S N O W! We hope, we hope! Lord knows it's cold enough & the kids keep looking out the window anxiously waiting for that first flake to fall. Keep your fingers crossed!
Hope everyone is doing great. Snuggle up & stay warm!

I Love My Job

It was awesome & I can't wait til my shoot next weekend. It was crazy busy but I loved the fast pace because my day flew by. Before I knew it the day was over & we were packing up. My boss is super nice & so was everyone else. And I just loved the kids. Surprisingly, the little ones were the easiest to shoot. They were just so darn cute & eager to smile for the camera. It was the older ones I had to watch out for. Had several near misses with a baseball bat to the skull. And what is it with boys & spitting? Ew. Since I want to learn everything I just assisted today & it was a lot of fun. The only thing that sucked was being around all those kids made me miss mine a bunch but now I'm home & they are being animals because they're glad I'm here. Thus is the life of a mother.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Oh, and I need to reschedule that trip to SF for pics. Anyone in? Shoot me an email if you are. I am dying to go do that!!

Is it already March?

How did January & February fly by so fast? I can't believe it's already March. 3 months left of school & then Summer is upon us again. My favorite time of year. And it may be even better this year since I am actually getting my butt back in shape. Yes, I am still working out & actually really enjoy it. It's my time to just do something for me. Helps clear my head that is constantly full of what I need to do, what I have done & what I am trying not to do. That's a lot of crap rolling around in this head. Worked myself back up to running which I love. The only problem with the running is the boobs. Back in the old days when I used to run, they weren't the size they are now. Of course, back then, I weighed 50lbs. less. And hadn't had 5 kids. Now it's a matter of finding a sport bra that will hold the suckers in so I don't injure myself running. That, in itself, is a feat. They just don't make a good sports bra for a busty gal. And I am definitely busty.
Life is moving busily along as usual. I am very excited to be starting my new photography job on Saturday. My first shoot is in Morgan Hill at a baseball league's opening day. This is a nice gig I got hooked up with. Not only do I get to take pictures, I will have an assistant to help me out. I can't wait! Finally something that is right up my alley that will maybe get my butt moving in the photography field. And on that note, here's one of the last pics I took of my sweet Gavin before my camera crapped out. Now I'm back to my SLR & while I can't see my pictures immediately, I have to admit I love how much faster it is to take a picture. Plus I love the assurance that my pictures will be clear. Have a wondeful weekend & stay warm!

Ain't he something???

My camera is officially dead

Yep, it finally died for good. Damn HP piece of crap. But I have to admit, it took some great pictures while it lasted. So I am on the hunt for a new one.

Went cropping with the gals last night & was all prepared to post pics of the 4 layouts I did. Yes, FOUR! I haven't been that productive in ages. Guess it was the good company & good music. Love Stamper's!! All went well until it came time to leave & I realized I didn't have my keys. Nance & I looked everywhere & couldn't find them. Thank God I had one of those lock boxes with a spare key under the van. Even if you have Triple A it's a wise investment because what if you end up in an area with no phone reception? So I get home, tear through every bag & box I have & can't find the keys. Then realize I left them in the bathroom. At Stamper's. Where they belong right? So guess who's driving back out to Stamper's today?

In addition to the lockbox advice, here's another little nugget for those of you who store all your digital pics on your computer. Back them up on disc regularly. Our computer got the blackworm virus on Friday & it happened while I was in the process of burning all my pics onto CD's. Luckily I was able to save everything but imagine if I hadn't? I had over 1,000 pictures on my computer & I would have been devastated if I lost them. I had to completely restore my computer to it's original factory settings which meant I would have lost everything had I not saved them to disc. It's time consuming but definitely worth it. From now on I plan to burn my pictures onto CD's once a month just to be safe.

On that note, I am off to start my new job! Training today & I officially start taking pictures next Saturday. Can't wait! Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday & a great week!

This is the best

These are the moments I live for. When the kids are being absolutely adorable & such little characters. Gavin is such a happy & charismatic boy. He is showing his goofy side & I love it. He is definitely mine. Always out to get the laugh or make someone smile. It's the times like this when I am just so grateful that I have them. Grateful that everyday I get to wake up & see these little faces that we made, smiling up at me, hugging me or just content to rest their head on my shoulder (as Jamie is now while I type). It's when I see my 13 year old going to his first Valentine's Day dance that I realize how quickly the time passes & that makes me cherish every moment that much more.
I have worked out everyday this week & it is getting easier. I met a couple of people there who push me to keep going & even talked me into doing ab, arm & leg excercises. You know, those muscles you use everyday but they still manage to sag. What's up with that? All I gotta say is, I am soooo looking forward to pulling out that box of summer clothes!!
So my tidbit for the day: go hug your kids, snap a quick picture of them doing something cute or even just sitting there being quiet. And don't waste a moment because it's gonna fly by. Have a good one!

I'm going nuts

No, it's not the kids. They've been angels lately. Which makes me wonder if they're planning something....
So I've been working on this website & what a pain! I have everything done & all I need to do is add a picture to our 'About Us' page. Nothing big. Just a little tiny picture. Should be simple right? WRONG. This darn site keeps saying I'm exceeding my space & I've done everything from reduce the percentage to reducing the pixels (what the hell are pixels anyway?) and for the love of God nothing is working. I am spent. I am at the point where I'm thinking, who cares if the box says 'Your Photo Here'?? But see I made these really cute altered letters with our initials on them & I am dying to post them. But alas, the website gods are not cooperating so there is that stupid 'Your Photo Here' box staring me in the face saying, Put your damn photo here already!!! In the meantime, here is a picture of my creation. I'm quite proud of myself because it came out super cute.
Worked out last night & didn't feel like dying. Getting the swing of things & guess what? I must be doing something right because my rings are getting loose on my hand. Cool! Jim has been awesome with the support. And I feel good now that I'm seeing a difference. Now if I could just get a boob lift, life would be complete.
And just a little incentive to get creative: go check out Wendy's kit for March at http://www.wendygirldesigns.com/displayProductDocument.hg?productId=14&categoryId=8 Super cute stuff & a killer deal. Nancie said the paper is delicious & I can't wait to get ahold of it! Have a great day!

It's official!

Corinne & I have been tossing around the idea of starting a scrapbook party business & after a lot of discussion & work, we're in business! Check out our website, http://designingmemories.org/ , and let me know what you think. We both wanted something we could do from home that wouldn't take us away from our families too much & something we would enjoy. So we are going to be doing personalized scrapbook parties for children or adults. We are excited about our new venture & I am anxious to have our first gathering. We will probably do a test run soon to see how the party goes & get some input from the guests (You guys!) on how it is. Fun stuff!!
Tonight is my third workout night at the gym. I'll let you know how I do (cuz I know you're dying to know). If I don't post after this, you'll know I dropped dead. And so glad this is a short week. I got to spend some time with my friends (fun crop Nance & Corinne!) and my family. Just an all around nice weekend. I even got a chance to catch up with Lisa who I don't call as often as I should.
Alrighty ladies, enjoy your week & do something fun & creative for yourself.

Resolution #1 Started!

Like everyone, I resolved to start working out & get my butt back into shape this year. I started out slowly (if you call running slow) but lord, the first time I ran I thought I was going to have a stroke! But I kept plugging. For 2 weeks. Then decided I would rather die in a nice warm hospital bed than laying on the road waiting for someone to find me. So the other day I'm walking out of Safeway & lo & behold there's a neon pink flyer on their ad board for Ladies 30 Minute Workout. They want 50 people for a workout study & I get to work out FREE for 3 weeks. Not bad. So I go, sign up & started yesterday. Can I just say, there's a reason they call it '30 Minute Workout'? These women had me running from station to station using every machine you can think of to squeeze, push & force that fat out. You're supposed to make it around twice. I made it around once. Barely. But I am proud to say I actually had the nerve to go back today & I made it around twice! And I feel better than I did yesterday. So cross your fingers & pray to the weightloss gods that I can keep up this stamina. Mind you, I don't want to fit into a bikini but I would like to pull out all those cute pre-3 pregnancies summer clothes I have stockpiled away. The next question is: are you trying to get in shape? If you want a partner, let me know. I am down for walks in the morning or evening after Jim gets home (4:30) and I know I work out better when I have someone with me. Have a great day!!

I love Sundays!

It's usually the day after a crop & I still have the creative buzz going so I feel motivated to get some stuff done. Unfortunately, I haven't created anything today but I did find time to browse through a new scrapbooking magazine called 'Scrapbook Answers'. It's a neat magazine, not Creating Keepsakes, but a great selection of various articles from new techniques to photography tips & reviews on cameras & the latest products. There was also a good article on blogs & it gave the link to http://www.jennibowlin.com/ which led me to find a link to her website, http://www.jennibowlin.com/. And can I just say, OMG, she has a kit club & the kit for February looks amazing! I want it all! Go check out both sites, cool stuff.
Spent a nice Saturday evening cropping at Stamper's Warehouse with Miss Daniela. We missed Corinne & Nancie but we will schedule a day for all of us soon! As usual, I spent more than I intended to but it was all stuff I needed (NOT!). But can we ever have too much stuff?
So in the thick of all this creativity I decided that I am going to make a point of taking one photography field trip a month. It's been too long since I've taken pictures of anything besides my boys & it's time for me to get back into the swing of things. Want to join me? My first trip will be to the wonderful city of San Francisco on Sunday, March 5th. I'll be leaving around 9AM so if you want to join me, let me know. I know a few cool spots to get some great photos & I can't wait to get out there. I'll try to post the field trips as far in advance as possible & if you have any ideas for locations, throw 'em out there. I'd love to hear from you. Hope everyone has a wonderful & relaxing Sunday & enjoy your week!!

I was inspired!

After looking at all of those wonderful wall quotes at WonderfulGraffit.COM, I was inspired to finally finish the boys' room. We painted their room at the end of last summer in beautiful vintage Disney colors (thank you Home Depot!) and I had been trying to find something to add to liven it up. And here's the end result. The boys have been on a Disney kick for a few weeks, watching every Disney movie they have & of course, Jiminy Cricket got me going. I have always loved this song & I hope the lyrics inspire my boys to always go after their dreams.

And how about this wonderful weather we're having? I love it! Spring is here & my daffodils are in bloom again. I don't know I've managed to keep these beautiful flowers coming back because I have killed every plant I've ever grown (including a cactus!!) and yet every spring those daffodils come right back up. Maybe it's because they're my favorite flower but nonetheless, it perks me up to see their yellow cups poking out of the planter in front of my house. So my advice for the day: go out & enjoy this weather! Take a walk, go for a ride or just sit outside for a bit & breathe in that fresh California air. And enjoy yourself!!

My newest creation

I have been feeling so uncreative lately. So I was very satisfied with myself when I got this done in just a couple of hours. I had planned to hang it in our 'hall of fame' but I placed it on top of our fireplace because I just couldn't stop looking at it. It's an adorable picture I took of Jamie & Kieran for Christmas this last year & they look so sweet. And look Ma, no bruises!! For those of you who know me, my boys are a bunch of little rough necks. It is a rare day when they are not looking battered & bruised from playing or, God forbid, fighting. But they are my pride & joy & I just love looking at their happy little faces.

This is just the beginning....

So I've been perplexed by the number of people who now have blogs & after mulling it over I thought, why not me? I have an interesting life & Lord knows I have a lot to say. Why not share the infinite wisdom of Tab with the world? OK, so I am not incredibly wise but I do have a lot to say. Just ask my friends. They can't shut me up.On this fine January morning I had the pleasure of taking my 21 month old son to the doctor for his check-up and 3 shots. Home for a quick check of the email & a little housework & then I'm off & running again to pick up my 5 year old from school. And my husband thinks my life is easy. Men.So here's the plan: I'll try to make this fun & witty & maybe even post some creative stuff up. Here's a link you can check out: http://www.wonderfulgraffiti.com/ Amazing stuff. I snatched this link from Wendy's blog (for those of you who know her) and I am hooked. I can't wait to order these & put them on every wall in my house. Beautiful & exactly what my drab white walls need. That's it for now but if I get inspired later, I'll post it. Have a great day & enjoy this beautiful weather!

Kieran, Vincenzo, Gavin & Jamie