Balancing Bliss

looking like a fabulous weekend....

  yesterday it got sunny just in time to go to luci's "graduating preschool" picnic. it was fun and sad at the same time. her teacher, teacher assistant, and school director all retired this year. so blessed to have them in our families life before they did so. i asked mrs. johnson if she was going to cry the day before, and she said "oh no...it might hit me next fall when i don't come back to school" so here she came walking up and i gave her the present i made for each of them and she teared up! i told her "stop it you promised you were not going to do this" this went on with the other two also. someone made a quilt with their pics through the years on it. i was telling the director meredith, who i volunteer for every tuesday, goodbye and she went to say a casual goodbye when she realized we too would be leaving (to spokane) and she softly said "kate..have a good life" and that was all it took for me to bawl and have to load kids to leave. love those ladies.                                                                                                                                        
















































 today we are sitting around snacking and watching some of the best movies to watch over and over again like robin hood and a knights tale. they are now watching some pokemon crap so decided it was time to blog.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  


















we bought this for our kitties last week and it was so worth every bit of the $100 (okay okay, $125). we have wanted one for two years when we adopted our kitties. they love love love it. chaos and frantic would never come within 10ft of each and frenzy wouldn't come out of our room very often but now this is a daily sight in our home.                                                                 
    















and chya i have yet to learn how to rotate a pic. by the way...they changed my format at typepad last week with some new features which throws a girl like me. that may be the reason my pics are sometimes in various places with words sometimes in odd placements. and i have yet to be able to make the print any bigger than this itty bitty one i am now writing with.

so here is my bit of *goodness*

sunshine, bbq pork and hot tea, kids running in the grass giggling, a movie you can watch over and over again, oatmeal cookies with butterscotch chips, wearing a pair of capris you never thought you would again and being able to sit down in them while blogging  ;)

















and i want to apologize to my daddy (not that he would ever use a computer to read this) that was a Horrible pic of him yesterday. since he is single and all i would like to post a better one of him. if you know anyone for him...he is 60 drives one of his 2 mercedes around just for fun, loves to fish, would help anyone out that he could, is a sucker for his grandkids, and would be a sucker for anyone who would treat him good. his only downfalls are that he recently became a republican and he does not have a soft spot for pets of any kind really, but he does have this great daughter named kate i hear.

poppy and the thong.....

 isn't the title enough for you?? poppy is my 60 yr old dad by the way.

 soooo goes..........i left my dad in the van with the 3 kids so i could fill eli blus prescription, which my dad views as babysitting. when i return i can hear kids laughing like two cars away and see my dad in horror in the front seat. i immediately open the side door to hear the word "VAGINA" being yelled followed by uncontrolled laughter.

 what brought this on?? luci dropped a flip-flop and asked my dad to pick it up. he returned with "here's your thong" which in the 70's-80's we called them that. he is not a man of today if you know what i mean. they laughed and  told him it was NOT a thong. he told them he is right even when he is not and it WAS a thong. gaven (learning this from a commercial on during the day on a reg. station) said "no that is like girls underwear!" eli blu came back with "for their weiners??!!" gaven being all knowing as 8yr old punks can be let him know "thongs are for girls and vaginas" and this is where it went bad. luci started yelling "you said vagina". this may have gone on for several minutes before i made it back to the van.

 needless to say my dad was giving me the "i didn't know what a vagina was until ..well you know" talk. eeewww. and parents today share too much talk. what did he expect, saying thong over and over?? hehee

 so if you found this disturbing, sorry about that because i found it freakin' hilarious. my dad is still recovering.

windex therapy...

 went to the mall today while luci was in her last day of preschool to see about getting my wedding ring sized up to a larger size. you know amost 8yrs of marriage and 3 kids...reasonable to size up, yes? not according to the look of horror on the ladies faces behind the counter when i took it off. i'm sorry i didn't take it off, it was wedged on my chub of a finger and they helped me take it off with WINDEX.  not kidding. seriously? just wasn't expecting that. well it was cheaper to buy a small white gold band than to upsize mine, so i did just that. after i lose some lbs i will just use it as a thumb ring.

 remember the movie "my big fat greek wedding"? the brides dad used windex for everything? i am seriously considering it for the PINK EYE that eli blu woke up with. i heard him yelling "my eye won't open!!" from his bed this morning and i knew. i just knew. so he had to truck along with me this morning which would have been my last two hours of freedom this year without kids. he was very good and didn't touch anything. it helped to have his gameboy advance in his hands at all times. love that kid.

 made a couple layouts yesterday with luci. i will try to post them soon. might go scrap more since i have continuous pj days now that i am home with a sickie and i am certain it will spread throughout our home. we like to call it "the gunk". gaven hates it probably as much as i am freaked out about head lice (never had it..knock on wood) expect gav to be walking around with purell hand sanitizer after school.

 

for the love of a pj day

 even though we had quite a lazy weekend, it feels good to have a pj day. currently luci is on a mission to find a movie that has a witch, includes the color red, and is not any of the ones i have suggested. so knock your ass out little girl                                                              







 last night i just couldn't stand my hormonal little self and decided to make the pioneer womans chocolate pie. go to her site and check it out. it was all going well and when i got to the last egg, ummm something went wrong. see you beat each egg in for 5min. i did. impatient me did and i don't know what happened but mine has more of a marshmellowy consistency instead of a fluffy mousse like one. this is after being refrigerated all night.

















 didn't stop me from eating it though and it was yummy. i would be embarrassed if i had to serve it to anyone else but since i don't yummy.

 i took these over the sunny weekend
















 bouquet that luci gave me to marry the prince (brian)

i think he said yes. no really it was a fun time with our baby girl.
                             







and i got my new "hippie soap" in the mail yesterday. lovin it! seriously good yummy soap. i had to soak in a bath with some, it's lavender (my fav) and some kind tea. the toner is thyme and ? love that too. i am really trying to get back to my earthy little self. with that said  here is my *goodness* hippie soap, hot baths, yoga and art

ups and downs of a day.........

 a couple of days actually. after many of good days (manic) i hit a low yesterday and fizzled out. thats ok totally normal during my cycle. knew it was coming but still sucks.

 so my tattoo is almost a reality. i found who i want to do it. that was a hard part for me. so many bios say anti christ stuff and that is not the energy i want to feel for something that will be with my body for well like ever and ever. drew my tat on my arm the other night and when i woke up i thought it was real for a couple of seconds. so i know i am ready because for those couple of seconds i felt complete joy. as the camera goes...i found one with many extras and my dad gave me more than half of the money in exchange for my camera but i kinda had to choose camera or tattoo with my money. sucks. i am feelin the tattoo right now and i can always get a camera. soooo just putting up with some blurry photos and more practice ahead of me i guess, but my arm is going to be cute!!

 sunday i scrapped with my csi crew. (did you guys know you are the csi crew? sounded better than the anti debbie possey) we had fun. cut a little short but fun. i decided i am cropping all my christmas photos. i have never made a christmas spread. well back in the creative memories days but that so doesn't count. i laid out all of the christmas photos from 2000 until 2007. most of  the ones that tell the story....tree...classic santa toy..christmas morning..yada yada. then i picked 15 fav sketches and laid them on the pics i wanted to create a page with. just started workin on it when it was time to go. i have hope with tomorrow being P.J day and all that we (luci too) will get haulin on it. luci is crazy excited because i bought some glitter glue for her and she goes to bed and wakes up asking to scrapbook. what have i done?? hehehe

 so part of my good day. was that i finally got my jeans on that are of a smaller size. notice i did not elaborate on that size. over the old child bearing hips, and buttoned and zipped. yeah sure there was a muffin top but they are on and a good chance of sitting down in them also. i then did a yoga dvd so not in the jeans but comfy yoga pants. feeling good. hook up the new wii fit. first it does my BMI and lets me know i am obese then goes on to tell my estimated age is 37 years old, i am 32. and that is where my pms'in butt turned into oober bitch again. ready to call it pizza night and watch some playoffs. oh and i got a recipe off pioneer woman for a chocolate pie that looks like i must make and eat a large portion of. totally deserving around this time wouldn't ya think? bet i will get some comments on that.

 k well after that bitch i will leave with some *goodness*

 luci pretending to be my mother, yoga, new recipe, gaven coming home in a good mood, and ummm that may possibly be it.

 now i should go get luci out of the yard where she is having a picnic with various stuffed animals and we are expecting some thunder and lightening. betting the pizza will bring her inside.

rain rain go away....

  i know i know, i said i love some rain but i meant like one or two refreshing days not lose the sunshine completely! this has been the most ridiculous spring.

  so the "big" stuff that has been happening here in my life that i previously mentioned.....SLR cannon rebel. i have always documented my life through film even when i didn't know that is what i was doing. it has been my biggest passion in life that has followed me for years. (my family is of course my main passion now). so little over two years ago i took my birthday $ to the local camera store for a cannon rebel.many of my friends had bought the rebel when SLR digital came out and very few learned how to use it, so i decided that my life @ that moment was not ready for such a big step in a camera and got a step down cannon A620. as much as i have LOVED that camera, it is now time to move on for the following reasons;  my dad who has also loved photography can not find a camera with a swivel screen like my A620 and is willing to pay good money for mine, when taking a photography class for mothers day last year i understood alot until everyone in class got out their rebels and i was left in the dark,and the price has dropped nearly in half since then, and i AM ready for that much of a camera. soooooo i have the "go ahead" from brian to start looking and looking i HAVE been doing. i missed 2 on ebay one by 12cents and another by a penny.....so frustrating but just not meant to be. so if anyone has a rebel and it turned out to be just too much camera for them, let me know. i am willing to offer $450 for one that is in good condition with a good size memory card.

 





   the other is that i was SOOOOO close to getting my tattoo yesterday. the guy who i wanted to do it wasn't there. i just don't know where to go since my first 7 (8?) @ someones house that i knew. so going to a shop where you don't know them is intimidating. i am so ready to do this and have saved my b-day money for like 3months now. if anyone has someone to recommend, once again........let me know.








  lately i have just been so grateful for my friends and realize how much i am going to miss them. keirsten who knows my journey because we were in the same line when we signed up for this world(hehe), kyle who just understands me in ways i don't even have to use words for, sherri who lives half way across the country and nothing can change our friendship, michelle who gets my need for art,lisa who is my refuge from insanity but insanely funny at the same time, suzanne who knows my trials, all the women i get to scrap with who share my love and obsession and megan who is going to missed on a daily basis and i am sure i will suffer from withdrawls from our target trips and might just cry every time i have an icee and popcorn. i will also miss each  of my friends whether we  hang out, chat on the phone (that is one thing that can't change, spokane has phones too;) or just run into  one another in safeway every 3 months.

  here is a shout out to michelle who i have watched take leaps and bounds in her journey the past few weeks. i am so proud of you. you are strong and you can do this. one step at a time girly. and here is to getting your spirit back that no one will ever take from you again because you will guard it with your life from this day on. i love you.
 






  just wanted to say i have kept up with this new love in my life, my green smoothies. this one i left out a little more green.






  but i haven't forgotten my  first love,

















  and onto my *goodness* in my life to wrap up this novel of a post.
my husband who is a constant in my life and treats me like a queen, find the book (with cd) of puff the magic dragon, still crying when i read about little jackie not coming back, sniffle sniffle, life through a lens, being at a point in my life that i wake up to saturday mornings to little kids sneaking down the stairs to watch cartoons, flowers cut from my little porch garden and put in the cutest little vases, and scrapping with  a wonderful, non drama, funny group of chickies tomorrow!

goodness quickie

 so quick *goodness* in my life and then i will be on to blog with pics tomorrow because i have had a couple of good days with some kinda big stuff (for me) going on.

pj day wednesday was kind to me, brian making dinner, tooth fairy duties completed, finding luci's fav jeans on sale for $5.49  a pair,

being the mom who brought to cat to sharing for 19 3 yr old preschoolers, doing the previous with a smile, reconnecting with linda like we always do, dinner with my daddy, a husband who rarely tells me "NO", kyle coming over for greys night again (thanks chickie i love the time we have just being us "3 wheels and all")

beautiful day....

 loving the weather around here today. i know i am sick. i was just meant to be an oregonian. luckily when we move we will still be in the pacific nw. there is a breeze that is perfect for opening your windows, light rain here and there with sun peeking out. ahhh gorgeous.

 luci's class put colorful scarves in their hands before wrapping themselves up in sheer white fabric and then releasing into butterflies. they went outside next to release their butterflies (real ones they grew in the class). sure the one day i did not have a camera in my purse. it was kinda nice to just be in the moment though. since i didn't get a pic of that i will leave you with a pic of her this morning before school. remember she is a 4yr old girl who likes to dress herself in her own "fashion" as she puts it. sometimes she works it and other well not so much. today she definately got it.



















 i found this site www.greatday.com and actually made one of the videos my home page. the daily motivator is fabulous, totally worth stopping by now and then for a lift in your life. the videos are moving. here is a comment i read on one motivator that is going to be my new mission statement for the season.  ___How does it feel to be living your dream? Feel that way all of the time, and the dream comes bursting forth into the reality of your life______ ~Ralph Marston     good stuff huh?

 speaking of good stuff...i forgot to add my bits of goodness yesterday..here goes..*goodness*
        pancakes by scratch, pleasant handshakes, art, groceries, "bonnie" lunch, dinner that everyone ate, late evening chat with meg about plants and life out on the front porch.

 and todays *goodness* little girls and their natural beauty, tiny flower vases full of flowers "weeds" from my babes, walk around the block, voting!, beautiful weather, being in the moment, smores, green smoothies to follow up the smores(hehehe), tomorrow being pj day and nothing else to do but watch the NBA

full day...

  alot happening here today. just day to day stuff with kids and running a household. full is a blessing unless it's overwhelming but it wasn't. on the cusp at times but all in all just full. plus gav and i were getting along in the most enjoyable way so.. damn have to go with that now don't we?

the other day when we played in the backyard with the hose we accidentally flooded it a little too much. so that night the nightcrawlers (worms) came out everywhere. it brought me back to my childhood when we did that to catch them to go fishing. so i tried to reenact it for my kids and i have to say i don't know who enjoyed it more, me or the kids.





and my big boy got his hair cut. he now looks like my little boy i used to know when we got along much better, you know before they talk back.
love that kid. i will love him through anything, and i may just have to do that.                                                                                                                      

green smoothie update...

after i blogged i added some ice to the rest of the pitcher and i have to say... i would pay good money to drink this somewhere else. it is pretty yummy once cold. if you have it at room temp. it kinda taste like fresh mowed grass but once cold it's good. i offered one to my neighbor and she loved it but the true test is when gav's best friend adam asked his mom for some and he wanted more!

now off to clean the blender because i promised the kiddos some strawberry milkshakes. do you think i can throw some greens in?? oh yeah did i mention that i don't peel anything or slice it or anything? apples are seeds and all it's good protein and the berries are with the greens. the blender makes it really smoothe.........hence the name smoothie i guess.duh.

have a great sunday afternoon