Bad Times and Extreme Hair Cuts

My kids came down with the flu... or what I'm assuming was the flu... (I was reminded by the doc that they were never diagnosed... guess I just came to that conclusion based on the fact that they were throwing up all over the place and crying and coughing and. well. it was coming out of everywhere. but. maybe the doc is right. maybe it wasn't the "flu.") I got sick too. It was no picnic. (It is impossibly difficult to take care of two kids plus a 3 month old when you are that ill.) Luckily the kids are bouncing back well after a couple of rough nights and the baby has managed to avoid more than a cough (knock on wood, it would break my heart if he got this.) My biggest challenge has been keeping the house decontaminated and keeping the kids out of the babies face. No small feat, let me tell you. They are constantly up in his grill.

So today I spent all day cleaning and trying to ignore my aching bones and queasy tummy. There is something about the flu that makes me want to scrub every square inch of our house at the first sign that it might be over. Hopefully all will be well by the weekend. We were planning on going somewhere fun with the kids. Now I'm just thinking staying here and holding down dinner sounds more realistic.

And because I can't just tell you all about our illness and then go on my not-so-merry way I will show you this.... A layout I made with before and afters from Nakiah's haircut...

 Pretty extreme, right?

Project Life 2012 Wrap Up: Part 1

I wrapped up my project life 2012 a couple of weeks ago and I thought I'd show you all how it turned out. But in an effort to not overwhelm you with tons of pages I figured I split it into two posts. 

 I used washi tape and gift tissue paper for the top of this side...

Aidan's bday week. I added the dates later....

  

Thanksgiving week required an insert....

Here's what it looks like behind the insert... included a little bracket I used during one of our epic ping-pong tournaments. Fun to remember the nicknames we gave everyone and who won.

Left side, back side of the insert... I kept lots of space for journaling....

 So that's it for now!

Growing

I'm trying to grow as a person. Not just physically (actually, if I think about it I'm trying to do the opposite of growing in trying to shrink, but you get what I mean) There are other areas where I am attempting to grow as well. One would be my skill set. I signed up to take the Maggie Holmes beginner photography class. It's not cheap, but I've wanted to take it for years and I felt like there was no time like the present. (especially since this is the last time she is doing it online)

I feel like there is a HUGE (uuuuuge!) learning curve when taking photos of your layouts. While I am lot closer than I was when I started this blog, I still have a looong way to go. Like for this layout...

I'm proud of it, and wanted to show it to you all... but I hesitated because the color is off and because the white patterned paper actually reads grey here it doesn't look as nice on the photograph as it does in person......

Hopefully taking the class and putting in some time to practice will pay off.  Learning to use my camera to it's full capacity was on my goal list for 2013. So glad I am attacking this list! Here is a photo Nakiah took after I adjusted the settings in an attempt to start practicing Maggie's first lesson...

Not bad, eh? I'm managing to complete two resolutions/goals in one. Photography upgrade and getting in the photo....... go, me! And now that I'm thinking about it I told you that my goals for this year were on the personal side... that's some bs. I'm gonna share them with you soon...... and give you my reasons.

Feets Don't Fail Me Now

In an effort to get rid of my pregnancy weight......... and then those extra 20 or so that I had on from before I even got pregnant (whoopsie doops) I've been eating right and exercising regularly. This means I'm back to running! And because I am a freak and must go balls to the wall at all times I pulled the trigger and signed up for a half marathon. at the end of March. in 12 weeks. with no fitness foundation. Sooooooo, that should be fun.

Up until the past couple of weeks I'd been feeling pretty bad about myself. This is a great solution. Races make me feel amazing, like I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. In the mean time I get into shape and am forced to balance training with real life activities. 

Here are some of happy runner me....

 So fast, I'm blurry! hahahahahahahahahahahaha

not. fast. at. all.

I look at these photos now and laugh. I never scrapped them or anything because I was disappointed in how fat I felt I looked. LAME! I WISH I was that "fat" now! Well, soon. Soon I will be only 20 lbs. overweight instead of......... like. 40. And not too long after that I won't be overweight at all! Time to kick butt, baby! Feets don't fail me now!

Note to Self: Stop being so hard on yourself! You suck!

Forever Changed

I want you to take a moment and go visit this blog post by Emilie from Pluckymomo. Now tell me that you aren't inspired, I dare you......

Getting in the picture with my kids has been on my mind for several months now. Not too long ago my sister sent me an article discussing this topic. It basically said that it's important to get in the photo... that your kids won't look back and see that your hair wasn't done, or that you hadn't put on any makeup, or that you could stand to lose a few pounds. They will cherish the photos because you are in them. The Mom they know and love. This made perfect sense to me.... so I told myself to make an effort. That I am part of my families story, the one that I'm so intent on capturing.

Then vanity sunk in. Sometimes I would think about handing the camera to Hottie and then quickly brush off the idea.... my hair wasn't washed, I felt fat, I had just been spit up on. again. When I looked back at the photos I took over Christmas there were something like 300+ that I snapped. 3 had me in them. THREE! And for those three I begrudgingly gave him the camera because having a photo of me with Dezi on his first Christmas came to mind... even then I remember thinking... "but I shouldn't because I'm still in pjs, and I wish I were skinnier.... and I look really tired."

That. Is. Bananas.

Then a few days ago I stumbled across the Pluckymomo blog post because someone I follow on Instagram posted a photo of herself with her kiddos with the hashtag #aleidaschallenge. I read the blog and began sobbing. The story hit so close to home. The reason I take zillions of photos of my family, friends, every day things, is to capture the moment. the memories. the feelings. and most importantly connections in our lives. To have something to look back on wether it be a week from now or 10 years.... to remember our lives together.

When it comes to my family I am all in on this concept. I see the kids interacting and I reach for the camera with lightening speed.... or the way Hottie is looking at our new edition and I think, oh how sweet, I have to get a photo of that. How can I just leave myself out of the equation? This woman knew  the importance of including herself. She knew deep down that her children would cherish these photos of her interacting with them... and she inspired, and continues to inspire, many Mother's to do the same thing.

Thanks to Aleida's challenge I walked away from my computer and took some of my favorite all time photos with my two kids who were home.....

I am making it my personal goal to take at least one photo with my kids each week. Regardless of how I feel about myself, or how I look, or how much spit up is covering my shirt (seriously. how much spit up can one baby produce?).... because although it is nice for them to read how much I love them on a layout, or my thoughts in project life..... now they can see it. proof. That's my Mom.... the way I remember her.

I am forever changed......... won't you join me? Use the hash tag #aleidaschallenge on Instagram.

Scrapbook Trends December 2012

Did you happen to pick up the December issue of Scrapbook Trends?

If you did then you might have seen this little guy in there, enjoying his Christmas coke....

Every year he gets a Coca-Cola on Christmas and his birthday (not sure why I'm so strict on caffeine, but it's always been this way). He looks forward to it SO much. It's a strange tradition, but it's ours and something I bet he won't forget. So happy that Scrapbook Trends decided to include this in their beautiful magazine. It's a joy to be published!

Happy New Year

Getting my spirits back up after being in the dumps all day yesterday. I took my sister and niece to the airport and was SO SAD that they had to leave. I didn't know I would be quite that sad! Wow do I miss having family close by.....

we had a great time during their visit though, so like Hottie says, I should focus on that.... he even said, "why don't you project life all the memories you guys made together, that will cheer you up." I kind of love that he thought about that.....

Here's my layout for 2013 goals/resolutions.

This year my goals are very specific and personal (& I wrote them on the journal card after I photographed the layout).... but really everything has to do with balance. If I were doing Ali Edwards' one little word project (which I still might, haven't decided) I would certainly pick "balance."... I struggle with this from year to year, so I really want to focus on getting a handle on that now...

Last year was the first time I did one of these and I actually found it served as a great reminder for me. I started with just five basic concepts since they were my first ever resolutions of any kind. ..... and I failed epically at one of them (so hard to get date nights in.)... but I only mildly failed at keeping the rest..... so there's that. :)

Isn't it crazy what a difference a year can make?! When I made the above layout at the end of 2011 I had NO idea what was in store for our family. A new baby. A move across country. Becoming a stay at home Mom. All of those things were just twinkles in my eye.... things I really wanted to happen at some point... someday. Now it's my reality. So strange. I wonder what kind of twinkles I can make happen this year.............. I'm gonna start with trying to make my butt smaller ;)

(ps- the whole "tunnel wishes" thing needs an explanation... I'll do that at some point. Suffice it to say I am a total weirdo with some strange superstitions.)