Our Boys (and a little freebie)

I am finally getting around to scrapping all the fun we had while Juanita was in town. Interestingly enough, as many pictures as I have, it never seems to be enough. lol Despite that, I've managed to put together a couple of pages. Here's one of them:



I was really happy with how this one fell together, even though the GIMP screamed and kicked and fussed the whole way through. I guess it's time to upgrade. lol But I supposed I should have known; GIMP is notorious for not liking to make text on a path, which is one of the few complaints I have about this fantastic free program for scrapping.

Soooo... since it took so much trouble to make, I thought I'd share the little poem I made about our boys as a word art for anyone who liked it (it's the circular frame around the center photo). I have it at 4Shared for anyone who might be interested.

Ok, it's billing day at work, so back to the drawing board from my little break. Cheers!

Funny Faces

Funny Face
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

I think the only thing I could have added to this page were subtitles to each picture, like rawr! and yum! and grr! and hehehe! Joe had so much fun while my stepmom was visiting and while we went to New Orleans, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Mr. Personality showed all different kinds of faces in his pictures. :D I really had fun with this one. Actually, some of the elements I used in this layout were part of a prize I won. Yippee! I hardly ever win fun prizes. :) Lie Fhong of Ztampf! Digital is celebrating five years of digital designing in her SBG store, and she graciously shared a coupon with me that covered some of these beautiful papers and such. If you haven't checked her out, you should; she has some really amazing things to offer, and I drool over her store a lot (especially since my wish list there is far too long!).

I've been having a grand old time lately. Daniel (my husband) will actually stop me in the middle of my surfing and ask what I'm so happy about, since I'm humming as a type. Why? Because I've been working on a project I really enjoy with people I really like. I haven't really had one scrapbooking "home" on the internet lately, mainly because I hadn't really found one place that fit all my wishes. Mostly, it was just too many restraints. I was constantly afraid I was gonna step on someone's TOU or toes. But luckily, I got in touch with Linda, the lady who intro'd me to the world of scrapbooking forums. She has made a new home, and I have been honored to help her out with getting the board humming along like it should. Linda has a store there, and there are some beautiful things there, primarily high quality stock photos. But the big thing forming up right now is the forum. Linda let me know that she has been dreaming of having a truly open scrapbooking forum, where people can share their pages and products and enjoy swapping information. Well, it's a match made in heaven. I highly recommend you come visit us at The Digi Scrappers forum and check out what we're doing. I think it's gonna be the next big fun scrappy family!

Ok, I've gotta get going. Having dinner tonight with the in-laws; should be fun. :) I know I'll be taking some fun pics, and soon I'll be sharing some amazing finds I've gotten from Joe's camera. Yep, our son actually took some fascinating pictures, so I'm sure you'll be seeing a crazy little layout with a Joe's eye view. ;) Until next time, mes cheris!

With this ring

With this ring
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

One of my fav non-people photos from the wedding was this fantastic shot of the rings. Isn't it pretty? The furniture in the Dove House was so lovely, it really just made this photo happen.

I went to New Orleans this last weekend with Joe & Jo Ann. We really had a blast! We were able to go to part of the reception for the wedding, so that was so fantastic. We also got to eat at some great restaurants and to explore the Aquarium. It was awesome! I promise I will be doing some pages with these pics, although we didn't get nearly enough pics. :)

Until next time!

Feelin' Fine

I've been very busy. And I'm very tired. And I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. But you know what? I feel fine! I'm so excited about Juanita (my stepmom extraordinaire) coming to visit, I don't know what to do with myself. And we're making the last steps of getting the house ready, getting the couch over there, rearranging the living room and such. So it'll be awesome!

Part of the reason I've been scrapping so much lately is that I'm enthusiastic about sharing what I've done with her. She is, after all, the person who introduced me to paper scrapping. I loved the idea, but I didn't have the money available to commit to doing it by myself. So, when I found out about digiscrapping, it was a match made in heaven. I even get to learn new software all the time. That keeps me from getting bored. ;) And I know she'll enjoy getting to see some of the new stuff I've done. I'll have to save my new kits on a cd for her.

Speaking of which, I did a layout with my new mini kit to go with it on the challenge. :) See what you think!



I had a lot of fun with this one. For one thing, I fell in love with this paper once I made it. And I was proud to learn several new things while I did it. :D That's really the reason I enjoy doing a mini every once in a while; it stretches my wings a bit. And the turtle was so cute for the "frame" for my little man. I really liked the idea of doing it as something boyish. Makes me smile.

I've also done another layout for a different challenge on Scraps with a Mouse, which I must say is a fun place to be. I know that I need to branch out and spend time in different places so I can get more views and ideas, but I get so caught in spending time with the people I enjoy. :) Anyway, back to the layout. It was from pictures from the reception after our wedding. Things were coming to a close, and we were opening gifts. But by this time, we were so tired and goofy, it was a minor miracle that we stayed serious enough to do what we should. So I loved how funny we looked here.



I know that I'm not going to be able to do nearly as many layouts after my stepmom gets here, mainly because I want to spend every moment I can enjoying spending time with her. But don't worry, I'll be back. Now that I found my mojo again (or my mojo found me, if you will), you won't be able to keep me down for long. ;)

Love to you all!

Challenge: Mini Kit

So there is a challenge going on at Scraps With a Mouse, where a color palette is given and you can make a mini kit or a layout with those colors. So, it's been a while, so I made a mini.



So, if you like it, feel free to run by and grab it. :) Hope you enjoy!

Getting closer...

Bridal photos
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

... to the wedding march (which had nothing to do with Lohengrin, thank heavens!). I really loved all the photos Josiah took of me in my wedding gown, and it was really quite a surprise, because we actually suggested to him that the light in that window might be really nice for photos. :) Of course, the Dove House was lovely all over the place for photographs, but this simple suggestion turned out to be quite fortuitous. It was especially lovely with the colors; I saw the originals in his camera right after he took them, and I can attest that there was little or no retouching for colors needed for any of them. Just happens that way sometimes.

Joe now has a new hobby; he is absolutely fascinated with all things cat. He constantly says "kitty" and will make meow noises non-stop to any audience that seems halfway interested. So, when Mommy turns on her computer, the first request is always for kitty videos. Yes, kitty videos. I now have a favorite list on youtube just of cats. Go figure. I find it particularly amusing since Daniel and his family in general tend to hate cats so much. We'll see how long this phase lasts.

Bonne nuit et belles reves, mes amis!

Veiling the Bride

Veiling the Bride
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

Ok, so I guess I got radical for a bit. I've gotten two layouts done in as many days. That hasn't happened in months. :) I'm happy that I've gotten it together that way, but I can tell it's been a while, because the process takes much longer than it used to. Guess my scrapping muscles are weak. lol

I am especially fond of this series of photos because they show Juanita pinning my veil into my hair. It was just such a sweet and special moment, and I was so glad that it was captured so well. I'm finding that, when I sit back and take a look, it feels like it was a different woman who lived that day, someone that looked a bit like me and was so happy. It's exciting to remember the incredible joy of that day.

The big boss man is coming in to town tomorrow to visit with the administrator here. I'm glad I have the day off; I won't have to sit and be polite and wonder what bombshell we'll have to swallow without cursing or acting too terribly upset. All the same, I have my day cut out for me; major house cleaning and clothes washing is in order. Yikes! Wish me luck! :)

Preparations

Preparations
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

I am soooo so proud of this layout. I've been working hard to take my time with things and work to make them something that I can be proud to share. Well, this one really stirs me. For one, I rarely (if ever) use black and white photos, but I thought it really fit the theme of this one. Then, I really lucked out in finding the "perfect" kit for this one (the collab freebie "Blossom of Ice" by designers at Digital Créa, one of my fav scrapping places to visit), and then, I saw a template challenge I couldn't resist! Unfortunately, that site has really strict rules about posting things that are not by their designers in their galleries, so I refrained from entering the challenge, but I really, really like the template. Plus, it was a fantastic opportunity to show off the happening photo skills of our fantastic photographer, Josiah Kennedy, who is not only quite talented but also a precocious business entrepreneur. He had not even graduated high school at this point in his career, and he was already funding his college tuition. Sweet! Besides that, I was rather proud of my subtle colors, including recoloring my own skin tone in one photo for contrast. In short, I spent a lot of time and effort on it. :)

In other news, employers are still balking, and Joe is doing more talking. If it weren't for watching my amazing son and his little personality mature, I'd be a bit bummed. Still, it has been nice to stay home more, even if other luxuries are mostly non-existent. We do what we must, and we hope that the fall will bring (with renewed business) more hours and better pay.

Ciao, bellisimi!

Carousel ride

Carousel ride
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

We went out of our comfort zones last night and visited the mall. This was mostly because Daniel's little sister Becca invited us for free haircuts (she works at the mall). So we toodled over with Joe and had fun. Joe got to ride the little kid trucks in front of Mastercuts, but Becca really wanted him to ride the carousel. He had so much fun with that, I had to make a layout with his ride. I recently read an article on steps to help make more realistic drop shadows (I wish I could remember where for linkage! Sorry!), and it really inspired me to try a few new things. This is the first time I've really felt like the shadows were dynamic, and it was definitely the first time I had fun with the shadow making. I've got a long way to go with experimenting and getting better, but I felt like this was way closer to what I'd like to see.

On the home front, things continue to be difficult, but we're getting by. Daniel is doing well with his second job. It makes good money, but it's seasonal and variable. Luckily, it's been kinder to us lately. As long as it can last a bit longer, we should make it to when things pick up at his "main" job. We're keeping our fingers crossed.

Blessings to all of you wonderful people. Ciao for now!

It's All in the Details

It's All in the Details
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

I've been thinking a lot lately. Sometimes, that's a good thing. And sometimes, thinking gets in the way of living and being. I did a bit of both types of thinking. Thankfully, I'm moving towards more of the good kind. Things are getting better. Not on the money front, but in my attitude and the way I handle things. Grace, as I've been reminded, grace when the unexpected happens. I'm not usually the most graceful person on the planet, but I'm getting a bit of it.

In honor of learning more about taking life gracefully, I've made a commitment to work more on my wedding album. It will mean so much to me when I have completed it. And not just slapping pages together to say yeah, I used that picture, or yeah, I journaled that detail. Putting it together so that the things I really want to remember and pass on are there.

I had difficulty doing that with this page. I wanted so badly to have it on record that Daniel said over and over to tell him where to show up and when, and he'd be there. Or that Juanita personally wrapped together my bouquet for luck. Or that Jo Ann picked out shoes and jewelry for my bridesmaids. And finally, I realized I would never be able to coherently journal so much and make it the central focus of a page. So it dawned on me; why not make it the background of the page? I hope that the title invites one to look more closely and see all of the loving detail that went into my wedding planning experience. It really all meant a lot to me. And it means a lot to me that I've now recorded it.

I'm thinking that I'm going to have to use this particular kit again and again in this album. It's the June designer collab for the site Scraptaboutic. Awesome stuff, and it's perfect for my colors. Way to pick 'em! I just can't get over how amazing some of the artists are online. It boggles my mind that they can create such wonderful things.While I may know (in theory) how to make things for kits (because I'm too curious to let things like that alone! lol), I don't have the time and patience these people have. It gives me so much pleasure to see and use their resources.

Ok, enough gushing for one evening. I guess I'll have to let everyone go, now that this storm is coming into the area. Stay cool, everyone.

wanna play?

wanna play?
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

When I got done with this page, I felt like I had to take a step back and breathe.... Mmmmm.... aaaah! The title of it was such a reminder for me. I haven't really felt up to playing a lot lately. I've done a lot of whining and wallowing and bemoaning instead.

Of course, that doesn't help my several situations. Sure, Daniel and I have both been cut back on hours. Sure, Joe isn't able to go to his beloved daycare as often any more (although they were gracious enough to save his spot for him without extra charges). Sure, we're gonna be out of health insurance at the end of the month (it'd cost close to $1200 a month to keep carrying it through COBRA). Sure, even though I've been looking, I have yet to find another job (or even a good nibble). I've been putting things out of my life right and left trying to get rid of all this negativity, so what have I been making room for?

I don't have the answer to that question. And I know lots of other people less fortunate than I have been asking and failing to receive an answer as well. I don't want to be that broke, miserable, needy woman who can't provide what she and her family needs. But who said that I had to be miserable? Who said the challenges I face are insurmountable? I may have to give up a lot, but I don't have to give up certain necessities. Love. Laughter. Joy. Peace. Patience. Understanding. Sympathy. And when "realism" becomes a chain of self-hate and anguish, I have to step back, turn my head, and wonder... just how "real" is it?

I hope everyone has a "really" good day, no matter what their circumstances bring.

Been awhile

I know it's been a while since I've communicated on my blog, and for that, I must apologize. Truly, getting used to the way things are changing in my life right now has been a full-time job in itself, not to mention going on vacation and dealing with my husband and son. Plus, I've made finding help for myself a real priority lately, especially now since I have a better idea of what I'm facing. So here's the recent lowdown, for anyone who would like to know.

First, my greatest concern at this moment is my wonderful friend and godmother to my son, Jo Ann. She is facing a partial hysterectomy today. I doubt she's out of surgery yet, but I'm sure they're pretty close to done. Please keep her trials and upcoming recovery in your thoughts, if you are so inclined. It would mean a great deal to me.

Second, I did survive the Creekmore family reunion. :D Actually, we all had a blast. There are always minor bumps when it comes to that trip, but we weren't even closely related to the major family drama of this year, which included a bitter ex-wife with a restraining order coming to cause trouble. Luckily, the police could take care of that, so I feel like we got off rather lightly. This time. :P

Third, I have started using the FLY Lady method of home blessing as my template for getting my home under control. I've only been a FLY baby for a couple weeks, and I've only really been FLYing for a few days. But I feel like things are coming together miraculously. Do I still have dirt on my floor? Yes. Do I still have CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)? A definite yes. But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. And for anyone who really knows me, you know what a miracle THAT is. lol

Fourth but not least, I am getting edumucated on SPD far more than I had envisioned. I believe I mentioned before reading about it. Well, reading someone else's book and getting to ask your own questions are two completely different worlds. I would like to thank Dan (aka D1g1t) for starting up the boards at SPD International. I started posting there a couple days ago, and already I feel validation and hope about issues that have plagued me my whole life that I never before felt or even dreamed. Have you ever held your fist so tightly that it shakes, and you feel such exhaustion and relief when you let it go? I feel like I've been holding that fist my whole life, and the letting go I'm getting now is indescribable. (If you're actually curious about SPD and sensory defensiveness, his web page also has a wiki called the Sensopedia that has some basic descriptions that are clear and concise.)

As for other stuff, I finally broke my scrapping anorexia and joined in a Speed Scrap at My Life and Scrap, courtesy of my friend Jac. I'd post the pic here, but I haven't put it on Flickr yet, and I'm not a bandwidth thief. If you're interested, though, the page is here.

Thanks so much, everyone, for all your support. It really does mean a lot to me. I promise to keep up with my "me" time better from now on, including my blogging. ;) Dasvedanya, krasivi!

Ho hum

So, my son has been a bit, well, on the mucus-y side for the past couple of days. So it's no surprise that Mommy is starting to get that sticky, itchy feeling in the back of her throat. Ahem. I am *not* pleased, but I have to admit that I'm overdue for something. I haven't been sick in three months, and that's a personal victory for me. I haven't been this ridiculously well in two or three years. So, even though I'm not pleased with the advent of the post-nasal drip, I can't say it isn't time for it.

Unfortunately, I've been spending so much time on other things lately, it may seem like I've been hiding. I kind of have, really. Not because I don't want to be digi-scrapping or designing or hanging out with my buddies. I promise, I'm not planning on disappearing. It's just that I've learned something important recently. Those of you who have known me a little while know that I've struggled with depression and anxiety for years. Some of you may even know that this recent bout was basically kicked into high gear by a tornado that tumped over my family's trailer with all of us in it in April 2009. What you may not know is that I struggle with it daily on a level that makes it difficult to even get out of the house and drive to work. It's incredibly draining and very frustrating. It's also not helped very much by the drugs that I take. They take the edge off the panic, but they don't take it away.

Recently, I've been bouncing around and reading various blogs. I don't really have an agenda; I just read what interests me. And my interests have surprised me. One blogger posted that her son had just been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder, also known as SPD. I had never heard of that, so I started following links. And that led me to Tongginator Mama's blog (which I talked about in my previous post). Turns out, she's sensory defensive, and her daughter is sensory seeking. Gotta love how life hands you those curves sometimes. And the more I read, the more I realized that there were bells ringing in my lives.

Long story short (too late! lol), I got some books on SPD in adults. Right now, I'm reading "Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight: What to Do If You Are Sensory Defensive in an Overstimulating World" by Sharon Heller. And I tell you, it was very stressful reading it because it was like a rerun of the hardest times and things in my life. I have not been formally diagnosed, but there is not a doubt in my mind that this applies to me. And really, that is both a relief and a bit of a downer. A downer, because it's not something that can be fixed with a pill or something. This is something I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life. But it's a huge relief to know that I now have tools I can use to help. According to the "scale" the book employs, I'm listed somewhere between the moderate and severe rating of issues with SPD. But the great thing about that, is now I can explain it. Now I can tell people, yes, this really does hurt. Yes, I really do have a rational reason for this. Yes, there is a physical problem here. No, I'm not just being a wimp, or a crybaby, or pretending. I now have validation and a road to a better place. I can't really explain how much that helps.

In the meantime, it also gives me some hard questions to speculate upon. For instance, am I having such a hard time emotionally with losing weight (a big issue for me) because the weight has helped me to deal with SPD in the past? Since so many of my emotional problems are probably dependent on this, what is it going to feel like to be able to cope more capably? Am I ready for the responsibility that comes with actually being able to handle this thing, rather than have it as an excuse? It would be way too simple to just say, aw, poor me, no wonder I can't do this. But that's just a path I am unwilling to take. Can I keep it real?

When you make a decision...

I was just talking about this the other day, but I think Dewey makes the point much more clearly than I could.



So many times, it seems we want others to make our decisions. It seems like a safe way to do it; after all, you can blame the other person for bad ones. But, when one chooses to let someone else make a decision, one is still making a decision. A few years back, a man asked to take the rap for an illegal decision his wife made, stating that, since he was the husband, he was responsible for her actions. Thankfully, the court nixed that notion. Our actions (or lack thereof) are our responsibility and ours alone.

I know, kind of a downer this early in the morning, but I've seen too many bad decisions blamed on other people, outside entities, influences "beyond our control," and so on to see the blame game and be happy about it. I'm particularly appalled by the blame game that went on during the senate committee hearing on the oil spill in the Gulf with BP, Halliburton, and whatever that other company's name is. TransUnion? (shakes head) It was frustrating and annoying to seeing the blame shifting going around the room, like a well-choreographed dance on a floor littered with nails. Unfortunately, every one of those nails will eventually be used to seal a major money coffer, and rightfully so. But how long before they manage to pin the miscreants to the wall to do it properly? Not nearly as long as it is taking for the oil slick to ruin lives and livelihoods. Do they think they know more than us, are better than us, or are they trying to sell us something? Sure, they think they know what to say and what not to say, they think their money makes them above the "little people" affected by the problem, and they're definitely trying to sell us a line of bull. I, for one, am not buying it.

To Love a Child

I've been reading rather widely lately, mostly blogs that interest me. I was fortunate enough to find this blog post today in my survey of goodies. And it just hit me right in the pit of my stomach.

I know that this article is about love for an adopted child, but what kills me, is thinking about all children, biological or adopted. What if we approached being parents to any children with this mindset? Or what about being spouses with this mindset? Or family members, or community members, or simply people in this world? What if?

So many people will quote the famous 2 Corinthians passage. So many will say that it is their favorite passage in the Bible. So many people know parts of it by heart. And yet, as the days pass, it sometimes seems to me that fewer and fewer truly look at this passage as a possibility, as a path, as a way to approach life. No matter the language, the creed, or the culture, one can find much wisdom in passages like these. And yet, as revered as it is, I have seen few people apply it to their lives the way this writer has done.

I know, none of this is anything new. And none of this is earth-shattering. Be kind. Look at things from the other perspective. Allow yourself to open to new ideas, new ways of seeing and knowing. Be true, not only in doing unto others, but also in not doing to others what you would not have others do to you. Being aware of consequences, and teaching those by example. None of this is new. But is it earth-shattering? Or perhaps, the better question is, could this be earth-shattering, if it were more common in our world?

How much do we change the world when we change the way we love a child?

Just for fun

I have a *slight* addiction to cheezburger humor sites. Yeah, I started with I Can Has Cheezburger. I love funny cats. But things like Failblog also amuse me. But then again, just about anything can amuse me, if I'm in an amusing mood.

I also have an owl addiction. I collect snowy owls, but I also love just about any kind of owl there is. There's something about the mystery that surrounds them. Besides that, they're just plain cute on many occasions. And yes, I loved owls long before they became popular. It's amusing to me that my younger obsessions are now fashionable. lol

So, combine these two thoughts, and voilá! You get this:


see more

And I now share it with you, because everyone needs to have a smile. Especially on a Thursday. Well, especially any old day. Smiles are nice all the time. :)

Oh, and the mourning dove chicks are sleeping in the nest at night and moving around during the day. So at least they're not on the ground near the nest most of the day anymore. There may be hope for them yet! :D

Wedding album!

Page 1 title
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

Ok, so I've been saying for a while that I would start an album about my and Daniel's wedding after I finished the baby's first year album. And I am finished with the scrapping part of the baby's album; it's the adding music and making it a video part that is stumping me at the moment. Not the process, the music I should use. I still haven't decided what to do with it! I mean, I wanted to do the music myself, but that's just not turning out to be practical. I guess I'll have to go back to using someone else's recording. I'd love to post the album on youtube, but I'll have to use songs that are allowable there. So I'll have to spend more time on that when I have a considerable amount of time to concentrate on that alone. Oi.

So, in the meantime, there's no reason at all I should wait any longer on starting my wedding album! Here's my first page. I know I should have credits, but I forgot to bring them when I got ready for uploading! :( I know, bad Sarah. Don't worry, I'll update it soon.

I did some experimenting first, though. I made my first blinkie! Yippee! I have it up there at the top of the sidebar. Cool, huh? I know it's a little thing, but I was kind of scared to tackle it. Oh, and credits all go to me, cuz I made every last element in it! That makes me particularly proud of myself. ;) Hope y'all like it!

Ok, guess I should get back to work. (sigh) Hope everyone has a lovely spring day!

Simple Thoughts for Today

Outside my window... an empty nest that once held dove chicks. They fledged yesterday afternoon.
I am thinking... that the breeze and the sound of the passing cars is soothing.
I am thankful for... the simple gesture of a hand clasp from my husband.
From the learning rooms... I must remember humility before I can release my frustration.
From the kitchen... pork chops on the grill, with veggies.
I am wearing... something comfortable and colorful.
I am creating... a new life, one day at a time.
I am going... to learn to enjoy the journey more.
I am reading... things that remind me that I am a gift from the divine to the world, just as each person is.
I am hoping... that I can avoid unnecessary conflict and not allow necessary conflict to cripple my dreams.
I am hearing... faint songs of mourning doves, passing cars, humming electricity.
Around the house... my flowers are beginning to open new buds.
One of my favorite things... is cheese.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Complete preparations for my mother-in-law's visit, make a blinkie for my blog, and maybe add to my new wedding album.

Meme courtesy of the simple woman's daybook.

I've been trying to encourage myself to blog more and journal more, so I thought this would be an appropriate way to begin. :) I enjoy the idea of simplifying my life. I actually have "grand" plans to continue to de-junk my life, but other things generally get in the way, whether they are more fun, less work, or are simply more easily available. I like this as a reminder.

Here's to all my friends having a simple day! :)

Fun in the Sun

Fun in the Sun
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

I was lucky enough to get the chance to win a copy of BrittBree's new kit, Spring Candy. How fun! I thought it only right that I share with everyone how cute this new kit is. I'm afraid I don't do it justice with my little layout, but as soon as I saw these elements, I fell in love. :) Very fun for a spring layout with the little ones in your life.

Today's been a strange day. I guess I'm not exactly feeling my best. Joe has been very mischievous, which is fun, but he hasn't liked being put in his pen for the number of times he's tried playing with the wires behind the television. He loves to pull plugs out and put them back in. Luckily, it hasn't been the dangerous cords, but we've had a time trying to convince him to come out and leave them alone. He's not terribly fond of being in his "box," which is what we call his playpen. Wish there was a way I could reason with him; I hate it when he's this upset.

Well, wish I had something exciting and interesting and fantastic to share, but I just don't. Which is probably a good thing; if every day was exciting, I'd have no need to blog. And I wouldn't want to miss out on that. lol Take care, everyone!

Meet Fred & George, or Struggling to Corral the Twins

Ok, so before everyone who knows me well has a heart attack, I'm not pregnant and I don't have twin children. lol But I do have some twins that everyone who knows me well knows about. And I've been struggling with them lately. You see, a relatively recent growth spurt has caused me to be unable to control them with the equipment I already owned. I know some that think that is a special blessing, but anyone who has personally faced the same problem knows that it's a real pain in the neck. So I've had to devote some special time and thought (and bucks) to helping take care of the problem.

You see, it's not that they're there. I mean, I've dealt with these two most of my life. The primary problem is that I've really never given much time to really getting a handle on the situation. You see, Fred is a bit smaller than George. Fred is a lot less trouble to corral. George, on the other hand, is always trying to escape or make things a bit more difficult. Unsightly, to say the least. I mean, I know everyone is lopsided, but this is ridiculous! And were you to just gaze at them, you might not notice. But giving them a close side-by-side comparison can definitely show the differences. And ever since I've had Joe, it's gotten worse. Maybe it's my own fault. I should have known that, once I had a new child, that it would be more difficult to keep other life issues under control. But the twins never really kick up much of a fuss on their own. It's all the other things that they affect that really shows the problems.

So, I had to chip in and get some new equipment for them. And boy, I knew I would have to change sizes of that equipment. So I tried several different models. And the model I ended up with was... a bit of a surprise. Perhaps a bit too personal to share online, but the twins needed a 42 DDD for their comfort! That can translate to 42 F, for those who are curious. Thus the new nickname of Fred for the twin on my left. But George is still causing difficulties! So, while the new solution is indeed an upgrade (in more ways than one!), I'm afraid that the next piece of equipment bought will have to be a whopping 42 G. (Thus the new nickname of George.) Sure, Fred will have a little extra space. Somehow, I think that's not going to be a problem. Maybe Fred deserves a little extra attention after all these years of George being the problem twin.

For the curious, here is the new equipment I acquired:



(grin) Y'all have fun now, you hear?