Thursday, September 30, 2010

Overcoming PhotoshopAphobia

Between teaching the kids, doing the laundry, cooking the means, and keeping the house in order, I know we moms find it rather hard to squeeze in the time to learn something for ourselves. We're never to old to learn, though. This past few days I vowed to do just that! I wanted to build a background for my blog. I had finally got over what I like to call PhotoshopAphobia and built a really basic background image, but I wanted a little more bling so to speak. Next, I built my "signature" apple. Following that I worked on a header. These things have popped up one by one on my page, though I am sure you haven't noticed them as nothing has cued you in to visit my page without even one new post popping up. I've been so busy with photoshop that I have not made even one post.  I maybe got a little obsessive with trying to overcome my PhotoshopAphobia, when I should have been getting a little bloggy. who knows? I really, really wanted to fancy it up a bit, though.

Most of you veteran bloggers out there, probably have no problem throwing together a fancy background, but you really have no idea how overwhelmed I was with the program. I am usually up for learning new things, but just taking the time to sit down and do it was my problem. Every time I would get into it, something would interrupt the process which would leave me to learn nothing and have to start over again! and the tools... so many and not a clue what they were for! That was oh so fun! Finally, though I decided... I was going to do it.

I think I mentioned before I joined an online scrapping site. I did this in hopes to learn the basic of Photoshop Elements 8. This is the version I purchased months ago and would barely touch. Now, I am not afraid! lol!  I was pleased with the pointers and tips I got at the website, and of course joining the subscription gives me a monthly scrapbook kit and discounts to other kits on the website. I am hoping to use these kits to do something with the thousands upon thousands of pictures I have my Mac.  I did visit several other websites, too. Some helped and some didn't. I have an entire bookmark folder full of photoshop links still to check out.

I am open to new weblinks though, if anyone has any good ones to share.  Feel free to reply with these addys. I'd be ever so grateful. As I visit some of the sites I've already found, if any are exceptionally notable I'll throw them up here to help others.  And just as soon as I get another free moment, I'll tell you a little bit about how I designed my background, where I got my graphics (noting credit where credit is do for a couple of things), and I will explain a few things I made my self. Most things were trial and error, so I won't yet be able to tell you how I actually created things step by step, but that will come in due time.

The good news is, my daughter has taken an extreme interest in what I am doing, so that will be the fun part. We'll learn together. I will be posting some of the things she creates. I know she is dying to play around with the paper doll kit I purchased & downloaded from the site I joined. More on that and the site to come, too. Check back! Have a great day 'n God Bless!

apple initials

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Daughter of a King!

When the devil tries to make you feel like trailer park trash, proudly announce to that rascal... I am more than queen of this doublewide trailer; I am the daughter of a King! iLuv my Jesus!
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Saturday, September 25, 2010

Anyone Else Up?

Anyone else up at this crazy insane hour or is it just me? Sometimes I think I've lost my mind!  I was kicking back w/my daughter barely able to keep my eyes open. I got up, got a glass of water, and then was suddenly wide awake. Of course I saw this computer and thought... oh how nice to get on without the rest of the family awake to distract me... oh maybe I can try that blogging thing again! ;) mommy's, u know how it seems u never get a moment of peace 'n quiet! Well it's half past midnight here, and I finally got mine... and I can't think of a thing to write! So maybe I am awake, but my brain -- well, it is for sure asleep! shut down! zzzz mode! count'n sheep!  hmm... think I am going to go read a book! if I can process that! lol! Night all 'n God Bless!
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Friday, September 24, 2010

Jus' Trying 2 B Cre@tive!

I thought I'd get a little wild and crazy, here and create something AwEsome!... rofl! jk! Really, though... I wanted to try adding a signature image to auto-upload on my blog posts. If it works, I reckon I have to manually go back and add it to my other posts? idk. I think I need to add some space at the top of it, too... b/c I have to click return a few times before I can start typing. oh well... tips anyone? I'm new at this stuff and what little bit of html I used to know, I forgot. I guess it goes back to the old adage... if you don't lose it, you'll lose it.

apple initials
Just saw a sign iluv! Prayer... The original wireless connection!



apple initials

Thursday, September 23, 2010

I joined Bloggy Moms!

Okay... I did it! I joined Bloggy Moms. Just fair warning , though...

1. I'm not an an avid blogger. Maybe the addiction will come later, but I can't really seem to find a time that I can get on here 'n type, totally uninterrupted, 'n actually have organized thought... um... ppl w/kids definitely know what I mean! I am actually struggling to get a moment in to type this!

2. I don't always like to capitalize things. I tend to not capitalize the first word of a sentence and I tend to use a small "i" in the middle of a sentence when it should be "I"... 'n to be honest i really don't know how that started! except it was an accident-- i was lazy hitting the shift key when I was fb'n from my phone and it totally irritated my cousins husband! so i started doing it purposefully... (giggle)! now sometimes I just miss the shift out of habit.

3. I am not so good with spelling or maybe it is that I type so incredibly fast that I miss letters. idk, but be prepared to find typos... lots of em, too. 'n again, I do type crazy fast, so fair warning if you ever want to chat online. I can throw an entire book up on the screen before you get the last response I sent you read and it will seem like you are scrolling for eternity.

4. I don't necessarily like to use complete/correct sentence structure as I have a tendency to just throw out thoughts when I fb or blog... and well, my thoughts aren't edited with grammar check! :)

5. As you can see already, I tend to use "..." a lot! Well basically to explain this... it's just a pause! Either I paused and daydreamed a moment, paused for emphasis, or I ran out to rescue the bird from the cat! lol! btw... this has happened! That bird is so lucky to be alive! I am a hero! Why do ppl who own birds think they also should own cats???

6. I am a certified teacher with a BA & MA, and I did teach English as well as several other subjects. So you may find that one day I just so happen to slap up a blog that looks like a literary work of art. Not likely though! :) I did make an A in Advanced Comp in college, so just b/c I don't always conform to the conventions of writing while blogging... doesn't mean I am uneducated!  I enjoy writing, though I don't particularly like formal compositions.  Blogging makes life interesting... or should I say, it makes writing interesting.

7. My kids do crazy things sometimes... I may post something on here that you really wished I hadn't shared. For example... a very long time ago one of my kids dropped an apple in the toilet which completely clogged it up in the s-curve of the toilet (i am no plumber, so I know that's not what it's called but u get the idea)! At first no one would tell me what was blocking the toilet. I didn't think calling a plumber was of great importance after my oldest informed me that my youngest had dropped an apple in the toilet then flushed it. My dh was working off, and I thought... I can handle this. I got my dad to help me take that toilet up. I then got in there with an old knife, and I started cutting that apple apart while it was still up inside the toilet! Low and behold the apple started tumbling out piece by piece, and I was so proud I had conquered this without my man! lol! Little did I know that all the while I was dislodging the grand prize. See... my darling kids failed to inform me that one them had decided to do his/her business in the toilet before announcing the apple clogged the toilet . So atop my handful of apple, you can imagine what I discovered.  umm.... yep... it was most gross! but my dad laughed his head off! 'n so did my husband when I called him!

8. I love my kids, think they are awesome, but I am not afraid to get on to them. I believe in time-out, grounding, and spanking if necessary. I am not the foo-foo parent who will tell a kid something fifty times... "Now lil Johnny don't go in the street, now johnny I told you... don't go in the street, johnny ... get out of the street! Johnny do I have to tell you again... go to time out! Now johnny, get out of the street!!!" I live on a major highway, and I did once spank my lil one's bum all the way up the drive way! You can call it abuse if you want, but I call it love. I would much rather you foo-foo parents think I am abusive, than my going outside every day and staring at a spot on the hwy where an 18-wheeler tore through and made bits of my baby. Once is all it takes and your entire life to be shattered. Once was all it took with that spanking, too, and it wasn't detrimental to the lil guy or to our family! He never went out the gate again, and I've never regretted those spats on the bum!

9. I have attitude... I may vent a little from time to time...like when I am in town and I see people who allow their kids to scream and throw down at the store, and then buy them a toy to shut them up! Um... I think that is a reward for bad behavior! Isn't it?

10. Last but not least-- I will talk about God, post prayer requests, and share a scripture or two, or three. If my memory is good, or if I took notes... I may share an entire sermon with you if it really spoke to my heart.  iLuv to talk about God and all the good things He's done in my life!

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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Oh, yeah! Whoop! Whoop!

Ok... you can go right ahead and laugh at me, but I am as happy as a preschooler with her first finger-painting! lol! I have owned my copy of Photoshop Elements for a while now 'n had yet to create even one thing with it or even edit a photo.
I got inspired, I suppose (after noticing what fanciful designs some of the other bloggers have on their sites), and I decided I had to give it a try. I had already spent an hour online today just trying to find a book I could buy or a website of tips, but nothing caught my eye.
I did find an inexpensive digital scrapbook site that caught my interest, but it wasn't anything that could help me start with the basics unless I bought some tutorial software on the site.  I went into penny pinching mode 'n thought...I am going to figure this out somehow, someway!
I began! I couldn't exactly figure out how to open up what I wanted, then I opened things I didn't want, fumbled and bumbled with some of the tools, reset my toolbar, and so forth and so on. My frustration of clicking and having no clue how I messed things up did get me a little hot headed, but I finally finished my task! btw... I walked away from the computer for several hours & then came back when I was totally relaxed! It just came together! Start to finish it took me about an hour, where others it would probably take 10 mins, but hey, I am still happy with my new background for my blog! I don't think it is too terrible for someone who absolutely has no clue about PSE and doesn't even understand the purpose for some of the tools on it! lol!
Now my ten year old wants to create something! I told her let mommy figure it all out first. Sadly, I am afraid to let her go at it! Kids these days-- she'll get on here with no fear, slap something totally awesome on the screen in 10 mins flat, 'n have a masterpiece! and well... I am so not in the mood to look a fool! lol! I'll give it a week or so, and then she can show me up! :)

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Ok...I am starting to detest this.

I have downloaded and  uploaded I don't know how many blogger templates! I haven't found one I like yet. I am very close to putting it back to the basic template I found on this website b/c everything just keeps getting me fuzzed up. Either it loses something, moves it around, or completely distorts it. Grrr... so what to do? I have been sitting here for what seems like hours, and I have accomplished absolutely nothing. Not to mention the fact that I have used up most of my bandwidth. Oh YAY!

Friday, September 10, 2010

I'd Like to Order a Name Please

I can't help but laugh every time I think of this, so when I saw the retweet for NJBaby by NJFamilyMag for responses on how parents selected baby names, I knew I had to share. Twitter limits your post, so I figured...why not blog and then tweet it!

The name game is always a fun one. We already had two children and each of them had names linked to other relatives/loved ones. We were at a loss for names for this baby (boy or girl). Everyone offered ideas including the principal at the school where I was employed at the time as a teacher. During a faculty meeting a paper was passed around with several of our family members full names. A few of my co-workers, including the principal tried with no avail to come up with some suitable choices for our little one. The most normal name was for a girl. It was a combination of our son's middle name and our daughter's first name. Brian and Emilee became Brilee. We weren't feeling it, but it wasn't X'd off as of yet. Nothing excited us! Finally we gave up and thought we would just put more effort into it once we knew the gender of our baby.

That day was an interesting one to say the least! Of course we were excited to be finding out the gender of our baby, but we were still pretty nervous because early in the pregnancy the doc suspected twins for some reason and had mentioned it on various occasions. No scans ever spotted a twin, nor did we ever hear a 2nd heartbeat. We were sure we had dodged that one, and were so happy about it! Twins are most definitely the cutest things in the world, but we sure didn't' think that was a task we were ready to take on! Dads 'n Moms of multiple birth babies definitely have their hands full and kudos to them! I think they are awesome! I have cousins who are twins... and well, that would be a whole nother blog post in itself! lol!

So we get to the office, and wait our turn. Finally I get to go back to the 2nd waiting area and wait, and wait, and WAIT some more! I finally get my turn and the tech is freaking me out! She was all fidgety, so I was about to go off! By the time you sit there and wait for what seems to be an eternity holding your urine, you definitely think you will truly burst; you want the tech to get the entire process over with as quickly as possible.

In this case, the tech was in a talkative mood as she pressed and prodded all over my belly hitting! I was so loving that pressure on my bladder! I am a nice person, but I was very close to saying shut up and get on with it when she finally seemed to get serious and down to business. She then stops moving about and pops a huge smile on her face followed by the question of who was with me? I told her my husband was in the waiting room, but he was just fine there.

Since this was our third baby, there was not really anything new to be seen in my hubby's opinion.  He swears he can't focus on those crazy things, anyway! It's not real fun to stare intently at a blurry screen, and say "Oh I see her face!!" -- only to be smacked and told ... "dummy, that is her rump!" That of course is then followed by cackling from half the staff when it gets around the office! :)
So... he had opted to sit in the lobby for baby #3 and wait for me to come out and simply surprise him with the gender of our baby. The next thing I know the tech is insistent! She wanted him in the room and was overly joyed to run out and get him even though I tried to tell her it was completely unnecessary! Besides that would totally ruin my plan to freak him out and fib... they found twins! ha ha!

As the tech went off on her merry way, I sat there doing everything in my power not to pee on myself!
Then, it suddenly hits me... Oh no!!! Jokes on me; she has found that twin!

I am then in a panic... I can't be having twins! This baby was unexpected, unplanned, being born 4 years after our last one, my hubby was scheduled for the snip, I was using birth control and other forms of contraceptives... and...AND... OH NO!!! HURRY UP!!!! I THINK I AM GOING TO PEE!

I am wondering where in the world that tech is? and where is my husband? The pregnancy hormones are raging! I am freaking out! Just as I think I am going to pee all over the table, here they come waltzing through the door!
My husband looks absolutely clueless! I look absolutely petrified! And the tech... well, she needs the smile slapped off her face! lol! That would be those hormones again btw!

The tech points my husband to the other side of the table, grins from ear to ear, positions both hands on the monitor (one on each side), turns to us and says, "Are ya'll ready for this?!"
She spins the monitor around to reveal a VERY CLEAR, good sized ... no mistaking it... MALE PART!! lol!
The tech gingerly says, "I have never seen one this clear and pronounced before!"
I guess she thought my husband just had to be there! Are men seriously that proud when their offspring is well endowed? lol! My husband was like...whatever! He probably thought it was an elbow! ha ha! And... I am joking! It wasn't THAT pronounced to be mistaken for an elbow!

I suppose the tech expected to hear a gasp from each of us, but all she got out of me was a sigh of relief! I was so relieved, I almost relieved myself! lol! This was good! I was overjoyed! I had JUST ONE perfect baby with all ten fingers, all ten toes, and ummm... well... a penis! lol!

But back to the name...We had the gender, so the name had to be chosen! We couldn't bring a nameless baby into the world! :)

My dear husband took me out to eat after I had spent what seemed like 20 mins in the restroom relieving my bladder. Now, like any pregnant woman who sat in the doctor's office all morning, I was ready to eat! The other two children were with their grandparents, so we decided to enjoy a meal together alone at a restaurant we seldom get a chance to go to. I opted for my favorite Italian restaurant! I'm usually one to want Mexican, but this was my fav when the kids weren't with us-- quite and romantic even during the day! Perfect for an after-ultrasound date to discuss baby names! lol!

Still laughing about the ultrasound and how relieved we were that our little boy wasn't twins, we began perusing the menu. My husband opts to try something new.  He does one of them wiggly finger dances across the menu and opts to order whatever his finger lands on. I'm not that brave; I stick with my fav and go with the seafood alfredo. He tells our waiter he would like the Adriatic shrimp. We're in Louisiana, so I doubt very seriously those shrimp came from the Adriatic Sea, but it did sound interesting!

The waiter leaves and my hubby jokes that our boy was definitely no shrimp, but we could name him Adrian. We laughed so much,  I was sure I would have peed had I not already hit the restroom again when I arrived! And suddenly I stopped laughing... it hit me! I snatched a napkin, searched frantically in my purse for a pen, and then jotted A-D-R-I-A-N on the napkin. My husband was a bit puzzled at my actions. I then explained...
A is my mom's middle initial, D is my dad's middle initial, and RIAN are the last letters of our 1st child's middle name (though the ending wouldn't be pronounced the same as R-I-A-N in Brian).

I don't recommend anyone going to a restaurant and looking on the menu for baby names, but hey... you never know! That name could be right on the tip of your tongue! :)

Adrian is now 6 years old, and he is defiantly not a shrimp! He is just a big boy...big boned, heavy, and tough! It was no wonder they kept thinking I was caring twins! He came 2 weeks early and was barely under 9lbs!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

What's wrong with my kids???

I took great measures to redo my entire schedule (btw iLuv schedules 'n iLuv to stick to them, so this was hard)! I had to do something, though! My 14 yo couldn't seem to stay awake for much of anything unless he was working on tasks with me or he was outside swing a baseball bat. Reading a small passage of science or doing a puzzle for health in the morning hours was sure to act as an instant sedative! It was almost as if I had to stay right on top of him to get anything accomplished! There is only so many times you can flick ur teenager on the ear... you'd think it might just be a wee bit sore by now! lol!

So the new schedule is done and we started it Tuesday. I am used to rising early thus I feel like sleeping late is such a waste, but if that's how my kids are wired...well, there isn't much I can do! I've got to go with what works best for them! In doing this my hopes are that the kids will enjoy the extra bit of sleep in the morning, the allotted free time, gaming rewards, and the individualized PE time (w/activities to suit their individual interests). My other hope is that by my breaking everything up, we could possibly accomplish more w/less fuss!  Oh, 'n we have also incorporated more family time! I have been riding bikes with the kids in the morning after breakfast (if they are quick to get their chores done). DH has since pulled out his own bike and has been working on it. I think he plans on joining us for our evening rides. That's a bonus b/c he and I both could use the extra exercise! 'n well, everyone can use the family time!

But back to my point-- Here I go giving them all this extra free/fun time 'n... ??? Today, my two older kids scarfed down lunches, went outside and rode their bikes at the noon break, and then they came back in 15 mins early without a word... AND started doing their school work!!!! Have they lost it? or am I imagining this?

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Rain, Rain, Go AWAY!

Yesterday we attempted a new PE game. I would have posted a picture, but as I said... we attempted it. Just as I got everything set up, a rush of wind came and rain swept in without warning! I never seen such disappointed kids in my life! They were so excited they attempted to play it in the rain, but I frantically started grabbing everything and ordered them all inside! We were hoping to try again today, but the rain just blew in again!!! Can you believe it! Perfect timing...just thirty minutes before we are to do PE. It wasn't a lot, but it was just enough to make a mess! So... we will put off our new game again! ho hummm...

Friday, September 3, 2010

Relax!!!

Uh... is there really such a thing? Some days I wonder if I am pushing my perfectionistic attitude onto my children. It really is a curse. I know where I learned it... my own parent, and now, ... ugh.  Can I break the wheel?  No, I don't want slackers, but I really do want my kids to enjoy life at least a tiny bit more than I have! I've got a schedule and I am pretty headstrong about keeping it... but this morning my lil guy, 6 yrs old, got up when his daddy got up to get ready for work 'n wanted to get his work done so he could have the day off! I almost wanted to tell him no b/c ... WE HAVE A SCHEDULE... that wd just totally throw me off, ya know! but his enthusiasm to get to work, get done, and just relax and have fun... Well, you have got to envy that! So he drug his chair over from his desk, and pulled it up to my teacher table and got started. He has been working pretty diligently since 6:15 this morning! I decided to get on the computer and do a few things, my back to him. I spun around to discover something all too precious! I guess it was just way too early for school work. Bless his heart... he tried, though! I got to give him that!