*8 Things......NATHAN EDITION

8 Things About Nathan RIGHT NOW....
June 20th, 2013 Edition

Nathan is a "south-paw".

Nathan will be 9 in August and he comes up to my chin when we stand by each other.  Yikes! Nathan will be in the 4the Grade Talented and Gifted class in August when he goes back to school.  He is extremely smart, loves Math and Reading.  He loved his 3rd Grade TAG teacher Mr. VanDeusen and we will miss him in 4th grade!

He is a GAMER like his Dad and loves the NHL Hockey game for the wii and Diablo III for the PC.  On the weekends, he and Daddy meet Uncle Mike and Nick (his cousin) to play Diablo III online together via Skype.  He likes other games, but those two are top of the list right now.  

If we lived in Canada, Nathan would be wanting to play HOCKEY!  He has finally caught onto our love of the game and plays ball hockey on our screened in porch.  He LOVES the game as much as we do!

Nathan loves to help me in the kitchen to prepare dinner or mix kool-aid for me. He wants to learn to cook, so this summer, he is really helping me in the kitchen.

Nathan's main chores in our house are:  

unload the dishwasher
feed the dogs
keep his room clean

put his laundry away

Nathan is a LEGO Guy.....he has lots of kits, but for Christmas I found lots of lego on Craigslist to mix and match together so that he can build whatever he wants.  He is very imaginative and creative when it comes to LEGO.  He constructed his own "Stanley Cup" from Sophie's Duplo the other night.  Pretty cool!

Nathan is the sweetest brother to Sophie.  In the morning, he gets up early and gets the cereal down out of the pantry for both of them to have breakfast.  He gets it ready for Sophie and they eat together.  It is really neat to see the two of them eating together. He is a very loving boy and will ask to snuggle with me on the couch when we watch tv sometimes (but don't tell anyone because I don't want to spoil it - I am sure that will go away soon and I want to prolong it as long as possible).  

Until Next Time,

SCRAP ON!
~Cyn~

*8 Things.....SOPHIE EDITION

8 Things About Sophie RIGHT NOW....
June 18th, 2013 Edition

Sophie will be 4 in 4 months!  

She is potty training (yes, a little late, but she is stubborn like her parental unit and wouldn't even try until we "ran out" of Luvs).  She is having a little difficulty with #2 in the potty.  She wants a pull-up for that. We tell her "No, Pull-Ups are for naptime".  

Sophie loves "Sofia the First" from the Disney channel and we have even downloaded it from iTunes for her to watch on my iPad.  

She asks every day if she can go out on her bike. 

Sophie loves to be outside if at all possible (UNLESS there's bugs out there that she can see - bees, flies, etc.)

Daddy is Sophie's "Person" and if you've ever watched Grey's Anatomy, you would know what that means!  When she gets hurt, frustrated or even when I scold her, she wants DADDY.....

She loves to draw and colour.  She sits in my Scrap Haven with me and gets out markers and goes to town with them in her little composition book.  

Sophie antagonizes and annoys her brother Nathan, but there are moments where they play so well together and are so cooperative with one another.  

But alas, she is the "little sister" and will antagonize him over and over again and even tattle tale on him.  So we call her the Drama Queen....she has been nicknamed that since she was a day old (thanks, Grandad!)

Until Next Time,

SCRAP ON!
~Cyn~

8 Things....Fill 'Er Up

I follow this blog called Magpie Girl.  She does this thing called "8 THINGS" and some of the topics I have no clue what to write, but then along comes an idea that I can totally hop on board with.  There was one in particular that made me want to write....so here I go:

As a stay at home mom, sometimes it is hard to see that we make a difference in the lives of our husbands or children.  Day in and day out, we do the same things:  Laundry, Housework, Child Rearing, Cooking, Car Service, Tutoring, Disciplining, etc.  You know when you feel done?  You feel like just burying yourself in covers and sleep the day away? 
Sometimes you need to look at that tank and figure out a way to fill it back up after it is all gone.  So, here are 8 Things that FILL ME UP when I need to refuel:

1. Music to dance to in my livingroom or scrap loft or wherever, really.  As long as it has a good beat and I can crank the tunage up, I am good to go!

2. Scrapbooking is what I do when I need to refuel that tank.  It allows me to create and also to re-live some of the memories by just looking at my photos.  It makes me smile, laugh and sometimes cry.  But all in a good way.

3. Reading books, magazines, blogs. Immersing myself in a fictional story always helps.  Using the imagination is always a great way to unwind and refuel.

4. Talking to my girlfriends and venting.  A quick telephone call to a friend to chit chat is always a great way to let off some steam and also to get in a few giggles too.  Afterall, laughing does help the soul!

5. Soaking in as-hot-as-I-can-stand-it bathtub has always been relaxing and enjoyable to me.  I couldn't survive without my bathtub.  Turn the jets on and enjoy the white noise!  Soak all the cares away and get as relaxed as possible.

6. Naps.  I had one yesterday afternoon, while Sophie napped.  Sometimes a good 2 hour nap is all you need to rejuvenate and get some energy back.

7. Watching a television show or movie is another way.  Pretty Woman is my all-time favourite movie.  I could probably recite the movie from front to back and back to front.  But it always lifts my spirits when "Edward" takes "Vivian" to the opera and realizes in the end that he loves her.  Riding off in his limousine to her apartment blasting opera.  She rescues him right back......aaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!

8. Exercise.  You knew it had to be on here!  I mean, come on!  It could be a great aerobics class, a walk through our neighborhood, sex, rollerblading, whatever!  As long as it gets the heart pumping and blood flowing!  It is probably the best way to get some really good sleep too, which makes for a better mood!

There ya have it people!  Ways to keep going after you feel like you have no "oomph" left.  No pep in your step!  You should try some or all of these!  I betcha it would make you feel pretty good too!  

Now, tell me what you do to refuel!!!  Share please!

Until Next Time,

SCRAP ON!
~Cyn~

*8 Things - March 4th 2010

*8 Things: Projects I've Got Cooking

1. Conquer Mt. Laundry
2. Two altered projects for end of the year teacher gifts.....
3. Trying to keep the house clean constantly just in case we have a showing.
4. Getting some scrapbook layouts completed for Sophie's non-existent scrapbook.
5. Learning how to use Photoshop Elements 8.0
6. Learning how to use Creative Memories St0rybook Creator Plus Software
7. Trying to cook every night instead of eating out at restaurants and fast food places.
8. I have a portrait album that I need to get started on.

*8 Things Thursday - February 25th 2010

*8 Things: People To Meet In Real Life (IRL)

1. My Grandpa William Campbell


2. My Grandma Elizabeth Wain


3. Ben's Grandpa Michael Michalski


4. Kurt Browning


5. Julia Roberts


6. Richard Gere


7. Ellen DeGeneres


8. Jesus Christ

*8 Things Thursday

What is your list of *8People to Play With?

1. My children


2. My Husband


3. Stacy Julian


4. Ellen DeGeneres - this woman makes me laugh every day at 5pm on her show!


5. Cathy Zielske - her Design Your Life class at Big Picture Scrapbooking is fabulous!


6. My SKYLINE Sisters


7. Marta


8. My ScrapShare Sisters
   

*8 Things Thursday

Well, I have decided that I will try this *8 Things list making thing. I got the idea from Magpie-Girl and I have to admit that it is really kind of fun! It lets me make a list (which I do on a daily basis - probably a few times a day) and give my brain a "mental jog".

So, here goes my first list.....

*8 Things - To Minimize

1. Facebook Time - Yes, I spend a lot of time on Facebook catching up on people's lives. I don't go on Farmville or any of those extra games, just check people's status and post to my own status. Maybe 15 minute intervals - one in the morning, one in the evening will work for me?
2. Books - I have shelves of books. I donated 250 books to the local library last year and I still have full shelves! I have read the majority of the books I have on the shelves, but just can't bear to part with them.
3. Google Reader Subscriptions - Currently, I have 816 posts to read to be able to get caught up....yeesh!
4. Shoes - I only have one pair of feet and at least 20 pair of shoes sitting in the closet! I am doing a Goodwill run today and another sometime next week. I will have to go through the shoes and get rid of some!
5. Digital Photos - Why can't I get rid of the blurry, out of focus photos that I have taken? I am enrolled in the Library of Memories class this year (alumni get to take it again for free - I LOVE FREE) and I am still working through the photos. Organizing, re-living memories.... but deleting photos kills me. But, it will get done.....eventually.
6. Clothes I Don't Wear/Don't Fit - my closet is full of maternity clothes, clothes that don't fit (due to baby) and clothes I never wear anymore since I am a stay at home mom. I need a serious "GoodWill Run".
7. Debt - aren't we all in debt? I mean, seriously! Whether it is one card or ten....we all need a little minimizing of the debt!
8. Negative People - I have friends who only see the "negativity" of any situation they are faced with. I need to minimize the time I spend with them and increase time spent with positive people and people who lift me up instead of bring me down.