Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Pepper Ants in my belly!!!!

Today immediately after work, my cell phone rang and I assumed it was my husband encouraging me to rush home so that he could get to work. I missed the call because my supervisor was letting me snag a few more cut-out cookies to take home to my kids. I returned his call on my way out the door so that he would know I was on my way. But, that isn't why he called.

He explained that Chase was hysterical ... as in screaming hysterically, and he had to call me. He explained what happened. He made macaroni and cheese for supper. As has been done for several months (at least) now, he and the older two kids have started referring to the topping as "ants" ... a/k/a PEPPER. My husband always shakes pepper on top of macaroni and cheese (if you can't guess, this is NOT my thing, hee hee.). Well, today ... Chase decided to FREAK OUT at the idea of ANTS being on his macaroni and cheese! His brother said something about it, and Chase started crying! He nearly puked from how upset he was that there were "ants in [his] belly!!" He cried and he cried, and he started punching his belly. Poor thing! He was still holding his belly and crying when I got home. Tyler had made him a whole separate batch of macaroni and cheese WITHOUT "ants" on top, and he still wouldn't touch them. He was eating peanut butter toast when I got home.

He was fine while we were in the store (we went shopping tonight too), but he's back to holding his belly again now that we're home. I don't think he's even aware of it. He says his belly hurts every once in a while though. I did explain to him before we went to the store that they were being silly, and it was just pepper. I sprinkled some in my hands and showed him what it was. He seemed to understand because now he's saying the pepper hurts his belly. LOL.

Maybe he really is sick ... or maybe it's just the "ants." ;)

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Shameless (almost) plug ...

If you know me, you know I'm a wanna-be photographer. I take decent pictures, and great pictures on occasion. I have a chance to win (and so do you) a copy of LIGHTROOM ... an awesome program any photographer would love.

All I have to do to get a chance is to tell you about it here on my blog! So, here is my shameless plug. ;)

Read HERE at www.mckmama.com to see how you can get entered too! :)

~Melinda

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Oh Martha Marta!!

For the month of December, I had the pleasure of working with Marta Van Eck's designs, which really helped me to flex my fantasy muscles (hee hee) and create some scrap-art.

I chose to play with her Christmas Carol packs. She has an Element Pack, a Patterned Papers Pack, and a Scene Papers Pack (and she is currently having a sale).

I don't feel particularly skilled at making fantasy pages. I am, in fact, intimidated by them in general. I decided to try my hand at a scene layout, and did an extraction to do so. The magnetic lasso tool is my usual stand-by for extractions, but I really wanted to use a masking tool in case I made mistakes. I don't know the "usual" way to make a mask, so I "snuck" my mask by using the "Smart Brush Tool" set to "Brighten" for the background, and then selecting the inverse (I think) to select my mask. I somehow ended up applying it as a clipping mask type of deal. Not sure I if I could recreate it if I tried, but if you know an easier way to make a mask in PSE, please let me know. LOL.

Anyway, when you make a mask, you can add to or take away from the mask without destroying your picture. I'm sure there is a better way to explain this, but anyway, that is what I did. Eventually I got the mask to work and I made this:



It looks like I worked really hard, doesn't it? But, honestly, it was super easy to make. The hardest part was the extraction!!! The scene paper I chose had the tree and fireplace already set for me. I added the ornaments, and the wreath on the wall. I added a few presents by the tree (there were already a few), a rocking horse, the filled vase, the chair and pillow and I was done! (Well, I added shadowing too.) I am not saying I'm a pro, but my layout looks like I knew what I was doing, doesn't it? It was really easy! So, if you can pull off an extraction, I'd definitely give this a shot. Marta made it too easy for me! :)

I made a second page using the elements and her patterned paper pack. It comes with 18 papers! They are all really beautiful and unique. I made this layout using one of my favorite photos of Chase when he was a baby. I've scrapped 3 layouts using this photo, but this one is probably my favorite ... (I LOVE BLUE!).



So, Martha Marta ... thank you for stretching me to think outside the box and make these two beautiful pages! (or at least I think they rock!)

~Melinda

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

The Blizzard

On December 9, 2009 we had a blizzard. And I had to go to work in it. Yuck. I went out to let the dog out, and took a couple pictures and a video ... and realized a little too late that I'd forgotten to attach Lexi to her runner. Oops! Here are the pictures I took, and the video! I do swear a little at the very end when I realize Lexi is gone and trample off to get her. Thank goodness the snow slowed her down. She's gotten away a couple other times where I've had to chase her a couple of blocks! She doesn't do it because she hates us ... it's because she wants to smell everything and lay claim to the neighborhood by marking her scent ... but it is SO frustrating when you're the one chasing her!!!

Anyway ... blizzard 2009:

Lexi in snow that is really deep for her! She was NOT impressed and wanted to go right back inside ... at first!


My tall next door neighbor next to the very large snow drift in front of his garage. We had one like this too. It was too large for my husband to start the snow plow right there, if I remember what he said correctly. :)


And last but not least ... the video capturing all the snow (and wind) and my stupidity:


Lessons learned:
1.Don't ever forget to attach your pup to the runner, or have a fenced in back yard! (ours used to be, but a section is down for the winter).

2. Do not get plowed out by the above mentioned wonderful neighbor and then take your time inside (seriously, was not that long that I was inside) and let the snow plow go by and block your driveway back up again so that you end up 30 minutes late for work because you have to dig out again!

3. When there is a blizzard like THIS one ... call in to work, for crying out loud! I should have just gone back to bed! :-p

What a chance!!! A computer giveaway!

BlogHer and MckMama are working together to give away an HP Touchsmart computer! You can read all about it here so that you can enter too ... and I am posting about the contest here for another chance to win for myself!

I can't even imagine how nice it would be to try out some brand new technology. I could truly use an upgrade! A 30 GB Hard drive is a drop in the bucket for a digital scrapbooker, lol. And maybe I could actually get into designing myself if I had a better computer ... the possibilities are endless.

And so ... won't you please check it out? But don't enter, please ... I want to win! LOL!!! :)

~Melinda

Sunday, December 6, 2009

And it's December

Just like that, December is here, and Christmas is going to be here way before I am ready. I have my dad's present, though! I am pretty proud of how it turned out too. Still working on my parents, my husband and the kids. DH keeps shooting down my ideas for the kids. Originally I wanted to get a Wii for us all and call it good, and months ago he was fine with that, but he's changed his mind. I guess it's just not meant to be. Seriously considering calling the family Y membership a present for me and DH and telling him to skip anything else, though. We both need it, and I can get it taken out of my paychecks to save us a bit on the monthly dues.

Anyway, Christmas is on my mind. I've scrapped several wintry/Christmas-y pages recently:


(Deck the Halls by Sarah Meyer - look for it at Digitals)


(Winter Days by Connie Prince - look for it at Gotta Pixel and Elemental Scraps)


(Deck the Halls by Connie Prince - available at Gotta Pixel and Elemental Scraps)


(Deck the Halls by Connie Prince - available at Gotta Pixel and Elemental Scraps)


(Hey Santa by Connie Prince - available at Gotta Pixel and Elemental Scraps)

I have also gotten to play with some pieces by Dustybear as a part of the Site Creative Team. I saw these pieces and went digging for boy or baby boy pictures that I had not scrapped yet. I wanted to find some with references to space, and was sure I could find some but found these adorable baby photos that screamed to be scrapped instead:





Kit: Spacey Papers, and Spacey Elements 2 by Dustybear

Both are from when Chase was little -- 4 months old and about 5.5 months old. I think these pieces really brought out his blue eyes, and gave that dreamy sleepy-land look I was looking for. Don't you agree? I used Traci Reed's "Basically Gorgeous" photo actions that work in PSE to spice up these pictures. I use her actions a lot, and they usually turn out fabulously (depends on how good the picture was to begin with, of course). There aren't a lot of options for using in PSE, you know!

It was really fun to look back through my pictures of the children even just a couple of years ago. I know they are growing and changing, but somehow since they are doing it before my eyes ... I am not seeing it, if you know what I mean. So, looking back at these pictures I see the baby face that has been going away, and the individual characters that are developing in my children. It really is a fascinating thing, and makes me appreciate my hobby that much more, because it leads me on these trips into my past a little more often than your average person, I'd be willing to bet.

Enough rambling ... it's 10 o'clock! I need to get to bed. Have a great week everyone,

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Don't miss it!

The links for my blog train items (in the post below) will automatically be inactivated on 11/23/09 ... so please pick up your items soon!! There are two separate cluster frames that will go great with the papers and other elements in the blog train! :)

Thanks!
Melinda

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Hop on board the birthday train! Choo!! Choo!!!

This month, Gotta Pixel is celebrating its 4th birthday. And we have been having a blast with all the exciting events going on, but we are also giving away over $2,000 worth of Prizes! Each week new things are being given, and new events going on, and this week is nothing short of it! We are kicking off this weekend with a HUGE Blog train! And its just for YOU! The entire team has collabed together to bring you an amazing shabby chic collection with something sure for everyone! This just kicks off the events we have listed here, as well as the Grab Bag Event going on, that is packed full of savings.

Here is My Gift to you for our Blog Train:


THIS LINK HAS EXPIRED ... THANK YOU FOR DOWNLOADING! :)

This is just one stop on your blog trip. Here is a list of all the participating blogs that have something special waiting for you, The links will remain active on these blogs until 22nd of November at 11:59 pm EST. Should you get lost along your way, you can always visit here, or the Gotta Pixel Blog for complete list of participants:

GottaPixel: http://www.gottapixel.net/blog
Liz : http://www.sweetdigiscraps.blogspot.com/
KarenS (Alpha): myownfont.blogspot.com
Karen Lewis : http://scrappingmum.blogspot.com/
Kristmess Designs : http://kristmessdesigns.blogspot.com/
Sara Ellis: http://scrapsillysara.blogspot.com/
Crisdam Designs: busyfingers-digiscrap.blogspot.com
Heather T : http://oohlalaartsy.blogspot.com/
Laura Burger: http://digidesignerlaura.blogspot.com/
Sarah : http://blog.sarahbdesigns.net/
Connie Prince: http://scrapinfusions.blogspot.com/
simply.scraps: simply-scraps.net
Kathryn Estry: http://kathrynsdigitaldesigns.blogspot.com/
Marta Van Eck : http://www.martavaneck.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Barrette : jenniferbarrettedesigns.blogspot.com
Colie's Corner: http://coliescorner.blogspot.com/
Elka Romero : http://elkaromero.com/
Julie Marie : http://juliemariedesigns.com/blog
Captivated Visions : http://blog.captivatedvisions.co.uk/
Doohikey Designs: http://doohikeydesigns.com/
Cherie Shields: http://cshieldsdesigns.blogspot.com/
Creations by Rachael: http://www.creationsbyrachaelb.com/wordpress/
Lorie M : http://digiscrapdesigns-by-lorie.blogspot.com/
Dustybear: http://dustybeardesigns.blogspot.com/
Melinda: http://mindys365project.blogspot.com/
--- you are here
Leigh :http://tricertifiedx2digitalworld.blogspot.com/
Kim: http://time2scrap.blogspot.com/
Danyale: http://bygonesscrapbooks.blogspot.com/
Cindy: http://cindyb-scrappinlikecrazy.blogspot.com/
Wendy: inadigitaldaze.blogspot.com
Dana : http://scrappydoosordonts.blogspot.com/
Kerri : kayjaysdays.blogspot.com
Chbranch: http://fmndesigns.blogspot.com/
Katie: http://felixfam.blogspot.com/
Lisa: http://scrappylisa.blogspot.com/
Leilani: http://leidee-q.blogspot.com/




(Links for all of the other blogs have all been checked and should work now! Please try any you may have missed!)

WOW! Thank you for all the kind comments! I'm glad you like it! :) Hope you'll stop by again! :)

Feeling creative ...

I am on the Site Creative Team for Gotta Pixel, which is why you see the blog train post here today! :) I have made a few pages this month that I thought I'd share with you today as long as I've got your attention. ;)

I got the chance to play with Silvia Romeo's Halloween Magic kit and made these pages:







And, just yesterday I picked up Karen Lewis' kit Serendipity and made this page for Connie Prince's Speed Scrap:



and this page about her next game on June 4th:



I hope you enjoy the blog train, and that you enjoyed a peek at my work! It is fun to share these pages, as well as print them for my family to keep. I hope you all save your work, too!

Hugs and have a great day,
Melinda

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Photo fun

I learned a tip for making side-by-side photo layouts for posting on my blog from mckmama.com today, and here are my first two attempts.

The directions didn't work exactly as planned (it did not prompt me for more pictures), but I was still able to work with it! :)


Chase at the Children's Museum this past Saturday.


Chase while raking leaves recently.

These were some pictures that I liked that were quick at hand to play with.

Thanks for the tip about the canvas size, MckMama! :)

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Gotta Grab It ...

Gotta Pixel started this event a long time ago now, where all of the designers are asked to make their own kits using the same color swatch. During the sale period, they put their kits out there (sometimes broken down into papers and elements and such separately) for just $1.00. After the sale is over, the items go back to a regular price determined by the designer.

Well, the color swatch for this round is so pretty!!!! It's purples, blues, and browns, in the stalest explanation ever. :) So, since I can't explain it ... here is an advertisement image from the store (it's clickable! Go see!!!!)



My designer friend, Sarah Meyer, came out with a beautiful paper pack, and element pack for the Gotta Grab It event (also clickable):





And I've been busy today and have already played with it!


This is Julia on her field trip to Como Zoo in June when she got her face painted. I couldn't resist playing with it again.



These pictures are just from yesterday! We ended up at the Children's Museum after my MIL's* retirement party because it was really close by and we've never been there before. (MIL = Mother In Law) It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but the kids had a great time. As you can see! I made this page for the Speed Scrap held tonight by Colie's Corner. :)

So, if you're a fan of purple and blue like me, you should click over to Gotta Pixel to see Sarah's and all of other designers' amazing kits that you can snag for just $1 each for a short time. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

~Melinda

Thursday, November 12, 2009

He's FREE!!!!

A while back, I created a page about Chase:


Chase became FREE when he was 6 months old. It was an amazing feeling knowing that my son was doing well enough with his heart condition that he could be free from medicine. The doctor said he might even have out-grown it, and possibly never deal with SVT ever again!

Today, I read about an online-friend whose son is now FREE of his SVT, and the chance of his SVT returning is now 1% ... ONE PERCENT!!!! That is phenomenal! No more medication. No more heart monitors. No more stethoscopes. No more vagal maneuvers, or trips to the ER.

Stellan is now FREE to be himself, as Chase was at 6 months old. And I cry tears of happiness with a level of understanding of just what that means for Stellan and his family. Our journey was no where near as scary as Stellan's was, but now they seem to both have the same happy ending. :)

~Melinda

Saturday, November 7, 2009

International Digital Scrapbooking Day!!!!



I am on the Site Creative Team for Gotta Pixel, and want to encourage you to stop in Gotta Pixel's store and take advantage of this awesome sale! Because I'm on their CT, I get to see all the awesome goodies that are in the store on a regular basis, and know that you will be getting an AWESOME deal! DSD only comes once a year ... and Gotta Pixel is celebrating their birthday to boot! So, go have fun with all the stuff you KNOW you've just GOTTA have! ;)

~Melinda

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Apple Orchard tradition ...

Just about every year we have made it to the orchards. I LOVE going. In fact, our apples are gone and I want to go get some more! :) I lurrrvvves me some Honeycrisp apples!

This year we made it out just before the cold snap! Yay! And I found a great kit to play with to show off a couple of the pictures I took! It is called Fall Pickins by Colie's Corner:







The colors in this fall kit were fabulous ... the red is my absolute favorite. :)

You can read more about this year's trip and see a few more pictures by hopping HERE.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Don't Sing to Me!

As you may have read earlier, we had a birthday party on the 27th for our littlest man's 3rd birthday. Chase wasn't thrilled about being sung to. In fact, he down-right pouted about it!

For October, I get to play with designs by simply.scraps and Colie's Corner, at Gotta Pixel, and I chose a really funky birthday kit to play with. I will totally and freely admit that the title swayed my purchase:



He didn't exactly CRY, but he did sure pout. :)



and here is his pout from his 2nd birthday!!!




Thanks for looking,
Melinda

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Oreo Cows, Pumpkins and Apples



I went in search of the amazing fall colors, and they were found. :) I of course didn't want to just take pictures of trees ... so I was very excited when on a quiet country road I was able to stop and take this picture (helped the colors along in post-processing to look more like they did in real life). :) If you haven't guessed ... these are the "Oreo Cows" as my oldest son lovingly referred to them. I thought it was hilarious!!! If you haven't guessed, this will HAVE to be scrapped. Blake was a bit grossed out when I explained that I'm pretty sure this type of cow is the kind made into hamburgers. Hamburgers??!! Yes, Blake ... hamburgers. Blech!! And did you know what chicken nuggets and chicken sandwiches are made of? Chickens? Yes! Blech! And ham, bacon, and sausage come from pigs! Blech!

(Do you think he switched to being a vegan?? ... his order later tonight at McDonald's should tell you how concerned he was .... cheeseburger with apples. Hee hee.)



After snapping some pictures of the fall foliage, we went to the orchards ... they were quiet! I am sure they are very busy on weekends. We started at McIlquhams where I actually bought a couple of decorative elements that were inexpensive, and then headed across the way to Connell's - me snapping pictures as we went.




Check out Chase's new GREEN boots!!! (He loves these things!)





After picking out a pie and caramel apples, we went outside and I planned to take a picture of the kids by the huge fence erected by the apple trees ... when I happened to notice the gate had been left open into the orchard!!! So, I quickly herded the kids over to an abundantly laden tree (yes, nice big words, right?) and snapped a few pictures. They looked perfect on my little bitty screen ... here is what I actually got. Hee hee:









I wish a "posed" shot didn't always have a "posed" grin too ... I need some tips, lol. :)

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Chat later ... for now .. enjoy these ...


WALLFLOWER by Bella Gypsy

I got to play with this warm and beautifully colored kit by Bella Gypsy this week:


(using a picture from my friend, Katie)


My 3 kids in quite possibly their first group photo! :)

I really need to get to bed, but I just had to share!!!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Party time

Please forgive me for the IM-speak ... it shortens things like "in-law" and I've used initials for privacy of my husband's family also. :)

Yesterday we had a birthday party for Chase. It was supposed to be a joint birthday party with our niece (SIL's daughter), E, but her mom and dad aren't together and dad had her because he made plans and didn't tell her mom. Anyway, SIL did bring the ice cream cake she had promised anyway (how sweet!).

I haven't thrown a party since Blake turned one. Yes, that's how much fun it was, lol. Not that it wasn't NICE ... it was just very expensive and honestly, not worth it. We had a lot more people over for Blake's first birthday. I'm glad we didn't do that again. On Chase's birthday, we went to Cassandra's volleyball game at SIL's invitation. While we were talking, the idea of a get-together for the kids' birthday came up, and I suggested doing it here because SIL hasn't gotten her own place yet since coming back from Basic Training and AIT (don't ask me what that is - I don't know). She offered to bring an ice cream cake for it, and I said ok.

So anyway, we had my MIL and FIL over, our nieces H and B, and my SIL. My Mom was at a conference, and my Dad didn't want to come over all by himself with a house-full of IL's, I bet, hee hee, and I seriously wouldn't have known what to do with more people! (Sorry Grandma and Aunt MJ!)

We had tacos and chips, and I think it was pretty yummy! Then the kids played for a while, and we had ice cream cake and sang to Chase. Have I ever mentioned how much Chase HATES being sung to by a crowd?!


(this one doesn't show his true pout even!)


He did please the crowd, though, when he named the colors of the candles correctly (which didn't surprise me or Tyler, but I bet Grandma and Papa might have been surprised. :) )

We almost forgot to have Chase open his gifts before everyone left. Gifts are hard! My parents gave me money to purchase something for Chase, and I tell you ... I couldn't pick anything out!!! It was awful! Everything either made noise, or had a zillion parts, or he was too young, or he was too old. What do you get a 3 year old?! I wanted to get him a simple toy guitar, but Kmart's selection SUCKED -- it was either Hannah Montana, Barbie or an actual training guitar, which he is definitely not ready for. I ended up buying a Princess doll for E's gift, and got Chase a totally lame gift from us ... a hard-cover book of Curious George stories, and a travel-size Magnadoodle, which is just for him (which I think is nice because his brother and sister trashed the one that was supposed to be for all 3 of them.)

The present from my IL's was much better received -- a Wow-Wow Wubbzy kickety-kick ball, and an electronic drum set type toy. WOW, that thing is loud! But, he immediately loved it.

Everyone was gone by 7pm, and I was in bed by 9pm, lol. I was, and still am, so tired!

We missed having our birthday duo, but it was still a nice day. Happy celebrated birthday, buddy!! :)

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Soccer star?



This is the second week in a row where Blake has had compliments piled on him by his coaches following the game. He must really be good! I know nothing about soccer, so I am not a good judge. :) One of the other boys on the team is surely either a natural, or has been doing this a while. He plays offense, though, and he has really good control of the ball.

Blake usually (remember, non-soccer expert talking) is put on defense. From my perspective, he does seem to get in there when the ball heads down his way, but I can't usually see how successful he is at getting the ball away. The coach that came to praise him afterward today said that Blake always seems to be in the right place at the right time, that he thinks Blake is a natural, and that he wished he had Blake's long legs! I thought that was a pretty nice compliment! I don't know how right he is, and he admitted he's no soccer expert either, but it was nice to say either way. So, way to go Blake! :)

Last night, Connie Prince held a speed scrap at Gotta Pixel. She's had one the last couple of Friday nights, and I love evening scraps - no matter what kind they are. :) But, I like Connie's speed scraps especially, so even if you don't consider yourself a speedy scrapper ... stop in next time. She'll make it worth it -- she always does! ;)

Here is what I came up with:

Using directions from the Speed Scrap, and JUBILANT by Connie Prince ... the colors were perfect! :)

I also created this page recently ... to remember Blake's final T-ball game of the season which was on July 25th:

which is my second page with Lena and Tabatha's MAYHEM, available at Gotta Pixel. It is a rockin' boy kit!!! Gotta love them boy kits! :) Check out the rest of my gallery by clicking on the image to the right ... you know you want to see more, and you can learn more about how to MAKE these pages by jumping into the forums at Gotta Pixel too! Did you know that Gotta Pixel was my first digital scrapbooking home? Yep! Make it yours too! :)

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

And poof ... my baby is 3 ...

I'm not very happy about it, quite honestly. I know he's growing up, and he's smart and cute and all, but gosh darn it he IS my baby after all. I'm not normally one of those moms who shares their child's every milestone. After all ... Chase is #3, and so it's all been done before by his siblings, lol. ;) And normally I don't post a whole lot about birthdays. Actually, birthdays have been pretty low-key around here the past 6 years. It seems like we never have money to spend on a birthday party around birthday time. And, truth be told ... that's where we're at right now too. I sure wish we'd waited to buy Tyler a vehicle until October ... even just ONE month later would have saved us $311 to spend elsewhere. *sigh*

Anyway, the fact is, today my baby is three years old. He is no longer reliant on mom for milk (um, yeah ... he nursed way longer than the other two -- though just at night for quite a while). He is almost potty trained -- went almost all day in the same pair of underwear on Sunday! He is starting to not sleep in mom and dad's bed at all at night, though occasionally he get's mom's soft spot who misses her baby and lets him fall asleep with her .... . He is verbal. He is independent. He is a daredevil (see previous post). He is adorable, and he is my baby.

'Nuff said ... I need to get to bed and quit rambling!! :)

Happy 3rd birthday to my littlest man,
Love,
Mom

Sunday, September 20, 2009

NOW it's Sunday ...

I didn't get to sleep in quite as late as I'd hoped, but it has been a nice day. The kids played outside quite a bit today. I took advantage of this "quiet time" to clean house. I am now satisfied with my dining room, bathroom, and living room. I am happy with my kitchen floor, but the rest needs work (DH says he'll be doing dishes tomorrow ... scratch that, I bet the concrete work he'll be doing with my Dad will take over instead). I even organized/ chucked stuff from under the sink in the bathroom -- it suddenly occurred to me to use Ziploc baggies to organize. I now have all the following in baggies: ointments, bandaids, plastic covers for the thermometer, 3 rolls of ribbon for using in Julia's hair, and a baggy full of hair things for Julia. It should make finding things a lot easier. I also used a "snack size" baggie to store the coupons that I want to keep handy in my purse.

Chase has been wearing the same pair of underwear since he woke up this morning. I will try to get a picture of him in them soon. :) He has been doing great at going to the bathroom -- he has no issues with going, except sometimes in public places. But, lately he's been able to go in public places too. He really has done fine unless he's been wearing a pull-up or underwear. Well, I decided to keep him underwear the last couple of days. Yesterday he didn't make it at first ... had an accident once ... but today he's been doing great! It is pretty exciting to think that he might be out of diapers/pull-ups very soon! :)

In the digi-world I got to play with Mayhem by Bella Gypsy -- one of the newest designers at Gotta Pixel. I started out with a template this week, by Brenda Miller. I knew I needed several pictures, so I went into search mode. I found the perfect series of photos to play with this kit. "Daredevil" and the perfect colors?! A match made in heaven! LOL




This was, I'm sure, one of many heart-stopping moments that Chase has in store for me. :) Not that Julia and Blake aren't full of their own moments, but their motor skills are a little more advanced, lol.

Now, on to Monday we go ... it is sure to be a busy week. Leslie's daughter turns 3 tomorrow, and Blake has soccer practice. Chase turns 3 on Tuesday. Wednesday I have a meeting at work. Before we know it, Saturday will be here and we'll have more soccer. Oh yeah! I should add pictures from yesterday's game for Blake ... (forgot my memory card for Julia's practice/game *sigh*)! Lots to do. :)

Have a great week,
Melinda