She Who Speaks in Lyrics

Parktacular 2010

2010-07-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

Blogging from my new phone

2010-05-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

Wow! I feel like I have entered a new phase of my life tonight! I sprang for the iPhone and... A texting plan. Perhaps I can stay one short step ahead of my kids. I have a couple of years to figure it out, I trust!

So Easy a 4-year Old Can Do It!

2010-02-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

Get a Voki now!

At staff development today, I learned some fun things to do with digital storytelling! In fact, when I went to practice this evening, I got Abby in on it and we made this avatar for her.

Natural Avocado at Kuler

2010-01-02T19:31:00.000-08:00

If you aren't familiar with this site, I highly recommend it for crafting and painting and probably other higher pursuits!

www.Kuler.Adobe.com

You can choose colors from photographs, upload color themes into graphics programs, search for color combo ideas. It's fun and useful!

My bedroom colors are evolving...so much for my IKEA pillow inspiration. Here's the next idea. It was inspired by my IKEA duvet cover PLUS an upholstered ottoman I saw at Target. Given the intensity of our green choice, I decided that we should go for a nature-inspired palette and keep everything else neutral!

4 Coats Later

2009-12-31T21:21:00.000-08:00

Gracious. FOUR COATS OF PEA SOUP GREEN PAINT.

We're talking "Exorcist" here.

"Pickle Baby Food" is generous.

Four coats, though? C'mon.

I used primer.

Two should do it, right?

That's FIVE coats all together...

Are you counting? 'Cuz I was.

So, that is half of the paneling and I still have that much surface area again to cover in drywall. By the way, if you are reading this, do you have some scaffolding I can borrow?

(See my little flooring swatch up in the corner?)

Pickle Baby Food

2009-12-30T20:21:00.000-08:00

Well, I took my fifty dollars' worth of "Dried Palm" back to Home Depot and the nice lady heard me out and started mixing in additional pigment to get my paint darker and "more green." It was not happening. It still looked like a dyed Easter egg. Nice color for a baby nursery, not my bedroom. So, we ditched it and started from scratch with the color matched to my duvet cover. "Retro Avocado." Or, as Katie dubbed it, "Pickle Baby Food."

My Chiropractor Loves Me

2009-12-30T13:48:00.000-08:00

This painting is moving SO SLOWLY! The recommended approach to painting knotty pine is to:
1. Clean it thoroughly with TSP.
2. Patch the knots and nail-holes.
3. Caulk the joints in the paneling.
4. Prime with a shellac-based primer such as B.I.N.
5. Paint.

Good grief, this is labor-intensive. I started with the patching and screwed up. The patch I am using isn't sandable and I didn't realize until half the room had been done. Thankfully, it comes off with elbow grease and water. Sadly, this elbow grease comes at a high price when I'm in the early stages of treatment for whiplash. Grr.

Today, however, I've gotten the first half of the room ready and I will be starting to prime. (I can't do more than half at a time because there is furniture pushed up against everything!)

The other hiccup is that while I was settling in with my "Rhythmic Blue," I noticed that Mark was uneasy. Yep, you got it. He doesn't want the blue. O.K. No biggie. I was always o.k. with green. I sneak away from the family and mix up two gallons of "Dried Palm." Slap it on the wall at home and it looks yellow or white. In the perfect light, it looks like too-light green. Hmmm.

What to do, what to do?

The Next Big Project

2009-12-28T08:36:00.001-08:00

This is the knotty pine paneling that graces the walls of our second story bedroom suite. Until the decision was made to paint over it, it was impossible to choose new flooring. We decided to use an engineered wood flooring, but it was hard to conceive of a pretty oak against all this pine. I trekked around and looked at a million samples, but nothing looked right. Finally, when I mentioned the struggle to Mark, he said, "Well, why don't we just paint it?" Huh? Boys hate to paint real wood. I never imagined.
Here is why we NEED new flooring. The picture does not do justice to the disgusting that has become the light-colored carpet. Long ago, big buckles appeared in the carpet and it drove me crazy. Then came Ruby and she made very quick work of destroying it completely by peeing EVERYWHERE. I have shampooed this so many times... Finally, I made the unpopular-with-Mark decision to start demolition. (Watch for more pictures!) He hates the state of undone while a project is underway. To me, it looks like progress.
Here is the carrot that I am dangling in front of my own donkeyish nose on this one! It is barely enough to keep me going for all the work we're looking at, but it is something! Our duvet-cover is the green graphic print. Then, I saw this adorable embroidered pillow at IKEA. We have some red accent pieces (which is decorating-talk for "junk I've picked up along the way and painted") and I was hoping to keep them. For some reason, I never tire of the red.

That said, I am not about to paint the walls red. Mark said he trusted me to pick the paint.

Now, let me stop for a moment and say that this is the first time ever that he has articulated this sentiment. I grew up in a household where Mom made every decorating decision, so I thought that was the way life was. Not so. Mark typically likes to weigh in on this stuff. He has definite opinions and he cares. Wow. What a source of frustration for the "queen" of this castle. But he likes the funky living room paint job I came up with, so now he trusts me.

OK...back to the bedroom paint. I'm working with this yellow-green and want to keep some red and my mind keeps running to blue for the walls. Hmmmm. I got a quart of light, dusty, robin's egg blue to test out on the walls and have splotches covering three different areas in the room. I'm thinking I like it...and then an unexpected trip to IKEA brings me the gift of this Alvine pillow. It's got my colors! Yeah!

I think I'll go for it.

Drawer Makeovers

2009-10-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

Dream a little (weird) dream...

2009-10-06T19:12:00.001-07:00

It was one of those elaborate dreams that seems to stay with you all night long. We were crammed into a compartment listening to our children's piano recital and, lo and behold, we found ourselves next to the family of an old flame. Why, of course, his teenagers who live an hour away shared the same music teacher as my elementary school children. Fuzzy transition and I'm walking along with his wife, visiting and complimenting her on her beautiful and sweet kids while our husbands run ahead and dress up in silly costumes like a hotdog and a photo booth. Still, all I can think of is how wonderfully talented are their children....
(there's also a plane crash and a sort of apocalypse, but my subconscious digresses...)

Interpret THAT!

Operation Green Apple

2009-08-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

Sweet Judy Gullifer offered us these adorable dressers and hutch last year and they have been living in my living room. I had been thinking about painting them and moving them into the girls' room and the decision was made very easy...
a home fragrance oil spilled and was wicked over a sizable area of the hutch. It bubbled the paint up everywhere it touched.

Ready or not, the "after" pictures...

Happy Birthday, Katie!

2009-07-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Katie's friend, Hailey, joined us for an afternoon and evening at the Minnesota Zoo. Here the kids are perched and watching the grizzly bears!

Katie loves to open presents =) Mom and Dad gave her a look-alike American Girl doll, Abby gave her some AG accessories, Owen gave her a Wimpy Kid book, and Dad picked out James and the Giant Peach for her, too. The Grandmas and Grandpas sent money that she thoroughly enjoyed spending at the American Girl store the next day!

Picnic and Pyrotechnics

2009-07-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

We spent a relaxing 4th of July at Oak Hill Park, picnicking with friends, and Aquila School, watching fireworks. Our little town puts on a very nice firework dispay, replete with ooohs and aaahs over new styles!

Big Tease!

2009-07-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

Book of the week...

"You are resolved then to have him?"

"I have said no such thing. I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected to with me."

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

Big Tease!

2009-06-14T17:40:00.000-07:00

Book of the week...

"What's the aging process for your kind?" Doc asked. "The natural life span?"
"We don't have one," I told him. "As long as we have a healthy host, we can live forever."

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Yes, that's the same Stephenie Meyer. The author of the Twilight Saga apparently has a few more stories up her sleeve. This one is science fiction and I was surprised that I was so engaged. Based on the cover blurb, I had passed it over before. That's also how I felt about "vampire stories," though! This one leaves you pondering what makes you YOU? There's also a little food for thought about colonization and world domination...

Gift Card Holders

2009-06-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

A bit of papercrafting today to celebrate the kids' teachers! I received a gift card from a friend in a most adorable holder that had fancy edging and sewn-on baubles and I looked forward to recreating the effect. The colors didn't photograph very well here, but you get the idea...
This was a great way to use leftover buttons, beads, charms and lace from other miscellaneous projects. Cute AND thrifty AND eco-friendly.

A Week of Rediscovery

2009-05-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

I have had one of those weeks...
I stopped to think this morning, "Why do I feel so crazed? It was a short week and I'm exhausted!" Tuesday was piano. Wednesday was grocery-shopping with the kids, dance class, and tutoring. Thursday was a visit from my little friend, Caleb, receipts for the insurance company, a play in Owen's room, and refinancing the house. Today, breakfast with Diana, two trips to Home Depot, more banking, puppy to the vet, building shutters...
Sigh.
This weekend still has a big garage sale, a junior high play and Children's church.
Well, there's the laundry list. It's a lot, but not so far off normal. (The kids took turns being impossible, though.) What I will remember about this week, however, are these two things:

1) I rediscovered the joy of Jane Austen (via Hollywood.) I watched Pride and Prejudice and then Sense and Sensibilities. I was just tickled and remembered devouring and loving Jane Eyre as a teenager. I'll look for Pride and Prejudice next time I'm at the library. The movie was really good, but I'll bet the book is even better!

2) I reconquered my fear of power tools and had a blast building some new shutters for my little house. Some time ago, I bought a miter saw for Mark as a gift. I think he despises it because it represents all the ways he does NOT want to spend his time. But, I wanted to use it. And, I was scared of it. I took a lot of woodshop in high school. I liked it. My parents influenced me to take a clock-making course in 9th grade and I built a grandfather clock. Still, that was over twenty years ago (how did I get this old????) Today reminded me how much I love to build things.

Moments like this are truly good for my soul. It is heartening to learn or re-learn something. It feels good to get my brain engaged. Aging is a lot less scary when you can find great enjoyment...and sometimes even wonder...in your ordinary days.

Big Tease!

2009-05-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

I am due for my first chemo on Monday morning. With a life driven by sports, sales, and Catholicism, my dad's MO will doubtlessly involve attacking it, staying positive, and having faith.

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

Big Tease!

2009-05-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

The book of the week...

Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

"He tried to teach her to be a real white, to revive for her his failed dreams of an American -born noble, to supress her fondness for pickled iguana and armadillo strew. He attempted almost everything except asking himself whether this was the way to make her happy."

------------------------------------------

Garcia Marquez is most famous for One Hundred Years of Solitude and for winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982. He has an amazing flair for writing the fantastic as if it were common and everyday... "magical realism", I think they've named it.

Some Days are Diamonds, Some Days are Coal

2009-05-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

Today...coal.

I am in a monumental funk. Two of my three kids raked me over the emotional coals today. I want to appreciate their uniqueness and I don't want to hold it against them when they aren't like me, but it goes beyond that sometimes.

They treated me with such disrespect today. One of them seemed in it for the drama, the other truly seems to loathe me. I don't know if I am more angry or hurt, but I can say for sure that no response I offered was productive. (Can you tell I'm writing in generalities for fear that someday they read this and realize exactly what I'm talking about?)

I just finished reading this post-apocalyptic book tonight and it didn't exactly lighten my mood, so here I am thinking about what these kids would say about me at my funeral.

I wish it would read like Katie's recent ode that I found on my pillow...

To: Mama,

I love you

your helpful

your pretty

you like naps

your funny

your good at cooking

Sincerely Katie,

I'm a little afraid, though, that they are more likely to tell stories about my general crochety-ness and laugh at the ways that I threatened them and how I used to scream this special scream at them that ended all tirades because it hurt my vocal cords.

Note to self: Add to my will the clause, "No biological child shall be permitted to speak publicly at my funeral or memorial service if said child wishes to receive the inheritance described below."

My Son Cracks Me Up

2009-05-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

This is what Owen and I do together. So far, this is the only common ground we can find. He draws and dictates. I provide design help and technical support!

Allergies Anyone?

2009-05-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

HELP ME!!!

It seems that I've finally succumbed to seasonal allergies. They are pesky. I'm sorry I haven't been more sympathetic to others until now.

Please tell me, what do you do about medication?
So far, I've just taken the old-fashioned Sudafed or Claritin (generics, of course, but they are harder to spell!) Trouble is, I like to sleep at night. What the heck? Do I have to take something to be able to sleep, too?

Please weigh in...

Big Tease!

2009-05-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

I was perusing a new-to-me blog http://www.sixlitchicks.blogspot.com/ and found a fun idea. You take whatever you are currently reading and randomly turn to a page. Choose a couple of sentences (without spoiling anything important) and cite them as a teaser for your fellow readers. Be sure to give the title and author.

Here we go!

"He had seen many dogs in the last two days, and he had tried to shut them out of his mind. They were pathetic, and he did not like to think about what was happening. Some of them looked starved; some of them looked too well-fed." p. 41

Stewart, George R. Earth Abides. New York:Ballantine Books, 1949.

My Model Pooch

2009-05-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

It wasn't bad enough that I had to get a teeny dog (I said I hated little yappy dogs!), but then I had to go and get her precious little muzzle captured on film.

Can You Ever Go Home?

2009-05-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

It is an eerie feeling for me to "go home." (By this, I mean to northern Minnesota, although HOME is St. Louis Park, really.) I have very mixed emotions when I go. The scenery is very comforting to me. The blasted stone that rises above the highway on the Iron Range. The rolling hills around Bemidji. The countryside makes me feel very at-ease. However, as soon as I roll into the residential areas, I practically feel queasy. The combination of the deteriorated buildings and my fairly fresh memories of growing up are a brutal combination. I have friends who grew up in the same town and have polar-opposite feelings about "going home." They don't seem to mind the five hour drive to spend the weekend. I have to psyche myself up to make the trek under the very best circumstances.

How about you?
What's it like to visit the town you grew up in?

Owen's Kindergarten Music Program

2009-05-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

Selected numbers from a fabulous program at Peter Hobart on Friday, May 1--thank you kindergarteners, classroom teachers and Rhonda Jamison!

(Owen is in the middle row, approximately under the "K's" in the program title.)

Rock and Roll Spring Recital

2009-04-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

These little girls have been a highlight of each of my weeks this school year. They are adorable and squirrely and they sure put their best feet forward on their recital day. Their teacher, Heather Bisonette, sewed all these colorful poodle skirts and had matching ribbons for their hair...the girls were just tickled with their twirly costumes!

Twilight

2009-04-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

I wasn't quick to jump on this Vampire bandwagon. My younger sister read Twilight and had rave reviews for it many months ago. It was completely resistible for me, though... I don't do spooky. I typically avoid witches and vampires with enthusiasm. (My reasons range from spiritual to fear-induced...) Well, on a lark, I downloaded the movie Twilight to try out my new iTouch (Wednesday). Let's just say, it was fairly gripping. The next morning, I went out and bought the frist two books in Stephenie Meyer's series. (These weren't stereotypical vampires!) I got through both books by the end of Friday and headed out for last two on Saturday morning. Sure enough, I spent much of Easter Sunday absorbed in the vampire and werewolf finale...

You can guess that I have good reviews for the Young Adult series (labeled as such because the main characters are in high school when the saga begins.) Funny, since everyone ends up immortal... I haven't read anything so romantic or so engaging in a very long time. I say it was "Dark Disney." Just like the animated princess movies for children that paint life and love as it will never be and cause extremely frustrated expectations all through life, Twilight suceeds in perpetuating the charged, romantic notions for another generation. I feel sorry for the parents of teenagers who have read the books (and for the people those teens will eventually date and marry!!!) Thankfully, I don't have teens yet and could read and enjoy the heady tale of first and only love with giddy pleasure.

Meyer crafted these novels. They are practically seamless! Even if you don't love the stories or the genre, I don't think you can criticize her workmanship! Every supernatural power had a purpose and every character was entwined in the outcome. She makes me want to write books!

Torture at American Girl

2009-03-31T07:24:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh, spring break...only the weather systems don't know it. Nonetheless, we are trying to make the best of it and we were off to a really good start. Yesterday we arrived at IKEA shortly after they opened. The kids checked in to Smaland to play and I bought a new down comforter with some birthday money. I picked up the kids and we headed over to get frozen yogurt cones. On our way to the bistro seating, there was a gal doing really cool face-painting...compliments of IKEA. Katie got an amazing tabby cat mask painted and Abby got a tiny Hello Kitty on her hand. Then we headed to Legoland where we played and helped comfort a little boy who was lost until he could be reunited with his mom. Katie picked out a couple of new outfits, a swimsuit and shoes for summer (thank you G'ma Karen and G'pa Jay!) Finally, we made our way to the American Girl store.

Katie has been devouring books lately...we love this! She has read through two of the American Girl historical series and is working on a third--Kaya (a Native American girl.) She's also read a couple of the contemporary stories about Chrissa. It seemed like a fun idea to visit the store that celebrates these stories she has enjoyed so much. Well, there was apparently a misunderstanding about the goal of our visit. She was convinced that she would get to bring home a doll. In case you don't move in this world, you ought to know that these dolls cost a hundred dollars...and then you add on any number of cool, period-specific accessories... Some time ago, I mentioned to Katie that if she was ever interested in getting one of the dolls, it would be a good birthday wish item and I'd like to know which her favorite was.

Recall that she had her face two-thirds covered in yellow and back cosmetics and you will understand the drama that ensued when she began to cry over not buying a doll. "Why did you bring me here if you were just going to torture me?" she wailed in her characteristically LOUD cry. The salty tears blazed a messy trail down her face and began to drip onto her white shirt. Accusations and recriminations rang in my ears all the way from Bloomington back to St. Louis Park.

Thus ends a great day together.

2009-03-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a layout I did , featuring Abby and Ruby, with the Birdie Lou papers!

Birdie Lou Papers

2009-03-28T13:32:00.001-07:00

My best ideas are always someone else's =) That's the teacher in me...you look and listen for good ideas and then you appropriate them for teh greater good. Some of us even try to observe the rules of copyrights! Scrapbooking is the very same. Digital scrapbooking allows you to take a great idea that isn't on archival paper (or even on PAPER!) and make it work for you. These "Birdie Lou" papers were inspired by the super-cute planner by Silver Lining that I bought at Barnes and Noble.

Free Scrapbooking Digi-Papers

2009-03-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

A few papers to share from a set that began with a photograph of a cosmos blossom. They are on the bold side...what can you do with them?

Sad Blogger

2009-03-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

Face it, if you blog, you want somebody to read what you write or check out what you post. When I first began to post, it was for a scrapbooking challenge posted on the Close to My Heart consultant bulletin boards. A few of us were taking part, so we tended to check on each other's progress from time to time. Plus, I conned a couple of girlfriends into checking the posts once in a while. I honestly think that was more interesting because it was a dark time for me. I was really struggling with my depression and anxiety and had tried to be off medication (bad idea) and then got back on a new Rx (not easy, either.) After I got happy again, I believe I started posting a bunch of my goofy house projects, random and only occasional thoughts, and a bunch of stuff about the kids. Well, at that point, maybe a blog is only interesting to the grandparents.

What does it take to get you to read a blog? Post a comment to tell me and I'll be high as a kite.

Here is what I like when I read blogs:
1. Something super personal by someone I know
2. Something funny by anyone
3. Free digital scrapbooking downloads (my fav right now!)
4. Cool photos from people I know
5. Lots of crafty things

Other than the few scrapbooking blogs I check regularly, my favorite blog is written by Kristi Elker from Rochester, MN. I met Kristi many years ago when I was at Bible College. We never really knew each other while we were both in Bemidji, but she married someone I had known. When I saw her on a mutual friend's Facebook, I got in touch. She writes well, is very thoughtful about matters spiritual and intellectual, says funny things, likes a lot of the same things that I do, and is a little further down the parenting path than I am. Last I had seen her was fourteen years ago, right after her daughter was born. Strange thing, I actually ran into her and her kids a couple of weeks ago at a truckstop on the way up north. (I recognized the kids from pictures on the blog!) Long winded way to say, you could check out her blog,too: www.stuffthingsaremadeof@blogspot.com

Seriously, I said, "LEAVE A COMMENT!"

Kids' Conferences

2009-03-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

My children have split personalities. They have two apiece. Home personality and school personality. According to Mrs. H., Owen is charming, polite, always thinking about something. He is a superstar reader and a math prodigy. According to Miss K., Katie is a top-of-the-class kind of reader who's got math wrapped around her finger. She's a sweet girl and a great friend.

According to me, yeah they are both a couple of smartie pants... Holy cow, though, they must use up a lot of good behavior at school because they are uncooperative, combative, complaining and ornery with me and each other. I am being paid back for their father's childhood behavior.

Time Makes Everything Garbage

2009-03-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

I had this realization last week. It sounds very pessimistic, but that is not how I mean it. I was cleaning the laundry room and utility room and clearing my crafting supplies out of the family room in the basment. In case you didn't know this about me, I like to keep stuff. For a long time. As I was sorting, I was just tickled with every item that I could throw away or donate. It dawned on me that the only difference between when I stored the throw-away items and now was the time elapsed. Apparently my attachment to a lot of things fades over time. SO...time had made garbage out of my stuff.

For some reason, I continued to think about this concept. It applies quite aptly to my physical body, for sure. I feel time making garbage out of that on a daily basis. It also applies to all the material things that we hold so dear. Why, if it will eventually be garbage, do we care so much? Maybe if I remember the destiny of this "stuff" I will hold on to it a little more loosely.

Owen=Artist

2009-03-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

Every child has his or her own special "thing." Strength, talent, character trait...whatever it is. Since he was very young, Owen has shown an interesting aptitude for drawing. He has these super-stylized , comic-book characters. For a long time I wondered if these characters were people, but he assured me that they are aliens. (When the kindergarten teacher asked him to draw a person, it looked like a person.) He prefers to draw in frames. We have files on our computer that are called "Owen Grid" and "Owen Grid 2" so we can print off endless copies of his drawing frames in a couple different sizes. Every once in a while, we staple together a stack of his pages and add a book to his collection.

These are a couple of my personal favorites from this week. The first guy looks like an evil teddy bear. The second looks like Randolf from Monsters, Inc. (Owen explained that he was walking away from the viewer, turning back to snarl over his shouder!) Although these two are less eye-catching, they had to be included here because they are part of a dynasty...the Dynasty of Wonder Owl. In a drawing session with his dad, Owen created the character Wonder Owl and some villians to accompany him. He draws these characters over and over! I wonder if anyone sees the Ed Emberley inspiration? Mark and I both had copies of his drawing books...Mark had originals that he had pored over as a kid and I had copies that I purchased when I first started teaching because I remembered them so fondly. Now they belong to Owen. It's the perfect style for him.

So much of our daily life is consumed with kids being ordered around or yelled at, but when I can take a minute to single out something really special about one of my kids...well, there's plenty of reason to be proud. Look for upcoming entries about the girls!

Melted Circuit

2009-03-05T15:34:00.000-08:00

Two out of five holes cut in the plaster in the living room...what price, electricity? The worst part is that I have to buy more of that ORANGE paint. I knew I should have purchased a gallon in the first place.

Crying Tired

2009-03-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

Most of you will know what I'm talking about...you know how exhausted you feel after you have had a really hard cry. Your head is throbbing and your cheeks still feel the burn from the salt. Your muscles are tired and you just want to sink into some warm blankets to give into sleep.

That's how I feel today, minus the salty cheeks. I haven't been crying, it's just the anxiety over so much chaos. We were so blessed to have friends put us up for a couple of days (and cook for us!), but the disruption in routine was still tough. We were back and forth to the house, feeding pets and picking up forgotten necessities. The kids had to be shuttled back and forth to school (when they desperately wanted to ride their bus.) The dog barked like crazy and had to be watched like a hawk (it's one thing to clean up poop on my own carpet...) Plus, we still had normal things to attend to and the first three days of the week are crazy with tutoring, piano, prayer meetings, dance class, etc.

After the construction workday ended yesterday, the contractor said that the drywall tapers probably wouldn't be able to get here until Monday. This was the first time that we had to say, "That just isn't going to work for us." Leaving the house the way it is until then isn't an option and neither is moving it all again in five days. I haven't heard a resolution to the situtation, yet, but of course my phone died while we were gone and I can't track down the charger...

Betty Lou Wants a New Tatoo

2009-03-03T08:18:00.000-08:00

I just saw Facebook photos of an old highschool friend as he got a full forearm tatoo. (It looked super, cool, by the way.) Thought I'd throw it out there that I have been thinking quite a bit about getting another tatoo...something a bit more spiritual than my cute little cherries. So, what do you think? I have two questions: What should I get? Where should I get it? (My criteria on this second one is that I want a place that can remain pretty private most of the time, but that won't embarass the heck out of me to reveal to the tatoo artist, either.) So...if you have any great ideas, I'd love to hear them. Maybe if I pick yours, you can come along with me for the tatoo ;)

Photoshop Elements Tutorial for Blog Headers

2009-02-28T13:42:00.000-08:00

This tutorial provides the basic steps for customizing a header in Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 for use with Blogger. Creating the tutorial was a learning process for me and I wish the screen shots were more readable within the blog window. However, if you click on the image, you get a crisp, enlarged version from Picasa photo hosting and you can use the Back button in your browser to return to the blog. The pink text box provides more detailed instructions and the transparent pink boxes provide reference points. Each screen shot is followed by a brief description of the step.

Step 1: Create a new file in PSE.

Step 2: Bring digital elements into your Editor workspace.

Step 3: Use your Text tool to add text over your graphics.

Step 4: Merge Layers once you are satisfied with your composition.

Step 5: Save your file as a .jpeg or .png.

Step 6: As a part of the saving process, choose the relative size of the .jpeg file.

Step 7: Open your blog and choose Customize on the toolbar.

Step 8: Click on the Edit button on the header element.

Step 9: Select From your computer and browse to find the file you created. Open the file and then choose your placement. Be sure to save your changes. Preview or view blog to see the results.

Step 10: Evaluate and adjust the size of the header, as needed.

Another Day in Paradise

2009-02-26T07:18:00.000-08:00

You may remember a little smoke problem I mentioned yesterday? Here's the why-for! When the guys were pulling off the exterior wall, and outside outlet wire got cut and the bare wire landed against the metal box. It couldn't reach the ground and did some crazy thing (read:there's an electrical explanation that I didn't understand) and took out that entire circuit down to breaker box, wiping out the wires and the breaker! That was my living room and part of the basement. As a sidebar, the surge melted the connections inside of two of our cannister lights over the dining table. That's what you see above.

The plan: The fine electrician I met yesterday, Aaron of e2 in Hutchinson, will return on Monday to cut holes in my living room walls (plaster) and our basement (drywall over wood paneling) to fish new wire, repair the circuit and replace the breaker. Then, our contractor gets to fix all the walls and foot the bill.

By the way, I'm asking my step-dad, Tim, for new breakers for my birthday =)

Streeeeeesssssed

2009-02-25T07:26:00.000-08:00

Through my temporarily thin walls I hear, "Come here. I can't tell where it's coming from."
I think, "Crap." I slip on my boots and beat it out to where the guys are working. "You can't tell where what is coming from?"
"It's not good. There's smoke and I can't tell where it's coming from."
Back in the house I go to wrangle the kids. Yep, there's smoke in the kitchen. Not a lot, but some. I check above and below and there aren't any interior signs of a problem. The guys keep tearing off the old insulation, hoping to get a better look. It seems to be coming from the floor cavity.

I don't need this!

(And as I write, we still don't know what is up. Oh yeah, and teh power is out in my kitchen and living room and we can't figure out why.)

Bubble Bunch Weekend

2009-02-23T08:19:00.000-08:00

It was our annual high school girls' gathering this past weekend (2/20-22) and we convened at Laura's new home in Forest Lake. Just down the winding road from her house is "The Lake House", a very nice restaurant on the waterfront, where we had dinner. (I highly recommend the sirloin and the Mac and 4 cheeses!) We shared lots of giggles with our server who was supposed to wrap up our leftovers in the shape of a loon, but who didn't feel especially competent with the tin foil! She did, however, have a breakthough moment between our first and second loons! Can you tell which is which???

Next Phase: Remediation

2009-02-20T14:30:00.000-08:00

This is one week after the ugly mushrooms reared their heads. Yesterday, off came the north wall of the house! The crew of 3 tore off the boards, pulled out the old insulation, and sanded, scrubbed and vacuumed the remaining mold. By the time they left at 3:30, they had re-insulated, covered everything with poly, and cleaned up!

Today, the north side was boarded back up with plywood and covered with wrap and they started the same process again on the east side.

Our mold and remodeling specialist, Paul, stopped by today to check the work. He felt reassured that they had taken the right approach because there were more mushrooms growing on the back sides of boards that they had identified as problematic. An inspector came out, as well, and was pleased with the thorough work.

ABIGAIL GRACE CHRISTIANSEN!

2009-02-20T10:08:00.000-08:00

My sweet, sweet Abby Cadabby...
*sigh*

Blog headers...a retrospective

2009-02-20T08:22:00.001-08:00

I decided to chronicle the changing headers I use on the blog. I wish I had started right away, because there were some funny ones at first (funny, as in dumb and ugly.)

The new one today is "Newspaper Flourish." The workers are pulling out old insulation on the house and brought me in a piece. It is essentially two pieces of kraft paper with a newspaper sewn inside. The paper is the Minneapolis Star Journal from April 11, 1940. The flourish on the header is digitally cut from a photo I took of a page full of "women's interest" articles and ads! Bridal monograms, fashion, cleaning tips, etc. Ironic since that is soooooo not my life! The word art is made from the font, "James Fajardo."

Dandelion Header lasted about 15 hours. 3 of which I spent trying to size the graphic to fit correctly into the template. Without success. I did re-use the font, "James Fajardo," though.
Tatoo Header stuck around for quite a while and will probably come back from time to time (in some form.) The main font is "Oklahoma" and the smaller one is, "My Old Remington."

What about Lyrics?

2009-02-20T07:29:00.000-08:00

It occurs to me that I have never elaborated on the name I chose for this blog. (Sometimes I think I should have called it, "Too Much Information." But, no.)

I have a habit of speaking out whatever song lyric fits the moment I'm living. This goes way back. My first clear recollection of doing it is when I lived in Mexico City and roomed with Chrissy. It was a lonely, homesick time during those first several months. We took on Elton John's song, "I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues" as our coping theme song.

The lyric of the moment was:

Don't wish it away,

Don't look at it like it's forever.

Between you and me,

I can honestly say

That things can only get better.

Sometimes I still say the shorthand of this to myself. Kris, don't wish it away. It turns out that it is very applicable to my life as a parent.

My habit continued into college where I listened almost exclusively to country music. Unfortunately, I think the lyrics shaped my actions a little too much rather my circumstances prompting me to quote the lyrics. The one I remember so clearly was always quoted, with a sigh. Tanya Tucker sang:

It's a little too late

to do the right thing now.

A lot of songs make me feel very wistful about specific events and times in my life. They have so much power. Some folks (my husband and son, especially) hear the MUSIC in a song...the guitar riff, the harmony, the drumbeat. But I don't. I hear the lyrics. So I speak the lyrics.

Now I'm looking for some new lyrics. My defining moments and songs over the past several years have looked mostly like this:

Put away those carpet squares,

You're gonna break my heart.

(Justin Roberts, Not Naptime)

I'm ready for a new collection. (I was going to say "of CDs" and then I had to stop because we're on to MP3s, now, aren't we?) Maybe I'll just say "soundtrack." I need a new soundtrack.

My Two Best Recipes

2009-02-18T17:36:00.000-08:00

One of these seems really fancy, but is really easy. The other seems underwhelming, but it tastes fabulous. Mark will agree that these are my two best recipes!

Not That Fancy Bruschetta (based on a Let's Dish recipe)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
Italian dressing (not the creamy variety)
2 stems fresh basil, coarsely chopped (see my tip later about an alternative)
1 T. chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 seeded, diced Roma tomato
8 oz. (uncooked) orzo pasta
8 slices of Texas Toast
butter, salt and shredded parmesan to taste

1 day to 1/2 hour in advance, place thawed chicken in a container and cover it with about 1/2 c. of Italian dressing.

Prepare pasta and Texas toast according to package directions. While they are cooking, remove the chicken from the marinade, but reserve the dressing. Saute the chicken in olive oil for 5 minutes and then remove chicken to a plate. Add the basil, sun-dried and Roma tomatoes to the saute pan along with a tablespoon or so of the reserved dressing. Cook on medium until the liquid has reduced somewhat to a creamy texture. Return the chicken to the pan and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.

Serve chicken atop the toast with a side of buttered orzo. Generously top both with parmesan!

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE EASY: Whenever I buy or harvest fresh basil, I make sure to have some Roma tomatoes on hand. I chop up all the basil and dice the tomatoes in the proportions of the recipe and fill an ice-cube tray with the fresh mix. Then, I fill the tray with water, cover and freeze. Later I move the cubes to a zipper bag and pull out about three at a time when I want to make this dish. The only difference is that it takes slightly longer to reduce with the bit of extra water.

Ritz Casserole

1 box of fried rice-flavored Rice-a-Roni
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boiled and cubed
8 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. sliced almonds
1 roll of Ritz crackers, crushed
1/4 c. butter

Prepare Rice-a-Roni according to package directions and place in the bottom of a square casserole dish. Sprinkle almonds over the rice mix. In a medium bowl, mix chicken, sour cream and soup until the chicken is evenly coated. Spread chicken mixture over the almonds. In a small bowl, melt the butter and add to that the crushed crackers. Sprinkle the crackers over the chicken mix and bake for 25 minutes, uncovered at 350 degrees.

This recipe is quite rich. You may chose a light sour cream, reduced fat soup and/or less butter with the crackers to lighten it up.

Long Ago

2009-02-18T06:04:00.000-08:00

Katie's 2nd Grade class is studying "Long Ago" and they have been learning about pioneer days. Today they will visit Cahill School in Edina and they are all dressing up to be " in character." They'll eat lunch during their field trip and she has hers packed in a little basket, all wrapped up in a fabric napkin. (She didn't buy into the idea of packing beef jerky to eat, though!)

While this post is supposed to be about how cute Katie looks...I can't help but mention that...I ROCK! After the contractor left at NINE O'CLOCK last night, I whipped up this costume. She had the blue dress from Lands End, so I just added the details. But look at that bonnet!!! I did that! With no pattern! (I was so relieved when the "visor" part turned out!) So...I'm extra-invested in how cute Katie looks today =)

Wow, this is a MOMENT. It is not very often that I realize that I have done something good as a mom.

"X" Marks the Spot

2009-02-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

Months after the hail storm that damaged our siding, were were finally getting it replaced. The story is LONG. The insurance was only willing to replace the north and west faces of the house. Since our existing siding was aluminum, our contractor was able to wrap the whole house in vinyl for the insurance proceeds. Work started on Thursday 2/12 and we were quite pleased. By lunch time on Friday 2/13...not so much. Kyle and Eric discovered mushrooms growing behind the tarpaper. After a quick consultation with their mold remediation expert, the guys proceeded to put up the moisture barrier and mark the areas that would need to be addressed. It is painful to look at the red "x's" all over my house! There is mold on three sides in varying degrees. What we have ranges from "cleanable" to dry rot to MUSHROOMS. Tonight, Paul comes back to talk mold again...*sigh*

On the plus side, Kyle and Eric were able to put up the vinyl on the front of the house, so at least one neighbor doesn't have the eyesore!

A Blog I Follow from Time to Time

2009-02-17T09:44:00.000-08:00

"Stuff Things Are Made Of" is a blog that I have come to enjoy. Kristi makes me laugh and makes me think about "stuff." A while ago she posted a list of things to blog about which I plan to work through. Since I've started blogging for our New Wineskins group and now for VBS planning purposes, I haven't done much with my personal blog and it is getting stale!

http://stuffthingsaremadeof.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-01-24T00%3A25%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=10

This One's For the Girls!

2009-02-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

Chicks

Click on the photo and you'll be taken to the host site where you can enlarge it to see the detail and read the journaling!

New Digi Scrapbook Pages

2009-01-22T14:13:00.001-08:00

Ruby, Ruby Ru!!!

2009-01-01T07:40:00.000-08:00

I was smitten...I couldn't help it. After we spent a couple of days visiting my sister and her Baby (miniature dachshund) I just couldn't get these pups off my brain. The internet is a dangerous thing because you can find whatever you are obsessing about SO EASILY. And I did. I was tickled to find a breeder 4 hours away. The next day (while Mark was considering my request) I found some puppies ready to go...1 1/2 hours away! I begged, I pleaded, I made puppy-dog eyes of my own...and then my sweet husband relented. The kids and I were out the door so fast...

Since this would be the first puppy the kids would ever experience, I thought it would be fun to surprise them. I put them in the van and wouldn't tell them where we were going...I just promised them a money-back fun guarantee. We arrived at Boondocks Happy Hounds in Oak Park (central MN) at about 12:45 on New Year's Eve day. There was another couple there who had driven up from Des Moines to adopt one from the same litter I had my eye on. There were six babies ready to go...4 1/2 and 3 1/2 months old. The other couple picked out their girl and the kids decided they were more than satisfied with the one I had tentatively chosen. Kari, the breeder, brought me to her outdoor facility so I could meet our pup's parents, Tilly (black and tan longhair) and Clyde (cream longhair.) This litter of puppies was bred because their had been a previous one that resulted in fabulously sweet pups from these parents. Tilly is getting older and Kari decided that she would be a mom one last time.

The kids and I brainstormed names as we drove home. Chocolate Cracker (Owen.) Blackie, because her eyes are black (Abby.) Barlow. Elsie. Nellie. Cinnamon. Ginger. Etc. Then Katie said, "What about "Ruby?"" The rest is history!

International Christmas Celebration

2008-12-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, December 14th, St. Louis Park Evangelical Free Church celebrated the season with an International Christmas Concert. Our entire family got in on the fun and craziness. Check out videos to hear the children sing, "Let There Be Music"; to hear Mark, Ndeko and Dieu-Donne sing in Swahili; and Mark, Kurt and I sing "A la nanita."

Kid Dance Program

2008-12-17T15:14:00.000-08:00

Abby and her Community Ed dancer friends performed today at the Lenox Community Center. Thank you, Heather Bissonnette, for your fabulous teaching and the extra effort that went into today's production!

Grrrrrrrrrrr

2008-12-13T17:19:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else hate this about winter in Minnesota?

Be A Blessing

2008-11-28T14:53:00.000-08:00

"Be a Blessing" has been the theme to my week. Our new ministry launch team talked last Sunday about asking God how we can be a blessing to people who don't know him. The next day, our church's monthly newsletter arrived in my mailbox and there was a blurb about an event that I was trying to get off the ground before the Christmas season. I had not even remembered that I titled it, "Be a Blessing." The idea behind the event is to make greeting cards (with an enormous collection of papercrafting supplies donated by Jill Gabrielson!) for people to use to encourage others. It was inspired, mainly, by the fact that there are a handful of people who do just that...send out birthday cards, notes to soldiers, thank you notes to people behind-the-scenes. I've spent the last few days making some samples so that people can have some ideas in front of them. I giggled as I looked at my effort...a little overboard!

Out of Date Already

2008-11-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

I know that Halloween is over (thank goodness!), but I had to share because I thought these turned out cute. Someone posted their take on goodie bags with these cute faces on the Close to My Heart consultants website and I couldn't find it when I wanted to copy it. Thankfully, there was something similar on Splitcoast Stampers. So, here were the little treat bags we did for some of our neighbor friends (since we would all be out trick-or-treating!)

Kids on Politics

2008-11-04T06:46:00.000-08:00

I have my voting plan...know where the precinct polling location is, plan to go after I drop the little one at preschool...the only thing is that I'm not certain for whom I'll vote. Jeez, it is election day. TODAY. And I'm still an undecided voter.

Heck, my kids have even voted already (in their mock "Scholastic" election at school.) Katie did want to verify with me, though, if it was true that McCain was for rich people and Obama was for poor people. I overheard a six year-old at Panera last night asking if "Barack was still ahead?" I would love to be a fly on the school bus window...what the heck are the kids talking about these days? I would have guessed Pokemon and Hannah Montana, not McCain and Obama.

The Message

2008-11-03T06:44:00.000-08:00

Eugene Peterson has written a contemporary paraphrase of the Bible and I thought that reading it might freshen up my heart for the scriptures.

Today I read a few chapters in Galatians and this passage "wowed" me.

from Galatians 3: 11-12
The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you.

Working on Making Old Friends

2008-10-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

Happy 7th Birthday, Zach!

Here is my layout with "Hypno News." The font is "My Old Remington" downloaded from the internet.

2008-10-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

2008-10-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

2008-10-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

2008-10-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

2008-10-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

Feel free to save these files to your own machine by right clicking on the image and choosing "save as..." They are 12x12 documents at 300 dpi.

If you have a chance to use the kit on your own creations, please e-mail me at krischristiansen@comcast.net so I can feature your layout!

Digital Freebie--HYPNO NEWS

2008-10-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

I have been happily creating and I want to share...it is the scrapbooking way! Here's the preview and the images will follow shortly!

Nothin' is Somethin', Punkin

2008-10-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

It was was of those Minnesota Fall weekends. I was tickled that we had "nothin'" going on. (Was I deluded?) Saturday was crisp and sunny and generally wonderful. We raked, Mark worked on winterizing the boat, etc. Then it was time for the annual trip to Sweet Corn and More for pumpkins. There are some adorable pictures of the kids and the 400 pound pumpkin, but I was most excited that there's a picture of US! SO, there will be scrapbook pages of the cute kids having fall fun, but today, I'm just pleased with this lone shot of this happy couple.

Yippee Ya-HOOOO

2008-10-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

Every single person in my household is healthy today.
All three children will be at school (at the same time!) for 2 1/2 glorious hours this afternoon.

Enough said.

If You're Keeping Track...

2008-10-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

Mark is holding on by severely limiting his eating...portions, fat, and spice.
Katie is at school.
Owen is on day 2 at home...add throwing up to his repertoire.
Abby is also on day 2, but she's fairly spunky.
Me. Who cares? I'm just the mom.

Halloween Costumes

2008-10-20T07:04:00.001-07:00

Do you know me? I hate Halloween...it hasn't been my thing since about fifth grade. Dressing up made me super self-conscious. Of course, my children adore it...well, sorta.

Katie chose a basic beautiful pink princess-y ballgown.

Abby Hollywood is actually Fancy Nancy.

They like and wear their costumes.

Owen wanted to be Mario. Well, how 'bout that. Sounds like work for mom. So I shopped and snipped and glued and stitched and primed and painted. When it came time to dress, he griped and fussed and tugged and smeared. It is so rewarding to be a parent.

This is the kids dressed for party #1. We couldn't wake Katie up to go to party #2 and Owen refused to wear his overalls and nose. Can't wait until the school celebration to see what drama ensues.

Happy Birthday Laura, Klaus & Kevin

2008-10-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

Two thirty-nines and a forty...

My long-time girlfriend, a high school classmate I haven't seen in 20 years and an old boyfriend all share today as a birthday. Man, are we getting old =)

Wacky Wednesday

2008-10-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

Katie has "FUN FRIDAYS" in Gym class, so we started talking about names for the other days of the week...Moronic Mondays, Terminal Tuesdays...well, Dr. Seuss already had Wednesday covered. Wacky Wednesday it is!

I sit at the computer to check in everywhere on the internet that I like to start my online day and I wonder, do I need "wacky?" Not today, please. K is finally back at school after missing three full days with a fever. Just in time for one day back and then a long weekend! Poor Mark is feeling miserable and had to go into work anyways. There are two Halloween parties, a rescheduled piano lesson, two swimming lessons and Mark's birthday in the next few days.

We are too busy.

Alone Time, Where Art Thou?

2008-10-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

Introvert/Extrovert....

Have you ever deone the Myers/Briggs Inventory? I took it during college when I was an R.A. and we were doing some team-building. Mostly, it told me what I already knew, but on the I-E spectrum, I was surprised. I landed pretty much on the line between introvert and extrovert. I thought that, given my inclinations towards public speaking and drama that I was a clear extrovert. Hum??

Years went by and I got married. That first year was hard for me. I didn't control everything in my world (Myers Briggs should add a Control-Roll Over spectrum.) And I didn't want company all the time and I really didn't even want to be with my husband all the time. I just wanted to be alone sometimes. Well, having three children in five years was not the answer to that problem, I tell you! Now, I'm up to my ears in parenthood and I sooooo understand why Myers-Briggs thought I could be an introvert. It turns out that introvert/extrovert is more about where you get your energy than how talkative you are. I clearly do NOT get my energy from other people. I like them just fine, I just need to have a quiet brain to refuel when I'm tired or to relax when I'm stressed.

It's right about now that I am longing for a little retreat. Far, far away. In the woods or by the lake. Alone.

Such a sweet, sweet word.

Live to Create

2008-10-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me today how I knew "so much about computers" (her words, not mine!) All I could tell her was that I just love technology and I learn so I can do...

There's something new that I want to be able to do...
I've been working to create some of my own digital scrapbooking supplies and a few things are cool enough that I'd like to share them. I need to learn how to link people up with them using the blog. (Other people make it look so easy...how do I zip this up, store it somewhere and give you a link????)

This is a preview of some sequined elements that I think are very cool and could be useful to someone! The real thing is a .png with 12" borders and a few other embellishments. I've already used them on a layout and I want to develop some more winter- and Christmas-themed embellishments. They remind me of those sequined Christmas bulbs with straight pins...

Sneaky Halloween

2008-10-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

Holidays always sneak up on me. It's like Halloween doesn't always come on the 31st of October and I'm suddenly surprised that I have to get costumes and candy. I have a helpful reminder this year, though, because Owen was invited to co-host a party with his friend and we need to be ready 2 weeks early! O will go as Mario of Nintendo fame, Katie is going to be...uh, a beautiful lady in a long pink gown/unspecified princess, Abby will be Fancy Nancy. The girls are pretty easy, but we will be crafting much of Owen's costume. Wish me luck! You can bet you'll see pictures here when we have achieved our "look."

Better?

2008-10-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

Gone is the black and red...I think this is better. Of course, if you are just looking at this now, you have no idea what I am talking about, but you didn't miss much!

Gone Goth

2008-10-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

I didn't mean for this to look so dark!
I'll work on it!

2008-10-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

Anyone who ever needs cheering up really should attend a dance class of three year-olds. It leaves me in stitches each time I watch!

Today I saw how little it takes to mold the thinking of a few little people. Three weeks ago when we started dance, it was pure chaos. No one knew where to stand. Today, each child dutifully went to her tape mark on the floor. The first week, my Abby didn't understand how to make her little body recline on her elbows so that she could free her feet to pedal in the air. Today...a pro.

These kids are so trusting and malleable at this age. They soak up every tiny bit of information. I'm used to watching that in a more academic sense, but it was neat to observe that in a physical way. Their brains and their bodies are so eager.

A few years ago, LeAnn Womack and Sons of the Desert had a huge crossover hit with "I Hope You'll Dance." It echoes in my ears today...

"When you have the choice
to sit it out or dance,
I hope you'll dance..."

Literally and figuratively, I hope my kids always choose to dance.

Thank you, Scott!

2008-10-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

I was just visiting a friend's family blog for the first time and he had these cool slideshows. I simply had to figure out how to make that happen here. Turns out, it is very simple...Picasa is super easy and the uploads are quick. Wow! And I'm not easy to impress.

Unfortunately, it also prompted me to while away an hour "redecorating" my blog.

The final product!

2008-10-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

Here's my beautiful, generous, made-over girl =)

Locks of Love

2008-10-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

One day last spring, Katie came home and told me she wanted to, '"I don't know, it sounds like 'dominate'," her hair! I cracked up. So we let it grow and grow. Thankfully it was fairly long when she got the idea because her hair doesn't grow that fast. Every fight over hair-brushing that we have had while she got ready for school was just another little bit of the gift!

Today is the big day! We researched the requirements...at least ten inches in a ponytail...and off we go! I cut the ponytail at home and now we will go to the salon for her finishing cut. She'll have a neat little stacked bob when the day is done. This girl is generous to the core!

The End of An Era

2008-10-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, my 12 year-old black lab, Chance, crawled under the deck, layed down and breathed his last. He was born on June 1, 1996 at my folks' house in Int'l Falls. At first, I spoke for Maki...the little female runt. She came to live with me when I got settled in my house in July.(I was still living in Chicago when they were born.) She was sweet and cute, but at thirteen weeks she had an episode that brought us into the vet immediately and she didn't get to go home with me. She had had a congenital defect and her little body had poisoned her blood. Jeesh. It had been a short time since I had put down my sick kitten, Garibaldi. I was so bummed out that I really struggled over getting another dog ...or... not putting myself through that again! After a bit of time spent with the remaining two puppies of the litter, I decided to try again. The family had been calling the pup "Remington," but I called him "Chance." My second chance. My last chance!

For twelve years, he was a faithful, guileless, lovey, rock-headed, half-blind friend. Back when I was dating, he helped me pick up guys. I don't think Mark would have had me if I hadn't been a "dog person." Then we ruined his life by getting Cobe, who immediately stepped up as the alpha male and bossed Chance around. Mind you, this started when Cobe weighed 10 pounds and Chance weighed 85. But they were brothers...playing and fighting, just like you would expect. Eventually, Cobe got them banished when he went bonkers on Katie. To the basement! They split their time between the back yard band their room for quite a few years. It wasn't a great quality of life, but Chance always stayed his dumb, happy self. Last winter, Chance started struggling with the stairs. A big old dog was bound to have trouble with his hips... Once it became a concern whether or not I could get him upstais in time to go to the bathroom, he came upstairs again and rejoined the family, so to speak. Owen had been very frightened of the dogs and he started to warm up to Chance. It was so cute. Katie had always been awesome with him and Abby was a real natural handler, too. All through the winter, spring and summer, Chance had his run of the house, lots of pets and cuddles and even a love affair with our bunny, Padme. It was a sweet time with lots of great photo ops! Those months reminded us of all the reasons you have a dog!

In July, he got sick...diarrhea and eventually not eating. I thought that was it for him. We talked at length with the kids about what might happen and just put off what we thought the inevitable decision would be until after Katie's birthday. Lo and behold, he perked up and got back to "full strength." Yeah, he had slowed down a lot and had dropped enough weight for it to be noticeable, but he was o.k. Life went on. Last week, he and Cobe went to the vet for their rabies and booster shots because I needed to get new city licenses for them. Doc was concered about Chance's weight loss, but there were no other signs of problems (to her obvious surprise.) On Wednesday night, Katie called to me and complained that Chance was making weird noises. She thought he had thrown up, but there was no mess. The next morning, he kind of did it again while we were eating breakfast (gross) so I let him outside in case he was going to be sick. It was a gorgeous fall day, so I left him out to enjoy it. At 5:00 or so, I put down his dish full of dinner and expected him to come prancing like always. He didn't. I called to him and he didn't answer. I checked the girls'room to make sure he wasn't shut in there, but there was no sign of him. I went out to the back yard and looked more thoroughly and that's when I spotten him. He just found a depression in the black dirt that kept him cool on hot days and called it quits.

Even in dying, my pooch was a sweet man. I had dreaded having to decide to have him euthanized and fully expected that the day would come. He made it as easy for us as he possibly could. He will be bittersweetly missed.

Chance (Remington) Bradseth Christiansen

June 1, 1996-October 2, 2008

The Clone Wars and Other Battles

2008-09-28T17:55:00.001-07:00

It feels like we just got beyond "back-to-school" and that things should settle down, but NO. This year, we had all three kids starting school (a great milestone for a stay-at-home mom!) We also started piano lessons, swimming lessons, and dance class. Pfwew, mom and dad are tired! Next, Mark played a benefit gig up north for a high school classmate who developed colon cancer. It was a good evening (and Grandma and Grandpa watched the kids!) and I was so proud of my guy...not only is he still a rock star, but he has an amazing heart. These guys (and Jenni, too) gave a lot of their time over the last few months to learn and relearn music, rehearse and be ready to play for Julie. Our prayers remain with her, but we celebrate that she is currently cancer-free!

That brings us to the CLONE WARS!

We celebrated Owen's birthday this weekend and he chose "Clone Wars" as his theme. (This goes to show how heavily influenced he is by marketing genius...we had never seen the cartoons and we still haven't seen the movie.) Seven boys, ages 5 and 6, make for a loud and crazy party. It cracked me up to see them make their way through their Jedi Training Course with Yoda in a backpack! They loved the twisty baloons which stood in for real light sabers until they all popped. I clocked it. 3 minutes for about 20 balloons. Everything was just right...we ran out of activities right as the parents arrived to pick up their newly knighted Jedi Masters. We have another 40 pounds of Legos around the house now, too...just a bonus.

DigiScrapping

2008-08-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

I really have been scrapbooking a lot this summer...all digital, though. I love it, even though I was hesitant to set aside the paper and scissors. So...here's a look!

There is a sad story, though, as to how this fluffball came to our home. If you read earlier posts, you'll remember Padme, the bunny love of my life. She met an untimely demise at the jaws of our dog. The next day, we stopped at the Humane Society for a bit of fuzzy comfort and this little man was poised and waiting for us! And then a rat bit Abby...oh, but that's another story!

Ebbs and Flows

2008-08-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

I always wondered why people had blogs and then only wrote in them a few times a year. Now, I know. Life moves and shifts and changes. When I started blogging, I was an intensely introspective time and it really helped me work through my thoughts. (I was also crazy deep into scrapbooking every single day...much to my husband's chagrin.) Later, I started a new blog when I wanted to get serious about my health and my diet.

It seems now that I'm in a more sociable time, I tend to log onto Facebook and see what people are up to.

I think I have addressed this topic here before...I have serious attention issues. My interests change SO FAST. I am intesely focused for a little while and, before you know, I have dropped that thing entirely.

Blogging is awesome, though, I think I will come back to it pretty regularly. Next on my "intense" agenda, though is my teacher relicensing. My brain (and my wallet) are really wanting to re-enter the work world!

Been Busy Living

2008-07-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

Life seems a perpetual fast forward.

It took about two weeks from the last post to get the floors done and the kids moved back into their rooms. A's kid party had to be relocated away from our house because of the mess and fumes. We barely had things back in time for the family party the following weekend. Now, the mopboards sit needing to be repainted (desperately) and the kids are itching for their room makeovers.

After the birthday and floor frenzies, we set about to accomplish a family goal that we have had for some time...go camping. We gathered what we thought were the essentials and reserved a campsite in southern Minnesota. Friday went smoothly and we got set up at the very nice and well-maintained RV resort and campground. On Saturday morning there was just enough time to walk the kids to the restrooms and back before the rain started. 7 a.m. and on and on... we had breakfast in the tent, hung out in the van, checked out the arcade and bemoaned our great luck with the weather. At 10:00, the resort had a kids' craft activity and we did that together. The sky was acting weird the whole time...rain, break in the clouds, a quick peek at the sun, dark clouds, distant thunder, rain again. Brave, brave Mark took the kids swimming in the heated outdoor pool. The water might have been 80 degrees, but the air was about 68. I had on long pants and a sweatshirt! After a wet lunch and more s'mores, the girls and their dad took advantage of a break in the rain to go fishing. It was short-lived, but they were delighted since they caught fish! Our plans to mini-golf never came to fruition...more rain. I napped while the kids checked out a movie at the activity center. They weren't very interested, so they played a bit of shuffleboard (or "shuffleboard war" as O wanted to shoot from opposite ends and try to hit each other!) Before we could build another fire and make dinner, it started in again with the heavier rain and the girls both conked out. We eventually did eat and made it to the family dance for about an hour. It was strange that the kids didn't last longer, but we would discover that two of the three were sick! After one more fire (and MORE s'mores) the guys hung out and chatted and we girls hit the hay. O was up sometime after 2 to use the bathroom...his stomach was just out of sorts. A was throwing up at 4 and then drifted back to sleep on my part of the air mattress. That left her dad sunken on his side and me on the hard, rancid, wet floor. Did I mention that it kept raining during the night??? Fortunately everyone slept til just after 8:00, waking to blue skies and moderate temps. Ahhhhh... We broke camp quicker than a New York minute and headed home for a noon meeting at church.

Life is good.

No kidding, it was busy!

2008-05-26T17:10:00.000-07:00

I knew I hadn't posted in a while, but I didn't realize that it had been over a month! We're all well...no tragedies, no emergencies.

My Owen finished preschool last week and will be off to kindergarten in the fall. We're wrapping up school for Katie...our public schools don't let out until the 10th of June! Does that seem late to anyone else? That also happens to be Abby's birthday and will mark her first little friend party. The next weekend, we'll celebrate with family and honor the dads while were at it.

I'm tired just thinking about it.

To make matters more interesting, I painted the living room and began a big overhaul of a little room. That probably merits an entire post of its own! This weekend, Mark decided in earnest to refinish the remaining two rooms of hardwood floors. We've had a variety of experiences with those...thick, hard adhesive; black, tarry adhesive; and finally, NO NOTHING BUT HARDWOOD. We were so tickled when we began to tackle the last room today and it was the best of the four areas we have done. (We were also glad that we hadn't done that room first and discovered the other disasters as we went along!)

Happy Memorial Day to all.

Busy Season

2008-04-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

May officially begins one of our family's two "busy seasons." (The second one runs from late September through Christmas!) This one is ramping up a little early this year.

Two weekends ago, my girlfriend and I waited out the storm and made our girls' weekend trip a day late. We had a fanatastic time and I hope to post some funny (to me) pictures on the blog, but, honestly, I'm trying to make a couple of quick scrapbooks to share with the girls first. Last weekend, DH went on the company reward trip to Cancun for 4 days and it was all I could do to survive. (I'd be a poor single mother.) Last week, Abby had day surgery to remove a bump from her finger, Katie had a field trip to the History Center and Owen had a field trip to Orchestra Hall. There was a lot of scheduling and running around, but it was all important family stuff. And I'm tired.

My back went out and has been giving me trouble, so I've been to the chiropractor umpteen times in April. It was better and now it's worse, again.

But, Hubby is home and the sun is finally out. Yesterday was gorgeous weather for a Minnesota April and then it stormed last night. Yeah! Spring has arrived!

One final update...Padme Bunny is doing spectacularly. She is a very messy girl, but that's my only complaint. We have her "condo" constructed and it suits her well. She sits for long spells in front of a mirror (keeping herself company? vanity?) She eats like I can't believe. She's this tiny thing and she just chows. For the record, she doesn't like celery or green pepper =) Katie is doing her Imagination/Inventors Fair project on her and that is this Thursday night. Kate has been very involved in her care...she's great with animals. Now, we have two days to document that "care" for the fair and prepare to show her off.

It's April Already, Quit With The Snow

2008-04-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a quick, to the point tantrum.
!@#$%%#$^&&*()*&^%$$

I am supposed to go with my girlfriends for our annual weekend tomorrow AND WE ARE UNDER A WINTER STORM WARNING! Could get 8 inches of snow.

This sucks.

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you...

2008-04-02T06:26:00.000-07:00

Awww, rabbit husbandry. What a delight. Apparently my memories of rabbit care are very selective or we completely ignored our rabbits. For instance, I don't remember anyone chasing bunnies around the house, cleaning up their poop along the way. I guess I remember a dirty, stinky rabbit cage. I don't remember cutting up fresh vegetables for them every day and replenishing their hay twice a day. All I remember are the pellets. And now the vet says, "those pellets are way to fattening to feed a pet rabbit." I certainly DON'T remember taking rabbits to the vet!

Katie has been an awesome help! She's so willing to learn all the details of bunny care. She has practiced poop pick-up with paper towels, a mini broom and dustpan, and the hand-vac! The face she's making in the picture was just for effect =) It's part of her Imagination/Inventors Fair project. We're taking pictures of each step in Padme's care and Katie's documenting them on a display board.

Welcome to the family!

2008-03-31T07:27:00.000-07:00

Spring fever is a strange thing in me. I used to regularly chop off all my hair around April. More recently, I've taken to going ga-ga over animals when spring rolls around. One year it was a freezing cold April trip to see baby animals at the zoo. Four years ago, it brought us to the Humane Society and we came home with our beloved cat, Levi. Well, this year...it got us our first-ever family bunny.

Let me introduce you to Padme (pad-may, for those of you who aren't Star Wars fans!) She is a dwarf lionhead rabbit, 14 weeks old. She is also very hard to get a good picture of! She's a busy girl. We love her already and it's a good thing since she poops all over the place and peed on our bed last night.

You can surely expect more stories and pictures in upcoming posts.

This one's for you, Eden!

2008-03-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

For the rest of you, here's the story...
my younger, newlywed sister got a miniature daschund in October. Most everyone (including her new husband) thought she was loca since she already had a big ol' black lab. Well, her heart and her mind were set!

My kids were instantly smitten! Abby was just crazy about this little pooch. Katie was already an animal lover, so she was sold. Even Owen, who had hated dogs (especially little dogs) up to this point, really wanted to get to know this dog.

Heck, I even think she's pretty cute.

Voila!

2008-03-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

NEED...MORE...TOOLS...

SO, here I am trying to sew these slipcovers and I realize that I am missing some basic sewing tools. (Never mind that I had to borrow the sewing machine from Diana, in the first place!) What a difference a tape measure and a pincushion make!
Then, I did it! I finished my slipcovers. I fought myself hard in order to do it, but they are FINISHED. And they don't really look like I intended, but I am moving on. Each cover ended up being 2 pieces and the skirt has both pattern and color. Mark thinks I'm nuts...I added ANOTHER PATTERN and ANOTHER COLOR. He doesn't realize that I'm working toward layers (like on my scrapbook pages!) It's just that we can't do it all at once for the sake of a budget and he can't see the "effect" that I see inside my crazy head. Oh, well. It's not like he's going to decorate the living room, so he pretty much has to trust me!

In order to pacify us both, though, I did need to move some color and pattern "up" because it has concentarted on the floor so far (with the rug, ottomans and chair skirts.) Hence the little pillows which were fun, instant gratification. And to dress things up a little, I got out the embroidery needle and floss and free-handed a little design on one of them. I'm so tickled with how it turned out.

An additional benefit has been to my ego. Neither Mark nor my good friend Helen knew that I had these basic skills and they seemed quite impressed. (I'm not used to impressing anyone at this stage in my life!) Anyway, it made me reflect a little on the fact that I'm not a superb specialist, but I really haved turned into a fantastic generalist. Honestly, it's useful to be a generalist in my current occupation =) Furthermore, it is a pretty natural outcome for someone with my short attention span. I'm learning to embrace that part of myself. Say it with me...I AM A QUITTER! I quit more pursuits than most people will ever start in a lifetime =) As a result, I know a little bit about a lot of things.

Duh!

2008-03-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

It just occurred to me that I could have airbrushed myself thin in these pictures of my tatoo.

I'm quick

2008-03-03T10:59:00.000-08:00

O.K. I'll try this header for a bit. At least it is uniquely "me."

New Template

2008-03-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

Switchin' things up a bit...
come back soon and, hopefully, you'll find a new header, as well.

The Tatoo

2008-03-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

It was 1995.

Broadway and Wilson, in the northern part of Chicago.

The Tatoo Factory.

I was 25 and completely sober and knew just what I wanted. $60 and 20 minutes later, I was sporting this mild and cute little tatoo on my waist. Plus, they gave me a cool t-shirt that said, "You Bet It Lasts Forever." (And yes, of course it hurt.)

I've never regretted it. A co-worker said to me when I first got it, "Those cherries are going to look like plums when you're pregnant!" Fortunately that was never the case since I never got very big during pregnancy. The cherries are a little faded and could use a touch-up on the colored portions, but I don't get over to the tatoo shops much anymore with my three kids!

Fish Kiss

2008-02-25T08:27:00.002-08:00

This layout has been sitting on my table for 4 days. Why some are so hard to compose, I do not know. The original color scheme for this was purple, bubblegum pink, watermelon pink (playing off her rubber boots) and topiary green. It just wouldn't work for me and finally, I decided to use the colors in her life vest.

You absolutely must enlarge the right side of the layout to get a good look at the "fish kiss" picture. It is definitely the best part of the layout!