Double RAK'd!

Whoa! I got RAK'd twice in one day, and really within about 15 minutes of each other! The first RAK was from Madame Mim. She sent me this lovely kit called Guinevere's Tale:

The papers are amazing! All handmade! So gorgeous!

So, I captured this extremely cool picture of Reid, complete with Dandelion Seeds!

And I used her gorgeous kit to turn it into this:

Other Stuff I used:
Printer Blocks Alpha from Kim Hill
and font is Dakota Handwriting

The second RAK was from the talented Candice Wong. I think she knew I needed to see her stuff so she sent this to me to lure me into spending more money on the rest of the gear in her shop. She's got some absolutely to die for items! Here's Spring Flowers, which she sent me. I'll let you know when I've got a LO with it! Ta ta for now!

You can get her stuff at DigiGirlsDesigns OR at Purple Paper Flowers

Okay, now! It's very late (even later than it was this time last night, thanks to the time change) SO…I'm off to bed. see you next time. (Maybe I'll have more to tell and less to show next time!)

This is What happens when it Snows Twice in A Week…In Texas!

The snow started falling like crazy around 11:00 pm on Monday night. I threw the tripod out on the front porch and captured this amazing pic. This is our tree that has landscape lighting coming from below. I love the way it looks, and I love the streaks from the falling snow too.

I tried to wake Kenneth up, I really did! I was so excited, and I wanted him to see it, but he was out cold. (I only WISH I could sleep that soundly!) By the next morning though, our whole yard was completely smothered in vanilla ice cream. It was so beautiful! I got up very early and went out to snag a few shots before the kids were even out of bed. Of course, you can count on Texas for this bizarre juxtaposition:

When it snows, the tradition in my extended family is to call each other up on the telephone and say simply, "Look outside!" We don't even need to say, "It's snowing." We need only say, "Look outside," and the other person knows immediately what that implies. So…I sent an email to all my family entitled, "Look Outside" with this picture:

Of course we had to go out and play in it, which provided even more photo opportunities. I got the group shot first and then I moved on to the boys. I should have done Eleanor first because…by the time I got to her, well, a picture is worth a thousand words! (But doesn't she look like a little pink marshmallow peep, even through the tears?)

The one of the three of them together turned out nicely I think, too bad it's too late to use it for a Christmas card!

Michael even got one of me!



They only lasted about five minutes at a stretch playing in the stuff, but they really had a great time. I still remember the overwhelming joy on snowdays. About mid morning, Kenneth said to me, "Is school out? Because if it's school out for them, can we copy after them just this once? Pur-leeeeezze?" I'd already pretty much decided that even homeschooled kids ought to have a snow day, just for the experience of it. Each time they came back in, they expected hot chocolate, complete with whipped cream on top, of course. I keep a can of whipped cream in the fridge for just such occasions. They get a mug filled about 1/3 of the way with hot chocolate and then I fill up the rest with whipped cream. ( I usually refill the whipped cream once too!) On a cold snowy day when they are in and out every five minutes, that can add up to a lot of hot chocolate! Who needs lunch?!

Well, since I let them off the hook for schoolwork, I figured I had to do something productive with the day, so we tackled the job of cleaning their room. Not just the usual tidy-it-up stuff, either, I shoved all the debris from the closet floor out into the middle of the room, and made them put everything where it actually goes. When Legos are your passion, this can become a monumental task. All the while, Reid was clamoring to build a snowman. He kept running to the window to see if the snow had melted yet. I promised him we would build the snowman as soon as Eleanor went down for her nap. As soon as she did, and the room was clean, out we went. Kenneth, who was all done with the snow by then, chose to participate in a strictly advisory role through the window. We built him right outside the boys' bedroom so they could see him from their bunk beds. He didn't even last an hour! He had already toppled. I'm glad I got the pictures when I did! He has mushrooms for eyes, a traditional carrot nose, and a red bell pepper slice smile.

Reid was quite proud.

So then, the snow melted away and the next day it was 60 degrees and the snow was just a distant memory. The boys asked me, "When will it snow again?" I sighed wistfully, "Not until next year." (or not…)
When the first snow fell, I pulled my REI hiking boots out of semi-retirement. I hadn't worn them since our hike in Grenada on our cruise 3 years ago. In fact, they were still covered with mud from Grenada! They were perfect snow shoes. They kept my feet dry and warm. When I took them off, I left them in the mudroom, but this morning, I was tidying up. I put them away, and actually thought, "who knows when I'll need these again! I better put them away so they don't stay in the mudroom until July!" Yeah, right. Little did I know I'd have them right back on again this afternoon. It was 80 on Sunday, and 60 yesterday for crying out loud!

When it started piling up this afternoon, the boys were in heaven!

Eleanor liked it better today too!

And, when we came inside, and I started mixing up the hot chocolate, Eleanor took her finger and made a gesture as though she were pressing on the nozzle of the whipped cream can…and she accompanied this gesture with a sound effect, "sshhhhhttt" like the whipped cream coming out. Now that completely cracked me up. But for all that our snow was a big big deal. It doesn't compare with the REALLY big news of the day. Eleanor used the potty! Here she is putting her reward sticker on it, while big brother Reid looks on with praising amazement. Then there she is, grinning with pride after the big moment. Yay Eleanor!

And so, Mommy ponders, there is light at the end of the diaper tunnel! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
Have a great day…or week…or however long it takes me to write another exciting installment. toodle-loo!

News, News, News

Well, it's lots of news alright, but not sure if any of it will rock anyone's world, well, except mine that is. Okay, first up…I have a Webkinz. It was only a matter of time. I feel itchy palms every time I watch my kids play with theirs because I want to play too, so I just had to have one. My massage therapist has one…she doesn't even have kids, so why shouldn't I? I'm so in love with him. He arrived in today's mail from an Amazon.com Market Place seller and, oh! is he cute. This isn't him; the hearts on his nose are slightly different, but he looks a lot like this. I'm trying to decide what to name him. I'm open to suggestions, of course. Right now I'm leaning towards Gil Grissom or George Clooney



Other news is that I had a gallery stand out at DST (that's DigiShopTalk.com for you non-scrappers out there) yesterday. How cool is that?! Flergs RAKed me with a Digital Scrapbooking kit called Psycho Magnet (A name which I might have inspired since I am one of her scariest stalkers to which she would almost certainly attest. Be afraid Flergs, be very afraid) The kit looks like this:


And here's what I did with it:

And, since the journaling is pretty stinkin' tiny on there, here it is a little easier on the eyes:
If I ever thought before having children what it would be like to raise a child with a stratospheric IQ, I’m sure my imagination failed me. Hell, for that matter, my imagination failed miserably to accurately capture raising children at all! Even as a toddler, I knew you were exceptional. It was hard to miss. However when Dr. Wood said, “I only test gifted children and his scores are the highest I’ve recorded in a decade.” I was staggered. I have read that most education professionals don’t have the opportunity to come across a child like you in their entire careers. Here I am with a ring side seat into your life every day. But I would feel blessed and chosen for that opportunity regardless of your intelligence. The funny thing is that I don’t give it a thought on most days. You are just my sweet little Copper Top, who I love and nurture as any mother does. You may be brilliant Kiddo, but I’ve still got you trumped on wisdom and experience! After a moment of shock, I drove away from Dr. Wood’s office and it occurred to me that nothing had changed. You were still the same little guy you had been 15 minutes before. You are like other children in far more ways than you are different. You love to be tickled, love having raspberries blown on your tummy and you can still have temper tantrums when you are frustrated. You grumble when it’s time to practice the piano. You have training wheels on your bike, believe in the Tooth Fairy, and you still want me to tuck you in at night. Those things are infinitely more priceless in value than anything a test score could reveal.


Other news is that Kenneth used some cool new software to write a book. Near the end of the process he was supposed to add photo of himself, that will show up on the back cover. The software has a built in feature for uploading and printing a hardbound book. So, he asked me to take a pic of him for the cover of his book and I thought this turned out very well:



And, last, but not least, here's news from Amy Fenner, for whom I create digital scrapbook layouts. Her newest kit Color Me Crazy is going to be the Queen of the Crop Kit at GoDigitalScrapbooking.com this Friday, the 29th (leap day!) It can be yours just for completing all the challenges in the Queen of the Crop Woo Hoo! It looks like this:



Oh wait! I have something else! I got a Ron Paul sign for the yard. Not sure what Michael will have to say about that since he hasn't made up his mind whether he's going to throw his vote away on a Libertarian pretending to be a Republican or throw his vote away on a Libertarian who admits to being a Libertarian. I guess I'll find out when he gets home ha ha ha!

Take care until next time. Watch for another blog entry tomorrow, as tomorrow is/was my mother's birthday.

Sorry Hillary, you are not worthy of having an "Alamo"

Hillary's Alamo? – um, how about, "no."

Hey, do y'all remember the battle of the Alamo? Well, probably not from personal experience, of course, but you've heard of it, right? I have a bone to pick with news writers like the Baltimore Sun's Rick Pearson who are comparing Senator Clinton's upcoming face off against her fellow democrats here in the Lone Star State to a hallowed historic battle wherein 200 people lost their lives defending their freedom. The comparison of Hillary's Texas campaign to the battle of the Alamo is an irreverent insult to the heros who died there. Lest we forget, the Alamo is a shrine. Furthermore the comparison doesn't make sense, the battle of the Alamo was not a victory for Texas, but it did keep Santa Anna and his legion at bay just long enough to allow Sam Houston time to rally his troops sufficiently to prevail at San Jacinto. In other words, we Texans lost the battle but doing so meant we won the war. If Hillary loses Texas, she's outta here. So, calling this political Texas showdown "The Alamo," is not only a desecration to an iconical memorial, but it's not even accurate. Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, William Travis, and my mother would be rolling over in their graves, if any of them had one. Thanks y'all.

I can bring home the bacon, but I can't cook it

"In case you haven't noticed, the bacon's done. And remember? I want mine floppy." Can you hear the impatient microwave re-beeping in the background as my four year old says this to me this morning? Would you give bacon, floppy or otherwise, to someone who talked to you like this? I thought not! I was sorely tempted to go into bacon withholding mode, but I resisted. I also happily resisted telling him just where he could put his floppy bacon. I mean…could you keep bacon from a face like this, even if it is saying things that are a bit impudent?



I'm working on a scrap LO of him and what he packs in his lunch to take to school each day. I thought that might be a fun memory to keep. My brain is truly exploding with ideas for scrapbook pages, I cannot possibly scrap fast enough to get them all done…besides which I keep taking more and more pictures so I keep getting further and further behind. This is borderline psychotic, and it's most definitely clinically compulsive. yikes.

I took the kids to see The Pirates Who Don't do anything, and if you have not yet done this, you should. I think I thought it was funnier than they did. If you are Christian shy, this won't offend you. It is a bit of a departure from the usual bible verse fair that they offer up, but I wouldn't call it irreverant either. I even got the soundtrack for a friend's daughter because it's so zippy and fun.

I started up my very own smugmug account just because of this blog. I needed a place to put all these pictures! Actually, that's not fair, I got it because I want to keep all my pictures safe and sound. I became familiar with smug mug because we use it for all the SAIL yearbook photos. It's a great way to make sure everyone has access to them. They offer lots of cool photo products too so you can order straight from them…however…beware, they don't offer calendars (duh! what's up with that?)

Oh, and I have a parting thought for you to ponder for the rest of your day. What do you get when you let your four year old play Cars Radiator Springs on your computer (because it doesn't run on his) while he's eating an ice cream sandwich? You get a happy surprise that looks like this:




I was thinking of posting some freebies made of organic goodies - like a stem from that flowering quince pictured below, only extracted for scrapbooking use. I could do lots of planty flowery stuff. That stuff seems to be very popular right now. Would you like that? Let me know!

Here's a page I made using it:

Is it Spring Yet?

Oh my! I think it might be spring. We have flowers blooming in our neighborhood.

This is been an interesting week.  I've been on Vicodin.  This is the 8th day.  My neck is…well, it's a pain in the neck!  Have any of you ever tried these funky TENS units?  They are so happenin' It's got a little belt clip so I can get shock therapy on the go.  Wow.  I'm lovin' it.  I've also discovered the groovin' voice of Snook the Tree Sloth.  I basically became a Mouse Potato this week while I convalesced.  Which means that I, hired a nanny to do the heavy lifting (that would be Eleanor), turned on PBS for my kids, and glued my fanny to my computer desk chair.I was just mesmerized by the soothing voice of Snook the Sloth.  So soothed in fact that I had to know who's voice that is.  I did find the guy.  His name is Peter Linz, and he looks just like he sounds. I wish he could come over and sing me to sleep each night, or he'd really be good at self hypnosis audio tapes.  But…that could be the effects of the Vicodin.  Oh, and just now, here, at my house on Saturday-post-lunch.  I just said to my children, who were hovering around my desk as I type, "Could you just stop asking so many questions?  Couldn't someone else answer the questions for a little while? Please?" Pathetic.   I think I need Snook the Sloth to answer the questions for me.  He'd probably be kinder and gentler than I'm feeling at the moment.

I'm going to spend some time adding fun features to my blog here because I know that pretty soon, there will be people lined up for blocks clamoring to read my words of wisdom.
 

I hope each of you have a lovely day!

The Big Greenpalm Grove Blog Debut

I told Michael, "I need a blog!" 

He said, "You do not need a blog." 

For a while, I heeded his sage advice, and then temptation got the best of me.  So here am I blogging away.  I don't know why Valentine's Day seemed like a good day to start blogging, but it did.  And, because I have so much spare time…no, wait, that can't be it…must be some other reason.  Let's see…okay starting again.

So, because, my brain tends to explode with thoughts, (yep, definitely more accurate!) I decided to create my very own mental dumping ground.  Hence the title "The Mental Detritus of greenpalm." I thought that was fitting.  So far so good, I've managed to type several lines of precisely nothing! Wow, I can tell this whole blog thing is really going to have a profound effect on the world.  So glad I can make a difference, even in a small way.

Okay, so, because this is the big debut of my blog.  I've got a digital scrapbooking freebie to give away.  This is a collection of 10 vintage valentines.  They belonged to my great aunt and they are just so cute, I think.  All are scanned at 300 dpi and extracted for you to use however you'd like.  Of course I'd love to see what you do with them.   I'd also love to have some love, particularly fitting today, I think!  Happy Valentine's Day.

Here's the link for the freebie.

here's what they look like:

Hope everyone has a wonderfully romantic day! Please be sure you eat some chocolate.  I know it's a necessity for me today! Wheeee!