Welcome to a day in my life. I can't guarantee that this will be an exciting read for anyone. My life is filled with all the mundane activities of a stay-at-home-mom just trying to raise her three sons to be the best men they can be.
Lynne Challenged us to use the colours gold, teal, and purple. At first I thought it would be a real challenge for me, then I found the perfect pictures and everything fell into place.
You've got to go and check out the Use Your Stuff Challenge Blog and participate in the challenges. Link them up when you're finished. We'd love to see them.
seeing and cathching up with some friends last weekend that I don't get to see often enough
spending a fun few days away with the girls this week. Wish I was still there!
playing in the snow while we were away - throwing snowballs and making a snowman (well, actually a snowoman!)
eating out at Wild Wings - twice! Yum!!
arriving home to a very sweet valentine's present from my honey. He bought me two new books that I'd been wanting to get for a while now, but couldn't find whenever I went to Chapters - and my favourite - orange chocolate
seeing that I didn't gain that much weight this week after eating tonnes of junk food and wild wings
watching the movie THE HELP. I've had it for a couple of months but have been waiting to watch it with the girls.
What's on your bliss list this week? I'd love to hear it.
You can visit Liv Lane to read what's on other people's lists, or to share your own.
It's coming to the end of another week ... one that I can't seem to find my energy. It might have something to do with the fact that I was away with the teens from our Church last weekend on their Youth Retreat. Sleep was definately on short supply, but everything else was amazing.
So, on to my moments of bliss:
snowshoeing in the woods. The snow was largely untouched, and the weather was perfect. It was sunny, and not too cold. I can't say it was silent as there was lots of chatter and laughter, but it was great.
hearing one of the teens say, after the adults spent a while in the kitchen making a meal, "you mean we get to eat real food and not just pre-made food? Cool."
watching Cameron out in the woods, enthusiastically making a shelter, and doing it well, when they were competing with the girls to see who can make the best fire and shelter
drinking hot chocolate that had been made over the outdoor fire in the woods
getting a card from one of the moms, thanking me for my gift of time to the teens last weekend
listening to Matt practice his instrument. Beautiful music!
spending an hour in the car with Matt, just the two of us, talking and talking. I miss doing that on a regular basis
What's on your little Bliss List this week? Why not come over to Liv Lane's and share yours.
Question: If you could live forever, would you and why?
Answer: I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever.
- Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss Universe contest
I can't help but hear Judge Judy here - "beauty fades, but dumb is forever."
I wish I saw this a few years ago! However, there is one boy in this house who still likes to wear his shirt untucked on Sundays. Time to get out the sewing machine? (I'm so evil!)
My own tip - for the mothers of only boys - if you're tired of them taking things like your ear phones, pens, etc ... buy them in pink. They won't touch them. I even buy pink tooth brushes for myself to guarantee they won't use mine at the trailer.
"The Little Bliss List is a chance for us to celebrate the little things that brought us hope and happiness this week. I do believe when we focus on the sweet stuff of life, the sweet stuff multiplies. And by sharing those small gifts in our lives, we help others notice the gifts in theirs. "
My moments of bliss this week:
going on a date night with John.
Waking up on Tuesday morning to a beautiful winter scene - the ground was white and the trees were all snow-covered. I'm glad I savoured the moment, because it melted away by the afternoon ...and they call this the Great White North!
Reminiscing about our cruise last October when I had to do some photo editing
standing in the middle of two different scrapbook stores, oooing and awwwing over all the product
enjoying a nice cup of hot tea in front of the fireplace
Head on over to Liv's and share your own Little Bliss List for this week
Cameron is on the Robotics Team at school. Some of you already know this. Some of you have been forced to listen to me do some shameless bragging about it.
It all started a couple of years ago when Cameron went along with the rest of his. then grade 8, class to tour the high school. He came home all excited and couldn't stop talking about the Robotics Club. How nice, I thought. He'll have fun with that. I had no idea!
A little over a year ago (during his first semester of high school) he came home and told me that the "club" was starting up and could he be a part of it. Of course, I said. You'll have fun with that. I had no idea.
One day near the beginning of January, he came home and told me that the start day for the "robotics club" was the following day. On a Saturday, I asked him? That's odd. Well, OK. What's a couple of hours on a Saturday. It will be nice. He'll have fun with that. I still had no idea.
...then he went to the kick off. I drove him. I saw the Universities there recruiting. I saw some of the information. Wow, I thought. They really take this seriously. Good for him. He'll have fun with that. I really, honestly, had no idea.
When he came home, with all the information ... the pages, and pages of information, and I started to read, the light started to go on. Wow, I thought. I had no idea!!
Wikipedia defines FIRST Robotics as this:
The FIRST Robotics Competition is an international high school robotics competition organized by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Each year, teams of high school students compete to build robots weighing up to 120 pounds (54 kg), not including battery and bumpers, that can complete a task, which changes every year. Teams are given a standard set of parts and the game details at the beginning of January and are given six weeks to construct a competitive robot, that can operate autonomously as well as when guided by wireless controls, to accomplish the game's tasks.[3]
The Teams attend a kick off meeting where the details of the competition are released - the size of robot they need to build, what the robot needs to do, etc. and then they have 6 weeks only to build it. At the end of the 6 weeks the robot is tagged and shipped.
Cameron is in the middle of the build right now. That means that Tuesday and Thursdays he has to stay after school and build from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 8 - 4, Sundays, where needed, and during exam week (like this week) they build when they're not writing an exam. It's very intense. There are about 30 students on the team, three teachers, and many mentors from the industry that come in to share their expertise and work with the students. It's an incredible programme.
In March the Team will go to their first competition in Rochester, New York. They will be there for 6 days. At the end of March they compete in a competition at the University of Waterloo - that one is 4 days.
So ... I really had no idea what we were signing up for, but I'm thrilled that he can be a part of such an amazing programme with peers who are highly motivated!
CNN ran a special on Education in the US and they actually followed three different Robotics teams from the kick off to the competition.
You can take a look at that here: F.I.R.S.T. Teams are filmed with Soledad O'Brien
Here's another link of just a snippet of FIRST Robotics: FIRST Robotics
And finally a video of his team's quarter final match from last season:
I guess I'm a bit of a geek because I'm looking forward to both competitions. We're going to drive down to Rochester to watch the final matches on the Saturday. We're also going to gather up whoever wants to come and go to the matches at Waterloo.
...we are challenged to line it up and stretch it out. Line it up ... your photos, embellishments,page elements, whatever you wish. Just line them up ... and thenstretch it out - across your page - across two pages.
By the way, did you notice my make-over? I spent some time in the last three days poking around and trying to make things a little better around here. There may be more changes to come, but for now I'm liking the new look.
I love this idea! Liv Lane has started a weekely meme to share her weekly moments of bliss.
She Writes:
Want to do your part to spread joy? Want to connect with other like-minded positive peeps? Need a little lift at the end of each week? Then The Little Bliss List is for you! Launched in January 2012, The Little Bliss List appears every Friday on my Choosing Beauty blog.
Since my word of the year is bliss, every Friday I share a list of the bliss in my midst, reflecting on moments over the past week where I’ve caught myself in a sense of wonder, contentment, and true joy. It’s like a gratitude list, but rather than just being thankful for the things I have…I want to be thankful for the way I feel – even if it’s fleeting – and celebrate whatever brought me to that bliss.
If you want to check it out and, or, participate, you can find her HERE.
So, what's my Little Bliss List for this week?
time spent with my little ball of fur, Suki. She's really wormed her way into my heart and has me wrapped around her little paw! I love just sitting and playing with her.
spending time with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. We don't get to do that near enough!
spending an afternoon with two wonderful friends yesterday
taking the time to work on some scrapbook pages at home. I really miss having that time and motivation everyday. I want to get back into that.
watching Cameron's passion and excitment as he tells me about what they accomplished in Robotics each day. Oh to be that passionate about something.
listening to all three boys together - laughing and joking and just acting silly.
Fragments, fragments, and more fragments. There's a lot of them rambling around inside my head right now.
Robotics has begun for this year and Cameron is on the school team once again. This is his second year doing it. He's been looking forward to this since it ended last year. They're in week two of the six-week build - Tuesdays, Thursdays from 3 - 9, and all day Saturdays
Exams start for him next week - I hope he's able to focus on those as well as robotics
Spencer has started his second work term - this time in Waterloo. I was secretly hoping that he would be closer to home so he could move back home for a little while - I'm sure his girlfriend was too!
I've been a little obsessed lately myself. John wants to go away somewhere hot during March Break but we don't want to drop a bundle either ... hahaha! impossible during March Break! I've been spending a lot of my free time over the last three weeks researching our options and finding something that will work with the Robotics competition that ends on the Saturday that March Break starts - and the competition is in Rochester! It's a challenge!
January and February are supposed to be a slower time for me. What happened? (well, other than Robotics). It seems that we're constantly trying to work something into our schedule, or having two or three things on at once, or trying to work with one car because one of the boys is using the other one.
Winter has finally arrived and boy, is it cold right now. I'm happy to see the snow, though.
I've been trying to get back into a regular scrapbooking routine. It's proving to be a little difficult and my motivation is just not there.
I had a fun, impromptu afternoon with the girls yesterday. We went for lunch and then went bowling. It was just what the doctor ordered on a cold, snowy, January afternoon.
So, what fragments are rambling around inside your head? Go to Friday Fragments to share yours or to read what other people have in their heads.
It's time for a little show and tell, aka posting a couple of layouts.
This first one was done for a colour challenge on the Use your Stuff challenge blog. The challenge was to use brown, blue, green, and orange - not too much of a stretch for me as I love using these colours.
These pictures have been sitting on my desk for well over a year, if not two. I just couldn't find the inspiration to do them. When Joy posted the colour challenge I decided to force myself to get these done, and I have to say, I love the way it turned out. Maybe I should force myself more often.
Have you been over to see the Use Your Stuff blog yet? Do you need some motivation? Then come on over and check out the recent and older challenges and jump right on in. We're also looking for another Challenger, so check it out.
This one hasn't been on my table for quite as long, but still long enough. I did this one for a lacing challenge on the The Scrapping Bug Forums.
The pictures are from our time with family at a cottage a year and a half ago. I wish I could be back there right now!
Have you been to The Scrapping Bug? It's a smaller forum, and great ladies there. It's a lot of fun. Join us!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
I am: Canadian (sorry, I can't hear/ read that without thinking of the commercial.)Right now, I feel: a little too tired. I wish I could crawl back into bed for a while. The sounds I hear are: rain hitting the window beside me. I wish it was snow!Around me, I see: the cat, all curled up having the nap that I wish I was havingI think it's weird that: someone would spend $50,000 to clone a pet and actually believe that they are getting their dead pet back.It bothers me when: people are selfish The best thing about my personality is: that I'm very caring My worst quality is: I care too much what other people thinkMy favorite part about life is: being with family or close friendsThis is attractive in the opposite sex: humor I usually get bored while: I'm just sitting watching TV I'm afraid that: my boys are growing up too fast and I'm not taking every chance I can to enjoy them right nowI admire: a very wise friend who always knows the right thing to do and sayI wish: things were easier for Matt, sociallyI feel exhilarated when: I travel I appreciate: when someone goes out of their way for one of my boys The best thing to happen this week was: spending an hour in the car with Spencer, just the two of us, just chatting about anything and everything. I miss that.If I could tell the world just one thing, it would be: that everyone needs to feel accepted and lovedSome people are just so: meanI'm optimistic about: life in general An event like this would traumatize me: the loss of someone close to meI trust: GodMy intuition is usually: rightI haven't had this feeling in a long time: pain free. I think I need to go to the doctor about my back.I would never be seen wearing: a fur coat I am annoyed because: the TV is full of people in their so-called real livesI feel most beautiful when: I'm all dressed-up for a night outI could careless about: what the Karashians are doing!!!My favorite kind of movie is: romantic comedy I often get distracted by: scrapbooking I am eager to: make our March Break plans I'm glad that: my boys are good boys and nice people I feel guilty about: a lot - sigh, the life of a mom! I've finally made peace with the fact that: I'm most talkative around: my Tuesday girlies I am proud of: Cameron being on the Robotics Team at school
on Use Your Stash Challenge Blog ...
the challenges have started back up for the new year.
This week the challenge is an ad challenge. Take this ad and let it inspire you in some way.
Here's my finished layout.
Come on over to the Use Your Stuff Blog and join in. Don't forget to link your finished layout, card, or project so we can see what you've done.
