A white dove for peace.
How grateful I am for peace and for those who have sacrificed their lives and time and their families to bring peace to our country.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Spiritual Sundays
A white dove for peace.
How grateful I am for peace and for those who have sacrificed their lives and time and their families to bring peace to our country.
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
In the Craft Room: Printed Bags
For Halloween I made bags for our donuts that I always hand out (to the kids & adults I know). I've had a few people ask me how I did it. So I thought I'd show you how.
First up a regular lunch bag is sized 5.4 in x 10.2 in. So you make a photoshop document that size.
Then I added a black oval.
And all my wording (I used the font channel that you can download it here)
and my little artsy touches.
Send it to print and this screen comes up
Click on "print settings" and this one comes up
You want to pick "Manage Custom sizes"
And then you need to add one (I already did it here) by clicking that little plus sign on the left hand side and type in the size of the lunch bag.
Then you have to click on "Quality and Media" and choose envelope from the menu.
And I picked greyscale since I'm only printing something black.
And it should be ready to go... so send it to print.
Watch with anticipation as it comes out....
Then you end up with a fancy little bag for treats.
Two tips:
1. My printer couldn't handle having lots of bags just stuffed in the rear tray. I could put two or three in and then add more as it printed.
2. Make sure you tell your printer it's an envelope (so it knows it's something thick!)
First up a regular lunch bag is sized 5.4 in x 10.2 in. So you make a photoshop document that size.
Then I added a black oval.
And all my wording (I used the font channel that you can download it here)
and my little artsy touches.
Send it to print and this screen comes up
Click on "print settings" and this one comes up
You want to pick "Manage Custom sizes"
And then you need to add one (I already did it here) by clicking that little plus sign on the left hand side and type in the size of the lunch bag.
Then you have to click on "Quality and Media" and choose envelope from the menu.
And I picked greyscale since I'm only printing something black.
And it should be ready to go... so send it to print.
Watch with anticipation as it comes out....
Then you end up with a fancy little bag for treats.
Two tips:
1. My printer couldn't handle having lots of bags just stuffed in the rear tray. I could put two or three in and then add more as it printed.
2. Make sure you tell your printer it's an envelope (so it knows it's something thick!)
Tuesday, November 06, 2012
10 on Tuesday
1. I have 11 weeks left until I have another kid. INSANE.
2. Never ever ever have I wanted to keep being pregnant. I hate being pregnant... but when I am done being pregnant this time... I'll have another kid. And I'm not sure I am ready for that.
3. Me and the two little boys spent the day yesterday playing. We made a cardboard train.
4. And a classic activity I do with all my small kids - painting with water and black paper. Then when they eat the paint brush... it doesn't matter :) HA!
5. I need to find another crib. I thought I was getting one from someone for cheap but it doesn't seem to be working out. I can not take Oliver out of a crib yet. NO way. But it's my last kid - I don't want to spend much moola on a crib.
6. I had a post for yesterday but I just didn't sit down to type it up. I tried to take a nap instead.
7. I go through these read blitzes. Where I read like a mad woman and then I slow down. Back and forth. I just started the book "Uglies" and I think it might get me into another blitz!
8. It always amazes me how much better I feel when I get more than 4 hours of sleep in a row. It doesn't seem to happen around here very often but MAN do I feel better when I get a real stretch of sleep!
9. Wasn't it sooo nice on the weekend??? I want a few more days of that and then I'll accept winterish weather. (Maybe)
10. And here's the little man, who seems to be getting so big lately!
2. Never ever ever have I wanted to keep being pregnant. I hate being pregnant... but when I am done being pregnant this time... I'll have another kid. And I'm not sure I am ready for that.
3. Me and the two little boys spent the day yesterday playing. We made a cardboard train.
4. And a classic activity I do with all my small kids - painting with water and black paper. Then when they eat the paint brush... it doesn't matter :) HA!
5. I need to find another crib. I thought I was getting one from someone for cheap but it doesn't seem to be working out. I can not take Oliver out of a crib yet. NO way. But it's my last kid - I don't want to spend much moola on a crib.
6. I had a post for yesterday but I just didn't sit down to type it up. I tried to take a nap instead.
7. I go through these read blitzes. Where I read like a mad woman and then I slow down. Back and forth. I just started the book "Uglies" and I think it might get me into another blitz!
8. It always amazes me how much better I feel when I get more than 4 hours of sleep in a row. It doesn't seem to happen around here very often but MAN do I feel better when I get a real stretch of sleep!
9. Wasn't it sooo nice on the weekend??? I want a few more days of that and then I'll accept winterish weather. (Maybe)
10. And here's the little man, who seems to be getting so big lately!
Friday, November 02, 2012
Foto Friday: Our Year in Photos
I've totally been falling behind on these... but this week I was on it! the prompt was Halloween!
Eli was a chicken.. well at least for one day. He was also a ninja turtle and then for actual trick or treating he was a bunny batman.
Alden was Harry Potter
And Lucy was Cleopatra
Oliver was a robot for one party but I never got a shot of it.
And as our tradition I made donuts to hand out.... and this year I made bags in my printer to put the donuts in..
How was YOUR Halloween??
Thursday, November 01, 2012
Losing it....
Literally from the time he got up (which is always between 530am-630am) Eli was asking to go trick or treating yesterday. I told him that he couldn't go until night time. His response was, "huh? it's dark out right now." I tried to explain that it wasn't about the darkness - it just happened at night and that was the way it was.
For the entire day he asked over and over and over and over (x1000) if he could go trick or treating yet. And every time I told him it wasn't time, he'd start to cry. Loudly.
Heaven help me, I was pretty annoyed by the time it actually WAS time to go trick or treating.
At 4pm he comes up to me and says "Mom, I'm going to set the table now so we can eat supper and then I'm going trick or treating." To which I told him it wasn't time but I'd love him to set the table for supper. Pretty soon I'd be rolling out the pizza and putting it in the oven. He was not pleased with my answer.
So it comes to 530pm. Finally Eli has settled into doing something that entertains him for more than 3 minutes - which was playing with play dough with Lucy. I was cooking pizza for supper (our usual on Halloween) and needing the counter space but I was making due so that the kids had some place to play on the counter too. So the pizza is ready and I say to the kids, "It's time to clean up now and set the table so we can eat and then it'll be time to go trick or treating."
Eli's response? "I don't want to go trick or treating. I don't even like candy."
I. COULD. HAVE. STRANGLED. HIM.
Instead I went into the other room and called my mom to tell her so we could laugh about it. It seemed like the better option.
I have had a kid (Lucy) who in the past threw fits. I mean crazy fits. I mean strip-yourself-naked-pee-on-the-floor-while-you-pull-your-own-hair kind of fits. Now they sound funny, but at the time I was in the middle/end of my worst pregnancy (with Eli) and very sick) and Regan was in a busy year of medical school. I was also serving as primary president in my ward and frankly I am not sure how I survived it all. (Especially without ever harming my child.)
I don't think there is a lot you can do when you have a child who throws fits. Except give in. For heavens sakes, don't give in! It is embarrassing that they are losing it in public? A.B.S.O.L.U.T.E.L.Y. But giving in to their crying and screaming is saying to the child "just start to make a little noise and I'll hand over whatever you want." How in the world is that going to make anything better?
If you've read my blog for a while you may or may not remember Alden's first day of grade one. I had parked and walked to the school while carrying Eli (he was pretty small then) and made Lucy walk. When Alden finally comes out of the school he was super happy from his first day and talking. Lucy's response? She sucker punched him in the face. She was mad he was at school and apparently needed to express it. So Alden started crying. Lucy started losing it. And I was carrying Eli. I set Eli down to hug Alden and tell him I was sorry that happened. We are standing in a school ground with piles of people around witnessing the sweetness. Eli starts crying and I can't get Lucy to move. My usual technique is to walk away from the losing child which normally makes my kids follow me crying and all. But she wasn't moving. So I had to pick her up and carry her which was like carrying a slippery shark. So I'm trying to carry Eli and losing Lucy which was working well. So some random lady tries to come and help me by taking Eli. Which made him cry louder. So we finally get to the car and all three of my kids are crying. And I am trying to shove Lucy into her seat and she is doing that lovely stiff as a board thing while screaming. I finally shove her in and close the door and take crying Eli from her. And she tells me not to worry cause kids are always done having fits like that when they are 3. (Lucy is totally older than that at the time....) It was a ridiculous day.
Eli has been crazy about things lately. Crying to get his way or asking over and over and over and over and over. And even though we aren't giving in he's still doing it. I don't know if he sees that it works for some kids and so he's trying to make it work at our house. Or if he is just starting to realize that the world doesn't' revolve around him. (That's a shocking realization for some kids!)
We'll just have to suffer through this phase. And hope that he that the current phase passes soon.
For the entire day he asked over and over and over and over (x1000) if he could go trick or treating yet. And every time I told him it wasn't time, he'd start to cry. Loudly.
Heaven help me, I was pretty annoyed by the time it actually WAS time to go trick or treating.
At 4pm he comes up to me and says "Mom, I'm going to set the table now so we can eat supper and then I'm going trick or treating." To which I told him it wasn't time but I'd love him to set the table for supper. Pretty soon I'd be rolling out the pizza and putting it in the oven. He was not pleased with my answer.
So it comes to 530pm. Finally Eli has settled into doing something that entertains him for more than 3 minutes - which was playing with play dough with Lucy. I was cooking pizza for supper (our usual on Halloween) and needing the counter space but I was making due so that the kids had some place to play on the counter too. So the pizza is ready and I say to the kids, "It's time to clean up now and set the table so we can eat and then it'll be time to go trick or treating."
Eli's response? "I don't want to go trick or treating. I don't even like candy."
I. COULD. HAVE. STRANGLED. HIM.
Instead I went into the other room and called my mom to tell her so we could laugh about it. It seemed like the better option.
I have had a kid (Lucy) who in the past threw fits. I mean crazy fits. I mean strip-yourself-naked-pee-on-the-floor-while-you-pull-your-own-hair kind of fits. Now they sound funny, but at the time I was in the middle/end of my worst pregnancy (with Eli) and very sick) and Regan was in a busy year of medical school. I was also serving as primary president in my ward and frankly I am not sure how I survived it all. (Especially without ever harming my child.)
I don't think there is a lot you can do when you have a child who throws fits. Except give in. For heavens sakes, don't give in! It is embarrassing that they are losing it in public? A.B.S.O.L.U.T.E.L.Y. But giving in to their crying and screaming is saying to the child "just start to make a little noise and I'll hand over whatever you want." How in the world is that going to make anything better?
If you've read my blog for a while you may or may not remember Alden's first day of grade one. I had parked and walked to the school while carrying Eli (he was pretty small then) and made Lucy walk. When Alden finally comes out of the school he was super happy from his first day and talking. Lucy's response? She sucker punched him in the face. She was mad he was at school and apparently needed to express it. So Alden started crying. Lucy started losing it. And I was carrying Eli. I set Eli down to hug Alden and tell him I was sorry that happened. We are standing in a school ground with piles of people around witnessing the sweetness. Eli starts crying and I can't get Lucy to move. My usual technique is to walk away from the losing child which normally makes my kids follow me crying and all. But she wasn't moving. So I had to pick her up and carry her which was like carrying a slippery shark. So I'm trying to carry Eli and losing Lucy which was working well. So some random lady tries to come and help me by taking Eli. Which made him cry louder. So we finally get to the car and all three of my kids are crying. And I am trying to shove Lucy into her seat and she is doing that lovely stiff as a board thing while screaming. I finally shove her in and close the door and take crying Eli from her. And she tells me not to worry cause kids are always done having fits like that when they are 3. (Lucy is totally older than that at the time....) It was a ridiculous day.
Eli has been crazy about things lately. Crying to get his way or asking over and over and over and over and over. And even though we aren't giving in he's still doing it. I don't know if he sees that it works for some kids and so he's trying to make it work at our house. Or if he is just starting to realize that the world doesn't' revolve around him. (That's a shocking realization for some kids!)
We'll just have to suffer through this phase. And hope that he that the current phase passes soon.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
10 on Tuesday
1. We were sick with the flu last week. It was a real party around here.
2. I've been adding stuff to my other blog lately. Here and there. Seems like I get to one or the other. That is why I am making them into one blog. Just makes a whole lot more sense.
3. I took some pictures of my kids tonight. And I was pleasantly surprised how well it went. Regan was a big help. I wanted a picture for our Christmas card. And I got one. (well I got more than one - but specifically that too.) Like this one...
4. I don't know if I am ready for winter yet.
5. The last two pregnancies once I got the flu my body had trouble stopping throwing up again. It's like it remembered oh yeah we do this... and then I just couldn't stop again. I feel queazy again and that is lame-o.
6. Since I am making my blogs into one, I wanted to ask you a few questions and you can answer then in the comments or send me an email at steedr at gmail dot com.
• What are your favorite topics on my blog? Food? Photograph stuff? General Life? Crafts?
• What do you wish I posted more of?
• How often do you check on here? Do you like when I post every day? Or a couple times a week?
• What encourages your comments?
7. Doesn't that last one count for like 7-9?
8. I made a good supper tonight that I made up. I'm gonna make it again with a few tweaks and then I'll share it with you. Easy and fast and yummy. Winning combo!
9. I love it when Regan has days off in the week.
10. I hate it when you drive into Lethbridge to take your passports in to drop off and you forget your pictures....
2. I've been adding stuff to my other blog lately. Here and there. Seems like I get to one or the other. That is why I am making them into one blog. Just makes a whole lot more sense.
3. I took some pictures of my kids tonight. And I was pleasantly surprised how well it went. Regan was a big help. I wanted a picture for our Christmas card. And I got one. (well I got more than one - but specifically that too.) Like this one...
4. I don't know if I am ready for winter yet.
5. The last two pregnancies once I got the flu my body had trouble stopping throwing up again. It's like it remembered oh yeah we do this... and then I just couldn't stop again. I feel queazy again and that is lame-o.
6. Since I am making my blogs into one, I wanted to ask you a few questions and you can answer then in the comments or send me an email at steedr at gmail dot com.
• What are your favorite topics on my blog? Food? Photograph stuff? General Life? Crafts?
• What do you wish I posted more of?
• How often do you check on here? Do you like when I post every day? Or a couple times a week?
• What encourages your comments?
7. Doesn't that last one count for like 7-9?
8. I made a good supper tonight that I made up. I'm gonna make it again with a few tweaks and then I'll share it with you. Easy and fast and yummy. Winning combo!
9. I love it when Regan has days off in the week.
10. I hate it when you drive into Lethbridge to take your passports in to drop off and you forget your pictures....
Monday, October 29, 2012
Alden's Lego Party
This boy has his birthday party a week or so ago and I thought I'd share what we did.
His love for lego has been going on for years but we've never done a lego party until now.
Here is his invite:
I totally got the idea for the invitation from an etsy site called www.etsy.com/shop/crackersart.
For the goodie bags I made these just with colored card stock and colored bags.
Inside they got some lego candy, a lego mini figure and a "lego" pop.
First I separated his lego into different groups for the games (which took a while!)
And set up the decorations - which were not very many since he is 10 and really he doesn't care! HA!
The table with a game in the middle (guess how many legos)
I made all these signs up for the games. If you want a copy of them let me know and I'll email them to you!
When the boys first got there they built cars and raced each other
Then after a winner was found we moved onto a tower building race. They all had a small platform and had a race to see who could build a stable tower in 90 seconds.
Then we all the boys got a straw. And a container of small pieces was dumped onto the table and they each had a plate. For 30 seconds they had to use the straw and suck the lego and put them on the plate. Whoever got the most won.
Then we moved onto Creationary. Which is a real game but I just separated the boys into two teams and then the each had one boy go and had to build the same thing as fast as they could until their team guessed it.
Then we moved on to food! Alden had asked for homemade pizza. So I made pepperoni and Hawaiian. This was when the boys were the quietest!
Then the cake!
(In case you were wondering... this is how I did the cake)
The we did presents and the boys built one of Alden's presents while they waited for parents. I realized that at this stage getting him with each boy after he opens their present is a crazy idea that just didn't work! But here they all are... kind of.
It was crazy to have that many 10 year old boys in my house! But man did Alden have fun!! Happy Birthday to Alden!
Linking it up here:
Salt Tree and Get Your Craft On and Someday Crafts and Southern Lovely and Seven thirty three
His love for lego has been going on for years but we've never done a lego party until now.
Here is his invite:
I totally got the idea for the invitation from an etsy site called www.etsy.com/shop/crackersart.
For the goodie bags I made these just with colored card stock and colored bags.
Inside they got some lego candy, a lego mini figure and a "lego" pop.
First I separated his lego into different groups for the games (which took a while!)
And set up the decorations - which were not very many since he is 10 and really he doesn't care! HA!
The table with a game in the middle (guess how many legos)
I made all these signs up for the games. If you want a copy of them let me know and I'll email them to you!
When the boys first got there they built cars and raced each other
Then after a winner was found we moved onto a tower building race. They all had a small platform and had a race to see who could build a stable tower in 90 seconds.
Then we all the boys got a straw. And a container of small pieces was dumped onto the table and they each had a plate. For 30 seconds they had to use the straw and suck the lego and put them on the plate. Whoever got the most won.
Then we moved onto Creationary. Which is a real game but I just separated the boys into two teams and then the each had one boy go and had to build the same thing as fast as they could until their team guessed it.
Then we moved on to food! Alden had asked for homemade pizza. So I made pepperoni and Hawaiian. This was when the boys were the quietest!
Then the cake!
(In case you were wondering... this is how I did the cake)
The we did presents and the boys built one of Alden's presents while they waited for parents. I realized that at this stage getting him with each boy after he opens their present is a crazy idea that just didn't work! But here they all are... kind of.
It was crazy to have that many 10 year old boys in my house! But man did Alden have fun!! Happy Birthday to Alden!
Linking it up here:
Salt Tree and Get Your Craft On and Someday Crafts and Southern Lovely and Seven thirty three
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
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