Jack at Basketball...

Basketball season for the boys has begun...

 Before the game, Jason talked with Jack about how when he is guarding someone, he needs to stay right on him..Jack took Jason's advice to heart!

The poor kid he was guarding couldn't even move!

I think the boy is trying to make a deal with Jack, "My mom is trying to take my picture, so can you back up about two feet.  You will still be very close, but my mom will be able to get a better picture."

Love the smile on this kid!

While on the sidelines, Jack decided to do a little tebowing.  All Jack...

Look at how all the other little guys are sitting and watching the game...not jack...

This is Jack dribbling...maybe he should stick to sit ups and tebowing!

And this is Jack shooting a basket...it's like the coach gave him a little extra help!

More dribbling...

During the game, the coach would yell out to all the players, "Who's your guy?" (meaning who's is guy that you are guarding.) Right at this moment, he is asking Jack, "Jack. Who's your guy?" Jack is pointing to the guy that is shooting the basketball!!

And more shooting...
I just love watching the "little" ones play basketball!!

An Addition to the Fort...

The boy's fort, which we have been working on since we moved in, has a new addition to it...a DOOR!!
(slow and steady builds the fort!)

This door has made a huge difference in the amount of time the boys have been spending out there. Since the weather has been amazing, the boys have headed out there after school each day to "hang-out."

"Welcome to our fort, mom! You are the only girl allowed!"
The perks of being the mom!

Sign of a "true" Belding boys area!

One girl that would be invited, but doesn't have the means to visit...waits, somewhat patiently down below!

A look at the inside...the apple basket is their garbage can (absolutely NO food or drinking leftovers in the garbage can, boys, or you will have a mouse problem!)  a radio to play tunes (which Sam is singing to at the time of the picture) a table, a couple of stools (not to sit on, but to use as ramps.)

 

In the far corner, there is a small square bean bag, which holds two fleece blankets.  The mice would love to warm up in those, too! Above the windows are lights...ones you push to turn on..too bad the boys have forgotten to push them off!!  And the boys have added two Lego posters in the far corner of the fort...that made me giggle..all this beautiful wall space and the two posters are in the far corner...typical boy decorating!

Still waiting!!!

The boys in their fort.  I told them they need to name their fort and then we can make a sign to put above the window so all can see when they visit! 
"What do you think you would name your fort guys??? " I asked.
"The Fort," Sam replied.
Seriously?  "Well we can work on the name later," I replied.

A Few Layouts..

OH THE GUILT!!
 I work at a scrapbook store and I have a handful of layouts...UGH! I actually did a few more than I thought and that's not ssaying much. For the most part, I do "one page" layouts. If it is a two page layout, usually one page is Sam and the next page is Jack..like the swim pages that are below. I also do 8.5 x 11 layouts. I am one of those people that scrap one or two pictures and I really try to stick to my favorite photos! I love layering and my journaling is short and to the point!

Here are some layouts I have actually completed!

Jack at swim lessons. Used Authentique collection.

Sam at swim lessons...same collection used as Jack's.

Moose! Used the Queen and Company collection...I love to layer!!

 

One of my favorites..stuff from my stash.

The second page of the layout...

 

 

I also do 8.5 X 11 layouts at times...Like this one titled "The Saturday Morning Stare!"

 

My goal is to share more layouts with you this year...not a resolution, but a goal!!

I am a Napper...

My name is Katie and I love to take naps. 

 I am saying this proudly today! 

Some people view napping as being lazy and a slacker.  Well, after reading the article "Napping: You Snooze, you cruise through remainder of day" in the Des Moines Register on Tuesday, I know napping is NOT any of those preconceived ideas.  

According to the article, I found several interesting points:

1.  Spain centers their schedule around siestas!

2. Most Chinese school have a half hour nap after lunch.

3.  Google, Huffington Post and the NY Times have devoted office space to napping on the job!

4. Napping can increase your productivity and creativity.

6. Our bodies are physically wired to nap!

7.  Churchill, JFK, Ronald Reagan, Einstein and Edison were all avid nappers.

When taking naps, there are two options:  Take a 20 minute "power nap" or dedicate at least 90 minutes to the nap

 (goes along with the REM sleep.)  I am dedicated to my naps and enjoy the second choice. There is also a nap called the "nappaccino." This is where you chug a cup of coffee and follow it with a half-hour nap.  The coffee kicks in just as you wake up!  I am open to trying this option, too.

 From this article I have also learned that I need attend a Chinese school to get a degree in technology or journalism, work for one of the above companies and then go on to be a major political person or invent something really cool!

Three Cheers to the Nap!!

And now I am off to take one!

Then I may go to the bookstore and purchase the book, "The Practical Napper."

An Afternoon in the Woods...Mud...

If you haven't noticed (yea right), the weather here has been amazing...very unseasonably warm and no snow! (At this time, I actually wouldn't mind a huge blizzard, have a few snow days and then it can get warm again!)  Since the weather has been so nice, the boys have been able to spend more time outside and tromping through the woods behind our house.

On this day, Sam had a friend over and they spent the ENTIRE  afternoon exploring the woods.  As you can see, they came back a bit muddy.  Check out Jack's boots!!!

I am glad that I had the boys wear some old clothes...I don't think a good cascade soaking is going to get these stains out!

And...they slid down hills...or rolled as the case with Jack.

Now we are to have a cold spell, so back to crafting, coloring and modge-podging...I am talking about me of course!!

What I have been Reading...

I had a dry spell of reading...where you start a book, put it down, start another book, put it down...it was a vicious circle I foudn myself in and couldn't get out.  I finally picked up a book that I had read years ago, and loved!

 A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follet.

At the start of the novel, which is set in 1888, the characters are in" high school" and have decided to go for a night swim. One of the kids ends up dying, but we do not find out who killed him. The book goes on to follow the boys and their families through their early adult lives and then into their later years of life.  It twists and turns due to the fact that most of the characters are greedy, want money and status and will do whatever it takes to get it...even further killing of the friends in the group.  It demonstrates how one decision can effect a life time!  Loved reading this the second time as much as I did the first!

My inability to find a decent book continued.  the boys and I were at the library one night and I saw this YA  novel, New Moon by Stephanie Meyer, and decided to check it out. . I had read the first novel in the series, Twilight, years ago and thought maybe this could get me out of my slump...I just wanted to read something!!!

If you are not familiar with Twilight, the main character, Bella, is in love with Edward.  The catch is that Edward is a vampire.  The first novel was OK...very predictable.  Edward and Bella are in extreme love, so much so, that she wants him to change her into vampire so she can live for eternity with him.  There is a lot of love dovey ewie gooey look into my eyes i love you i love you too...which gets old.

But with this second novel, Edward leaves unexpectedly (yea!) and Bella "renews" her friendship with Jacob, which is more realistic. Suddenly Jacob doesn't want anything to do with Bella because he is going through a change...and not a vampire one!!  The books are pretty long 300-400 pages, but they are fast to read. Just what I needed!

I then thought i could read one of the books on my night stand...there are a lot of them! So i picked up The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht.  It is her first novel and was on several best book of the year lists.

This is the Amazon description of the book:
In a Balkan country mending from war, Natalia, a young doctor, is compelled to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding her beloved grandfather’s recent death. Searching for clues, she turns to his worn copy of The Jungle Book and the stories he told her of his encounters over the years with “the deathless man.” But most extraordinary of all is the story her grandfather never told her—the legend of the tiger’s wife.

I found the book to be a bit of a folk tale.  The stories about the Deathless Man and the Tiger's Wife do catch and keep your attention.  While reading these stories, you discover that most of the characters are weaved together, but in a subtle ways...meaning, you might miss the connection if you don't pay attention.  It is a slow read, due to the fact that I felt that I needed to read every word.   I did have a bit of trouble understanding where Natalia, the main character, was at present time and what the people around her where doing. But, it was an interesting read.

A side note, Moose's first "mom" is a HUGE reader and sent me a great list of books to read. Can't wait to read some of her suggestions.  The best part is that we have read a lot of the same novels, so we are on the same page (pun intended!!)

Thanks Cheryl!!!

Cheesy Stuffed Noodles...Take 2...

As I shared with you last week, I am expanding my horizons with my cooking.  One of the new recipes that I made last week (actually almost anything I cook, that has more than 3 ingredients and isn't frozen,  will be new recipe to me...) was Cheesy Stuffed Pasta Noodles. I did try this a previous time, but there was a bit of a hitch.
,

To "prove" that I made the cheesy stuffing myself, I took a picture of the bowl.  I am new at photographing food...so this isn't my best work!

And a picture of the COOKED noodles.  Remember the "hitch" that I mentioned the first time I prepared this dish? 
Well, I served it to the boys and Jason dug right in.  It was EXTREMELY crunchy.  Jason nicely asked, "Katie, did you cook the noodles?"  "Yeeeeessssssss, I cooked the noooooodles."  I told him (duh!! They were in the oven...cooking!)  Of course he had another question, "Did you cook the noodles before you put them in the baking dish?"  Pure silence on my part.  No, I did not cook the noodles BEFORE I put the stuffing in them and cooked them in the oven!  You don't cook the noodles when making lasagna...no wonder I got confused!

And these are my cheesy noodles before going into the oven.  they are much prettier before they go into the oven because once they are cooked, all the cheese runs out into the spaghetti sauce. (Unless you don't cook the noodles before hand and then the dish is a much prettier presentation!) Can you tell which noodles are for Jas and I and which are for the boys? 
This meal was a success and will be eaten again!

Project Life Year 2...

Last week, my Becky Higgins Project Life came in the mail.  Last year I order the entire package...album, journaling cards, 12x12 paper, date stamper, everything!!! This year i only ordered the journaling cards.


Each journaling set came in a fun little box, but I opened all of the boxes and put them in the provided "holder" to enjoy at one time.  Last year, the cards came in boxes, but no holder..this is SO much better!! 

Check out the goodies...

days of the week stickers (there are alos "clear" sets with the days printed in white)

number stickers

4x6 journaling or date cards

These 4x6 cards are used for the title pages and the closing pages...if you want!

2x3 "decorative"cards

TONS more 2x3 journaling cards and saying cards. Love these colors!!!

And even MORE journaling cards!!  There are even more that I haven't shared with you!!!  WOW!!
(my flash wouldn't go off in this photo??)

 

These are 4x6 cards that can be folded in half...for longer stories!

These are the fun little boxes that the journaling cards came in...excited to start my new 2012 album.  Last year I made it all the way to June with my Project Life.  the boys and i have enjoyed looking back at what we were doing at different times of the year in that album.  Too bad we don't have anything that happened in our lives from July-December of 2011!! Maybe this year we will!!