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Yup, it's this weekend! My three piano students are playing about 5 songs each. We'll have just enough time after church on the 12th to all go home and eat (except me, because I have to set up for the recital.) Then at 1:30 p.m., it's music time! I have been working hard with the girls, but since they're all playing so many songs we've had a lot of music to prepare. I should have started them a few weeks earlier on Christmas music (had a last minute lesson with Margie yesterday, am having one with Alexis TONIGHT!), but they will do fine and no matter how they do, we will all be proud of them. I'm going to spend all of Saturday making cookies and making sure my preparations are all in place. It is STRESSFUL to plan a recital (even a small one), and event planning is NOT my forte! (Forte . . . ha ha . . .) I will be so relieved when this is just over with! Then I'll be able to relax and enjoy Christmas. This program is what I've made to print up for me and the three girls (click on it to see it at a visible size!!!) -- for parents and audience, they will have a simple, cheaper print-out of just text (on Christmas paper, of course.) I just love these graphics so much, I wanted to use them again! ;o) And I want the girls so have something special to remember this Christmas by (I'm going to print it on cardstock.) I still have no idea what I'm going to wear to this thing . . . Hope you all have a great weekend . . . wish me luck!
Austin, I remember reading about your mommy's excitement for you to be born, 
and anxiously awaiting news of your birth. I have loved seeing pictures of you through this past year and I'm amazed how quickly you grew up! I hope you have a wonderful birthday and that your 2nd year of life is amazing. Love you. Jenny.
This SB layout has pictures of my dad and my older sister, Mary, from 1978 and 1979. I made it with old pictures that were extra from when I organized my mom's old photo albums (I had to rescue them all from the sticky-paged albums -- those are not safe for pictures!!! Use albums where the photos slip in!) Anyway, it's so funny to see what my dad looked like when I was small (Sheri, I'll bet this doesn't look so odd to you, this is what he looked like when you were in high school!!!) I think Jake looks a lot like my sister Mary.
Anyway, I was thinking the other day about my parents. My mom is so great with Jake and such a help to me -- and I know that she sacrificed a lot for us when we were growing up. BUT. She is the source of a lot of my self-esteem/self-worth issues. Nothing I do is ever good enough. She continually looks past any of my accomplishments and focuses on my failures. Dwells on them. Brings them up in conversation. I never measure up. Straight A's, sports successes, musical successes, never getting into trouble -- this was never good enough. You will never hear her say anything positive about me. I've told this story before, but not all of you have heard it: when I was in high school, I took Chemistry and it was really hard. I studied my butt off for a test and I was so proud of myself for getting a 97%. I came home and showed it to her, and the only thing she said was "what happened to the other 3 points?" What the hell!!! I know a lot of it isn't her fault, she had a crappy childhood, yada yada, and I try not to hold it against her or be too offended.
When I think about my dad, though, one word continually comes to mind: compassion. He knows I don't always measure up or make good decisions, but he has faith in me. He looks beyond my faults. He challenges me to think about things beyond what is obvious or comfortable. He respects my intelligence and engages me in conversation about topics beyond motherhood. He doesn't see me for my mistakes or my flaws -- he sees in me the person I'm trying to be, and he encourages me to find a way to get there and to keep trying. I want so much to be like him from day to day as I raise Jake. As we go through life raising our children, I hope we'll all think about how our actions and attitudes toward them will affect them as they grow up.
(click to make picture bigger.)Ok, how ADORABLE are these kids?! I love those big pictures on the left side. My mom did a great job getting the kids to sit still and to smile. Do you know how hard it is to get a 26 month old and a 15 month old to smile?
I love scrapbooking so much. I wish I could do it all day long. I've been working on this layout for two days, because I just couldn't get it right. I finally finished it at like 11 last night. 10 pictures on a 2 page 8.5x11 inch layout is a lot, and I just couldn't get it to flow. But I think I like what I ended up with, and I even like the color combo -- which some would say shouldn't be used together. I like it, though, and hey -- it's my book. I can do whatever the hell I want. ;o)
In case you can't read it, the journaling says:
Nana Linda started watching Zoe Grace along with Jake last January when Zoe was 5 months old. Jake is 11 months older than Zoe -- her birthday is Aug. 17th, 2003 (Jake's is Sept. 12th, 2002.) Playing together 3 or 4 days of every week while their mommys are at work has been good for both of them. Zoe's still a *DIVA* and Jake is still a tyrant, but both less so than they would be spending the days without a friend to play with. Nov. 2004 * Jake 26 months old * Zoe 15 months old.
P.S. don't forget to read previous entry, Jake's 26th month
This is my absolute favorite picture of Jake from last weekend. He looks so stinking sweet and innocent. (Don't be fooled.) There have been several times this past week that I've been SO frustrated with him, then I look at this picture and I remember that he IS a sweet, darling boy . . . he just doesn't always act that way.
Jake's had himself a little language explosion over the past few weeks. The phrases he says the most are "all done" and "'nuh one" (another one.) He mostly uses these phrases to argue with us when we're trying to get him to do something, or to order me around. But hey, progress is progress. He's also obsessed with possessiveness -- he goes around labelling everything "Jake's" and "mine." He'll point to me: "Jake's?" "Yes, I'm Jake's mommy." (Then he gets this sweet look on his face and pats me and says "Jake's" over and over.) He points to the car: "Mine?" "Sure, Jake, that's your car." Over and over, all day long. Food is "whooood." Cup is still "puck." Outside is "ah-hide." He sits down, pats the floor, and says "Play." (Meaning, "mom, get your butt down here and amuse me.") He also says "play" for when he wants to stop doing something else. Sitting in the carseat, laying down for a nap, sitting down to eat -- he says "play? play? play?" Oh, and "awake." Good lord, he says that ALL the time. Mostly when we're trying to go to sleep and he doesn't want to, or if I'm laying on the couch resting and he doesn't want me to. He even tells me "on!" to put my glasses back on. He hates when I take them off now. He likes to tell me if the characters in books are awake or not, too. He's finally saying "Dog" very clearly instead of making a barking sound. (Well he still makes the barking sound, but mostly for fun.) He says "Bob" very clearly, too (this can be for SpongeBob, Bob the Tomato, Bob from Sesame Street, or Bob and Bill, which is what mom has named two of his Rescue Hero guys.) He's able to say and identify all of his numbers and half of his letters, as well as most colors. (ok, purple is "uh-puh," but I know what he means.) Oh, and I love the way he says W -- "uh-voo."
Kelly had these pictures to start with, and I made this. (see right.) I am pretty proud of myself! (Common theme lately, I know.) I'm so glad I could help you, Kelly! (Gosh, these kiddos are SO CUTE!!!) I'm also feeling popular, because I got shout outs on Kelly, Cara, and Shelly's blogs this weekend. (Ok, Cara's was about potty-training, but still.) I am SO glad that I have my internet friends. I know I say that a lot, but it's true. There are some days when I don't want to get up out of bed to go to work, and my motivation for getting up is that sometime in the day I can sit here and read ya'll's blogs and write in mine.
I've decided to forgo Christmas cards this year, because with work and the piano recital and family crap stuff, I just can't handle it. But I AM going to do New Year's or Valentine's cards, so if you send me a card (and I LOVE getting cards! I got a great one from Cara over the weekend -- thanks, Cara!!!), I WILL send you one back eventually.
~~~ Thinking of you all. ~~~
During my fun, 6 day weekend over Thanksgiving, I had a chance to hang out with my cousin Melanie. (Melanie, Emily, and Kim are all sisters. Stephanie is their other sister. 10 kids in the family. Lots of cousins to talk about!!!) But here's a Melanie update for you all. You have all been so sweet to pray for her, ask about her, and put her picture on your blogs. (all of these pictures open up big if you click on them.)
Melanie is doing great. She still has problems, but her condition is no longer critical. Her kidneys are functioning at 70% and she will not need a transplant any time in
the near future. Her pancreas is acting up a little and she has to watch her sugar intake, but overall that is better, too. The other problem she has is blood pressure, which she is on medication to regulate. The family is in the midst of a lawsuit against 
the local hospital to re-coup their expenses -- the reason she got so sick is that she had e coli and the hospital mis-diagnosed her and gave her anti-biotics, the combination of which put her kidneys into failure and her other organs in danger. I feel strongly against frivilous lawsuits, but this one is much needed and the hospital was completely at fault for her condition -- she was out of school for 6 weeks and 
she will have medical problems for the rest of her life. But overall, she is in great spirits and good health and happy to be more or less back to normal. She's such a sweet, darling girl -- so loving with the children, so funny to talk to, so big-hearted and sweet. God has truly answered our prayers in restoring her to health.
click here to read about her journey from the beginning
I am SO EXCITED about the new graphics I just bought. There's this great lady, Jana, who has a graphics shop, Cottontail Graphics. I noticed her over a year ago and I've used her graphics a lot . . . well she is just getting better and better! You'll notice my blog bearies 
(mood icons) are from her, my "Happy" Christmas dollie, and two new sigtags. The sigtags are just $3 each and she is FAST making them. I also just got these graphics in a Christmas set from her -- it was only $6 for a 57 
graphic set -- SO totally worth it! You know I'm going to have so much fun with my Christmas pictures on Jake's webpage with these graphics! Anyway, I just wanted to give her a shout-out and let you guys know she's there. If you want to learn more about installing a no-right-click code on your blog so you can use her graphics, let me know.
May 4th, 2002 Our wedding
September 14th, 2002. Going home from the hospital with 2 day old baby Jake!
10 days old and we're ALL worn out!
1st Halloween (6 weeks)
1st Christmas (3.5 months)
January 2003 ~ 4 months old
July 2003 ~ 10 months old
December 2003 ~ 15 months old
June 2004 ~ 21 months old 
Lou's 28th birthday. 10-23-2004. 
Easter 2005 ~ 30 months old 
