In Search of Myself

I want that!

Yeah, yeah, I know -- I'm full of I wants these days.  And surfing around looking on blogs does NOT help the problem!

First, a home photography studio.  I've seen another one online, but this one is even COOLER.  Look at their website:

Dude, you're KILLIN' me!

And Cathy Z. wrote about this book on her blog today, and it looks awesome:

"No one cares what you had for lunch -- 100 ideas for your blog."  Buy it here.

Not like I'm ever out of things to write about, but it looks dang interesting!!!!!!!!

1-25-07 UPDATE: Priscilla and I were talking about this book, and she said she wants to read it, too -- and hey, it's payday today, so I bought it.  I'll let you know what I think!

The Office this week

At first I was disappointed that there's not a new episode of The Office this week.  But then I was looking at OfficeTally.com (what, you don't check it 5 times a day?) and I saw that they are airing THREE repeats from earlier this season -- and they just happen to be 3 of the 4 episodes I didn't tape!  WA-HOO!!!  So now I'm actually excited about it.

(Why do I tape them?  Mostly because I can't enjoy watching them when they're actually airing because I'm always chasing Jake and I miss stuff.  He ALWAYS has go to go the bathroom at the good parts. So I tape them so I won't care when Jake distracts me.  Also, when I get bored during the week, I watch them again.  It tides me over until the DVD comes out next year.  :) Also, because I am a loser who doesn't have TiVo.)

Now a quote from one of the episodes that will be airing tomorrow:

Dwight: Ever since Michael dumped Jan for Carol, Jan's been bitching out on him.  Reject a woman, and she will never let it go.  One of the many defects of their kind.  Also, weak arms.

oh, and

Michael: Hug it out, bitch.  That is what men say to each other after a fight.  They hug it out, and in doing so, they just let it go.  And walk away when they're done.  Not a good idea to say that to a woman, however, I have found.  Doesn't translate.

P.S. SHOOT.  That also means that 2 of the episodes will be running when Grey's does.  Guess we'll have to make it a night at my mom's house and tape them at the same time.  (She has 2 VCR's -- THREE if you count the TV/VCR they keep in the kitchen that my dad takes with him when they camp.  hee)

Only took 3 months

I was sorting through Jake's scrapbook this weekend and realized I didn't have any Halloween pictures in it!  And seriously, with pictures this cute?  That's just wrong.  So even though I seem to have lost my scrapping mojo (probably because I did like 20 paper pages last weekend and I used it all up), I forced myself to make this.

Radio Quote

Instead of complaining how miserable I am today because of a chest cold that won't go away and the oh-so-fun cramps we women deal with, I'm going to share with you a line from a song on Christian radio (by Reliant K), that every time I hear it makes me laugh.

Lately the weather has been so bi-polar, and consequently so have I.

hee hee

New Site from me!

I know, seriously, how many sites do I need?  But this one is the most helpful yet!

This is for those of you who are new to scrapbooking and have trouble figuring out how to arrange your photos . . . or for any scrapper who needs new ideas for page design.

It's called "Layouts by the Numbers," and it's my favorite scrapbook layouts, arranged by the number of photos in the layout.  You have 3 photos you want to make a page with?  Click on the "3 photos" category and see a dozen ideas.

There's also a "Focus on Journaling" section, for those of you who need help figuring out how to include journaling, or just figuring out what to say. And a "Fold-Outs" section, for layouts with hinged elements to make room for more photos and journaling underneath.

Oh, and I've posted literally like 50 new, never-before-seen scrapbook layouts that I've made in the past year.

Click on image to get there.

I have nothing interesting to say.

I am sick.  I can't shake this cough.  I am exhausted.  I'm majorly PMSing.  My birthday celebrations last week (complete with a drinking/junk food/movie night with Priscilla and an appearance by Kathy before work last Friday) made me gain a few pounds.  NOT GOOD.

Oh, AND all my blinkies seem to have died.  that's going to be fun to redo.  I just realized they're all hosted at iParenting.  how stupid am I?  LOL

Happy thoughts.  Happy thoughts.  How about a quote from last night's new Office episode?

Jim: Hey, Ryan. Do you want to pull a prank on Andy?
Ryan: Not right now. But ask me again ten years ago.
Jim: I liked you better as the temp.
Ryan: Me too.

heh.  And yay, Jim admitted he still has feelings for Pam.  FREAKING HOOK UP ALREADY!!!!

ok, back to paperwork.  peace, yo.

Attention Monica and Andrea

And ok, the rest of you can read this, too.  LOL

I've been working today on something new and fun with scrapbooking and my websites, and I posted this page, which is one among over 80 paper pages from the last year that I haven't posted anywhere.  And I thought you guys might want to see it (you know, since I'm talking about you and all.)

And Andrea -- I got your card yesterday!  THANK YOU!  It's so cute -- and a Starbucks gift card?  Boy do you know how to treat a girl, or what?!!!!

Yuck

Jake's eyes have been irritated since Friday, and Monday they started looking a little goopy -- red and watery, but the watery stuff was sticky.  We kept watching it to see if it would self-resolve, but this morning his eyelids were literally stuck together.  I was checking on him at 5 a.m. and I couldn't get his eyes to open AT ALL.  So I put a warm, wet washcloth on them for 10 minutes, then tried again.  Nothing.  We decided I'd stay home from work to take him to the doctor, and he really didn't care -- he said "I don't want to open my eyes, I want to sleep."  Well then.

Once 8 a.m. rolled around (when the walk-in clinic nearby opens) I got Jake out of bed and his eyes were watering a bit at that point, which loosened up the gunk enough to open his eyes and I had to use my fingernails to slide the dried goop off his eyelashes.  (Try THAT with a sensory-sensitive kid!!!!)

We were at the doctor for two hours.  He doesn't have pink-eye, but an infection probably due to allergies.  He also still kind of has an ear infection from when he had a double ear infection before Thanksgiving.  (Nice.)  When we were there on Nov. 22, he weighed 48 pounds and was 44 inches tall.  Today he was 52 pounds and 46 inches tall!  Wow.  Anyway, we got eye drops and antibiotics, so hopefully it will all get cleared up soon.

Sensory stuff

Rachel, our OT, gave me the address of probably the best web resource yet about SPD.  It's www.sensory-processing-disorder.com (and I'm going to keep the piece of paper she wrote it on, in crayon, because it was just a funny moment.)  It has a TON of very clear, easy to understand information, and lot of links.  And a newsletter!  Sign up for it if you have a kid with SPD!

A great book to read:  "Ten things every child with Autism wishes you knew." It was simply amazing. Rachel saw me reading it and asked to borrow it because she's been given so many SPD kids lately and had heard it was a good read.  The book was recommended to me by a mom at "food school" -- her son, Nathan, was a preemie and now has SPD issues (he is SUCH a cutie.)  She said she cried the whole time while reading it, and that doesn't surprise me at all.  (Umm, I did, too.)  This is by far the most accessible book I've found about SPD/Autism issues -- especially for those who don't like to read much.  There is very little medical terminology, it's very conversational, and it's pretty short.  If you have someone with Autism or SPD in your life, PLEASE read this book!

And then for Jake's major quirks these days (from an e-mail to Jake's OT):
-- He's hiding under chairs and tables a LOT to avoid social interaction or to have some self-imposed quiet time.  He even did it at church when he didn't want to talk to his best friend's mom -- who watches him for an hour every Monday!
-- he's been walking/spinning in a circle a LOT.  Never really a reason that I can see -- he just feels like doing it.
-- has been EXTREMELY independant lately -- which you think would be a good thing, and is mostly is, but he's really stubborn about it
-- lots of babbling, making up words, singing nonsense songs, or singing songs he knows
-- he's getting better about holding a pencil -- sometimes will do it without the special grips -- but when he tries to write his name, he has no concept of space and order.  (Which I guess is semi-normal for 4.)  It's not linear at all when he writes letters.  He makes the A about 4 times as wide as it should be, sometimes makes the J's sideways.  I did have him write his name on the backs of Christmas thank-you cards -- over the course of 3 days he wrote 10!
-- Whenever we sit down on the couch to write letters or do a workbook (with a lapdesk on his lap), he can't keep his legs still.  He does a weird shaking his legs/bopping up and down thing when he gets self-conscious when he's standing up, too -- like when we're posing for pictures.  I don't know how to make him just hold still the few times a day I really need him to!
-- there's a song on my Grey's Anatomy CD -- #9, How We Operate, Gomez  -- that Jake is obsessed with.  He asks me to play it whenever we're in the car, and he sings it non-stop (which is actually really cute.  he's gonna be a rock star, I think.)  Mom and I think he likes it so much because of the minor key and the thumping rhythm at the beginning.

Happiness is . . .

. . . telling your husband you're really in the mood for grilled cheese, and having a sandwich appear before you within 5 minutes.  Two days in a row.  That's just good stuff.

Also, a funny quote from The Office about happiness:

Michael:  "The secret to happiness is JOY, Jim.  You remember that."

heh.