We're in packing hell!

Since we are actually moving at the end of this week we thought we really better start doing some serious packing around here. And it's a nightmare!! Bit by bit we are taking down little bits of our lives and putting them into boxes and then we get to live in the soul-less shell of our home! I feel like we're slowly dismantling Patrick's little world! It's horrible!

You want evidence?? No probs...

It actually doesn't look too bad in this, but that's because I couldn't bring myself to take pictures of the rooms where we're storing the boxes! I even had to pack my lovely stash this week, although not before I made myself some lovely little kits to be getting on with (obviously when I should be packing!) So I've been making myself feel better by making this fab little book about what our house used to look like, and how we want to remember it. It will be terribly boring to put the whole thing in this post, so I'll tempt you with a couple of pages and you can see the rest of it here.

The book is a Maya Road board book. I love them. Everytime I see them online I feel the need to stock up on a few more - very handy little things to have around! I'm also pretty pleased with my digital skills here. As Annie knows, I love to download the digital kits from 2peas but then never use them. So these are some of Rhonna Farrer's photo edges. But the most brilliant bit I did all by myself. I created a digital brush which says 'Home is where the heart is' and then wrote our address in the middle with a little heart! And then I stamped it on every page!! Well done me! I've been pleased as punch ever since, even though it's really hard to see what it says, but I know and that's the main thing!

Anyway, off to watch Lost in our depressingly impersonal lounge now. Not even a scrap of chocolate to make me feel better :( Although I could call Michael and ask him to bring some in on his way home from work.....

Edited for Jo!

Patterned paper is mostly My Mind's Eye Front Porch collection; stickers 7Gypsies; die cuts KI Memories and the rest just bits and pieces from the stash. HTH:)

Busy doing nothing

Sheila phoned me tonight to see if I was ok since I haven't posted on my blog for a week now! That tells me a few things:-

1. I spend too much time on my blog and other people's blogs;

2. Sheila is as bad as me re. blogs!;

3. I must have been busy doing something this week to have had no time to blog but I can't for the life of me think what that might have been;

4. My brain is not functioning to a satisfactory standard!

What I can tell you is that denial worked. At least in regard to the packing! It turns out we won't be moving for another couple of weeks, so it's really a good thing that we hadn't done much packing! Obviously we've made no use whatsoever of the extra time afforded us, and the packing is still as it was a week ago. Still waiting for those packing fairies to come in the night!! In my case the extra time has been put to use finishing layouts and projects that really could wait. But where's the fun in that I ask you?

This is a layout I've had almost finished for weeks, but I ran out of staples and couldn't ever remember to get more when I was shopping (see above # 4!) It's for my album of stuff that just makes me happy and it's dedicated to Fat Face! I totally LOVE that shop and their catalogue! Everything about it makes me happy, from the cut of the jeans to the inside of the waistbands and the cool tags that are attached to everything. The only actual products I used on this were the Bazzill cardstock, a transparency and staples. All the rest is from Fat Face clothes or the catalogue! How cool is that?!

I've also been doing a mini book about the house we're leaving, because we really love it. If we could take it with us that would be great, but since we can't I did what I had to and scrapped it! It's in the almost finished category - will waste more packing time on it tomorrow and post the finished pages when I'm done.

Before I finish here and get into bed with my chocolate to watch a new episode of Lost, just let me tell you something I learned today about kids. It doesn't matter what you try to get them to do, and it doesn't matter what preconceived notions you have of them in your head - they will always surprise you and do what you least expect. This I learned when Patrick announced as I was making tea that he would have salmon and potatoes along with us, and not the standard sausages! He NEVER eats salmon and is adamant about not liking potatoes, but I have proof! Right here - look at his little plate!

See, you really do learn something new everyday!

Denial

I'm in denial about so many things right now.

1. That lists don't rule my life. Although I appear to have shot myself in the foot with that one straight off!

2. That tomorrow is Monday and I actually am well enough to go to school - grrrr!

3. That I'm organised enough for tomorrow morning, ie, packed lunch, bags ready for boys to go to mum's etc. It doesn't really matter anyway, because no matter how organised I am, there is a time warp between the front door and my car that eats away a good 12 minutes every morning! Seriously, I check the clock in the kitchen when I leave and it says 7:53 and then I check the clock in the car when I turn the engine on and it says 8:05! Can it really take me that long to get everyone and everything in the car? Or am I operating in two different time zones - one for fixed abodes and one for moving vehicles?

4. That Weight Watchers allows two slices of chocolate orange cake and a large bag of Smarties to help me cope with point number 2.

5. That we are going to have everything packed and ready to move in the next 10 days! If anyone has the number for the packing fairies who come in the night and silently do all the work for you, could you please pass it on!!

6. That this is really a constructive use of my time - obviously it must be, otherwise I'd be getting on with aforementioned packing!

7. That some day I will be able to answer the "So, what do you do?" question with the reply, "I'm a photographer (smile smugly)". Really am in denial about this one. I think it's quite linked to point number 2.

Anyway, enough rambling and on to more fun stuff! I am a craft wonder at the moment - I find it extremely relaxing and happy inducing and it really helps with the denial of point number 5. This weekend I have almost completed a mini book about our house here. I really want to have some proper reminder of this house. It has meant so much to us and we will really miss it. If we could take it with us we would, but our buyers won't allow it! I am totally sad to be leaving it, and Patrick is going to be heartbroken. So a mini book it is. I'll post later this week (obviously when I should be packing!) when it's finished.

But I have also done this:

That's right - a 2 page spread! And with patterned paper as the ENTIRE background! This was such a jump from my comfort zone but I am chuffed to bits with it! Excuse me while I blow my own trumpet for a minute hehe! And are you checking out the 10 photos?? The only thing I don't like is the brown pen, but I can't find my black one for the life of me, so in true Ali Edwards' style, I shall embrace the imperfection and go with the flow! I'm thinking I might just do this no comfort zone thing again sometime. I am dying to find a way to do a boy page with pink paper. Perhaps I can use it as a way to move on with the denial this coming week!

Making me happy

Do you ever have days that are just happy? Today was like that for me. Things just felt good, even the not so good parts. To start with, the weather here was just perfect - seriously hardly a cloud in the sky all day long. Against Patrick's wishes, I took the boys down to Mountstewart for a bit of fresh air after all the bugs and germs that have been kicking around here this past week. We took a ball and a frisbee, had a lovely cappucino/carton of juice and some traybakes (don't tell daddy!) and then played in the gardens for a bit. At one point I honestly felt like I was in a sappy Disney family movie! Patrick was throwing stones into the lake (not directly at the ducks - no need to inform the RSPB!) and the ducks obviously thought it was bread (very stale bread that makes a huge kerplunk noise as it hits the water's surface!) and so they all came swimming towards us. Then the 2 swans actually flew onto the lake together and joined the webbed foot parade to the bank. As if this wasn't Disney enough, right then, a little robin redbreast swooped down to the railing of the jetty where we were standing! It was like something from Mary Poppins, I kid you not! Until the swans got too close for comfort and I feared that hissing they do and promptly led my beautiful Disney children away! I always feel that hissing swans are totally unnecessary!

Amongst other things that are making me happy today are the following:

Conor took his very first steps today - he looked so cute! The first step was almost confident, but the next couple are really just the prelude to the downfall! Off to Shoe-be-doo tomorrow:)

The January issue of Real Simple - just looking at it makes me happy:)

The latest Cath Kidston catalogue - it really speaks for itself, and I fully recommend being added to their mailing list!

And finally this...

...the scene that greeted me after driving home from Mountstewart! Have to love 2 beautiful sleeping boys:) Very happy indeed!

So share - what's making you happy today?

Blessings

Tonight I am counting as blessings the numerous irritating aspects of being a mum to two very active boys. I am so blessed to get to wipe bottoms and clean noses about a thousand times a day, and to be able to tidy their toys and worry about the fact that they haven't eaten properly for 2 days. I am so thankful for the tantrums and tears and the number of times I nearly break my ankle each day on some toy left lying around.

I am thankful for this and so much more.

In the early hours of this morning, a friend of a friend gave birth to her son, Finn, at 30 weeks. He died at teatime tonignt. This was their second baby. Their first, a girl, was stillborn at 38 weeks just over a year ago. If you are at all inclined to pray for them, I know your prayers will strengthen them and give them peace.

I'm going now to look at my angels sleeping for a bit.

At the moment

*neither of the boys is particularly well;

*Conor is recovering from cutting his 13th tooth - that's the 6th in a month!

*I'm off work because I'm so blooming exhausted;

*the boys are sporting v cool haircuts - sorry, no photo evidence - you'll have to trust me!

*I have about 300 photos to proof;

*I'm preparing to eat the 3 pieces of Lindt Cointreau chocolate Michael has just set down in front of me:)

*I should be in bed, but am going to upload just a few photos of my friend Hannah's baby girl - sweet!

Possibly my favourite shot for a while (that I can show you, since I'm still proofing a certain Miss Addie's photos!)

Go visit...

my friend Jo. You may have seen her comments here and on Sheila's and Annie's blogs, but finally, after months of nagging I have sucked her into blogging as well as scrapping! My work here is done! Go check it out - she's such a cool girl. I'm so excited to be able to keep up with her and her boys since she doesn't live anywhere near me. Good work, my friend:)

Welcome to Camp Crazy!

It's gone from being all good to being all crazy around here this past few days. Seriously, Patrick has too much energy for his own good, Conor has definite kamikaze tendencies and I'm going to need medicated pretty soon!

Take yesterday for starters. All was (generally) well in the morning, with the exception of Conor hurling himself from my bed, only to be caught by his ankle about 1" from the floor. He was altogether unperturbed! Patrick went to nursery as usual and Conor and I mooched around Bangor for a while. However, while making lunch a mere hour or two later I did my best to slice my thumb off with the cheese slicer. Obviously my first reaction was to swear - loudly - I'm sure that will be coming back to haunt me before long! Then I had to direct Patrick to the clean tea towels, thinking only that I had to stop the bleeding and also act like nothing was wrong. I wish I'd been able to see my face because it can only have been deranged, as those of you who know me well enough will be aware that I don't do blood. At all!! Anyway, the drama all passed in a few moments once I realised it was only a knick and that a diget transplant was probably going to be unlikely!

So the day trundled on. Conor was so grumpy after lunch that I gave him Medised before his sleep. Normally we reserve that for the middle of the night croup episodes, but he was GRUMPY. He continued to grump after his sleep, and all through tea. I'd even made a special Annabel Karmel pasta sauce to try and make myself feel better about the number of jars he gets. But he spat that out. (That woman has a lot to answer for if you ask me. I bet there are hate sites for her, run by women who have picky eaters for kids and not gourmet angels!)

However, the list of catastrophes continued with Patrick's spectacular skid and fall in the hall, in response to the man from Bangor fuels who obviously gets a high from the number of times he rings the bell and knocks the door. Poor Patrick went on his rear end and cracked his head off the skirting board.

After tea, I noticed that Conor had settled himself on the bottom stair, where it was obvious from looking at the way he was kneeling that it was only a matter of time before he also had dealings with the hall floor. Which he promptly did as I went to lift him down. Strike 1!

I decided there was nothing for it but to put them both in the bath early. All smashing fun and giggles until suddenly (and I don't know how he actually managed to do this) Conor sort of threw himself face down in the water, then flailed around for a bit and rolled over onto his back, coughing and breathing water in what seemed to be rather large amounts for a 1 year old. Cue me, deranged look on face again and another loud dose of swearing as I lunged to get him up from under the water! This all seems hilarious now, but it was terrifying at the time. Even Patrick was crying, although, thinking about it that was probably more to do with my odd looking face and profanities! Anyway, crisis averted, Conor was fine in just a few minutes. Strike 2!

The final stages of single handed bathing is always a bit of a risk, now that Conor is well and truly mobile. So this one really came as not much of a shock. Just as I was lifting Patrick out of the bath, there was a decidedly plastic clunk followed by crying from the bedroom. I couldn't really even see the wee man when I went in, because he'd pulled Patrick's ELC firehouse off the shelf and onto his head and was lying trapped between the toy unit and the plastic table and chairs. Strike 3! He didn't even need Medised to go to sleep! He had basically tortured himself to the point of unconsciousness!

And today I got to do it all again! Who says motherhood isn't the most rewarding job in the world? Bring on Daddy's day off on Saturday - surely no one is going to deny me a trip to the new scrap shop in Newtownards after the couple of days I've just had?!

Family

So for my mum's birthday in November I promised her a really nice photo of her with the boys to have enlarged for the wall. STUPID!! It is so difficult to get my own kids to behave for the camera. We went to Mountstewart to take the pictures yesterday, and despite the freezing cold, it was gorgeous weather. Perfect setting for lovely family pictures. You would think! Perhaps I just wasn't trying hard enough, either that or the boys were moving too fast. It was nigh on impossible to get a good shot. These are a few of the better ones. I have a feeling we could be doing this again!!

Define fun...

Answer:

Spend two days with a crazy, funny, gorgeous, creative, open, warmhearted girl (aka Annie Hafermann) and her equally amazing family. Add to that your camera, some great food, courtesy of the lovely Candace next door, a few glasses of wine and a shocking amount of photo shoots of the beautiful and perfect baby Addie. This seriously is how I'm defining fun today!

When Annie and her family invited me to spend a few days with them to photograph baby Addie I jumped at the chance. Little did I know what an impact this new friendship was about to have on my life. It really isn't everyone who would invite a teacher/wannabe photographer from Northern Ireland to stay with them without ever having met them before, and that's what makes this family so special. They could NOT have made me any more welcome. Who says blogs are a waste of time??

So Janine, what where the highlights of your visit?

1. Just meeting these folks! It's quite possible Annie and I are actually estranged twins (ok, so I'm way shorter and she has better hair!), but for never having actually met in person, it felt like we'd always known each other. So totally cool!

2. Getting to take photographs all the time. I think my camera may need serviced after this!

3. 2 nights of beautiful, uninterrupted sleep!

4. Seeing that in the grand scheme of things, my stash does NOT take over the whole study!

5. The crochet hat shots ha ha ha!!!

6. Sucking someone else in to the wonder of Fat Face online shopping. Spike must love me for that!

7. Coming home to my fab boys:)

Thank you lovely Hafermanns for making me so welcome and for letting me snap a little of your gorgeous family just being who you are. Miss you xx

(One of the better shots of me and said wonderful Annie - thanks Spike! Will post the rest anon!)