Sweeeeeeeet

I have finished a big milestone in my recertification test. I have read all the questions, and answered the best I could. I still have 15 unanswered and 40 to review. However, I also have 25 days left, so I feel that I can now do a few a day no problem. Before I had been doing them during all naps and in the evening, usually 4 hours a day for 3 weeks straight. I'm seriously in need of some me time, and some time to de-stress. At least now I know I will finish the test, that was my biggest fear. Second only to failing it. So am I done? Once I finish the 15 I will consider it done, but I'm done spending All my time on it.

Scrapping anyone?

Actually, if you want to hear God laugh tell him your plans. Last night was an all nighter with J. Everyone in my household is cranky and it will be an early evening. This next part is a note to myself (I don't want to forget) and a general public service announcement -Don't analyze your life on rainy, bad days when you haven't slept enough. It's so easy to fall into that trap. Find a way to be graceful about your bad days, just deal with what you have right in front of you and blow off everything else.

I got a new dryer! The rental company dragged their feet for almost 3 weeks, but it's here! Looks pretty neat, for a dryer. Let's just hope it works, because it certainly doesn't matter what it looks like if it doesn't.

Sure is a Monday!

Almost there

I have 7 more questions to go. I think I can, I think I can.
I am totally procrastinating. If I do this I can scrap tomorrow.
Wish me luck. :)

Oh Friday. . .

So glad you are here! Come in, stay a while.

I'm up to 251 out of 300, Woohoo! The end is getting close, I can almost taste it! I do have about 60 questions marked for review, because I'm not positive I have the right answer, but I can review those a couple a day no problem once I'm done. And even if I had to leave my answers as is right now, they are my best guesses at the moment and will probably stand anyway, unless I can find new info between now and April 25.

My head wants to get into a creative groove so bad. I can't wait!

It's hot here today, had to turn the AC on. J and I were dying at the playground. I went down the twisty slide approximately 26 times today. :)

"Hope your friday is full of pizza and beer"--that's a quote from my better half.
Happy Friday!
Danielle

These are a few of my favorite things. . .

Everyday is a gift. Some are wrapped in shiny paper and beautiful bows, and others in paper bags. But everyday is a gift. --Me

I have been having a pity party on this blog about doing my test. I'm up to question 205, and hopefully I will get my life back in about a week. I can hang in there until then. But I was thinking, I wonder if Oprah works on the "favorite things" episode when she gets bummed. I hope so.

Here are a few of my favorite things for you loyal blog readers. Hope you find something you love.

Skin-I always get compliments on my skin and I thought I'd share a few things:
1. St Ives Apricot Scrub (or generic)-this is really good to exfoliate with 2-3 times per week, gets all the dead skin cells off and leaves nice skin. It's fairly inexpensive and the generic at Walmart is like a dollar.
2. Aveeno Radiant Moisturizer--good at getting rid of sun spots, evening out skin tone.
Honestly, that's all I wear most days. Lip gloss and undereye concealer sometimes if I want to get dressed up.

Food-I love Fresh Express Bagged Salad $2-3 in either Asian Supreme or Enchilada Supreme. It comes with everything you need for an amazing restaurant quality salad. I add some Tysons Crispy chicken strips ($5 for a huge bag) for a meal. They take either 15 mins in the oven, or you can microwave them if you are in a big hurry (but I'd really recommend the oven to maintain the crisp.) The dressings are so good, even my better half loves the Asian chicken salad, and he is a meat and potatoes guy. Cheap, Fast, Healthy, and soooo good.

Scrap--My friend Ali gave me my next tip. It is the online store A Million Little things. What an amazing store, I love it. Check out the what's new section, she updates that thing every day I swear! And the shipping is fast. But, leave some for us, K?

Paper--I love scenic Route grid paper. It is a throwback to my bookworm self. So fun.

Books--Tuesday Morning is having Sandra Lee cook books on sale for $7. I have paid as much as 3 times that, and I think mine are worth every penny. I hope this isn't a local sale, because they are amazing and you will love them.

Hope you are having a bright and shiny bow day friends!
Danielle

All work

All work and no play is making my cranky. I still have 140 test questions left, and I can't decide if I should step up the number I do a day to finish in about a week (no promises as to the quality of the answers), or scale back the number that I do to be able to do other things, like scrapping and errands. But then I'll be right up against the deadline (April 25) if I slow down, which means anything-computer/internet troubles, a sick child, any unexpected event could throw me down the drain. What to do? What would you do? Keep in mind, test, not cheap.

The effect of not scrapping is noticeable in my stress level, in my OCD about the house, and in my general anxiety about dealing with unexpected crisis's that come up. I think scrapping helps me channel some of my energy away from cleaning compulsively and that is a good thing. I totally let the girl from the gas company have it today, after the 3rd phone call to straighten out an error. It seems when you move your account numbers change, even if you just move next door. Well, the utilities I paid last month, those were my neighbors utility account numbers, so I am fighting to get my money credited to my account. When will that nightmare end?

It has been hard because my better half is MIA, so totally immersed in work. I know he doesn't have much choice, but I miss him. And I'm overwhelmed. And I just really miss him. It's hard at the end of the day when you only get an hour at the most to spend together, and you have to decide if you are going to talk about the gas company, or that cute thing our kid did. I try to go with the latter, but I feel as if I'm keeping all the bad stuff to myself, drowning in it. Wishing I could tell him only for the sympathy. But he doesn't need to deal with all that right now.

So, right this moment, I'm choosing to be happy in spite of all of it. Because as a mom, I owe that to J.

Happy Easter!

So, I'm posting on my blog today because the testing website is down and I can't take the test. I'm doing the equavalent of pacing on the internet, hitting the refresh button until my eyes cross. Panic has set in. A sinking feeling of "I'll never finish this." With head in hands, I tell myself to have faith. Maybe it is just for today. Maybe God thought I deserved a break from the insanity that is that test. Maybe the website is just down for today, this hour, minute. I'm obsessing, clearly it's not pretty.

I have some Easter plans, that do not involve cursing technology. My parents are coming to visit, possibly my sister too. I'm excited to see them, I know they want to see J. I'm nervous though because he is at the stage where strangers are not so good. But J is too good natured and easy going to let a little strange anxiety stop him from having a good time so I'm sure it will be fine.

I got some Willy Wonka golden easter eggs, but I don't know what to fill them with. I gave J a jelly bean, and that was a big mistake. It was like watching Hammy from Over the Hedge drink a soda, hyperactive x 100. He couldn't sleep that night either, stayed awake all night talking (to whom we don't know). Then I let him have a little of the iicing from easter cookies. Another mistake, same thing happened. So, candy bad. Small toys are out, choking hazard. So what to fill the eggs with? Fruit?

Happy Easter weekend to everyone! Be safe.

This side of crazy. . .

I've been snowballed by life. I'm putting out fires left and right. But all that alone would not be enough to keep me from scrapping.

However, my recertification test on top of everything else would be. 300 of the most obscure medical questions known to man. Questions about patients that would only come along once in a life time, if that. That has sapped my mojo. It leaves me drained everyday.

The good news is that it is temporary, and that I will be finished within the next two weeks and things can go back to normal. Please bare with me friends, I'm doing the best I can to keep those balls in the air. I miss everything about being online and scrapping. I miss sharing my work, and visiting my friends blogs. I promise to make it up to you all.

Happy St Patricks Day!!

Hi all, I wish I had something green for you, I do on my desk. But, it's not finished yet. I got hung up taking my test, I only have 200 questions to go (yippee!). The questions are so random, so obscure.

It looks like an interesting day on Wall Street, I'm actively engaged in checking out the panic and blood in the streets from the fall out of the Bear Sterns buy-out to avoid bankrupcy. The best reality show on tv is getting interesting.

Hope you all have a wonderful green day!

Friday Randomness

I'm sorry faithful blog readers, my dryer blew up and the management company has given me a holy fit about replacing it. Finally got the repair person out here today, told me it will cost them more to replace it than to fix it. Awesome, don't know how long it is going to take them to do that. It's been a nightmare situation, and I never let the person who deserves it have it. But, I inadvertantly but calmly explained my predictament to the owner of said management company and low and behold, everything is finally working out. I don't think you have to yell and fuss to get a point across, you just need to find the person in any organization who cares. Rant over.

In other news, I did scrap yesterday but I decided to hang on to that one for a call. Not that it probably will make any difference, just wanted to let you know why I have nothing to share today.

Also, I've been tagged!
Heres how it works:
1. Link to the person that tagged you and leave a comment on their blog, so that their readers can visit yours. Kazan tagged me!
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share 7 Random facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 random people at the bottom of your post, linking to their blog. Let each person know by leaving a comment on their blog.

Random facts about me:

1. I used to be the star in school plays in high school. Now I'm too nervous to speak in public. I have no idea how or why this change occurred. Odd.

2. I grew up very poor. Most people who know me in real life don't and wouldn't know that.

3. I dream of someday owning a beach house. I know it's a horrible investment and will most likely get torn apart by hurricanes, but I can't help it.

4. My house is super clean, but car not so much. With the baby, something had to give I guess.

5. I met my husband in high school. We went on one date, and decided to be friends. Later we re-established communication in college, and we didn't really want to be friends after all!

6. One of the most important friends that I have is someone I've never met in person. She lives in Colorado, and I don't know if I will ever meet her. But she has always been there for me, through some of the darkest days of my life after my dh was injured. Love you sunni-j.

7. I hate the color purple. I do, and nothing I own is purple. Not my clothing or my house or anything. No offense to purple-lovers everywhere.

I don't know seven bloggers to tag, I haven't been blogging that long! So, pharmgirl (Betsy) please take this challenge because I don't know that much about you and I'd like to.

Happy Friday all!

Breathe

I've been feeling stressed, pulled in too many directions, trying to do too many things. I think this happens because my priorities get confused, and everything becomes an emergency of the highest magnitude. Today I am going to try to be thankful and grateful, calm and peaceful. I'm hoping to spend some time outdoors with J. as well, that always helps me feel centered. Hope you all are having the best day!

Song

It has been a long time since I was so profoundly moved by a song. I heard one on the radio today that summed up how I've been feeling and why I scrapbook. An 18 year old girl tells her mom that she can't wait to leave for college and her mom tells her:

You're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back
These are some good times, don't go so fast.

The rest is that the girl's dad comes to visit her first apartment after she gets married and he tells her it is nice. She says it's ok, but she can't wait to have kids and get a house, and he tells her the same thing:

You're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back
These are some good times, don't go so fast.

The last verse of the song the girl has a repair person at her house and the kids are going wild. She apologizes to the repair man for the kids insane behavior and he says the same thing:

You're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back
These are some good times, don't go so fast.

I don't even know who sings this song, but I was in tears in the car and almost had to pull over. I never cry at songs. But if I could pick one to sum up my life, that is it. I'm that girl, and I just want to appreciate everything right now, right this moment. That's what the layout is about. Maybe you know what I mean. Or maybe my hormones are completely out of whack. Hard to say.

"Bee bo"

Darn that Sandra Boynton giving kids bad ideas. Since we got her Belly Button Book, my kid is obsessed with my "bee bo." It's driving me crazy. Apparently it is no fun to play with your own bee bo. This all sounds very bad.

Let me start anew. I got my PB board, but I haven't taken it out of the box yet. Maybe after dinner. The scraproom is in shambles. I'm having one of those days where I should have just not scrapped anything. I feel like everything is sucking, not living up to my expectations. I hate those days. I think it is a form of scrappers block, where I can still create, I'm just convinced it all sucks. I don't know whether to take a break, or work through it. Anymore I try to tell myself, "what did you learn?" I always learn something (normally many things) from a layout. How not-to-do something is normally on the top of the list.

Maybe it's the weather. Hope you all have a great weekend. If you stop by leave me your advice for scrappers block!

For the love of J.

Thursdays we do stuff for J. Although, everyday we do stuff for J, but Thursdays are special. We are returning library books and picking up new ones. We go outside and play everyday, but make an extra special effort to stay long today. I try to make him his favorite lunch. Life moves so fast, this is the only way I know to slow it down and be grateful. Well, that and with photos/scrapping.

I think he had trouble sleeping because he is starting to talk a lot more. He learned a new skill, he can repeat words exactly as they are said to him and his vocab has grown in the past 48 hours in leaps and bounds. I should have known that, but I was too exhausted to figure out the mystery.

Speaking of mystery, I found the missing movie. And my earring. I guess I should pick up a lotto ticket, 'cause I feel lucky! I got this magnetic chalkboard on sale at Pottery Barn this week, it will go in the scrap room to hold photos and paper while I deliberate.

Tomorrow is Friday. I've got big work to do.

Quick

I'm getting such a late start.
I'm so far behind today.
This is what I have for you, some hybrid scrappy-ness.
Until tomorrow.

Has it really been 72 hours?

We have had some sleep issues at my house. J has decided sleep is not for him. He started Friday afternoon really fighting naps, then on it went, for the next 72 hours. By Sunday night, he was a terror. My better half and I spent 3 hours Sunday trying to get him to calm down and go to sleep. He has been such a champion sleeper, I don't know what happened. I racked my brain, but could not find a cause--not sick, teething, hungry, wet, unhappy, lonely. I just don't know. Yesterday morning was the very worst, tired, cranky, unwilling to nap. I was about ready to put a stamp on his forehead and go walk him down to the mailbox. Send to anywhere else. But, yesterday afternoon the cycle finally resolved itself. He took a 2.5 hour nap, we went to the park to celebrate when he got up, and bedtime was much better/normal. So I made this:

I got to meet Ali on Sunday. I liked her instantly, she came over without hesitation to us with J in the stroller. I could have talked to her for hours, felt like I'd known her for years. We have lots in common, and it's so nice to talk to someone who gets everything about my life--scrapping, military, being a mom, all of it. She's delightful and I hope to hang out with her again soon.

Until tomorrow.