Blogging on the Toilet

What.....I'm a multi-tasker. What's the big deal?

No, just kidding. I mean, I AM blogging on the toilet. Just not in the way that you might think. McKenna has taken to some very lengthy baths lately. She likes to recreate the river scene from Pocohontas and sing (over and over) "Just Around the Riverbend". So to pass the time (seriously, like an hour!) I bring my laptop and set it on the counter, which is right next to the toilet. So I have a little desk for myself right now. It's quite handy.

Now before I continue, I just want to say that YES, I dusted. Told ya I would. ; )

And speaking of cleaning, check out this pic of "Cinderelli". I could never find the Vac-N-Mop that Shawna recommended. But I did find a $20 hard-floor vacuum cleaner at Wal-Mart. And since I'm fine with swiffer-mopping my floors but I hate sweeping, I went ahead and bought this. I LOVE vacumming my hard floors as opposed to sweeping. It's easier, faster and seems more thorough. And even McKenna can use this thing. She always asks if she can "bacuum" so here she is. And of course, she has to hold out her gown like Cinderella does:


And check this out:

Now, in the interest of being honest, I should tell you that using the W as an E was my idea. AND, she did have the right letters in the right order BUT she had the letters going right-to-left. So she isn't quite there. But I was still very proud that she knew the order and the letters to her very complicated German last name. And now she knows that it goes left-to-right.

Did I mention that Kyla is almost crawling? She gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth. She usually ends up scooching backwards but she's getting there. Every single time that she gets up to crawl, McKenna points at her and shouts at the top of her lungs "KYLA'S TRYING TO CRAWL! GO BABY! GO BABY!" Of course, that usually bewilders Kyla who drops back down to her belly. LOL! So it may be some time before she actually gets going.

You know the movie Prince of Egypt. I'm not sure at what age the movie is appropriate for children but I'm thinking 2 1/2 is not the age. McKenna asked to watch it. We let her. And she was very curious about "the angel part." How do you explain the Angel of Death to a 2-year old? And right now, as she is in her bath I hear her yelling "No baby! Don't run away! Stay here. I keep you safe." And I look over at her and she has wrapped a water baby in a washcloth, put it in a bucket and shipped it down "the river" a la Moses in the basket. My point is, just because a movie is a cartoon does not mean it's appropriate for children. So I guess I probably shouldn't let her watch South Park anymore either, huh? (Just kidding! Daddy is the only person in this household who finds SP entertaining.)

By the by, if you haven't seen Prince of Egypt, I highly recommend. It's an incredible movie, especially if you watch it and remember that it's a true story. What it must've been like to see the Red Sea part! Or the horror of the night that the Angel of Death passed over. Even a part of the story that I don't think ever struck me until I became a mother - sending your baby down the river in a BASKET just to save his life? Can you imagine? I mean really.....can you? I get scared if my toddler walks too close to a swimming pool. How desperate must Moses' mother have been to save him that she would choose such a risky method? It's just such a fascinating story and despite being a cartoon, it's a very moving production. My absolute favorite part is their music and sound effects. When the angel passes over, there is this eerie swooping sound. And when the Red Sea parts, I guess I always imagined it to be a quiet moment. But they portray it with a low, ominous yet comforting roar. And if you've been to the ocean then you know that it's probably a very realistic portrayal. Because the ocean is loud yet it lulls and comforts you. It's just obvious that whoever was in charge of this production must've spent a lot of time thinking about what this was like as a reality and not just a story we were taught in Sunday school.

And if you find it unsettling that I've put SO much observation into this movie, it's only because we've watched it 3 times in 24 hours. = D

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Recent LOs
(Click image to enlarge)

Close to You

Credits: Yes, I admit, I like the Carpenters. It's a guilty pleasure. I wasn't even planning to scrap this picture or these lyrics but for some reason it all just pulled together and there ya have it. Papers (Garden Treasures: Sweet Pea) and Lil Fuzzies flowers by Gina Miller. I also extracted a few glitter dots from Gina's Glitter Borders to use for the center of the flowers. Alpha, stitched border and brush by Michelle Coleman. Paper tear action by Atomic Cupcake. Font is AL Age Old Love. Lyrics are "Close to You" by The Carpenters.

Joined For Life

Credits: I swear, for something that's so technological, digi-scrapping sure is organic, isn't it? This is nowhere near what I started with in my mind but after awhile the LO sort of took it's own direction. Plantation Papers, tack, tape and kraft paper hearts by IOD (scrapartist.com is down so I'll have to link later); Ribbons, clips, flowers, paper blocks by Jen Wilson; Metal swirls by Dani B.; journal strip by Michelle Coleman; Photo action by Photoblast; Paper tear by Steph Krush; Fonts are Jailbird Jenna and Jane Austen.
Quote by George Eliot: "What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life."

My Dad

Credits: I so rarely get photos of my Dad. Erick just happened to snap one at Easter so I had to scrap it. I used IOD's Palazzo papers and staple (Scrapartist.com is down right now so I'll have to link later); Bottom-right green paper by Michelle Coleman; Flower by Dani B; Fiber heart by Gina Miller; Dirty Alpha by Tammy Bankston; Spring Sprey stamp by Fhung Lie; Paper tear by Steph Krush; Paper tear action by Atomic Cupcake; Photo Action by Photoblast; Font is Petrascript.
Journaling says: I used to think that you were quiet because you didn't have much to say. Now I realize that you said it all by quiet example.

I Cannot Forget
This LO was chosen as the Layout of the Day. Melissa's review of the LO as well as Kerry's comment in the comment section and most importantly, my sister's reaction assured me that this LO conveyed everything I had hoped it would.

Credits: I wanted to scrap the experience of my nephew's NICU stay when he was born. He was born full-term but wasn't taking in enough oxygen so they admitted him to the NICU. He was there for a week but now he's a very healthy nine month old. : ) But before you know they're gonna be ok, before you even know what's wrong, it's a pretty scary experience. I used the Little Mai freebie from IOD's blog. Flower stem brush by Holly McCaig. Paper tears by Steph Krush, inked edge action and paper tear action by Atomic Cupcake. Fonts are FG Script Elegance and CK Cursive.
Journaling says: I Cannot Forget The sadness that came over your mommy's face when they told her they were taking you to the NICU. The tears in your daddy's eyes as he held the oxygen mask to your tiny face. The sensitivity of the alarm that monitored your levels. I can still hear the exact pitch of the beeping. How scared I was that if I didn't hold you just right, I would be depriving you of oxygen. Spending the night in a cot next to your mommy's bed - not only because she didn't want to be alone but because I needed to be near her. The pride I felt that your mommy was still willing to and working towards a successful nursing relationship, even though it would've been so easy to give up. Taking comfort in the fact that you were the biggest baby in the NICU. Thinking of every single way I could possibly help and finally understanding there was only one way: prayer. I can never forget these things. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't. Because this was the way you came into the world. And as difficult as it was to see you like that, it was still the day that you were born - my sweet Gavin that fills my heart with love and joy. And that makes it a day I always want to remember.

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Now the very next LO I'm working on is very special and I'll post it here as soon as I'm done. So be sure to check back sometime soon. I'm hoping it will be up by the end of the night.

Question of the Day:

McKenna thinks it's her duty to scold her sister and when she does, she says "Kyla Elizabeth!" (Or in her pronunciation it's "Kywa Ewizabef!") For some reason, I just adore my girls' middle names (McKenna's is Riley in case you didn't know). I remember in school, kids were always embarrassed to share their middle names and I never understood why. I love mine (Renee). Question - what is your middle name and were you/are you embarrassed to share it?