Got to get back on the wagon

or at least back on my feet.  I've kind of let this really cold winter turn me into a bear in hibernation.  I would rather just curl up in my recliner with a bunch of blankets and books and sit.  It didn't help that back in December I accidentally washed and dried my fitbit and haven't been tracking my steps.  So today I was out at Target and decided to buy myself a new fitbit.  Instead of the little clip on kind I upgraded to a Flex (not the big one that has been giving people rashes but the smaller one) and it is PINK.

So hopefully having this back on me again will get me walking and getting my 10,000 steps each day which is a great way to start getting myself out of hibernation.

Didn't you hear me Mother Nature? I'm ready for SPRING!!

This is us on the way to school today.  Second day in a row of "JUST A DUSTING" according to the weatherman.  I'd hate to see his house because if we are getting just a dusting, I think he needs to hire a maid service to clean!!  Luckily we live close to school and didn't have to get out on the roads and it is supposed to stop by noon!

Sometimes you need a little sketch.

There are days when you stare at pictures and paper and embellishments and they don't do anything.  I mean they should jump up and show me where they are supposed to go right?

Well I found a sketch and it was just right for a couple of more zoo pictures.  It is the Feb 18th sketch at Pretty Little Studio.  I like looking at their blog.  While I can't seem to make that shabby chic look work for me, I really do like looking at their stuff and taking inspiration from the colors and placement of embellishments.

Here is their sketch.

And here is what I did with it.

Thanks for looking.

Weekend Scrapping

My three guys all went camping with the Boy Scouts this weekend, which left me alone with my crafting supplies.  Not only did a get some sewing done but I also did some scrapbooking.

I'm not wild about this first one, it is really busy but hey it is done.

I like this one much better but I think I am starting to get tired of zoo pictures.

A Belated Valentine's Day

The kids school got cancelled last week so they didn't get to exchange Valentine's in Evan's class but the teacher rescheduled it for today.  Evan is very excited to give everyone his Twinkie minions.

LINK: this is where I found the printable minion wrappers.

Running Club

I know I've mentioned it before that my kids were part of a running club when we lived in Korea.  It was good for them.  They got out and exercised and it wasn't anything competitive, just fun and exercise.  Well when we moved here, the school didn't have anything like it but I mentioned it to some people and ended up getting permission to start up a running club at the school with another mom.  Well this is our second year and we are doing things a little different this year.  Each meeting we have a theme and this week was crazy sock day.

You might notice Ian is missing from the picture.  Well he had physical therapy and his dad came and grabbed him for me.  But Evan's in there with his friends!!

What We Did This Weekend - Part 2

Right after the Pinewood Derby, we had to rush over to the school because Ian had a basketball game.  He was cleared by his doctor to play again after having a lot of knee pain.

Even after not practicing for 2 weeks, he was ready to play.  And he was more aggressive than I have seen him.  He even tried to make two shots!!  In the end, the Cougars won!!

What We Did This Weekend - Part 1

Well we started off the weekend with the annual Pinewood Derby for our Cub Scout.  The third grade group is the largest in our pack, including the 2 siblings that raced, we had 14 kids racing in our heat. Evan and Darren worked hard on his car and then when Darren got back from his trip he looked at it and noticed that the wheels were crooked, so Friday while they had a snow day they built another car from scratch.  Evan did a great job and he wanted a flame on it and the car to be red, white and blue.  I cut him out a flame in some vinyl and his name too for him to stick on his car after he got it painted.

The racers were fast.  There were a lot of really great cars there this year and the races were close, thankfully we had a finish line light because otherwise if we had just parents down there saying who won, we probably would have had a lot of run-offs.

Evan ended up winning second in the Bear Den so he didn't get to race in the finals.  He was very happy with that because he still got a cool medal.

Here are some pictures from the morning.

Evan got to start the race with a 1-2-3-GO!

Evan's car is "C", the red white and blue one.

Winner winner!

Someone's been watching the winter olympics!

Second place.

The whole Bear Den, with their Den Chief.

Oh and I have to mention this too, after all the Cub Scout races were done, we had a Dad's Cup race.  This is where any of the adults who volunteered could make a car, no rules and race it.  Ian as the Den Chief for the Bears was allowed to race and ended up winning the first ever Dad's Cup race.

Mother Nature Heard My Cry

Today it was almost 50 degrees outside.  I'm sure once the sun goes down it will look like we plowed the roads with a Zamboni machine because so much of the snow is melting and the streets are so wet. Darren made it home from Kuwait early this morning and since the boys were off from school still, it was nice to spend Valentine's Day together.  We went outside for a little bit this afternoon and helped the boys build a fort.  Then all three of them had a snowball fight.  I think they missed their dad and he missed them.

And yes, he hit me with a snowball.

I'm so over this winter.

This winter has been super cold.  I don't remember it being this cold last year.  I remember walking to school in the mornings and afternoons and this year I have been doing a lot of driving because the wind chill has been in the single digits most days.

We got somewhere between 7 and 10 inches yesterday.  The kids were out of school both yesterday and today.  Ian came out in the morning and helped me shovel all the really heavy snow off the driveway and then they played in the backyard for a little while.

Here's some pictures from Wednesday night when it first started snowing and then Thursday.

Have you ever loved someone so much you just want to smack them?

UGH, I am not ready for teenagers.  My oldest has picked up some stupid habits that I just want to smack out of him.  I can handle the not listening when I talk to him and having to repeat myself because I'm used to it but the lying about stupid stuff just grates on my every nerve.  Stupid stuff like,

ME: "Did you brush your teeth?"

HIM (sheepishly): "Yes."

Dude I'm sitting right next to you and can smell your morning breath, TRY AGAIN!

So this weekend, he is going camping (yes I know it isn't going to be above freezing all weekend!).  He is in charge of bring the food for breakfast.  Tuesday when he handed me a list, I asked him how they were cooking the eggs and he said in a pan.  This morning while walking to school, I asked him again if he needed anything else for my list and he said bags so they could cook the eggs in a bag.  Now granted 7:30AM isn't the best time for me and I kind of blew up at him saying that he just told me the other day they were cooking the eggs in a pan so which was it.  Which of course makes him do my second least favorite thing, break down in tears because I yelled at him.  So after stopping in the middle of the street because I didn't want to make the kid show up for school with tears in his eyes (I'm not a monster), we "chatted" about what is actually going to happen for breakfast and did he listen when they discussed it?  Which led to him finally telling me that he wasn't actually part of the discussion because he was tying knots to get it signed off in his book.

Which leads to me making this face!!!  Because if he had just said that in the beginning we wouldn't even be having this loud discussion that is making him cry and me look like a crazy woman.  I mean did he think I was going to be mad because he wasn't part of the discussion but still brought home a list of things that he had to bring?

I'm seriously too old for this crap.  I just want him to tell me the truth - the first time I ask without me making him cry and having to pry it out of him.  I mean I kind of get the deodorant/washing face/tooth brushing thing.  It's a boy thing!  Got it!!  But man, when does this phase end because I'm thinking that maybe a good Gibb's slap (yes I watch NCIS) wouldn't hurt him because the concussion might just activate some of those brain cells!!

OK rant over.  Now I have to go grocery shopping for breakfast items.