Something to Share-GIGA Tribe

Thought I would share this. I run a preschool with about 12 kids most days so I thought I would share something for you stay at home moms with toddlers to heck like 4th grade.

There's a group called giga tribe. The link will be below. But on this site you sign up and then gain friends and can download for free all kinda of things. From music to videos to (for me especially) preschool worksheets and crafts, cross stitch and soo much more etc. for free. If you add me I can get my 200 plus friends to add you as well and then you will have a huge array to choose from.

Now there's a free version or you can pay a yearly fee. I do the free for 30 days and then you just re-new it or you can pay. The only difference is if you do the free version you can only download one thing at a time whereas if you have the paid version you can download as many as you like.

Anyway, I thought I would share this...when you sign up just shoot me a comment on here of your user name or invite yourself to me.... I'm sayitsbyu and I will get you a ton of friends with only common interests...that way you only get items you want to look through...but this is truly a great resource for anything from the listed above to recipes, home decor and more!!!!

http://www.gigatribe.com/tour/accueil.php

So, here is the link, just click on the free version at the top of the page...like I said this is great for sooo many resources of finding things and its all for free...and you can chat with the ladies on yor list as well to find what ur looking through or just look through their files. Got any questions...ask and I can help out.

Lacey

Men and their TOYS!!

Ok, so I'm not sure how many ladies reading have men that like video games and anything tech. but, by gosh I have a man that loves is technology. He loves staying on top of it...knowing whats new...even if he knows we will NEVER--I REPEAT NEVER be able to afford it he loves learning all about it!

So, I have been sitting here for hmm about over an hours watching him.....hes been playing a golfing game...I think some tiger woods game on the x-box 360. He's a bit obessed at this point now that he has unlocked everyhting to play tiger. It's funny to me to watch him. He's to the point that you think he's actually playing for 100,000 dollars. hahahahah He is talking to the tv, the controler and himself...even his character on tv.

Don't get me wrong he's not one of those obsessed players who does nothing but play...but the kids are in bed and he's really been busy the past few days helping me...but by gosh...I dont think I have ever seen a girl yelling at a tv, talking to fictional character...although this one is very life-like because he created a charater that looks ironically like himself. LOL But while sitting here I got on the net..and there's like 10 windows pulled up of new tech stuff.....

But, hes really into this type of stuff. Not just games but like I said all forms of technology. I don't know how many times we have gotten him a new phone (luckily always for almost free!) and two days later he's looking at something new that just came out or new ways to add stuff to the phone he has which may ultimately break his phone...lol...none the less he feels the need to always make it do as much as he can or to know exact detaiils of better things that just came out......that there's no way we can afford for like years ...when it has gone way way way down in price! This is the part that drives me nuts. I can get soemthing new and well...I"M HAPPY. I have no need to keep looking right then at something I cant have thats "Better" Maybe it's just me...but when I see him looking at it always kills me!!

I can't explain why...but it does.....I just think to myself....didn't we just get a new game or phone or ipod or something... ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

Am I odd for feeling this way? As its not like hes saying I want this now...but for some reason it frives me nuts that hes always looking for bigger and better....partly because gosh you buy something and within 5 minutes its out of date in the tech. world.

Anyway...looking for some thought on whether or not I am crazy!

Glittered snowflakes and ornament give away

Ok, so after some thought I have decided to give 2 Lucky people some great glittered chipboard snowflakes and ornaments.

All you have to do is leave a comment on my blog.....refer others to leave a comment. On Dec. 1st I will draw 2 names from the list of those who have commented as of todays date. Maybe more if there's alot!!!

Now here's how this works...if your refer someone to my blog and they leave a comment they too are able to be in the drawing but for each person that says you refered them you get your name put in one additional time per person referred. (Be sure to have them mention your blog name in their comment)

I have photos of some of my pieces on here...but up for grabs are some very beauitful snowflakes and ornaments. All of my pieces are sealed so the glitter never comes off and still glistens. I will mail all out to you. These are great for home decor...scrapbooks or to use on the tree!

Just keep in mind these are done with top of the line chipboard and superfine glitters and sealed! Also the photos above are some example but are not very clear as they were taken with a web-cam. Also willing to do special colors for the winners....

If this goes well...I'm going to be doing all kinds of little raffles...hmm maybe even a paperbag album....we shall see...is there interest in a paperbag album? You let me know.

AHHHHHH---HELP

So, this one is going to be a bit more of a venting and ranting session than anything. LOL I can't help it I'm just very peeved.

So, I have 4 girls from the same mother. Now, I don't like saying anything bad about anyone but oh my goodness I'm at my wits end trying to figure this girl out. Everyday her kids show at 8 am...2 of them anyway...then i get the other 2 at 11 when kindergarten is out...NOw, I dont have them three days out of the week now because of her schedule. It was suppose to be the days they are here by 8....they are picke dup by 8...and then the days they come at 11 they get picked up at about 11 at night...but it's turned into her running around town with her friends and such before and after work...and she just leaves these poor kids here....they never see her.

While I am greatful they can be with me...someone stable with a schedule and learning activities...it's gotten to the point...that their teachers speak more with me concerning the children and their behavior than they do their mother.

Last week she called and said she was getting off work early to take the kids to the fair......at like 6:30 she would be here right ater supper to get them.....so I told them and they were sooooooo excited!!! Then she didnt show so I called her...and texted her...cause one of the girls was making herself sick she was sooo upset about her not showing.....the mother showed no remorse and didn't care.....so 8 rolls around and the hubby watched them and helps them get ready for bed and I run to go get soem milk....and what do I see.....but shes at the fair with a bunch of the carney guys hanging out!!!!!!!!

I felt sooo bad for these poor kids...cant't even tell them honestly moms at work.....so I'm waiting and waiting for her...texting her that now 2 of the girls were really upset.....and again NOTHING!!! Then she doesn't show up until almost mid-night- which would have been the normal time to come...but........she said she was coming early!!!! Then when she showed she reaked of beer and cigs!!!! I was sooo sooo peeved for myself and those poor girls....

I re-eliterate how upset the girls were and she goes into a long story of having to work over-time and blah blah blah...then she say "GOSH I DONT KNOW WHY THEY ARE SO UPSET I JUST SPENT 3 DAYS WITH THEM" AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Talk about making this mama mad!!! I was at a loss of words.

Now, its not just this- she also drops the girls off late to school everyday...and the schools policy for tardiness is if the kids are late 5 days in a row they have to spend their recess in the office in time out...whihc i think is nuts and have tried to talk to them...as they know me more then the mother....but....its policy...and so for the past three weeks the girls have gotten no recess cause after the 5th day...each day afterwards that they are late they are in the office until they are there on time!! And the mom has been told this and just doesnt care...says shes always going to be late cause shes up late and has 4 kids to get ready.......granit I know how hard it can be but i get to the school on time with 10!!!!! So, I know she can do it if she tried!

Now, I watch these children cause the office at the school knows me and what I do and was hoping I could give the kids some balance and stability cause they were getting picked up late and never knowing who was getting them...and I get paid by SRS and really do need the income from these children...but ahhhhhh it just leave sme without words of sickness for these poor kid and her complete lack of parenting.

I was a single mom and know how hard it can be...but gosh she's not even trying. Even on the days I dont have the children I wait at the school for someone to pick up the girls....as somedays they dont know who's getting them.....Two days ago...i waited for 45 minutes with them...calling everyone I knew might be coming....no one was suppose to come get them...then I see mom drive by and stop by the fair grounds...as they were packing up and geting ready to leave....here her kids sit waiting and worring about if they will get picked up or if I will take them.....

I ended up taking them home with me...then I get a call from mom....she says ohhhh I was doing dishes and was going to be on time today and time just got away from me......and I was like I saw your car by the fair grounds though....and she says ohhhhh well someone else has my car...so I say then how you going to pick them up......she had no answer and showed up minutes later in her car! ahhhhhhhhhhhh

My heart just aches for these poor kids.....I feel for them....and try to offer the mom advice but at the same time don't want to push her away cause who knows where these poor kids would end up at then and I really can't loose that income and try to find 4 more kids right now.

Any adivice would be more than helpful and I am at a loss right now. They show up and some weeks spend 65 hours a week with me....so I am pratically raising them...which looks better now bu I also only get paid for 45 hours a week....I mean I shower them, feed them 3 times a day put them to bed....I do homework with them I do it all!!! Now, i know she's taking advantage, but at the smae point I really want the girls to have the stability and love I knw they rec. from me and my family...as they get to do alot with us that they'd never have the options to do with theri lacking mother.

HELP!!

How Does This Happen

So, due to a change in one of my parents schedules I have found myself dumb founded. This week began a new schedule for me on Tuesdays. I have found myself with only my 3.5 year old daughter between 8am and 11am.

When I first heard of the schedule change I was elated with excitment...thinking of all the things I would do in those few yet greatly need hours without an over-flowing amount of children.

Then Tuesday arrived.....and I was up by 6 as ususal to get kids dressed and everyone off to school. Then Desiree and I sat.....hmm what would we do after 7:45. So, we decided to go ahead and make the chili...she loves helping me cook....it was fun but didnt take much time...so we made corn bread.....then blueberry muffins.....then cleaned up everything and did some light housekeeping around the house..and some un-packing since we just moved a week ago.

Then we sat down.....hmm what should we do...it's only 9am.....lol...so we did some coloring and fun stuff for her before she decided she wanted to go play on her own. I sat...in bewilderment...should I just sit and relax or DO SOMETHING. In all honesty I havent been in this tpe of situation for about 8 months to where I had more than 30 minutes with just my child in the house...other than the wee hours of the morning.

I thought to myself...How does this happen. I was sooo excited for some ME time with Desi and just with me....and then I get it and have accomplished the mornings tasks with plenty of time to spare......Have you ever been here? I keep a short list of things that shoud get done if I have a few spare moments but I felt like by doing them I was wasting some "special" time for me...yet I really wasnt in the mood to do anything like scrapbooking or reading.

I found myself a bit lost and thrown off track I guess. I had no children to break up arguements or entertain or teach or cook for...or anything...since desi had decided to do her own thing....hmmmmm

I'm interested to know if this has happened to you. To where you finally get those hours you have longed for forever...and then when you get them you;d oddly confused with what to do with them!! I just wanted to laugh at myself....like how messed up am I. LOL

Every Girl Loves Some Sparkle!- (without the mess!)

What little girl doesn't love glitter! Well, I love to scrapbook and am still infatuated with glitter. Here are a few pieces I recently worked on.

Here's the key to my glittered pieces. I am always trying to do better and more with my shapes and how detailed I can get them with glitter and glitter alone. Now my secret is to use a nice thick glue...I prefer mod podge- which you can get at any craft store or even wal-mart.

Then I glitter the area...let dry for a good few hours. Handle as little as possiable! I prefer the super-fine glitter for most projects. Then I take a clear acrylic sealer spray also available everywhere and spray the shapes evenly and be sure to get along the edges. Let them sit for a few hours. Now most of the sprays do smell so I do this on the porch.....then they can dry and air out a bit so as to not smell up the house....keep in mind it will not stink after a bit! Promise!

Now you have great looking glittered pieces- by the way this works on just about every type of material....so go nuts!!!!! I use stencils to do clothes and shoes for my 3year old to add sparkle to her items as well....cause she loves glitter to!

Also, the sealers come in flat and glossy....and the glitter does not use any of its sparkle or anything after being sprayed, actually makes the glitter more intense....but it does stay in place...with none rubbing off onto scrapbook pages or your hands or anything! Its just great!

Just thought I'd share! More helpful hints to come!

The Price of a Mom

The price of a mom: $138,095

A report assigns a salary to a stay-at-home mother, based on the jobs she does in a normal week.What's a mom worth?According to one report, $138,095 a year.

That's the figure in a study put out by Salary.com, which calculates the wages that would have been paid a stay-at-home mom in 2007 if she were compensated for all the elements of her "job." That total was up 3% from 2006's salary of $134,121.Moms who have jobs outside the house would earn another $85,939 for their mothering work, beyond what they bring home in existing salary.

Talk back: What's your "mom work" worth?The job descriptions that Salary.com used to determine a mom's salary includes 10 jobs that moms do on an average day: housekeeper, day care center teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, CEO and psychologist.

Plenty of overtime In calculating a mom's wages, Salary.com looked at the "overtime" that both working and stay-at-home moms put in each week."Mom works multiple jobs and rarely gets a break from the action, working an average of 52 hours of overtime," said Bill Coleman, senior vice president at Salary.com, in a statement.

According to the Salary.com survey, stay-at-home moms work a 92-hour week, with more than half the workweek spent in overtime. Working moms, meanwhile, logged more than nine hours of "overtime," with an average 49-hour "mom" work week -- on top of their full-time paying jobs.

For the Salary.com survey, more than 40,000 moms quantified their hours per job description; Salary.com benchmarked the median salaries for each job to the national median salary for each position as reported by employers. The final salary was calculated by weighting the salaries and hours worked in each role.

Updated Oct. 1, 2008

I just thought this was very interesting...makes me feel a bit better...always knowing I do alot but also being "worth" more compared to years ago when people gave being a stay at home mom or work at home mom no value at all other than it being an obligation! I choose to be here and lvoe every minute and love knowing hmmmmm I would actualy make alot of money...lol

Scrapbook paper bag albums

A paperbag album I created for my daughter to record little notes about her.

Paper bag album created to hold stories and memories for my youngest son.

Here is one of the paper bag albums I created just for holding stories all about my eldest son.

Something you can't really see on the pictures is all of the little people on 2 of the albums are chipboard and then glittered by me...they are just sooo darn cute......if anyone has an interest in knowing how to make these shoot me a comment and I'll do a post about it!

SCREAMING FALL

So, the house is almost quiet...two of the eldest children are playing. But for the most part all you can hear is the peacefull slumber of the children all sleeping.....this is one of my favorite times of day. This is when I get things done that Have to be done NOW and this is when I sit and take what sometimes is my first breath of the day...but today is especially special....its one of those great slightly windy rainy days...It just screams fall!!! Yells bring on the hot coco!

Now there is a downside to this weather....all of the 11 kids here today are trapped inside...but its a great day to wrok on some great fall projects and worksheets...which they always love.

But this weather while most find it nasty gives me that clean feeling......like everything gets cleaned away...not only the dirt and such outside but this type of weather is like a fresh start! And I love it!

I love feeling the leaves crunch under my feet and hearing the bristling whispers of the leaves that still remain in the trees. It's just Great!! Great!! Great!!

Just thought I would share this great feeling...as it will only last a few more moments untill all of the children awake for entertainment!!

A Note On Life- in general anyway

When I was 19 I was an assistant editor of a smaller newspaper...circulation was around 2500....ad I once wrote an editors column. As i sat here this evening I was reminded of a column I wrote about my son...then very young in comparison to life.I remember he spent well over an hour playing with this truck..it was one of those large dump trucks...he was trying to sit in it...and each time he attempted to I watched as he got dumped out of it. I swear he must have tried to master it well over 20 times...each time getting dumped out. I remember recalling how much I looked up to his drive. he was bound and determined to sit in it...and not that day...not even the next day...but a few days later after trying every chance he got finally mastered his balance and remained seated without falling. I was truly inspired.

What does this all have to do with anything you ask? Well think about it...how many times have we strive for something...an object, a person a feeling even...and fallen short the first so many times we have tried to acquire it.....did you give up...knowing you may fall on your rear...did you push on towards your goal or did you let it go defeated with a sore behind? Years ago I would have said I always pushed on until I got what i wanted. But now I have found over the past few years under my belt that life is precious. I lost my sister this past year...as well as my great grandfather...both hit very close to home. I think everyone can agree.....life would be easier if it were simplified...let me ask you...how do you simply do your own life...are you running all the time...barely noticing details or are you enjoying life fr what it is. Something i have discovered over the past few years is the details soo help you appreciate life. I have learned to simplify in so many areas of my life....I used to push and battle if I felt what i felt or thought was true...but have learned that my feelings may indeed be sincere, but the way they are approached aren't always that simple. I'm sure you have all been there...when u look at yourself...and say hmm maybe I took that a bit too far...or was that really worth the fight. You see so many details when your heart is open....my father can vouch that I used to be someone who held onto every last thing...holding it forever...thinking if i did some day i would make other see things my way or believe me...but truth is...when u do that you are just fighting...fighting the simplification, the great details in life.The greatest simplification in my life ( not saying its easy at all) was to learn to look at myself before pointing the fingers at other....this is much harder than it seems.....trust me!!!

I have learned to love myself....now this too isn't as easy...yes i love certain things about myself...but I mean truly love yourself.....to do this I have discovered...you must.....look to yourself first--meaning instead of pointing fingers and blame...take responsibility for your own actions...that's all u really can do...u will never be able to force others to do it...then this is important...learn to forgive yourself...whether religious or not...if you cant forgive yourself...how will u forgive yourself...and let me say now...if you say "but I don't have anything to forgive about myself" hahahahhahaha that's my laugh for you because we are all guilty of living a less than righteous life at some point. But let me also say when u learn to look at your self and then forgive yourself...you then have this great free-ness about you...others can spot it miles away...and most importantly I have found after you do the previous 2 you then are able to love and forgive others...and don't try to fool yourself...there's no way you can love and forgive others if you cant yourself first...

In short...all relationships depend on 2 individuals...whether in a intimate relationship, a family relationship or a friendship...all types depend on two people loving and forgiving themselves in order to do so to others.

I can truly vouch for this....I am friends with people from my life that look at me like I am crazy...but just think...are those judging..happy with their own lives....if so then why do they feel the need to judge you. My advice is that if you can not look at yourself...then try your best not to judge others...cause how fair is that.......we all have responsibility in this life and things that happen...no one is ever blameless...or we wouldn't be human......and as I say...life's not meant to be easy or it wouldn't be life...but it sure is fun!!! So be sure to have fun along the way!

I am lucky to have people in my life who accept me for who I am as do i them......I mean isn't that only fair...accept others for their flaws and you'd be surprised who accents you for yours as well....and don't kid yourself we all have flaws!

Pictured above is my youngest child-Landyn can't believe he will be 2 on halloween!

Tasty Fall Treat- pumpkin seeds!

So, every year we carve our pumpkins we save the seeds. Yesterday, my children a 4 children I watch in the evenings carved some great pumpkins...and we cleared all the weeds to save...so I thought I would share three ways we cook them.

First clear all the seeds...its okay for a bit of pulp as it adds to the taste. DO NOT RINSE THE SEEDS. It can take away some essential oils and flavors.

Recipe 1
Spread a tablespoon of oil on a sheet pan and lay the seeds in one even layer. Sprinkle with salt of choice. ( love sea salt), give the pan a little shake to make sure tha salt get everywhere. Then bake at 300 for 15-20 minutes r until lightly brown

Recipe 2
Spread honey...a very thin layer about 2 tablespoons on the botton of the pan...salt if desired and then spread out in an even layer then bake on 300 for 15-20 minutes

Recipe 3
Spread seeds in an even layer on pan and then sprinkle with a surgar and cinnamon mix....I always say mix i ahead of time to taste. You can once again give the pan a good few shakes and then sprinkle a bit more to coat both sides! Its up to you. Then bake at 300 for 15-20 minutes.

Each gives its own great taste!!! And all are loved by all the members in my family.....

PS- Something we tried last year...thinning down some peanut butter with a wisk -Add a small amount if syrup to make it a bit thinner...just so that its thick enough to coat the seeds...pour the mixture into a bowl and then mix seeds into it...strain if needed and put on pan and bake as above...these were really great as well!!

A Day In My Life-Utterly Insane!!

So, after a bit of thought I decided to post a mini-description of a day in my life. I had a few ladies emial me privatly requesting to know some of these so here they are. I actually kept track all last week and most are right on and some averaged for the day. Please keep in mind the hubby is here from orning till 2 everyday as well.

- I have the following on a daily basis at one point or another- girl-9 months, boy-23months, girl, 2.5, girl-3.5, girl-4, girl-5, girl-5, girl-6, girl-6 boy-5, boy-4, boy-9, and on special days-girl-5, boy-3.5.

-I am normally awake by 5:30 to a few children- my own...they are early risers...always have been. then at about 6:30 I have children to begin to arrive.....

- by mid-afternoon I have anywhere between 9-12 children in my care.

- I create 7-12 breakfasts

- I create 12 snacks

- I create 12 lunches

- I create 12 more snacks

- I created 8 dinners

- I feed one large dog twice a day

- I feed 2 gerbils

- I sweep and mop my floors 2-3 times a day

- I vaccume an almost 2000sq ft house 4 times a day

- I do the dishes between 5-8 times a day by hand

- I put 8 children to bed

- I bathe 8 children

- I plan and teach preschool-kindrgarten activities throughout 8 hrs of the day to children in my care.

- I try to remember to shower each day

- I try to sleep a full night but often do not as the hubby gets home at 2 am to talk

- I do 6-8 loads of laundry a day - sometimes it only gets folded and delivered to the room but its clean.

- I clean up toys a countless number of times each day

- I scrapbook when I get a chance

- I nap when the time allows- which is NEVER

- I work 7 days a week! Normally from 6 am to 1 am with other peoples children!

- I read my bible when I get the chance not as often as I wished to

- I wipe mor faces then I can even count

- Clean markers and crayons off faces, walls and carpet a few times a day

- Go through at least 12 bandaids a day

- Clean spilt milk and other bodily fluids from sofas, chairs and sooo much more at least 5 times a day.

- I serve on average 70 drinks a day between bottles, milk in sippy cups and water. ( we dont do juice or sodas)

- Walk twice a day to the school 3 blocks away with between 3-8 kids to pick up children.

- check emails and run an on-line scrapbooking group and assorted on-line blogs and preschool groups as often as I can.

- Daily update my preschool web-site for parents to look over what they did, have done and how they behaved.

-Updated at least 6 sets of parents as to how their child has done for the day.

-Work with many children daily...hourly...by the minute on potty training...lol

- Try to have a couple over once a week in the evening or at least one friend- but it may take us 4 hrs to watch a 1.5 hr movie...lol

- 2 times a day feel a young man through a feeding tube in his belly

- 4 times a day give two children breething treatments as need.

- 2 times a week bake fresh goodies!

-OWWWW and soo proud of this one- last week- moved with 9- 12 children in care- only across the street but I did it in 2 days with the help of the hubby and one of his friends we managed to have the old ouse cleaned and ready for the next and the new house unpacked and ready to live in with-in 3 days!

Ok, so I'm sure I left a few things out but I got many emails from parents of 4 or less children wondering what my day looked like and how in the heck I got through it.....and let me tell you ladies its not for the money...lol...cause they moneys not that great! But, there's a snippit from my day to day life...enjoy.....

Pictured at top is my darling daughter who is now 3.5!

Something for the moms of preschoolers

So, thought I would post something that may be used by many of you sahm with preschoolers...or anyone who enjoys doing fun learning activities with their kids.

I run a preschool with 12 chilredn and all of the below information has proven very beneficial to me and its all FREE and PRINATBLE!

Here's a great link to create your own tracing worksheets. These are great sites cause you can let them pratice writing anything you like...like their name, number or fun words!

http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/print-k/make-pk-dots.htm

http://www.writingwizard.longcountdown.com/multiword_handwriting_worksheet_maker.html

- Ok here's a great duck tracing worksheet plus more

http://www.learning%20treasures.%20com/duck_%20math.htm
- Great fisher price site for coloring sheets for their favorite characters:

http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=30&e=coloring

-Great site for older kids- Its for finding and connecting penpals from all around the world

www.kidsmc.com/penpal

--If anyone is interested I also have a great cookbook thats called cooking through the abc's and it has a recipe to do that simple and fun for kids for each letter of the alphabet. Just let me know your email and I can email it to you.

Below are a large number of great sites for finding activities and FREE printables for your preschool to school age child.

http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/preschool_activities.htm

http://www.shirleys-preschool-activities.com/

http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/ps-themes.html

http://www.first-school.ws/themes.html

http://www.edhelper.com/?gclid=CMTzvMXG3ZICFQEoPQod3FCGkg

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/toddler/

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/books/alphabetical/w.shtml

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/categories/preschool.shtml

http://www.creativekidscrafts.com/preschoolactivities.html

http://funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/edu/preschool_activities.html

http://familyfun.go.com/parenting/child/feature/toddlers-main-ms/toddlers-main-ms.html

I have so much more to share in the future if I get some good feedback and a need for other great worksheets and sites and activities...and the best part is everything I offer or show you to is FREE!!! Which I know we can all use great free things to help our children learn and have fun.

Remember I also have some items that are hard to attach on here...but if you shoot me an email and let me know a theme or something you are looking for then I am more than happy to help out. I have alittle over 300 themes....so I have alot and have access to lots of ladies who are always willing to help out on something I may be looking for.

Lacey

The Contents Of My Pockets

Have you ever thought about what you put in your pockets?

I wear jeans on an average day....and a shirt of some kind....lol....but thought I wouls share this small tid bit. Today early evening I cleaned out my pockets.....5 total...and here's what i found lied within after a nearly full day at home:

-42 cents in spare change found around the house or brought to me from a child
- 1 cell phone

- 1 milk jug lid

- 1 miniture long neck dino

- 2 mismatch buttons
- 1 small green and yellow blend hard ball of playdough
- 1 washable marker
- 2 whole crayons and 4 small broken pieces
- 3 pony tails
- 1 mini pair of nail clippers
- 2 matchbox cars
- 5 lint balls...lol
- 1 piece of candy
- 2 empty cany bar wrappers
- 1 broken show string
- 2 Wii dollars (like an allowance to my son)
- 3 pieces of ribbon
- 7 pieces of paper-mostly stray and trasj pieces
- 1 receipt
- 1 used and filled with snot tissue
- 1 cough drop
- 1 small piece of dried glue stick
- 2 misc. puzzle pieces
- 1 raw doodle--not sure why...lol..we didnt have noodles today!

I was amazed as I pulled these out and took inventory of the contents!! Cant believe my pockets held that much and curious if i died today and someone cleaned out my pockets...what they would think....just thought this was kinda comical.

Me and My Life at First Glance

Using this post to allow everyone to gain a glance into my life. I not only stay at home with my three children but I also run a preschool for 12 children out of my home. Sounds nuts right...and well it is. I am awake from 6 am when the first child arrives to about 1 am when the last child leaves. I choose to do preschool because I love the fact that parents can look to me to help steer their children in the right direction before entering school and while in their first year of school. I rmember tryin to find good care for my son when I was a single parent and it was a terror....so I do what I wished I could of found back then...and hopefully make a few parents life easier and with less stresses. But, with doing this.....I now also have children everyday of the week!!! I have two days where all of my children are gone by 6:30 and the rest of the days I have children till one am...it's always busy here....

My days are spent like most other sahm's I suspect anyways, I just have it like tripped in work load.....more about that in a later post....lol Because that will take a whole post....hahaha

I have been engaged to a great guy for about a year. I was married for about 6 years when we divorced. His name is Matt......we were high school sweet hearts...kinda...lol. Then when I got a divorce I moved back to Kansas. We met up and got back together and the rest is kinda history.

I have 4 degrees, that I used to use but am no longer able to have children....so I have decided to do as much as I can to allow myself the benfit of stayin home with my children. I have a son, Taylor who will be 9 on Thanksgiving day this year, a daughter, Desiree (we all call her Desi) who just turned 3 this past fourth of July and a son, Landyn that will be 2 on Halloween this year. Yes, I have all holiday babies.....dont ask me how...cause it sure as heck wasnt planned!!! Birthday are a terror....as you can imagine with all holiday babies....but it kinda runs in the family......my father is st. patty's day and my mom was on Halloween and my sister is the 3rd of July....just odd.

I am a Christian that is always struggling to do better in my faith....I find myself slipping often with not as much time as I would like to myself to devote to tryin to do better...but I try my best and hope to work harder at this over the next few months. It is afterall what keeps me sane when all else is lost!!

I have one dog---my baby KUJO- shes about 8 or 9 and black lab mix and two crazy gerbils thats temperments can never be predicted!

I live in a small town about 30 minutes north of Topeka and am getting ready to move...within about 3 weeks....luckily its only across the street...so not too far...but its about double the space...which I am currently quite desperate for!!!

I am addicted...and I mean severely addicted to scrapbooking....tradtional paper and elements scrapbooking....really dont like digital....I probably have around at last count about 30,000 sheets of 12 x 12 paper...sometime soon I will add some photos of my area and supplies!!! I just adore it. I love being able to express myself and its a bit of an outlet for me as well. I dont have a ton of money to spend on supplies all the time...but have a group I created on yahoo called PifsRUs, and this group has some very great ladies I have become quite fond of....we trade supplies instead of buying......so its a lot of work to run the gorup but pays off wonderfully when I get new supplies without having to pay for them other than to give up items I no longer had a need for. I also love creating altered items...such as altered cigar boxes, paint cans, cards, mini paper bag albums...I just love to try new things and have fun with my papers and ribbons and goodies!!!

Ok so theres a glance...well maybe a bit more than a glance....will get back to this a bit later.

The First of What will be Many

So, tonight in a fit of boredom and tryin to avoid the overflowing dishes and floors to be cleaned and launfry to be folded I began to look through misc. blogs. Look and reading...intrigued with everyone...I already have a few favorites!!! Not sure how to remember or link to them all the time...but I'm sure I will be able to find them again! I love to write and keep an avid journal and can't wait to share with everyone who cares to read!!! So, this is more of a test...plan on posting next about myself and my famiy and then getting knee deep in this...I think i have found my new love!!!