In The Cat Cave

This card uses the Stampin' Up! Picture Perfect stamp set.  A stamp set that was in the Occasions Catalog.. something tells me you may see this stamp set again.

So, what's going on here? How did I make that luscious starfish? It's a two step stamp - I used crumb cake and delightful dijon inks.  On top I added a layer of Wink of Stella although you can't quite see it here.

Bam.  That little bit of sparkle makes my heart pitter patter.

As of things weren't exciting enough, I went completely crazy with the basic pearls.  I couldn't stop myself.  I just kept going and going.

Saturday. It was a gorgeous day. But we were inside all day.

As my 5 year old daughter Jane said "It's a beautiful day to be sick Mommy."
The glass is half full, right?

My album is coming together - each new day has a title page. This day has two 8.5x11" pages back to back and two 6x8.5" pages.


"Saturday morning arrived sooner than I wanted it to.  Jane (5) and I slept together but sleep wasn’t a great luxury we had. She was sick too many times to count.  I would hear her and scoop her head to the side of the bed. She would continue for the rest of the day like that with exception to about 20 minutes when she rose off the couch to try on her dance costume and pose for a picture.  Jane is a trooper.  Not that a person can be good at being sick.. but if you could, she would be.

The sun was shining, which was great since I was washing every quilt and linen in the house. I love seeing the colourful quilts on the line.  The fresh smell. Yes. I love that too. Ryan was coaching and playing soccer for most of the day today so it was me and Jack (3)  against the germs.  Determined to win, I practically bathed in hand sanitizer and ran around with  containers of Lysol wipes.

Since my Saturday plans changed, I thought it would be a good idea to make a large pot of soup.  All day I threw different things in.  I think I had 4 bowls of soup.  I will admit that at 8:30 I sat down with a McDonalds big Mac and enjoyed every moment. So there.

Jack and I played with sand, play doh, a memory game, the Guess Who game, and the list goes on.   Soon it was night time and I was glad to have my husband back before I fell asleep.

Good night Saturday."


"This water bottle.  I bought it years ago.  It’s glass and dishwasher safe. It has a wide mouth for big gulps. It makes me happy because I know that its clean unlike many of those plastic containers.  And I don’t have to slurp to get water out.  I remember buying it at an atrocious price but it was calling my name.  So. Worth. It."

"Let me just add that this photo is incredibly imperfect.  My nails. Oh. My. Nails.  But that’s me.  And it’s real life.  I get my nails done and 2 hours later they are a mess.  A hot mess. Like me.  Perfectly imperfect. I don’t really strive to be perfect. It makes me tired just thinking about it.  But I do try to be happy - I make a point of it actually.  I want to be happy.  So I craft.  So I plan.  So I buy overpriced waterbottles that bring me joy.  These nails are beautifully imperfect painted by my mother in law on Mother's Day - I wouldn’t want to be any other way."

Friday came with a vengeance.  A day that we dreaded as Jane was off to the children’s hospital to have some fillings taken care of.  Little did we know that before Jack was even up, she had one tooth extracted and another filled along with another appointment to come again soon.

I decided to take the morning easy and sat down with my "The 52 Lists Project" journal. I love using these prompts to reflect in the quiet of the morning. It's a great way to start the day.  Not without coffee though - usually from my Keurig these days.

Rooney still wasn't up when Jack and I were ready to go. That dog plops herself anywhere and assumes we will walk over her.  Problem is, we do.  Whe's 8 years young now so we won't be able to change much of her habits.

This morning wasn't as chaotic as usual because I only needed to pack one lunch and get one child ready.  I had my work items packed in the car in advance.  By the time I got Jack seated in his car seat, I couldn't find the keys.  I mean, I know its hard to believe but every single morning I lose those keys.  I knew I had them to unlock the vehicle but backtracking my steps was proving unsuccessful. I was calling my brother to bring over the second set when I found the darn things in the snow.. of course.

Jack arrives at the Gingerbread House daycare in good spirits.  Quite pleased with the snow patches around so that he can jump in them.  He always likes to take the long way into the building on the ramp rather then up the stairs.  I don't think he's the only kid that does this.

It was a regular working day with a short shopping trip in search of finding an adult skating helmet for a birthday partythe next day as well as a tooth fair pillow.  Jane's first visit from the tooth fairy.  Still growing up, I see.

When I arrived home, Jane was excited to show me her lost tooth and took off for dance.  I enjoyed a little quiet time while Ryan dropped the kids to his mother's as he was coaching.  The hallway was littered with shoes, coats and packages but I turned a blind eye. 

The quiet was short lived as I left to go to my sister's Spring choir concert. It was gorgeous.  The little church is located on the ocean so through the windows you can see a little graveyard and then the crashing waves. The roof was made of wooden planks and you can see the gold capped nails perfectly lined up. Love it.  I have to remember to sit back, relax and take in all the sights and sounds more often.

When I arrived home I helped clean and started my Week in the Life but there was an abrupt end when Jane woke up in vomit. This would continue all night. At first I worried about the tooth extraction but soon realized it was stomach flu.  That's a bummer. 

Another amazing day despite the stomach bug taking over our house. See you tomorrow to show you Saturday stories!

Cathy

Hello Thursday.

Thursday, I was met with sunshine.
For a moment it felt like spring... (until Friday came).


"I have so many emotions when I bring you to the bus stop across the street from our house.  Sometimes we are rushing out the door but lately we have seemed to have a nice balance.  I want so badly for you to be okay with taking the bus because for the next years of your live, you’ll need to. When I open the door, it feels refreshing. Crisp.  Rejuvenating.  Like Mother Nature is telling me “time to start my day.”

My heart leaps when I see you socializing and making friends.  Relief spreads across me knowing today you’ll be okay on the bus.

I watch you rush to be first in line at the sight of the yellow vehicle. You jump into the same front seat every day. You look back at me and smile or frown.  But usually its all good.  Sometimes your buddies sit with you - even three of you. Those are the days I smile to myself going back to the house.  You are anxiety free. You are happy.  You are growing up.  You'll be just fine."






"Thursday arrived   and the routine began. Lunches packed. Jane on the bus by 8am.  Jack slow to get up. Slow to eat. Slow to get dressed. “I don’t drink coffee Mommy.” Touche Jacky boy.

Work came with a long list of to-dos. Productivity was high.

An afternoon visitor, Miss Margaret brought “bits” for Jack, who scarfed them down like no one ever feeds him. Nanny can’t get enough of him stuffing his face. He is met by cousins, Sawyer and Rivers - they play and make noise until I pick him up later on.  They seriously love each other.  I’ll say it again... cousins the same age is amazing.  

It’s a Thursday so that means its a rush to gymnastics for 5:30.  Ryan stays home and cooks ribs while I chat with the moms at the gym and wait.

Once we get home, Jack is not interested in eating supper.  “That’s Yuck”  But Jane is ready to dance.  And apparently no evening is complete without a little shimmy and a shake in the kitchen.

The remainder of my night is spent making donation jars and posters for the Fort McMurray fire charity event we are doing on Saturday. Running your own business means that work comes home with you - there are no real vacations.

I finished up Tuesday Week in the Life and stayed up too late, as always."  


"This is the first walk my Mom and I have had since she returned last week from months in Florida.  I have the luxury of working in a home office with my parents at their home. We often have impromptu adventures and a walk is often on the list. I always bring my gym clothes so that I am ready for the occasion. At 1 o'clock Mom yelled down to accompany her and her friend to Bowring Park. So I did.

Fresh air.
It does a body good."


Yes. That's my Dad. And yes, thats my sister.
And yes, he went a little crazy and photobombed but clearly didn't think much about posing.
He's crazy.

Thanks for dropping by!
Cathy

Hello Tuesday.

This is different isn't it.  I am creating pages instead of just the photos and the words.  It may not continue.  But for the first two days of Week in the Life, I have not taken more than 10 photos for any single day.  That's ridiculous.  You'll also see how I put these pages in albums.


"I don’t know how my purse gets in this state every single week.  When going through my New Years resolutions this year, I’ve been trying to make small changes which helps me stay organized and focused in my quest to spark joy.  Cleaning out my purse every Monday is one of those changes.  This week, my purse was cleaned on Tuesday. Truthfully, it feels like a weight off my shoulder every single week. Go Cathy Go."

"Lately I crave waking up with the sun.  The quiet in the mornings helps me focus and get ready for the day.  I like to reflect, start lunches, go for a walk.  The hour flies and its not long before I crave the quiet the next morning.

On this early Tuesday morning, I had no Keurig cups so I went to Tim Hortons in my PJs. Back home in 6 minutes, I begins to sort through the piles of paper.  Jack woke up first. This is a blue moon.  He ate his lucky charms.. just the marsmellows. Sorting them by colour.  He never ceases to amaze me.

Joyfully, Jane catches the bus by 8am and Jack starts to get dressed.  On a typical morning, Jack is often still in bed when Jane gets on the bus.  He’s going to be a sleepy head.

The work day goes quickly as Ryan works in the storage units and I move through my to do list.

It's a typical day but there was no time for any physical activity, which I crave lately.  Tomorrow I will do better.

The swimming lessons took a toll and I needed a break.  Ryan’s friend popped over with his bull dog, which brought a sense of joy to me.  I like people. I like drop ins.

Bed by 830pm for the kids. I stayed up too late doing #witl. Go figure. But I was feeling it. A better day.

Goodnight Tuesday."

"Today looks a little like this.  

It was what I call a down day.  Nothing makes sense.  Nothing is black and white.  It’s definitely a “redo day.”  And it wasn’t because I put my clothes on backwards or dropped my breakfast on the floor, it was just how I felt when I hopped out of bed.  I tried to work through what I was feeling in the morning and I couldn’t make sense of it all. Reluctantly, I went to the grocery store to get   enough food to make a ham sandwich and BBQ in the evening.  This was not how I wanted my #weekinthelife to begin. I decided I’d scrap it. I thought about my intention of this project - this is the reality.  This is life.  And everyone feels this way from time to time. I feel blessed that my down days are few and far between but I’ll embrace them for now and learn from them.  What did I learn? To get on my feet. To take a walk. To smile with my kids. To live. 

Let’s start over, shall we?"