Scrapbooking at Midnight

Like any true scrapbooker would, I decided to start a page at just after midnight. Hey, it's quiet, I can get it done uninterrupted and I was really in the mood to create tonight (this morning).

This is what I came up with after starting about an hour ago:



It's the title page to the Book of Me/All About Me album I have just begun. I am following the challenges posted on the Simple Scrapbooks Message Board. I'm so thankful that this challenge came up because I've been meaning to get this album going for so long! Yes, it's a simple layout but it's a title page so I thought simple was appropriate here.

Thanks for taking the time to look. Now I'm off to bed!

::: Starting Preschool :::

My triplets attended their very first day of "preschool" on Tuesday.

Technically, it's not your traditional preschool. It's our local school district preschool's "2-year-old program." But still, it's preschool, right?

I was so impressed by the teacher, the curriculum, etc... But most of all, I was impressed by these big girls --

The girls checking out the toys...


Marisa sitting at her table...


Malia balancing herself:


Kaia eating snack:


Malia & Marisa eating snack together:


The staff treated them like the big girls that they are... Not like at home where they are pampered and fussed over by everyone. And you know what? They loved it! I certainly learned a thing or two on that very first day!

We're going back Thursday morning and I can't wait!

Excellent Weather We're Having...

Current temperature outside: 66 degrees F. (10:10pm)

Today makes the second day in a row that we haven't had to use our air conditioner. All I can say is...

"Aaaahhhhhh..."

Could this be the beginning of the end of the extreme heat we've been having for the past month? I sure hope so. I need a break. And so does my pocketbook! Running the A/C on a 2400 square foot house is getting freakin' expensive!

Until tomorrow! Stay cool, friends!

Guilty Pleasures

Ok, well... I'm working on someone else's circle journal right now. The theme of her CJ is "Guilty Pleasures." Since I'm determined to get my contribution for this CJ done (or at least started) tonight, I thought I'd put my ideas down before I design and create my layout. What better place to do this than on my blog, right?

So it got me thinking... Do I have any guilty pleasures? Anything frivilous that I do just for me??? Hmmmm... This is what I've come up with so far:

• DAILY: My iPod Mini. It was one of the costlier purchases for myself during this year (I don't spend much on myself anymore), but it was so worth the money. I am totally getting the most out of this little dynamo. I listen to my faves in my iTunes music library most days.
• WEEKLY: Starbucks. Ok, no biggie, but sometimes I feel bad when I buy a treat just for me. I don't even know why I feel guilty about it... Maybe because I'm not working anymore and since I could very well make my own cuppa joe at home? But then I think to myself, "Don't I deserve this?" The answer is always YES. I sooooo love that Grande NonFat No-Whip Mocha and I inhale its goodness each time I experience one...
• BI-WEEKLY: Scrapbooking with friends at a CROP. Sometimes it's not easy to get out of the house, or I feel guilty for leaving my family for an entire day (although sometimes it's only for an evening), but I do push myself to just go. And when I finally get there, I'm always glad I made it. The uninterrupted time to myself to just sit and create and talk and laugh with friends is PRICELESS. I wouldn't give this time up for anything.
• MONTHLY: Pedicures. I really try to limit myself to one pedicure a month. In between pedicures, I do change my own polish, etc. but it just isn't the same as letting someone else do it. So very relaxing. And don't forget those cute little flowers I like to get during the summer.
• SEMI-ANNUALLY: Aveda Concept Salon. An entire morning with my hairdresser getting the much-needed haircut and highlights. Now, sometimes in the busyness of my life I sometimes let this go when I really shouldn't... But if I'm on time, I make it in to my favorite Aveda Salon every 10 weeks or so. And you can certainly bet that I enjoy every minute of it... especially the scalp massage I get while getting my hair washed... HEAVEN ... and before I leave, I stock up on all my favorite Aveda hair products. It's the best stuff out there, if you ask me!
• A COUPLA TIMES A YEAR: Massage. OMG. I feel unbelieveably good after a good massage... So stretchy and limber, so not stressed-out, kinda tingly... I really should make time more often for this, but I'm lucky to get out of the house sometimes!

So what do you think? Should I feel guilty? To be perfectly honest, I don't think I should feel guilty one bit. But they are my little indulgences; things I treasure and appreciate because they are out of the ordinary day-to-day stuff I do for myself and my family. Thank goodness for the little things, huh? I think they keep me sane!

I'll try to post my layout by tomorrow night...

Summer Vacation comes to an end...

"The Big Sisters", as I affectionately call them, went back to school today. It was so quiet in the house, and so unfamiliar. Funny how I got so used to them being home all day with me and the triplets...

Ok, ok... I MISSED THEM...

... a little...

"Last Night an iPod Saved My Life..."

Thank heaven for my little green iPod Mini... I love her so much... She totally came through for me yesterday in a way I never would have imagined...

So, it was a stressful afternoon with the triplets on Saturday. Nothing major, but they had thoroughly made a mess of the living room and family room, including digging in some mashed-up crackers into my couch, spilling their drinks (accidentally on purpose) on to the tile floor in the entry way, and taken every toy they own out of their play area and spread it out on the entire first floor of our home.

Then the headache came. It was quick and strong. I could feel my eyes throbbing.

I coerced my 14-year old take her baby sisters upstairs to the loft for awhile so I could get my wits about me and clean up the terrible mess. After securing the rarely used baby gate, I took a deep breath and walked to the bathroom to take some meds for that no-good headache. I've learned not to wait when one of those comes on... Better to nip it in the bud before it ruins my entire day (or evening, in this case). Once I was medicated, I remembered that I had recently put some meditative music on my iPod. Hmmm... I thought. Could this actually work?

So I spread myself out on the couch and turned it on. Kept the volume low so that it would soothe me, but loud enough to drown out any voices of my 4 daughters upstairs. I set my cell-phone to go off in 30 minutes, in case I fell asleep, because I still had to clean the mess. I proceeded close my eyes and let it take me away.

It worked.

30 minutes later, I was awakened by my cell phone alarm and the "album" was just wrapping up. I felt refreshed and calm, and better yet, the headache was ALL GONE. Wow.

I will definitely use this technique again. Props go to the person or persons who came up with that clever little life-saving gadget.

A New Favorite!

Mmmmmm... I can't get enough of these...



These aren't new, but they're new to me! I am loving every delicious bite of Trader Joe's "Truly Handmade Sun Dried Tomato & Habanero Tortillas". I've been shopping at Trader Joe's for so long... How could I have missed these?

Mmmm... Muy Sabrosa!

... just thought I'd share! That's all for today!

busy, busy, busy!

So far, the separation from my husband is tolerable because I've been so stinkin' busy! Playdates, school shopping, shuttling my teens to their various babysitting jobs, trips to the library for the summer reading program, etc, etc, etc... I LOVE IT! And then of course, there are the TRIPLETS. Those little ones alone keep me on my toes and my days full!

But, believe it or not, somewhere in-between all of this I've been able to get a little scrapbooking done. Last Friday night, I attended a crop with a group of ladies from my Mothers of Multiples group. This is what I started:





It's a tag book/mini album for my daughter all about her Junior Prom. It's nowhere near finished, but at least I've gotten the core of the book done with all the painting, pasting, page assembly, etc. Right now I'm putting in all the little photos and adding the cute details. I think she's really going to like it when it's done. (Sorry for the lame photo, I was too lazy to use my digi to take a better picture of it, so I just threw it on the scanner!) She keeps asking me if it's done yet, so I better get crackin' on it!

Things are going well... No catastrophes to speak of, no scary stuff, nothing I was so worried about when my hubby first left. We're managing well. I really hope it stays that way!

Ooooh, I just wanted to share these pictures real quick because I think they are so adorable! Here are two of the triplets, all dressed up thanks to their 14-year-old sister:



Marisa


Kaia


Marisa & Kaia

When I first saw these shots on my digital camera, I couldn't believe my eyes. My only words were, "Oh My Gawd!" Ah... the benefits of having a teenage sister that loves to dress them up like little dolls on a DAILY basis. Can you believe these are 2-year-old BABIES? Ok, maybe they aren't quite babies anymore, but do you know toddlers who look like this? HILARIOUS!

It's a ridiculous hour right know (1:30 am), so I'm off to bed.