Christmas Gift ideas from Creative Memories

These gifties are SO easy and so much fun! I'm doing classes on most of these locally, if you're interested. If you're not local, well, take these ideas and run with them!

Personalized Clocks. This one is a cinch! I used Creative Memories' StoryBook Creator Plus software to make the clock face. It's about 7" in diameter. Then I printed it on an 8x8 page from Costco ($1.49). The clock came from Walmart and it was less than $5.00. These would be great for the people on your list who have everything. Who wouldn't love a clock with your darling children on it?

Decorative Tiles. These are so fun and easy! I made the 3" decorative squares in StoryBook Creator Plus, putting 24 on a 12"x18" page for $2.99 at Costco. Then I used Mod Podge to adhere them to the tiles (purchased at the home improvement store for $.38 each). I used several coats of Mod Podge, and then I backed them with felt. They've got funny sayings ("God made us best friends because he knew our mother couldn't handle us as sisters." and "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach him to fish and you get rid of him for the entire weekend!"), Bible verses, inspiring quotes and more. These would make great neighbor gifts or teacher appreciation, grandparents, and more! You could spell out words, create Christmas sayings, even add your own photos. These are AWESOME!

(ETA: Forgot to say....I used spray glitter on some of them, from the craft store, not the Halloween section, and then I gave them a couple of coats of basic clear spray paint. For trivets or coasters, you'll want to find a heavier polyurethane coating to go on them).

In a fog

Or a funk, or something.

Right now, life is simply overwhelming. And when I say that, I'm not talking about being so busy with the kids that I can't find time to use the restroom. I'm saying that getting out of bed in the morning is almost more effort than I can expend. And, honestly, if I had the option of letting the kids fend for themselves, I wouldn't bother.

Yesterday was a victory in small ways.....I went to the store after dropping the kids at school. We needed something for dinner. So, I went to the one store that had chicken on sale and I bought a bunch. Then I bagged it up to freeze in our new chest freezer. We wound up not eating it for dinner though, because Bruce came home and we ran some errands together (the dog was completely out of food and the thought of wading through Costco and hefting the 40 lb bag, well, yeah, see paragraph 1). We wound up eating roast chicken and french fries.

I got the girls organized enough that they ran a load of jeans for the family. Seriously, they sorted out the ones in their own hampers and put them in the washer. I found mine and Bruce's (I don't do Tristan's laundry anymore), and tossed them in. I started the washer, but Shannon put them in the dryer.

Funny aside: I told Shannon to put the jeans in the dryer. She did. And that's it. No dryer sheet, and she didn't turn the dryer on. She did *exactly* as I asked. I caught on pretty quick when I didn't hear the machine, but still. Why would I want her to put them in the machine and leave them there all wet?!

I also made a loaf of GF bread in the bread machine. This is a bit more work than your average bread. You have to thoroughly combine the 10 dry ingredients and do the same for the 6-8 wet ingredients, rather than just throwing it all in the pan and turning the machine on. But it's worth it when Shannon makes herself a PBJ for lunch.

And I moved most of the Croptoberfest debris back to it's home. There are a few lingering details, but the house is almost back to normal. Much of htis was accomplished while on the phone with a friend. If I'm on the phone, I can't be on this machine ignoring the world. I have to putter a bit, and it helps if I have 'company.'

After school, the girls wanted to know when I was going to do the Halloween decorating. And, as per paragraph 1, this is not something I really give a darn about. But the fall bin was out since I dug through it for stuff to use for Croptoberfest, so I told them to knock themselves out. It looks pretty cute. Not what I would've done, but fun nonetheless and the girls had a blast!

Today I'm having lunch with a friend. But I'm not sure I have the energy for make up. Except, see, I like to hide my struggles and make up sure helps that. I 'do' depression by presenting the "I'm just fine" facade to the world. Only those truly close to me can see past it. Those who read a Facebook status update of "I'm struggling to care," and really get it. But even that is a bit misleading....I'm always amazed at the people who truly do understand it. The helping hands that reach out when I'm trying to pretend I don't need them. Lifelines. Love. Understanding. Acceptance.

Bruce doesn't "get" it, but he loves me and he's loving me through this. And, I'm getting better at expressing myself. Trusting that he can handle it. I was apologizing for my lack of effort, explaining just how challenging things seem right now, and he said "You'll snap out of it" That sounds a bit flippant, but it's his way of expressing confidence in me. I will walk through this to the other side, despite wanting to sleep through it instead. And, he's accepting that this is where I'm at right now. I wish I could be that accepting of myself.

I'm asking for the help that I need......I need help coming up with what to fix for dinner. I don't really care, and that makes it hard to do that particular chore. Add in the gluten issue and the picky-eater issues....Tristan doesn't like fish or red sauce. And we can't just throw together some pasta (GF past takes FOREVER to cook and is expensive!). Not to mention I don't wanna make dinner. By the evenings, my apathy has reached a peak. I don't care. I want to go to bed. The kids came up with a few ideas, and Bruce is working on it too. I will go to the store, but I need someone else to make the effort of telling me what to buy.

And all of that makes me feel like a total failure. My kids have to do my job. That's wrong. And I don't care.......or maybe I do, but not quite enough to overcome the apathy.

Tales from the Outlaw visit

1. We made homemade salsa and I made a tandoori sauce for the chicken we were having. This brought up a conversation about double-dipping (taking a bite out of a chip then dipping it back into the salsa/dip). Apparently, until the TV show "The Doctors" did an episode on the subject, MIL wasn't sure that she really shouldn't double-dip. She needed a TV show to tell her that it was gross.

Within minutes, she asked, while nibbling at a chip, if she could try the tandoori sauce as a dip. I said "Sure"....she reaches for the dip "but let me get you a fresh chip." *nervous giggle*

YUCK!

2. They came down for a "visit" to pick our grapes so FIL could take them home to make wine that no one likes, but whatever. They arrived Friday at 2 pm and left Saturday before noon (it's a 3 hour drive home). On the one hand, short visits work great for me. On the other, I feel a bit used. They haven't come to see us in over 2 years, and this is what they can manage? Bruce had Friday off, so they could've come Thursday afternoon/evening and had more time with all of us.

The other problem with this visit is that now it's "our turn." Again. And Thanksgiving is right around the freaking corner. UGH!

3. MIL complained quite bitterly about how "no one has time to sit and visit any more. Everyone is so busy. They just have to GO and DO things."

First, what could I possibly have to visit with you about? The reality is that I just don't like you. You don't like me. Pretending otherwise for hours while we "visit" is painful and a waste of my life.

Second, if you want to visit, how about sticking around long enough for it to happen?

Third, do you even vaguely remember what it was like to have kids at home? Granted, her kids were not in many activities, so I think that's where some of this complaining comes in, but she had *8* kids. Surely she remembers what it was like to be busy with them.

4. Tristan went straight from school on Friday to his music lesson and then to a Scout campout. The Outlaws went with Bruce to take Tristan to these things so that they could see him. And whined about how far it is to the music lesson (it's about a 20 minute drive if traffic isn't bad). We don't mind it one bit, ya old biddy. This, of course, led to a discussion about how life in Idaho is so much better than life here in Salt Lake. Dream on lady!

5. I had a yard sale on Saturday morning. This had been planned (just like the Scout trip) for weeks before they decided to come and get the grapes. Considering their history of cancelling visits at the last minute, I wasn't rearranging my life over this. Having a yard sale with Depression-era people around is amusing, to say the least!

A. We were selling a treadmill. Someone called about it the night before and I quoted him a price of $20. FIL about had an apoplectic fit over that. See, new they're at least $500 (this one probably was closer to $800 new, 5+ years ago). But I really didn't care. I wanted it out of my house. The next day, we discovered that the small bumple on the belt had grown to a full-blown tear (fixable with duct tape, I suppose). A new belt is $100, so I really couldn't justify selling it for more than that. We sold it for the $20 to a lovely family and I'm sure they'll enjoy it far more than I!

B. I was selling a number of articles of clothing, sweaters I no longer wear, sweatshirts that aren't my style anymore, stuff I bought on clearance and just didn't ever wear it....you know the drill. MIL kept pulling things off that table "This is a pretty sweater. You should keep it." Yes, it's pretty, but *I* don't wear it.

I was also selling sweatshirts with our college logo on it. Since we went to University of Idaho, several of them simply say Idaho in the school colors. MIL said, probably 4 times, that we might go back to Idaho and therefore should keep the sweatshirts. (Because we need to look at our shirts to know where we are? Or we're not allowed into the state unless we have the appropriate label? Never did figure out that reasoning).

This sort of conversation went on and on and on.....This is brand new, why are you selling it? This is handy, you might need it someday. These are fun things, you should keep them......I must have said "I don't use them" 20 times that morning.

And this is the woman who wants me to come and help her have a garage sale? When I told her that the rule was that what goes out does not, under any circumstances, come back in, she quickly said we should start with FIL's stuff! ROFL!

C. Bruce sold two different lawn mowers, both needing some minor work, to a group of men who, I think, either had or were starting their own business. They were driving a tiny 4-door car that already had a bike and another mower hanging out of the trunk. When we realized that they only lived about 5 miles away, Bruce offered to deliver the mowers for them. He got the trailer, loaded 'em up, and off he went. They offered gas money and paid Bruce $10 for his trouble.

All of this was taking place at about the time the Outlaws had decided it was time to leave. They had to be talked into waiting until Bruce returned before taking off!

6. MIL kept trying to buy stuff from the sale. I kept tellilng her that she didn't need it and when she dies in 5-30 years, I'd just have to try to sell it to someone else. The 5 years part ticked her off! But, really, she's 82 years old!

7. That started a conversation about how she wants to live to be 105. Just because. *groan*

8. A puzzling moment that we haven't quite figured out yet. MIL asked Bruce if he blamed them for something.....not sure what though. See, apparently BIL said something to MIL about blaming his parents for something. I can see BIL telling MIL he "blamed her" for something in a funny, joking manner, like I tell my dad it's his fault that I can't flush a live goldfish (dad taught me an overwhelming respect for life.....eating it is fine, wasting it is not). I can also see BIL telling MIL he blames her for other things, like the choices he made as a teen/young adult. Or I can see MIL taking something he said that was totally unrelated and turning it on herself. We're curious, but nailing MIL down about these things is dang-near impossible. She rambles and doesn't make much sense and then gets mad when you ask for more info or clarification. I don't envy Bruce that conversation (he may not even have it)!

So, there ya have it. I did walk away several times when the conversation turned to Neice who's recently announced she's getting married in Ocotober 2010. The problem comes, not with the engagement, but with all the "we'll see if she actualy goes through with it," and "I don't know that this is a good idea," and "She's always been rather impulsive," blah, blah, blah, badmouth-neice-some-more.

And I referred to the room they slept in as my "office," rather than the guest room because, well, 350 days a year, that's exactly what it is and I don't want them getting the idea that it's their territory.

MIL left a full bar of soap because she didn't have a dish to take it home in.....she refused the offer of a ziploc bag. She also left a washcloth. She leaves a wash cloth every single trip, and then, when I try to return it to her, claims it isn't hers, despite it's matching the towels in her bathroom. The soap was tossed and the cloth was added to my rag pile.

Oh, one more weird thing they do, at least *I* think it's weird. They stopped for lunch and brought their leftovers with them. Then they kept trying to get Bruce and I to eat them. I think that's a bit odd. We're not talking about rolls or the crackers from the soup or whatever. We're talking about "This was on my plate, I couldn't finish it, why don't you eat it?" Maybe because I'm not blood-related to them, but I think that's nasty! Of course, I simply politely refused, but EWWW!

Fall Insanity

Really, I should expect this, particularly after our Summer of Insanity. And yet, silly me, I actually was deluded enough to think that I would have a bit of a break once school started. You'd think I'd learn.

So, summer....let's review, shall we?
June--Church camp for Tristan. He's home for 5 days, and we ran off to Mesa Verde for about a week. AWESOME trip.

July--We returned from MV on the 3rd. The next weekend, 7/10, we were back at church camp for our annual Family Camp weekend up there.
Home on Sunday, and the boys left the following Saturday for Scout Camp. Girls and I left Sunday for church camp.
Home on Friday (girls) and Saturday (boys), and then off the following Thursday for a quick visit with my parents. We were there for just 3 days, and really, it was a PERFECT amount of time. Mom, of course, complained that it was "too short," and all of that, but the 4th day of any visit with her is usually a doozy. We may make this our new tradition.
Home on Monday night. Tristan and Shannon leave on Sunday for Diabetes camp. At this point, Tristan hasn't slept in his own bed more than 5 consecutive nights since early June and it's mid-August.
Home on Friday. Vacation Bible School starts on Monday. I didn't volunteer this year, except on Friday when the craft helper couldn't be there.
VBS goes through Friday, with a performance of the cute little songs and reader's theatre in church on Sunday and at the family BBQ Sunday afternoon. Alana, however, had to miss both because she threw up Sunday morning before church.
School started last Monday, and soccer started last week, so here we are.

We had an awesome summer, with fantastic new experiences with the kids. It was just so back-to-back busy that I was never sure if we were coming or going.

Now, our lives look like this:
Monday--Piano Lessons for Alana; Swimming for Shannon; Scouts for Tristan (and Bruce).
Tuesday--Back-to-back soccer practices for Alana and Tristan; Yoga for me
Wednesday--Swimming for Shannon; CM Meetings for me (every other Wed usually, but we've had a lot of meetings lately).
Thursday--Back-to-back or simultaneous soccer games for Alana and Tristan; Yoga for me, if life doesn't interfere too much.
Friday--Swimming for Shannon; Sax lesson for Tristan
Saturday morning--Back-to-back or simultaneous soccer games for Alana and Tristan. Yoga is offered at 8:30, but I can't make it due to the whole soccer thing.
Sunday--Church, of course, plus choir practice for the girls, youth group for Tristan, and once a month, Tween Flicks for Shannon. Also scrapbooking once a month.

This week, we add in the Scout family BBQ tonight, plus Back to School night on Thursday. Alana's soccer game is at 6:45, and BTS starts at 7:00. If Alana's game starts on time, we should be able to make it to BTS about the time they stop yapping at everyone in the gym and move on to the classrooms. I've chatted at length with Shannon's teacher, but I don't know Alana's well at all, so I really want to go meet her.

Tristan is trying out for Jazz band, which would mean before-school practices on Wednesday and Friday. Shannon will take orchestra again, which means schlepping her to the jr high Tuesday and Thursday mornings, then picking her up and bringing her to school.

And, of course, there are all sorts of fun things coming down the pike for us too.
Next weekend--Camping at Great Basin Nat'l Park, with a tour of Lehman Caves.
September 12 weekend--Yard Sale, Company Open House, CM card class
September 19 weekend--Boy Scout campout, CM crop, Annual consignment sale where I sell and buy gently used kids' clothes, books, toys, etc.
September 26 weekend--Dream Dinners session on Saturday, but so far (knock wood) that's it.
October 3 weekend--Camping at Buckhorn Wash, Middle-of-nowhere central Utah (as in, make your own freeway exit, middle-of-nowhere!).
October 10 weekend--Croptoberfest, Tristan's liturgist at church, and he's playing in the youth praise band. I'm forgetting something else that weekend, but it's a ways off, so that's okay, right?
October 17 weekend--Something's up, but I'm not sure what. That date is just really familiar to me right now.

So, there you have it. My "relaxed" life where I can get a "break" now that school has started.

You can stop laughing now.

Really, I'm not complaining. I'm a bit frustrated with myself for not being more on top of things over the last week or so, but I'll catch up and get it back together. I'm still on "summer" in some ways, so I spend my time flitting from thing to thing until I realize that it's 5:00 and we need dinner NOW because someone has to be somewhere and Bruce is still at work (he's buried right now).

Honestly, I'm glad we can offer our kids these opportunities for church, sports, and music. They love it. And if you look at it, it's not that many activities for each child. It's just that there are 3 of them! LOL! Really, I could be busy doing things that are a lot less interesting, a lot less fun, so I'm truly not complaining. I love our crazy lives! I love that the kids have these opportunities to do these things. I love watching them try new things, enjoy them, and learn along the way to discovering who they are. It's a fabulous blessing.

MIL Strikes Again

When we last left our dubious heroine, there was the minor matter of a possible heart attack. Or perhaps it was actually heartburn. No answers on that front, so I'm quite certain she's been told it was NOT a heart attack. If that was even hinted, we'd be inundated with "I could drop dead any day now" phone calls, coupled with long litanies of all the medications and steps being taken to prevent her demise.

But the conversation yesterday went something like this....

MIL: How are the kids?
DH: They just got back from Diabetes Camp....
MIL: Now, are you really sure Shannon has diabetes?

Yes, folks, she actually said that. Bruce laughed himself senseless and told her that yes, both children do, indeed, have diabetes. I mean really? REALLY?! Nah, Shannon doesn't have diabetes....we just like giving injections so much we decided to test them on her too.

Good grief!

Bruce's only response is that clearly, his mother is losing it.

Dear Mom...

If you're always right, where does that leave me?

A Quick Mom Funny

We all know that my mother drives me crazy. I'm actually using this time to step back and observe, or at least try to, so I can figure out how to have a relationship with her that doesn't make me nuts all the time.

So, last night, we're having taco salad for dinner and mom only has 5 bowls. There are 7 of us. She tells me she has a job for me, and my job is to find enough bowls for all of us, or would plates work? She told me, at least three times, that she "didn't care" what we used. I said the adults could use plates and the kids bowls. She didn't come right out and say it, but it was clear that was NOT what she had in mind. So, I take out her 5 cereal-type bowls, and found a couple others.

Oh, no, we can't use that one....it has a chip in it, see?
So, if we're not using it, why are we keeping it?
WE'RE NOT! I JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN AROUND TO THROWING IT AWAY!
(oops)
So, I find another bowl and I leave the 7 on the counter.

Guess what?

Yeah, I know you're all brilliant.

She completely rearranged what I had planned, choosing other bowls, arranging them on the table, etc.

*sigh*