Goodwill equals Goodbuys.

Seriously, I absolutely love bargains! I have always been a garage sale guru and a thrift store lover. I could spend hours there. And flea markets make me all tingly inside. So yesterday I was on a mission to find a typewriter. I really wanted a manual one and will continue to search for one, BUT I found an electric one that was still in its original box for $10 bucks! I had to pick it up with a price tag like that. Who wouldn't? It will be my new "lap top." Get it? It sits on my lap. Ha! Okay lame, I know. About the first photos. I found a brand new Kolo album still in its original packaging for $1.50 and retail is $18.00 smackers! I was super excited. I have all ready started to fill it with photos. It was a lavender colored one. Yum!

Last I found this album for .50 cents. Yes, it has a weird cover but hello, I can fix that, it's what I do. It is filled with scrumptious black paper. Love it! Not sure what I have in store for it yet, but I will think of something. -Out.

brothers.

This and more photos on flickr this morning. Love this shot of them holding hands. Too cute. They love to lay on the floor together. Sometimes it is not pretty, see here.

scrappy saturday.

Well I had hope to post more scrapping from the day, but this is all that I was able to accomplish. Noticed I rocked out the pink today. Having all boys this is something that I don't do often. So when I saw the pink ears in the photos, I knew where to take this layout. I think it is lovely. The label and letters are from March's Cupcake Scrapshop Kit, but it has sold out!

In other Saturday news, Jason had a soccer game and before they started, he took a chunck out of his arm. It was huge, scraped and bloody. But he still played his game. He took like 4 or 5 shots on the goal, but they had a great goalie and all were blocked.

exhaustion

Has set in. I'll be back soon. Hugs, M

five new pages.

1. A lovely Layout of Ryan with a new line of paper. The scan was awful so I had to snap a picture. Still not doing this page justice. It is really beautiful. There is a rhinestone on the top of the crown that I added to the journaling spot.

2. The little man, Zachary. A quick layout of him as well. All these pages are headed for the scrap store for display today. New paper line and journaling card. I am happy to finally start the babies pages. I was afraid to scrap them for a while. Just didn't know where to start and didn't want to ruin them. I think I am over it.

3. Another Valentines layout of Jason. Not sure I am loving this page, but Ali says you can't love them all.

4. I had forgot about this layout until yesterday. It was stuck in my scanner. Last week I had a large to do list and thought that if I made it into a layout, it may be nicer to tackle. It did not work that way, but hey, got a nice layout to show for it.

5. Loving this. Also with the new paper line and journaling card. These scans are just horrible. Grrr! Happy Scrappin! These will be over at 2peas also.

ryan's ROLLING over

He's on the move. I captured it all on film too. He has been really really close, but today he finally made the finally flip. Woooooohooooo! There is no stopping him now. I can't keep him right side up. Also I posted more photos on flickr. Tomorrow I am sharing four new layouts. See ya then.

from you.

We received a great package in the mail today! It is great when you are unaware anything is coming. Such a nice surprise in the middle of the day. And today it included this lovely little piece of plastic and some clothes for all the boys. Not to mention a Spiderman shirt that already has had the tags ripped off and is being worn while he swings webs all over the couch. I will be sending you a thank you via USPS so watch your mailbox. But for now, just check your inbox. Thank you for thinking of my family and me. With lots of love, Mandy

easter bunny babies.

Zach and Ryan on Easter Sunday. More tomorrow.

wishing you a

easter eggs.

We dye'd our eggs on Friday. They turned out great!

cousins.

mr. rights

Okay, sorry I am MIA. We have guests. But here are some cuties to keep you joyous for now. Zachary in the first photo and Ryan in the second. Photos are from yesterday. And more on flickr. Hugs!

St. Patty's Day

Happy St. Patty's Day! The top photo is Zachary and Ryan is in the second. Now of course I took a ton so you can hop on over to flickr and see them all there. And the twins are 3.5 months today. Photos of Jason are still to come, school first. And for those of you not wearing green, here's a pinch. And then there's the Big Brother.

thanks, julie!

Today I got an email from Julie suggesting I make a mini album of the silly things Jason has been saying. (See the posts below for some of his humor.) So I took her advice and popped out this little jewel in about 10 minutes. I used a tag from Every Jot and Title and mostly scraps. And my new binding machine.

the things he says

Last night we had some bad weather. And leave it to Jason to solve Mother Nature's wrath. He said, "If a tornado comes, we should lock the doors."

Then first thing this morning, I told the hubby I was going to quit drinking soda. And out of nowhere Jason sarcastically says, "Why so you can lose weight?" What? Where does this kid get this stuff? Jacques was laughing so hard, I was sure he would wet his pants.

in the kitchen.

Jason and I spent the afternoon in the kitchen. We tried out a new recipe Java Mini Cakes. I haven't tried any yet, but my junior chef has has two and I have heard no complaints. I am waiting till after supper. You know what else is weird? I am not sure there are many people who cook with a camera in the kitchen. Hmmm. And a shout out to my peeps: The Lewis Family, whom I thought of today while in the kitchen. Not that I am not always thinking of you. But I remembered a frosting tip from my girl Shannon. Thanks, Hun! And to Lewis; I know as a boy you and your mother would cook together, and I thought about the two of you as Jason and I were stirin' up our treats. Hugs!

guessing game?

Can you tell whose who in these two photos? No cheating. Leave a comment guess and I will post the answer later tonight.

UPDATE: YOU WERE RIGHT! IT WAS A TRICK. THE TOP PHOTO IS RYAN, BUT THE NEXT ONE IS JASON.

one smart cookie.

So it is 6:54 this Thursday morning. Jason was in my room and I said, "I have something so fun for you to do." I get out my new shoe hang up organizer and tell him he can put my shoes into the divider. Super excited he says, " Wow, Thanks Mom!"

Then the little genius says to me, "We should buy more shoes to go in here." My thoughts exactly. Julie will be so PROUD. It must have been all those shoe shopping days that we drug Jason around on. Have a Happy Shoe Day : )

Ryan Today.

Jason today..

Jason came out from his room with a Thomas the Train catalog. He says, "Mom can you buy me everything that is circled?"

I take the catalog, give it on quick through and reply, "Jason EVERYTHING is circled."

And to this he huffs, "Nuh-uh." He takes the catalog. Thumbs through to a page where an item has an X drawn through it and says, "I already have these."

do you see what i see?

This is Ryan. I noticed two white spots in his mouth yesterday. I tried hard for a good photo, but had no luck. Now I am not even sure this is where teeth are set before they emerge, but they sure look like teeth to me. Not sure how long it will actually take before they break through. Jason didn't get his first tooth till he was nine months. What do you think?

just one more.

7 random and weird things about me

It's official. I have been tagged by Marci. I must post seven random and weird things about myself then tag seven others.. So here we go.

1. I can't drink milk if Becca is watching me. It's just an issue. Don't ask.
2. I can't stand a bent spine on any of my books. And I won't buy a book with a bent spine either.
3. I have 6 tattoos. I regret all but two. Although I still want to get all the boys name in ink.
4. My sewing machine was a gift from my Dad to my Mom back in 1981. I guess that makes it an antique. It works perfectly.
5. Uncle Paul calls me "Bean" and has since I was little.
6. I love washing all my linens, but I dread putting the bed back together.
7. I drank 2.5 cups of coffee this morning. I take it black.

Tagging my seven..

more minis and a layout

todays twins

Can you tell them apart yet? Leave a comment with your guess for fun. See if you can answer right, then head over to flickr to see if you were right. More photos there. Happy Friday!

in review

Up at 4:48 am. Made 2 bottles. Rocked and fed Zachary for 15 minutes then back to bed. Ryan was squirming, popped a bottle in. All back to sleep. Jason came in at 6:20 to cuddle in my bed. Up at 6:34. Zachary to swing. Change Ryan's diaper. Ryan goes under gym to play. Cleaned up kitchen. Took out the trash. Got myself ready. Got Jason some cocoa puffs. Changed Zachary, moved to floor to play. Checked nine emails. 7:43 load up each baby. Round up 2 bottles, 2 pacifiers, 2 blankets... Load up three kids. Taking Jason to school. 24 miles later and one stop to feed Ryan, at 8:48 we are back home. Zachary still asleep in car seat. Ryan awake and under the gym. Starting laundry. Holding and feeding Ryan. Zachary woke up at 10. Fed him. He puked twice, cleaned that up. Zachary under the gym. Fed Ryan, he fell asleep. Laid him down, he instantly woke up. Picked him back up, still awake. Zach started to fuss so I rocked both. Wait, something smells.. Changed Zach's poopy diaper. Then Ryan's wet one. Rocked both. Both fell asleep. Held them about 30 minutes then tempted to lay them down. Ummm no. Both awake. Zachary to Boppy to play. Ryan in the bouncer. It's 12:18. Jacques brought Jason home from school. Made Jason a quick lunch. 12:48 what's that smell? Change Ryan's poopy diaper. Zachary started to fuss, made him a bottle. Rocked and fed Zachary. Cartoons on for Jason till 1:00. Ryan started to fuss. Fed both. Zachary in the left and Ryan in the right hand. 1:05 my soap is on. Ryan fell asleep and slept for 30 minutes. Both awake. Both fussy. Rocked both. Zachary fell asleep. Was able to lay him down and he stayed asleep for 35 minutes. Played Disney Sorry with Jason with Ryan on my lap. Exhaustion sets in and guilt because this house is a mess. Attempted to put Ryan in swing. He wasn't havein that, still on my lap. It's 2:19. Okay at 3:11 Ryan had been so cranky, I loaded them all up and we went to the park. Ryan fell asleep on the way but woke up at the park. We stayed about an hour until Zachary got fussy. We went thru Burger King for caffeine, I mean drinks. I had to stop twice to prop Zach's bottle. He finally cried himself out. He slept for about 15 minutes. Ryan fussed the rest of the way home once Zach was out. It's 4:41. Holding and feeding Ryan who is fussing and Zachary is under the gym. Held and rocked both and they fell asleep. Held them asleep on me for 45+ minutes then laid them down. Bad idea, neither stayed asleep. But I know I can't sit around holding them forever. I need to be doing household work and I guess that I always think "maybe this time will work." Nope. Ryan started to fuss. Picked him up. Then Zach. Changed two more diapers. Both crying now. Time for two more bottles. It's 6:27. Finally they both crashed out on my chest. I held them there for over an hour until their Dad got home to relieve me at 7:32 and snap this photo.. WARNING: Scary content.. This is how I spend my days, holding them both. Ryan in green and Zach in blue.

Now for all you readers that have made it this far, Wow! Thought you'd be bored or be crossed eyed by now. I left this in an extremely long run on paragraph to attempt to grasp the chaos. I also think I will print this post out, and put on in each baby's book. I am sure they will get a batch of laughs of how my days were when they were little. Hope you enjoyed my day. And don't forget, It will start all over again tomorrow! -Hugs, Mandy

have you seen this?

Go here: Save Polaroid. Then go here and sign this.. Polaroid Petition.

new mini.

Okay so technically you are NOT suppose to shake your Polaroids, but hey- that song rocks! Anyway I threw this mini together last night in like 5 minutes. I busted out the Bind It All, so loving it now- but I should probably read the instructions to use it to its best ability. So this is just two pieces of chipboard, a tag from Every Jot and Title and rub-ons. Inside is just a bunch of random Polaroids with my chicken scratches at the bottom of each photo. Yes Julie, I used my own hand writing. Shocker, I know : )

three boys

Wow, all three in one photo! I had to post both cause although the first one is the best, Zach is smiling in the second. Zach is on the left, Jason is the big kid in the middle and Ryan is on the right in the photo. Not Jason's right, your right. Also more big news. This morning I heard a sleepish breathing noise. I looked over and Zachary had fallin asleep on his own under his gym. This is a first, because I rock all my babies to sleep, with the exception of car rides. When Jason fell asleep on his own for the first time at 9 months, I cried. I felt horrible that I had let him fall asleep on his own without me. Flash forward 5 years; I AM EXTATIC! GO ZACHARY!

3 Months

Happy Birthday Babies! They are three months today! WOW! Where have my newborns gone? They are just so big and so full of personality. Ryan is on the left and Zachary is on the right. These are from this morning. I will post a bunch more of them over on flickr so check there later. Now to recap last month for the boys.

Ryan: He got ill and spent time in the hospital which included his first IV, Xrays, and 3 pokes with needles. He was very brave. He was smiling, giggling and starting to coo at 8 weeks. He is super giggly now. He loves the vibrating bouncer and focuses great on the tv. He is also tracking great with his eyes and holds his head up very well. He is wearing 0-3 and 3-6 month clothing and still in Size 1 Pampers. He takes 4 ounce bottles at each feeding and now has formula that is a prescription that costs over $30 each for a small 16 ounce can. OUCH! He also got his first 3 immunizations. He weighed 11 pounds and 11 ounces six days ago. He is very close to holding his own bottle and rolling over! He is a morning person. He sleeps with us in the bed and stays asleep through the night. I give him a bottle when he fusses for a sip but he stays asleep. He wants to be a doctor when he grows up.

Zachary: He was smiling and giggling too at 8 weeks. He weighed in at 10 pounds 11 ounces six days ago. He has been nicknamed "weasy or mr. weasy" cause he always sounds congested, but the doctor reassured us he is fine. He giggles at the name. He has a great sense of humor. He is wearing mostly 0-3 clothing and Size 1 Pampers. He has caught up to his brother on size and is thriving good. He loves laying under the gym. He focuses good on the tv and tracks well with his eyes. He is still on soy milk and takes 2 or 4 ounces per feeding. He takes longer to eat a bottle than Ryan. He got his first three shots too. He never got sick either. He has more hair than Ryan, but is still smaller by a pound. Although you can't tell by looking any more. He is a morning person and loves the car rides. He is really good at laying by himself. He is sleeping in the crib and waking up with Jacques 2/3 times a night for short periods. He would like to look into politics when he grows up, maybe run for president.

home sweet.

Here is another handmade mini. I am turning these babies out like crazy. But I have only done only layout since the babies. So anyway. I made this little one with my Bind It All. There are more pages, but you get the idea. Small pieces of our home. Love it. I am going to post new family photos on flickr today so hop over there too. Enjoy your Sunday!