Resolutions

So the new year is upon us and always the time for making resolutions. One of mine that I seem to make every year is to get caught up on my scrapbooking. So ta da! Here is a new layout under the new resolution. Yeah the photo is from 2004 but hey it isn't in an envelope where no one can see it anymore right? I even have a couple of packages of developed photos to pick up from Costco so I'll be a scrapping machine pretty soon.

Another resolution is to cook more. I am not the cooking type. Fortunately I married a man who is and does a great job but he has mentioned that he would like to not be the only cook in the house. I actually started this resolution a couple of months ago but I hope in 2006 and I can be more consistent. So check me out - last week I cooked 3 times, I made homemade chicken soup (never have done that before), cornbread and made blueberry pancakes for the boys. Last night I made homemade pad thai that turned out yummy (and very complicated to make) so watch out - I am even scaring myself with my new cooking skills!

Sights of the Season

I got this idea from my friend, Sylvia's blog and wanted to share some of my holiday decorations. Here is our tree. We like to have a colorful kid tree with all of the kid's handmade ornaments and ones that I have given them over the year's. Here is the snowman ornament I made for them last year. My son Timmy made the star on top and it really looks a lot more colorful than the photo. Someday, I'll have a fancy tree with glass bulbs and Victorian ornaments but for now while the kids are young it will be a fun, colorful tree.


I also like to set up my Dicken's village houses. I put them all along the top of my Mother's bookcase. I started her on this collection years ago and then inherited pieces from her and my grandparents. I am still on the lookout for the Nichol's toy shop and want to add that to my collection.

This year, I set up my mother's nutcrackers on top of the curio cabinet that was also hers. I gave her some of these and it was fun to look for unusual ones (they had to be from Germany) to give to her. They boys really like to see them out but they want to use them to crack nuts!


These are my favorite things to set up at Christmas time - my mangers! I started collecting manger scenes a while ago and now I think I have 9 of them - all different types. I like to look for unusual ones.



One of my favorites was given to me by my Aunt and it is from France. The peices are no bigger than 2"! I just love them all! After all - that is what Christmas is all about - celebrating the birth of Christ!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

My poor neglected blog! I haven't posted in a while because I have been so busy with Christmas stuff. 'Tis the season! So this post is a week late but worthwhile enough to blog about. We had my nieces and nephew spend the night last Friday while their parents went to a Christmas party. We had such a great time and even did a gingerbread house contest. Hannah and Tim's "Beauty and the Beast house" was very umm... creative and Michaela and I did a red and white themed house that even Martha Stewart would have been proud of. Tyler and Luke had fun decorating their own gingerbread men but I think they had even more fun just eating the candy. The festivities for the night wrapped up with everyone bundled up in the living room watching Elf (a must for my holidays).

Thank you Mister Costco man!

I know the Costco man will never see this blog but I thought if I publicly declared my gratefulness it may somehow get back to him or something like that. Here's the story - I had taken pica of the boys at Christmas in the Park last week and lo and behold one turned out good enough for a card so I took it to Costco. Later I got a call that all the orders turned in that day got lost and I had to come back - so on trip number two I brought my memory card back and tried to print it again. This time I had done some cropping at home and my computer does this thing where is I do any alterations it comes out really crummy looking but you can't tell on the screen only when you print it out. So this is what happened on the 2nd trip, the Costco man was nice enough to let me try a couple of times, walk around to the employee section and do other annoying things like that. Anyway, I couldn't get it the way I wanted it but settled anyway. I showed it to Matt - he doesn't notice anything wrong, but then my younger son Tyler says "Mommy, Timmy and I are made out of legos in this picture." Many of you know exactly what he is talking about if you have a low MB digital camera like mine and try to enlarge photos. So a couple of days go by and I am really trying to get over the fact that the "perfect" Christmas card I had wanted did not turn out like I had planned. But it was no use - I couldn't get over it and thought I'll give it one more try - I'm stubborn that way. So on Thursday I went back to Costco this time with the original photo file and asked (begged) the Costco man one more time if I could try it again even though I had ok'd the last attempt - and guess what? - he let me and guess what? - it worked and they turned out just like I wanted. So thank you Costco man for putting up with the crazy Christmas card lady - I hope you get a lot of Christmas cheer your way because I know I am not the only crazy Christmas card lady you will have to deal with.

On another note - for my scrapbooking pals out there - I actually scrapbooked! I know don't be too shocked! I can't post it on the blog because is actually a Christmas present for someone who may lurk here. They don't know about the 2peas site so for those of you who do - check it out on 2peas. I worked really hard on it so a little praise would be nice!

Oh and for those of you who are wondering what the now perfect Christmas card looks like - I will have to leave you in suspense. You'll just have to get one in the mail! :-)

So I came home from work today and kind of bummed out and stressed so I decided I would catch up on some of the blogs on my list. I found my name on three of them!! Wow - I was so excited. Totally lifted my spirits. Thanks gals that was so nice of you all. Stephanie http://stephanie215.typepad.com/ and Michelle http://michelleazphotog.blogspot.com/ are in my Knitting CJ from 2peas (sorry I can't be cool and make your name your blog link). This has been a great CJ and can you belive it - no one has lost a journal yet and everyone is either on time or early? It's great sharing ideas with them and they understand and even encourage my knitting fettish! :-) Then I checked Hilary's blog http://hillyut.blogspot.com/ and my name was on there too!! I called her out on a quiz - hee hee! She is awesome because I can always count on her to comment on my blog posts and she gives me that extra little push to keep it going. Plus she has a great scracastic streak in her which I LOVE!! So thanks gals - I am sure my husband thanks you too because now his wife is in a better mood!

The Red Mittens.

Tyler has been asking for red mittens for some time now. Not sure how he got the idea into his head, but he kept asking me to make him some so I finally agreed too. I had never made mittens before. As I was making them, he sat right next to me asking me "Are they done yet?" (a minute later) "Are they done now?". Finally I was done with one and it was bed time for him so he put his one mitten on, as happy as can be and went to bed. So of course I had to make the other one the next day, but I coldn't get it done before he went to bed so I told him when he woke up, his other red mitten would be ready. You would have thought it was Christmas the next day! The first thing he asked me in the morning was "Where is my other mitten?." He was so happy when I showed it to him and immediately put it on (he had gone to bed with the one mitten on again). So today I dedicate my blog to my cute little guy and his red mittens.

Wow - I got called out by Sylvia on her blog http://mrsbuttner.typepad.com/i_forgot_to_tell_you/ to answer this quiz so here goes!

*2 names you go by
1. Kent
2. And there are no good nicknames for Kent but my boss calls me Kenaton (old co-worker gave me that one) but my fav is Kentius Maximus
*2 parts of your heritage
1. Umm I think English
2. Scottish/Irish - you'd never guess by my pale skin and red cheeks huh?!
*2 things that scare you
1. crazy people that talk to themselves
2. that my kid might get hit by a car
*2 of your everyday essentials
1. Int'l Food French Vanilla coffee
2. lip gloss
*2 things you are wearing right now
1. black long-sleeve t-shirt
2. pajama bottoms with hot pink elephants on them! - just kidding but I really am wearing a black long sleeve t-shirt but my pajama bottoms are green plaid (and sadly it is 7:00 at night and I had to put them on when I got home from work - rough day)
*2 of your favorite bands or musical artists (at the moment)
1. Switchfoot - LOVE their new CD
2. Ummm- I don't know who else at the moment I guess Marty Casey from the Rock Star show
*2 favorite songs (at the moment)
1. Switchfoot - Lonely Nation
2. Mr. Brightside version by Marty Casey
*2 things you want in a relationship (other than real love)
1. laughter
2. understanding
*2 truths
1. Treat people the way you would want to be treated
2. Do everything knowing that one day you will be accountable for your actions
*2 physical things that appeal to you (in the opposite sex)
1. Eyes
2. their style
*2 of your favorite hobbies
1. scrapbooking
2. knitting
*2 things you want really badly
1. An adopted girl
2. To live finance stress free
*2 places you want to go on vacation
1. Costa Rica (for Matt's sake)
2. cruise to Alaska
*2 things you want to do before you die
1. see my boys graduate college, wedding and meet great-grandchildren (ditto that)
2. Travel and see the world
*2 ways that you are stereotypically a dude/chick
1. I have to have my collection of lipglosses
2. I don't go anywhere without a purse
*2 things you are thinking about now
1. That I really need to wash my face
2. That I got sidetracked once again on the computer from what I really needed to do but hey what can you do when you get called out
*2 stores you shop at
1. Target
2. Old Navy
*2 people i would like to see take this quiz
1. Gees I feel like no one reads my blog and the two that do probably already took this but I call out Hilary if she hasn't done it yet
2. Shannon W. (I know Shannon Montez already did this)

Thanks Sylvia that was fun!

I am in scarf mode right now. Here is one I just finished - a ruffle scarf from the Lion Brand yarn website. I was trying to use of some scrap yarn I had. I cropped my head out because I was looking very scary today. Long story but it involves no shower, Timmy my son being suspended and over all emotional exhaustion. It'll be better tomorrow - right?!

Next on the list - a curly cue scarf pattern from Knit Diva. Found this as I was wondering around my favorite yarn store - http://www.goknit.com/ trying to recoup from the "long story". I think I will be making a couple of them for Christmas presents.

My latest knitting creation! I knitted up a black furry shrug (well undid an old one, changed the style, and re-knitted it). I even wore it Saturday night to my Stepmom's fundraiser. It is very warm and it's the type of thing that is like a black dress - something that you need and can wear with anything. So yeah me! Now you know why I have been flaking on my scrapbooking...

Guess Who Got to go to U2?!

Me!!! I couldn't believe it. On Monday, my boss got a call from a hotel she is hopefully going to use for one of our company seminars and the lady was offering her U2 tickets for Tuesday. I told her to go for it and how fun that would be. She decided she didn't want to go but she would ask if I could use the tickets instead - really?? The lady said of course and even hand delivered them on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Monday night we are scrambling for a babysitter and by Tuesday morning Matt had pretty much talked himself out of going saying it was too much work to get a babysitter and it was a school night (I think he is getting old). My girlfriend Julie jumps in (she is now his boss and good at overhearing phone conversations) so she get son the phone with me and says she and her husband will watch our kids (again). Matt still is not cool with the idea so long story short - Julie agrees to go!

We had a blast and it was such a surreal experience. I had never seen them before and boy do they put on a show. The stage was awesome with cool light effects. I was memorized by it all. Then the music was phenomenal and so loud that it made your heart move (literally). The Oakland arena was packed to the rafters and it was awesome to hear everyone sing along. The band was great and Bono really worked the crowd - he wields ALOT of power! Every move he made caused the crowd to scream. He was so humble though and appreciative even after all these years of them being famous. The crowd was all around our age so I think it was a bunch of 30 somethings reliving their teens years when U2 first was big. They sang all their old hits plus all the new ones.

It was a great night and one I will never forgot. Thanks Julie for going with me!

I am trying really hard.....
To help out more around the house and do more of that housewife stuff. Matt started a new job a couple of weeks ago and now he is in a property management office from 9-5:30 5 days a week. This may be normal to most working men but not my husband. He has been his own boss with his own hours for a long time and now that has all shifted. Before, on my work days, he would be home more, keep the house somewhat picked up and have dinner ready when I got home (nich huh). Now on the days I work, we both arrive home exhausted so it has been taking a toll on the way we run our household. So I am trying really hard to step up and do what I can to make things work. I went grocery shopping on Thursday and cooked a meal along with my other cleaning chores. I know for some of you, you do this everyday so don't roll your eyes too hard. I even asked him he needed me to run any errands while he was working and he said to buy him some more work pants so I did that too. The poor guy can't even sleep in for at least another week (today - Saturday) he woke up really early to go to garage sales (part of the other way he makes money) and then he has two property management appts. Then on Sunday, he was to wake up at 4am to drive load of antiques to the once a month Alameda flea market and sell until the afternoon where he will come home exhausted. What a hard worker he is and I feel bad because I don't want him to burn out. Sooo I am psyching myself up to be a good housewife this weekend and to get things done around the homestead so he can relax when he gets home.

Mini me - you complete me! I just crack myself up sometimes! I came up with that title on the way home from work the other day. There was no trying to convince the boys to be different characters for Halloween this year - they both had to be Darth Vadar. Halloween is a FULL day for us. I helped with Tyler's class (I got the activity no other Mom wanted - carving 4 pumpkins with 20 hyper kindergarteners "helping"). Then after I recooperated at home for a while, Tyler and I picked up Timmy from school and we headed to Lincoln Ave in Willow Glen to Trick or Treat at all the businesses. We met my friend Julie there with her boys (they were Batman and Robin - too cute). Then after that, we met Matt at home, grabbed a bite to eat and went tick or treating up and down Willow Glen Way. Everyone gets into the spirit on that street and that was a lot of fun. Then it was off to meet some other friends at Westgate church's fall festival. Whew what a night! By the time we got home (9:00pm), I was ready to crash and I did. Happy Halloween!

A woman was asked by a coworker, "What is it like to be a Christian?" The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin." God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

I got this as an email and liked it so much that I wanted to post it on my blog. Do you ever feel like you want a "do-over" or have God scoop out all the yucky stuff so you can start over? I do a lot. It's also nice to know that in all the hectic-ness and stuff that happens in life we can have a purpose other than dealing with all the daily junk that we have to deal with. I am glad I can try and be a smiling pumpkin!

Happy Halloween!

This band rocked!!! We went to their concert in SF Wednesday night. Life has been pretty crappy for me lately. Not happy at work - husband's income has dropped to nill so a lot of stress. I had bought these tickets awhile ago because I so wanted to go to a concert. Our friends offered to babysit for free so that was great considering we didn't get to their house until 1:00am.

Anway - this show was awesome and we even ran into friends from church who were waiting in line so it was like a suprise double date. It was frst come first serve seating and we didn't want to stand on the floor all mushed together so we headed for the balcony and found some great seats.

The band's front man is awesome. He really knew how to work a crowd and seemed like he really cared. He even crowd surfed! Their music rocked and it was a great show(I am repeating myself aren't I ?).

So it really lifted my mood up. I love a great show and for me the louder the better (it is sounds good that is). They are a Christian band (though most don't know it) so that makes it even better. Their new album is great and I would highly recommend it.

Oh and one more thing - I realized I am old because I prefer to sit away from the crowd and nowadays when people want to "light a flame" and sway back and forth during a song - they flip their cell phones up instead. Things have changed!!

Another Christmas Gift down!

I just finished knitting this wrap/poncho for my SIL Priscilla. She has dark skin and hair so I tired to pick colors that would really compliment her. I LOVE how it turned out and it is so soft. I hope she likes it. Now on to another knitting project.

I'm on page 107!

Well my scrapbook layout is at least. I had gotten a call from Memory Maker Books about this a long time ago. Actually it was a call for another layout and I submitted some other ones I thought they might like and this one got picked up too. Matt had no idea so I tagged the page and laid in on the pillow for him when he came home. Whoever wrote the description of layout did a better job then I did journaling. It made me tear up! So even though in the scrapbooking world this is not really a big deal - I didn't get any money for this only a free book I am still happy to see one of my layouts in another place other than my own scrapbook!

ROAD TRIP!
Last Saturday our Circle Journal group (it's a scrapper thing) took a road trip and visited scrapbooking stores in Fremont, Berkeley, Danville and Walnut Creek. We had so much fun shopping till we dropped. I had never visited these stores before so it was fun to see how each one was set up. It was so much fun hanging out with the gals - we'll have to do it again soon! Thanks Sylvia for organizing it and Laarnie for being the navigator and scheduler. I was the chauffer and I came up witht he goofy idea to paint Scrapper son a Mission on my van! :-) I even got pink leis for all the girls and "loot" bags to hold all their purchases.

Whew - Big sigh of relief!

I called my Dermatologist on Wednesday because I hadn't heard back from her the tests results from the Biopsy I had done on a spot on my back. So I get a call back from her office (can't even talk to her in person I guess) and they tell me it was harmless and the test was negative. Whew - what a relief! I can't believe it has been a little over a year that I went through all that with the Melanoma on my arm. Glad I don't have to go through another surgery.

WE'VE GOT YOUR BACK!

So Tyler comes up to me last week and says we need to send a backpack to the kids that lost their homes from the hurricane. I didn't really understand what he was saying until he pestered me again and said he saw it on tv so I put two and two together and realized their cartoon channel, Nickelodeon was doing a "We've got your back" campaign. You can ship filled backpacks to a high school in Louisiana and they will be distributed to displaced students from hurricane Katrina and Rita. I thought I better jump on this - my 5 year old son taking the initiative to do something for others less fortunate?! How incredible! So we stuffed one of his backpacks (he somehow has 4 of them) with a marker set, stuffed animal, pencils, paper etc. and I did one too. We shipped them out yesterday. I think as a mother one of the greatest atributes I want to instill in my boys is compassion for others and the desire to do things for those less fortunate. It was nice to see Tyler want to do this all on his own!

Trip to Yosemite

My HS friend Janna was in town for her yearly work conference so after that we all headed over the Pine Moutain Lake and Yosemite for a couple of days. She has been coming out here every year for the last 5 years so it has been fun to stay in touch with her and her work pays for the ticket! :-) Yosemite was beautiful even though there wasn't any water coming off the falls. While Janna and her husband Chris took the tram tour, Matt and I and the kids decided to do some hiking (what were we thinking). We were doing fine until we came with the brilliant idea to corss a stream and hike up a rocky hill (off the path) and join the Vernal Falls trail. As soon as we hit this very steep trail, Tyler started a marathon whining session. For a kid that can run super fast, he all of a sudden couldn't put one foot in front of the other. We even passed an 80 year old man coming the other way and Tyler stepped dead in his tracks to stare. I told him if that guy can do you can! (and by the way - way to go old guy - I hope I am like you when I am 80). That motivational speech did not last long though and we only made it to the bridge (.8 miles but all uphill). It was beautiful anyway and we want to go back in the spring to camp inside the grounds.

AHHHH - a nice Saturday afternoon!

We enjoyed a Saturday afternoon taking in a Giants game. You'd think we were big baseball fans with the whopping two games we have been to this year but I got "free" tickets again. I say "free" because these did not include the parking pass which is $20.00 - what a rip off!! Also with food purchases it turns out to not be such a free family outing but we had fun none the less. Here are some funny Nichols memories -

When Timmy pointed out one of the Giant's players signs and said - Look Mom "ski-mid-it" which was hilarious because the player's name was SCHMIDT. When Matt was asking what was so funny I went to point to the sign and he turned at the precise moment where I almost poked his eye out - gross! He acted like I did that on purpose all the way to our seats even though I apologized profusely - I am really not THAT coordinated to pull off a maneuver like that on my own. Then there is the joy of eating cotton candy during the game and Tyler yelling at the top of his lungs "EAT LA" which unbenownst to him everyone else was yelling "BEAT LA".

So another fun day at the ball game!

My mouth feels like rubber!!

You know when you have one of those days that you think will go one way and then it blindsides you and turns into a completely different day than you expected? Well that was my Thursday. It started out with Timmy crying from pain in his tooth. Well, he had been complaining but we thought it was no big deal because he was just at the Dentist for his check up but he was really crying so I made an emergency appt. Couldn't get in until 4pm but when we did the Dr. said if he had gone any longer he would have had to have a root canal - typical Timmy he must have a high pain tolerance along with his high tolerance to not do what his parents ask. So they set him up to have a filling and he is squeezing us in between patients so we have to wait and Timmy is just lying back in the chair watching tv with this weird clown nose thing on his face for the laughing gas. I brought a book (thank goodness) so I am reading and everything is peaceful when all of a sudden I hear this "MY FACE FEELS LIKE RUBBER". Now for those of you that know my older son you know he is unusually loud plus with headphones on he couldn't hear himself so he was extra loud. So I jump and pratically drop my book and then I hear all this laughing and the rest of the staff start coming out of their offices to look at who made this unusually loud statement. One hygenist is laughing so hard she is crying. Glad my offspring could entertain them! Timmy never ceases to amaze me.

Then while the Dr. is doing the procedure he gets all chatty and starts rehashing old teenage stories involving my husband and a mutual friend (yes our Dentist is an old friend of my husband's) which is really strange in itself because I have been going to him for over 5 years and he has never been this chatty (think he borrowed some of Timmy's laughing gas). So it's just a weird moment hearing old drinking stories of my husband (which is so NOT like him now and weird in itself) from the Dentist that is a "professional" and working on my son. I guess he just wanted to go down memory lane at that particular moment.

So it all ended well and Timmy is doing great and I recovered from my 2 1/2 hour Dentist trip! :-)

A Laborious Labor Day trip

So we couldn't decide what to do for Labor day but we wanted to get away so Saturday morning we loaded up the van and headed up to Sonora, CA. I LOVE that area, all the trees and hills. His cousin opened up another carpet store up there and Matt's parents and other relatives were there so we thought it would be fun. It was fun until Saturday afternoon when Tyler got stung by a wasp (I think that is his 4th time and that is why he is holding his hand funny in the picture). But then he got to go bowling for the first time with his cousins and he was back to having fun again. Then Sunday, we headed up to Tahoe. Timmy had been sick earlier in the week (stomach flu) and I guess it got passed to Tyler because no sooner had we been on the road for 15 minutes, he says he has to throw up and finishes his sentence by throwing up all over himself, his car seat, the car etc. It was a nice shade of red - thanks Matt for giving him red Gatorade that morning! Anyway, Matt said I freaked out, I think I took charge of the stituation and we got him cleaned up at a gas station. For the 2nd round of throwing up I was prepared and caught it all in a cooler that had a bag in it (I thought that was great Mom thinking). So the poor little kid is passed out for the rest of the time until we get to Sand harbor. He then turns into a happy little kid at the beach and we are glad he can enjoy himself playing in the water and catching crawdads. On the way back to the car, while walking in the sand, he says - Mom I found a dollar! He picks up this "dollar" and it turns out to be $10.00! (One of the benefits of being so close to the ground is being able to see treasure like this). No one else was around so I figured - good for Tyler he can keep it. He tells me - I'm the luckiest kid in the world! So cute! Then we head to Reno and stay at Circus Circus where later that night at the arcade he plays one of the games where you can earn tickets and hits 500 tickets. He is in little kid heaven and get to buy all the kid junk he wants. So the poor little guy had and up and down holiday and so did his parents (it took us 7 hours to get home on Monday - my husband's birthday in fact so I own him one)!

The wait game

Today I had a Dr. visit to check out a growth on my back. She decided to do a biopsy since I already had Melanoma once. Hard to believe that almost a year ago to date I had surgery to remove Melenoma from my arm. As I am sitting in the Dr's office (waiting!), I think - wow what if I get that phone call again and am told I have Melenoma (again!)? It was such a surreal moment before and I wonder if I would feel the same way or just be like okay well here we go again with another surgery. Now a year later, I have a 4 inch scar on my arm as a reminder (even though I am really glad it healed up really nice) of what I went rhough and I am wondering if more scars will be added. The Dr. said it could take at least 4 weeks for the results of the biopsy.

On a lighter note - the Dr. reminded me of Professor Trelawny from Harry Potter. She was thin, short with red hair and old with these big round eyes and round glasses. Wonder if she can predict what the results will be? :-)

I finished my latest knitting creation - a frilly shrug! It was fun to make and I used a free pattern from Knitting Arts and some yummy variegated pink yarn. It took me a while to do since I used smaller needles. I thought I would never get the body of it done. The ruffles part was fun to do and I like how it turned out. It doesn't go all the way across my chest like the original did in the store so I think I adjusted it too much made it smaller than it was supposed to be. I think it still works though. I rarely am happy with a finished project and usually will pull it all out and start over or do something else but this one worked the first time.