I'm stuck home again with sick children. Its ok, i dont mind being at home, i'm a homebody, but I do feel bad for the kids... they've been sick constantly, and so we have not left the house much in the last month. I hate to be one of those moms who takes their kids everywhere when they are at the peak of their bugs, hacking and snotting all over the place.
Once again, they are sick with colds... and last night the vaporizers once again came out of their boxes to sleep in the house with the kids. Each kid has one, thank goodness! However, Jadon's has been used so much in the last year, that we discovered mold growing on his windowsill. So, in the effort of trying to be proactive against any more mold, I've been spraying vinegar around all the windows in the house every friday afternoon. And, in an effort to try to control the spread of more germs, which is pretty impossible when you have young kids i've found, especially when one of them goes to preschool, and the other one sticks everything in her mouth.... i've been wiping down all door handles, locks, light switches, fridge door handle, remote controls, faucet handles, computer keyboards and mouses, stairway railing, and my cellphone, with bleach every friday afternoon. And, in an effort to revive my poor houseplants, i've been tending to them each friday afternoon as well.
Well, to try to make this post less depressing.... i have a document on my computer where I type out any adorable things that the kids say... or, just Jadon at this point since Avery really cant say much. And I was reading them this morning... so funny! Here's a few more... I know i've posted some before, but I cant remember what ones so you might have to read them again:
• If God wants me and you to go outside while avery’s napping, then that’s what we should do.
• “Dear Daddy i love you so much and this world is made out of computers”
• I’m going to clap my hands really fast- like catching a fruit fly
• When I get 40 10 (age) I can be a conductor
• When I turn 7 I’ll be a mom
And, one that he says quite often "cleanup on aisle 64!" This is said while playing grocery store.... its a really really really big store..... ;)
Monday, January 31, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The boys
I know you're all wondering how we're doing in the poo potty training process. I'm happy to report, that on the evening of my last post, he FINALLY pooped in the potty. It had been a good 3 days since his last movement, and he was miserable. It didnt happen without a fight though. Over the whole weekend, we probably spent more than 3 hours sitting in the bathroom with Jadon, trying to convince him to go, and he WOULD. NOT. GO.
So, as horrible as it sounds, we basically had to scare the poop out of him to get him to go. We told him that he was going to have to have a suppository if he didnt go....... You didnt think that would get him to go, did you??? Of course not!!! But, when I told him I was leaving right that second to go to the store to get some suppositories, out came the poo! Two times! I know its not the best way to handle potty training, at least according to all the books and doctors, but every kid is different, and so far its the only thing that we could do to get him to go.
So, the next day, he was fine most of the day, then afternoon Jadon started getting lethargic again, I kept asking if he wanted to go in and go poo, and of course I got a "no." After dinner, Derek was going to sit down and play with Jadon, but Jadon was dancing around again like he had to poop, so Derek asked him if he wanted to go sit on the potty and try pooping before they played, and he said "yeah" and practically ran to the bathroom, and immediately pooped!
And basically the same thing happened last night as well. He will not initiate going, but if we make him go in and do it, then he's going... at least thats how its been the last 2 nights. So, I hope that if we can just keep him doing this, he'll eventually get used to it and will be comfortable going alone and doing it on his will. Please keep praying for him! We are SOOO proud of him for the progress he's made so far!
Well, Derek doesn't have whooping cough, but his cough has not gotten any better, and now he's having pains in his chest and abdomen everytime he coughs. Today he was a little short of breath than normal, and since he has asthma, he decided to go to urgent care. They took an xray, and saw that it looked like fluid was beginning to accumulate in his lungs... and it was looking like he could possibly get phneumonia, and its pretty certain he has bronchitis.... so, he's been given antibiotics, and was told to take 4 ibuprofin and 2 tylenol together to help with the pain. So, hopefully the antibiotics will do the trick!
I'm looking forward to getting some sleep again! ;) of course, that also depends on Avery. Last night she woke up at midnight and didnt go back to sleep until 2am... and then started crying again after 20 minutes, but went back to sleep a short time later. I'm exhausted. The lack of sleep over the last month is starting to get to me, and i've had a migraine and/or headache off an on for the last 2 weeks. Its amazing how not sleeping well affects so much of your life.
So, as horrible as it sounds, we basically had to scare the poop out of him to get him to go. We told him that he was going to have to have a suppository if he didnt go....... You didnt think that would get him to go, did you??? Of course not!!! But, when I told him I was leaving right that second to go to the store to get some suppositories, out came the poo! Two times! I know its not the best way to handle potty training, at least according to all the books and doctors, but every kid is different, and so far its the only thing that we could do to get him to go.
So, the next day, he was fine most of the day, then afternoon Jadon started getting lethargic again, I kept asking if he wanted to go in and go poo, and of course I got a "no." After dinner, Derek was going to sit down and play with Jadon, but Jadon was dancing around again like he had to poop, so Derek asked him if he wanted to go sit on the potty and try pooping before they played, and he said "yeah" and practically ran to the bathroom, and immediately pooped!
And basically the same thing happened last night as well. He will not initiate going, but if we make him go in and do it, then he's going... at least thats how its been the last 2 nights. So, I hope that if we can just keep him doing this, he'll eventually get used to it and will be comfortable going alone and doing it on his will. Please keep praying for him! We are SOOO proud of him for the progress he's made so far!
Well, Derek doesn't have whooping cough, but his cough has not gotten any better, and now he's having pains in his chest and abdomen everytime he coughs. Today he was a little short of breath than normal, and since he has asthma, he decided to go to urgent care. They took an xray, and saw that it looked like fluid was beginning to accumulate in his lungs... and it was looking like he could possibly get phneumonia, and its pretty certain he has bronchitis.... so, he's been given antibiotics, and was told to take 4 ibuprofin and 2 tylenol together to help with the pain. So, hopefully the antibiotics will do the trick!
I'm looking forward to getting some sleep again! ;) of course, that also depends on Avery. Last night she woke up at midnight and didnt go back to sleep until 2am... and then started crying again after 20 minutes, but went back to sleep a short time later. I'm exhausted. The lack of sleep over the last month is starting to get to me, and i've had a migraine and/or headache off an on for the last 2 weeks. Its amazing how not sleeping well affects so much of your life.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Why?????
In case anyone's wondering, the poop training is not going well. In fact, its going pretty much exactly like the last time. Jadon has a really normal schedule with his bowel movements, once a day. It has now been 2 days, and we are beginning the 3rd day of him not going. Derek sat with him in the bathroom for at least 2 hours total yesterday trying to convince him to go, but he won't do it. And he's starting to get lethargic and just wants to lay around... obviously! Who wants to be up and running around when you've got to go so bad but are trying so hard to keep it in!
At this point, we really have no idea what to do! It doesnt matter what we say to him... we tell him all the people in his life poop in the potty- gramma's, grampa's, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends from preschool, his teachers, etc. He doesn't care. We tell him that we would be soooooooooo proud if he went. We tell him that his grandparents would be soooooooooo proud if he went. We tell him that his teachers would be sooooooooo proud if he went. But, he does not care. We've tried ultimatums, like Jadon, if you poop in the potty then we can go and do this or that. He doesn't care. He's aware that if nothing else works he may end up with a suppository. He doesn't care. He says he wants to go, but he's scared. We are struggling to understand why he is SO scared! During the summer, he had those 3 days where he went poop all by himself just fine on the potty, then on day 4 he was suddenly afraid again. Nothing changed on day 3 to make him worry again on day 4!!!
The only advice we got from the pediatrician was to give him miralax, so then he'll pretty much have no choice but to go. We tried that last time, but he's stubborn, and that did not make him go. So we really are at a complete loss and have no idea what to do.
This is so emotionally draining.
At this point, we really have no idea what to do! It doesnt matter what we say to him... we tell him all the people in his life poop in the potty- gramma's, grampa's, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends from preschool, his teachers, etc. He doesn't care. We tell him that we would be soooooooooo proud if he went. We tell him that his grandparents would be soooooooooo proud if he went. We tell him that his teachers would be sooooooooo proud if he went. But, he does not care. We've tried ultimatums, like Jadon, if you poop in the potty then we can go and do this or that. He doesn't care. He's aware that if nothing else works he may end up with a suppository. He doesn't care. He says he wants to go, but he's scared. We are struggling to understand why he is SO scared! During the summer, he had those 3 days where he went poop all by himself just fine on the potty, then on day 4 he was suddenly afraid again. Nothing changed on day 3 to make him worry again on day 4!!!
The only advice we got from the pediatrician was to give him miralax, so then he'll pretty much have no choice but to go. We tried that last time, but he's stubborn, and that did not make him go. So we really are at a complete loss and have no idea what to do.
This is so emotionally draining.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Oh dear
We are down to 1 diaper for Jadon.... so if "things", *ahem*, progress like they do on a normal daily basis, we will be starting our poopy potty training tomorrow. He knows this, we've been counting down the diapers since we had 10 diapers left. He doesnt seem worried at all, and he knows whats going to happen after he uses the last diaper. So, keep us in your prayers in the coming days!!!
Derek went to the doctor yesterday.... he's had this awful cough for the last week+. I've been telling him to go get looked at for several days, and finally he decided he'd had enough. So yesterday he went, and he was less than impressed with his overall visit... waiting for an hour and then seeing the disconnected doctor for just 5 minutes. Whats with doctors? They make you feel like you're wasting their time.
Anyways, from the sounds of it, the doctor thought it was either bronchitis or whooping cough, and they tested him for whooping cough, but the results wont be in for a few days. Gave him an Rx for cough suppressant (that only works a little) and that was it.
Between Avery waking up so much at night lately, and Derek's middle of the night coughing fits... I was ready to pack up and go to a hotel at 3am last night. On top of that, the kids and I have colds again... ok, i cant complain too much, its really not much of a "cold"... more like just a constant runny nose, and the kids have been coughing a little at night. If I wasnt dreaming of summertime already, I certainly am now!
The good news, I got a drink at Starbucks this morning!!!!! :) I never go there, I refuse to waste my money on a $5 coffee. So, the only time I go is when I have a gift card... Derek got one at a christmas party we went to last month, and since he doesnt drink coffee, he gave it to me. :) I got what I always get when I go there- a carmel frappachino. 16 ounces of heaven topped with a load of whipped topping and drizzled with carmel syrup. It literally made my morning! Silly, I know, but i was literally smiling as I was walking into a store after buying it (and drinking 3/4 of it in 10 minutes.) I look forward to my next one... in a year or two.... ;)
Derek went to the doctor yesterday.... he's had this awful cough for the last week+. I've been telling him to go get looked at for several days, and finally he decided he'd had enough. So yesterday he went, and he was less than impressed with his overall visit... waiting for an hour and then seeing the disconnected doctor for just 5 minutes. Whats with doctors? They make you feel like you're wasting their time.
Anyways, from the sounds of it, the doctor thought it was either bronchitis or whooping cough, and they tested him for whooping cough, but the results wont be in for a few days. Gave him an Rx for cough suppressant (that only works a little) and that was it.
Between Avery waking up so much at night lately, and Derek's middle of the night coughing fits... I was ready to pack up and go to a hotel at 3am last night. On top of that, the kids and I have colds again... ok, i cant complain too much, its really not much of a "cold"... more like just a constant runny nose, and the kids have been coughing a little at night. If I wasnt dreaming of summertime already, I certainly am now!
The good news, I got a drink at Starbucks this morning!!!!! :) I never go there, I refuse to waste my money on a $5 coffee. So, the only time I go is when I have a gift card... Derek got one at a christmas party we went to last month, and since he doesnt drink coffee, he gave it to me. :) I got what I always get when I go there- a carmel frappachino. 16 ounces of heaven topped with a load of whipped topping and drizzled with carmel syrup. It literally made my morning! Silly, I know, but i was literally smiling as I was walking into a store after buying it (and drinking 3/4 of it in 10 minutes.) I look forward to my next one... in a year or two.... ;)
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Its that time of year....
...When the holiday season is over, and there's nothing to look forward to for awhile (other than Jadon's birthday), and I start getting really sick of the gray, wet Oregon weather. I'm sick of hearing about the rest of the U.S. getting dumped on with snow, while we sit in 50-60 degree weather getting poured down rain on. It seems impossible for us to get snow around here... when the weather finally gets cold enough, the precipitation is not there... then it warms up, and the rain pours on us. Frustrating! Very Very frustrating!
Anyways, its that time of year when I start dreaming about the spring and summer months, longing for warmer and longer days, and being able to take the kids outside. Today while Avery was napping, and Derek was working on the budget, Jadon and I took a nice little walk around the neighborhood in the rain and our rainboots, stomping in puddles, and just enjoying being together and outside. The other day, we were in the car and it was of course raining, and Jadon says "its never going to be sunny again." I know how he feels....both my kids LOVE the outdoors, and its apparent that Jadon loves the sunshine just as much as his parents do.
So, this time of year, I always start brainstorming how I want our spring/summer to be... and getting ideas of what kinds of things I would like to do as a family- for example, go to the zoo, have picnics, etc. I also start to get antsy with the house, and want to start doing home improvement inside and out. I've already got a list going in my head of the things that I would like to get done with regards to home improvement in the warmer months. Of course, the indoor stuff can happen at any time. :)
To switch the topic, Avery is feeling much better, and its totally obvious!!! Thank goodness for Amoxocylin (sp?) She is a much happier kid, and doesnt spend all day wanting me to hold her and crying when i cant hold her. In fact, she spends most of her day NOT hanging on me again. Its nice to see her back to her happy self (mostly happy....) ;) She has been sleeping HORRIBLY though. I think I may have mentioned it in a recent previous post. For most of this week, she was waking up at 11:30pm (just about the time when my head hits my pillow...and before I have time to fall asleep.) Then, she wont go back to sleep until 2am. Then, we're up again for the day between 6:15am and 7:30am. Thankfully last night she slept for most of the night though...woke up at 9pm-ish, and again at 1:30am, but luckily after going in to comfort her and help her find her binky again, she went back to sleep. It was the best nights sleep i've had in a few weeks! Although i'm so behind on sleep now that it will take a little time to catch up again.
She goes back in a week to have her ear looked at again. The doctor mentioned that she could hardly see inside Avery's ear because it was really waxy, and suggested we try dewaxing her ears with Debrox so she would be able to see in there better. She apparently inherited her daddy's waxy ears. ew.
Jadon's back in preschool again after the break, and he is SO happy to be back! He asks me every morning if he gets to go to preschool. He talks about his little friend Elijah all the time, and said that he likes him because "he laughs at me all the time." Jadon must think he's just little mr. funny pants... he just LOVES for people to laugh at him, and it just eggs him on. (he gets that from his daddy also.) This is the reason I quit laughing at Derek when he cracks a joke... it just eggs him on. Now I just roll my eyes at him. ;)
In the world of horticulture, I'm having a heck of a time with my house plants this winter! I'm not sure what the deal is.... I'm not sure if I am over watering them, or underwatering them... I feel like I water them alot, and when I start to think that i am overwatering them, and feel the soil, its bone dry. Derek says i'm just overthinking it too much now. I used to have the greenest thumb, and everything would grow beautifully for me. I'm getting frustrated now and i'm not sure what to do. Any tips??????
Yet, on the other hand, I noticed today that my outdoor hydrangea's are already starting to get new leaves on them....??? what in the world is going on???
I'll leave you with this picture- We had a cold snap a couple weeks ago (of course, no snow), and I noticed the cats water dish. Very very strange.... i'm not sure how in the world it froze like this, there was nothing dripping down on it, to my knowledge. I dont know if you can enlarge the picture or not, but its really neat looking inside.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Need your prayers!!!
I'll start this post off with 2 recent pictures of the kids.
Jadon- he doesnt want his picture even taken, but at the same time, he doesnt like it when Avery gets her picture taken (cuz then she is getting attention), so this is one of those instances. I was taking Avery's picture, and he wanted the attention, so he asked me to take his picture, but then he wouldnt cooperate, and this is the best I got of him.... little stinker!
The victim in an episode of CSI: Albany
We're going to be working with Jadon again on pooping in the toilet. We've been telling him for the last couple months that when the last box of diapers we got for him ran out, we weren't buying anymore and that he was going to start pooping in the potty. Its taken forever for him to get through the box, since he only uses it for his #2's. But, alas, we are almost done with them.... there's only like 7 diapers left...so approximately 1 week's worth of diapers! Yikes!!! I'm scared! Remembering the last time we were potty training... of course at that point he wasnt pee trained or night time trained yet either.
He is doing extremely well with day time pottying and hasnt had any accidents in a really long time, and incredibly good with nightime pottying too! He hasnt had wet sheets for a couple weeks now!
You'd think that he'd be wanting to poop in the potty too, but he is still scared. You'd think that after seeing all his friends in preschool using the potty, he'd also want to ditch the diapers and poop in the potty. But, no. When he announces that he has to poop, we always offer for him to use the potty, but he insists on a diaper. He pretty much does it all by himself... puts the diaper on himself (its a pullup), goes in the bathroom and does his business... the only thing missing is sitting on the toilet. So, i'm still really worried about how things are going to go after the diapers are gone.
Avery's no where near ready to potty train. Although it would be nice if she was! She gets a rash on her tushie so easily if we dont change her poopy diapers right away. A few weeks ago, she had an ugly rash on her bottom, thanks to the mandarin oranges that she consumed, so one evening after changing her poopy diaper, I let her go bottomless for a little bit. She had only had the diaper off for a few minutes, and she already peed on the floor. Then she pooped on the floor right after that. Then peed again, and pooped again... all within a very short period of time (like 15 minutes.) It felt like we had a puppy or something! Pretty gross!!!
In case anyones wondering, we're going to be cleaning our carpets in the near future! ;)
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Avery's 15 month appt.
Was today, and it couldnt have come at a better time. She has been seriously cranky and really out of sorts the last couple days.... understandable since she's still recovering from the nasty cold, and she's getting her molars.... on top of that, she's got an ear infection. Her first one... and the first one between both my kids. Jadon's never had one.
So, its been a rough road with her lately!
In 3 months, she barely gained anything.... not even a pound. Today she weighed 19lbs 15.5oz ALMOST 20 pounds, but just not quite. So, she's now in the 10th percentile for weight. She started out life in the 50th, then jumped to the 75th, and from there on its slowed some, and really alot this time! But, her height is incredible in the 90th percentile, so, big surprise, she's tall and skinny, although she doesnt look that skinny. The doc said that her weight just couldnt keep up with her dramatic height increase. Not to mention, she only eats like 5 foods.
Food.... well, theres not much we can do at this point, but keep offering her what we are eating, but also include something that we know she will like. She's too young to say "if you dont eat what is served to you, then you dont get anything else"... so we'll just keep on doing what we're doing. Milk on the other hand, is something we really need to try to get her to drink. We've tried everything, so i dont know what else to do for that! Could get interesting!
So, lucky girl, got out of shots today since she's got an ear infection, but we go back in a couple weeks to get rechecked, and she'll have her vaccinations done then.
So, its been a rough road with her lately!
In 3 months, she barely gained anything.... not even a pound. Today she weighed 19lbs 15.5oz ALMOST 20 pounds, but just not quite. So, she's now in the 10th percentile for weight. She started out life in the 50th, then jumped to the 75th, and from there on its slowed some, and really alot this time! But, her height is incredible in the 90th percentile, so, big surprise, she's tall and skinny, although she doesnt look that skinny. The doc said that her weight just couldnt keep up with her dramatic height increase. Not to mention, she only eats like 5 foods.
Food.... well, theres not much we can do at this point, but keep offering her what we are eating, but also include something that we know she will like. She's too young to say "if you dont eat what is served to you, then you dont get anything else"... so we'll just keep on doing what we're doing. Milk on the other hand, is something we really need to try to get her to drink. We've tried everything, so i dont know what else to do for that! Could get interesting!
So, lucky girl, got out of shots today since she's got an ear infection, but we go back in a couple weeks to get rechecked, and she'll have her vaccinations done then.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Art
Well aren't you lucky! My second post of the day!!
So, Jadon comes home from preschool almost every day with art projects that he did in school, and as his mommy, I LOVE all of them! Of course, and unfortunately, I cant keep all his projects, but I do select a few of my favorites to save. The others I have taken pictures of, and thought i'd auction them off to family (read Gramma's). Not sure if anyone wants them, but I am having a really hard time throwing them away.... like, they are sitting upstairs on the desk just waiting to be thrown out, but I cant bring myself to do it. So, i've taken pictures of them all, and thought i'd see if anyone wants any of them.
Auction item #4- Picasso Fence Pumpkin
This one may have been turned into an ornament also, but I cant remember for certain?Apple with shiny paint... this one mightbe in my "keep" pile, but i cant remember
Popcorn corn... this one actually DID make it to the garbage can, but very reluctantly. :(
And here's the one he brought home this past thursday. We noticed that he made a female snowman..... of course, when I asked him what the circles were on the snowman's torso, he said they were buttons. Hmm, i've never had a sweater button that way....but then again, i've never seen such lopsided boobs either! oh, and its not up for grabs either... at least not yet. I keep all his projects hung up for our viewing pleasure for at least a couple months.
And finally.... Jadon has never had a whole lot of interest in drawing objects.... he's always just scribbled for a minute, then decided he was done drawing. He NEVER wants our help with drawing things, or trying to help him write his name. He's never even had interest in writing any letters. So, the other day I was cleaning the kitchen, and he was drawing with Avery's doodle pro (remember, I said we were going to get her it for christmas...) and he says to me that he was drawing a picture of Avery. Then after a few seconds he said "Look mommy, I drew Avery." With my hands wet and soapy, and he being all the way across the room, I asked him to hold it up so I could see it. I just about fell over when I saw this picture that actually resembles a bit of a human form! It (Avery) has a head, eyes, mouth, body and legs! He actually drew something! I cant tell you how proud we were of his drawing! Funny how even just the smallest things that your kids do can make you feel so much pride for them!
And here he is- my budding little artist ;)
He's been quite testy lately.... really pushing buttons, pushing limits, showing his frustrations... He got a timeout this morning because he, Avery and I were playing a game, and he was doing a really good job taking turns with Avery, but then after a bit Avery decided to plop down in my lap instead of take her turn to play... Jadon got mad, and threw the toy at me. Luckily if we follow through with our discipline, he seems to catch on pretty quickly and starts obeying. Consistency and following through with our punishments is crucial!
I've also noticed a bit of some jealousy going on with the kids. Avery's had alot of cuddles this week since she's been sick, and has been wanting to be held and cuddled more than normal lately... Of course, whenever she's in my lap, Jadon wants to be in my lap too. And vice versa... if he is in my lap, she starts having a cow. So, its quite frustrating.
Its really fun to see how they've evolved into their brother/sister roles though.... Jadon treats her... well, like a little sister- picking on her, tormenting her, pushing her and taking her toys. And she follows him around, imitating his every move, trying to do everything he does. Its funny because for the first 6 months after Avery was born, he pretty much kept his distance from her. I'm glad that he has finally and fully adjusted to having a little sister.
And, because I dont want to end this post on a negative note, because Jadon really does have good, sweet moments, but being that he's 3.5 almost 4, they are just few and far between... someday my sweet little man will return to us........
On one of his particularly good days, a couple weeks ago, I had to go to the pharmacy and pick up some Rx's. I never go get our Rx's, because the kids want to touch everything, and I dont dare let Avery down because she'd have the place torn apart in seconds! So I make Derek go after he gets off of work. (Too bad we dont get our Rx's filled at Walmart or somewhere that has shopping carts... i'd just throw the kids in that, it would be so much easier!) So the other day, it was right before the holiday weekend, and the pharmacy would be closed, and we needed our prescriptions, so I had no choice but to go. I made it clear to Jadon that he was not to touch anything. I dont make this request of him very often, because I know its tough and boring for him to be somewhere and not be able to touch things that look interesting. So on this day at the pharmacy, one of the prescriptions was not ready, so we ended up waiting for 15 minutes or so. Jadon was SO good, he did not leave my side, he did not touch one thing, he did not whine or complain once! I was SOOO proud of him!!
And earlier this week when I went to the grocery store by myself, he told me the next day "Mommy, the next time you go to the grocery store, you need to take me and avery with you, because I missed you." And from what Derek says, it sounds like he really did miss me... and Avery did too. The kids were already in bed when I got home, but Jadon was sitting up in bed waiting for me, and Avery started throwing a FIT when I went in to kiss her goodnight. She was thoroughly distraught, so eventually I went in to hold her for a couple minutes.... that did the trick, she just wanted a mommy cuddle before bed. That was one of those nights when the struggles and strife of motherhood are so totally worth it!
So, Jadon comes home from preschool almost every day with art projects that he did in school, and as his mommy, I LOVE all of them! Of course, and unfortunately, I cant keep all his projects, but I do select a few of my favorites to save. The others I have taken pictures of, and thought i'd auction them off to family (read Gramma's). Not sure if anyone wants them, but I am having a really hard time throwing them away.... like, they are sitting upstairs on the desk just waiting to be thrown out, but I cant bring myself to do it. So, i've taken pictures of them all, and thought i'd see if anyone wants any of them.
Auction item #1- Picasso Thanksgiving Turkey
Auction Item #2 and #3- Glitter Bell or Rudolph
Auction item #4- Picasso Fence Pumpkin
Sorry, this next one isnt up for grabs.... I tied a bow to the top and turned it into a christmas ornament, but thought id share it with you anyways.
This one may have been turned into an ornament also, but I cant remember for certain?Apple with shiny paint... this one mightbe in my "keep" pile, but i cant remember
Item #5- button corn- i dont think this one is in my "keep" pile, but i'd have to double check that.
Popcorn corn... this one actually DID make it to the garbage can, but very reluctantly. :(
And here's the one he brought home this past thursday. We noticed that he made a female snowman..... of course, when I asked him what the circles were on the snowman's torso, he said they were buttons. Hmm, i've never had a sweater button that way....but then again, i've never seen such lopsided boobs either! oh, and its not up for grabs either... at least not yet. I keep all his projects hung up for our viewing pleasure for at least a couple months.
And finally.... Jadon has never had a whole lot of interest in drawing objects.... he's always just scribbled for a minute, then decided he was done drawing. He NEVER wants our help with drawing things, or trying to help him write his name. He's never even had interest in writing any letters. So, the other day I was cleaning the kitchen, and he was drawing with Avery's doodle pro (remember, I said we were going to get her it for christmas...) and he says to me that he was drawing a picture of Avery. Then after a few seconds he said "Look mommy, I drew Avery." With my hands wet and soapy, and he being all the way across the room, I asked him to hold it up so I could see it. I just about fell over when I saw this picture that actually resembles a bit of a human form! It (Avery) has a head, eyes, mouth, body and legs! He actually drew something! I cant tell you how proud we were of his drawing! Funny how even just the smallest things that your kids do can make you feel so much pride for them!
And here he is- my budding little artist ;)
He's been quite testy lately.... really pushing buttons, pushing limits, showing his frustrations... He got a timeout this morning because he, Avery and I were playing a game, and he was doing a really good job taking turns with Avery, but then after a bit Avery decided to plop down in my lap instead of take her turn to play... Jadon got mad, and threw the toy at me. Luckily if we follow through with our discipline, he seems to catch on pretty quickly and starts obeying. Consistency and following through with our punishments is crucial!
I've also noticed a bit of some jealousy going on with the kids. Avery's had alot of cuddles this week since she's been sick, and has been wanting to be held and cuddled more than normal lately... Of course, whenever she's in my lap, Jadon wants to be in my lap too. And vice versa... if he is in my lap, she starts having a cow. So, its quite frustrating.
Its really fun to see how they've evolved into their brother/sister roles though.... Jadon treats her... well, like a little sister- picking on her, tormenting her, pushing her and taking her toys. And she follows him around, imitating his every move, trying to do everything he does. Its funny because for the first 6 months after Avery was born, he pretty much kept his distance from her. I'm glad that he has finally and fully adjusted to having a little sister.
And, because I dont want to end this post on a negative note, because Jadon really does have good, sweet moments, but being that he's 3.5 almost 4, they are just few and far between... someday my sweet little man will return to us........
On one of his particularly good days, a couple weeks ago, I had to go to the pharmacy and pick up some Rx's. I never go get our Rx's, because the kids want to touch everything, and I dont dare let Avery down because she'd have the place torn apart in seconds! So I make Derek go after he gets off of work. (Too bad we dont get our Rx's filled at Walmart or somewhere that has shopping carts... i'd just throw the kids in that, it would be so much easier!) So the other day, it was right before the holiday weekend, and the pharmacy would be closed, and we needed our prescriptions, so I had no choice but to go. I made it clear to Jadon that he was not to touch anything. I dont make this request of him very often, because I know its tough and boring for him to be somewhere and not be able to touch things that look interesting. So on this day at the pharmacy, one of the prescriptions was not ready, so we ended up waiting for 15 minutes or so. Jadon was SO good, he did not leave my side, he did not touch one thing, he did not whine or complain once! I was SOOO proud of him!!
And earlier this week when I went to the grocery store by myself, he told me the next day "Mommy, the next time you go to the grocery store, you need to take me and avery with you, because I missed you." And from what Derek says, it sounds like he really did miss me... and Avery did too. The kids were already in bed when I got home, but Jadon was sitting up in bed waiting for me, and Avery started throwing a FIT when I went in to kiss her goodnight. She was thoroughly distraught, so eventually I went in to hold her for a couple minutes.... that did the trick, she just wanted a mommy cuddle before bed. That was one of those nights when the struggles and strife of motherhood are so totally worth it!
An unpleasant week!
I hate to be a complainer, no one likes a complainer, but this week was just stinky.
Friday afternoon we finally got our new heater... well, new motor for our heater anyways. Monday and Tuesday were FREEZING cold, and I dont know if temps ever got out of freezing on tuesday. Luckily for us, the temps went up for the rest of the week. Its amazing what a 10 degree change outside can do for the temperature inside. Tuesday it took the whole day to warm the house up to 70 degrees. Considering we started at 55 degrees at 7am, and by 10pm it was finally 70 (with the help of the oven being on during dinner) the temperature rose in the house by approximately a degree an hour.
Its good to finally have our heater again, and i'll never take it for granted!
On top of losing our heater, Jadon and I started the week finishing our colds, and Avery's just got worse. She slept terribly all week, taking a really short nap on most of the days, and waking up every hour at night. Yes, every hour from 8pm to 1-2am. And on top of that, she's started waking up in the morning earlier- 5:45am-6am.
Tuesday night, I took off and went to the grocery store after dinner (by myself!!!!!! peace!!!) because we were extremely low on food. I figured a tuesday night would be pretty quiet at the grocery store, but apparently it was college night because all the college kids were there.... it was busier than the day before thanksgiving! On top of that, they were out of everything, and nothing was restocked. Then i get to the check out, and for those that dont know, at Winco you do your own bagging. They were out of paper bags, so my almost $200 grocery load had to all go in small, wimpy plastic bags that kept ripping. It couldnt have been a more frustrating trip.
Jadon finally got to go back to preschool on thursday, and he was so excited! We think he was so excited that he was having a hard time sleeping the night before, because he woke up twice on wednesday night. The first time he wanted a drink of water, and the second time he just wanted to talk. ;)
We were stuck home all week long because of our colds. I didnt want to go anywhere with Avery sneezing and snotting all over everyone and everything. But Friday morning I decided we HAD to get out, even if just for a bit, so we went on a quick trip to Target, then to my friends store because I had 10 tutu's to drop off.
So, if you're counting my outtings, thats- 1) grocery store 2) two minute drive to preschool and back 3) target and friends store. About 3 hours outside the house.
So, needless to say, I was a very tired, cranky mommy this week. Among many other little annoyances. I dont blame anyone though, its no one's fault, its just how the week went. It just seemed like the world was against us.
Avery's getting a couple molars in, so on top of her nasty cold, she's been bothered by her teeth too. Poor thing! :( She has been incredibly unpleasant all week!
But, on the bright side, it was a really good week for FHTM! :) And at my friends store, we're doing custom orders on tutu's now, and I already have a request for one! Don't forget to spread the word! Anyone who has a little girl in their life, whether daughter, sister, cousin, niece, friend, granddaughter, etc, might be interested in a tutu, so make sure you get the word out to everyone! And they are great for any kind of event- pictures, playtime, costumes, parties, weddings, holidays, gifts!
Friday afternoon we finally got our new heater... well, new motor for our heater anyways. Monday and Tuesday were FREEZING cold, and I dont know if temps ever got out of freezing on tuesday. Luckily for us, the temps went up for the rest of the week. Its amazing what a 10 degree change outside can do for the temperature inside. Tuesday it took the whole day to warm the house up to 70 degrees. Considering we started at 55 degrees at 7am, and by 10pm it was finally 70 (with the help of the oven being on during dinner) the temperature rose in the house by approximately a degree an hour.
Its good to finally have our heater again, and i'll never take it for granted!
On top of losing our heater, Jadon and I started the week finishing our colds, and Avery's just got worse. She slept terribly all week, taking a really short nap on most of the days, and waking up every hour at night. Yes, every hour from 8pm to 1-2am. And on top of that, she's started waking up in the morning earlier- 5:45am-6am.
Tuesday night, I took off and went to the grocery store after dinner (by myself!!!!!! peace!!!) because we were extremely low on food. I figured a tuesday night would be pretty quiet at the grocery store, but apparently it was college night because all the college kids were there.... it was busier than the day before thanksgiving! On top of that, they were out of everything, and nothing was restocked. Then i get to the check out, and for those that dont know, at Winco you do your own bagging. They were out of paper bags, so my almost $200 grocery load had to all go in small, wimpy plastic bags that kept ripping. It couldnt have been a more frustrating trip.
Jadon finally got to go back to preschool on thursday, and he was so excited! We think he was so excited that he was having a hard time sleeping the night before, because he woke up twice on wednesday night. The first time he wanted a drink of water, and the second time he just wanted to talk. ;)
We were stuck home all week long because of our colds. I didnt want to go anywhere with Avery sneezing and snotting all over everyone and everything. But Friday morning I decided we HAD to get out, even if just for a bit, so we went on a quick trip to Target, then to my friends store because I had 10 tutu's to drop off.
So, if you're counting my outtings, thats- 1) grocery store 2) two minute drive to preschool and back 3) target and friends store. About 3 hours outside the house.
So, needless to say, I was a very tired, cranky mommy this week. Among many other little annoyances. I dont blame anyone though, its no one's fault, its just how the week went. It just seemed like the world was against us.
Avery's getting a couple molars in, so on top of her nasty cold, she's been bothered by her teeth too. Poor thing! :( She has been incredibly unpleasant all week!
But, on the bright side, it was a really good week for FHTM! :) And at my friends store, we're doing custom orders on tutu's now, and I already have a request for one! Don't forget to spread the word! Anyone who has a little girl in their life, whether daughter, sister, cousin, niece, friend, granddaughter, etc, might be interested in a tutu, so make sure you get the word out to everyone! And they are great for any kind of event- pictures, playtime, costumes, parties, weddings, holidays, gifts!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Thinking about having kids???
I saw this on another blog and thought it was great!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anyone who's thinking about having kids,
Try this 11 step program first!
Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.
Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.
Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.
Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)
Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.
Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out...
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?
Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.
Time allowed for this - all morning.
Lesson 6
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.
Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.
Lesson 7
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.
Lesson 8
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.
You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.
Lesson 9
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.
Lesson 10
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.
Lesson 11
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anyone who's thinking about having kids,
Try this 11 step program first!
Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.
Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.
Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.
Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)
Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.
Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out...
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?
Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.
Time allowed for this - all morning.
Lesson 6
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.
Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.
Lesson 7
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.
Lesson 8
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.
You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.
Lesson 9
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.
Lesson 10
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.
Lesson 11
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
January's....
Must be something about the new year that things decide to break on us. You may recall last year right after new years, probably even the exact same day, our washing machine broke, and we had to have it fixed (there was a tiny baby mitten that clogged something or other if i remember correctly)... and a week later our water heater died, and we had to replace it with a new one.
Well, Sunday night, our heater died. So yesterday a guy came to look at it, and it appears as though the motor is shot and we have to get a new motor. It will take a few days for that to get taken care of, and wouldnt you know its been absolutely freezing here...20's at night, 30's during the day. So, we've been freezing our BUNS off! I woke up this morning and it was 55 in the house. We have a small space heater that does nothing to heat the house, and we are borrowing a loaner heater from the heater fixer company, but it takes a long time to heat the house up (like many hours.) The icing on the cake is that the kids and I have colds (Derek's already finished the cold.) Its been a nasty cold... the worst we've had in a while, and probably the worst Jadon's ever had. Its really taken its toll on both the kids. You can see just how much better mine and Derek's immune systems are than the kids'. So, I cant really leave the house to go somewhere warmer because the kids are sick and I dont want them sneezing and snotting all over everyone and everything. Bad start to the week!!
Jadon's missing his first day back to preschool, and it dawned on me, he was sick for most of his christmas break. Poor guy. I'm already looking forward to summer warmth and less illnesses!!!
Well, Sunday night, our heater died. So yesterday a guy came to look at it, and it appears as though the motor is shot and we have to get a new motor. It will take a few days for that to get taken care of, and wouldnt you know its been absolutely freezing here...20's at night, 30's during the day. So, we've been freezing our BUNS off! I woke up this morning and it was 55 in the house. We have a small space heater that does nothing to heat the house, and we are borrowing a loaner heater from the heater fixer company, but it takes a long time to heat the house up (like many hours.) The icing on the cake is that the kids and I have colds (Derek's already finished the cold.) Its been a nasty cold... the worst we've had in a while, and probably the worst Jadon's ever had. Its really taken its toll on both the kids. You can see just how much better mine and Derek's immune systems are than the kids'. So, I cant really leave the house to go somewhere warmer because the kids are sick and I dont want them sneezing and snotting all over everyone and everything. Bad start to the week!!
Jadon's missing his first day back to preschool, and it dawned on me, he was sick for most of his christmas break. Poor guy. I'm already looking forward to summer warmth and less illnesses!!!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Sugar and spice and everything nice....
I'm not sure thats what Avery is made of. She's my little handful... testing my patience daily with her temper, putting everything imaginable in her mouth and grossing me out all the time... plus, how can something thats made of sugar and spice and everything nice make such discusting messes in her diaper 5 times a day?????
In the last couple of months she has:
1. eaten a slug
2. licked the bottom of Jadon's shoe
3. played in the toilet
4. stuck the tip of Jadon's soap dispenser in her mouth... you know, the part where you push down with your germy hands to get the soap out....
among other things that are gross, but these 4 things take the cake.
Why does EVERYTHING have to go into her mouth? Funny how she will put anything in her mouth, but when it comes to eating meals, she turns her nose up at almost everything and wont bring it near her mouth.
She is sharp as a tack too! She has her 15 month checkup coming up next week, and in order to speed up the check in process, they mailed us the questionaire regarding her development. One of the questions asks "does your baby say 8 words besides mommy and daddy?" So we were trying to figure out all the things she says. She will repeat pretty much anything you say. But here's a list of things that she will say on her own: dada, mama, peekaboo, all done, bye bye, pee-yoo, oh no, uh oh, tickle, there it is, horray, stinky, hello, car. Thats what we came up with so far, and that is 14 words. After filling out the rest of the survey, you add up the totals and they are put onto a scale so you can see where baby needs improvement. Well, she's scored 100% on almost all of the categories.
But, dont be deceived by her cute little smile and big blue eyes!! She's got the temper of a ..... well, i dont know what, but she's got one heck of a temper!!! And she thrives on a very strict schedule, and if this schedule is thrown off.... BEWARE!!! I hope this temper eases up as she grows up!!!
Jadon was always such a laidback kind of guy at her age.... Derek an I marvel all the time at how two siblings can be so different- like day and night.
Regardless, we love them both so much!!!
In the last couple of months she has:
1. eaten a slug
2. licked the bottom of Jadon's shoe
3. played in the toilet
4. stuck the tip of Jadon's soap dispenser in her mouth... you know, the part where you push down with your germy hands to get the soap out....
among other things that are gross, but these 4 things take the cake.
Why does EVERYTHING have to go into her mouth? Funny how she will put anything in her mouth, but when it comes to eating meals, she turns her nose up at almost everything and wont bring it near her mouth.
She is sharp as a tack too! She has her 15 month checkup coming up next week, and in order to speed up the check in process, they mailed us the questionaire regarding her development. One of the questions asks "does your baby say 8 words besides mommy and daddy?" So we were trying to figure out all the things she says. She will repeat pretty much anything you say. But here's a list of things that she will say on her own: dada, mama, peekaboo, all done, bye bye, pee-yoo, oh no, uh oh, tickle, there it is, horray, stinky, hello, car. Thats what we came up with so far, and that is 14 words. After filling out the rest of the survey, you add up the totals and they are put onto a scale so you can see where baby needs improvement. Well, she's scored 100% on almost all of the categories.
But, dont be deceived by her cute little smile and big blue eyes!! She's got the temper of a ..... well, i dont know what, but she's got one heck of a temper!!! And she thrives on a very strict schedule, and if this schedule is thrown off.... BEWARE!!! I hope this temper eases up as she grows up!!!
Jadon was always such a laidback kind of guy at her age.... Derek an I marvel all the time at how two siblings can be so different- like day and night.
Regardless, we love them both so much!!!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
2010 Year In Pictures
The long awaited Loveless Family 2010 Year in Pictures is here finally! Ok, so its probably only long awaited for me! :) I look forward to these slideshows every year. I love to see where we've been and how far we've come... how much the kids have grown, and all the things we did over the year. It also reminds me of just how blessed I am. And, I love making them! I dont know how everyone else feels about them, but I do them mostly for me anyways. ;)
This year I changed it up a bit. Instead of using One True Media like I have in the past, this year I decided that I just couldnt stand the poor quality of the pictures when using One True Media. I'm sure that the quality would be better if I paid a monthly fee for using it, but since I am too cheap to do that, and settle for basic, thats the best i'll get out of that website!
This year I used Windows movie maker, and uploaded it to Youtube. We didnt have a Youtube account, so I had to create one of those as well, but the finished product is SOOO much better! You can actually see the pictures clearly, plus I can really fine tune things with Windows movie maker! I love that!
I try to make them fit into one song as best as I can, but I just couldnt do it this year, so its 2 songs long this time (about 8 minutes... sorry!) I also spend months trying to find the perfect music for them because the music really impacts a slideshow (in my opinion), but this year I had a heck of a time finding the music. In the past, i've always known exactly what songs to use, but this year was a struggle. I try to find songs that sortof portray my feelings about our family and the year we just completed. I ended up choosing "Lead Me" by Sanctus Real (i'm sorry, most of you will probably have no idea who or what the songs are as they are christian music)... its one of my favorite songs, not only for husbands and fathers, but also for moms, and all of us as children of Christ. The second song I just heard for the first time the other day, but I liked the sound of it and the lyrics seemed fitting.
So, i'll stop jabbering and share the link with you! For those who may not know, if you click the little box with the 4 arrows in it at the bottom right of the slideshow, it will make the slideshow full screen.
This year I changed it up a bit. Instead of using One True Media like I have in the past, this year I decided that I just couldnt stand the poor quality of the pictures when using One True Media. I'm sure that the quality would be better if I paid a monthly fee for using it, but since I am too cheap to do that, and settle for basic, thats the best i'll get out of that website!
This year I used Windows movie maker, and uploaded it to Youtube. We didnt have a Youtube account, so I had to create one of those as well, but the finished product is SOOO much better! You can actually see the pictures clearly, plus I can really fine tune things with Windows movie maker! I love that!
I try to make them fit into one song as best as I can, but I just couldnt do it this year, so its 2 songs long this time (about 8 minutes... sorry!) I also spend months trying to find the perfect music for them because the music really impacts a slideshow (in my opinion), but this year I had a heck of a time finding the music. In the past, i've always known exactly what songs to use, but this year was a struggle. I try to find songs that sortof portray my feelings about our family and the year we just completed. I ended up choosing "Lead Me" by Sanctus Real (i'm sorry, most of you will probably have no idea who or what the songs are as they are christian music)... its one of my favorite songs, not only for husbands and fathers, but also for moms, and all of us as children of Christ. The second song I just heard for the first time the other day, but I liked the sound of it and the lyrics seemed fitting.
So, i'll stop jabbering and share the link with you! For those who may not know, if you click the little box with the 4 arrows in it at the bottom right of the slideshow, it will make the slideshow full screen.
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