more fun

I've been feeling much better lately, prolly cos I've gotten to spend more time with friends. Yesterday the Stamp Club girls threw a baby shower for me and DS. I had such a wonderful time - lots of great food, wonderful thoughtful gifts, DS was an absolute angel, and a chance to catch up with my friends. It was wonderful getting to hang out with them, I really was missing them lately. Thanks for such a great time ladies!

Today I went to aquasize again with Dawn and then she came over to our house to chat and hang out while DH went to rpg. The kiddies were very well behaved and it all went smoothly, and I enjoyed Dawn's company. I'm so glad we've gotten to hang out lots lately (and I'm not just writing this cos you read it - I really am glad to hang out with you! You're such a great friend!)

I also managed to quickly put together another layout for my book of me. There was no challenge for this one, I was just inspired by Jen's layout from the previous challenge and decided to scraplift it to make this page. A bunch of ideas came together really quickly and I really love how this one came out. What book about me would be complete without a page about me and my wonderful DH whom I adore? :)

Tuesday

On Tuesday I got to stamp with Dawn while DH took care of the kiddies since today I'll be looking after them while DH goes rpging with his friends. We had slow-cooker pulled pork sammies for supper which were super easy to make, and super yummy. You just put a 1 kg boneless pork shoulder in your slow-cooker, slice 3 onions and separate into rings and put on top and then put 1/2 cup of Bull's Eye BBQ sauce on top of that. Then you cook it either on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours. My pork was about 1.4 kg so I added a bit extra sauce and cooked it for the longer time - 5 hours on high. Then when it's done you just take the pork out and use 2 forks to pull it apart into shreds and then stir it back in the sauce. Serve on buns and top with a cheese slice. The recipe was from a Kraft What's cooking magazine. It's also good without the cheese slice (I guess Kraft just wants you to buy more of their products so it's in the recipe) and DH also liked it with a little mustard. After dinner we went to aquasize which was lots of fun, and saw lots of our other stamp club members there. For dessert afterwards we had some of the Angel Food cake I had made since I needed to use up some of the egg whites in my freezer.

My project for the evening was to complete the latest MSS challenge: to create a page about a nickname you had or still have. Here is my page:

identity crisis

I've been having a bit of trouble and stressing out lately because I've been feeling like my identity is ONLY as a mom. Now don't get me wrong, I adore my kids and would give up anything and everything for them, but it's just not always an easy thing to do. I'm having a hard time with the fact that I can't ever get away and be the just Julia part of me. The most time I have is a couple of hours before I need to feed DS again. But I definitely want to keep nursing, and am worried that the past day his poop hasn't been as yellow which means he isn't getting enough hind-milk. I'm praying that breast-feeding continues to work and that he continues to thrive. I don't want it to be taken away from me like it was before just as I was starting to like it.

Lots of my friends are also my DH's friends and we used to be able to get together and go to dinner, watch movies, play games etc. Now things don't work so well with a toddler and baby in tow. So usually what happens is that I look after the kids while DH gets to hang out (and in turn I get to stamp with Dawn -yay!). But I miss those other friends. Sure, I get to hang out with them too once in a while - but we don't get to actually do anything, just sit there and keep an eye on the kids. Compared to what we used to do it can get pretty boring. At least I feel like they're bored just sitting on our couch while we try and have a conversation between chasing after and dealing with kids. I feel like I've become the third wheel who in order to be included means that everyone has to sacrifice their fun. I've forgotten how to have a real adult conversation that isn't centered around my children.

I'm having a hard time accepting that this is how it has to be and letting go of the old Julia who was a friend to lots of people to become the mom-Julia that I am. Not that being a mom is a bad thing in any way - it's what I always wanted to be. I knew it would be busy and challenging and take up most of my time. Just that I didn't quite expect it to be so all-consuming in every single aspect of my life.

a fun day

Yesterday was a really fun day. DH looked after the kiddies (except for nursing time of course) and Dawn came over to stamp. We stamped for part of the afternoon and then I made a healthy salad for dinner from a recipe in Canadian Living magazine:

Bean, mushroom and wilted spinach salad

Then we went to an aquacize (sp?) class. It was my first time at one of those classes and I really enjoyed it. I have bad knees so it was nice to do lunges and squats without my knees hurting!

Afterwards we came back to my house and continued stamping. I worked on my scrapbooking and got 2 2-page layouts done. I got both layout ideas from Becky's sketches in Creating Keepsakes magazine. One with DD eating noodle soup, which I used embroidery floss for the letters in the title to look like noodles, and one about DD's first haircut. The hair in the envelope was literally all we cut off since she doesn't have much hair. Her bangs were hanging in her eyes though and she needed it cut.

things I don't like

This Monday's challenge on MSS was to make a page about things you hate. Here is my page:

A Day at the Beach

On Sunday we finally had a nice warm day so we decided to take full advantage of it and go to the beach in our town. DD had a wonderful time! At first she was very timid about the water and beach, but before long she was running around and having a grand ol' time! I guess it was a really exciting and tiring day for her because for the first time ever she fell asleep in her high chair during dinner. Here are some photos of the highlights:

The Zoo

This Monday we went to the zoo with the kids and my sister. DD loved it and had so much fun. I enjoyed watching her have fun, but it was a very stressful, long day. There was a family gathering for my uncle's 50th birthday that day too which we went to afterwards. I wouldn't recommend planning such a full day with a 2 month old in tow! We drove into the city and when we were almost at the zoo DS puked in the car so it was all over his cute lion outfit that I had put on especially for the zoo and all over his car seat too. DH and I were both grumpy from the long car ride where DD was supposed to nap but instead just stayed awake and was very crabby the whole time. I changed DS in the discovery centre (nice and cool and dark in there) and tried to nurse him but he was very upset and it didn't work well. I don't think me being stressed out helped either. The rest of the zoo trip went pretty well and it was fun to watch DD looking at the animals. She especially loved the monkeys and was making her monkey noises and laughing. Too cute! When we got to the duck pond DD ran through some goose poop and got it all over her shoes and somehow all over her legs while she was running. It was so gross cleaning her up while she kicked and screamed (she wanted to run around some more). Then after we arrived at the birthday party we found out that DD's diaper had leaked all over and her and the car seat were soaked. Ahhh! All in all though it was still lots of fun. I had a good time catching up with family and seeing the other little kids. It was just a bit busy and overwhelming of a day as a whole. Here are some pictures:

Stamping with Dawn

I forgot to post what I made while stamping with Dawn the other day. Annelore came over too and we had lots of fun. It had been a while since I got to stamp with friends and I really missed it. I looked after the kids last night while DH hung out and rpg'ed with friends so now I get another stamping night. I can't wait!

I made 40 Thank You cards. Now I just have to write them out and send them.

I'm kinda behind on things like that right now.

Here is the 50th bday card I made for my Uncle, and "50 bucks" to go along with it :)

So when do you want to stamp again, Dawn? :)

happy

The smiles that DS gave me while I was getting him ready for his bath totally made my day. There is absolutely no better feeling than having your babies smile at you, it makes my heart sing!

Favourite things layout

The latest book of me challenge is to make a page with 10 favourite things. Here is my page:

So Psyched

I just found out my bff, Pamela, is coming from Chicago to visit in October. Yay! I haven't seen her in quite a while - she'll be meeting the kiddos for the first time. I'm so excited!

Today is my turn to have fun. I've already had my nap, and after DH has his and we have lunch and get the kids bathed Dawn and I are going to stamp together. Should be fun! I'll post pics of our creations later.

17 Random things about me

Since there hasn't been a challenge for my Book of Me so far this week on MSS Blog I thought I'd do my own page. I was inspired by a page from Simple Scrapbooks magazine that used a photostrip and had 5 fun facts about the person who created the page. I used my 25 random things about me note that I posted on facebook and cut it down to fit my 8x8 layout. We went to Southland mall to use the photo booth there. I love old black and white photo booths!

Here is my layout:

And just in case anyone wants to take pictures at the mall, please note that the 4th picture doesn't turn out properly. You'll have to tilt your head sideways at the top of the picture if you want to get your whole face in! Since my layout was 8x8 it didn't really matter that I could only use 3 photos from each strip.

The text says:

1) I'm addicted to chapstick. I've got one by my bed, in the living room, in my purse, pants pocket, by the computer, in the rec room, and a bunch of spares in my night table drawer.

2) I'm afraid of clowns. I never liked them and then while I was on a Stephen King reading kick I read “IT” and had nightmares for months

3) I have my chemistry degree, but all I've always really wanted to do was be a stay at home mom

4) I love science fiction. It's pretty much all I read nowadays

5) My hobbies are scrapbooking, making cards and cross stitching

6) My favourite flowers are daisies

7) I love black olives. I always ask for extra on my subs and salads.

8) I'm a good cook, but a really good baker. I don't really enjoy cooking dinners but I love to make desserts.

9) I hate making my own sandwiches. They only taste good if someone else makes them. I'd rather make something more time consuming and difficult before I'll make a sammy.

10) I love playing board games. I'd choose board games with my friends over going out to a movie any day

11) I love the taste of curry. YUM!

12) I hate driving. If I can get a ride or get there some other way I will. Sometimes I'd rather just stay at home if doing something means that I will have to drive myself there.

13) I'm still very shy, especially when there is a bigger group of people. Even in a big group of people I know really well, like at family gatherings, I can be shy. I hope I don't come off as snobby, I'm just painfully shy!

14) I am so in love with my husband. If I could spend 24/7 with him I would. Vacations are the best cos I get to have non-stop Patrick time.

15) I want to be like Martha Stewart

16) I have a huge cookbook collection. I have books that I bought and have read but have never tried any recipes from. My favourite are Nigella Lawson's.

17) All these years later I still adore those old Nintendo games. Super Mario Bros 3 is the best game ever. And I can play tetris for HOURS.

It took me a while, but I've completed my layout for the latest book of me MSS challenge - to create a page with a memorable hairstyle. Here is my completed page:

It's hard to read (I prolly should have planned that better. Oh well!) but the journalling says: "The ponytail has always been my hairstyle for my entire life - except for grade 10. The only time I was ever a trendsetter and was the first person in my school to get a streak in their hair. My geek girl rebellion!"

So far there hasn't been a challenge for this week. I've been working on my own page anyways and am thinking of emailing it as a suggestion for a challenge in case Jen is stuck for ideas...

it's been a while...

I haven't been able to be on the internet much partly because it's been busy, but also because we were having some computer problems at the beginning of the summer holidays. Apple support is awesome though and the kind folks over there had the problem solved and my beautiful computer up and running again shortly after I called them with the problem.

Yesterday DH and I actually got to go on a date! We dropped the kids off at my parents house and got everyone all fed and then went to see the Star Trek movie. I had wanted to see it since it came out but couldn't because I was in the hospital giving birth to DS when it was released and it's been crazy since then. We left a bottle of formula for DS to have while we were gone, but after the movie I could tell that I wasn't going to have a good time at the restaurant if I didn't stop by to feed him. He had already eaten his bottle, but I made him eat a bit more just so I wouldn't be exploding and in pain. Next time we go on a date we'll have to plan the nursing aspect of it a bit better. So after a quick stop in at my parents we went out again to have dinner. We went to the Olive Garden and I ordered one of my favourite dishes - the steak gorgonzola alfredo. The steak was prepared perfectly but I had to get them to remake the pasta cos they put way too much gorgonzola in it. I've had this dish tons of times so I know what it should taste like, and when it has that much blue cheese it drowns out all the other flavours. After they fixed it the pasta was super yummy. It was such a treat to get to go out with my hubby and I had such a good time. The Star Trek movie was great!

Here are some pictures of some of the back yard fun we've been having this summer break so far:

DD in her cute bikini splashing in the pool and running around in the back yard

DS looking all adorable. He's growing up so fast!