mr. handsome

had i only known October would be a "blink and you'll miss it" type of month! wowzers!! at the same time i started teaching, i caught a cold.

it. would. not. leave.

then we suspected a sinus infection. after a week of antibiotics i am feeling much more like myself.

everywhere you go these days, someone is suffering with a cold too. it is still circulating among the kids at school. as soon as one kid gets over the sniffles, another one picks it up. no doubt it will be a continuous cycle until summer returns.

it feels like eons ago already. but i think i mentioned i took another photography course in September? it was always interesting to view the photography assignments each week. the interpretation was always varied. the best part was that my kids were super helpful acting as models. they were no longer just subjects for my lens. they were "mommy's homework assignment". suddenly the fact that i also had homework motivated them to make me "work"! well, that alone motivates me to take more classes if they like me having homework!

this is one of several pictures i took of Aidan. i was trying to make the photo appear "boring". this didn't fit that category when i went through them afterwards. but i love it. he is so handsome. just like his daddy.



this paper line was designed by Lori Whitlock for Echo Park. the theme reminded me that it would be a very good idea to get a family photo organized!

as always i love how each of us designers take the same kit into a different direction. check them out here.

sigh. that boy is such a miracle. being a "mom" was not my main goal in life. i eventually reached a point where i agreed with my husband that it might be time to enter the phase of parenthood.

this kid is fully responsible for getting me started on my "mom journey" and i am thankful for that. my kids have already had an amazing influence on my life. if not for this boy, i would not have started scrapbooking like i do today. which is just the tip of this iceberg. i could continue to list the positive impact his life has had on me. not that every day is a dream come true! he still forgets to listen and all of the other things kids do when they are growing up.

it has been awhile since he has had a layout designed just about him. i did ask if he was okay with me putting a flower on his layout though. he didn't even hesitate when he said yes. in return i made sure that flower was as rugged as i dared to make it. i am in love with the new embossing powders coming out. mixes of colours and sizes of the granules. yum!


a little funny story that i have to share. i had one of those: "this flower looks fun to make and for sure my six/seven year olds can make this and yes i can teach it to them" moments. ahem.

step one: decide to make this flower from scratch, but forget to pre-cut the paper into a square for them.

step two: teach them how to create a square from a rectangle {they were incredibly impressed by this time}

step three: ask them to fold the square in half (triangle) again and realize that half of them are now confused...including my EA

step four: ask myself "what were you thinking?! these are great kids, but most are only six....and some barely speak english!"

step five: don't give up. explain the folding again. and again. and again. again. again. again. again. and again. and one last time. phew!

step six: uh oh. fold the square to create a rectangle. the purpose being to add fold lines. they are now in awe that they can also fold a square to make a triangle and a rectangle. which got me thinking that this was an awesome math lesson. which is totally fortunate since i teach them Language Arts and Social Studies. oops! make a mental note that this would be useful for when i actually have to teach a geometry lesson. explain the folding again. and again. and again. again. again. again. again. and again. and one last time.

step seven: feel guilty for putting these wonderful children through this agony. wondering if i should quit and just give them candy instead.

step eight: just keep going. and hope this works out with no one going home in tears!

step nine: oh my. make sure all 19 kids {4 left school early} have their final triangle folded just right and are ready to cut.

step ten: offer to cut all 19 flowers for them. 18 take me up on my offer. 

step eleven: 19 successfully made flowers and 19 happy children who want to make another one

at which point i decided that this was also the perfect lesson on following directions. and we all passed!

i am so thankful that we all continued on. i warned them from the start that they might not like the first one they made and that was okay. i was totally blown away when they all were successful and proud of their flowers. most of them made as many as they could. i was impressed that they tackled the folding and cutting on their own as well!

one boy nearly made his mother cry at the end of the day when he presented it to her and said, "I made this for you, mom." i was ready to cry with her!



i hope that makes you giggle. i am so tired as i type this! i would not be surprised if i have terrible grammar. perhaps it was due to exhaustion that i chose that flower lesson in the first place?