I really don’t like visiting my parents in Georgia say, in July, but I soooooo love that they are here when we come down for Christmas!  It’s so nice to leave damp, chilly, moss-covered Oregon to come to sunny, warm Georgia.  I don’t want to say “dry” because dry in Georgia isn’t a good thing at the moment.  Where my parents are, the drought isn’t as severe as it is in the Atlanta metro area but they could certainly stand for more moisture as well…  BUT it is so nice to be here!

My mother is off at her friend’s house with the kids.  They are over trying to cheer Marsha up, if only for a little while, while making gingerbread houses.  My mother also took the kids to get their hair cut.  She wanted to cut Alice’s but I at least want to commemorate the long hair in this year’s Christmas photo before I cut it off (the constant food in the hair is pushing me to want to chop it all off!).  Hopefully she didn’t get Jack a buzzcut before the photos!  But, while they are away I have a chance to work (ie put together the late newsletter!) and enjoy quiet…

The trip across country was ok.  When we showed up at the airport we were told that our flight to Chicago was delayed by 4 hrs so they were re-routing us through Denver, which then had a 3.5 hr mechanical delay.  Then they were getting us on the direct flight to Atlanta that left at 10pm (it was 11:30am).  Fortunately they switched us to another flight with Delta and we got to Atlanta an hr earlier than we were orignally scheduled.  Liked that part!  We were then all tagged for extra screening (didn’t like that part!) which meant that it took us probably an extra 20 minutes to get through security.  Per standard operating procedured, Alice and Jack both decided that they had to poop on the plane.  Warning to mothers of small children pooping on airplanes — if you have long hair put it up before trying to wipe them in that very small space or it might end up in the toilet!  Alice was in her normal hell child mode on the plane causing all eyes in the near vicinity to roll when looking at us (what I wouldn’t pay if someone could just invent something that would keep that child occupied on an airplane!).  Sat next to a woman named Trish (our flight attendant was Patricia) and Trish’s 3 yr old slept the entire leg (my children both lack the “sleep-in-moving-vehicles” gene although they more than make up for it when in a bed) and, as it turns out ,the 3 yr old goes to preschool with a couple of Scott’s classmates’ child in Park City, Utah (definitely a small world).  We landed at 11pm, made it to my parents’ at 1am, got the kids into bed and finally relaxed!

Sooo… on to scrapbooking news!  I just realized that I hadn’t let everyone in on who our FABULOUS guest designer is for January – Jill Hornby!!  I’m trying to think of the words to describe her work but I just can’t come up with anything that is even close to being adequate.  Her style is just amazing; it makes me so happy to just look at what she’s created!  And it’s official, February will be designed by CD Muckosky!  It is going to be so much fun!  Fonwerks has been working with CD and together they have created an alpha set (of CD’s own writing) as well as a set of the funnest (let’s just say it’s a word…) stamps called “Life Labelz” and both sets are just for us!  Those will go on sale with her kit on February 1st.  As soon as I see the finally version I’ll post it here.

Ok, time to get down to some real work.  We should have the newsletter out to you tonight, tomorrow night at the latest.

Hope everyone is having a good Tuesday!

We are taking off for Georgia tomorrow and will be gone for the next three weeks.  Scott can work pretty much from wherever we are so that’s what he’ll do.  We’ll visit with my parents  for the part of the trip and then meeting Scott’s entire family at Disneyworld.  I’ve never actually been.  My parents had my sister and I fill this enormous piggy bank with change that was to go towards our trip.  That trip finally happened when we were living on our own and they took our younger brothers instead.  But, I am ok with that.  In fact, I really have no desire to go; I’m not a huge fan of amusement parks or very crowded conditions.  Hopefully the kids will love it and by some miracle the lines won’t be quite as long as I’m imagining….

I’m really, really looking forward to just being still for a while at my parents’ house.  I’m going to take some scrapbooking supplies and hopefully find some time to scrapbook and maybe send out some Christmas cards!  The kids love being at Marmee and Bop’s house and my parents of course love having them there.  For the most part, it’s usually a very low key relaxed time.  We are going to try to make it up to the Atlanta Aquarium while we are there; I’m dying to see it!

While we are away, Wendy will be here holding down the fort and will be able to meet whatever needs you might have.  You can reach her directly at wendy@cocoadaisy.com if you have any needs that need to be addressed concerning shipments, etc.  If you just have general questions, please feel free to still contact me at tricia@cocoadaisy.com

And… if you are curious about the January kit, here’s a sneak peek!

Look for peeks at the add-ons to come and photos of the AMAZING project kit that Christine has come up with as well!

And keep your fingers crossed for us that our flight out of O’Hare isn’t cancelled tomorrow.  One night at O’Hare with the kids in 2 months is definitely enough for me!

It’s a beautiful day in Oregon — any day that the sun shines in the winter here is a very welcome respite!  I’m hoping to have a free half hour to bundle up and get out for a walk with the dog today and enjoy it…

It’s been a busy week around here.  There was another couple of bad days with the kids — more temper tantrums, clothes being tossed into the full tub, Alice going head over heels on her trike, etc, etc, – just more of the norm for a parent of little ones.  We seem to be having a better week this week (ok, maybe Jack is screaming his head off upstairs as I say that, but oh well…).  Here’s Alice a few days after the trike incident — she was sporting a lovely bruised and scraped nose, lip and chin…

I’ve had a difficult time wanting to post for the last week because it seemed that whatever I said would be so trivial in comparison to what had happened.  My mother’s best friend’s 23 year old son was found dead in his apartment.  Five days after burying her father.  He would have graduated from college last friday.  This on the heel’s of one of my good friend’s friend losing her 22 year old daughter in the same manner the week before Thanksgiving.  I haven’t been able to wrap my mind around much else in the last week.  It just makes you wonder how you go on as a parent after something like that.  My mother’s friend lost her sister a couple of years ago and adopted her nephew.  I’m so thankful that she has a child in the house, someone that she has to get up and take care of to keep her going.  All of this definitely makes me even more appreciative of my children.  What do the temper tantrums, screaming and fighting really matter in the grand scheme?  This is a reminder of just how quickly life can throw you a curve ball.  Count your blessings….

So, I had promised a peek at the kit for January.  It’s a homage to the most fabulous city in the world (in my mind, that is!).  I spent a year in Paris when I was 21.  It left an indelible mark on me and transformed the direction I thought my life would take.  I’m in love with Paris!

This kit has a great vintage feel to it and just looking at it makes me happy!  I even found enough of some great vintage items that we’ll be able to include those in all the kits!  Look for a better peek at the kit in a couple of days…

On an up note, we celebrated St Nicholas’ day yesterday.  Ok, so St Nick’s Day wasn’t really yesterday, but if you live in the States where few people celebrate it and your kids are still very little, you can celebrate on any day that you finally find a few minutes to get your act together (and when the little gifts have arrived from the grandmother for the occassion).  Happy belated St Nicholas’ Day to all! 

Do you ever have one of those days when you think your kids have one prime mission in life – to make you insane?  If you know what I’m talking about, yesterday was one of those days, non-stop fighting, absolutely no chance of getting them to listen to a thing I said, every toy in the house pulled out, refusal to eat and then there was the shampoo.  Alice was in one of many time-outs when she discovered the shampoo I had put on the stairs to go up.  When I went to go have our little talk before letting her up I discovered half a bottle of shampoo all over the stairs!  At that point I pretty much threw up my hands and decided that I was going to be made to suffer until the kids were finally in bed.

The stairs are now spotless and Hannah is wiping out everytime she goes up and down the stairs (she’s already handicapped by the big ole e-collar).  Hannah thought she too would get in on the act yesterday and threw up everywhere. again.  Oh, did I mention this would all be while Scott is out of town?

Today, I figured, would be better.  Nope.  The babysitter left a message on the machine at 9:30 this morning.  A message I never got saying that due to her exam schedule, she wouldn’t be able to get the kids from school and wouldn’t be able to babysit.  I did get the call from Alice’s school at 12:40, 10 minutes after she was supposed to be picked up wondering who was coming.  Needless to say, my day was slightly thrown off course.  Sooo…. I’m taking the kids with me to the post office and then we are going out to dinner.  I think we are going to go for the non-fast food option so that I can enjoy a much needed glass of wine!

8:30pm

It’s official.  I am never taking the kids out to dinner and I am never leaving them alone in the bathroom again for that one minute it takes to go pull jammies out of the dryer (flood).  And I use to foster the delusion that my children were well behaved…  They are now tucked in bed and of course look like little angels!

I apologize to anyone trying to place an order yesterday or today.  There was a small glitch with the site which has now been fixed.  I’m happy to say that the store is up and running again!!  Thank you for bearing with us!