Crafty time

I stole some crafty time last week and this is what I came up with.

This is based on the Pencil Lines Sketch for last week. I flipped the sketch.

Taking a couple of classes this month

I signed up for a few classes this month.

My fave? Elise Blaha's Mini class. I'm always at a loss when it comes to mini's so I thought Iwould get her perspective on them. I've always admired her way of putting one together. I've got a trip to Las Vegas planned in late September and I plan on taking a mini with me to work on and fill while we're there. Its just me and the boy along with my parents. So I'm trying to think of things we can do while we're there. Maybe M&M World?

I took Celine Navarro's World Cup Class back in July and well, I failed after the first week. I completed one layout.

I need to download everything and get working on this. I'm making time to scrap at least once a week now. I have too. I can't work all week long and not play a little. Even if its just a few hours here and there.

You should see the stack of sketches I have with photos waiting to be scrapped.

Short and sweet update

This boy.....

is POTTY TRAINED!

He's been trained for a couple of weeks now but he wouldn't wear big boy underwear. We started the potty training journey about 6 months ago and its been an uphill battle. I finally just let it go when everyone kept telling me that boys just DON'T potty train until they're 4. Okay fine. I won't push it. And then one day, he magically started using those pull ups we've been stocking for almost a year. But he wouldn't wear the underwear. Not even when I bought him Thomas the Train underwear. Or Cars. Or monsters.

We have a garage full of toys to bribe him. You know what it took? Telling him that if he wore big boy underwear that we'd take him on the Train. Like, the REAL train. Not the kiddie rides at the mall or the fair. The REAL train. Like the one that 'blows smoke' and goes 'woo-woo'. (His words, not mine).

But then he came down with a cold and ear infection two days before the BIG trip. So we postponed it for another week.

We're all proud of this 3 year old! Now the only fights we have are over the character on his undies!

OC Fair

Last year, Nick wasn't old enough to go on many of the rides. This year, he could ride pretty much everything.

We just got him a ticket pass and turned him lose. In between rides, we stuffed him full of fair food.

I'm such an upstanding parent.

And because its just how this family works, Nick 'won' a goldfish playing one of the games. Its a family tradition. (Cue Hank Williams....) My mom won them. I won them and now Nick wins them. And these are hearty fish. They don't die. (Unless someone *coughcoughdadcoughcough* steps on them when they jump out of their temporary bowl.)

So 'Orange' was added to the tank with the other two fish. Pete and No Name. We have a small, medium and large goldfish now.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Even with a few tantrums thrown in.

I bought the So Cal pass this summer and we took Nick a couple of times. The final pass was the day of his Birthday. I made it last the entire week.

{3}

This seems like the age where he turns into a little boy. He's not a baby anymore and he's really not a toddler.

It feels like he's been this 30 year old trapped in a 3 year olds body for a while. He's not normal. He drives me to drink most days (Smirnoff Ices are my new friend) and I'm almost 100% grey in front. I'm not sure how ling it will be before it all just falls out.

He's smart - and he knows it.

He's cute - and he knows it.

He's a booger - and he knows it.

He likes to test everyone and everything. We fight daily over things like picking up toys. I can't tell you how many trash bags full of toys I have in the garage. He refuses to pick them up so I 'throw them away'. He usually picks them up with I pull out a fresh trash bag but there are times when he refuses.

He throws massive tantrums. I'm waiting for his head to spin around and pea soup to fly from his mouth. I have to leave the room or else I'll laugh. Or cry. Depends on the day.

He's in daycare ALL day now because he needs the interaction. Spending the entire day with him usually exhausts me. And he knows it. He wears down my resolve until I just let him eat the entire bag of chee-tos with that chocolate candy, topped off with hidden soda.

He refuses to wear big boy underwear. He has to wear pull ups but he hasn't had an accident in over 3 weeks. But they're 'scary' so he continues to wear pull ups. We're lowering ourselves to bribery at this point and I think all its going to take is a ride on the Amtrak. He's been talking about trains since he could form words. He's seen the train in action and he's asked us to go on it.

So I'm lowering myself to bribery hoping that he realizes he's a 'big boy' and needs to wear big boy underwear.

To celebrate {3}, we took him to Zoomar's. After a bit of an issue with the date, we got it booked and his friends from school came. All girls. Not one other boy unless you count his cousin Bodhi who is only 1. All girls. Should I be worried about that?

Chicago in 30 pictures or less....

Its about time I got around to posting something here. Since I haven't had much time to be crafty I'll post some pictures from Chicago. I was there for CHA so I only had one day to really get out and see the city.

Here's my friend from Therm-o-web Adhesives. He's a Blackhawks fan and he told me in January they would win the Cup. So while testing out their adhesives, we had a good-natured brawl over who's hockey team was the best.....

Guess who won?

Last time I was in Chicago, I was here by myself. This time my mom went with me so I had someone to sightsee with. We pretty much agree. Chicago is a lot like New York - but cleaner. Newer actually. But New York is still #1 on my list.

We did the trolley tour around the city. You can pretty much hop off/hop on at any of the 15 stops. Pretty cool. Our only stop was Navy Pier.

Where we took one of the coolest boat rides. 55 knots out on Lake Michigan and then into the river that runs through the city.

I even got to use my Clipa on the boat. The floor was wet and I had valuable stuff in this bag. So we hung it from the back of the seat in front of us. If you don't have one of these yet, you need to get one! Run to the store and buy one!

We did NOT go on the massive Ferris Wheel or the AeroBalloon rides.

Our tilted view from the boat. I was trying to hold on as we bounced along the Lake and get some pictures of the skyline.

Then it was into the city for the other half of the tour.

Trump Tower

Sears Tower (Now Willis Tower - whats up with that?)

The Corn Cob Buildings - yes those are cars parked there

The Wave - this was designed by a female architect.

I think this was the Chicago Sun Times building. Can't remember, but its cool either way.

And this was probably my favorite part. My mom had read something about 'The Bean' so we had to find it. Its in Millenium Park right where the tour started so we walked over there to check it out.

I'm sorry, but how cool is this? It reflects the entire city line. I came home with a sample of some new Basic Grey papers. There is a paper in the Wander line that is perfect for this. Look for that in my gallery in the coming weeks.

Can you find us?

And just like that, it was time to go home. Until next summer Chi-Town.