Love, love, LOVE digital scrapbooking

I found Smilebox right before Christmas this year and think it's fabulous. I always have the best of intentions with scrapbooking for my kids, but let's face it, I'm a working mom. Something that I never intended to do while my kids were young is a necessity. I live with all of the guilt that comes along with it...can't be a field trip chaperone, don't come up with cutesy birthday parties with matching accessories, can't keep on top of my kids memories. Maybe someday they'll understand, or maybe they won't ever know the difference, but I digress. Smilebox, and I'm sure other programs as well, allow me to take the pictures from the computer and put them into premade, cutesy digital scrapbooks. They're quick, require none of that double sided sliding tape that I could never master, and are saved for my posterity. I definitely could use more quick and easy in my life...then maybe, just maybe I can do a full time mom's job in half the time!

Tanner throughout the year 2010

This free scrapbooking design customized with Smilebox

The many faces of Jackson

Free scrapbooking design generated with Smilebox

Create a photo album

New Pictures

Well...if nothing else, there are new pictures up on the post from this year. Hopefully more to come in the next couple of weeks. Tanner turns 10 in just a couple of weeks...TEN...I blinked and time has disappeared. I get choked up thinking that in less time than she has already been alive, she will be an adult. Lord, how did I get to be so old? Why is it that she gets older, but I still seem to stay the same age? Next week both kids have Christmas/Winter concerts. It's this time of year I wish I still lived in the midwest...when Christmas didn't offend, and neither did Halloween. Tanner's party is the week after that. Hopefully I'll have time to actually do some shopping. I didn't go out at insane hours this year and I didn't do Cyber Monday either. I guess when your kids' tastes become picky (the $10 toy on sale at Target doesn't matter and clothes wrapped in paper are offensive) then there is no reason to wait in lines 20 people deep!

What a difference a decade can make...

The year was 2000...

I was childless.

I still napped on weekends and afternoons.

I slept in on weekends.

I thought that dinner at Chili's was a special night out.

I tried to cook.

I rented.

I worked 6am-6pm.

I taught 1st graders.

I worked summers.

I drove a Dodge Neon hand me down.

I still got plane tickets from my parents that were made out to "Jena Nichols."

I had two puppies and kittens.

I could hold my alcohol with the best of them.

The most expensive item I owned, I wore on my left ring finger.

In 2010...

I have 2 highly active children.

My children nap.

Sleeping until 7:00 is an accomplishment.

The Keg is my favorite special night out.

I do cook.

I've owned 2 homes.

I work 7:30-3:30.

I teach 6th graders.

I travel summers.

I drive a Honda Odyssey.

I buy my own plane tickets and on occasion my parents.

My dogs and cats are elderly.

I can sometimes hold my 2 drinks.

The most expensive items in my life have no price tag!!!

My what a difference a decade makes...

Feeding My Monsters!

Jackson is helping me make our breakfast. He likes to help...he's not very good at it, but it's encouraging that at least one child might be able to cook for themselves someday! He loves to measure and stir and lick spoons!

These are pumpkin rolls for the morning...They are to die for!

I read about these on Jenny's blog, Picky Palate. She has great foods this month. I love pumpkin and she sure knows what to do with it! The kids loved these monster mouths and hot dog mummies especially!