well of course...

i didn't get a second to post pics!
they're coming...i promise!

along with photos of jaden's "girls' day" that her FABULOUS aunt sarah got her for christmas!

i hope everyone had a WONDERFUL christmas...we did!

oh my...

it's getting awful close to christmas!
yay!

tried to do a small impromptu "photo shoot" of the girls in their christmas dresses tonight...

it's a wonder i didn't pull all of my hair out!

...hopefully, i'll get a sec to post some of the pics tomorrow!

my mojo...

here's my scrapmojo layout...

i'm a little irritated that it didn't photograph right {all the lines are actually straight...it makes a square}, but i was soooo tired when i took the pics, i guess i wasn't in the mood to be picky!

thanks, again, MARIE for inviting me to be your guest designer!

my daughter...

is an artist!

look at these adorable pictures she drew for me!






aren't they fabulous!

we're going to use them as our christmas cards
...and, i'm kind of thinking about selling some in my etsy shop, and putting the proceeds into jaden's piggy bank so she can shop for her daddy and ashlyn

what do you think?

it's beginning to look a lot like...

christmas!

yay!
this post is much more positive than the last post...

okay...jackson and i have our own little "tradition"
when the buckeyes play michigan {usually the weekend before thanksgiving}, the outcome determines when we put up our decorations...
if they buckeyes win, we get to decorate that weekend...if not {god forbid}...i get to watch jackson pout and we have to wait until the following weekend to decorate...

i know i posted in my quick 10 update that christmas was very simple this year...
this is just how simple

{notice that there are no ornaments...thanks ashlyn!}

and...on another good note...
lookie here!
my good {online} friends created their own scrapbook challenge website called ScrapMojo, and i was picked to be their guest designer for december!
yay!

update #3...

OH

MY

GOD!!!

my life totally sucks!

i know i should be totally relieved, but i prepared myself for a week for this biposy...
i psyched myself out so i wouldn't be terrified...i got mad at jackson because he didn't volunteer to go with me...i took a day off work...

i get there, the tech does the ultrasound, and says, "i don't think there's anything there...let me show this to the radiologist and see what he thinks..." {keep in mind that i TOLD her it was easier to find/feel when i was sitting up, yet she did the ultrasound laying down}

so...30 minutes later, the radiologist comes in, and looks at the ultrasound
he thinks it's nothing...
so I DIDN'T HAVE A BIOPSY!

so i went home and bawled...for a long time
UUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i know i should be thankful {and i am}, and relieved {and i am}, but i was soooo frustrated!

i feel like i was totally dismissed...all i kept hearing was "at your age...well, you're so young...IT'S NOTHING!"

i've never been convinced that it's cancer or that i'm dying...but i KNOW it's not nothing, and i just want someone to tell me WHAT IT IS!!!!

update #2...

another update...

i had an MRI on november 20th...and it totally sucked!!! {that's a whole other post that i don't have time for right now}

talked to the surgeon's office yesterday, and was told the MRI didn't really show anything

but...the surgeon is still concerned because SOMETHING showed up on the ultrasound, so i am going monday (dec 3) to have an ultra-sound guided biopsy(which, by the way, i was totally cool with until the lady explained they would have to take 4 or 5 tissue samples! my poor boob!)

i am relieved that the surgeon is being proactive, and didn't take the "i told you so" approach...

but i'm going totally nuts that this is taking forever!

slacker alert...

i know, i know, i know!

i am a total slacker!

here's a quick 10 update:

1. thanksgiving was nice...calm, quiet...completely out of the ordinary for my family!

2. jaden's had the flu twice this month {once being tonight...ick!}

3. totally thrilled project runway is back on...yay!!!

4. i love, love, love karen russell and her blog

5. went way simple with the christmas decorations this year...only the tree {minus ornaments, thanks to a fiesty 2 year old} and a small shelf of my favorite vintage santas

6. really tired of this booby mess dragging out to eternity

7. lovin my little etsy shop

8. ashlyn has learned how to throw a fabulous tantrum

9. tried to go the homemade route for most of my gifts...then reality set it

10. totally hooked on christmas music...{i've been listening to it for 3 weeks!}

11. i finally figured out the link code! yay for me!


...so my 10 turned into 11...sue me!

wooooo-hooo!!!!!

project runway starts wednesday!

i'm giddy!

halloween...

jaden wanted to be a "fancy girl" for halloween
(i saw the idea in a martha stewart magazine, and bought most of the pieces to their outfits at goodwill...all in all, i think i spent $10!)

i worked on the costumes and hair, my mom did the make-up, and the hamming for the camera? that was all the girls...totally unprovoked...honest!

i'm floating...

i'm so excited!

karen russell (one of my absolute favorite designers) put a link to my etsy shop on her blog!
check it out: http://www.karenrussell.typepad.com/

so did one of my online friends... { www.michellejacquemet.blogspot.com }
thanks mj ! {and i did get your package...it totally made my day!}

...and, this little guy is now available in my etsy shop...
{ www.twogirlzstuff.etsy.com }


**i'm apparently totally inept at creating links...i've been told how to do it, it shows up as a link, but you click on it, the page can't come up...
any suggestions??**

hurry up and wait...

booby update...

...i met with a surgeon on tuesday (10/30)
...didn't like him at all {he kind of made me feel like i was wasting his time}

he made a comment while looking over my charts that "there's definitely something there" {i assume based on the ultrasound}then, he fondled me a while, and said that he didn't think i had anything there!

ugh!
so frustrating!
how can it show up on the ultrasound, and be enough that he would comment about it, and then he tells me it's nothing?!?!?

i tried to explain to him that you really have to "push" to find it {my boobies are rather "ample", so you have to do some searching}, but he was trying to be gentle

he said he wanted me to get an MRI {which i hear is a "blast"...}, and then we'll "see what we have to work with"

...so, now i'm WAITING to schedule an MRI, so that i can WAIT some more to find out what it shows so i can WAIT some more to find out if it will be removed so i can WAIT some more to find out if it really is anything to worry about!

my mom, my aunt, and my friends all think i need to get a second opinion...
my gut tells me i need to get the flippin thing out, no matter what it is!

my booby drama...

okay...i've known about this for a while, and talked to all of the most important people about it, so i kind of feel like i can post it without anyone feeling like i didn't tell them first

i want it recorded somewhere that i can always refer back to and recall exactly what happened and when...


from oct. 18:

a couple months back, i felt lump in my left breast...(hard to describe it as a lump, 'cus it really feels long and skinny...kind of like i swallowed a tootsie roll that ended up in the wrong place)

...anyway, when i noticed it, i brought it up to my ob/gyn, and he said it was probably poly-cystic(?) breasts (common), and to watch it with my cycles

so i did, and it's still there, so i had him check it at my appointment last week (10/11), and he got a strange look on his face (not good, if you know my ob) and said he was going to schedule me for a breast ultrasound (and a mammogram if ness.)

...he didn't think it was anything (i'm only 29 and no history of BREAST cancer...OVARIAN cancer - YES, BREAST cancer - NO...in my family)...but he wanted to check it anyway

...so i had the ultrasound on monday and the nurse sent the images to the radiologist...he said he didn't think a mammogram would show anything due to my age (thank god, because i've heard mammograms hurt more the larger you are, and i've got some big boobies!)

my appt. was at 2:30, i got home at 3:30, and my ob/gyn called my at 4:15!

...he said i have a 1.3cm mass that is very rounded (usually a good sign...generally means benign (sp?)...) and that we had 2 courses of action...

1. i could have it removed
2. we could wait 6 months to track it

...and my ob said "i want it out!"so i have a consult with the surgeon on the 30th, and i'm going crazy waiting until then...

santa's on his way...

omg!
can you believe it's almost that time?!?!?

i can't wait!

i am absolutely infatuated with christmas...can't get enough...can't start decorating soon enough...can't wrap enough presents...i just can't get enough!!!

so...
i have been a busy little crafter this week, and i've been a sculpting fool...

here's a sneek at a few little guys that will be appearing in my etsy shop

{just imagine them all bearded and dressed...}

look who's scrappin...

well, that would be...me!

i needed a little self-guided therapy after winning the world's worst mother award...{see previous post}...
so i was up until almost 4 last night workin on some pages...


a little cheesy, but i like it...

and the worst mother award goes to...

drumroll please...

me!!!

today was a little crazy...
i'm home on break, and i got a late start on lunch
jaden has to be at school at 12:45, and we were pushing it!

i rushed the girls to the truck, and headed off to school...
when we pulled up, i thought it was a little strange that her classmates were not in the hallway like normal, but i know we were running late...{although i knew in the back of my mind we weren't that late}...and i thought the kids had already headed to class...
so i kiss jaden, tell her to go straight to her classroom, and ashlyn and i head off to run an errand...

i made it about half a block away from the school when something started nagging me...i vaguely remembered that today might have been the day they had an early dismissal!

crap!

so i call the school to verify...the conversation went something like this...

me: "hi...do you have an early dismissal today?"
secretary: "yes...did you just drop off a kindergartner?"

so i make a u-turn and race back to the building...
as i pull in, the assistant principal is walking jaden out to the truck

please keep in mind that all of this happened in a matter of about 3 minutes...

i get jaden...{who is breaking my heart with the crocodile tears}, i put my arm around her, apologize, tell her i love her, and she says...
"thanks! you ruined everything! you should give your number to mrs. caldwell so she can call and tell you when i have a dismissal next time!"


...my bad...

october updates...

oct. 12 ~ my last day of school before my two week break...{my break is now over...that's how far behind i am on posting!}
i went to the newport aquarium with a group from school for WOEA Day...
a couple of my faves from the trip...

these fish cracked me up! they look like those old cartoons...you know...where the animal turns sideways and nearly disappears...i love it!



this stingray was swimming above me as i walked through the shark tunnel...he would get to the top of the arch and actually slide down the other side...






~ and later that evening...
our 2nd annual "haywood hayride"...{so aptly named by my aunt becky...a.k.a. "precious"}

the girls actually cooperated {for a minute} with my incessant photo snapping...


ashlyn had a ball throwing hay...{which, by the way, they ask you not to do...but the pics were so dang cute...everyone was doing it!}...


when the wagon stopped and we jumped off to get pumpkins, i {apparently mistakenly} asked jaden to wait a sec so i could get a pic of her and ashlyn grabbing their pumpkins...
this was her reaction to my suggestion...


this is why she didn't want to hang out with me...her buddy kacy


and i finally got a couple {grudginly cooperative} shots of the girls and their choices...












oct. 13 ~ i attended a balloon launch in memory of a dear family friend...Tara West
she passed away 6 months ago as the result of a car accident...
she was only 18...

it was very meaningful and emotional...
and i am so thankful that i captured these shots...

Tara's grandma...writing a note to attach to her balloon...


Debbie...Tara's mom...waiting for the release...

my etsy shop is open!

check it out!

twogirlzstuff

labels galore!
santas on the way...
and lots of grand ideas for fun and fabulous "shtuff"!

you want cheese-nuggets-salad?

okay, so a while back, jaden started pretending she was a waitress...

she'd walk around with pad of paper (or a box lid, or whatever was handy) and a pencil (or crayon) and she'd ask jackson and i what we wanted to order/to eat...

jackson and i would almost always respond with the same things...chicken nuggets, salad, water

well, ashlyn has picked up the "i-want-to-be-a-waitress" bug, and she walks around with whatever's handy (a pad, play phone, scrap paper, diaper) and asks...

"you want cheese (chicken) nuggets salad?"

fall is in the air...

just a few things that remind me of fall...

pumpkins (of course!)





homecoming corsages...(not mine, of course!)

spiders...(not really a fan, but this one was pretty cool)

bonfires


and some journaling labels i made

as promised...

i know...
i'm a slacker...

but here are some of the things i promised a few days back...

a couple pages i made for jaden
...this is her totally fed up with me and my camera




...and this is a while ago...let's just say you need to look really closely at the picture

jaden right now...

1. is a big, bad, kindergartner

2. jumps (not steps, not walks) down the steps of the bus every day, runs up to the porch, kisses ashlyn, and then runs into the kitchen to grab a snack

3. loves her sister so much she can't keep her hands off her...{trust me, they're not always this sweet and innocent}

4. is officially addicted to reading {she has to read her library book at least once a night...and, on occassion, once with every person in sight}

5. is totally independent...{i think she'd make her own meals and take care of ashlyn if we let her}

6. conquered her fear of the "giant blow-up slide", only to ride it over and over and over again

7. loves her some bling!

8. thinks that she's all grown up (refer back to no.'s 2 & 5)

9. actually is beginning to grow up...{i don't beleive it...i'm still in denial}

10. is affectionately referred to as "boogers", "dude", and "goof"/"goofball" (see picture below)

ashlyn right now...

1. loves grapes ...and "myilk" {milk}...and "roni cheese" {macaroni & cheese}...and "fruit nacks" {fruit snacks}...and hot dogs...and...
well, the girl loves food

2. stops and says "can i jump?" everytime she steps out of the bathroom and into the hallway {it goes from tile to wood, so she thinks it's too different to step over}

3. is affectionately referred to as "monkey"...see picture below

4. is easily entertained with the most mundane things...{she spent well over an hour playing in these rocks}

5. {see no. 4}

6. can't {or should I say chooses not to} eat yogurt or mashed potatoes without smearing it all over her arms and face...{and usually squishing it between her fingers - can't wait til the girl visits a beach for the first time and can squish the sand bewteen her toes}

7. loves her sister more than anything, even though she can't be around her without screaming

8. would live outside if she was allowed

9. gets more excited about baths than anything else...{aside from food...}

10. is hopelessly in love with "pink", her favorite, grungy, well-worn, don't-know-how-we'll-cope-if-he's-ever-lost-or-destroyed stuffed elephant

how (not) to apply a temporary tattoo...

okay...

i know... it's shocking, but i'm behind on my posts

a couple weeks ago, we took the girls to Abby & Alex's joint birthday party
{the birthday boy and girl belong to a couple of our friends from high school}

anyway...
it was a pirate themed birthday, and the kids were all dressed up in their pirate garb (except mine of course, who had to be in full BUCKEYES garb since it was a game day)

they got little goodie bags that had eye patches, swords...

bandanas...

and temporary tattoos...

which jaden was determined to put on at the party, whether or not she had water to apply it!

it's hard to beleive...

but i actually did a little scrappin this past weekend!

i know...you need proof...

i'm working on it {i hope to get some layouts posted tomorrow}

so...stay tuned!

step back in time for a moment...

pretend that it is august 31st...

jaden's 1st day of school

she was totally excited...
i was a total wreck!

got her dressed...
got the backpack ready...
pinned on her i.d. tag...
took some pics...





drove her to school...
walked in the building...
and made it back out WITHOUT CRYING!

got in the car...
ashlyn said, "where's j.j.?"

...and that was the end of me


got home, got settled, finally stopped crying...
sat with jackson and ashlyn waiting for the bus...
and almost missed this shot of jaden's 1st busride home

woke up to this

on the bathroom mirror...



...jackson's working hard to get me out of my funk

i'm totally...

in a funk...

my depression seems to be back with a vengance

nothing seems to be going right lately...
{ever have the feeling that, at least for the moment, you're not in the right life? like, is this really what i'm supposed to be doing??)

stuff on the homefront is rather rough right now...money sucks!

my job? not fabulous...not really horrible...somewhere in between




oh, and the family?...
well, jaden got mad last night because i told her to go back and brush her teeth again (i could still tell what she had for dinner...YUCK!)

she said, "YOU'RE MEAN!"

and,

without hesitation,

i said,



"I KNOW!"

you know you've had a long day...

when you pull up to a 4-way stop with a flashing red light...

(one that you drive through twice a day)


and you are so tired/exhausted/mentally wiped-out...




that you sit there waiting for the light to turn green

i've been tagged...

thanks a lot, michelle! lol!

apparently, i am supposed to write 6 interesting things about myself...
here goes...

i am:
1. a true crafter at heart...everything from scrappin (YAY!) to sculpting santas and faeries
2. TOTALLY addicted to reality tv! (i'm having withdrawl from project runway)
3. always unsure of myself...(even though i try to portray myself as confident, funny, yadda, yadda, yadda)
4. in love with kid/disney movies...my absolute fave is Wizard of Oz
5. sneaky...i wait until jaden goes to bed to play with her littlest pet shop toys (mwaahahahaha!)
6. still in love with my hubby after nearly 13 years!


i'll have to think about who i'll be tagging next...you better watch out! (wink, wink)

where were you...

when the world stopped turning?

do you remember that song?
you know...the one that talks about September 11th...
the one that says "were you teaching a class full of innocent children...?"

it gets me every time.

because i was a teaching a class full of innocent children...
because i found out the day before 9/11 that i was pregnant with jaden...
because what they did to us, what they took from us that day can NEVER be forgotten..

it breaks my heart that i can't discuss it in my classroom (the students are too young)...
...that i can't talk to my daughter about it (so that she'll really understands it) until she's older...
...that it really happened, and i watched the whole thing with my own eyes


i will never forget

slacker!

yup...
that's me!

i've been half busy, half lazy...but i know i need to update this!

it's been hard for me to stop my life in order to memorialize my life...

anyway, lots to tell you & more posts to come...
i promise!

...i think...

christmas morning...

for jaden, at least...

saturday was ashlyn's 2nd birthday party

sunday, i woke up to a living room COVERED in all of ashlyn's new toys

...that jaden had opened

...and that ashlyn wasn't allowed to touch!

crack for women...

so my family had their annual pigroast last night...

live band, LOTS of pulled pork, swimming, horshoes, dancing, and "beverages" {wink, wink}

we ended the evening around 1:20a.m. with a couple hands of euchre, during which i {politely} asked jackson to grab another chocolate cupcake for me...

he brought the whole container

so then my aunt walks out and asks what we're eating...

jackson replies (without hesitation and with a straight face) "crack for women"

this lady is such...

an inspiration to me...

this is my mother-in-law, and she's something!



on her 50th birthday this year, she went out and got this tattoo...
it's a dragonfly, which holds very special meaning to her

but i love the fact that she does what she wants, and worries only about making herself happy, rather than worrying what others might think

she's gone through some really rough patches with family and health, but she's never let that bother her or the way she relates to others...
she's helped me out and stood by me when i've gone through my own difficult times...
but, most of all, she loves me, and treats me like her own...
...i really am a lucky "in-law"

unpubbed...take 2

here is my lift for this week's layout by corey...

{i wish the colors would have come out more true to life...the pink on the die-cut paper is more of a coral than a pale pink, and the glitter is a very pretty deep turqoise}

check out the challenge at www.unpubbed.blogspot.com

hold onto your hats...

i've been scrappin!

here are a few pages that i worked on this past weekend...


...jackson and jaden making faces...i swear that there used to be some sort of rhyme about "hi, my name is chubs, my sister's name is chubs..." - but jackson thinks i'm insane...if anyone can back me up, let me know...



~ashlyn totally passed out at a friend's wedding reception...




~a group photo from my family's annual pigroast...aren't we a motley crew...