i'm trying to spend less time on the puter.

that's one of the things i decided i needed to do while i was in chicago.
i also need more trips like that.
more 'kimberly' time to help balance the never-ending 'mom' time.
it was SO good for me.

i'm thinking about taking a long break from scrapping. long like more than a few days or weeks. i'm thinking of dropping out for a while.

i'm watching music and lyrics. back to it. then bed.

i'm back!

yup. back from chicago. i have much to say about the trip but not tonight. for tonight i leave you with these pictures which dina was kind enough to let me have.

here we are! carly (owner of scrapgal), dina (DT coordinator for SG) , anja wade, me, celeste and jennifer.

the next pic is carly, me, jennifer, christi, celeste and dina. really a great time. it was good for me to be away from the boys. i missed them but i needed some time. i have more to say. but later. i'm trying to spend less time on the computer. something i've decided i need to do.

i will say carly is one of the nicest people ever. if you haven't yet checked out scrapgal, you really need to. best service ever and carly often has things no other store does. jennifer is a riot. christi is great. celeste? where to start. love her! and dina..so talented (was guest designer for hambly last month). she is a blast. very funny. okay...need to finish grocery list. i'm shopping in the morning. we're heading out (camping for the weekend with friends) though we'll be back early sunday to attend our neighborhood's block party!

i was feeling artsy.

wanted to scrap all day yesterday. it just didn't happen. and last night (about midnight) i just couldn't take it anymore. sat down and created this. its' messy. it's child-like. it's a reminder for me. it says, 'it's okay to smile. the earth probably won't stop'. yeah..well...it was supposed to also have the word 'spinning'. lol... just didn't fit. and i didn't care. that's what art journal pages are for. to have fun. to play. to express yourself with no restraints, no limitations, no boundaries. it was fun. made my heart race. that is such a rush. SUCH a rush.

anyway...i'm off to CHA tomorrow! woot!!! hanging with some great peeps. hope to see so much (CHA and chi-town).....have lots and lots of laughs, some care-free time, some good food and hopefully a starbucks somewhere in there! i'll miss the boys and james terribly. now i must go pack. tonight i absolutely must load up on cuddles, lovies and kisses!!!

memorable birthday?

well....i would have to say my birthday that's coming up in september....it's gonna be great. it was supposed to be a surprise. and it was for a while. but really james isn't great at keeping secrets (i love you) but he did do pretty well at keeping quiet about hiding money....hmmm.....

anyway...for the last two years he's been skimming money out of bonus checks, etc., and recently purchased for the family (for my birthday specifically) a week long trip to disneyworld. it's a while away. but hey. it's something to look forward to.

what sweeter man is there in the world than one who surprises his wife (and kids) with a trip to disneyworld for her birthday. and we're doing it right. great place to stay, great places to eat, enough time so the boys can sleep when they want to and we don't feel like we have to rush rush rush. i'm really looking forward to it!

a few weeks ago james and i were in the front yard sitting together. he took out of his pocket an itinerary and handed it to me. i was confused at first....just wan't sure what it was. he had to explain it to me! then we madly started planning the remaining things that needed to be planned. we talk about it every day. the boys don't quite know what disneyworld means. but they'll find out. september will get here eventually!

irish dance anyone?

july in reno is all about artown. on an almost nightly basis there is some sort of 'art' event happening. well tonight we went to the wingfield park ampitheater and enjoyed two hours of celtic music and irish dance. my friend kathryn's two girls, ashley and emily were performing. it was a lovely evening. a late one...the boys JUST got to bed (it's 11:00)....but it was so fun to watch the girls dance. the boys ran around, danced, watched the show....it rained (for two seconds). it was cool...a nice breeze....just a fabulous summer night.

then....the instructor of the dance troop asked for volunteers to go up on stage to learn a few steps. well alexander was all over that. he was quiet about it. but i could see it in his eyes. when i was little i remember being so shy and scared that i would sit quietly and watch (so badly wanting to take part) but never doing it. so up onto the stage alexander and i went. we didn't take a camera. but nana did. and she gave it to james. there ARE some pics. just have to get them from nana. alexander had SO much fun. it was hard for me....i still suffer from being such an introvert. but it was worth my discomfort to see alexander dance, laugh and smile. i so wish i could post a pic with this...once i get them from nana.....

59 days until my birthday surprise.

59 days. better than 60. but it's still too many days.

i want to eat chocolate chip cookies. did you get that? plural. cookies. badly. so i settled and had one bite. humpf. now the question is.....can i keep myself out of the bag until they are gone? i put them in the freezer. i'm way less likely to see them if they're in the freezer. out of sight out of mind? lets hope.

now. on to the ice cream. took the boys with me to the store this morning. we needed quite a few things. well....lately the boys have been having an ice cream cone after dinner as their after dinner treat. so today they asked for more ice cream. i let them pick out 1/2 gallon each. but come on. i'm only so strong. right? one picked chocolate. hello! the other? chocolate chip. oh...yeah...we threw in some mint chocolate for good measure and a 1/2 gallon of cookei dough (totally for james). ice cream with vanilla? really not worth eating. so now i have a freezer full of ice cream and chocolate chip cookies. what i need is a padlock. yeah. that MIGHT help.

a little of this and a little of that.

had a good weekend. camping with friends. lemon drop martini (or martinis)...um...yeah....that would be plural.....played some cards....just got out of the everyday. the boys hung out with kathryn, mike, ash and em while we went to a wedding then we went back. they swam, played hard and were exhausted! nana and poppa were there. always good to see them. barbara made the most awesomely delicous choc chip cookies. oh my god. i couldn't stop eating them. it was like the flood gates had been opened!!! holy crap she's ruined me! now i need....NEED i tell you...more choc chip cookies!

james made his oh so delicious pot stickers when we got home on sunday. mmmm mmmm good!

sent in E's soccer form. he'll be playing fall soccer. found out who his teacher will be. school starts aug 27th! first grade. holy crap!

getting my hair cut and toned on wednesday. can't wait. it's tooooooooooooooooooooo long.

oh...and it's freaking HOT here. ICK. please please please please don't let me AC stop working! i should get downstairs. i'm hiding. heeheehee....the boys are downstairs with james. aaaaaaaaah. :wink:

clean and graphic or...messy?

i sometimes think making a clean page is much easier than creating my usual style of page. and this is strange because i used to think creating a clean page was much, much harder. maybe my clean page sucks and that's why it just came together. i know it's not my fave. but it has clean lines and from time to time i seem drawn to clean lines. which is just so....odd!

so i created the clean page. then created the messy page. i like the messy page. way more than the clean page. it's more me. but, as i said, from time to time i just like to mix it up a little bit and just let whatever comes out...come out...and not worry about it. so there ya have it.

had a great 4th of july. just hanging out with james and the boys. not having to do anything, be anywhere....we had a water fight...family over for a bbq....family nap....went to san rafael to watch the fireworks...it was good. talked about going to the lake but we just weren't in 'rush rush and get ready mode' so we didn't!

i'm a little late...but i've been tagged!

My roommate and I once: never really did anything with a roommate. i had one once....but we didn't really hang. it was purely for financial reasons.

never in my life have I: done drugs of any kind.

High school was : sucky. very hard time in my life. i was pretty much on my own. my parents were wrapped up in their own messy lives. my brother and i fell by the wayside.

When I'm nervous: my mouth gets really dry and my voice shakes. i hate that.

My hair is: about to get cut and conditioned. it's also the shortest it's been since i was 8.

When I was 5: my kindergarten teacher's name was mrs. springer. i still remember her. i also remember painting (easel and everything) in my kindergarten class. good stuff.

When I turn my head left: my neck hurts. my neck has been hurting since yesterday.

I should be: in bed. instead i'm going to go scrap for a while.

By this time next year: i hope there is a cure for dilated cardiomyopathy. hey. a girl can hope.

My favorite aunt is: not close with any extended family really so i don't have a fave.

I have a hard time understanding: intolerance and hatrid.

You know I like you if: i don't freak if you touch me. i've got a thing about being touched by strangers and/or people i don't know very well. ICK! i'm also very very very shy. i will be very very very quiet until i get to know you a bit. once i feel comfortable there will be no shutting me up. :wink: i think people misunderstand my being shy and think i'm rude or i don't even know...but i'm not rude. just shy!

My ideal breakfast is: i love bacon, fried eggs, omlets, english muffins, hashbrowns, pancakes....all that really really good stuff that's really really bad for you! so i rarely eat it. but when it do, it's such a treat. yum!

If you visit my home town: if you consider where i'm currently living as my hometown....if it's winter i'll take you skiing. there are some primo resorts here. if it's summer i'll take you to lake tahoe.

If you spend the night at my house: be prepared to be accosted by callie. she loves people and wants everyone to scratch her butt. woof woof. james will make you the best lemon drop....EVER. we'll scrap...laugh...eat...whatever you want!

My favorite blonde is: alexander! little freaky blonde kid. :wink:

My favorite brunette is : um....i dunno. i have always been partial to brunettes. always thought i would marry a very dark-haired guy. weird.

The animal I would like to see flying besides birds: uh.....this question takes way too much brain power!!!

I shouldn't have been: so angry at ethan today. holy moly did we have a morning!!!

Last night I: watched some of rescue me (on dvd from netflix) and went to bed way too late. i should have scrapped. i need to get all my assignments done by the 18th.

A better name for me would be: no clue. just do not....do NOT call me kim. eeks. i actually can't imagine being called anything other than kimberly. however, it's not my favorite name.

I've been told I look like: i'm not sure that i've ever been told that i look like anyone!