The Paustenbaughs

Scraplifted

This week on the Pebbles blog our assignment was to scraplift a layout from another member of the team.  I knew immediately that I wanted to scraplift talented member Mandie Pierce.  I have loved her style since before she was on the team and love what she is doing with Pebbles now too!

I chose this layout of hers to scraplift:

I took the basic design and just tweaked it a little to fit my size and amount of photos.  I decided to take the photos and story from my On The Shelf 52 Fridays post and put them into layout form for this one.

I kept my title on the top and the journaling block on the bottom of the page as Mandie did.  I swapped out the stitched leaves for Silhouette cut hearts on the side.

I had a lot of fun with this challenge/assignment and have been honored to have my work scraplifted this week as well!

Tough Conversations

Remember when your tough conversations included negotiating with your toddler about wearing the pink overalls and not the purple overalls for the FOURTH DAY IN A ROW??!!  Or eating peas versus carrots??

These are still the tough conversations with Ella at the ripe old age of 7, but for Maya, at 9.5, we have certainly moved on to the really tough conversations.  They are necessary, but tough.

I will say I am so happy that she is totally comfortable with both Terry and I to ask questions and explore possibilities in life.  I am hoping and praying we are fostering that and she will continue into that age that kids aren't quite as open and willing to sharing.

Last night dinner conversation went from what their favorite part of the day was to why kids bully.  No, thank goodness she is not being bullied, but it's a common conversation in schools these days and at home too.  One thing she said that struck me is "I can deal with a boy bully because they won't bother you for a long time, but a girl bully might".  Wow.

We talked about why kids do it, what she can do if someone does say or do mean things to her and the most important thing-we will always, always, always be there for her and go to bat for her.  Always.

I see the detrimental effects bullying has on kids. I've worked in a high school environment for most of my working career and makes my heart hurt to see the pain on kids' faces.  I know what she'll be facing and it makes me want to wrap her in a bubble until she graduates.  Kids are cruel and pre-teen and teenage girls especially are extremely cruel.  I didn't have the heart to tell her that grown women can also be cruel-very cruel.  That's for later!

I think she's feeling a bit out of sorts about the upcoming move.  She is over the moon excited, but also going into 5th grade where going to a new school goes from exciting to slightly terrifying.  And I'm pretty sure there will be many  more of these tough conversations in the upcoming months and I welcome them.  Hard to navigate and explain, but so open to having these conversations with her. 

And because I don't like photo-less posts, my sensitive, big hearted 9.5 year old:

**I promise to be back with crafty posts soon!  Working on a giant mini (oxymoron??) right now and will share next week!

52 Fridays: On The Shelf

This week's theme from The Bloom Forum 52 Fridays group is On The Shelf.  I only had to think about it for a small bit before figuring out what I wanted to do!

Once upon a time there was a toddler with just a little bit of blond hair that was in love with Elmo, or as she liked to pronounce it, "Owl-Mo".  At Target one day in the back of the shelf was this little rag doll of an Elmo and it was the very last one.  The girl loved her Elmo and I mean LOVED him!  She would sit in the mornings and drink her milk while rubbing the Elmo's "fingers".  She rubbed his fingers so much that nearly all of them wore a hole right through!  The Elmo even took a plane trip to Hawaii and was nearly lost on that trip-the girl's mother nearly cried at the thought of it!

The girl grew older and other stuffed animals joined the "inner circle" and eventually Elmo was pushed out of this friendship circle.  I think it broke the girl's parents' hearts more than her own.  The parents couldn't think of getting rid of him or even putting him in a box, so on the shelf above her bed he went. This way he could look over all the other fellas and her.  She's 9 now, but I have a feeling that Owl-Mo will be around forever!

Although sadly, poor Elmo is a bit blind these days from all the love that he got so long ago!

Now go on over to Amy Ames, Holly Springs, NC Photographer to check out her photo!!

She Beats To Her Own Drum

Today is February 1st, which means that a new gallery is up at Write.Click.Scrapbook!!  This month our theme for the gallery is music.  Love this theme! 

We aren't exactly a musical family, but love music and love to dance.

However, I took a different approach to this month since not long ago I created a layout about Maya and her love of piano.  This one was still about Maya, but also about one of the many reasons I love and respect this little girl: she is different and embraces her differences.

She has always been quirky and likes what she likes and I love that about her.  She is self conscious, but not so much that it stops her from doing what she enjoys and what makes her happy.  She definitely beats to her own drum and I think she enjoys that music!

I keep these random photos around that I know I want to scrap, yet not sure how I want to use them and what direction I want to go and they were perfect for this layout.

I also created this layout for the Ormolu blog and took one of the Fact or Fiction Dots and Spots and trimmed it down to portray sun rays against the embossed sun rays behind it.  I just love her tags and the versatility they offer for layouts and cards.  I normally end up cutting them down or using them in a different way, not because I don't like them, but because there are so many possibilities with them!

So head over and take a look at the rest of the gallery from the collective! I always love seeing how everyone interprets the theme for the month!

**Also, head over to the Ormolu blog to take part in 2 different challenges from Melanie and Stephanie.  A gift certificate and 2 Day Hooray buttons are up for grabs!!!

Busy. Exhausted. Hopeful. Thankful.

Do you have those weeks when everything happens at once and you know weeks before that it will be exhausting?  That was me/us last week.  It's like a storm that you know is coming, so you just brace yourself for it and ride the waves.

Adventures of Panty Man

Last week before our Week Of Crazed Lunacy began we had a sneak preview of the Adventures of Panty Man/Girl.  Ella is always up for something and Maya is always up for dressing her up in random outfits.  This one?  Takes the cake!  After the show we were all granted permission to receive autographs from the famous super hero.  You can't pass up an autograph because you never know when you'll see Panty Man/Girl again.

Awards Season.

After the 1st grading period marks the first round of awards season for our elementary school.  Always fun to see them be so proud, especially since it takes place in front of the morning announcements for all to see!  She was excited to be part of the first round picks!  Oh, and Panty Man/Girl was not present to receive any awards this time.

I don't do Helpless.

We've been going through several rounds of doctor visits because said award winner and Panty Girl has been having back pain for some time now.  We've already had to go through doctor visits and surgery with her before and I don't do helpless very well, especially when this is occurring:

After several x-rays and now 3 body scans they have prelimilarly diagnosed her with a stress fracture in her spine.  Apparently, according to the radiology doc it sounds worse than it is and the treatment is rest and no sports for several weeks.  We'll find out the final results on Wednesday and the treatment plan. 

I have to say there is absolutely nothing worse than sitting by and watching your child get IVs, body scans, more body scans and not being able to do a single thing about it but hold her hand.  I have a hard time with helpless.

I am so very thankful for the treatment she has received so far and that it is nothing worse than it is right now.  When a radiology technician says "um, I'll be back" your heart sinks and you prepare for horrible news.  I'm thankful for simply trying to keep this active child less active.

From Doctors to Colonial Times.

The end of the week brought more travel, but time spent with the oldest child this time down to her field trip to Jamestown and Williamsburg, VA.  She had been looking forward to this trip since last year when she knew that in 4th grade it was her turn to head down on an all day field trip.  And she was even more excited when old mom was chosen to be a chaperone!  I was excited too, but knew as I looked at my week that it was going to take pure adrenaline to get me through the day that began at 5:30 am.

 

She was a trooper and hung in there the whole time with no complaits!

Mother Nature Waits for No One.

And after that long week of meetings, activities, doc visits and field trips, we awoke to our yard looking like most everyone's around this time of year.

It's pretty, but I'm pretty sure Mother Nature doesn't care how busy and tired we were and are.  Here's to a day of rest, relaxation and adult beverages to get me through!

Time Keeper

We always tease that Maya is the adult in the familly.  She's the most serious, the most on top of things and keeps us all in line!  No, I don't mean that she is literally the parent, but we are always amazed at how naturally mature she is, and how naturally immature her dad and I are!

She has also always been our little time keeper.  She counts down how many days to special events, then the hours to those events.  As we travel on vacations and to see family she counts the hours down until we get there.

I wanted to document this about her personality, and the November kit from 3 Scrappy Boys was perfect with the Maya Road kraft clocks.

She also has the most amazing memory of any kid I know, which to me is like a time keeping mechanism in her.  She can recount vivid memories from when she was 2 and 3 years old.  She will tell us where we were, sometimes what we were wearing and many times what we were all doing.  I rely on her now to remember lots of things to remind me when I forget!

I do hope this continues for her.  Very mature, memory keeping little girl.  Yes, she also recounts the hard times too, but that's what keeps us going to make things better, right?!  That's true for her too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Never a Dull Moment

Falling Leaves and Falling Children:  Our trees are late to drop leaves, but we had round one this weekend and the girls were more than ready to play and jump.  Plus, it was too nice to be inside and we shoved them out the door.  We may or may not have locked it on the way back in.

Serious, but with 1 Liners:  Maya has always been our serious one.  Unfortunately she was born to 2 parents who don't even know how to be serious all the time.  We take it down a notch from time to time for her, but with age, she is coming over to the dark side with us.

I haven't been very good at writing down her quick one liners, but trying to do better now.

I made a new dinner on Friday and wasn't overly thrilled with it, to which Maya replies:

"You mean it isn't dancing down your throat?"

Nope, no dancing or even sashaying down my throat - love that kid!

 

Clueless Wonder: And there's Ella.  She has been known to ask us if we're moving even when the moving trucks are in the driveway.  Totally not kidding.

Having a conversation with her is both an education and a hot mess.

We were talking about upcoming weekend events that went like this:

Me: You have a party on Friday afternoon and we'll go to dad's running race on Saturday

Ella: You mean I have to miss the party to go to his race??!!!!

Mom/Dad: No, your party is Friday day, then the race is the next day.

(This goes on for a few more lines-I'll spare you)

Ella: So, your race is on Monday.

Me: Yes, it's on Monday (trying to spare us all).

Terry: Ella, what comes after Friday.

Ella: Saturday

Terry: Yes, and that's the day of my race.

Ella: So your race is on January 1st.

Both of Us: Yes, January 1st is when the race will be.

Ella: Oh good!!!  That's before my birthday!!!

I can't make this stuff up.

Never, ever a dull conversation in our house.

Sew Happy Together

She's getting older.  Changing every single day, but changing in absolutely beautiful ways.  Sure, there's the occasional eye roll as she enters tweendom, but overall she's turning into this amazing girl.  I also know our time is fleeting.  Yes, I know she's only 9, but soon she will choose to spend time with friends rather than her old mom.

This past spring we took a sewing class together and at first it was all about the sewing machine and making the purse since we had both been wanting to learn how for some time.  It ended up being some great bonding time together, from the ride up to the class, the conversation time in the class and some time walking around Historic Occoquan together.

I loved it and I know she loved it too.  I look forward to more of these special times together with both of my girls.  I've said it tons of times and will say it again:  I'm loving their ages and this stage in life.  We are having so much fun together!

I finally got around to scrapping our class together when I was asked to guest design for 3 Scrappy Boys kit club this month.  The November kit is full of really great items!  Lots of Jillibean Soup papers and stickers that were perfect for these photos!

I had a happy accident on the tag title.  I wanted to do a zigzag stitch  near the title, but the thread came out of the needle before I started and I didn't notice until the end.  I ended up just hand stitching it in the holes and I ended up liking it better!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

The girls are enjoying a 4 day weekend with teacher workdays and hoping to do something fun!

We're Animals

Well, technically 1 animal and 1 insect!

They both decided months ago that they would dress up as the pillow pets that are near and dear to their hearts that they received for Christmas last year.  They tried and tried to talk me into letting them take said pillow pets with them trick or treating, but it took me about .3 seconds to figure out who would be carrying them after just 2 houses.  Plus, then who would carry my Halloween beverage while they foraged for candy?!

A mother has her priorities you know.

This one has planned out her costumes for the next 5 years:  bunny, turtle, fish, witch, ladybug.  Let's play Sesame Street's "One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other". 

Looks like in year 3 we get tired of being cute and cuddly and move on to spells, darkness and magic.  I'm thinking the spells and darkness we have already been living through for nearly 7 years.  Perhaps she will transform herself into a good witch and take the stubborn spell away????

She reminded me that puppies also jump:

 The ladybug has not thought that far ahead and is keeping her options wide open for future costumes to come.

I mean, why limit yourself when there is always the possibility of changing your mind midway through October?  She's been known to do that-more than once.

She does make a darn cute ladybug and I believe her dad is getting the barbed wire and baseball bats ready for the front door.

I think I need to incorporate these socks into an outfit very soon:

I had good intentions for a costume, but work and life got in the way so I decided on Suburban Housewife/Mom.  Original, no?!

Puppies and ladybugs are normally friends, but there do come times when it's necessary to have a standoff.

This could get ugly people.  Both are scrappy. 

One can jump and one can fly.

 

M is for...

I'm up with a layout over at Ormolu today.  No rhyme or reason to this layout or "theme", but just a mix of various products put together. 

I just started putting things together and lucky for me the Ormolu's lines complement so well that it just seemed to work and I just kept going!  I'm certainly not saying this is a masterpiece, but just that things come together more easily with these fun tags and flair!

I'm thankful it came together easily because I've been in a low creative funk.  We all have those weeks, days or months and I know my mojo will find it's way back home, but for now, pages are a little harder to get completed.  If someone could send some creative juice my way then I would be forever grateful!

Now, the other thing we need to point out: this layout essentially has no title.  I know I should just say it was intentional and I was using a play on the initial, but quite honestly when I uploaded my photos I looked at them and said "well, sh&*".  Luckily no little people were around to hear me!  I nearly got the layout back out to add something, but then decided I would use the embellished "M" as the title.

See?  Mojo has taken an extended vacation. 

You know I'll find it next week when I have a super busy week and my mother-in-law visiting, so little time for creating-hrmph.