WOOHOO! NEWSFLASH!

All three boys

Connor, Daniel and big little school boy ....Jarred!

I love them dearly and am so proud of my greatest master pieces!

(Daniel taking the lead in the three amigo's recreation! LOL)

My youngest darling went off to school this morning without a backward step, happy as! Not WOOHOO'ing that he's gone...just that he went so very well, so grown up and ready for the fun.

Truth be know absolutely no separation anxiety here. I a huge hall , where all the nervous parents and kindy kids were waiting before going into their classes, he literally crossed the floor so to speak. One minute we were sitting patiently, next minute he's off all excited and cheering to see a preschool mate. Took his bag with him and went to go and sit with one of his preschool friends and his dad! Leaving my husband and I red face sitting together wondering what we ever worried about! Other parents were trying to stop themselves from LOL !!!

That's Jarred for you ...theatrical, fearless and outgoing! He'll be CEO of multimillion dollar company before we know it....or a talk show host (hey Oprah earns a nice living!). AWWW okay we'll settle for the moment on conquering kindy ....he's got plenty of time before he takes on the world! LOL I was, though, I have to say so proud of him...he looked so handsome ...okay no Kleenex moments here, not doing it! I'm being tough, goodness knows 12 years of stay at home parenting should have at least taught me that! LOL

I have more excitement to share ....... Scrapbook Creations are publishing one of my favourite layouts of Daniel. I feel I've achieved a personal milestone ... published layouts and or work, in each of the big three......Scrapbooking Memories, For Keeps and now Scrapbook Creations!

It going to be in issue 66 "the artist within" theme. The actually accepted two layouts accidentally for the same theme . I am so glad they went with the one they did because Daniel will get such a thrill out of seeing himself. Now I'm of to work on getting Connor published, cant have two without three! Standby for my new blog specifically for displaying my work its called http://passion82create.blogspot.com/

HAVE A GREAT DAY :)

CHECK THIS OUT.....

http://www.thethreadstudio.com/catexperiment/exptframe.htm

I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SHOP!!!!! HAD TO SHARE!

ON THE SOAPBOX!!!

I thought I'd give my profile a little makeover this evening. You know a quick little update for the new year. Hours later, after writing and rewriting, after taking all my attempts at humour out... I realised I write, on occasion, like I talk! ALOT!... ( oh yea now you'll all leave comments I bet! LOL)

1,200 characters .. phooey to you blog!

So I may regret posting this as I often do late at night, after a frustrating computer moment but here's version 582 of the whittled away profile you see in the column to your left..... ( and yes mum I have spell checked it! LOL)

Scrappychick's my username, or the name I use if you don't like my work, but my real identity is that of Marcy Smith! Wife and SAHM mum to three wild wonderful, crazy beautiful boys, Jarred 5, Connor 7 and Daniel 11! Forget what you think you know about raising boys...mine are the cute, cuddly, smart as variety but often life in our household resembles a cross between that reality show with the nanny, men behaving badly and survivor! With my boys demonstrating their ever increasing ability to outwit, outplay and out last the rest of us!

Where do I fit in, well, I have been told on occasion I'm a bit arty farty. A badge I've learnt to wear with pride and joy! I am a giver and as much as I enjoy the art process I get just as much if not more back if someone enjoys what I have done. In getting in touch with my "artness" I've started to create art journals thanks to Vivian Bonders introduction I cannot believe the beautiful world I have been shown, one with no boundaries or rules. Full of rich colour, textures and ultimately the freedom to express what I feel, think and see. To find and define my creative passion

So there I am in a nut(ty) shell....I'm a devoted wife and mum, a self confessed addicted scrapbooker and papercraft artist,(my mother used to say... its like I've joined a cult! LOL) with delusions of published grandeur!!! I guess for now I'm in a happy place, creating with love, for the good of my soul and for the enjoyment of family and friends.

This year begins a new chapter for all of us, beginning with our youngest starting school! I am excited to see him learn and grow. I'm also looking forward to having a little more freedom to learn, grow and seek out new challenges! Who knows what possibilities lay ahead in the beautiful year ahead of us! This feels like the year to grasp life with both hands. (or at least to watch the midday movie a bit more often! LOL)

THANKS FOR STOPPIN' BY AND SHARING THE SMITH FAMILY ADVENTURES :)

PS I'm a comment junkie! I like lots of lovely, laughable feedback! but I will settle for constructive criticism (...as long as its not from immediate family! I've already bought your xmas presents off the clearance tables and they're non refundable! LOL)
So go crazy! I'd love to read whatever comes into your mind!

Okay pretend I didnt skip a week or two ( I'll go back eventually!LOL)

I just had to share this just finished journal for my darling sister who owns a graphic design business (which means she probably likes clean lines and perfect design?....whoops I give her fluff and grunge!) Anywho, it grew a life of its own and it is my first altered book so I'm pleasently surprized with how it turned out.. Sorry about the pictures the batteries always decide to give up when you want to photograph something you've worked every night for a week on! GRRRR
So whadya think? be brutal leave a comment a little voice keeps saying havent you ever heard "less is more" ? RAOTFL .....thats like telling me to be quiet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DOIN' WHAT THE COOL KIDS DO!

A few of my friends are doing the POTD challenge (photo of the day) which involves taking a photo a day for the year to get a scrapshot er...um... I mean a snapshot of the everyday for a year. I've decided to create my own little version called... 7 SNAP SHOTS OF THE WEEK THAT WAS! (cause I couldn't think of a longer title! :))

I know me better than anyone and I wouldn't adhere to a daily post. LOL

So to prevent a perpetual apology ever blog entry I'm going to give this version a go.

I'm thinking it'll be a Monday morning wrap up of the week that was in the Smith household.

I didn't take

alot of decent pic's

this week but here goes...

DEFINITELY COOL FUN....SAFE?

As my mother and her mother before her would have said ...

"You just dont see the danger, like I do" . Ah yep I do.

Well their Dad, bless him, thought it up and touch wood no accidents ...yet.

This "Remote control motorbike with a rider on it" was on the list and Jarred nearly turned inside out when he opened it and realised it "was on the list"

Everyone makes aliens on new years day? DONT THEY?

But first.....

before you can indulge in the alien making you must create the rocket ships for them to fly ...oh and the three storey space station!!!

Whippin' up a few extra terrestrials, out in the shed.

How did Santa know....this is a boys dream!

UH-OH!

looks like Daniel's had a brainwave

as he announces, he is now... DOCTOR DAN!

"NURSE CONNOR WHERES MY SCALPEL?! "

Yet again proving I am indeed a Mother of three boys cries of glee erupt at the suggestion we make the aliens with red glitter guts! (AHEM!)

Then for something all together different....

A DAY OUT IN ALBURY/WODONGA

We visited the war memorial and I must say it is one of the most impressive I've seen. Constucted on a massive hill overlooking town the monument itself is huge, and alot of thought has gone into how it has honoured each soldier with individual plaques circling the epitafe, Their Name rank, where the fought and their age. It really was moving as we looked at some of the names the boys were quite solomn and reflective as they considered each solider and how old they weren't and would never be.

The view was amazing from the top of the hill, and stretched out for kilometers across the Valley bellow and the winding Murray River.

Everyone laughed when we said we went for a drive to Albury, as its not that far away. I guess it doesnt sound like adventurous school holiday fun, but we had a ball. The boys havent stopped talking about their big lunch out at the commercial Club (like we dont feed them?!...we do but usually not in public! LOL) and the shops were huge many and brilliant (esp. Spotlight ...I got in so much trouble! Cant wait to go back!)

Apparently they have a ten pin bowling alley so we are going back another day of the holidays to give the boys their first bowl that doesn't involve the Wii! I think they might be shocked to find out that its not as easy as it seems on a video game!

CHRISTMAS....HERE N GONE

Pretty low key but lovely christmas here in smithsville! The Ballard Grandparents had a sleepover christmas eve, which the kids were exstatic about! Dad (Pa) and Dave had a couple of brown lemonades at the local. Then Mum (ma) and Marc took a long drive to everywhere to look at the lights while major construction began on the new trampoline in the backyard!

Kids in bed by midnight and off I go into the backyard to check on the construction progress....OMG! .... there was a lunar eclipse in my backyard!

I wish someone who spoke in feet had come shopping with me .....14 foot is er... um... rather large! Yessum when marcy stuffs up she does it big time! LOL

The kids were RAPT!!!!

It probably could of looked smaller ....

if we werent still putting it together at 2.30am !!!

Dave was one determined dedicated dad! I was very proud off him!!!

Then the whole santa presents thing, there was lots of delighted screams "that was just what I wanted!" (phew!LOL) That is definately the best bit :)

Just checkin it all out (eg who's is that big one thinks jarred!) ...

the calm before the wrapping paper storm!

then

the little big one....

and we've been WIIing ever since!!!