Hard day at the office...

Today for many reasons, has been a really challenging day for me and I am glad that it is nearly over. Usually, I try to think of the positives in everything and rarely go into depth about the negatives, but I've been so upset today that I feel journaling will help me move on.

Archie started to become really hard work the week that Marcus was home (last week)- we both noticed it and I guess we hoped he would improve and be ok, as he usually is great when Marcus leaves.
But this time has been very different and he has really turned on me. No matter what I say, he yells at me and it is breaking my heart. Jac has seen him in action this week and she too is amazed how terrible his attitude towards me has been, at a mere 3 years of age.

I want my gorgeous little boy back, the little Archie that always used his manners and gave me cuddles just 'cause he wanted to. I want my happy go lucky Archie back, the one that has that cute chuckle that melts my heart, not breaks my heart.

I know that deep down it is partly our fault; he is quite mature for his age and all that he must handle- we can't expect him to adjust perfectly every time Marcus goes, even though he pretty much has up until now. He adores his Dad and it is evident that he is missing him oh so much at the moment. So much so, that I think I am copping the brunt of his longing for Marcus. Bless you buddy, I miss your Dad like crazy too.
But how do I approach his behaviour and get him to understand that he is hurting me? Easier said than done, that's for sure... I've tried ignoring him; having chats like 2 adults about feelings; yelling back; sending him to his room and giving him my full attention when Lily is asleep and it is all failing me big time.
I thought that maybe when he was in his room this morning I could storm in with Marcus on the phone, telling him that "Daddy can hear everything you are saying to me in America!"... Marcus spoke to him sternly and he sounded a little threatened and regretful and we thought it might do the trick. But half an hour later, he flips over the tiniest incident and world war 3 is on again.

Oh Archie, you really are breaking my heart and I hope that you will improve in the very near future, as it can't keep going like this. I know some Mums have kids that test them every day, so I must think of this and be grateful that this is my real first major test- he is healthy and on the whole, an amazing little man that I love to bits, but geez... you are dynamite at the moment! I am sure tomorrow will be a better day...

As much as I know traveling with Marcus will be a whole new challenge in itself- I am really looking forward to our time together as a family and having Marcus around to help with discipline issues on a day to day basis. Maybe that is what he needs, a little more stability from us...

I had just about had enough at around 5pm this evening, so I decided to head outside and take a few photos, which might sound a little crazy, but the kids love outside and it seemed to make Archie a happier boy and Lily loves watching him... and I too automatically felt better about things- my camera is my saviour, a way for me to escape my somewhat small dramas and feel alive and happy again. Here are a few snaps that I am grateful for of the cherubs.

Daddy's back :-)

Today I thought I would start with a picture that means so much to me... it speaks volumes and needs no words but whilst my thoughts are fresh, I will share them. I quickly grabbed my iphone this morning and managed to take this photo just as they had left our house for Kinder. Archie was so excited that 'Daddy' was going to take him and I think Marcus was quielty just as stoked. They have a great bond, I just love watching my boys. It can't be easy for either whilst Marcus is away, but they manage to have great chats on Skype and simply continue where they left off whenever he returns. I love how Archie's head is tilted slightly, just making sure Marcus is listening to his every word. It is days like this where I feel we are lucky that Marcus can be involved in his daily activities. Yes, he might miss many things, but when he is home, we are fortunate that he can work his golf schedule around us and I like that very much.

It has been a month since Marcus was home last but it has really flown. He had a really consistent trip, making all 4 cuts and finishing strong in India in his last week, tied 4th. Good results definitely make it all worth while. He has been training hard this year and really determined to stay in the top 100, with a goal of top 50 in the near future. I have no doubt he can do it- I am of course a biased wife, but I think he prepares well and he seems to have a good balance between golf, family and other interests which is so important. We will head to Europe this year for around 3 months, I am really looking forward to it and I am sure it will be a huge adventure for the kids, more zoos!

Lily has changed a lot in the last month and she was giving her best smiles this morning when she had cuddles with Daddy. She is sitting up so well now; still loves her tummy though and moving off the mat most days; she loves dropping things and getting me to pick them up; she loves bopping her head , so much so that I worry she will hurt herself; she is a great sleeper both day and night, having 2 good 1-2hr day sleeps and then punching out nearly 12 hrs at night, it is incredible- Archie was never this good! I keep waiting for it to turn pear-shaped as we are mighty lucky to have two sleeping through the night... Poor Archie, I'm sure he wasn't that bad, the little munchkin! I do remember quite clearly having a shocking few weeks around his 8th month but the rest is quite blurry ... I wish I was more thorough with my journal writing with him as an infant to compare them both- it's going to be a challenge to back track to do a proper baby book for him.

As for creativity, I have done a little here and there at night and Project Life is going along nicely, though I have been a little into MKR and now Revenge on tv! Here are a few things I have completed:

A photo wall mixed with a range of photos that I hope to change often. I have changed from Green and Teal to Orange and Teal and loving the bright, happy orange, so I inlcuded a few embellishments in the frames to co-ordinate.

Another 6x12 extra page for Project Life- I can write so much more and love adding them to the album- this has been created in Photoshop, printed and then a flower and no.7 added on top.
And below, another extra page after a photo shoot with the cherubs. Click on the photos to enlarge.

Well, that might have to do for now, we have a very busy week ahead, starting tonight- I am off to an Italian cooking class tonight with Kath and Robyn, Yummo! I am also doing a photography class this weekend, so I hope I can share some tips and really improve my photos, can't wait for that! xoxo

Project Life update

With Marcus still away and Archie having a week in Corowa, I managed to get quite a bit done around the house- first priority was book work for Marcus; cooking and then I was free to have a play in the study!
Here's what I've done so far:

The first entry of 3 pages is from our holiday down Blairgowrie- we had a nice relaxing break together, with a few family visitors.

Miss Lily had her first dip in the ocean... love those cute teeny tiny toes! Iadded the text in Photoshop before printing & then added a journal filler card & buttons to dress it up.

I'm loving incorporating iphone pics from various apps, they come out really well. Also love seeing Marcus having a beer & relaxing- I had a drinking buddy for once!

The following spread was from Archie's Birthday- a slight red theme once again!

I added the extra half page with Archie's Q & A's, completed in Photoshop, with some tape ribbon stuck on top.

We then had a family outing just before Marcus left, it was down in Frankston at the Sand sculpting- it was amazing, we may have even liked it more than Archie!

And with that, I am nearly up to date. As you can see, some weeks I have made a lot more effort than others, but it really doesn't matter what one does, so long as the stories get told.

I'm still loving Project Life, who else is in??!!

Archie turns Three...

It is hard to believe that my baby is now 3... it has just gone so fast and been an amazing journey watching him grow from baby to toddler and now to a little Boy, full of life and laughter. We have such wonderful chats now and he interacts with absolutely everyone he passes by... just waiting for a Hello. He is very confident talking to adults and children alike, with a preference being for a play with just a couple of quieter children.
I wonder who he will grow up to be and what he will do... Whatever it may be, I am sure he will charm his way out of trouble and cruise along!
He had a great Birthday on Sunday, riding (or attempting to) his new Lightning McQueen Bike all morning. We then had his cousins and immediate family over for cake and a play which he loved.

I asked him a few questions, thinking he may not be able to answer them completely, but he surprised me once again, reminiscing about a few things such as our holidays and the Titles of his favourite books.
Below is a Q & A page I created and have popped in my Project Life album for a laugh in the future (click to see larger version).

Archie, you are a bundle of smiles and endless energy- us adults could learn a thing or two from you and your approach to living life to the fullest...Love you like I never thought possible xoxoxo

Project Life 2012

Although I haven't quite finished my 2011 Album (still have around 6 weeks to complete), I am ready and raring to go for 2012!
I found my 2011 approach of documenting events as opposed to a weekly/daily basis suited me well. Some weeks are very busy and I have heaps to add, but other weeks are quiet and it may be more than a week before I put anything in the album. I have one album full and will most likely spread it over 2, given that the last 6 weeks were very busy with lots to add.
Here is my title page for 2012:

Becky Higgins is the genious behind Project Life and has produced 2 design ranges this year- I went with the 'Clementine' Orange Album and already, I love it! I had a little play with my stash; used some digital stamps and brushes from Ali Edwards on the photos before printing them and daddah! A nice bright, fresh start to the new year.
Below are more detailed shots of a couple of cards:

I used 3 cards from the range and added on 2012 from the Thickers Alpha range. Orange is my colour this year, from Lily's room to cushions... I'm loving it!

I thought the camera was perfect for me- I am a bit partial to a photo or two! The number 4 represents our family and the brads are from my stash.

I then used the same Thickers alpha range and stamped the cherubs names. I then thought it could be handy to stamp a few journal cards from the kit with their names on them as, let's be honest... the whole album is all about them! So I know have them ready to grab to write down those funny quotes from Archie and Lily's milestones. Only took 5 minutes, but they will add my personal touch to the album.

Once again, my album will be smothered in photos more than anything and that is how I like it. I may add a bit more bling this year, but I am not going to get stressed if I don't... I just really want to get the important bits in and they are the photos with a few notes to boot. I think if I stick to this goal, I may have time to attack baby albums and other numerous projects I dream of doing.
Hopefully, I can post a few pages here and there and encourage more of you to try it... but be warned... it's highly addictive!
'Til next time...

Tags: [tags]Becky Higgins, Ali Edwards[/tags]

December Daily update

I can't tell you how much I am enjoying this little project and how much I am learning in Photoshop, just love it!
I am still keeping the pages quite simple and may add to the pages later, but for now it's all about the photos and I am happy with that. The pages below are straight from photoshop. I have then printed them here at home, trimmed them to fit the album and I may add a little sparkle to them as I go...
Here are a few more days that I have completed:

December 3

We had a great afternoon/evening out at Brent and Michelle's place at Sanctuary Lakes, where they had a Christmas party, with fireworks and all. Needless to say, Archie had a ball and even though it was way past his bed time, the fireworks were awesome. Brent is so good with him, I can see Archie will turn to him more and more as he gets older.

December 4
I am yet to finish this page... coming soon!

December 5

We finally got around to putting the tree up! Was lots of fun... I am loving this age with Archie, he is getting the hang of this Christmas stuff... and understands Santa bribes now too, ha!

December 6

This photo just makes me smile... so happy to be together again for the next 6 weeks. Lily and Marcus will have lots of good bonding time together- lovely watching them interact xoxo
There you have it... I am nearly keeping up with it... but I won't speak too soon lol

December Daily

It's been a while since I have had a 'Creative' post... but the last few weeks I have had a surge of evening energy to get going again! I have had lots of projects happening- Project Life Album, Lily's Baby Book, Thank you cards, Christmas Decorations and lastly, December Daily. Ever since I found out about Ali Edwards last year, I have been in awe of everything she creates. Her simplicity is right up my alley. So this Christmas I am attempting a December Daily Album. Everyday day in December, I will create a page & hopefully, by the end of the month, I will have an album to share full of memories. It is a massive task to find time every day to do this, but I am making it as simple as possible and just getting it onto paper... maybe if I have time later, I can add embellishments etc to the pages, but for now I will be over the moon if i can just complete it! Every day I will focus on just one story and document that. Sometimes it will be just a photo, maybe a simple stamp and that's it. Other days, I will journal with photos... what ever takes my fancy really. Most days will have a christmas influence, but not always- whatever is special for that day. I have found a big love for digital scrapping and can forsee that I will create most pages this way.
Already, I am 2 days behind, but I am so excited about this project now that Archie is right into Christmas, I hope I can keep the momentum going... so here goes... what I have created so far...

This is my front cover which I made cutting and staining mdf wood. Once the pages are complete, I will bind it by drilling 2 or 3 rings in left side. I have a box full of bits & pieces to add onto the pages and have decided to go with a red/brown theme.

This is the inside cover- a quick template of photos taken on my iphone...
December 1st

Then this is the first page- I am not 100% happy with it, but i will probably be like that every day...
I just have to move onto the next day and if time permits, I may come back and add extra notes about what she is doing @ 5 months (like cutting 2 teeth as I write!) The photo I love and it speaks more than words... her gorgeous blue eyes and chilled persona... she is one sweet bubba.

December 2nd

Once again, a simple design using iphone photos that I will add to once I am finished the project.

I am nearly finished with the weekends and might even try finish tonights' too... will see how the energy goes in next few hours. Poor Marcus, he has just arrived home tonight and here I am in the study!

Til next time...