Harry Potter Heaven

Josef won an amazing Harry Potter prize pack from Womans Day magazine! He is so over the moon with his new things.
He got
A Playstation 2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix game
Harry's book - its a gorgeous blank book
A fountain pen and ink
2 movie passes
The movie soundtrack
A poster
A leather satchel bag
4 mini badges
A snake pen
A sweat shirt (he gave to Ash - because she was soooo jealous - and it was way to big for him)
A Dumbledores Army tshirt
Harry's Quidditch tanktop
A Hogworts keyring
Some skin tattoos
A Ministry of Magic cap.

This has made his Harry Potter heart very happy!!

Hybrid Scrapbooking

That seems to be my cup of tea these days - I'm in love with all the free digital downloads available on the internet and even had a go at digital scrapbooking but found I much rather have my hands on something, then add in the fact that I like a hard copy of my efforts and the thought of trying to print something in 12x12 format is a little out of my realm of expertise I think! One big bonus about digital is you never ever run out of your favourite embellishment!
because I love to print digital stuff out and I love to add digital elements to my photos then print them - and then I put the whole lot together on a page along with traditional papers and embellishments I am evolving into a hybrid scrapbooker! Scrapjazz has a neat explanation of what hybrid scrapbooking is all about - click here. Its easy to do - and I don't use Photo Shop or any fancy programmes - I use the basic Picture It that came with my computer.
Anyway while I'm on the subject of scrapbooking (gee how did that happen?) - this is what I have been creating lately....I have 2 layouts on the go on my desk and ideas going around and around my head- my mojo went on a mini holiday I think and has come home to me!! I'm a sucker for sketches and I have been trying to learn to adapt them to my - rather than straight copy the sketch.

On Monday we went to Boys High for the Open Night - WOW!! That school is huge and it is going to swallow my little boy up! Josef loved it though, he loved the science labs and the computer rooms. He loved the whole thing and now he cant wait to go there!!
Leo wants to go to the Verdon open day on Sunday - I'm not keen - I had such a terrible experience with this school when Ash was there that I just don't want anything more to do with it. Leo wants me to keep an open mind, he reminds me of my own words - that is not just the school but the child as well that will determined how well they do. I know of dozens and dozens of parents who will say Verdon is the best school. But when Ash was there they let me down, she was trouble with a capital T and she skipped school a lot - but it took them nearly 6 months to tell me this fact! All the time I was dropping her off at the gates and picking her up, and they couldnt tell me she wasn't actually going!! When I confronted this issue they politely told me that I was very difficult to contact - with having a hearing problem! They had Leo's cell number!! I felt they were negligent, she was their responsibility from 9am to 3pm. We were having problems at home at the time with Ash and I was taking comfort in the fact that at least she was till in school.
Now I just couldnt send my son there - he is quite deaf - will they bother trying to teach him - or would that be to 'difficult' for them?
Whoa - that was a major rant!! Just pat me on the head and say "there, there" - LOL.
Anyway I told Leo he can take Josef to Verdon for a looksee - but Josef and I have already decided - he is going to Boys High. We will just humour Leo.
(I hope I am not made to eat my words and Josef ends up at Verdon - unfortunately Invercargill is subject to zoning and we are just slightly out of the Boys High zone - but we spoke to the rector and he is quietly confident Josef will be accepted)

Education is our passport to the future,
for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.
(Malcom X)

Ohhhhh Jack....

I wasn't sure if I was going to do this Jack - it was way cool - but so totally out of my comfort zone.
I cant seem to get as creatively creative as the others do - when I put to much on a page it bugs me - but I like it when others do it - go figure!!
Any way here is what I did just for the fun of it...

A dog thinks: Hey, these people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me...
They must be gods!
A cat thinks: Hey, these people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me...
I must be a god!

Jess and the Helicopter

Leo had to fly over to Stewart Island on Friday and change some batteries. Because it was going to be a quick trip he decided to take Jessica with him. It was Jessica's first time in a helicopter and when I dropped her off at the hanger she was a little nervous -but they were in a rush so she was whipped off and buckled in before she could say "Boo." According to Jessica it was great fun! She enjoyed flying over the ocean and while they were changing the batteries on the Maritime NZ radio site Jess was collecting rocks!She thoroughly enjoyed this special experience with her dad. I think we are lucky that Leo's job is such that occasionally we can go places with him that we normally wouldn't be able to go. Although we are very disappointed that his new work truck has no back seats, as that has meant the end of travelling to Queenstown and up mountains with him.

I have been having a bit of fun playing around with Picture It! and a few of the most yummy free digital downloads I have come across on the internet. I was going to try my hand at digital scrapbooking but it just never grew on me. But I do love to alter photos then print them out.

As for paper scrapbooking I only had the chance to be creative on Saturday night. I cant believe how difficult it has been for me to get the chance or the motivation to scrapbook. I'm heading off to my scrapbook room now but I bet I potter - I do that so well.
On Saturday Leo, Ash, Steven, Josef and Jessica and Josef's mate Brayden went to see Harry Potter. Because I don't go to the movies it seemed ideal that I have my first real stint as a babysitter - LOL. Brooke and I went out to visit Michelle. Brooke was such a solemn wee thing while we were there but she manged this gorgeous wee grin when Michelle whipped out the camera.

The earth belongs to anyone who stops for a moment, gazes, and goes on his way. (Colette)

I got my tickets for SENZ

YAY!! I'm so excited to be going. I got the 3 day pass and the airplane tickets. I have to try to save a little spending $$. Now I just have to count down the days till October! I'm such an impatient creature - lol!
I was trying to create an avatar before and discovered a neat wee site that made me into a book cover - a romance cover to boot! I also found one that lets me write a newspaper article - will have to try that at a later date! I needed the avatar to update mine on the SE forums. Michele had challenged us to 'show ourselves' hmmmm.... LOL - anyway I couldnt for the life of me figure out how to get my picture smaller than 6kb! So I googled! Wonderful creation Google. I can find anything I want and so quickly. Of course you do tend to find lots of distracting, useless, neat sites as well - but that I think is part of the beauty of the World Wide Web!
This is my layout for the July 07 challenge over at SE. I'm circle nutty at the moment and have added to my wishlist a big circle cutter - not a coluzzle but the big ones I've seen in the magazines.

Take a minute for Jessica tonight - her mouse died this morning. She is pretty unhappy about it and has said no more mice! (thank goodness) . She doesn't like the idea of pets at the moment - they are so 'fickle'. Her kitten is being Leo's shadow at the moment. At least the fish are impartial.

When a Pet Dies

When a pet dies, that special place in our hearts
feels so empty...
But we realize, as time passes, that animals have
a way of teaching us about loving, about
loyalty, joy, and friendship...
And whatever we've shared in their presence can never
really be lost.

Unknown

Jack Frost has been visiting

I woke up this morning and the world outside my windows was a frosty white vision! It looks so gorgeous. I ran outside to check the birdbath and it has a solid sheet of ice in it - perfect for the fairies that want to go ice skating. Because of the low cloud that is hanging around its nearly 2 o'clock in the afternoon and still everything is frozen solid. Leo is wandering around outside looking mournful. He wants to do things but its to cold to take his hands out of his pockets - LOL!
Its been one of those weeks where life has taken me way up and way down. The kids are home for the school holidays and even though I am only working mornings - its the first time I haven't been able to make plans to do things with the kids. Yes they both old enough to entertain themselves - but I feel like I'm forgetting something - or missing something. Its definitely a weird feeling and one that will take me a while to get used to I guess.I'm sure I've told you about our Kitten, Tigger - he is a real character - I found him and Jess playing and had to snap this picture - what a poser - he loved being pushed around.
My printer/scanner has done an update!! Go figure! It connected to the internet and now has a new user interface.
Sometimes I wish I could plug myself into the internet and get a new interface - or at least a few updates - LOL!!
When I was younger my parents had two tv sets. One was in the living room that we watched a grand total of 2 TV channels on. My parents had a smaller black and white tv in their bedroom. At 6pm on weeknights Mum and Dad would watch the news on TV1 and my sisters and I were allowed to go into our parents room and watch whatever was on TV2. We grew up watching reruns of Happy Days and MASH. MASH was a firm favourite for me. I loved that programme and Alan Alda has long been one of my favourite actors. Leo and I have just bought the entire series on DVD and have been watching episodes when we have time to sit together. What a TRIP! This is a show that could make me laugh out loud and cry in the same episode. 11 seasons I have here and I'm enjoying every episode. If you liked MASH - I like this site - a neat wee bit of trivia here. The 4077th Home Page.

This is the only scrapbooking I have done this week!! I'm afraid its just way way way to cold to venture into my conservatory, and my gas heater is out of gas - lol! I've filled the bottle so fingers crossed I get something a little creative done this week.
Hawkeye: War isn't Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse.
Father Mulcahy: How do you figure, Hawkeye?
Hawkeye: Easy, Father. Tell me, who goes to Hell?
Father Mulcahy: Sinners, I believe.
Hawkeye: Exactly. There are no innocent bystanders in Hell. War is chalk full of them - little kids, cripples, old ladies. In fact, except for some of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander.

Now thats "LIFE"

Now how cool is it to have a dull moment in a dreary day - flick on the computer - go to your favourite Scrapbook site - Scrapbook Essentials :O) and discover you have won a challenge? If that is not the perfect pick me up I dont know what is - LOL! Heck even the sun decided to try and come out after that. The challenge was No Kids Allowed and my "life" layout won me a whole heap of praise!
I loath winter, every year I get the 'blues' and struggle to find motivation to meet goals. Winter to me is a cold, dirty season. I'm afraid my hometown doesn't put on a spectacular show for this season. A couple of hours out of town it at least has the decency to snow - which in turn is pretty - I know its cold - but at least you get something to show for the cold! Here it rains, blows, sleets, slushes, freezes and everything turns to mud! The sky turns heavy with thick clouds and smoke from fires. Rooms become damp and chills settle into bones. My home is a haven over winter, we have installed both a DVS system and a room to room heat transfer system. No more wet windows and the bedrooms, while not toasty - they are warm enough to dress without risk of hypothermia. But some of the homes I work in the bedrooms are ice chillers! I work for elderly people and it makes me so sad to see them huddled over a heater when I arrive.
BUT!! The shortest day has been and gone - so roll on Spring - I love spring - at least the mud had purpose - it means the ground has thawed a little - LOL! New life and all the gorgeous bulbs that will pop up - hmmmm....
It might sound a little weird after nutting about Winter - but my favourite season is Autumn. I love the colours of autumn and down here we get warm autumns - last year we had quite a number of "Indian Summer" days - it was wetter than usual though!
LOL - well that was an unexpected wee rant about the weather!
Josef's class has been studying the 1930's and 1940's schooling. Josef has just loved it! For the last day of the school term his class had a mufti day and had to come dressed as students from the olden days. They had spent a week being educated as they would have back then and had a blast! I popped over to his classroom to take some photos and got treated to some blackball lollies - yummy - I havent had those in years. Josef's teacher provided lunch and Josef was so not impressed to get a milo - but with no sugar! He likes a little sugar - lol!

I was quite impressed with the kids likes and dislikes about the schooling in the years 1930/40's.Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way
Mary Hopkins