This is my last post to this blog - I am moving.
Change can be good, but it can also bring mixed emotions. For me it is leaving Inkin' Paper Dolls which was inspired by my grandmother who called her favorite gals, "Dolls." I still love the "Dolls" part of my identity, but the Inkin Paper aspect no longer reflects what I am all about.
My new digs will be www.storysavers.blogspot.com. They better reflect my new plan for my CTMH business moving forward. Come check me out soon.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Guess What I Lost Today!
Yes, I have used this statement with my husband several times during the first week of my vacation without him but with my son.
Here are the top 3 reasons why I should not vacation as a single parent (ie, things I have lost on my first week of vacation):
1. My Car Keys
After checking out of my LA hotel and before checking into my San Diego hotel, we spent the day at Legoland. As the park closed at 8 pm, son and I headed to car. However, I no longer had the car keys. I LOST them sometime during the day at the park. No keys turned into lost and found, no change of clothes for tomorrow, and dying cell phone. Since it was late, all the rental car companies were closed, Toyota could not make me a key that night, and the only hotel in walking distance was an overpriced Sheraton (never mind that my hotel in San Diego was prepaid). Fortunately, a VERY NICE family took pity on us and drove us to the local outlet mall for clothes. It was located across the street from a Holiday Inn who had a room waiting for us. FORTUNATELY, Legoland's landscapers found my key and Holiday Inn drove me back to Legoland! Saved from a very expensive resolution!!
2. My Son's 5 day Legoland Ticket (after 3 days at the park)
Since I like to make the most of my time at the amusement parks, I am the one family member willing to be there from open to close - no matter how many hours that is. So since my son was such a good sport, I treated him to a nice restaurant dinner and tic-tac-toe at 8:30 at night. I warned the hostess that he might not make the Friday night 25 minute wait for a table. She was good enough to get us to a table in 5 minutes. So after a few rounds of tic-tac-toe (played on the back side of our Legoland ticket) and eating half of his dinner, he was out like a light. Wish I could remember the last time I ate dinner in a restaurant without my son sleeping on my lap. Anyway, our waitress was good enough to wrap up his dinner and my undelivered meal. I scooped up the two meals, my backpack and the sleeping boy. But what did I choose to not take with us? His kid's menu and our tic-tac-toe games, aka our Legoland ticket!
3. My Son (please don't let CPS know)
So I did not really lose him, and I did get him back. Good new is that he knew his father's phone number to give to security to call. Bad new is that his father knew I lost him. Not something we really need to dwell on. Taking responsibility for it and it just adds to my list of reasons that bickering with DH over who long we need to stay at a park looks better than my history of losing people and things when he does not vacation with me! Of course, ask him about how many times our DD hurt herself on the same day (again, please don't let CPS know).
Here is to not adding to this list!
Here is my second Universal Studios layout completed while on vacation (posted in next post).
Here are the top 3 reasons why I should not vacation as a single parent (ie, things I have lost on my first week of vacation):
1. My Car Keys
After checking out of my LA hotel and before checking into my San Diego hotel, we spent the day at Legoland. As the park closed at 8 pm, son and I headed to car. However, I no longer had the car keys. I LOST them sometime during the day at the park. No keys turned into lost and found, no change of clothes for tomorrow, and dying cell phone. Since it was late, all the rental car companies were closed, Toyota could not make me a key that night, and the only hotel in walking distance was an overpriced Sheraton (never mind that my hotel in San Diego was prepaid). Fortunately, a VERY NICE family took pity on us and drove us to the local outlet mall for clothes. It was located across the street from a Holiday Inn who had a room waiting for us. FORTUNATELY, Legoland's landscapers found my key and Holiday Inn drove me back to Legoland! Saved from a very expensive resolution!!
2. My Son's 5 day Legoland Ticket (after 3 days at the park)
Since I like to make the most of my time at the amusement parks, I am the one family member willing to be there from open to close - no matter how many hours that is. So since my son was such a good sport, I treated him to a nice restaurant dinner and tic-tac-toe at 8:30 at night. I warned the hostess that he might not make the Friday night 25 minute wait for a table. She was good enough to get us to a table in 5 minutes. So after a few rounds of tic-tac-toe (played on the back side of our Legoland ticket) and eating half of his dinner, he was out like a light. Wish I could remember the last time I ate dinner in a restaurant without my son sleeping on my lap. Anyway, our waitress was good enough to wrap up his dinner and my undelivered meal. I scooped up the two meals, my backpack and the sleeping boy. But what did I choose to not take with us? His kid's menu and our tic-tac-toe games, aka our Legoland ticket!
3. My Son (please don't let CPS know)
So I did not really lose him, and I did get him back. Good new is that he knew his father's phone number to give to security to call. Bad new is that his father knew I lost him. Not something we really need to dwell on. Taking responsibility for it and it just adds to my list of reasons that bickering with DH over who long we need to stay at a park looks better than my history of losing people and things when he does not vacation with me! Of course, ask him about how many times our DD hurt herself on the same day (again, please don't let CPS know).
Here is to not adding to this list!
Here is my second Universal Studios layout completed while on vacation (posted in next post).
Studio J and Mummies
Any guesses on how many times we rode the Revenge of the Mummy Roller Coaster in two days?
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Vacation Challenge
So I am 7 days into a 21 day trip from home. The first 11 days are alone with my son who just turned 8 last month. We started in LA at Universal (our first day is above), just spent 4 of the last 5 days at Legoland and head out to Seaworld tomorrow.
I was challenged to try to use Studio J each night once my son goes to sleep to capture that day's events. I have done pretty well - half of Universal is done and 75% of Legoland is done. It is so much easier to remember the little stories we want to save, and he LOVES to see our pictures in a meaningful way the next day.
So here is my summertime challenge to you - Try capturing whatever you took pictures of today, tonight. I did 4 two page layouts last night alone. If you plan to do 1 or 2 two page layouts each time you have pictures during the day, you can be done in less than 30 minutes - try it and see!
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