Sometimes I Repeat Myself. Repeat Myself.

I have a really hard time making layouts that don't contain a story of some sort. Which is fine, because I find I have lots of stories to tell. But sometimes I just love a photo, and I just want to scrapbook it, and there simply is no story. I see other people do it all the time, and the results are fabulous.

Recently, I took a series of photos in front of this very blue wall. I had been admiring this wall over the course of the summer, so I was glad when the boys and I were walking to do some back to school shopping, and they were in a good mood, and I thought I might be able to convince them to let me take some photos. So I led them to this place.

They were somewhat cooperative. Which for them is very good.

I really wanted to scrap this photo, but the story of how it came to be was simple not inspiring to me at the time. Mom wants to take picture. Boys don't usually want to have their picture taken. Mom convinces boys to take picture.

I tried very hard to scrap the photo without any story. But I just couldn't do it! I know it makes no sense. 

So, I told the best story I could, even though it is one that I told before. Almost exactly. Namely, that even though they think I take too many pictures, they have no idea how many times I don't take pictures because I don't want to bother them. And, also, because sometimes we have to get places.

See?

Oh, well. So sue me.

(Please don't sue me.)

Write.Click.Scrapbook September Sneak

It took me a little while to figure out what to make for this month's gallery. Then I realized that this month's layout would involve a lot of words. The rest fell into place rather quickly after that.

See you on the 1st for the rest of this verbose layout.

In Between

A while back I wrote a post over at Write.Click.Scrapbook. about scrapbooking the in-between stages in our children's lives. The slight changes in personality and attitude and taste and humor that happen as children move from being kids to tweens to teens and then the big one-adulthood. Just thought I'd share those layouts here, plus another that has been made since then.

Max is 16, as I might have mentioned once or twice. He is a full fledged teenager now, and is generally happier, funnier, and more comfortable in his skin than in those earlier teen years. I am hoping that that bodes well for his future self, but really, only time will tell.

Sam, is the tween in the house, and he is often still deliciously small, but I certainly see some teenage attitude and humor peeking through.

Example- attitude. On some of our summer hikes, Sam, the one who loves to be outside exploring, could not contain some of his cynical comments. 

On the positive side-humor. When I pointed out to Sam some of his attitude changes, he shot back with a comment so funny that I cried. It also can't be repeated in decent company. Or any company really. But just in case one day we are ready to share the joke, it is tucked away in this layout. Right inside that little Jillibean Soup mini bag. (For the record- I used every single last one in the package. Which is extraordinarily satisfying, and also a testament to how much I love them.)

Still Sixteen

As I mentioned on Sunday, Max has turned 16.

Now that it has been scrapbooked, it's official.

Yes. That is the second time I've scrapped this photo this week.

And I used it in a blog post.

And I posted it in Instagram.

'Cuz he just looks so good.

The August Cocoa Daisy kit had some perfect items for this photo. Namely, those alphas and this Basic Grey paper. Also, in the last week or two I began using printable elements from Cocoa Daisy, and also these from Kaitlin Sheaffer. I am hooked! You never run out--you can always print more! I always doubted that printables would look as good when I printed them at home. But, they do. Another little tool in my belt.

A Summer Mini Book

I am blogging today over at Write.Click.Scrapbook. There I share my inspiration and process for this little guy, but  here I will share the pictures.

Sixteen.

Today he is 16. Which is a ridiculously large number.

In a few weeks he will be a junior in high school. Which mean just 2 more years that he will be living here. Which is a ridiculously small number.

While he was away this summer, I discovered that we communicate much better by text than we do by talking on the phone.

There are people who write really well about the feelings of watching their children grow older. The excitement, the pride, and the pain of knowing family life will not stay the same forever. (Which ultimately is a good thing.) Maybe some day, here or on some scrapbook page, I will write of those things. But for now, I prefer to capture the way those feelings pop up in small, little moments.

So, I made a page about our texting exchanges this summer. Because they were fun and made me smile. But this layout is also about  the future, when Max will graduate and move away, and we will need some new ways to stay connected. Because, really the phone is not good for us.

Keeping Busy

We still have a couple of weeks left to enjoy summer. To enjoy the slower pace. To spend more time doing the things we like. Things like doing nothing. Like being home. Like going outside. 

I am trying really hard to be in the moment, and to not keep counting how many days left. The counting makes the enjoying a little harder.

This summer, both kids have had plenty of structured camp time, and loads of free time.

And (my little, but really he's not so little) Sam is good at keeping himself busy. Sure, there are hours of TV. But he also  likes to go outside, he likes to go places, he likes to move, and he finds little projects for himself.

And, I like that about him:

What Are You Guys Talking About?

I don't know about any of you, but no matter where we are in relation to our children, as soon as Dave and I are engrossed in conversation, somehow, someway, they know we are talking.  And, it turns out that they find us so fascinating that they immediately stop what they are doing, find us, and say, "What are you guys talking about?" 

It happens so frequently, it's funny. 

Also, sometimes annoying. 

So one day, I was thinking how nice it will be when Dave and I can have an entire conversation all by ourselves. (I am sure that someone out there is thinking that we should simply enforce a "no interrupting" rule. Yeah, that's not really our thing.) Then I realized what goes along with my idyllic vision of long talks with Dave: Grown up children who have moved away. Or just older children have who realized that their parents are quite boring people. Or maybe children who suddenly begin speaking in British accents, and say things like, "Excuse me Mother. (With a nod) Father. When you are done conversing, please join us for tea in the sitting room. We will take our leave now." Yes, that is how I imagine English people really speak.

So for now, I'll take the interruptions. 

(Or maybe the uber-polite British kids.)

All that is to share a recent scrapbook page I made:

Write.Click.Scrapbook August

Let's see if we can't get this blog thing going again.

To begin, I start with this month's gallery layout for Write.Click.Scrapbook. The theme is "The Best" which I interpreted rather liberally. Those words show up in my journaling, as in: "Hello Earth. Nice to see you. You are the best."

A lot of my recent layouts are about the outdoors. Specifically, my desire to go and see it.

Or how happy it makes me feel.

I have long longed to spend more time walking and hiking in places outside of New York City. Those feelings were even stronger lately, which resulted in us city slickers finally getting a car.

I really, really, really am excited about going places.