Calendar

Christmas is an incredibly busy time, and sometimes keeping in touch with everyone is difficult. So in an attempt to at least let people know what's going on, where we'll be, and why I don't answer my phone all the time, here's a basic calendar of the next month:


So there you have it. If I change anything, I will not update in the below calendar, as it's a PITR.

Yes, we're busy, but it'll be a fun busy!

Scrapbook inspiration

A friend sent me a link to this blog, and I've spent the past couple of days reading it. The funny thing is, her style is very different from my own, yet I still found quite a bit of inspiration. Especially her attention to journaling.

I have always thought that journaling was not very necessary, as my pictures tell enough of a story, but sometimes I look back at some of my books, and wish that I could remember more detail - I think that will only get worse as I age, and more kids are added to the mix.

So I vow to have at least one journal entry for every 3rd spread.

Also, she has started a stash diet - a plan to complete so many pages using existing supplies before purchasing any more (excepting adhesives - really hard to mount pictures or paper without that). Considering Monte bought me a new scrapbook tote for my birthday, and I still can't fit all my papers in there, I think it may be time. So starting January 1, my goal is to complete Isaac's scrapbook through his third birthday (about 26 pages) before buying new supplies. I'll even try working on Audrey's new book, too. I think I'll shoot for 24 pages in her book, so that I have an even 50 pages.

So with that in mind, remember that my diet does not begin until the new year, and I am not forbidden from accepting gifts of supplies during my diet :)

Cryptologic revisited

When I was a kid, we had the Odyssey gaming system (it was like Atari, but nerdier). One of the games was Cryptologic, in which player 1 entered a word (with player 2 out of the room), scrambled it, and then player 2 tried to decipher it.

In one particular game, my brother and sister had entered a phrase that I used constantly. Unfortunately for me, I was having a very hard time figuring it out. So I said, "I'm never going to get this, right mommy?" Of course, "right mommy" was the encrypted phrase. Apparently, I said it a lot.

So now Isaac is seeking validation for all of his thoughts, as well. Every other sentence ends with "right mommy?" It's rather cute coming from a three year old. Right mommy?

Speaking of reviews

This one makes reading reviews worthwhile -

Good, But Not REALLY Good
By The Garbage Man from Oklahoma City, OK on 11/8/2007
Pros:
Realistic, Yellow
Cons:
Comes to Life, Evil, Fights My Dog
Best Uses:
Adults, Imaginative Play
Describe Yourself:
Garbage Man with Son
Bottom Line:
Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

How you use the product:
Well, I use the Ultimate Bumble Bee/2008 Camaro for multiple tasks. It cooks my breakfast, does my son's homework, and feeds the fish. Sometimes, I bring it to work with me, and the guys get a kick out of its gentle design yet feirce facial features.

Things that are great about it:
The color. Yellow reminds me of bananas. I like bananas.

Things that aren't so great about it:
Well, due to its striking resemblance to a cat, my dog treats it as its natural enemy. Sometimes, I will come home to find my dog, Scruffy, battling the Ultimate Bumblebee, in a cage-match style of wrestling. Somehow, the Ultimate Bumblebee wins. Scruffy has a black eye, so I'm thinking that the UB comes to life when I'm not home. Very realistic... a little too realistic.

This is for the Transformer Bumblebee, for those wondering what he's talking about.

Seriously, you've got to be kidding me

I really wonder sometimes about people. I went to Circuit City to see if iPods were on sale, as that is what Monte will be getting for Christmas. So while browsing, I decided to read the customer reviews. Overall, they are very helpful, but every now and then, some bozo posts something like this -

Sound quality
1
Durability
1
Ease of downloading music
1
Cost-Benefit
1
Overall rating
1.0

well
Reviewer: bo from caflornia on Nov 11, 2007
1 out of 10 found this review helpful

well i gess tis ipod i wel got for it s moey so geet oen now pelease

Huh? Do some people just post reviews for the pleasure of bringing down a rating?

Oh, and they are on sale, but not for much. Do I wait for a better deal?