Chick with Brains! (Or in other words MY GRADES ARE IN!)

Be warned this is a MAJOR TOOT!



How proud am I?! My grades are in and I managed 3 A's and 2 A-'s. My GPA for the semester is 3.862! And cummulative I've got a 3.796! That's above an A- and it's damn good enough for Case! Here's to another semester on Dean's List!!!

Freebie ~ A Little Plaid Paper Pack

Miss Jeannie made the cutest little freebie element pack (which she's got available over at her blog Mums Little World) called Chocolate Spring. The funny thing is I've been working on the papers for a kit for about a week...when she posted her freebie today we realised we were working with the same color swatch. So...I've decided to give the papers as my first ever freebie. Hope you all like them. The only thing I ask is don't give out the link...send people here to download them. Oh and leave me a comment if you take them away with you. :)

Here's a preview...



A Little Plaid Paper Pack by Christine Clarkston (Coordinates with Jeannie's Chocolate Spring Element Pack.

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Out of the Loop

Ugggg...I feel so out of it today. I've been busting my ass for the last 4 weeks trying to get this semester over with in combination with Avery's birthday and a death in our extended family. I feel like I've been staring at this monitor for ages but haven't accomplished anything. I seriously need to get my butt in gear.

May LOs for RAKs are going to be due soon...I've got the Scrapweek CT Spotlight and the Scrapweek Journaling challenge to get a move on. Plus I've got to get prizes out for last weeks Spotlight. Blah. I love being in school but it takes up all my time, ROFL. That and I've been feeling sort of run down lately anyway. Not sure yet what is up...probably just stress. That and I threw off my sleep cycle when I was finishing up my term paper for Comp II. It'll take me a while to get back into a sleep routine.

I'll be back later today with some pictures. I think I need a nap....

Photo Study (Avery)

Our project for photography back at the beginning of April was people. I set out originally to do family relationship photography of Avery and Tristan. TJ wasn't having it. He didn't like having the "big eye" pointing at him and refused to stay on the backdrop. Giving up on the drop completely I took them to the park and tried to get some snapshot asthetics of them interacting. I just couldn't bring myself to hand in 6 photos of the back of Tristan's head, lol. So the first shot here is one of the best ones from the trip to the duck pond, Avery teaching Tristan how to tear up the bread and throw it to the "quack-quacks."

The ones following are the project how it ultimately appeared. Avery's 4th birthday was looming in my mind and I decided to try my hand at a photo study to capture all his little bits and pieces. Notice the dirt under his fingernails in the one of his hands, ROFL.

AJ and TJ : Waterworks Park : April 2006

Avery : Study of Avery : April 2006

Feet : Study of Avery : April 2006

Face : Study of Avery : April 2006

Eyes : Study of Avery : April 2006

Ear and Birthmark : Study of Avery : April 2006

Hands : Study of Avery : April 2006

MIA

Wow. How fast April got away from me. I can't believe it has been a month since I've thought about the blog. Perhaps I'd be in a better mood if I'd have written. Let's see, what's gone on here since the end of March...

The beginning of April my Grandmother died unexpectedly. It was quite a shock to us all. We spent most of them month in turmoil. This was my step-father's mom, she was older, had had a good life. But still. You don't expect someone that is active and independent to be gone from you suddenly. I think the hardest part was having to explain it to Avery. When Josh's Pap passed away back at Christmas it was after a long drawn out ordeal with illness. Josh just wasn't comfortable letting Avery go to the calling hours. With Grandma Dot, I felt differently. Avery'd spent far more time with her than he had with Pap. And he'd just seen her...she passed on a Sunday night...the previous Sunday she'd been at my mom's house reading him stories and having brunch, just like usual. To me it was important for him to see her. So we took him to calling hours. He took it well. I know it must have been hard for him to understand. He still asks me occasionally if Grandma Dot is still in heaven with our kitty, Maple who passed away back at Halloween. It's a hard thing to face...reopens the wounds with my dad's mom..I still miss her a lot and wish everyday she would have been able to meet both my sons and my husband.

....In happier news around here my semester is ending. I should be all finished by the end of next week. I think my last "official" day is the 13th. I really love school but I'm ready for a break. I feel like I'm totally slacking on my duties at RAK but I'm just worn out. With everything going on after the funeral, I'm just still upset I suppose. That and I had a MASSIVE term paper to turn in for English. I spent weeks researching it and finally got it handed in on Saturday.

Speaking of Saturday...It was Avery's birthday. I cannot believe I have a 4 year old! He's gotten so big on me. My dad got him a Power Wheel Cadillac Escalade for his birthday. Avery LOVES it. If only he could steer it, lol.

Ahh...this is why I haven't been blogging. Talking brings it all back to the surface and I start to feel run down again. I will write more later. I've got pictures to share, and LOs. More soon then.