Moving On

Ugh. This heat is getting the better of me. Its so hot- even inside the house, even at 9 pm, that I don't even want to scrap. Bed time these days is a nightmare, too. The kids are hot and cranky, and getting them to settle just isn't fun. I'm trying to stay positive about the hot weather. Its true that we only get it for a short period of time. Its true that when we take vacations we want a hot destination. Its true that when its 32 below, all we want is hot weather again. Sounds like we're never happy with anything, doesn't it?

When we go on our vacation and want a hot destination, its mostly because we're travelling when its miserably cold outside and we want to remember what summertime feels like. If it isn't during the winter, its because tropical destinations and hot weather are synonymous. In a climate like ours, moderate temperatures are what we're used to, and if it climbs above that, most of us become irritable and cranky. (Mainly me).

When its 32 below, most of us just want (once again) a moderate temperature. The cold temperatures aren't bad, as long as there isn't wind or terrible weather accompanying it. And, its true that summer passes way too quickly for our personal liking.

But, when does hot become too hot? For me, its anything above 25! Thank goodness we've got a basement, and it stays gloriously cool on incredibly hot days like we've been experiencing. I'll never complain again about how cold it feels down there any other time of the year! Its a blessing in disguise!

I've got another layout to share today.

The story behind this layout is incredible. At least, in my humble opinion it is. Introducing Addison's 'kiki'. She loved on it fully and fiercely for quite some time. He was SO loved, that he lost his ears (bunny ears), an arm, the stuffing out of the other, and was about to lose his head. All that, and he was incredibly smelly and dirty. Washing never really thoroughly cleaned him or got rid of the smell.

When I realized that kiki was going to lose his head, I sat down with Addison at the kitchen table, and had a heart to heart with her. (And, with Cat in the Hat on tv, too. I'm not sure how the message got through with her eyes glued to the tv, but it did. Hallelujah!!)

As gently and convincingly as I could, I told her that she had loved kiki for a long time, and so well, that he was beginning to fall apart, and it was time for him to be replaced. I showed her another kiki (of the many we've got kicking around our house- and one thats as similar to her previous kiki as possible) and told her that this one was feeling left out and wanted to be loved just as much as her old one.

As sneakily as possible, I tossed the old kiki over to Kyle (who put him in my office for me), and handed her the new one. She hung onto it until bedtime, and then decided she wanted her other kiki back. That night, the entire time I read their bedtime stories to them, she kept asking for her kiki. And, as kindly and tenderly as I could, I kept reassuring her that this new kiki would love her, and it needed to be loved in return; and that the other kiki needed a break.

Incredibly by the time lights out came around, she was fine with moving on. We haven't had an incident yet. She's never once asked for her old kiki, nor has she clung to the new kiki we gave her. Who ever would have thought that would be as easy as it was?!

I haven't scrapped about Maren's conversion yet, but she willingly traded in her old kiki for another one. Incredibly. And, when her kiki gets smelly and dirty enough, she asks for him to be put in the 'machine'. Mind you, she doesn't like when he's away from her, but she does like it when he's clean.

Isn't that cool?!

(And actually, now that I think about it, breaking the kids of sucking on their soothers wasn't an issue, either. I got to the point where I was so fed up with them going missing, that I stopped looking for them. When all of them were 'lost', that was it. They've never asked for them, fussed over them, or even acknowledged them if they happened to see them again. Because, as things always go, they inevitably showed up again).

This particular layout is based on the bonus sketch for the monthly sketch challenge at Scrapbook.com. The patterned papers are from a 6x6 pack of K&Co paper called Sweet Nectar (its one of my all time favourites, I think), except for the orange (though it shows up yellow) card stock.

I inked the red paper with Riding Hood Red (SU) using a sponge dauber; I inked the orange patterned paper with More Mustard ink (SU) the same way (the orange card stock is inked with the same ink). The script font in the hearts was stamped with a SU set (that I don't know the name of; sorry), and in Cajun Craze ink. The 'so' in my title work was stamped with the same colour. That stamp set (alphas) are from Michaels; and the floral paper is inked in Old Olive ink (SU). The blocked alphas are inked with Old Olive ink, as well.

The clear rhinestones I added are from Recollections at Michaels, and the white ribbon was clearance at Walmart.

Finally, my journalling is written with a yellow journalling pen from Michaels.

Tomorrow I'll be back with yet another layout! Stay tuned!

For now, I'm headed out on to the deck in an attempt to cool off!