Transmogrified. That's just a fun word to say.

So, Colleen has been redecorating her blog, and it got me all inspired. I played around with my template for a few hours today, and PRESTO! Here you go! Brand new me! Or at least, my new template.

Tonight was haircut night for the boys. We started too late. Too close to bedtime. By the time we were finished, both the boys were traumatized by the half-hour in the chair, with the razor and the scissors and the hair down their necks. I was traumatized by having to try and get a decent haircut onto a kid (times two) that was traumatized, crying, and not holding still, without gouging them with the razor or scissors. The dog was traumatized by the number of times I threatened her with the razor and scissors to get out of the kitchen until I was done. I don't think Jason was traumatized by anything.

I thought of doing Jabin's first haircut tonight, but it was already past bedtime when the other two were done, so his hair can get a little longer and wispier.

Tomorrow: SCRAPBOOKING! YAY! It's the monthly scrapbooking day at the church, which I skipped last month due to lack of preparation, inspiration, and transmogrification. Instead, I transmogrified into a vegetable and sat on my couch all day. Not really. I don't remember what I did that day, but sometimes it just seems like more effort to decide on a project ahead of time, and pack just the amount of stuff I need for that, so I don't end up hauling everything in the craft room down to the church for a few hours.

This time, I'm prepared, though: I started working on this project I've had in mind for about a year and a half now, and only got a little ways into it, so I threw it in a crate and I'm ready to go for tomorrow! It's a "Special People" book for the boys. Since we live so far from most of our family and friends now, I thought I would make a little mini-album for them of our "immediate" extended family, and their close friends, so they can always be reminded who those people are and why they are special--and that those people love them. You never know, you might be in it. Yes, I'm talking to you.

I'm actually taking Jude and Noah along to participate in the "organized activities" downstairs, and give Jason a bit of a day off. Last year, the few attempts I made at bringing the children were a disaster. We were too new to the church, both the older boys felt a little too displaced and out of their comfort zone with the other kids and adults supervising, and there were no "organized activities," just a moshpit of toddler to pre-teen children being "supervised" by young teenage children who did little to entertain them. Jude and Noah kept wanting to be at my table "helping" me. Between them and the nursing baby, not a lot of scrapbooking was accomplished.

I am optimistic that tomorrow will be different. Jude and Noah know a lot of the kids. This year, wonderful Sheila has taken the reins of the babysitting group and organized activities for the kids to do. And the baby-who-is-teething-two-molars-at-once is staying with Daddy.

Optimism.

"Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier." -Colin Powell

If I stay optimistic enough, I might be able to finish the book, even if I get transmogrified tomorrow, too. But other than a few little kinks to work out, my blog template won't be transmogrified again anytime soon.

Happy weekend, friends!