Update

SOPHIA SCRAPBOOKS

A FEW YEARS AGO, WHEN I WAS TAUGHT POWERPOINT, I REMARKED HOW MUCH IT WAS LIKE DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING, & I CAUGHT ON ABNORMALLY FAST.

A WHILE AGO, MY 9 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, SOPHIA, STARTED MAKING TONS OF POWER POINTS, THAT REMINDED ME OF DIGITAL SCRAPBOOK. I ASKED IF SHE WANTED 2 LEARN 2 DIGITAL SCRAPBOOK (A FEW YEARS AGO, I TAUGHT HER TRADITIONAL SCRAPBOOKING), & SHE WANTED 2 LEARN. FOR 2 DAYS, I TRIED 2 TEACH HER IN ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS, BUT IT WAS SUPER TOUGH!

2 DAYS LATER THOUGH, SCRAPGIRLS INTRODUCED THEIR SCRAPBOOK PGS. IN POWERPOINT! I HAVE SHOWN SOPHIA, AND SHE IS A NATURAL! THE TIMING & THE PROGRAM THAT WAS USED COULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE PERFECT!

HERE ARE THE .JPEGS OF HER 1ST DIGITAL SCRAPBOOK PAGES:
( the journalling says:
TOP, LEFT– PAGE 1
“While I waited for my ears to be pierced
I tried not to scream. I felt scared and
Worried. My teeth chattered and I
Couldn’t feel my arms.”
TOP, RIGHT–PAGE 2
“The ear piercers actually used a tool that
Looked like a Styrofoam stapler! (Which
made me even more scared!)”
BOTTOM, LEFT–PAGE 3
“Ok, if anyone asks, the reason I
Am closing my eyes is that my
Sister told me to (Sisters!)
Because it would “hurt less.””
“October 2008”
BOTTOM, RIGHT–PAGE 4
“After all, it turned out great and it did not hurt at all.”
“Now I can wear the most beautiful earrings in my ears!”)

START THE DAY WITH A LAUGH

WHEN I SPEAK, PEOPLE RESPOND WITH A GUESS (“DID U SAY…?) SOMETIMES THE GUESS IS BETTER THAN WHAT I SAID, OR CLOSE ENOUGH, SO I JUST GO WITH IT. HOWEVER, ON JAN. 8, I LEARNED I CAN’T DO THAT W/SOPH!

I WAS HELPING SOPH REVIEW SPELLING WORDS. IT WAS NOT A SPEAKING DAY, & TOOK EVERY OUNCE I HAD 2 SAY A WORD, BUT EVERYTIME I LOOKED AT HER, SHE WAS DISTRACTED BY HER I-TOUCH, SO SHE WAS TOLD 2 NOT TOUCH IT UNTIL WE WERE DONE.

I STRAINED 2 SEE A WORD, THEN STRUGGLED 2 SAY IT, BUT WHEN I LOOKED UP, SHE WAS PLAYING ON HER I-TOUCH. SHE KNEW SHE WAS IN TROUBLE & ASKED IF I SAID, “GIVE ME YOUR I-TOUCH.” I HADN’T EVEN REMOTELY SAID THAT, BUT NODDED YES.

SHE DIED LAUGHING & SAID SHE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT I SAID, BUT IT WASN’T THAT! (MIND U, SHES 9 1/2 YRS. OLD!) SHE SAID THAT I JUST LIKED HER IDEA, SO I WENT W/IT! LOL TRUE!

TESTING TAKE 2

IF U HAD TROUBLE VIEWING THE EARLIER VIDEO, HERE IT IS AGAIN:

http://sentenceshaper.com/hidden/testEmbedCodes.html

I DON’T ACTUALLY SPEAK NEARLY AS CLEAR…SO THE OTHER DAY I WAS THRILLED WHEN I HELD A CONVERSATION THROUGH A CLOSED DOOR WITH SOPHIA! I SWEAR GOD HAS BLESSED HER 2 UNDERSTAND ME (SOME DAYS SHE LOVES IT, & OTHER DAYS SHE HATES IT)!

SHE HAS BEEN STUDYING 4 THE SPELLING BEE, & THERE WAS A DAY WHERE NO1 EXCEPT ME COULD HELP HER STUDY…WHEN THAT HAPPENS, SHE USUALLY TYPES THEM INTO MY COMPUTER PROGRAM THAT SPEAKS 4 ME, COVERS UP THE SCREEN & PRSSES PLAY, SO SHE CAN SPELL THE WORD.

BUT SHE ONLY HAD 5 MIN., SO SHE DIDN’T WANT 2 DO THAT. SO I TOOK THE LIST, & TRIED MY HARDEST 2 SAY SOME WORDS, EXAGERRATING THE MOUTH POSITIONS. SHE GUESSED THE WORDS, & SPELLED THEM! IT WAS SO FUN, AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL FOR US BOTH!

TOP 10 FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

A WEEK B4 CHRISTMAS, I WROTE THIS 4 SOPHIE:

TOP 10 FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

10. AS A KID: DECORATING GINGERBREAD HOUSES–AS A KID, WE CRUSHED THE HOUSES ON NEW YEARS DAY, BUT WE ARE LUCKY IF MY KIDS HOUSES LAST 1 WEEK!

9. SEEING CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

8. SHOPPING & BUYING GIFTS AT A GOOD DEAL! THEN FINDING THE RIGHT GIFT & SEEING THEM HAPPY.

7. DECORATING & EATING CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES. ALSO EATTING FUDGE & PEPPERMINT FLAVORED STUFF.

6. DOING OUR NATIVITY ADVENT CALENDAR.

5. CHRISTMAS SONGS–I LOVE “OH HOLY NIGHT”

4. THE CHRISTMAS SEASON DOES NOT BEGIN UNTIL I HEAR “THE FORGOTTEN CAROLS” BY MICHAEL MCCLEAN…I LOVE THE SONG “HOMELESS”, & I NOW HAVE A SPECIAL BOND 2 THE SONG “HANDEL’S DREAM”

3. WE GET 3 GIFTS, TO REPRESENT THE 3 GIFTS FROM THE WISE MEN

2. OUR CHRISTMAS TREE IS DECORATED JUST WITH NATIVITY ORNAMENTS (MANGER SCENE, MARY WITH THE CHRIST CHILD, GLASS BALLS THAT SAY “WONDERFUL” & “COUNSELOR”, ETC., STARS, ANGELS, WISE MEN, & EVEN A STAR AT THE TOP, WITH A MANGER SCENE!)

IF WE GO ON A VACATION, WE TRY TO BUY 1 ORNAMENT WHILE WE ARE THERE. FOR EX., WHEN WE VISITED HAWAII (WE HAVE BEEN TWICE), WE GOT AN ANGEL & A MANGER SCENE MADE OUT OF SHELLS. ANOTHER EX., WHILE VISITING THE GREAT SALT LAKE, WE GOT A STAR MADE OUT OF SALT FROM THE LAKE. 1 YEAR, I ATTENDED A LOCAL CRAFT FAIR, BUT USUALLY, IF WE GO NO WHERE, WE VISIT A LOCAL STORE ! IT IS SURPRISING HOW MANY NATIVITY ORNAMENTS THERE ARE, SO U HAVE TO BE “CHOOSY”!

1. WE MAKE GIFTS FOR FAMILY MEMBERS. MAKE, NOT BUY, A GIFT. SOUNDS A LOT EASIER THAN IT IS! WHEN I COULD NOT PHYSICALLY MAKE A GIFT, I MISSED IT THE MOST. THEY ARE MY FAVORITE GIFTS TO GIVE & RECEIVE.

HOWEVER, AS I DWELT ON ALL THE THINGS THAT HAD NOT OCCURRED, I BEGAN FEELING DEPRESSED, HOPELESS, & SAD THAT I WASN’T ABLE 2 SEE THESE THINGS THROUGH…BUT AS I LAID IN BED CHRISTMAS MORNING, THINKING ABOUT HOW MANY OF OUR TRADITIONS ARE THERE, 2 HELP US REMEMBER THE REAL CELEBRATION, I REALIZED I WAS MISSING THE POINT! IT WAS CHRIST’S B-DAY! WHAT GIFT WAS I GIVING HIM? HE DIDN’T WANT A COLD, BITTER HEART! (DUMMY ME, I SHOULD REALIZE THIS BY NOW-IT WAS THIS SAME THINKING PATTERN THAT HAD 2 CHANGE ALMOST 8 YRS. AGO…IT WAS SO EASY 2 SEE WHAT I COULDN’T DO, BUT WHAT MATTERED WAS WHAT I COULD DO! & WHEN I LOOKED AT THINGS THAT WAY (SUGGESTED BY MY HUSBAND), MY WORLD CHANGED!)

THOSE TRADITIONS ALLOW 4 FAMILY TIME, BUT THEY DID NOT MATTER! IF ALL OF THEM WEREN’T DONE, WHO CARED? ALL THAT REALLY MATTERED WAS FAM., & WE SHOULD REJOICE THAT WE ARE ALL THERE!

THE WEEK B4 CHRISTMAS, I HAD SHARED THIS IN A TALK IN CHURCH: “AT CHRISTMAS WE CELEBRATE MUCH MORE THAN THE BIRTH OF A BABY – WE CELEBRATE WHO THAT CHILD WAS, AND WHAT HE WOULD BECOME. ” HOW QUICKLY I’D 4GOTTEN!

THEN AT CHURCH ON CHRISTMAS, I WAS REMINDED: “As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always.” President Thomas S. Monson

FOR THE NEW YEAR, I HOPE 2 FOLLOW THAT ADVICE!

testing

THIS LAST MONTH, BESIDES A “GOOD DAY” HERE & THERE, I’D BEEN HAVING A HARD TIME SPEAKING …NOT SURE IF IT’S A “BAD SPEAKING PHASE,” OR IF I’M TOO WORN OUT, BUT 1 THING IS CLEAR: PRACTICE MATTERS! I DID THIS VIDEO 2 PREPARE A GIFT, & AS I DID, I STARTED OUT EXHAUSTED BY A TINY BIT, THEN GOT STRONGER & NOW THAT I’M IN A “SPEAKING PHASE,” I AM ABLE 2 SPEAK MORE, & MY PRACTICE HAS HELPED ME LEARN THINGS TO MAKE ME CLEARER.

WHAT I DID:
ZACH HEARD ME GRUNTING, & WONDERED WHAT I WAS DOING. I WAS USING A SPEECH PROGRAM CALLED “SENTENCE SHAPER 2.” & THE PROGRAM USES PICTURES & MY VOICE TO MAKE A “WORKBOOK.” I HAVE PICTURES WITH SENTENCES TYPED ABOVE THE PICTURES. EACH PICTURE IS A PAGE IN THE WORKBOOK, AND I TRY TO SAY EACH TYPED SENTENCE. HOWEVER, IT IS OVERWHELMING FOR ME TO THINK THAT I NEED TO SAY THAT ENTIRE SENTENCE, SO I START SMALL. I SAY A WORD SEVERAL TIMES & RECORD THE “SNIP-ITS,” THEN CHOOSE A “SNIP-IT” (WORD) 2 KEEP. THOSE GRUNTS ARE WORDS THAT FORM A SENTENCE. I PUT THE “SNIP-IT’S” IN ORDER SO I SOUND LIKE I’M SAYING A SENTENCE, & THEN THEY ARE COMBINED TO MAKE A “BEAN.” EVENTUALLY, I CAN HAVE SENTENCES BE “SNIP-ITS” THAT CAN BE COMBINED 2 FORM PHARAGRAPHS (“BEANS”).

THEN I EXPORTED IT, & I HAVE UPLOADED IT TO MY ITUNES & MY IPAD. THEN, I TURNED THE WORKBOOK INTO A VIDEO. THAT IS WHAT U SEE.
YOU HEAR THE EXPORTED BEANS, SEE THE PICTURES, & SEE THE TYPE THAT SAYS WHAT I SAY.