WLW usage and tips

Most of you can probably figure this out because it’s so much like composing something in word.  Anyway, I will give you a few tips and basics.

You can type in a subject and then just type in the big box for the actual post.  When you are ready to insert a picture, you stop typing,  and click up there on the top right “picture” and then click on “from computer”, find the picture, and click on it to upload.  NOW, I have learned THE MOST WONDERFUL THING SINCE BLOGGING JUST THE OTHER DAY…are you ready for this!!!!!!

You can click on “picture”, Click on “from computer”, choose the folder for the pictures that you desire to upload, THEN YOU CAN click on one picture and hold down the ctrl button and click on as many pictures as you would like (it should highlight them all if you hold the ctrl button the whole time) and then you click “ok” AND it will ask you to either put pictures inline or in an album.  I always choose inline so that they aren’t in a scrolling album SO THAT they will all show up when you print out your blog in a book.  Sometimes your pictures will be side by side and fuzzy once they are uploaded…all you have to do is to click on one and pull it down (like you do when you move one around) and if you are patient and give it a second, it will usually move all pictures for you to put them all one on top of the other. 

So, this is what I usually do…I usually go pick out all my pictures, open WLW, upload my 22 or so pictures “inline” and then I go back and add text where I want it to be added.  Remember that this is just like word in that you can move pictures…or highlight text and move the text around. 

Whew I’m so tired..I hope this is making sense…I don’t think my words on this screen are conveying just how wonderful I think this program is! and I KNOW none of this is grammatically correct. sorry about that!

You’ll have to play with the photos because once you have them uploaded, you can click on the picture and do all sorts of fun things…like add this polaroid border…you can change the sharpness, color, move the pic from left to right in your text, etc.   Here’s a little hint:  I always have my pictures looking the same because I’m oh so boring!  mine are always aligned in the center and they always have a certain border.  Soooo…if you are anal like me and like things “just So”, you can get one photo set like you like it to be and click on “set to default” under the settings (when you are double clicked on a picture).  when you choose to “set to default”, all your pictures will automatically be like you like them to be….like mine automatically aligns to the center without me having to choose that setting for EVERY picture….THIS IS WHERE YOU SAVE TIME, people!!!!  YAY!!!

When you get finished with your post, you click “publish” OR you can save it by clicking on the white piece of paper beside the word “home”…and click on save and I always save local draft.  you can choose to save to blog but that means you have to go to blogspot to finish your post, I THINK!  if you click on local, it will be saved in WLW and you can go open it in WLW just like you open word documents. 

one more thing, it’s going to ask for your password after you click to publish.  that’s your password for your blog acct.  this just insures that strangers can’t grab your computer and post things to your blog…why they would want to is beyond me, but people are weird sooo…just enter the password and go about your business…and you have a lot more time on your hands now so you can take care of a lot more business!!!

Okay…that should get you started…im tired…I have to pump…and I already hear someone (aka “camel”) making little noises in his room.  I’ll come back later with some more little tidbits.  I hope this is life changing for you!!!!

Windows Live Writer

First let me say that I do not work for windows. However, I feel like I should get a little money for advertising this to the four people that are reading this.
Okay. So I used to blog thru blogspot (through my blog acct) by clicking on "new post" at the top right. However, this took me forever!!!!!! If you follow our blog or know me, you know that I absolutely LOVE pictures. Uploading on blogspot was excruciating (that might be a little dramatic but thats how I felt) and very frustrating. So, I discovered Windows Live Writer. I can't tell you how life changing this was for me. Again, that might sound a little ridiculous but I'm so serious!!! Photos are a breeze to upload an take no time!! After having several people ask me about it, I decided to do a little step by step so you can blog easily...and save time! Bc we all know how precious time is these days! So here we go!
1. I googled "windows live writer"
2. Click "download now"
3. Choose location to save and remember where you saved it...if you choose for it to save on your desktop, it will be easy to find!!
4. After it is finished downloading, you will have to go find the file...like if you saved it on your desktop, go there! Double click on the icon. Mine had the windows icon and "wlsetup-web".
5. You now have to install it. Mine is actually still installing at the moment.


And it's taking forever! Hopefully yours won't take that long!

Let me pause here While I wait on it to finish...and tell you that at this moment, I am blogging from my iphone. I'm using blog press. I think I had to pay for this app but it is awesome! I can blog on the go...especially if I have a cute iPhone pic that ive taken of the boys while we are out. Maybe I'll do a little step by step of that later.
Ok. Still waiting. Here's an idea: click install and go get a big bowl of ice cream, watch a movie, run a couple of miles (if you are into that sortof thing...I'd opt for the bowl of ice cream...but if you care about your health, more power to you! Ha)
6. Find WLW (windows live writer)...you can search for it under the start menu.
7. Once it's up, it will ask you to configure, click "next"
8. The next box will ask you which service you use? I use blogspot so I chose "other services"
9. Enter your blog address. Ex. Www.teamwoodard.blogspot.com
10. You have to enter your username and password. This should be the username and password that you use to get into your blog.
11. Then, it will ask you to select blog. I only have "team Woodard" in the box bc I only have one blog. Click "next"
12. Wait for it to detect blog settings
13. It asked me some question about a template. I just clicked yes. I'm tired and don't really know what it said but I'm sure it will be fine!
14. Still waiting
15. Ok. Well whatever I said yes to, it told me it couldn't download the theme or something like that but that I could still compose and post. Soooo don't worry if you get that message too!
17. Choose blog nickname and click finish.
18. WLW will pop up and you are ready to compose.
19. WLW is much like word in that you type, insert pics, etc. Okay. I'll post some more from my computer. I'm tired of typing on my phone!

Happy Birthday, Mamaw!

We celebrated my Mamaw’s birthday (my dad’s mom) on January 14th.  This was her first birthday without Papaw so I’m sure that was hard for her!!  My parents bought some chilis takeout and some popeyes for us to eat…I know that’s random but those were the requests!

Here are a few pictures from the night.  In this first one, I’m pretty sure Trigger was getting into trouble but I thought it was a sweet picture of Matt and Trigger!

Mamaw and TriggerMamaw, Trigger, Abby, and SydneyMamaw and Reid (Seth and Vanna’s baby)

We (The Hood family) are actually going out to eat with Mamaw tomorrow.  On January 28th (tomorrow), Mamaw and Papaw wouldve celebrated 60 years of marriage!  AMAZING!  I’m praying that Mamaw can have a little joy tomorrow when we go out to eat but I know it’s going to be a hard day for her to celebrate her wedding anniversary without her husband! 

When I was little…

Seth and I loved to make tents out of blankets in the den…using the coffee table as the middle to hold the blankets up and the couches for the outer.  Last week, when we (Campbell and Trigger) were all getting sick, I needed some new entertainment for Trigger.  So I had the idea to make a tent using our dining room table…I mean we need some use for that table since we don’t ever eat in there!

 

And he got to watch a mickey mouse show on my phone! :)

I love doing things with Trigger that I did when I was little!!!

a little catch up…

I’m going to post a bunch of pictures and explain them…this is just what the title says…a little catch up!!!

first….let’s start with the boys in matching outfits.  hilarious trying to get these two boys to look AND smile at the camera.

Trigger loves his tractor still…he hasn’t had much a chance to ride it lately though because it’s either been too cold OR he’s been sick.I’ve been playing with my camera and trying to use more natural lighting…of course I love using Campbell because he is a little more still than Trigger is…OR at least he was when I took these!  NOW, he’s not so much.

I kindof think blogger has distorted the up and down images of campbell…they just look weird to me…anyway, you get the idea!  Well, I feel like Campbell in that last picture so I’m off to bed!

Life with little ones

So I posted on Saturday (the post below) that Campbell was really fussy and clingy.  We had been to the dr on Friday and she told us that both boys had upper respiratory viruses (Viruses=no medicine! )and she told us to watch Campbell because it was kind of early in the virus and he might have RSV…to watch for rapid breathing, wheezing, etc.  

Here’s a quick, blurry pic from the dr. appt.

You can tell in that one of me and him, that he is a sick little boy!

We cancelled our plans for Saturday night to eat with friends…and we cancelled our shopping trip to Monroe (I needed a few things from target, hobby lobby, etc.).  So Saturday morning, Matt went outside to do a few things at the shop.  I put Campbell in his exersaucer so I could take a quick shower.  As soon as I got in, he started crying…and then wailing…then he started to do this “cry out, bark…cry, bark…cry, bark”…let’s just say it sounded bad.  Trigger apparently thought so too because he ran over to him and was saying “it’s ok camel” and “mommy’s coming” and rubbing his head and then when those things didn’t work, he took some blocks and stacked them all up and said “ you want to knockem down”.  I thought that was soooo incredibly sweet of Trigger.  He is used to him crying but he KNEW something was different and he was concerned and wanted him happy!  As I rinsed my hair quickly, I told Trigger to go to the backdoor by the playset and knock on the window and see if he could get daddy to come.  I didn’t figure it would work but I wanted matt to hear Campbell.  Trigger came back as I was getting out and said “he wouldn’t come” (matt later told me that he saw/heard him and thought he was just saying “hi” and matt just waved at him.).  I scooped up campbell while dripping wet and ran to the backdoor and yelled for matt.  He came in and by that time campbell had kindof settled down and sounded a little better.  He continued to do the barking thing every now and then when he would cry.  All throughout the day, I just knew…I KNEW…that we would end up in the ER.  It’s a tricky fine line…you can’t take them too early or they will brush you off but you DON”T want to take them too late!!!!!!   Oh and if you know me, you know that I don’t hesitate to take my babies (or myself) to the dr.  POOR MATT!  Anyway, as the evening progressed, Campbell went from doing the barking when he cried to when he coughed.  I put him down like always…around 7.  Then, I had to go back in there about an hour later…and I was just worried sick…I kept pacing and asking Matt if we should go to the ER…he kept telling me to settle down….he had not really heard the bark yet.  THEN, over the monitor, I hear “bark, bark, bark, bark, etc”.  Matt and I went back there.  He was barking while breathing.  He wasn’t in distress.  I wasn’t really worried that he wasn’t getting air but I knew that it was progressing fast.  I turned to Matt and told him to get Campbell’s bag ready and he did.  Off Campbell and I went to the ER around 900.  Thankfully, we did not have to wait long.  The doctor saw us quickly.  He told me (which is what I had diagnosed him with) that he had Croup.  They immediately did breathing treatments (which he HATED…she didn’t even try the mask..she just used the tube…he screamed the ENTIRE time and disturbed the whole ER) for a quick fix so he could get inflammation down and could breathe better.  Then, they gave him an oral steroid.  Afterwards, They did xrays of his upper airways (esophagus) to make sure he had a good path after the breathing treatments…which he did.  Oh and they did test him for RSV and it was negative.  We had to wait about two hours to make sure he didn’t redevelop the bark OR have a reaction to any of the meds.  We finally left there and got Campbell in bed about 1:00AM.  He was absolutely exhausted…as was I!!

Here are some ER pics…

The story isn’t over!  So Campbell slept from 1am-7am sunday.  He was extremely fussy all day and I pretty much held him and carried him around…because mr. c would prefer you to be on the go! ;)  Sunday night I went to put him down and he screamed and screamed and screamed….and when he got upset, he would start some slight barking and nose would get all stopped up.  I assumed that he had an ear infection.  I called the on-call pediatrician which happened to be dr. slusher.  She told us to get an appt first thing Monday morning.  Campbell finally went to sleep around 11:30.  Monday morning, Trigger was fussy IN ADDITION to Campbell still being fussy.  So I made BOTH an appt to see Dr. Magee because Slusher was out.  Of the four ears, THREE were infected.  Both of Campbells and one of Triggers.  They are both on antibiotics now!  And I’m hoping they are BOTH on the mend.  AND, to add to Campbell’s fussiness, he cut his right fang tooth AND he is getting all three of his other top teeth…they are all about to come thru…or at least they look like they are! 

Whew…it’s been a rough couple days in the Woodard household.  BUT, it could ALWAYS be worse..way worse so im thankful for our measly upper resp virus/croup/ear infections!!!  On a positive note, I’m pretty sure all my muscles in my arms are a lot stronger than they were a few days ago because I have toted Campbell all over the house while he’s been awake!  We will have some serious re-training to do after this!

Sick

Poor Campbell is not feeling well! I took both boys to the dr yesterday and they both have upper resp virus. Trigger actually sounds the worst but Campbell is the fussiest and is refusing any naps. We walked outside for a second and I covered him up and put Ts old hat on him. He looked so cute that I had to take a picture or two!






Hope things Start looking up around here bc my arm is about to break from carrying around this 17lb boy (he weighed 17lbs yesterday at the dr...I just can't believe it!).
NPosted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Whew. Where to begin?

I'm overwhelmed by so many things that I want to blog about. Not to mention a million pictures that I'm behind on posting. This blog can sometimes feel like our laundry. Always overflowing and nEVER caught up. The problem is that I really want to blog more than I want to do laundry...but laundry is in my face and my boys need their empty drawers to be filled so I don't have to keep making trips to the laundry baskets. Ok. Enough about that. I want to make this post about My little Trigger. I pick on him and talk about his difficult behavior (which--besides the yelling--has gotten slot better). But, he's a very kind hearted child. He's very inquisitive...constantly asking questions. So much that I have to watch myself bc I get all in a hurry and find myself getting annoyed at the questions. After I take a deep breath and slap my wrist, I remember that he's only asking so that he can learn. He's not being mean and he's not trying to annoy me. He just really wants to know! I see so much of myself in him. He is sooo curious. Here lately, if you leave a room he's right behind me saying " I come too, momma". It's not because hes scared. It's because he's mr busy body and wants to know what you are doing in the other room. I truly get ask these questions a million times a day: "what's that, momma?" "what's his name?" "e (which means you) ok, momma?"(guess he senses my instability. Haha) "what's wrong, momma?" (like if I huff or growl when something doesn't go my way...got to work on that) "E (which means you) hear that, momma? What's that?" "where's ----- (fill in anyone that we know)?"
I know he probably has Soooo far to go on his speech and probably no one else appreciates his speech but I know where be was this time last year. 14 months ago, he was barely saying "momma" and "dadda" to get our attention. Now, he has this big vocabulary and talks NON stop!
He still says some things wrong and I don't dare correct him bc I love it:
Cake cakes (pancakes)
Mis-roll (control)
Nockelers (binnoculars)
Uncle bana (aunt Vanna)

Those are just the ones I've noticed lately. I'm sure there are a million more. I'll have to add as I think of them.
I love how he always addresses me in his sentences. Like:
"I fix it, momma"
"momma, get my supper?"
He'll even pause like he's thinking about who he should be addressing. "I can do it (pause), momma".
He uses thank you and please. And he uses "excuse me" quite often and we've never really worked on that. We are still workin on "yes maam" and "yes sir".
He has always loved painting and coloring but he's just discovered his magnadoodle. He loves it. He has spent minutes (that's long for him) working on coloring the whole board. And he always wants us to trace his hand and draw his face. I showed him how to make a "t" (which he calls "d"). When I was making it, I kept saying "down and across". He know repeats almost everytime he is drawing. He can make a "T" but it's usually sideways. I'm sure I have shared this but we are pretty sure he's a lefty. It could still change but I would say 90% of the time he uses his left hand. He also can hold his pen pretty good for a 2 yr old.






He made the "t" in the bottom right corner of the paper (bottom left of the picture bc the pic is turned sideways)!
Trigger picks things up so quickly. I'm not gonna say he's the smartest child ever bc we are still working on color recognition (even though his therapist has tested him and says he knows them...he doesn't usually do it for us). But, you can usually show him how to do something once and he can do it. There are so many daily things that he knows that shock me. And follows directions great. If he's in the mood. Like I can tell him to go get all of the laundry baskets (ours, Ts, and cs) and he'll get them, dump them out on the laundry room floor and take them back. Amazing to me. I usually have to ask him Which basket belongs to him and which belongs to Campbell bc they have the same but diff colors. The other day he was in the den and he was trying to fold his "b". I showed him one time and he can do it. Amazing!











Also, I was fiddling around in the playroom and trigger got out the sorting bears and bowls. I don't think I've ever sorted bears with him. His therapist has done it a couple of times. I look over and...



It's just amazing to me how fast a two year old can absorb things!
Ok so he may be wild at times but he's also a lot of fun!!!!! And I love him soooooo incredibly much!!!!
This past Sunday was his FIRST Sunday (at 30 months) that trigger wore pants and a button up (and a vest). He's always worn a Jon Jon or longall or smocked set. Oh how sad it made me. Don't get me wrong...I thought he looked cute but it was still sad! See that on picture...we did NOT tell him to put his hand in his pocket. Mr GQ did that on his own. Haha!



P.s. Sorry if you actually read this whole post...that was some bragging but this is my only way of remembering that he could do these things now...so I can stress when Campbells not doing them at this age. Haha!
One more thing just so you don't think that I think triggers the smartest, most well adjusted child. FAR FROM it...he has a temper. He's hardheaded, etc etc etc. Oh and I have got to potty train the child. Please someone that has boys tell me it's okay. This is where we are at. He's been able to make himself teetee since he was 9 months. No lie. He would grunt and push until teetee came out when I was changing his diaper and then he'd laugh. Yep!!! He sure did! Then at 15 months, he started teetering on the potty everyday before and after bath and occasionally when changing his diaper. He knows how to go but doesn't care to tell me. And he can teetee every 5 minutes. The other day I took him and watched him teetee (which alot oftimes I'll just send him in and he'll teetee and come out...he can pull pants down, teetee, and pull back up). He teeteed forever. Then, 10 min later be was at my feet striping down bc he'd teeteed in his underwear (and pants, socks, etc). Soooo. What's next? I seriously need some advice!
Okay. Campbell is now crying. Both boys are sick so I better go check and see what's wrong.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Trigger loves “My Sydney”

Sydney came over with Liz the other day.  Liz keeps Sydney on Mondays and Fridays.  Trigger usually has OT on Mondays and goes to Matt’s parents on Friday mornings so we don’t get many chances to have playdates.  This particular week we had to reschedule OT so I quickly called Liz to schedule a playdate with Sydney.  Of course Trigger was bouncing up and down with excitement and spent the ENTIRE time fussing and crying and yanking and pulling toys because Sydney was playing with the EXACT TOY THAT HE WAS JUST ABOUT TO PLAY WITH (but hasn’t touched in months).  Don’t you just love it!!!  Anyway, I love having them come over and getting to visit with Liz so all and all it was good playdate!

It was really cold this day so Sydney came over with gloves on so Trigger hightailed it to his room to find his “glubs” (that he has had absolutely NO interest in since he got them).  He literally wore them the REST OF THE DAY…he even took his nap with them on.    In the pictures below, Sydney and Liz were about to leave and a little wrestling began! ;) Zizzy is so fun…and such a boy momma/grandmother…she’s not fragile and loves to be rough with my tough boy! (Excuse Campbell, he’s in a diaper only because he spit up all over his clothes and I striped him down and noticed a photo op so campbell took the backburner and I took pictures.  Poor baby!

Did you notice how happy Trigger was in all those pictures?!?  He LOVES to play rough and to wrestle!

Our Playroom

I (and Matt) have worked hard on our playroom…I was SICK and tired of it being a mess and there being NO organization…and toys/manipulatives HAVE TO BE ORGANIZED.  Matt and I spent the whole New Year’s Eve weekend getting projects finished (including this playroom).

Here is the before picture…now this is the ONLY picture I had and this is really, really messy.

The train table has been taken out for right now because of space and really because Trigger didn’t know how to use it properly right now…he will be ready for the train table when he’s a little older.

Here’s the AFTER!!!

I still have pictures to hang on the wall…and soon that pink chair will be recovered…I have to keep it though because it was in my room when I was little!!  I got these great frames (the black ones on the wall…and I have two more smaller ones).  They are art frames and the font opens so you can easily replace artwork as often as you would like…in fact, the frames hold up to 50 pieces of artwork so you don’t even have to take out the old ones.  Here are the frames after Trigger painted some pictures…Trigger painted the background for both and then I painted the boys’ feet…of course Trigger’s is on the left (notice all the orange) and Campbell’s feet are on the right.

Believe me, it looks a lot better…even if it’s not perfect, AT LEAST the toys all have a place!  I love having a playroom that I can close the doors and NO one sees the mess!!!!   Have I mentioned before that these boys have TOO many toys!!!  oh and too many books…Trigger and Campbell both have a bookcase in their rooms and we have this one in the playroom…PLUS I still have 2.5 more BIG tupperware containers full of books to go through…Matt says we can NOT keep them all.. :(  I just love books but it has gotten a LITTLE ridiculous!