A question I get asked every now and then.
On my other blog (I really should just consolidate at this point... everyone who reads this reads the other) I often post videos. People ask how I get those short perfect clips... well, I cut down the long ones silly.
If you have a Windows computer this will work. If you have a Mac... your on your own, but you've got much better and easier tools to do it.
On a PC:
1. Go to the Start menu.
2. Find Windows Movie Maker and open it. On Vista it's listed right in the programs list. On XP I think it was in the accessories folder.
3. Click Import Media and find your movie file. You can also drag and drop it into the big open space in the middle.
4. Click the play button on the right side of the screen. When you find the point where you want to cut the video click the Split button (just under the video screen, by the play button).
5. You will have two clips in the center section now. If you click on the second clip (the second half of the clip you just cut into two) you can click play again and split it again if needed.
6. When you have a section split into the shorter clip you want to make, then drag it from the big window down to the first movie spot at the bottom.
7. Choose File (at top of screen) and then Publish Movie.
8. Choose This Computer and click Next.
9. Give the file a Name and tell it where to save. Click Next.
10. On the next screen I usually choose More Settings and then Windows Media DVD Quality. This makes the file so that's its not great quality, but an ok size to upload to my blog. You can play with it. At the bottom it shows the estimated file size. Keep it in mind when making your choice.
11. Choose Publish.
Here is the file I just shortened:
And the original:
Not very long to begin with, but now you wouldn't be able to tell that Ash fell on his bum afterward!
1.11.2010
12.29.2009
Our old dining table didn't fit it in our new house. The truth is we never really liked that table anyway. Hardly used it. Sat in front of the TV with our food and ate.
While we were at Ikea we found a perfect table for the space we have now.
(Ours is actually black)
Ash was so excited about the new table that he actually fulfilled one of my latest dreams... we now eat at the dining table!
I know... why didn't we do it before?
It actually makes a world of difference in how Ash eats. He is more focused on his food and eats better. Without half the prodding we used to have to give him. It is awesome.
I told him we would sit there and talk about what we did that day, so the first night he gets up in the chair and says "so what you do today mama?" So cute.
12.16.2009
That's right... this tip is how to spoil your kids (rather than the obvious NOT spoiling your kids).
I'm writing it this way because I don't know any better. I've spoiled my little guy ROTTEN. What I'm hoping is that by showing all the ways you CAN spoil your kids, that maybe some of us (*cough* me included *cough cough*) will learn how to reign it in and gain control of the spoiling situation.
So... here's how I tend to spoil my child:
* buy 5 million x-mas, birthday, and assorted holiday presents
* make special trips every now and then to the toy store just to buy a new toy
* try to get all the Disney Cars (they made one for almost EVERY car in the movie)
* allow your child to visit the toy section of every store you visit and then purchase any toy they REALLY like. (umm... they always REALLY like at least one)
* look at every toy you pass by wondering if your child would REALLY like it
* notice how they REALLY like a friends toy and run right out to purchase it
* use toys as bribes (see post below)
I thought for sure I was on the path to a cure before Christmas. I had decided only to purchase the toys on my child's letter to Santa. That was before I took my child to the store and saw how much he also loved like three more toys that weren't on his list and also purchased those.
I'm not sure I'll ever learn... maybe when I have more kids it will get easier.
As for now... we're just happy we have a whole room to throw all those toys in.
11.30.2009
Diapers... I'm getting tired of them.
My little guy is almost 2 and a half. Big enough to poop like a man basically. It's disgusting.
I'm ready to start potty training him. He has a different opinion.
We figured the whole teeth brushing thing worked out pretty well (we don't even pay him anymore, he just brushes them now)... so why not try bribery for this as well?
He really wants this toy.
Yes that truck... all the way up on the top of that bookshelf. See it? He played with it at his cousin's house ALL NIGHT LONG (that's pretty long in two year old time).
We tried just telling him we would get it for him when he pee-peed on the toilet.
That didn't work.
Now we've actually purchased the truck and placed it all the way up there so he can't play with it. Once in a while we do get it down and let him hold it, but just as a reminder he can have it after he goes.
We'll see.
As for now it's a pretty awesome living room decoration. You should all get one.
11.24.2009
Yes... it's been a while since my last post.
Yikes!
I've been moving to the new house I previously mentioned.
I will be back in business soon with great stories about our move and other fun stuff.
Stay tuned.
10.30.2009
10.26.2009
A Halloween favorite:
The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree
by Stan and Jan Berenstain
This one is especially fun if you go back and reenact the actions after you read them... for example after the bears go up the stairs and the alligator snaps at them... I walk my fingers up the stairs until I get to the alligator, then I CLAP my hands and yell *SNAP*.
Asher giggles every time.
10.18.2009
Gardner Village
1100 West 7800 South
West Jordan, Utah
We love the Gardner Village... but we really love to go there in October. They have a special witch festival with events every weekend. They also have witch displays everywhere... but not just normal witches, they are crazy animated witches that hula hoop, dance, fly (you get the idea).
There are a lot of fun shops to go through. I love the one with purses, the little shop with home decorations, and also Sassy Baby.
They also have a petting zoo and pony rides. The kids love it, but the line gets long FAST! Don't worry... they will give you hand sanitizer afterward too.
There are plenty of places for photo ops... like this one of my cute munchkin:
The best part... it's FREE! (Other than what you spend while you shop... and you will probably spend a little because there is just so much cute stuff.)
If you go, make sure you get some fudge at the candy store. AMAZING.
We like candy calendars at our house. You know the kind that count down to a holiday... you open a door (and get a piece of candy!) every day until the holiday comes.
My brother-in-law had a cool one at his house for Halloween, so of course I had to run right out and buy it.
Ash was playing with it while he ate. He called me over to show me how he had filled the doors with "treats."
Yes... bread.
What? You don't consider bread a treat?
10.06.2009
This is kind of cool...
Canvas People
An inexpensive way to create a canvas picture for your house.
10.05.2009
Have you discovered the awesomeness of etsy.com?
I am a newbie.
It all started with the house hunt. The idea of walls that I can actually paint and hang things on had me dreaming of decorations in all varieties. Oh, the excitement of color swatches and paint samples. I'm actually really excited.
My first purchase is for Ash's room... I decided to go with a "Where the Wild Things Are" theme. (Since he loves the Wild Things) I found this and I think it's perfect.
It does look at a little scary, but the book IS A LITTLE SCARY. Ash still loves it. I showed him this picture and he said "MAX!"
We've made an offer on a house... if it all works out this might be the very first thing I frame and hang. I'm so excited and nervous. We told Ash he might be moving to a new house and he said, "but this where Asher live, mama." Then I explained about the trampoline at the new house and he quickly changed his mind.
"Asher's new house have trampoline, mama."
9.26.2009
"Sharps"
Anything sharp such as knives and scissors. We have instilled in Ash a fear of them and usually when he sees them he says "no play sharps." Although he tried to convince me daycare has sharps he can play with.
9.23.2009
It all started the day the crawling began. My cute little chubby cheeked baby picked up his arms and stated crawling towards me and I saw it... his brand new tooth.
The same day! Crawling and teeth. He was SOOO excited to be moving that he was grinning literally from ear to ear. And there was that little nub of a first tooth poking through.
Thus began a ritual that I quickly started to hate...
the brushing of that tooth.
Ash hated it. I'd have to hold him down and brush as fast as I could. As he got bigger, the harder it became to hold him down. I resolved to make this better somehow. I tried an electric toothbrush, fancy pastes, and stickers. None worked.
One day I got an idea to try straight up modern day bribery... MONEY. It worked! I bought a see-thru piggy bank, so he could see the money growing. He really wanted a beta fish like the one in his class at daycare... named Nimbi. We agreed that when he got enough money he could buy a fish.
Every night we would remind him... no crying and let us brush good and you get money for a fish. Most nights he would do a good job and get a few coins. Some nights he would struggle a little and get only one or two coins. And every once in a while he would forget and we would have to hold him down... but after getting no coins that day he would always go back to letting us do it.
After a few months the piggy bank started to get full. We cashed the money in and gave him the dollar bills. We made a special trip to the pet store and picked out a fish and tank. Ash walked up to the counter. Before we could even give the cashier the fish, Ash had stuck his little hand, full of cash, up on the counter and plopped down all his money. He was so excited to buy it with his OWN money!
Tom tried to name the fish "Doug," but it wouldn't stick. Ash just kept calling him "my Nimbi."
Ash always feeds the fish (sometimes just a little too much...) and now he is brushing his teeth to work for more fish food.
(Cause he's the fish's daddy and has to take good care of him!)
9.20.2009
Now that the house market has settled down we have decided to look for a home to purchase. This is a BIG step for us. Our first house!
When Tom and I got married, Tom was just trying to get into pharmacy school. We had no idea where he'd end up going to school, so we decided to just rent for a year until we figured it out. By the time we found out Tom got accepted to the U of U, the market went OUT OF CONTROL.
We couldn't afford ANYTHING (being starving students and all).
I'd constantly check the house prices, and finally one day *HOORAY* there were houses we could actually afford.
I got a nice Realtor (he's my parent's home teacher and they gave him two thumbs up). His name is Lonnie. Every house we go to Asher screams "where's Lonnie" anytime he gets out of eye site. He says they are 'buddies.' Sometimes he even calls him DAD. That was a little awkward.
Ash has been a trooper through the house hunt. He actually likes it. Every house has stuff to look at (sometimes play with if I'm not watching close enough... lots of hand wipes were used) or couches to jump on.
I think we are getting close to finding something. It's really exciting to think about. Oh the space! I can just imagine it now. Room to breathe without toys crowding me, and a BACKYARD. Yes, a BACKYARD!
One day soon... I can't wait!
9.17.2009
The State Fair
We quite enjoyed the local state fair last week. There are about a million things for your kids to do (and spend money on). It's kind of like Lagoon, only it has less rides and really creepy exhibitions.
My little one LOVES all the animals. He would walk from cage to cage and pet them. It's kind of adorable.
He also really wanted to ride the merry-go-round (kind of a favorite for him), but I was a little scared of the rides. Umm... safe? I think not.
We opted instead for the pony-go-round. He enjoyed this immensely as it combines his love for things that end in 'go-round' and animals.
His daddy said that Asher got a little caught up in the bouncy-ness of the pony and started bouncing a little extra. Apparently the pony turned to look at Asher. It must have been a 'mean' look because Ash immediately stopped.
The fair is great because it has a million things to do and see:
- Miniature lady (like 30 inches tall) - Uncle Rory paid to see this one and after wards wished he hadn't. He said she looked sad. Poor thing.
- Foot long corndogs - another favorite of Ash
- Bears who can do tricks
- Ripley's Believe It or Not animals - weird and sad at the same time.
- Alligator kabobs - Uncle Rory also paid for this one and wished he hadn't... it made him so sick that puked all night.
- Funnel Cake - delightful with strawberries.
You take the good... you take the bad... and there you have THE STATE FAIR. Kind of wish it was here more than once a year!
9.13.2009
Yes, I did it... If Ash fussed in the night, then I would bring him in my own bed and let him sleep.
I know... rookie mistake, but I love to snuggle and cuddle him!
He loves all the free space to roll and move and roll and move and roll and move. (you get the point).
I did not sleep well this way.
AND he learned to wake up EVERY NIGHT and fuss until I came and got him.
Once again... NOT sleeping well this way.
So my advice? Don't bring them in your room to sleep. As much as you want to, it builds bad night habits. Too late for this advice? Already have a 2:00 AM fusser like I did? Here's how we remedied it...
When Ash fussed we tried the whole ferber method thing (let him cry himself back to sleep). Except Ash would scream FOREVER and I didn't have the patience for it.
Instead my husband and I took turns laying on the floor by his bed until he went back to sleep. We explained to him that its still night time and he needs to stay in his own bed, BUT we will sleep by him for a while. It takes him a whole ten minutes to fall asleep and then we are back in bed. SLEEPING. Like normal people. After about a week of this he started just sleeping through the night again.
I've also heard of people who lay on the kid's bed with them. Then after a few days they moved to sitting in a chair by the bed. Then after a few days they move the chair closer to the door, etc., and eventually the child starts sleeping through the night.
So there. That's my advice for all it's worth. Now does anyone have advise on losing the binky? I've already tried cutting it. Didn't work. Also tried asking him to give them to the babies at the hospital. Didn't work either.
Oh the binky... I don't think we'll ever get rid of it.
9.11.2009
Best. gift. ever.
Ash got this marshmallow gun for his birthday this year. HIS TWO YEAR OLD BIRTHDAY. Yes... a gun at two years of age. He loves it.
The box said it was for 8 year olds.
My brother and his wife got it for him. It shoots out little mini marshmallows. It doesn't shoot them far and it doesn't hurt if you get hit with one. It's pretty harmless.
I took it to baby Addi's blessing lunch and all the little kids surrounded Asher. They each wanted to take a turn trying it out. I had this weird feeling... like it was bizarre to let all the little kids play with a gun. I told my mom and she was like "umm... it's a marshmallow gun."
All the kids would stand in front of the person shooting it and yell "shoot me." Ash started doing this at home afterward.
This did NOT EASE my reservations at all.
But my mom was always extremely overprotective of us. And if she thinks its ok... then it must not be too bad.
I remember a childhood filled with bb guns. Its just such a different time than it was back then!!! I think I'm officially a mom. With mommy thoughts and worries. OVERPROTECTIVE mommy thoughts and worries... oh joy... let the fun begin.
9.07.2009
Not You.
Said more like "not YOUUUU."
My two most unfavorite words of the moment. They are even worse than 'what's that' fifty times in a row.
Ash uses it for pretty much everything. "Not you" can mean many things at the moment. It is a stand in for things like 'don't play with my toys' or 'I want to do it by myself' or 'I want someone else to help me'. All of which are expressed with only two words. Not you.
Almost any way its used sounds MEAN.
I dislike it (I'm trying not to use 'I hate it' because I definitely don't want to start hearing THAT). I'm not sure what to try to replace it with (sometimes we can get him to say different things if we just act like he says it wrong)... but I think it might be to late. He says it about twenty times an hour. Even as I right this now I am hearing it... and now it's evolving into "or not you". Yikes. I'm not sure where it even came from.
Maybe we can replace it with 'sharing is caring' (which I love even though we don't watch Barney, which is who says it).
Or just "Yes You". I'll take anything at this point.
8.31.2009
My two year old is in the terrible twos.
It's not horrible. He is such a good kid. But every once in a while a little temper tantrum comes on. Something just doesn't go quite his way and the next thing you know he's growling... and then if things continue to not go his way it might turn into tears and a little hysteria.
Afterwards he will say... "I freaked out. Two seconds. I freaked out." Which means for like two seconds in his little reality he had a melt down.
Sometimes he'll follow it up with "I a good boy."
He's just so cute its hard not to laugh.
