Brace yourself. I've made a decision...

I am giving up scrapbooking.

Go ahead.  I'll wait while you get up off the floor.

Here's the deal.  I. Do. Not. Have. The. Time.

Nor the money.

I enjoy it but it's gotten to be a chore instead of a joy.  Before the toddler became a toddler, I could start pages and leave them out to work on when I had some free time.  Now, somehow, she is able to scale tall desks and leap countertops in a single bound.  So for the most part, the "stuff" has to go away.  Otherwise, she'll start taking things.

Packing it up is not an efficient use of time.  By the time I take it out, a kid wakes up from a way too short nap and I have to put it away again.

Plus, it takes thought.  That I don't have.  I look at the pictures and go completely blank.

Making fabric rosettes and onesies require almost zero thought.  They're mindless.  I can watch equally mindless TV at the same time.  It's a win win.  Hands moving.  Brain...not.

Then there's the guilt.  Geez.  I sit here DAILY feeling like I need to be doing it instead of anything else.  I am behind.  And I hate it.

My plan is to finish the books I am currently working on which should get me caught up to Rhys' birth.  Then I'll do his book (just like I did for AK) and be done.  So let's be real here, I've still got a good year or more before it's something I can completely give up.

Not saying I'm giving it up forever so don't expect a huge scrapbooking yard sale anytime soon.  I can certainly see a time when it will again be a joy.

And Lord, I pray, there's a time when my brain is more alert.

But, for now, for this season of life, I have decided to drop down to only one form of documentation.

The blog.

We turn it into books anyway.  Now I'll simply need to make sure I document all of our important events on here.

How does that affect you?

Well, you can expect a few more pictures and more detailed descriptions of events only important to our little family.

But that's about it.  I suspect most of your life will go on as if nothing has changed.

Which is good because if my decision to stop doing a specific craft is life-altering for anyone other than me, then we have bigger issues with which to deal.