Is it time for a drink yet?

This may or may not be what Sissy (that's what G-man has been callin' her!) and G-man are getting their momma for Mother's day.  :)

Or this one!    Which do I love more?  The hammered glass?  The fleur de lis??  Ohmigosh, how do you choose?

Speaking of drinks, I had a drink from the 'Bucks this morning, courtesy of my dearest friend Mrs. Everything.  She knows I've been a little... anxious?  Or alot anxious, whatever.  So she dropped the sweetest card in my mailbox (complete with Proverbs 3:5-6, love it!) and the giftcard.  Awww.... what a friend!

Then mr. fix-it got in on the "cheer up" activities today with this list, which he emailed me:

Yeah, it's been crazy lately, but we have tons to be thankful for.
1) we both have good jobs
2) we are still in love after 8 years of marriage
3) we have the cutest and most amazing kids ever
4) we have a great family
5) we both like our extended families ;)
6) we are healty
7) we are financially sound
Lots more, but that's just what I thought of in a couple minutes.  I love you.  Keep yo head up.

Awwww.... I love the gansta speak at the end, especially.  :)

So, I know I haven't said much lately except that it's been crazy.... and I know I haven't blogged latelty AT.ALL.  Sorry!  In April I only blogged HALF of my average (which is 20 blogs/month. Yes, I crunch numbers for a living so I know these things.)  Anyway, I hope to be able to spill it all really soon.  Maybe this weekend!  And I'm hoping to actually know more by then, too.  Thanks for your patience, muah!  May will likely be a little void of semi-homemade goodness... but lots of projects in store for June!

*** For those of you who have asked, those drink dispensers are both from Dillard's!

Read more:

A Semi-Homemade Guide to Parenting?!?

Thanks for all the comments and concern about the health of the Semi-Homemade Family! I'm happy to report that we're all feeling well, although we got an unplanned break from work & school last week. Mr. Fix-It's grandmother passed away and we spent several days in OK, celebrating her life and spending time with family.
Meanwhile, the girl that sits by me is healthy and back at work, and The Company has sent out Flu Communication, with helpful tips, such as:
~Try to avoid close contact with people who have the flu
I already feel better......

So.... I feel like I've got lots to share with you, but I've got to get things back in order at work and home first. Until then, I'll share with you a little reading material I came across...

This is totally up my alley because:
a - I like to laugh
b - it's possible I have an unusual love of pirates
c - I'm the mom who never read any of those baby/toddler books...
I don't know how to whisper to my baby... I probably don't have the happiest baby on the block.(although mine were pretty happy, in spite of their clueless momma!)... I wouldn't know the first thing about training my kids to sleep (does that make me UNbaby wise?) I really never had time to read those books, and never really cared to (gasp!) I, ahem, like to find my own way. But.... I did read a Jenny McCarthy book or two... if it's funny and something I can relate to, I'm there! Life is serious enough as it is, right?

Therefore, The Guide to Pirate Parenting: Why You Should Raise Your Kids As Pirates and 101 Tips on How to Do It. Here's what it entails:

Never before has raising a pirate been so easy! If you're like most parents, you long to raise your children as pirates, but just don t know how. In Guide to Pirate Parenting you'll learn:
~Ten benefits of raising a pirate
~At what age your child should be able to remove a bottlecap by taking out his glass eye and using it as an opener
~The best place to maroon your disobedient child
~How to remove chewing gum or a giant octopus from your child s hair
~The difference between plundering and pillaging
~How to convert your minivan into a pirate schooner
Each information-packed section ends with, Your pirate's progress, a short quiz that shows whether your child is reaching his or her pirate development milestones.

Hee hee!! Happy Monday - and more to come soon, I'm so ready to discuss Halloween with y'all!

My Little Southern Lady

As I think back to my first mother's day, I can't help but smile. MY child was the most amazing thing ever, I thought she just hung the moon. And I still do. I like to call her my Little Southern Lady.... and on that day, my first mother's day, we celebrated her baptism.


My Little Southern Lady has all the characteristics of your average Southern gal...

She's got the drawl. She says things like:
Mom, let's have chill-ay (chili).

She's polite. She says "yes ma'am" if she thinks she might be in trouble or if she's trying to impress. ;)

She's got the 'look.' She loves to have her nails and toes painted pink. She insists on wearing dresses, even if she's sick and on her way to the dr. Over the weekend, she let me put sponge curlers in her hair!

She makes me and Mr. Fix-It so proud. Even the tough teachers say she's their best helper and the most compassionate friend. That she's polite and mature for a 3yo. That she acts older and sets a good example. And when I'm stressed (like I've been - sorry for yesterday's rant), these things make me relax a little and feel like I'm doing something right....

Here she is, being baptized in our church.


We had an entire weekend celebration! Everyone came in to town on Friday - family from both sides. Saturday we did some things together and ended with a big BBQ at our house, followed by a family bowling outing! Sunday, we had brunch before church and celebrated mother's day. Then off to her baptism. Everyone was anxious to get on the road afterwards, and we'd had a big breakfast, so we sent everyone home with goody bags of snacks and drinks for the road!

Here's the cutie in a semi-homemade baptismal photo shoot! ;)



Awww..... she was 5 months old, and that was 3 yrs ago. How time flies...

Thanks for being my sweet Little Southern Lady, Big Sis!

(Okay, gotta finish up at work and GET HOME!)

Un-mom Mother's Day Gifts

Modern mother's day gifts..... to me it's an oxymoron..... or it's like saying I have "free time." It's something to dream about, but not expect... right?

I wanted to get together ALL the fun mom's day gift ideas I've found, but since the day is coming quickly (and my free time is super sparse lately!), I thought I'd give you my absolute faves of the moment - then follow up later with some additional ideas.

My absolute favorite mom's day gifts ever are the 2 necklaces I have from Julian & Co. They are IT for modern momma jewelry, in my opinion (for what that's worth!) I've ordered 3 necklaces from them (yes, both of mine, but don't let that take away from Mr. Fix-It's thoughtfulness... he just wanted to make sure they said exactly what I wanted them to!). I also ordered one for a friend of mine when her adoption was final - with her new son's name and adoption date on it. Let me just tell you - if you're looking for awesome customer service (yes, it still exists!), email Julian & Co. and let them work with you!

This is my newest necklace and current fav - I have one with Baby G-man's first & middle name on the front and all his birth info on the back. It's super cute!

This is new, but I'm liking it! (Almost looks like it could come in a little blue box, huh?) And it's similar to the Square Birth Necklace I have and adore with Big Sis's name & birth info on it.

Several of my most admired working momma friends swear by their momAgendas! And God knows, I could use some help getting organized.... hmmmm.... they come in tons of super cute colors (some of them BRIGHT! so they don't get lost in the sea of artwork, bills, and other things on your counter). I've heard great things about the Day Planners and gave the Kitchen Folio to Mrs. Everything and my sister Ellen when they hosted my baby shower last summer.

So, everyone I know that has the Chi is over-the-top in love with it.... it has changed their life... etc, etc. So, this is what my very own momma is getting for mother's day! (Gotta love! having 3 siblings to share costs with on holiday gifts for the parents!) We're getting ours from amazon. Duh. We got an amazing deal. AND free shipping.

Custom art is always so expensive, donchathink? But it doesn't have to be.... kiki & polly offer sketches from your photo and prices start at only $35 for an 8x10. Throw it in a cute (and cheap!) frame from Hobby Lobby or somewhere and you're done!

For lots more ideas.... visit the cool mom picks site!! Just click on the button below or on my sidebar!

And what am I hoping for this mother's day? A maid? Ridiculously healthy kiddos? I'll include that in a later rambling about the big day... as well as pics and memories from my very first mom's day in 2006!