Starbucks, are you hiring?

Because I have experience. And because, after calling in with a sick child again today, I might need a new job soon. Yes, this time it's Big Sister.... who yesterday was diagnosed with an ear infection (it appears her tubes are now NOT working), the croup, and possibly the flu. Awesome. She's medicated, so as soon as she loses the fever, she's good to go. But at our 3am party in her room, it was apparent that has not yet happened.

Seriously, we just can't catch a break this winter. Mr. Fix-It and I have both missed more work than we can believe. We're totally stressed. At least I have my old barista days to lean on. Mr. Fix-It..... we'll have to work on what his next career will be.

Is it my fault?

Seriously. Project: Make Sleep a Priority is NOT going so well.... Let me explain (I originally forgot to include this! Damn sleep deprivation, I'm not even making sense!) Last wk, I prayed/begged/pleaded to have just ONE WEEK with no illnesses, no one feeling bad, no parents missing work. And I got that. Last week. So this week? All bets are off....

11pm - The evening is not going quite as planned.... I had a hair cut and had brought home a huge pile of work to do before all my meetings today. Got to bed later than planned.

2am - Get a lovely wake up call at 2am from Big Sister. Big Sister never wakes up at night unless something is wrong. And it was. She was hot and running a fever. Wonderful. So, at 2am, Mr. Fix-It and I have a conversation about today and how I absolutely CANNOT miss my big mtgs, etc.... He has an important training thing, etc. Mr. Fix-It nods back off. I lay there and stress.

4am - Big Texas storms blow through and wake up both kids. But not at the same time. They spend the next hour and a half taking turns being awake until I finally get up.

7am - I leave to take G-man to daycare while Big Sister stays home with Mr. Fix-It. The nurses are going to wonder if he has a crush on one of them, since he was just there for G-man's 6 month shots yesterday and will likely return with Big Sister today.

8am - I arrive at work and a coworker tells me I look rested. While that's probably supposed to be a compliment, I want to smack him.

I'm so jealous of Big Sister and Mr. Fix-It, at home in their PJs on this rainy day.... while I'm in meetings 9-11:30 and then 2-5.... love that. ;) That picture at the top? It's Big Sister - her first Easter - and it makes me laugh.... which I could use today! Have a good one, y'all!

Who wants it?

Y'all. It's a sad day in the Semi-Homemade house (don't worry, I'm over it), but it's a good day for you! I have a 25% off coupon to Coach up for grabs! It's good in stores until 3/15. So.... be the first to leave a comment (and show/tell us what you're going to buy!) and I'll send it to you. I'll need some way of getting your address so I can mail it out TODAY....

Personally, I'd want to look at the bag above or this one. Aren't they both super cute?!

Weekend Family Fun

Doesn't this just say SPRING to you? Ahhhh, it was so nice in TX this weekend. Here's Big Sister chasing bubbles. My mom and sister were here for some shopping for my sister's upcoming new arrival! Here's Big Sister with that baby belly:

Here's a rare sighting of baby g sans helmet! Don't they look like an old couple, sitting on the porch, just chatting as the world passes them by?

A super, super rare picture of ME!! It's kinda dark.... but truth be told, that's probably a good thing! ;)

Oh, what a weekend! I did some Easter shopping, too.... time to start thinking of semi-homemade Easter ideas!

A different kind of anniversary

March 9, 2006 --- That was my first day back to work after my 10 wk maternity leave with Big Sister (that's her in a Hawaiian dress for Mr. Fix-It's 30th bday party!) Definitely one of the saddest days in my life... I'd had an amazing time at home with her and was loving being a mom more than I'd ever imagined! (I wasn't one of those girls that went into motherhood thinking it was all baby showers and cute clothes.... I was genuinely surprised by how much I loved being a mom!)

Wow, 3 years have gone by.... It's also been 5 whole months since I came back to work after maternity leave with G-man (I came back on Oct 9 - and that marks 5 months of pumping at work!) Going back to work the 2nd time was tougher in some ways because I knew what was coming. That heartache, that true, physical pain of dropping off your precious baby for the first time. With Big Sister, I held out until I got in my car and then sobbed the whole way to work. With G-man, I was crying before I even handed him off to the teacher. I told Mr. Fix-It that I wouldn't do it again.... that if we have a #3, I'm staying home with her/him longer than just a few months.

Whew, sorry for that crazy Monday moment! I've got big meetings this wk on Wed, so I'll try to pop in as much as I can. I've got some pics of my cute preggo sister to share from the weekend! (But for now, one more of our favorites from Mar 2006!)

Semi-homemade Organization System

For this last Christmas, I begged the grandmothers to buy the kids a few things that weren't toys. (I know, mom is a bummer, but...) I found these great canvas organizers at One Step Ahead, and they're only $20 when you buy 2 or more! I dropped them off at Mrs. Everything's house and she monogrammed the kids' names on them!


Then I photoshopped some quick "Days of the Week" pictures to insert into each pocket (pictured at top of post). G-man's have cute pics of him with little sayings, and Big Sister's have the day of the week in English, Spanish (duh, we live in TX), and French (because it was easiest to find online).

A must have for all you busy mommas! On Sunday night, I check the weather forecast (because in March in TX... it could snow one day and be 80 degrees the next!), and set out everything the kiddos will need for the week - tops, bottoms, socks, underwear, shoes, hair bows! It all goes into the pocket for that day of the wk!

(Okay, the pics are smaller than I wanted.... and I don't have them here at work, so I'll replace them this weekend, so you can actually see them! Just a perfect ending to this wk, don't ya think? I added the pics at the top, so you could get a better idea...)

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Oh, and remember my mom-tuition from yesterday? It was $hit, totally wrong... baby G was being a cranky teether, had a little fluid in one ear, but nothing to worry about. That's a FIRST, since having kiddos! So, yea for being wrong! I actually worked an ENTIRE work week. And that's amazing... Happy weekend, y'all!

Giveaway for new mommas!

Since everyone I know is pg... I figured I know alot of people who would love to win this! Knock yourself out (up?) and win it yourself!

DEFINITELY not mom of the year...

I just jumped off the treadmill (I finished wk 7 of c25k - yea!!), and thought I'd download the pics from Silly Week at the kids' school. Except when I went to pop out the memory card, it wasn't there. And hadn't been. All week. All those cute pictures... the ones I took even if it meant we'd be running late to work... not there. I'm an idiot. I'm not sure if this makes me feel stupid or just validates my sleep deprivation.
Either way.... you'll have to imagine the silliness of Mix Match Day.... of Pajama day... and today was Silly hair/crazy hat day. Big Sister had pigtails with a zigzag part. G-man... well, G-man wears his crazy hat EVERY day. ;)

If I had the time, I'd dress them up and recreate it all. But I don't. And I guess this way, it's easier to forget the fact that a) we forgot on Monday and the kids didn't show up in silly socks, and b) this momma is just too worn out to participate in Favorite Book Character day tomorrow. I'm all silly-ed out.

This is all I got...

So, g-man hasn't been himself lately.... today is day 10 of his antibiotic and I just have this suspicion that he didn't recover from his ear infection, as intended. He doesn't have a fever, a cold, anything.... he's just not himself.... and has been having some dramatic (theatrical, I'd say) outbursts lately. And it's mommy intuition, I guess. So, Mr. Fix-It is taking him to the ped today to get checked out..... if he DOES, in fact, have an ear infection, we will be delaying his 6 month shots for the 3rd time. I'm on to him..... everytime it's time for shots, he's sick. ;)

Lately, I'm feeling like we can't win for losing. We haven't gone more than a day without someone on an antibiotic or home sick. Having sick kids is stressful. Being a working mommy, it's even more stressful. Where am I going with this?

Well..... Mr. Fix-It calls me after he drops off the kids this morning, to tell me that Big Sister had goo oozing out of her ear. Oh, and it was bloody. The good news is that this must be in the ear that still has a functioning tube (because the tube in the other ear is falling out). What worries me is that - after 2 sets of tubes and now that she's 3 yrs old - she's not "supposed to be" having ear issues. I love that we always seem to be the exception.

And if you're not convinced that it's an epidemic just yet..... Miss P Everything got tubes this morning and my niece in OK is getting her 2nd set tomorrow. Geez. We all should have been ENTs.

I'll be back tomorrow. With my take on a semi-homemade organization system. Or pics of silly week. Whatever I can pull together.

Good, clean fun: giveaway!

Y'all, look at this cute soap. OMG, I can't stand it, it's so cute.

(Don't worry, they have a boy version, too! If g's bathroom wasn't the one our guests use downstairs, I would have totally dec'ed it out in a pirate/whale theme. And gotten this soap.)

Of course, of course, this is another seller on etsy. Are y'all tired of me raving about etsy yet? Just buy something already. (Man, I should really get my OWN etsy shop, huh?!)

Ready for the giveaway? Mmm, the pink grapefruit whipped cream soap just sounds delish, doesn't it? Just click here!