Thursday, April 20, 2006

I'm Bringing Home A Baby Bumble Bee

My boys received insect kits from the Easter Bunny. ;)

They have been bug-finding fools! Everywhere they go they're looking to collect creatures and put them in these plastic boxes and peer at them through magnifying glasses. This whole process is creepy to me. I suppose, as a girl, I'll never understand the bug fascination.

It makes me realize my boys are moving into a new stage of their life. They enjoy having me around for afternoon snack and seeing my face in their schools, but it's Daddy the wait for each night. Daddy takes them to the dog park and to play basketball. Daddy has them washing the car and building go-carts. I'm good for a peanut butter and 'nanner sandwich.

At first I was a little bitter about this transition, but I'm actually getting a little more excited. Now that the boys are needing me less I'm able to pursue my own interests. I've been wanting to work on setting up my own VA business for over a year, but felt the timing wasn't right. I've been doing a lot more research, defining my market and putting together a business plan. I'm really stoked about the possibilities.

-E

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Mommy Down!

Oh. My. Goodness.

I've had the flu. I haven't been that sick in a good long time. And I don't want to be that sick ever again. There is nothing fun about puking when you haven't even had the benefit of several strong margaritas before hand.

Props to my Playground Beeyoches. I had mommies picking up my kids and taking them to school and home from school. They took my kids on field trips and brought us Gatorade. My girls totally picked up the slack during my illness. I called they rallied. I'm so blessed to have my Bad Ass Suburban Posse!

-E

Friday, April 14, 2006

SPF: Bunny Themed

Welcome to Stuff Portrait Friday. This week's assignment is loosely Easter related, if you stretch your mind to it's very limits. Special thanks to Kristine who hosts this adventure.

1. Your Peeps - introduce us to some of your friends outside of the blog world.
2. Something Fuzzy - *shaking head* you guys keep it clean.
3. Something/Someone you want to dye/die - Yeah, shut up, you’ve thought of it!


My Peeps

Once a month me and my beyotches get together and do something wild and crazy. We had a smaller turn out than usual due to the Easter Holiday so not all my peeps represent.















That's me, Hot Mama, Drama Queen, Hooters and Blonde Bird. We're here for a baby shower. In a bowling alley. Can you get any classier? Sorry for the dark pictures, but the "leaguers" insist on no flash photography because it distracts their game. WHATEVER! I plan to edit these before sending them to Flickr, but y'all get the crappy version. Sorry.






















Hooters is doing her best to give her girls some props, but when you've birthed and breast-fed two kids in two years, well gravity deals you a tough hand. She's thinking maybe she'll have augmentation and go up as size or so as demonstrated here:















Blonde Bird's shirt says "Swallows" and has two lovely birdies on the front. We just tell everyone she's a bird lover.






















Now ordinarily I abhor beer, but when the nice, ahem, gentleman in the next lane bought us a round it seemed wrong not to at least have one beer. You know, in a bowling alley, when the beer is ice cold, drinking a Bud Lite seems somehow right. Since Hot Mama could not partake of the beer, he bought her a four Snickers. Mmmkay.

Something Fuzzy

My pups. Well, Chula isn't all that fuzzy, but Hurley makes up for her and then some. Hurley is in constant need of bath, but he's so cute you just can't fault him.

















Something I want to dye

Grrr. This just ticks me off! The dry cleaner said this shirt was brought in this way. Uhh..no. Papa generally doesn't eat dry cleaning fluid and dribble it down the front of his garment. I know I could fight them on it, but it just doesn't seem worth the hassle. I'll go buy him a new shirt and save myself the aggravation. And I won't use that cleaners again. Reid's cleaners at the "Y" in Oak Hill for those of you who want to know where to stay away from with your dry-cleanables.



















Happy Easter! Be blessed!

-E

Thursday, April 13, 2006

A Huntin' We Will Go

The annual Easter Egg Hunt arrives.

Every year my boys go to at least three egg hunts. They LOVE it. Papa told J-boy that no more egg hunts after you're 8-years-old and J-boy wasn't having it. Of course, J-boy knew Papa was just joking. As long as J-boy will agree to it, the hunt will continue.

Z-boy had his class egg hunt yesterday. It's a bummer the grade schools still don't do this kind of fun stuff. As Z-boy was hunting this year I was once again sad that he's on his "last" of things. Z-boy's teacher last year, a mom of two grown boys, told me that I'd be emotional about all of J-boy's "firsts" and all of Z-boy's "lasts". She was right.

So let's celebrate Z-boy's last egg hunt as a preschooler.
















-E

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

All I Want For Easter...

...is my front tooth.
















Actually though, I'm pretty good. The Tooth Fairy brought me a five-spot. Between that and my allowance savings, I'm looking to cash in on a sweet new video game.

-J

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Marketing 101

The other day in the halls this woman, with whom I'm vaguely acquainted from one of my many aforementioned commitments, stops me to ask if I'll host a multi-level home party for her. She's pimping something - I'm not sure of the company - and gives me her pitch about earning free product.

No, thank you, I tell her as politely as I can, but she preservers. Eventually she says she'll follow up with me. Whatever.

So I'm looking at something posted in the hall (the silent auction winners for you inquiring minds) and she tells me that she saw my name on such-and-such a bid. Funny, I didn't bid on that one. Hmmm. So I go over to take a look-see and I see another name that looks sort of like mine, but not really. I tell her that's not me and she tells me "oh, well I don't really know your first name."

Come again? You're asking me to host a party, to invite my friends over to listen to you peddle your wares while I serve refreshments and YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW MY FUCKING NAME?? Not that would have agreed to this party in the first place, but c'mon don't they go over this with recruits in the rah-rah meetings all direct sales companies hold??

So if you don't know, if you're asking a favor of someone, it makes a real nice impression if you know their name.

Good grief, Charlie Brown!!

-E

Monday, April 10, 2006

Stop This Ride, I Want To Get Off

I'm in WAY over my head. I'm totally over committed. I have the disease to please. I don't know how to say no. Lately it's actually let to a bit of snarkiness amongst the school moms, but more on that another time. As it is I'm on my way from one commitment to another leaving a wake of dust in my path.

I want to visually recognize all my activities so that I can decide which and how to give the boot.

PTA Executive Board
Room Parent
Scout co-leader (with Papa)
Serve on two committees at the school
Swimming lessons
Track & Field classroom coordinator
Carnival classroom coordinator
Coordinate the end of the school year luncheon
Scout recruiting volunteer

Those things are separate and apart from the "part time" job I do as a MDO instructor and coordinator. For that I do teaching, planning, registering, billing, and general trouble shooting. Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier to have a full time job? Unless I absolutely want a new car this year or maybe next I don't have to go back to work full time right now. That's the blessing of Papa's new job...woo hoo! Really I don't need a new ride right now, right now, so I'd rather continue to stay home. But I've got to get a handle on this over commitment.

I actually considered putting my kiddos in some type of camp this summer until my Comadre had a little Back To Jesus talk with me. Bless her! I'm not going to over commitment my sons as I've done to myself. I'm going to give them a summer like I used to have and if their little brains atrophy on movies and swimming, then so be it!

-E

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Sunday Sadness

Hangers.

My J-boy has graduated from the baby plastic hangers to adult hangers. Oh, I've felt it long before now, but I finally took the plunge with this last round of laundry.

I'm also feeling a little blue knowing my youngest will be starting Kindergarten this year. Every event he does at his Mother's Day Out I'm reminded this is his last time as a little boy. My little boy.

*sniff*

-E