the girl who is unemployed

Technically that is.

My last day on paper was Friday. But I'm going in tomorrow to make sure payroll goes off without a hitch, because I have good work ethic like that(and it's my pay that's being affected too!)

My "assistant came to work with me one last time and got smothered with kisses from everyone. I think that they will miss him more than me. He;s been a little mascot for them. They've seen him grow from the little not-quite-five-pounder that he was when I first started bringing him to work, to a robust, chubby little not-quite-fifteen-pounder. Plus he's adorable, how can you not get attached?

My babysitter is quite heartbroken over the possibility of losing the boys. She loves them and I love her for loving them. I can't exactly ask her to hold their spaces though. She's one woman running her own daycare and can only take a limited number of kids. Well, I'm taking up three spots. I can't ask her to do without that income. But, she's given me some tips on some things, and hopefully we can make it work.

She loves Eli, especially (who doesn't?) and has this thing about wanting him to be in real little boy clothes. I'm happy to let him stay in sleepers all day, but Miss Mitzi likes him looking like a little man. So much so that she started looking for clothes for him. This outfit is courtesy of her. He DOES look like a little man. He has just grown so much!

And he's Mr. Personality too. I'm sure he'll be just as much trouble as Matthew, because he is very much "look at me! play with me! pay attention to me!" But as a baby it's adorable.

Speaking of Matthew, I'm trying to figure out if its him or Ian who did this.


Yes, that's a Happy Face drawn right where Mr. Happy hides.

I'm leaning towards Ian, since he's the resident artist. But I was baffled as to why he would be drawing on his undies.

Then it hit me.

These are plain white undies. No decoration. No cartoon characters. Naturally he had to iven them up!

I have strange children, lol.

In other news...I was asked to be a guest designer for the Color Challenge on 2Peas. I had fun with it.

This was the Color Combo I was given:


And this is what I did with it.


I'm running out of stash, so my layouts are becoming more streamlined. I can only hope that I become employed soon, or else I won't be able to take advantage of all the yummy BOY goodies (finally) from CHA. I'm in love with several items and simply want to go crazy.

So this is kind of a rambling, pointless post, but I wanted to show off the pictures, lol.

Will post any job hunt successes as they happen!

the girl who is celebrating "Happy Day", for REAAAL!

Today is "Happy Day," so decreed by my nearly-five-year-old. I'm not quite sure what sparked it, but he woke up and announced it. Apparently on Happy Day, you get to go to Miss Mitzi's school! So I guess we celebrate it Monday through Wednesday. I wonder if this will count as one of our paid holidays for work?

Busy, busy, busy time of year and then I just add to it by taking on this modeling thing. The Friday before last, I got an email from our Scout about a modeling call the next day in Miami. I figured I'd go and use it as a learning experience even though we didn't have Zack's composite cards yet. The Scout told me to take all three of the older boys even though Ian barely qualified for their age requirement and Matthew didn't. So I did. And it was quite the learning experience for me.

I learned I can’t be away from Eli for 24 hours and not bring my breast pump, as much as I thought I was close to weaning.

I learned traveling with three kids in a mini van for four hours is torture,

I learned that my public Mommy Manners only last about 12 hours and after that I snap.

I learned that Ian falls asleep in the car, Zack will join him soon after and Matthew will stay awake the entire time asking me questions.

I learned Radio Disney doesn’t last much past Kissimmee.

I learned that when the call asks for a specific age, they really mean a specific size.

I learned that there are many pretty people in Miami and they all showed up for the call.

I learned that professional models have no modesty issues and I got to see quite a bit of toned, buff, chiseled bodies as they stripped down to try on samples.

I learned that I am going to avoid open calls in Miami and concentrate on papercasting and local calls because $150 a trip is not in my budget.

And lastly, I learned that Zack really is serious about this and might actually have what it takes.


The call was interesting, and I found out later it was not done “professionally” (I could have guessed that when we were all lined up outside someone’s (really cool) house in South Beach) and that it was normally handled by a casting agency. They dismissed the younger two right off the bat, but did seem interested in Zack. They had him try on a sample outfit (kinda Euro-punk cute) and took his picture and asked him some questions about sports he liked and if he could ride a bike. However, not having a completed comp card really hindered us in this case, since they didn’t go through a casting agency. I was told that the casting agency will have you fill out a form and take a Polaroid to attach along with your comp card and resume, so the fact we didn’t have one yet wouldn’t be a huge deal. They didn’t have anything like that and I ended up scrawling Zack’s info on a scratch piece of paper. Since we haven’t heard back, I’m assuming he didn’t get cast, which is fine. I don’t think I could have handled the Miami drive again AND prep for Thanksgiving.

And Thanksgiving was the next item on my schedule. I ended up taking the Wednesday before Turkey Day off to clean the house, shop and prep the food. I needed it! Got everything ready, only to find out my FIL was not going to be coming! He was the one I was stressing out over!

Fast forward to the next day and I had decided to take a more relaxed approach and was taking my time in getting started in the morning. Then FIL calls to say he's coming after all so I go from relaxed to stressed in 2.9 seconds.

All I have to say about Thanksgiving is that its over and the leftovers are gone at this point so yay.

I ended up working on Sat to make up for not going in on Wed and so between the drive the previous weekend, Thanksgiving and working on Sat, I feel like I haven't really had a weekend in awhile!

Add to that, we did Zachary's headshots this past Sunday. Wow! What a difference a professional photographer makes! My little 8 year old looks 12! He didn't much care for the makeup (a dot of undereye concealer, a light dusting of powder and some carmex on his lips) and kept making his squinty, pouty face, but he had some awesome shots. I hope these comp cards get him some work, because I am NOT driving to Miami for calls anymore. We will go for actual castings , but unless we win the lotto, it's just not feasible. Although I hear that they have calls in town once in awhile, so we can definitely hit those.

Eli is up to nearly 13 pounds! Here he is with his chubby smile. He has wrist bracelets, dimpled knees and no neck--the perfect level of chubbiness without being too chubby. Just the right size to sqeeeeze! I still love carrying him around in his sling. I must say, I tried every padded, buckled, belted contraption and this is by far the easiest, most versatile and most comfortable baby carrier around. I have so much freedom in it and getting Eli in and out doesn't rquire being next to a padded surface and an extra set of hands. And he loves it too!


Every time I go out in it, someone comments on it and asks me how it is. I think I need to order another one since I plan on using it for awhile and I think I ordered this one too short (I'm not wearing it precisely correctly. The rings should be on my shoulder.) Plus, I'd love another color choice to coordinate with more outfits.

And Matthew is his usual charming self. He has two phrases that he has been repeating incessantly lately. It was cute at first, but now its getting to be annoying.

The first is, "Deal!" He tries to get his way with something and he'll come up and present you with it very matter-of-factly, then he'll end it with "DEAL" and stick out his hand for you to shake. Example: "Mommy! Mommy! The toy on tv, we gotta buy it! You hafta go to the store right now! Deal, Mommy? Deal?" or "Mommy, I don't want to go to bed. I want to watch teedee (TV), Deal?" I don't think he quite grasps the concept that making a deal usually means *I* get something out of the bargain too, lol!

The second is "for real." He says this incessantly to impress upon me his sincerity. "Mommy, Zacky hurt me, for REAAAAAL!!!" Yeah, right, I saw him brush up against you on his way to the bathroom. I saw you look for an audience and then throw yourself on the floor howling. I know you're an actor looking for a stage. For real.

Next up is Christmas. Between all the shopping, cleaning, working, organizing, crafting, baking etc. that needs to be done between now and then, I could use a few more official "Happy Days" between now and then.

For real.

the girl who is a shutterbug

Today I finally did a little photo shoot I had been planning for a while with 11. I had all of these ideas in my head about what I wanted to do, but an infant's tolerance of Mommy's notions of artistic photography is low. Very low. Particularly when there are wardrobe changes. So I was able to get a few shots worth keeping, but not as many as I would have liked.

This frilly little outfit is courtesy of his Great-Grandmother on dh's side. She bought this for us when I was pregnant with Z. Each of the boys have worn it home from the hospital. He broke that streak though because the nurses at the NICU insisted I dress him in something warmer (even in July) because of his fluctuating control over his temperature. Still, They've each had their pictures taken in it if nothing else and one of them will get it for their children to wear. I like that we are going to have our own traditions.








I took these pictures in what passes as my backyard. It was shady and I worried about the light, but I worried more about what any passers-by might think should I venture onto the defunct golf course behind my house to get pictures in the sunshine. Particularly when I stripped off the frilly white confection and took pictures of him in the all together. Yeah, the only way to get myself out of that one is if the police officer who comes to investigate the infant sacrifice on the golf course report is a scrapper too. Then I'd just get an understanding look and we;d wind up talking for three hours about the latest CHA releases.

Mom, when you got me that pack of pastel paper and animal die cuts, did you ever think this hobby would become a way to torture your grandchildren? I promise no babies were harmed in the making of these pictures!









I took today off from work and used it as an appointment day. I had three appointments scheduled and only ended up keeping one. Frustrating.

Appointment Number One was 11's circumcision. That fell through because of an insurance snafu I am still trying to work out and probably will be for awhile longer.

Appointment Number Two was for my little Bulldozer, Matthew, who managed to give himself ANOTHER black eye last week. His legs are more black and blue than flesh colored so I wanted to just make sure he had a case of "Boy-itis" and nothing more sinister. We have some blood work to finish to rule out the nasties, like leukemia, but the pediatrician isn't leaning that way. It's just a CYA sort of thing. After examining him, she proclaimed him "All Boy" and said part of his problem was having older brothers to keep up with.








So that leads us to Appointment #3. Yesterday I did the same appointment with Mr. 2 and Mr. 3 and let me tell you, it took three hours, the waiting room was filled to overflowing with cranky kids and cranky parents and did I mention it took three hours? I had all of the boys with me except Z who was in school and I had a heckuva time keeping my public Mommy face and manners on. I came home and just collapsed. Well, I had no childcare today and I was SO not up for doing that again only this time with Z tagging along, so an hour before my appointment I called and rescheduled.

Trust me, EVERYONE benefits this way.

I think I'm going to go back full time soon. I am so going to miss having Little E with me. But it must be done.









The last picture is for my pals Jim and Holly who sent me these uber rockin' little tees for little E. Adorable, right? So they are a trifle large right now, they still RAWK!


And to wrap up this mundane little post of mine, I have a funny to share. I swiped it off 2Peas.

The boss of a Madison Avenue advertising agency called a spontaneous staff meeting in the middle of a particularly stressful week. (This is one pretty sharp boss!) When everyone gathered, the boss, who understood the benefits of having fun, told the burnt out staff the purpose of the meeting was to have a quick contest.

The theme: Viagra advertising slogans. The only rule was they had to use past ad slogans, originally written for other products that captured the essence of Viagra. Slight variations were acceptable.

• The top 10 were:
  
• 
  
• 10. Viagra, Whaazzzz up!
• 9. Viagra, The quicker pecker picker upper.
• 8. Viagra, like a rock!
• 7. Viagra, When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.
• 6. Viagra, Be all that you can be.
• 5 . Viagra, Reach out and touch someone.
• 4. Viagra, Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.
• 3. Viagra, Home of the whopper!
  
• 2. Viagra, We bring good things to Life!
• 
  
• And the unanimous number one slogan:
• 
  
• 1. This is your peepee. This is your peepee on drugs.
• (although I'm pretty sure they didn't use "peepee" Still, my Mother reads my blog so I'll keep the vernacular PG)

Hope that made at least one person giggle!

the girl who has all her peeps in one place

Happy to be home!

Little 11, home at last! We are so happy to have him home and healthy! It's been almost two weeks and we are still working on our routine. Of course it is about to get all messed up again since both Aramis and I are returning to work on Tuesday, but there is a certain amount of bliss involved with having been able to spend this time together as a complete family. The boys love their littlest brother and he is the favorite new toy. We have to really keep an eye on them because sometimes they can be *too* helpful, lol. Eli is putting on weight quicker than he did in the NICU, which makes me think that maybe he wanted to be home too. He was released from the NICU on a Monday at 4 lb 6 oz. Three days later at his first pediatrician's appt, he had already gained 2 ounces! At his checkup a week later, he had gained another six! Little guy is topping out at 4 lb 14 oz and will soon be past the 5 lb mark. Quite an accomplishment for the little Slurpee!

GrandMary and all of her boys

My parents drove over from Texas to see their newest grandchild. We had an awesome visit: very low key and full of lots of "just hanging out" moments. We did a little shopping, a little playing in the park, a photo shoot and some wonderful family time. I really miss having my family close. We are actually discussing moving to Texas, which would please my fam to no end. Mom has been apologetically bringing up the subject for a few years now. My grandmother is not quite as subtle: she flat out tells me I need to move almost every time we speak, lol. My sister just jumped on the bandwagon too--which surprised me, but somehow carried more weight as she usually keeps her opinions to herself.

And I miss them! We've been doing things on our own for so long with long-distance support and our Florida Family's support, but it just isn't the same as having your fam right there in the same city. (or town--I don't think my hometown quite has earned "city" status, lol) And as the kiddos get older, I wish I had the luxury of allowing them to play outside. Somehow my hometown seems "safer."

3 generations

This was taken the last day of their visit. My Mom looks so sad! This is what I will look like in 30 years--not a bad future to look forward to. I love how well my Mom has aged and really hope genetics are as kind to me. She does not fit my internal picture of a 60 yo woman.

Pa plays with his favorite furry grandchild, Parker

This is my Dad with Parker. I think he had more fun playing with the dog than seeing his grandchild! lol! Dad has this "way" with animals. Every stray in the area will seek out my family because they know we will feed them, pet them, love on them and try and find their home. And if you don't have a home, well--something is usually arranged. This is probably why they have 5 cats and 4 dogs. Most of whom were strays that just "showed up." )and I'm not counting the two feral kittens, Hiss and Spit, that they are currently hosting.)

Pa carrying Eli

What is it with men and this kind of hold for carrying a baby? ALthough, I must say, Eli was perfectly content to be carried this way. Still, it is such a "guy thing" to do.

*****************************

Class clown in training

Two funny Matthew stories from the visit. The first comes from him playing with Pa. My Dad got a bridge recently and was pushing it in and out of his mouth, trying to freak out Matthew. I asked him, "Can you do that with your teeth?" and he said "Sure" in that faintly Bronx accent of his (have no idea where that came from!) and started thrusting his jaw out, trying to emulate Pa. Then my Dad said in a deadly serious voice, "But can you do this?" and takes the bridge out completely, showing him the four teeth on it.

Matthew had a combination of shock and curiosity on his face and responded with a very smal "Oh!" It may be one of those things where you had to be there, but considering how LOUD Matthew is most of the time, this subdued and simple "Oh!" was hilarious to us all.

The second cute Matthew comment comes when we were playing at the playground. First, Matthew's outfit was hilarious. He managed to find the shortest pair of shorts--which ordinarily, no big deal since most of his shirts come to his waist, but on that day he was wearing a shirt handed down from his cousin that was about 2 sizes too big, but HAD to be worn because it had Lightening McQueen on it. Couple that with a pair of hand me down hiking boots that he insisted on wearing as well and he looked adorably mismatched! How did I not take a picture? Anyway, we were at the playground and he came to a part where he could choose to go down a slide, slide down a pole or climb down a ladder. I was coaching him to go down the slide as I didn't want him to attempt any of the other options. He turns to me and yells out, "Mommy, I can't fly, I go there!" (pointing at the slide) It was adorable!

Anyway, that is the past two weeks in a nutshell. A too short visit, a couple of cute stories and an update on 11's status. And I will leave you with my Mother's observation to add to the coincidences of Eli's birth: he is also the seventh grandson on my side of the family!