One day down. It's all good. I managed to make peanut butter. And now I'm falling into bed. The end.

Work

My full-time job is at home, but I also have a part time job that pays me in currency they take in stores rather than the marbles and fake Dollar Tree stuff my kids pay me in. Had I been thinking ahead, I might have picked a career that did not involve wiping more butt, but how could I know how much poop was going to be involved in parenting? Still, being a nurse has worked out just fine and I don't think I'll ever quit completely. I like it. I get to have adult conversations about things I find interesting. People tell me that I'm doing a good job and they appreciate my work. Let's be honest...That doesn't happen all the time as a mom- though it should.

When Scrunch was born I stopped working full-time but continued working for the same Home Health agency, only on a per-diem basis. Husband began working from home one day a week and it worked out great. When Porkchop was born I went back half days and then back to one full day per week. Being per-diem I give them my schedule and availability so working around holidays and surgeries has never been a concern. My only obligation has been one weekend per month. It has probably been one of the best single decisions we've ever made. The kids look forward to their day home with Papa and never once has my husband asked me what I've done all day. He knows and lives it regularly. I will never forget the well-intentioned but ignorant patient who told me one day, "That so nice of your Husband to watch the kids so you can work!" Huh? What? Yeah, he is nice. But um... no. That's not how we roll. It is not babysitting when you're the parent! That's probably my one of my biggest pet peeves, and I cringe when I hear wives say it and even worse when it comes from husbands. I'll step off my soap box now...

While pregnant with Juju I worried about how we were going to work it out. Hopefully, I would have a nursing baby and going into the ghetto to hound someone over the importance of their diabetic diet or to dress a nasty wound was losing it's luster. Then, last Fall, my supervisor approached me about working from home doing chart review. It was perfect. I worked as little or as much as I wanted and when I could. I don't have to be on the phone and can work a few minutes at a time as the day allows. I continued this until I went out on Maternity leave in hopes that it would still be an option when I returned from my leave.

Two weeks ago I got an email from my same supervisor asking if I would be interested in continuing reviewing documentation from home in a part-time position at 20 hours per week. After talking it over with Husband we decided to do it. It will be the most I've ever worked since the kids were born. Our reasons are many, but for now it seems like the best decision. Tomorrow is my first day back.

I am a little worried about where I'm going to carve 20 hours out of my week. I'm a little bummed that it will snuff out the little time I devote to knitting these days. But I also know that I work well under pressure and am most productive when I'm busy. The best part is that I get to have the best of both worlds; a full-time mom job and a part-time nurse job and I've managed to cut butt wiping out of one of them!

Girl Room Revealed

As of Monday I might disappear from Crazytown altogether, or just be consumed by it's running. The Mayoral responsibilities continue to increase exponentially while the pay doesn't. But maternity leave ends Monday and I'm headed back. In a perfect world, the added time constraints will force me into increased productivity and all the time management and organization skills I've learned or read about or ever hope to learn or read about will be magically put to use. In reality, my house is about to get a whole lot dustier and I might get crazier. The upside is that I don't have to leave my house to keep my job. The up-up side is that when I do clean and dust, I can check one more room in the house off as being "done".

Fence slat sign painted by yours truly. I got impatient and freehanded rather than use a stencil.

Light fixture- Same clearance pot contraption as Porkchop's room only pink.

Zig zag quilts- Overstock

Lumbar pillows- Home Goods

 Sorry about the glare on this one.

Trunk was found free on the side of the road by my husband. He brought it home to me in it's nasty condition as a token of his love. It was bad. A little beadboard, paint, and some lovin'.

$3.00 rope tote from the store that shall not be mentioned. 

Cross stitched the Hummel's when I was twelve.

Used gold rub and buff on the frames. All things I had. 

The hobby horse I made for Scrunch for her second birthday.

Striped rug from Amazon.

Polka dot curtains from Ikea a while back.

Pink paint taped off on the dresser.

More Rub n Buff on the hardware we had.

Headband holder from a Quaker Oats canister.

Pink wicker chair has been around for a long time but originally from Ikea.

Faux-faux sheepskin rug- Shhh...don't tell. A real sheepskin rug was not in the budget and a trek to Ikea two weeks in a row would do me in so I bought a yard of faux fur from Joann's and fray checked it.

Wreath has been around for ever.

Green hippo coin bank was my latest thrift store find. Her name is Shelby.

Book Reviewed

Every two years when I go to renew my nursing license I have to prove that I've done at least 30 hours of Continuing Education Units (CEUs). And as part of the lame packet of poppycock we had to fill out in order to adopt, we had to complete a certain number of hours in order to get foster care certified. CEUs are a part of life. Maybe this is why I read parenting books. That, and maybe this little job of mine is freakin' hard and I'm making it up as I go along. Maybe. Whatever it is, I read 'em. Some of them are good and I employ their tactics, which seems to work for about a week and then I've got to refuel. Others, not so much. Right now I'm reading Beyond the Sling by Mayim Bialik. So far, so good. But while I've been finishing up projects in The Girl Room I've been listening to Stephanie Nielsen's Heaven is Here. Hands down the best parenting book I've ever read (or listened to). And it's not even a parenting book! No other book has made me want to be a better mom so quickly. Basically, be grateful. Really, really grateful for the little grubby handed gremlins with their whining and messes. You could miss it. I cried at least six times. That's quite an endorsement.

I Spy With My Little Eye

I want to host an I-Spy quilt block swap. Anyone interested? You don't have to be a rocket scientist- just sew a straight line. Heck, I don't care if you don't sew a single line. All I'm asking you to commit to is cutting out squares, mailing them to me, and then you get a boat load of different squares back- enough to make an I-spy quilt. Google it. They're cute. They make an AWESOME Christmas present. Especially if your name is Scrunch, Porkchop, or Pollywogallina (aka Juju). If you're interested check out the link. These are the rules we're gonna follow. If you're still in, then leave me a comment, FB me, or e-mail me and then I'll set dates 'n stuff. 

I-Spy Quilt Square Swap

And then there was light. Sort of.

It takes almost exactly ten days to dump my house entirely on it's head. Good laws! I don't remember being that sick in my entire adult life. Luckily, Jess (Aunt Goose to my kids) rescued me from the avalanche of laundry Wednesday night. They unexpectedly turned up in town for a funeral and I handed her a pile of hangers while my kids stole Ez-ah-wahs Puffs. Mercy be upon my wicked soul if I wish for a few more funerals. And on a regular basis. She hates me right now and is not returning phone calls since I passed the Black Plague on to her. The count is up to two of my three sisters, my mom, and I gave pink eye to my Dad. I am nothing if not generous.

Out of the deep recesses of my generous heart also comes the following tutorial. Someone wants to know how I made my light fixtures for the kids' rooms. I said I'd hook her up. The following is my disclaimer...

I am terrible at writing tutorials. Partly because I make things up as I go along, but mostly because 'good enough' is good enough. And if you're a perfectionist it'll drive you batty. I say it gives it character. Also, I'm not an electrician. And I don't have much experience with power tools. If you electrocute yourself or a loved one, it's on you. If your husband files for divorce because he put his foot down, laid out an altimatum, and lost. Good Glory Woman! Not another project! Again, your problem. I don't know any single males to set you up with. Also, I am a nurse. But that doesn't mean if you cut, drill, staple, burn, or shock the crap out of your hand or any other body part you should call me. How many more ways can I get out of your blaming me should ANYthing go wrong or not work? This is all on you, baby. Capisce?

A pic is worth a thousand words. But if you have a question, feel free. Dad, this is where you need to go for a walk. He's gonna stroke when he sees this.

Resin pot- Home Depot clearance $5.00
Mini Pendant Light kit in white- Lowes approx. $14.00 Home Depot has it in nickel and bronze.
Rustoleum white spray paint and pink for the inside. I used green in Porkchop's room.
We had one of those ugly builder boob lights so we needed the ceiling medallion as well.

WOW!

This is where my generosity ends. I'm hoping to get to the bathroom fixture. This one came in a box.

Blessed

As we drove home from LA yesterday afternoon, Husband asked me how I was feeling.

"Mommy feels like crap."

Scrunch pipes up. "What kind of sick are you?"

I motioned to my face, neck, ears, body, everywhere.

She continues. "Maybe you're puking sick."

Oh, please no. Don't jinx Mommy with puking. It's the only kind of sick I've avoided this week. 

On Monday I got the plague. Tuesday I thought I was going to die. Wednesday I sucked it up and we drove to my Parent's house anyway. By that night my throat was owie. Thursday my ear drum ruptured. Friday- I don't remember there being a Friday. Saturday I thought I was just tired. Sunday confirmed it was pink eye in both eyes.

I tell you this for a couple of reasons...

#1. I don't know why chicks always lead with childbirth as the most uncomfortable time in their lives. It's not that bad. There's much worse. 

#2. When you see the pictures you have an explanation. I don't do drugs. Just feel like I'd been beaten with a bag of oranges.

#3. You understand why there's only four pictures for the entire week of our "vacation". There's always fewer pictures of the third kid.

#4. You be super-duper-uber impressed that we pulled off giving Juju a Butterfly Blessing Bonanza, despite our black cloud of crud.

Thanks Mom, and Dad, and Goose, and Miq, and Husband. I'm super sorry if your sore throats turn out to be strep. And thanks Brad and Holly for driving up. If Grady gets pink eye I owe you one. I'll do your pharmacology homework for a month. Goose- If our Ez-ah-wah comes down with anything I'll be happy to take him off your hands. 

Easter

It is starting to become one of my favorite Holidays. I have to do almost no work and my kids looove it. Our community puts on a egg hunt with 6,000!! eggs. They split it into age groups (pure genius!) and there's lunch, face painting, pony rides, petting zoo, Easter Bunny, the works! Best twenty bucks I spend all year. Then on Sunday we either have the smartest or laziest Easter Bunny visit our house. No candy? No candy. They get a summer fun-filled tub with the season's swim suits, sandals, bubbles, sand toys and this year a kite.

DIY

I wish all my posts could be like my last one. One decorated room reveal right after another. Someone asked me on Facebook for a step by step of the light fixture. It'll probably take the next three afternoons of quiet time, but I'm gonna try and make it happen. We are armed and ready to tackle the girls' room!

Wait. Let's make it five or six afternoons. I just remembered it is Easter Weekend.

Ugh. We're up to eight or nine. I'm going to LA next week to cuddle with my Ez-ah-wah!

Have you seen 'We Bought a Zoo'? I want to watch it. Can you make a lamp, while watching a movie, and nursing? You know that will be part of the tutorial.

Porkchop's Big Boy Room Reveal

Channeling Niecy Nash today. Now take off that blindfold and open your eyes!

This little room makeover was about as close to free as you can get.

Wall Color- Behr Premium Plus color matched to Pratt and Lambert's Nickel
Headboard- It used to be our kitchen table and before that it was a pile of 2x6's. Stained and screwed together.
Rug- Marshall's
Bedspread- Marshall's
Letter E- I bought it before Porkchop and before I had convinced Husband of his name.
Furry green pillow- Ross
Dog silhouette pillows- I stenciled leftover fabric from the family room curtains.
Brown totes- 2 bucks a piece! from the Store That Shall Not Be Mentioned.
Green totes-
Green boxes- Stolen from the craft room. Before that they lived at IKEA.
Dinosaur- One of the many sandbox creatures my grandma sends to the kids. She buys them at Goodwill so I didn't feel bad stealing one and spray painting him.
Wheat grass and silver containers- Taken from the kitchen. Before that they were on mega clearance from Micheal's.
White wire basket- Really old piece of a planter.

Light fixture- Mini pendant kit from Lowe's and a neon yellow pot on clearance at Home Depot.

Gallery wall-
Frames- They used to be in the kitchen. Before that Goodwill. Don't count the layers of paint. It's like rings on a tree.
Letter E- It was a nasty Easter decoration from the Goodwill.
Blue Canvas- failed attempt at gesso art transfer and I got bored and left it as is.
Photo prints of photos taken by Danielle.
Boy with his dog- I cross stitched it in High School.
Desk- Husband's grandmother's
Chair- On the side of the road in front a antique/junk store in the boonies. On the way home from a patient's house.