please stop climbing on the furniture, mommy is on vacation today....

I find myself (exhausted) at the end of another epic week.
I guess technically, Sunday is the beginning of the week, but I just can't assign that role to any day but Monday (woooomp woooomp).
I am sitting here, trying to caffeinate myself enough to truly start the day but it is taking awhile- maybe an IV line would be better! Me and the crazies kiddos are with my parents this weekend and it has been a very full but very nice visit. Nothing says home like laying on the couch and letting your momma take care of you.... except maybe laying there letting her take care of your kids :)
My mom is AWESOME by the way.
A was just sitting in her highchair eating the breakfast that my mom made and then she was done/ready to get out. Sorry A I am not parenting today, you are on your own! Do you ever feel this way? How great would it be to just take a day off. I do appreciate that my kids are on a decent schedule but 6:30 every. single. day?? On the button, 6:30 is nursing time followed by getting up. I don't like 6:30. I prefer 9:30ish, even 10:30ish.... oh well. 6:30 came quick too, what with being punched in my face 80 times by a sleeping N. A's shrill morning call for boob was like an alarm clock- where is the damn off button?!?!

It doesn't settle down either. In the time taken to write this post, I have pulled A out of the tiny space between the fridge and the counter, forced N out of the pantry where he was trying to get a 9 am candy "snack", changed a diaper, and planned the rest of the day. Or at least my mom did while i was watching ;)

Happy Sunday all- enjoy the "end" of your week before the madness of a new one begins!

happy birthday blah blah blah

today is my birthday. i LOVE birthdays- any holiday really but so far i am not a huge fan of today.

it has not been the greatest of days and honestly i don't see it getting too terribly better. my husband is out of town with the baseball gods again (can't wait till the season ends next week), we are in our "broke week" (the last few days before payday) and i am now IN my thirties, not thirty but thirty one.

i know age is just a number and in realtity i probably still look about 18 years old, at least that is what my college students, colleagues, and patients tell me, but i know things that they don't---- like what my skin looks like under my miracle mineral powder and in general, what i look like naked.

for some reason, i noticed just how bad breastfeeding has zapped my boobs- how have i missed this?!?! it crept in slowly and now my girls are sitting lowly (ha- my attempt at humor today). of course i would NEVER take it back and i am still nursing A and i am sure we have more future babies out there. when the next one comes, i am fairly sure i will be able to nurse them while in the front seat of the car- and he or she in the back...... a sad day for one who had "porn star" boobs according to my college girlfriends. oh those were the days ;) thirty was far away, i had a much narrower midsection, my boobs were much higher and i had plenty of time to take care of myself.

the one thing i did not have was facebook and that is about the only thing that is making today partly sunny. so thank you facebook friends for all the birthday wishes. my body is crap and my attitude worse, but at least i have lots of things posted on my wall! now back to work, it may be my birthday but it is still a regular day.

Magic Moment Monday- A Study in Contrasts

I still  find it terribly interesting that my children are so different. Besides the obvious boy vs. girl stuff, they are polar opposites in almost every aspect (though A's emerging personality is suggesting that she may share her brother's funny gene), especially temperment. Upon waking from their respective naps, I snapped these shots....

Still noticeably sleepy and sweaty beyond belief, she is already smiling :) My sweet little girl!

And then her brother pops out crabby and crying at the top of the steps-

And me being the "awesome" parent I am, chased him around snapping pictures of his little post-nap tantrum

Aint Motherhood grand?? ;)

Still Coupon Crazed.... No seriously, I am crazed

So it wan't just a phase- I am STILL couponing-- I will pause here for your applause------------- :)

Okay, it is a lot of work and of course I am no pro, but I am actually learning things, like where to shop with my coupons that are for 45 cents or less because they get doubled and that you have to pay attention the entire time- to labels, to mismarked products, to the checkout process... oh yeah, and to your children.
Leave your kids at home. The reasons are obvious- you have to pay attention and you just can't if your toddler is repeatedly trying to stand up in the seat and babbling at you and your preschooler is squashing all your groceries in the basket and asking for extra purchases every two seconds. One other thing I have learned is that Walgreens is both an expensive store and uber-cheap store depending on what you are buying and when. Today, I had a bit of spare time and so I popped into Walgreens. I had $4 in store credit from last time I went (when I got my favorite shampoo for FREE after a rebate plus got store credit for its purchase... sweet, right?) and some great coupons that I was planning on using on top of advertised store sales. Long story short, between coupons and sales, I spent $31 and saved $28.... that is a good deal my friends- 60 dollars worth of groceries for 1/2 price :) love it.
Except here is where the crazy comes in- I noticed while looking at my receipt that the Baked Tostitos that were supposed to be on sale for 2.99 cost 3.99 instead- I would have gotten the non-baked variety had I known. PLUS the baked kind weren't included in the "buy tostitos and salsa and get free redbox rental" deal..... so I was actually mad that had the chips been properly labeled, I would have reached for a different bag and saved another 2 dollars..... I am crazy. I couldn't stop thinking about the damn two dollars! I have never couponed until now and would never have known- I wonder how much the evil stores have taken from me over the years??
I am only one quarter serious :)
Anyway, like I said, crazed. And of course I will be going back to Walgreens again (dirty thieves)- I earned more store credit today.....