Category: Photos

It’s Good Friday so the kids and I have today off. Emily and Alaethia left to their Dad’s yesterday. I picked Jorgie and Justin up from school and took them back to work with me, and then they suffered at Old Navy while I tried exchanging my Pixie Pants for the 3rd time. I was finally successful, but it only took us an entire hour. Half of that was spent in line, grr.

Anyway, the boys are grounded due to a bad progress report card, so we actually spent some time outside. Jorgie somewhat played football with Justin, until Jorgie threw 2 footballs into the tree and got them stuck there. So up he goes, which makes me nervous because you just never know with kids and trees. That, and I’m always illogically afraid he’s going to hurt the leg he broke. But he was fine and got the footballs down.

Jorge got home from work and he started playing football with Justin, then Jorgie joined in and I put on some shoes and joined them, too. I’m pretty sure the soreness is going to kick-in sometime today, when I least expect it. It was fun, though, and such a nice day.

We ate dinner (the boys scored an entire pizza at my work and I made Jorge and I salads) while I spoke to the kiddos about their day. Then we sat down to watch “The Labyrinth”. As it started, Justin commented, “It’s like watching High School Musical, isn’t it??” But they didn’t hate it and watched the entire thing. Us old farts ended up bidding them adieu and went to bed LOL.

I’m so darn used to waking up at 5-5:30am for work that sleeping past 7am this morning was useless. I woke up when Jorge’s alarm went off. He snuggled up to me, wrapped his arms around me and whispered, “I hate you,” ’cause I was still in bed and he had to go to work, heh.

I stayed awake a while, slept for about 30 solid minutes more and then woke up because Mary and Emily were picking up Alaethia’s iPad she forgot yesterday. We hugged and she picked a flower for me and they were off. (TMI, but I’m PMSing so the kids not being here is getting to me, and I’m tittering on the edge of becoming weepy, so I have to distract myself.) I came inside and made some cappuccino for Jorgie and me and then some French Toast. I’m trying to low-carb as much as possible, but I suck at it, heh. 

I have so much I need to do regarding housework. Dina, Briana and the kids arrive today and the house needs to be in tip-top shape.

Which reminds me: I need to change out Violet’s water (Alaethia’s beloved Beta).

I also want to do other things, like painting some Minecraft art for the boys’ bathroom so they’ll be more encouraged to use it. They still travel all the way across the house to use the hall one. 

I want to figure out if I should paint a chalkboard wall in the kitchen, or find where they sell the chalkboard contact paper locally (’cause I’m too impatient to order from Amazon).

I want to relaunch my online Thrift Shop but I want to get some of my 80’s duplicates together to sell/trade with Paul, too. And at the same time, my pack-rat tendencies want me to keep everything. Ugh.

And, I keep forgetting this weekend is Easter so I need to finish purchasing chips, candies, and other goodies for the kids’ baskets. I know the oldest boys are 14 and 15, and I’m not really sure when you stop giving baskets to kids, but it’s not like I’m putting stuffed animals in them or anything and I’m sure I’d hear it if they didn’t get one, heh.

So, this will serve as my to-do list. I guess I’ll start with the housework, as that’s probably the most important *sigh*.

I have a more detailed post in the works, but since my laptop seems to be on it’s last breaths and keeps shutting down on me, I’ll have to leave it for some other time. Oh yeah, I have to get up early for work, too, heh.

Speaking of, my last 2 large events are over, Hallelujah! I’ll update on those, too.

I feel a weight off my shoulders and even though I’m pretty busy with other activities at work, it’s nice to go through the day not feeling rushed, or worried. I had a perpetual heaviness in my chest I attribute to stress, and it seems to be completely gone from one day to the next! Don’t get me wrong: I really, truly enjoy my job, but the urgency I feel 24/7 comes with the territory. It’s expected. But it’s nice when something you worked so hard to accomplish comes to a fruitful end :).

It was a cold, drizzly, gloomy day. I even packed a soup and sandwich for lunch at work because I refused to go out in the cold.

I researched what to make with what I already had at home and figured Hasselback zucchini and potatoes would hit the spot. So, as soon as the girls’ homework was done and they were off playing Minecraft, and after talking to the boys, I got to work. And the Hasselbacks were a hit! Even the girls liked them :).

I wouldn’t consider them “healthy” (the butter, oh Lord, the butter!), but it sure was comfort food at it’s best! You could make these all sorts of ways. I’d like to try a sweet potato recipe soon! And although the slicing and waiting and filling are tedious, it’s pretty simple. I followed the recipe from Cupcake Project for a guide on the potatoes, only I substituted her ingredients for onion, tomato, turkey and American cheese–all stuff I already had on-hand.

For the zucchini, I followed Yummily Yours’ recipe, only I set the oven to 400 degrees to bake both dishes together and I reduced the amount of thyme to 2 pinches instead of 2 tablespoons.

Ok. My laptop died again and won’t come back up, wahh. Finishing this up on my Note. I need to make sure I backup all my photos and just everything on it. Ugh. Why now, laptop???

I’ve been dreading/excited about this event simultaneously. It’s one of my favorites, but the work it takes to get everyone on the same page and the fear that some won’t even arrive drives me to a headache, neck pain and is enough to make my chin break out.

Something I’m working on this year is not stressing about work (as much) and not working from home.

So I didn’t work on my lists or correspondence to my vendors or layouts or anything during the Christmas or New Year’s breaks. Usually, I’d stay up the night before set-up till almost midnight making sure the layout was perfect, just to change the whole thing the next morning when people cancelled or when my boss looked it over.

Today, I worked on my emails and layout at work, got it done as best as possible and printed everything else I’d need. Then my boss and I had a quick lunch at Johnny Rockets.

I was sad to find out they got rid of my favorite grilled cheese bacon sandwich, but this BLT sufficed :).

We went straight to the exhibit hall afterwards and the parking/unloading was exhausting on it’s own.  (A vendor had a friend drop off a “few things” to us yesterday but they ended up being a literal truckload!)

We had a line of people waiting to register when we got inside and it was about an hour of hustle and bustle. I still remember my first time during this event 4 years ago–the adrenaline and nerves are still exactly the same!

Things changed even more than I thought they would regarding the layout, but if all goes well and everyone pending shows up tomorrow, then we’re right at the number we were hoping for.
My boss and Alexis and I took turns going out to the floor to see what the vendors brought. Most of my favorite people are here, thank goodness. The lady who does those awesome miniatures from pasta de maiz has so many cute Catrinas!

When she told me to pick mine last year I kept telling her I’d “be right back” at her booth but I was always busy! By the time I did go back she sold out of all the ones I liked. (Didn’t stop me from picking a few others hehe.) She called me over tonight as soon as she set up and I chose these ^_^.

We closed up shop at 7pm and were out a little before 7:30pm. I called the boys to check how their 1st day back at school  went and Jaylen gave me a rundown of his day. We were on Facebook messenger last night working on one of his projects since he didn’t work on it during the break and they were back at Mario’s. He told me about how his PS4 seemed to have just died, too.

Speaking of dying, our poor old (Va)cuum fishy died yesterday. RIP, buddy :(.

The girls enjoyed their last day of freedom with Jenny and the girls, so they were thrilled :). They got to go to Bounce, watched “Annie” and played and ate pizza at Jenny’s. Gotta plan something for them when I’m not so darn busy :(.

I got home, got updates on everyone’s day, changed and then made dinner (Emily helped. And John washed the lettuce lol) while I spoke to Eenan.

I forgot he was supposed to continue his “grounding” for failing a class once school started again but he reminded me, ha.

Got the girls ready for bed since tomorrow is their first day back. I’m now relaxing with Jorge and trying my hardest to leave that layout and vendor list in my work bag, heh. Wish us all luck tomorrow!