Just when I get started on this thing

We are all overtaken by the plague. The stomach flu visited our house on Saturday. Yipee.

Grace finally went back to school today. And since she was out all week so far, she cried at drop off and nearly broke my heart!

I am still under the weather and am missing work again today.

Argh!

She's Wearing A Skirt

My eldest daughter Isabelle used to wear nothing but dresses and skirts. At 3, if I even looked at pants at the store, I could see the warning clouds of a temper tantrum brewing in her eyes. Fluffy dresses, twirly dresses, pink dresses, tutus - you name it she wore it. And then, suddenly, it stopped. Once she started kindergarten, skirts became but a distant memory. She still liked to buy them once in a while, but would never wear them. I soon wised up to this scheme of hers - "mommy, I promise, I'll wear it!!!" -- and stopped purchasing them. Isabelle became a jeans and sweatpants girls and I was fine with that. Fortunately her little sister became the dress addict and my motherly urges for girliness were more than met by her.

Isabelle has been wearing pants for two years straight. No, I take that back, I forced her to wear a dress for Easter last year and lived to regret it. She made her unhappiness known, loudly, and embarrassingly in church several times that morning and as soon as we got home I let her change back into pants.

Today, a miracle occurred. Isabelle walked down the stairs this morning wearing a skirt. It's her little sister's, and is a tad too small. But she's wearing it.

She wants to look like Gabriella from High School Musical.

I wonder how long this will last?

On Handprints

Pinned to the wall of my dull gray cubicle at work are cardboard cut outs, covered in glitter glue, of my two little girls’ handprints. I hadn’t actually noticed them in a while. You know how when you see something so often that you kinda stop seeing it? Like how you never notice that all the frames on the wall in your house are crooked, but you always notice it at other people’s houses (well, maybe that’s just me). That’s how it is with these handprints. They’ve been on my wall for 2+ years now, so long that the sunlight has faded their once bright hue. I hardly ever notice them, but today, they keep catching my eye.

I think I’m missing my girls today. And I think I need new handprints for my wall. They’ve grown a bit and their once tiny hands are bigger now.

So . . .

"G-Girl needs to stay home tomorrow, she's still not feeling well."

"Uh-huh," mutters husband.

"So, how are we going to split the day."

"Call my mother."

Thank goodness for helpful mothers-in-law!

Of Sick Little Girls

My children have only been in school for two weeks, count 'em, only two weeks, and already they have each been home sick. What is up with that? Is it some vast conspiracy by the faculty to ease into the school year with lower enrollment, is it the school's are a literal cesspool of creepy crawlies, or is it plain ole dumb bad luck?

Regardless, here I was home today, again, with a sickie. A sweet little, 5-year-old, little girl sickie, who despite her sweetness has managed to drive me absolutely, certifiably, no if's and's or but's about it, freakin' insane today.

You see, I'm supposed to be working today. You know, that thing that brings home the bacon? And silly me, I thought that since little G-girl was sick, that she'd happily vegetate in front of High School Musical, followed immediately by High School Musical 2, while I did some work.

Nope, nope, and . . . nope. Instead I have been bulleted with questions all day about everything ranging from Zac Efron's shoes, to why crayons have such funny names for colors, to how she can earn more money on webkinz world so that she can buy her webkinz a pool.

Ugh, I was patient, I was kind, but underneath it, I was worrying about that pesky deadline I have tomorrow.

Ah well, such is life as we know it in the big game of motherhood, right? G-Girl had a good day, is feeling better now, and is dying to get on webkinz world so that she can buy that pool, so I better go!

Hmm . . . Am I a blogger?

Not sure, but I've been inspired by so many of my friends taking the plunge that I thought I'd give it a go. Why now? Who knows? But seriously, the worst that can happen is I'll humiliate myself in front of the whole-wide-world! Right?

Here goes!