CSF!

Matt and I had big plans for Friday.  We were going to come home from work, take a family snuggle nap, wake up and make carbonara, and then go see The Hunger Games.

But instead I had a baby.

Yep.  I got home from school at around 3:10, ate a cheese sandwich, caught up on my Words with Friends games, and then went to lie down for my nap.  And then I had a contraction, and then five minutes later another.  And then about six hours later we got to meet Charlie.*

And we're in love.

More later.

Oh, and if you want to see some of the millions of photos that I'm taking of this child, go here.  I'll just update that album so that I'm not cluttering up Facebook and the entire internet with pictures of our really cute, brilliant, advanced baby.

*Never did get that nap.  Maybe in 20 years?
   

Weekend Fun

This weekend was as lovely as the week preceding it was annoying.  After four days of work that turned me into a cranky, grumpy, mean, horrible shrew, the last couple of days have been lazy and warm and delicious and perfect.  And in only five more days (or 111 hours, but, really, who's counting?), I'll be on Christmas break, which is basically the best thing ever.

Today was especially wonderful.  I watched 5 episodes of Parenthood (and even got Matt sucked into it), snuggled with my cuddle soulmate pup, and I tried to see just how many things Matt would get for me so that I wouldn't have to get off of the couch.  (He drew the line at bedpan.  We don't even have a bedpan.)  We stayed in our pajamas until late afternoon and ordered delivery so that we wouldn't have to do anything but lie around in our cozy, Christmasy living room.

Here's what it's looking like around here these days.

Some of the Christmas decor didn't survive the Savannah summer. 

Get out of here with the beauty that is snowflake-shaped marshmallows! 

 Completely in love with the Christmas tree.  It was the first one we looked at, and it is perfect.

 Because 1-800-Pet-Meds boxes come with a treat inside, Mitch has decided that all packages contain treats for him.

Brown sugaring.  Did you know that brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses?  I didn't know that until recently, and now I'm determined never to buy brown sugar again.

Omigod, this dinner was delicious.  Adapted from this recipe, except that we used the juice from two lemons and, since we needed bacon fat anyway, we went ahead and added 1/3 lb. bacon, too.  

Hope you have a great week.  And I hope the next 111 hours go by in a flash!

Weekend Fun!

Last year I was a jealous mess when my friends and family up north were getting pounded with snow.  Then it snowed here, which satisfied me. 

This year, in what I believe is a testament to how I've worked to have a good attitude about stuff, I haven't really been jealous of other people's snow at all. 

And when I looked at our forecast for the weekend and saw that we were in for a weekend of mid-70's and sunshine, I had not an ounce of envy for those who are covered with the white stuff.

Top that with the promise of a chili dog feast with good friends, and I knew we were in for good times.

So our weekend consisted of:

Snugglin' dogs.

An IKEA rat infestation.

More dog snugglin'.

Grapefruit juice squeezin'.

Outside lunch eatin'.

Lots of ice creamin'.

Not pictured:

• Room rearrangin'.
• Phone talkin'.
• Nappin'.

And now (and seemingly until the end of time), paper gradin'. 

When I find my way out from under this stack of ninth graders' persuasive essays (my Everest!), I'll share some more fun stuff from the weekend.

Hope your weekend was just lovely!

Stinkeye

Damned dog hates it when I wake him up from a nap.  I'm pretty sure this is "the stinkeye."

Love and Same-side Booth Sitting

After a looooong day at work yesterday, I was thrilled to come home, and even more excited to see that my new Real Simple had arrived. I love me some Real Simple--love the recipes, love the road tests, love the tips and the articles. I even love the "Thoughts" feature, the feel-good quote and picture that start off each issue.

When Matt, Mitch, and I settled in for our Friday family snuggle nap (you can puke now if you'd like, because we really do call it that. In fact, we usually scream it in a high-pitched voice--"FAMILY SNUGGLE NAP!"--and then retreat to the bed, our favorite place.) I took my new, crisp magazine. I read this month's quote, and it made me smile, so I then read it to Matt:

"Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking

outward together in the same direction"

~ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPERY, WIND, SAND AND STARS

And while I was picturing something sweet like this. . .

. . .Matt responded: I think that Real Simple is advocating same-side booth sitting.

(You know, the couples who go out to eat by themselves but insist on sitting on the same side of the booth. Often they start making out in the middle of the restaurant. We are anti same-side booth sitters.)

It was like the time I said I would want to name a boy child George, and he asked me if I really wanted to name my kid after George Bush. My solution: George Clinton. Or maybe George Barack.

Sometimes I think I might hate Matt, but then he calls on a Friday afternoon and suggests a family snuggle nap, and I fall in love all over again.