Saturday Haiku

Hopelessly behind on blogging.
Instead of fixing, I head
to the beach.

And yes, I'm too lazy to even make that into a real Haiku. I consider this post a testimony to my "living life" this weekend instead of documenting it. See also: Denial; laziness.

Adventures in Babysitting: Pizza Picnic Edition

Words I never thought I'd say:

Put your pants back on and eat your pizza.

Is it too early to start praying for girls?

Creme de... Dentist Office?

Just finished making Creme de Menthe icing for the double chocolate brownie dessert I'm making for tonight's St. Patty's Day-themed clerkship dinner B & I are hosting. The minty smell combined with the whirring of the mixer's beaters definitely left me feeling anxious, queasy, and on edge. Yep, the sounds and smells of a dentist office. My hatred of icing continues. Waiting for B to taste-test it before I put it on, in case it has that grainy feel that the dentist toothpaste does...

Forgotten Monkey Moments

I don't want to forget these!

"I'm too far behind!" Sienna, spoken in a "woe-is-me" voice calling out from 10 paces behind at the Science Museum.

"Happy Birthday to alex NANA JOAN" Alex, wishing they were his candles

"What's this one" me, asking about an animal cracker

"Elephant" Ella, age two

"And this one?"

"Tuh-tle"

"And this one?" me, holding up a sheep missing its head

(gasp) "Monstah!"

Girls' Weekend!

For starters, go here: Haley's blog, where you'll find fabulous photos (as well as awesome recipes and great pictures of her sweet baby girl, Mary Ella) from our weekend. Gone already? Excellent.

We. Had. So. Much. Fun.

This plan started forever ago, when I suggested the girls come up here to get together for a weekend at the beach. After some date bartering (around two due dates!), we found one that worked for all but one of us, which was a bummer, but 5/6 ain't too bad!

I asked B's Mom to book out the house even though I wasn't sure it would actually happen. You know, you always hope and dream this stuff will work out, but typically life gets in the way. Then they all sent me their e-ticket numbers. I did a happy dance. I kid you not, ask B.

I picked up three of them in Durham on a Thursday morning and we all did the happy dance together before loading up the car with their luggage, no small task considering I'd packed it out with food, movies, and iced tea (seriously, check Haley's pictures). We drove to Top Sail, where we settled in, let the preggos nap, and had a lasagna dinner (thank you, Pioneer Woman cookbook! And B's brother Kevin for gifting it to me for Christmas) before driving to Wilmington to get our 4th accomplice, who had to work all day on Thursday.

The weekend was mostly food, talking, cooking, and hanging around. We took long walks on the beach, ate at the beach shack, told stories about new houses, housing markets, husbands, and cravings (some pregnancy related, some otherwise). We stuffed ourselves with ice cream cookie sandwiches, lasagna, homemade pizza, homemade focaccia, spaghetti, Special K (three kinds), brownies, wheat thins, and oh-so much more. We even had an emergency run to the supermarket for more ice cream and two Butterfingers, per Haley's request ("they really are never as good as you hope they are").

I thought we'd watch movies and play games, but instead we simply sat around and caught up. My brother-in-law asked how it was, if we still had things in common. I told him that our personalities still mesh and we still love our stories, so yes, we're still close and we are oh-so happy.

After two wonderful nights, we drove back to Durham to spend one night in our apartment (bless B's heart) before putting them on a plane at 8 am Sunday morning. I came back to the apartment and slept until I got a text from one of them that they were in safe.

I asked B if I wasn't 1000 times better after seeing them and getting some time to relax with my dear friends. His response? "You really think I'm going to answer that?" Smart man.

Come Hell or Tide Water

B & I are hosting some fellow Florida-bound Durham folks for dinner. We're bringing the burgers and (surprise, surprise) dessert. I went to (a store my lawyer husband advised me to omit) to grab a few buns for the burgers and tomatoes. While there, I remembered that we were almost out of laundry detergent and (hurrah!) it was on sale for $4 off, making it about as good a deal as Costco (minus the drive and in a smaller size. word.).

So off to the register I go and sign the payment for $4.16. Actually, it was so cheap that I didn't even have to sign, which made me cock my head a little.

As I was walking out, I was thinking, something's off here. Buns, $.97. Tomatoes $3 per pound. Tide... free?

Oh yeah, that's right. They didn't charge me. So there I stood outside of (a store my lawyer husband advised me to omit) (in my car, actually), wondering what to do. I came home and asked B, who assured me I didn't steal the Tide.

So what now? Do I take it back? I saw her scan it, but it must not have registered. I know my Sister took something back that was mis-rung once and the lady thought she was insane.

Once I had to tell the lady that the yoga mat and the yoga mat bag were two separate items and should be rung as such. She looked at me like, "Why did you tell me that? Now I have to charge you." There, at the register, I thought there was no way I was doing hot yoga in hell over a purple mat, so I insisted that she ring it.

In my car, it wasn't so much about wanting the free Tide, but at feeling like returning it and forcing them to charge me for it would be such a frustrating endeavor that I just came home.

Bad person? Crazy day? I keep having this flash to the Vegas commercial where St. Peter flips through the Good Book before letting someone into heaven and says, "Hm, there seem to be some weekends missing." Boom, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." I just don't want St. Peter to open my book and find a picture of a Tide bottle pasted in there with a glue stick.

Man I wish I'd gone to Costco.

Oops...

It's still weeks from Easter and I've already eaten all four bags of Starburst jelly beans that B (my personal Easter bunny) bought for my basket.

Tisk(et), Tasket

Time Flies!

This month, B and I gave notice on our apartment. I guess we're officially leaving Durham? I'm going to miss my sister!!

10 Months!

It should tell you something that I just tried to title this post "8 Months." Where is time going? This post is almost a full week late, a fact I blame on lots of travel, good times, eating, and, well, laziness (sometimes a spade is simply a spade).

On with it! In ten months, I could've done a number of things including create an entire human (not pregnant, by the way, so no holding of breath). Instead of filling you in on all of that, I'll just catch you up on our last fabulous month.

B & I started this last month out with a flourish-- a week-long trip to Cancun with my family where we had a blast! Not so fun? Taxes, but we did them (or the prep, as I have to keep reminding myself).

Our darling niece Sienna turned two, an event we celebrated on a plane with gooey cupcakes (you're welcome, Delta).

B's been hard at work on law school craziness and I've been spending my usual hours working as a freelancer and a nanny with various kids around the area. I've loved it! I was so sick for so much of January that I'd forgotten how amazing it felt to be well (and to feel sunshine-- welcome Spring!).

Less usual is that my high school girlfriends came to visit (4/5 of them, at least!) and we spent an amazing weekend at B's parents' beach house on the NC shore. It was so amazing to be with them (more on that later) and reconnect, especially before 2 of the 4 have babies this Spring/Summer! Their visit wrapped up just before our official anniversary, one we both missed by a few days!

B & I got to spend some quality time with my Mom, who was up for a few weeks hanging with the Smith sisters and I got to go with the crew to the Durham Science Museum, a site to behold! I still have so much to learn from my Mom and my sister. Excitement, patience, hunger for knowledge, and the ability to answer all the hard questions ("What is belly dancing?") without encouraging more questions!

B & I also had some good time together. This month has been nuts for him as he's been knocking out two big projects for the semester. We got by thanks to lots of dinners together, our wonderful DV-R, and the promise of a super fun Spring. What's up on our Spring docket (B's spring break-- already done and details to come--, a friend's wedding in TX, a trip to the beach house with B's parents, and B's annual law school softball tourney at UVA). Can't wait!

Cathing Up, Again

I swear I should've promised to blog more for Lent...

Eee!

Hold the phone people. Four out of my five best high school girlfriends (see also: bridesmaids, partners in crime, etc) are flying to Durham as we speak for a weekend at the beach house. I can't wait! My mind is already gone, as I thought they arrived at 1pm. Good thing I checked; turns out they LEAVE at 1pm and arrive at 2:20. B will be thrilled that I have the extra time! ...After he gets over the fact that I was running around like a mad lady this morning getting the car packed etc so I could come to school with him to copy our tax documents. Ok, so that's not even true; HE packed the car. What have I done this morning? Here's to two extra hours... Want to bet I'll still be late?

Our First Date

Ever have those "we look exactly the same as we did back then" moments? Not while looking at this picture, folks. This, dear readers, is our first date, spring of 2002 at a KA formal. That's the formal dress that my Mom had to overnight because I was so sure I'd brought my formals with me to school ("I can picture them in the closet, it's just the wrong closet"). LOVE YOU MOM!

Our dear friend (well, originally B's friend) Renee set us up and the rest is mostly history. B thought it was a date (right honey?), and I thought he just needed someone to go with him to a formal. That's right, he walked me to the door and I went right on inside without a second thought or much more than a "see you later!" Hindsight helps me label that as "playing hard to get." Right. I wish I was that smooth.

I remember B seeming surprised that I'd be up for dancing with him, and I remember the bus (yes, the frat rented school buses) pulling over on the side of the interstate so several tux-adorned boys and formal-wearing girls could go have a pit-stop in the overgrowth. Charmed, I'm sure!

Who knew? That was eight years ago this spring. Thank you, Renee!

Seven Years, Or Is It Eight?

Yesterday B & I celebrated our "old anniversary," the one when we first started dating exclusively (we had our first date over a year before that).

Last year, we didn't really celebrate March 1st, as we were barreling toward May 9th and super excited about it, but this year we'd talked about what would happen to Old Anniversary. We'd celebrated it for so long, exchanging gifts, flowers, cards, and candy to commemorate that Sophomore formal. How time flies...

We came to an informal agreement that stemmed from our first date (well, the first one not at a KA function). On our first date, B tried to take me out to a local seafood place that was well-known in Princeton. So well-known, in fact, that they don't take reservations. We showed up and found out there would be a two hour wait. If you know either of us, you know that we're sooo over waiting for food when there are other options around. We agreed to move on.

B drove down route one until I piped up, "A CHILI'S! We just got one of those at home! Can we go there?" As B puts it, that's when he fell in love. And christened me (lovingly so) the world's cheapest date. Chicken crispers and a sweet tea and I was in heaven.

So as we debated what to do with this Old Anniversary, it seemed like a natural conclusion. Instead of adding another expensive holiday to the rotation (either in mental capacity, time, or monetary investment), we'd keep it fun and head to Chili's on March 1st each year. Yesterday was a nutty day, so instead of going there, I stopped by and picked up their delicious Southwestern Eggrolls as a surprise for B.

I love fun, easy celebrations. Um, and delicious fried food. Double win!

All in a Day's Work

Yesterday I fell asleep at work. First time I've fallen asleep on the job ever, but my afternoon baby didn't wake up the entire time I was there, so I woke up and realized that I'd crashed on the couch. You know what they say, "Sleep when the baby sleeps...."