Mid-Week Update

So much has been going on, it seems! Our friends the Spivas came out to visit and it was so good to see them. We got to meet them for dinner at Cafe Rio and then visited at our place afterward. I'm so grateful for McKell. She's my good mommy friend and I respect her opinion and sense of humor so much.

Lately I've been having a lot of fun just taking pictures. I've got a new resolve to appreciate my blessings and I want to capture them visually to remind myself how great things are when I start to get down or anxious. Sometimes I feel like I'm so caught up in accomplishing things throughout the day that I haven't really stopped to take it all in. I realized the other day that Will is halfway done being a baby! A big part of me says, "Thank goodness! I can't stand the madness!" The other part says, "Wait, slow down, and take in every delicious bit this little guy brings to your life." So here are few pics that I think illustrate very well the various reasons why just seeing him makes me smile:

Isn't this just the epitome of pure joy? Look at that face!

Will continues to do well with solid food. He's tried rice cereal, avocado, and bananas, which are his favorite so far, I think. Next week, sweet potatoes. Today, I walked up to him while eating cereal; when he saw the bowl, he got all excited. I guess he's come to associate bowls with food for him.

Chris has pretty much engrossed himself with homework. This is how I found him studying tonight:

He looked very much like a lion stalking its prey. He will be very glad when this math course is finished. Too much homework! And yet he STILL finds ways to help get the housework done. He's Superman. No, Batman. Because Batman is hotter. And cooler. And Superman pretty much sucks, so forget I said it in the first place. My husband is Batman.

Tomorrow is his birthday, so we are very glad that we seem to be getting over these colds that have overtaken us (except Will, who hasn't gotten sick--yay for nursing!).

A few months ago, I started to be seized by this overwhelming urge to find deals, save money, enter sweepstakes, etc. It's a great way for a new stay-at-home mom to channel her intellectual faculties into helping out financially around the household (for more about this, see my other blog, http://therestlesspen.blogspot.com). In the last month, this urge has turned into an obsession. Pretty much every spare moment I have I'm on the Internet looking for deals. But anyway. When all of this started, I found all these places that give you freebies on your birthday for joining their e-mail clubs. And since these freebies are generally good for a few days before and a few days after your birthday; and since mine and Chris's brithdays are only a few days apart, we're really taking advantage of this. For Chris's birthday we're getting our free burgers from Red Robin followed by free ice cream at Cold Stone. On my birthday, we get free burgers from Fuddruckers and free ice cream from Baskin Robbins. So that's exciting. Good, sticky, gooey, finger-licking fun. For free!

I have some funny videos to post but they will have to wait until later. Mama's tired.