alarms, jail & firetrucks

So, I'm blogging at 1 in the morning. Because this is on TCM and I love it:

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I can't help myself.

Besides, I'm paranoid for the 2nd night in the row (and hopefully the last) because our carbon monoxide detectors went off again this evening, like they did last night (um, and the day before Liam's birthday). Luckily, I contacted our MHI Group contractor and he has an electrician coming out tomorrow to install NEW detectors because he said the ones they were putting in houses 6-12 months ago have tended to be extremely sensitive. If the new, and better, detectors go off, then we'll move on to looking for a potential leak. But, let's start with the trending fix right now. Yay. But I am afraid a) that if I go to bed too early and shut all the windows and turn off the fan, the alarm will go off again (and it did, again, at 1:50 in the morning, with all the windows still open and fans still on... and again at 2:03... and again at 2:08, when I finally disconnected them so my boys could at least get some sleep) and b) that there is a leak and I need to watch Liam like a hawk. See? Paranoid. But I own up to it.

And due to your OVERWHELMING (said in the most scathingly sarcastic voice I can muster right now) response to Liam's birthday party post,

:: aside: I got the NASTIEST comment about the birthday party (hooray comment moderation!) the other day telling me that I shouldn't have been proud of all the homemade elements because my son's party looked cheap. Look, oh commenter with the bad grammar and obnoxious use of too many exclamation points, there's going to be many a store-bought party in my kid's future because they all want that at some point, so let me do it my way until then. And guess what, you're not invited, so who cares? ::

I figure you're clamoring for more Liam. I apologize for the quality of the photos now: they're from my phone because I'm too lazy to go and get the cord to load from my camera. So here's Liam lately:

Liam's birthday present from his Godfather came in the mail the other day, and he's quite enamored. Oh yes, he's spoiled. But know what's worse? He got ANOTHER Power Wheels vehicle for his birthday: a Buzz Lightyear 4-Wheeler. He's less keen on that one right now because there's no seat, but the fire truck makes noises, the lights flash and he loves it. Jethro... not so much.

Little guy fell asleep in the car on the way to Lopez for lunch on Tuesday, and was just too cute not to photograph. He picked out that Dale at the Disney Store with his Grandma Steph and loves it. We're hopeful our Disney treats we bring him will be equally well received.

He had SO MUCH FUN this morning. While I was getting ready, he was doing his usual thing, playing in our bathroom. He got his foot behind the toilet, it got dirty, so I stuck him in the bathtub to rinse his foot off. He decided to play with the faucet, and loved, loved, loved it. He knows how to turn the water on and off, and he likes to turn it on hard and put his hand high into the stream and spray water everywhere. It was pretty funny to watch him, and the joy on his face made every millisecond of cleaning worth it.

And now for something completely different...

(name that reference!)

This is finally on its way to my house:

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I loved my brown 2009-2010 one, and had been waiting to order my 2010-2011 one until it was dire because I couldn't settle on a color. I eliminated brown since I already had one... and then eliminated the zebra cause it's so NOT me, and being an Aggie through and through, my body repels at the thought of buying anything orange, and I hate the colors purple and red... so... yep. Fuchsia it is. Embossed. Love it. I just can't wait for it to arrive so I can sit with my package of 100 + markers and decorate the special days. It's like therapy.

Another exciting find for me:

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If you're an Anthropologie shopper, you know how thrilling it is to find something priced for under $20. These tops originally retailed for $68 and were marked down to $9.95. Um, BARGAIN. That's good for Target, guys! I really like the top- it's very casual & right up my alley so I've got it coming in 2 colors (which you can figure out from the above mentioned orange/red aversion). I figure I can wear it with shorts during the warm weather, then throw it on with a pair of skinny jeans, a cardigan and these:

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These were a recent gift (thank you, oh gift giver!!) and I really love them. The only other pair of boots I owned before these are my Burberry wellies that I love and swear by, but it'll be nice to have these come fall and winter. And the heel height is perfect for me, because I hurt my ankle in October of 2008 and it's never been the same- those beautiful 4 inch stiletto Louboutins I drool over? Pure fantasy because my ankle feels like it's going to break with every step I take. Anything over a 3 and I'm done. Sadly. But these boots are super comfy. I have them in the brown- but am in love with the Lead. I'll wear the brown and see how they do and if they're comfy enough over the long haul, I'll consider investing in a second pair. Cause that's how I do things.

Finally, (and sadly, pictureless) I am TRYING to settle on Halloween costumes for the family. Liam I've settled on. He's going to be one of the aliens from Toy Story. Why? Go to buycostumes.com and have a look at it. It's friggin' hysterical and until he's old enough to request characters to portray, he's stuck wearing what we find funny or cool. Speaking of cool... (if you get that, you are seriously awesome!) I thought I figured out what I want to be, which would require buying a bow tie, a pair of suspenders, a fez and men's clothing. The hubby wasn't surprised- but it's a far cry from the Alice & Mad Hatter a la Tim Burton that I had initially settled on. However, he thinks he should get to be said bow tie person, and I should be the companion. I think we could both be *the* person, but I could be bow tie him, and Zach could be trench or leather him? He balked at the leather version, and still didn't seemed thrilled with the other option. Cryptic enough for you? I know. But I've got Halloween on the brain now- I haven't gotten to put out any of my decor for 2 years!! I can't wait to get our Halloween village out this year and display it.

THAT is what's going on in my neck of the woods this week- or right now. Elvis has since gyrated his way off my TV screen, so I am off to bed. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend-- especially the S Family who are traveling in a mere 4 hours. Safe travels, K&J&J!!!