sunday snippets

Hello friends and family!

It has been a really enjoyable week, even if fairly uneventful. I just wanted to take a little time and kind of brain dump today, so we'll go ahead with the ever-popular bullet list, hm?

• I'm driving my Mustang again. I'm LOVING it. We're no longer even discussing buying a new car. I DO NOT WANT ONE! I found myself grinning like a fool driving her today. I truly and really do love my car. I'm so happy to have her back. (Liam loves it too. And it's easy with him, so far.)
• We cleared out space in the garage for Marilyn today. We had cleaned the garage up pretty good, and I was putting the Explorer in from time to time, but I started working on painting projects and that took over the garage. It feels good to be using the garage for its intended purpose.
• Zach set up our heavy bag stand today and moved his hella-heavy kettle bells into the garage. Not only is Marilyn in her house, but Zach also has a place to work out. Win win, people. WIN WIN.
• My iPad is finally on its way back to me- it'll be here Tuesday. SO excited! I've missed it like a crazy person. 
• My dad has been home for about 10 days now. He has already taught Liam two new things that we all have been working on with him for a while. Seriously, I may just let my dad come over every day for an hour and teach L everything he needs to know! 
• We got all excited when we were working in the garage today because we found my old fishing rod, my reel and my gig, as well as the Shakespeare rod that Zach bought Liam the day after he was born. We are ready, willing and able, we can't wait to go fishing this summer!
• We're eating a Skinny Taste meal tonight. Zach and I cooked together and I really love when we do that. Also, we're both pumped about dinner, so that makes it even better. Yum. 
• I need to do a post about our meal planning and all that stuff.
• I'm trying really hard NOT to, but I'm becoming a bit of a calorie counter. I'll rephrase that. I'm really worried about my intake all of a sudden, though. It makes me a little bit sick that I can buy a bottle of Diet Coke and not consume as many calories as I do (0 cals in a DC, btw) when I drink a Vitamin Water, when I'm trying to be "healthier." Kinda gross, hm?
• Speaking of calories... we were running late one night so we popped a couple of Schwan's pizzas in the oven. Zach's pizza was 270 calories PER SLICE. We were both nastied out.
• Liam is still obsessed with Phineas & Ferb. We're planning his 3rd birthday party already. Yes, the two statements DO go hand-in-hand. 
• My MIL and I have ONE WEEK to throw together a Sip & See for Val and Colt. I'm going to be a decor and cake ball factory this week, excuse me if I drop off the face of the earth.

With that, have a wonderful week, friends! 

a-whole-lotta-liam

I realized when I was "flipping" back through my more recent posts, that I hadn't posted any camera photos of Liam in a long time.All the ones lately have been off the Eris, and while I love my phone like a fat kid loves cake, I just can't try to argue that it takes good pictures. Cause it doesn't. I mean, comparatively. And there were some darling pictures trapped on my camera.

<--- Liam was showing off for the table at Panera one day. He would put a piece of macaroni in his mouth and then wait for everyone to clap for him. If we didn't hop on it fast enough, he'd clap for himself. Oy.

Liam's present from his GiGi... --->
He now "counts" and then throws the ball in the hoop on '3'.
He can't say "one, two, three" but he mimics the way I count for him, holding out each letter in the word. It's funny as can be. He'll count for more than his basketball goal, but this is exceptionally cute.

Mr. Mischief. 

Being silly on his way home from Sprinkles. 

His own Starbucks. PURE JOY.

<--- What a funny guy. He really doesn't like to be bundled up on the couch, so when he wrapped himself up and hunkered down to watch 101 Dalmatians, I couldn't resist snapping pictures as quickly as I could.

Playing cars like a big boy.

Possibly my favorite picture of us together ever.
I was blowing on his ear, and he was simultaneously loving it and trying to watch Phineas & Ferb.

A few snaps from Wednesday. 

Little man loves his pots and pans-- LOVES them. He also has a soft spot for my Starbucks cup, so when he got up from his nap and wanted to cuddle on the couch, he drank the rest of my tea. When I got up to make him dinner, he stayed on the couch, happy as a clam. 

SPEAKING of sharing drinks with my son yesterday...

Zach came home from work on Monday feeling crummy.

He's been sick since, and Liam and I have been avoiding getting close to him (sorry babe), sharing anything with him... just generally trying to keep away from his germs. 

Well. I woke up feeling crummy yesterday, and I'm fully expecting Liam to wake up with a cold today. WHAT a bummer. 

Looks like we're in for an exciting weekend. 

we've been chillin'

I have come to realize that without my motivation to blog every day, I lapse really badly.

I shouldn't go as long as I have done without posting, and am trying to work out ways to stimulate myself into posting more often than I do. But that's another topic for another post on another day.

Currently, I must tell you, that we've been holed up in our house, refusing to even budge outdoors unless it's absolutely necessary. The cold front that pushed into Houston last weekend left behind frigid temperatures, damp, cold wind and general dreariness. It's something I'm really very accustomed to, and I'm quite good at dealing with it myself, but I'm not a fan of bringing Liam out into it. Truthfully, part of my issue with bundling baby up is that I think it is a complete waste of money to purchase heavy coats for him when he might -- MIGHT -- wear it a dozen times before he's outgrown it. I therefore resort to layering, and up until a few days ago, Liam's closet was running thin on good things to layer. But, we did venture out a few times, and I must say, Liam did very well with his hat and mittens. I also think being at home has helped both of us escape he nasty winter colds that are going around.

Honestly, the cold also makes me lonely for Norway. I find myself missing the overly sweet packaged pancakes we used to buy at the grocery store, the smell of the butcher shop we'd walk to on weekends, the big 'c' shaped door handles on the main doors at ISS, the smell of the track after it'd snowed, the dampness under the tree line that bordered the playground... ah. Forgive me a single tear of despondency that I have not seen my second home in 15 years. So when the weather is cold and damp, and reminds me so much of Norway, it's kind of a bummer to me that when I walk out my front door, I'm still in Texas. Fanciful, I know.

Moroseness aside, the cool weather has kept me being productive at home. I've taken down, organized and packed away all the Christmas decorations (I don't LIKE taking them down). I've reorganized all the decor we usually have out. I've tackled stacks of laundry- and put them away. I've reorganized parts of my closet. I've been reading (again). I've been writing some, but not compositions, more technical. I've tried to put my thoughts on Gruen's Water for Elephants onto paper (proverbially) but I'm coming up with difficulties because I want to tackle every single aspect of the novel and I just don't have the capacity to do it in a blog post. Surely, I could write the most epic of epic blog posts all about every single question that was raised, theme that I explored, writing device I enjoyed... but I think I'd be the only one who would read it and I do believe I'd make some of you like the book a whole lot less. AND I don't want to say anything about the novel because the Blush & Bashful Book Club is reading it next month. Don't want to ruin anything. Only, I will say this:

I'm no mathematician, but when Marlena says she married August at 17, and had learned a lot about dealing with him in their 4 year marriage... HOW does that a Reese Witherspoon make?

By my calculations, she is no where NEAR her 30's. Um, she's barely 20.

Hollywood, you crazy kids, making things way creepier than they need to be. 

Okay, horrible casting aside (yes, I know, she's cute and funny and blah blah blah but NOT what I saw when I read the story), I've started King Solomon's Mines and am thoroughly enjoying it. I'm trying not to chew through it as quickly as I've done with the other 4 books I've read this month so that I don't get burned out. I've still got a stack of novels on my Kindle to read this year including, but not limited to:

• The War of the Worlds
• The Island of Doctor Moreau
• Cranford
• Jane Eyre
• The Phantom of the Opera
• Les Liaisons dangereuses
• The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
• Around the World in 80 Days
• The Mists of Avalon
• The Strain
• Dead Witch Walking
• Lady Chatterley's Lover
• The Magicians and Mrs. Quent
• Doctor Who: The Many Hands
• Doctor Who: The Clockwise Man

But that is not for today! In fact, I have already told Zach I plan on watching the red carpet on E! tonight, then the Golden Globes and he gets to deal. He won't mind, really. We both are huge fans of Ricky Gervais. I'm rooting hard for Emma Stone (even though I know everyone's already told me that Anne Hathaway will win- BOO!) and Romola Garai. Oh, and duh, of course Johnny Depp. Can't wait. I'm not a sucker for much on TV, but I'm a BIG sucker for awards shows! Just hoping NEXT year, they'll get their business together and nominate Nathan Fillion & Castle (Browncoats, mobilize!). Just sayin'.

Have a warm & cozy Sunday night!

Image credits: {snow@night, stavanger}