Love Thursday: KidTalk

Love Thursday, 3/1
Originally uploaded by nichole_e.

1. Relaxing with Piper in the recliner.
   
2. Wilson, upon learning that Alex would still be a scientist even after his post-doc: "Darn. I wanted him to be on the John Deere crew."
   
3. Sophie, while making a taco: "Maybe I could get a job at a place where you give people tacos. Like a restaurant."
   
4. Sophie: "Where'd you get this cool dustpan? It's just like they have at Chick-Fil-A! You're cool."
   
5. Wilson, upon being told he would have to wait to vacuum: "I just want to do some chores."

1. The breathtaking blue butterfly at the butterfly house.
   
2. Piper playing drums so passionately.
   
3. Sophie and Wilson playing in the clouds.
   
4. Crushing Sam in Wii tennis.
   
5. Wilson, while playing Wii with the Justin-based character: "I love my little Justin."
   
6. Our new Ikea bookshelf.

1. The kids being so happy to see Mark & Chloe.
   
2. Walking around the mall with Piper & Al.
   
3. Piper's hugs and kisses.
   
4. Dressing up for the Oscars.
   
5. Alexia mozzarella sticks.
   
6. Oscars: The Jack Black / Will Ferrell / John C Reilly song; the "Snakes on a Plane" interpretive dance; "The Departed" and Scorcese winning.

1. Alex being around all morning.
   
2. Piper's cuteness.
   
3. Amanda B.'s announcement.
   
4. Playing "1-2-3, break!" with Piper at Subway.
   
5. Horatio Caine's Home for Wayward Youth.
   
6. Laughing in bed with Alex.
   
7. Tuna sandwich lunch.
   
8. Getting through the first day of Week Four of Couch to 5K.

1. Chloe's announcement.
   
2. Playing in the floor with Piper and Alex.
   
3. Bean tostadas.
   
4. Starbucks' "stick treats."
   
5. All of the cakes and shoes in "Marie Antoinette."

1. The first 58 minutes of "Lost."
   
2. Funny Hurley lines on "Lost."
   
3. Piper eating spinach ravioli for lunch.
   
4. Another successful Week Four run.
   
5. Wearing my comfortable new boots.
   
6. Shopping for Pi's Easter basket goodies.
   
7. Talking to Amy.
   
8. Alex's idea to send Ty Pennington and Xhibit to rebuild New Orleans.

Labels: love thursday

Love Thursday: Naps and Valentines

Love Thursday 02/15
Originally uploaded by nichole_e.

February 8

• Piper stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to dance to "Get Off of My Cloud."
  
• California Kitchen pizza.
  
• (Lovingly!) mocking Alex while he painstakingly picks out tomorrow's outfit.
  
• Taking a nap with Piper cozied up in my arms.

February 9

• Playing in the living room blanket fort with Piper.
  
• Realizing that Piper's shirt and hairbow match (purchased at separate times by different people).
  
• Napping during Piper's nap.
  
• Falling asleep with Alex.
  
• Getting the news about my friend Young Greg's new job.

February 10

• Piper kissing all of her buddies before getting out of the crib.
  
• Pi laughing at the "Puppy overboard!" page everytime we read "Clifford's Bathtime."
  
• Lunch at Pei Wei ... and leftovers for dinner!
  
• Finding the perfect bedside tables at Target.
  
• Starting a Netflix account/queue for my in-laws (thanks for the idea, Amy!).
  
• Discovering that Pei Wei's Kung Pao Tofu is only 6 Points.
  
• Walking around the fancy-pants shopping area with Alex & Pi.
  

February 11

• An all-together lovely day.
  
• Piper walking over for a bite of yogurt and, as she walks away, turning around, pointing at me and saying "Yo."
  
• The butterflies and flowers plane at the art museum.

February 12

• Piper's kisses.
  
• Losing two-fifths of a pound.
  

February 13

• Watching "The Departed" for the third time.
  
• Watching the Bare Minerals makeup DVD.
  
• Alex putting on fresh socks for bed.
  
• Justin saying he's willing to take Marsha when we move into a no-pets apartment.

February 14

• Piper being so goofy when I have to wake her up.
  
• "Lost"!
  
• 1-Point Creamsicles.
  
• The pillow landing on my back when Alex throws it at me.
  
• Making Valentine's Day dinner with Justin over the phone.
  

Please click here to join Nichole's Oscar pool. If that doesn't work, go to http://defectiveyeti.com/oscars/ and enter poll ID 24724. You could win an as-yet-to-be-determined something!

Labels: love thursday

Love Thursday: Happy anniversary

Love Thursday, 2/8
Originally uploaded by nichole_e.

February 1

• Alex taking the day off.
  
• Piper saying "Mommy" rather than the usual "Mama."
  
• Waking up to snow.
  
• The sound of rain on the roof.

February 2

• Piper's big words: "serious," "precious" and "delicious."
  
• Getting ready for our anniversary weekend.

February 3

• Happy anniversary!
  
• "Groundhog Day" first thing in the morning.
  
• Breakfast at Tupelo Honey Cafe, which has excellent sausage.
  
• Walking with Alex in the cold.
  
• Alex disliking "Pan's Labyrinth" as much as I did.
  
• Crying at "Children of Men."
  
• Finding a great pair of boots on clearance at TJ Maxx.
  
• Wandering around Barnes and Noble.
  
• Alex loving "The Departed" as much as I did.
  
• Three movies in one day!
  
• Eating Raisinettes for lunch.
  
• Our "fancy" anniversary dinner at China Garden.
  
• Spending the whole day with my best friend.

February 4

• Breakfast in bed!
  
• A nice lunch with Alex.
  
• Strolling through the Mast store.
  
• The people at TJ Maxx finding the right-sized boot. (The fabulous boots I found? They were in two different sizes!)
  
• Hugging my girl!
  
• Walking through Big Lots.

February 5

• Piper having fun at The Little Gym; the bubbles in her hair.

February 6

• Emily Gilmore on Tucson: "Ponchos, all the turquoise. Men in sandals. Spare me."
  
• Piper's fresh-from-the-bath smell.
  
• Tangy Three-Bean Soup.
  
• Piper smiling for the camera.

February 6

• Reading to Piper; playing with her baby doll together.
  
• The return of "Lost"!
  
• Getting an email from a former co-worker and browsing through her wedding photos.
  
• A Valentine's Day surprise from Justin and Carrie.
  
• A good self-portrait for the day.

Please click here to join Nichole's Oscar pool. If that doesn't work, go to http://defectiveyeti.com/oscars/ and enter poll ID 24724. You could win an as-yet-to-be-determined something!

Labels: love thursday

Love Thursday: Mommy time

January 26

• Reading "A Spot of Bother" without interruption. (And loving it!)
  
• Caramel mocha from Starbucks, with extra whipped cream from the barista-in-training. The trainer scolded him for using too much whipped cream, but I thanked him.
  
• Chatting with the shuttle driver about his granddaughters.
  
• Feeling at home when the shuttle pulled into Columbia.
  
• Dinner with Amy in the "VIP seating" at Bangkok Garden.
  
• Talking into the wee hours with Amy like eighth-graders at a sleepover.
  
• Pineapple Upside-down Cake ice cream at Sparky's. I can't begin to describe how good it was.

January 27

• Breakfast (including the world's best "sassage") at Cucina Sorella with Amy, Rachel, Taina and Sharita.
  
• Walking down Ninth Street with my friends.
  
• The Butterfly Tattoo, Bluestem, Poppy and the shoe store.
  
• Reading magazines on the princess bed.
  
• Having dinner at Chick's with the Crutchers, B & Rachel and Amy.
  
• B leaving his LAN party to have dinner with us!
  
• Holding baby J
  
• Amy's sock monkey slippers

January 28

• Seeing my church family.
  
• Shakespeare's after church.
  
• Amy saying goofy things like "I love big girls" (re: America Ferrara, Jennifer Hudson and Dr. Miranda Bailey on the SAG award show) and another thing that she asked me not to repeat.

January 29

• Unexpectedly having a friend to chat with all the way back to KC.
  
• Breaking into an uncontrolable grin at the thought of Piper saying "Mama."
  
• Piper saying "Mama" when she saw me at the airport.
  
• Being with Alex.

January 30

• Getting back to normal.
  
• A good new recipe (Vegetable Red Curry).

January 31

• Watching Piper play at The Little Gym.
  
• Piper eating all of her lunch (chicken tenders and sweet potato fries).
  
• Rescuing monkeys in Zelda.
  
• Hanging out at the mall.
  

I remembered that no matter what they do or how hard this feels, they are still my joy. And I may not be able to fix their hurts, I may not be able to keep their elbows off the table and their hands to themselves and their misbehaving butts out of the principal’s office, but I can remember my joy in them in spite of those things.

Labels: love thursday

Love Thursday: Mostly Piper and food.

January 18

• Piper's "Hallooooooo" when she woke up.
  
• Kung Pao Scallops.
  
• Pi's entusiasm over crab wantons.
  
• Talking about the Wii with Alex.
  
• Tom and Genia getting coupons for free Pictsweet veggies.
  
• A suggested name for my sister-in-law's next child: Honey BooBlossom Walker.
  
• Marsha cuddling with me at naptime.
  
• Marsha sitting on the loft's farthest outcropping.
  
• "I miss Dwight. Universe, you win." (Jim, "The Office")
  
• Kenneth on "30 Rock"
  

January 19

• Doing my silly little photoshoot.
  
• Getting so many nice comments on Flickr.
  
• Shocking Amy with the revelation that I read John Mayer's blog. (What? He's funny.)
  
• Piper kissing the camera.
  
• Sitting outside, grilling a steak. (Alex called this my Hank Hill moment.)
  
• Going out for milkshakes.
  
• "Monk."

January 20

• Watching "Sesame" in bed with Pi.
  
• The Fed-Ex stakeout.
  
• Wi!
  
• Spending the day with my buddies.
  
• The Ed Emberely fingerprint book.
  

January 21

• Opening our eyes at the same moment in the morning when Marsha crazy-jumped onto the bed.
  
• The idea that we might have found a church.
  
• The joyful guy in the brown suit and the sweet little baby at said church.
  
• A successful new recipe: Kung Pao Shrimp.
  
• The Colts!

January 22

• Piper waking up from her nap and saying, "Poop!" (Although the ensuing cleanup wasn't too much fun.)
  
• Reading with Piper.
  
• Horatio Caine.
  
• Skinny Cows fudge bars.

January 23

• Alex coming home a little early.
  
• A fresh "Gilmore Girls."
  
• Bean nachos.
  
• Art time with Piper.

January 24

• Going to Barnes and Noble with Al & Pi.
  
• Finding a new sweater for $10.
  
• Stevie Wonder's "Happier Than the Morning Sun."
  
• Alex ordering a filet mignon for me for dinner.
  
• Alex spilling mango chutney on his shirt and not finding it until hours later.
  
• Dwight Yoakum at Sea World.
  
• Today's self-portrait came out nicely.
  
• Piper picking up rocks and saying "Bye-bye" to them when she put them back down.
  
• Piper saying "dee-shush" ("delicious").
  
• Piper picking up the cat food bag, saying "ki-ki foo, baaf" (kitty food, bath) and putting the cat food in the bath tub.
  
• Piper telling me my necklace is "nice."
  
• Finding a few new photostreams on Flickr.
  
• Watching a bad movie with Alex.

Labels: love thursday

Love Thursday: Ice cream is all around

Love Thursday
Originally uploaded by nichole_e.

January 11

• Getting Piper to eat peaches, blueberries and strawberries via smoothie.
  
• "Earl," "The Office," "Scrubs" and "30 Rock."
  
• More nice thoughts here and on flickr.
  
• Piper sitting on Marsha and Marsha hardly noticing.
  

January 12

• Strawberry cheesecake milkshake from CookOut.
  
• getting excited about reading "The Children of Men."
  
• the Serpico joke on "Inside Man."
  
• going back to CookOut for a milkshake for Alex.

January 13

• Scrapbooking all day long.
  
• Piper dancing in the booth at Longhorn.
  

January 14

• So much good family time.
  
• Watching Alex and Piper play at the park.

January 15

• In retrospect, being terroritzed by a mouse and a maurading goose gang at the zoo.
  
• Piper's tiny pants.
  
• Alex unexpectedly buying me a Dove ice cream bar.
  
• Piper putting her toes in her nose.
  
• Piper laughing when I shake my head and then prompting me to do it again and again.
  
• The arctic fox. So cute.
  
• Horatio Caine.

January 16

• Milkshake for dinner!
  
• Piper eating waffles in her "office."

January 17

• Piper requesting "V" (from They Might Be Giants' "Here Come the ABCs")
  
• Winning a print in the Cool Mom Picks drawing.
  
• Getting through the first tough leg of my jogging project.
  
• strawberries and vanilla ice cream.
  
• Chloe: "Island Girl, what you wanted with your white pants world?"
  
• Marsha getting stuck in the litter box.

Labels: love thursday

Love Thursday: Remembering to smile

January 4

• Piper's post-bath curls
  
• Piper's smiles as "Your Personal Penguin" starts to play
  
• An extravagant number of marshmallows in my Lucky Charms
  
• "Born to Run" on the shuffle as I'm finishing my running stint for the day

January 5

• Dancing to "Sunny Sunday Mill Valley Groove Day" with Piper
  
• Marsha's goofball expressions as she looked from from the loft
  
• Alex asking me to sharpen the pencils
  
• Piper's excitement in front of the wall of "milp" at Target
  
• Alex jammin' while he makes a CD for me
  
• Making the bed with Alex

January 6

• The gleeful look on Alex's face when he watches the "Dad got hosed" ad
  
• Having a few hours to myself
  
• Piper's laughs when Alex sings "Do the Rubber Duck" at bathtime

January 7

• Playing "Get Mommy" with Piper
  
• Alex telling me I'm beautiful
  
• the talent scene in "Little Miss Sunshine"

January 8

• Building Alex's new "closet" (a free-standing garment rack)
  
• Going out to take pictures with Piper. Her smile when I turn on the camera.

January 9

• Lunch with Alex at PF Changs
  
• Piper loving her dinner (mac 'n' cheese ... "noodle? noodle?")
  
• The puff pastry on sweet potato pot pies actually puffing
  
• Minute 24 of my work-out ... almost done :)
  
• The day's last glow on Piper's hair
  
• A nice comment on my "Rust" photo

January 10

• Alex telling me my hair looked nice
  
• Piper's long post-nap hug
  
• A nice, long chat with Laura
  
• Very kind comments on the Web site*
  
• Alex: " 'D' is for something that you play with steaks. Whump whump."
  
• Target
  
• Our futile search for a Wii

Labels: love thursday