Valentine's Day

(Hearts made by H & C in 2007 when H was 5 and C was 3.)

If you ask me, any day that we get to take some time out to spend time with our loved ones, and do something special for them is a good one. The boys were home in the morning thanks to a late start day (tomorrow too), but so excited to get to school. C was even dressed and ready to go before we were even awake. He wore the t-shirt he and the babysitter made a couple weeks ago -- after he cut off the bottom of it to make it fit better, and even put on jeans since it was a special occasion. The highlight of H's day was the dance party they had in his classroom.

My boys definitely spoiled me, showering me with home made gifts and cards (my favorite). C even surprised me with this amazing sculpture.

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It's me and him hugging. I kind of love it.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of me and my honey. Or us and the boys. This is the best I could do once I realized it.



The kids love having meals consisting of courses, so that's what we did for our Valentine's Day dinner. It was delicious, if I do say so myself.





BBQ Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Mussels
Asparagus Salad with Hazelnuts and Parmesan Cheese
Ricotta Stuffed Gnocchi with Browned Butter and Pine Nutts
Flourless Chocolate Cake

Yep, it was a pretty perfect day. Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day too!

Lunch Date

Lora, Melissa and I have been talking about meeting for a long, long time now. Lora lives half way between Melissa and me, so her stomping ground seemed appropriate for our lunch gathering. We lingered over hot tea and never wanted to leave. It sure was great seeing these two of these lovely ladies today.

Fruit Salad

C is our snacker, pretty much wanting to eat all day long. Usually he's always begging for junk, so you can imagine I was thrilled when I found him making a big ole' fruit salad for himself. Yum. (And he ate pretty much the whole thing!)

Fish Bowl

Looks like H was bored with his old fish bowl.

Last Indoor

Saturday was C's last indoor game of the season. He's so bummed -- especially since H's team is playing the next session and he's not. But the boys had a great last game, winning 7 - 3. And of those 7 goals, C scored 3 of them. He was on quite the role, and was absolutely in heaven.

Update: H played his game today. They won 3-2. It was a fun game to watch, and H scored a goal. Great soccer weekend for the P boys.

Room Rules

H's Room Rules

1. Don't wake me up in the morning
2. Knowk (Knock) on Door when closed
3. Don't touch any thing (anything) on shelfs (shelves)
4. Listen to sign below (tells you if you can come in)
4. C CAN NOT COME IN ROOM!

These rules don't
apply to Storm.

Mixing Ink in Water

Photographs of ink in water by Alberto Seveso (via the Jealous Curator).

Super Bowl XLVI

My sister hosted a little Super Bowl get together this year, and I'm not even sure I watched a minute of the game. Frankly, I really wasn't interested in either of the teams. It was a lot more fun drinking sangria in the kitchen with Christie and my cousin's wife -- although Amy is pregnant with number three, and wasn't doing any sangria drinking. Meanwhile, the kids participated in an Uno tournament. (H lost to Christie in the finals.) And of course, we completely pigged out on Super Bowl junk food. I even brought my bacon-wrapped tator tots stuff with cheese and Tabasco. It was a fun night, and according to Brian, was a pretty good game to watch.

Prepping

Valentine's Day prepping is a bit of a big deal around here. At least for one little guy.

Gimpy

Three times a week, Storm and I run 4 miles. Every morning after the boys leave for school, he sits at the door begging to go. He absolutely loves it. We used to run a lot more together -- frankly, I'm just now getting back in the groove. But he's kind of a perfect running partner. He heals the entire way. He doesn't make frequent pit stops. I feel safe with him. Although, once the weather is nicer, he does tend to get distracted by other people, dogs, squirrels -- you name it -- so I do leave him behind since he does tend to pull a little more. Yesterday during our run, I noticed he was limping a bit. You could barely see it. But every time I stopped to examine him, he'd just wag his nub of a tail and start pulling me to get going. Well, after his all-day nap (it's kind of what he does), he was totally gimping around. Needless to say, the old man needs a break. I can tell already he's not going to like that.

Inspiration Files :: Bowen Island, BC Residence

I could totally see living here. Adelaar Residence by Burgers Architecture Inc. (photos from Burgers Architecture, via Desire to Inspire)

There's Nothing Sweeter

I could stare at them like this for hours.....

Two Peas in a Pod

I cannot tell you how many times H does something that drives me totally nuts ... and then I realize that the poor child is JUST LIKE ME! The habits of his that drive me absolutely crazy, are the same ones that make me nuts about myself. He's a worrier. And analyzer. He needs to know every detail of every plan. But because of these traits, he's also a very sweet, helpful and hard working kid who (usually) always thinks of others. I adore him.

Then there's C. A very live-in-the-moment kind of guy. He can be so stubborn, and sometimes a bit difficult. For example, if he wants two cookies, but you only give him one, he won't even take the one since it's not two like he wanted -- and he'll totally get upset about it. At the same time, he's passionate and has such a zest for life. Combine that with his incredible laugh, gorgeous smile and big eyes, and he's quite the charmer. I adore him too.

For some reason, as much as I hate to admit it because it's so completely unfair, I tend to be a lot more patient with C's antics than I am with H's. And I think it's simple because, H reminds me so much of myself! I just want him to have no fear, not hold back, and stop worry so much. Do you want to know the funny thing?  It's completely opposite with Brian. If Brian ever asks if anyone wants to (insert the blank -- i.e. go to the hardware store) with him, H is right there. Those two just love hanging out together. On the other hand, Brian's patience level with C can sometimes be quite low. Neither ever want to back down. And I can't tell you how many times C is doing something that's testing Brian's nerves, and I start laughing because at that very moment, they are completely reminding me of each other. Two peas in a pod.

It's funny how it all happens like this. But the most beautiful thing is, we all balance each other out.

Pablove 3

Last night Brian and went to Turner Hall for the 3rd annual Pablove concert. Sadly, I didn't know much about any of the bands playing last night. But I did really enjoy watching two of Brian's co-workers in Testa Rosa. As we were leaving for the night, Meiko was on stage, and I wish we could have watched more of her. And, we missed Butch Walker, which would have been great to see. Of course, it was absolutely awesome seeing our friends Jeff & Jo Ann last night. And we snuck out to meet up with Scott & Ali at Elsa's for dinner. So much fun. (Pablove Benefit Concert 1, 2)