Haircut

We're going to 2 parties this weekend. Spencer has new clothes to wear. His parents do not. Spencer has a fancy haircut. His parents do not.

Wednesday 4:50 pm

Wednesday 5:50 pm

Spring

I really hate living in Arizona from the beginning/middle of May until about mid-October. It's quite like living inside of a volcano. I have to admit that when it's 76 in February, well, even I will spend some time outside. And I hate outside, so that's saying something.

Yesterday we put Spencer in his bathing suit and had some fun playing with the b-ball hoop and water table.

I'd really like to start eating dinner outdoors. It seems like a good memory to create for Spencer as he grows up. I found this dining set at Big Lots for $120. I've never known about Big Lots. How have I missed this place?
They'll also have this bad boy available in March for $100. Alfresco dining just got more interesting.

Valentine's Day, Arizona's Birthday and Houseiversary

Man. We had a lot to celebrate today. No wonder I'm so tired tonight.

We started the day at my mom and dad's. Gramme gave Spencer a couple valentine treats- a banana and a light up heart thingy (I have no idea what you call that thing).

Then it was off to Michael's parents house for breakfast. We had to take pictures before Spencer got food all over his white shirt. This is one of about five pictures with Spencer not looking at the camera.

Here's my cutie. We bought the shirt at Old Navy on Friday for 50% off. After today it'll become a sleep shirt. Michael was talking to his parents on Saturday about eating breakfast with them on Sunday. They asked what we wanted. I JOKINGLY said heart shaped pancakes and raspberry sauce. I was JOKING.

So, this is my breakfast cooking.
Not only did I get a heart shaped pancake (that was the size of an elephant's heart) and raspberry sauce, but I also got blueberry sauce and whipped cream. I came nowhere near eating the whole thing.I think the next time I'm asked what I want for breakfast I will answer, $100,000.

After breakfast Michael and I went to see Avatar 3-D. It was excellent. My only complaint was the selfish couple who brought their (NOISY) 1 and 3 year olds. If I wanted to spend time with a little boy I would have STAYED HOME.

Avatar is like 7 hours long and Spencer was napping by the time it was over. We didn't want to wake him up with our arrival so we went to the Arizona Birthday Party my brother was hosting.

Nick really knows how to throw a statehood party.

There was a cake,8 people in a dive bar,and party hats. After my dad reviewed Arizona's ENTIRE history, in detail, we went to reunite with our son. It makes a mamma's heart so happy to see her baby sleeping like this. We finally made it back to my parent's house for dinner. During dinner we discussed the fact the we moved into the house where they still live on Valentine's Day 1985. It was the 25th Houseiversary!

This definitely called for champagne! Step 1. Unscrew the little metal cage covering the cork.Step 2. Make this simultaneously horrible and hilarious face when the cork blows up in your face and hits the ceiling which is a good 18 feet above you at the exact second your daughter takes a picture.Step 3. Crop the miraculously timed picture so the hideous/hilarious face is zoomed. Laugh. Repeat.
Happy 25th Houseiversary House!Whew. What a day. Elephant heart pancakes, Avatars, a dive bar, AZ statehood cake and a near face transplant for my dad. I don't know what ranks as the highlight of the day. Votes?

Valentine Weekend

Michael and I love Spencer very much. Very, very, very much. He is our world and we can't imagine our world without him. With that being said, sometimes it's nice to go out without him. Like on a date. Like on a date at a restaurant that doesn't have Kraft Mac and Cheese or mini corn dogs on the menu.

We did just such a thing on Saturday night. Spencer was very well taken care of by his beloved grandparents and I got to drink wine. Don't we look so happy and relaxed?

Tomorrow we're planning on going to see Avatar in 3-D while Spencer spends some more quality time with the GP's. We both have Monday off work for President's Day. Maybe we'll make that day family day. Maybe not.

1, 2, 3, 4

#1) We put Spencer to bed a couple nights ago and then couldn't find Ginger. A quick search of the house and this is what we found. I secretly love this. Every dog needs a boy and I've been looking forward to the day that Ginger falls in love with her boy. Spencer gets PISSED when she lays on his bed though, so we made her move.

#2) Spencer has decided that shorts are where its at. Even when it's 45 degrees outside. He is fighting us every day about wearing pants. At night we're letting him sleep in long sleeves and shorts. He picked this outfit 2 days ago.

Spencer was on the verge of a meltdown when we agreed to let him wear PJ shorts over his pants to go for a walk last night. I think this will look mighty fine in his 8th grade yearbook.
#3) Michael brought these treats in to work with him today- chocolate covered strawberry cake truffles, vanilla covered red velvet cake truffles, white chocolate cherry fudge and cinnamon red hot bark.

If only I could figure out how to quit the SLP business for good and become a pastry chef/party planner/ recipe developer. (Without much effort or time involved.)

#4) I have started researching preschools for Spencer. Do you know how sick to my stomach it makes me to be sending my baby (who was born, what? like 45 seconds ago) off to school in 6 months? And lest you think I'm being a wee bit too proactive in my searching- I already missed the enrollment deadline for one school. It was February 10th. For an August start. Yeah. Crazy. A bunch of other deadlines are coming up the first week in March. I'm looking for a 3 morning a week preschool, not Harvard Law. Crazy.

Dress

This is my mother-in-law (seen here with my father-in-law and Spencer at the zoo).

Like I said before, my MIL and Aunt Sandy and I went shopping after the zoo on Saturday. My MIL bought me this dress.

I know it looks like some sort of shapeless blob on the hanger. This is a similar dress on a person. It really does have a cute, sort of 50's-ish cut.
Isn't my MIL the best? Other people's MIL's give them nothing but grief. Mine gives me Calvin Klein.

Superbowl Sunday

Superbowl Sunday 2008. We went to Josh and Amy's house.

This is why we didn't really go anywhere for like 8 months after Spencer was born. He was just too overwhelmed when we left the house. Superbowl Sunday 2009. We let Spencer play with every toy in the house to keep him occupied while the game was on. It was the first time I let him watch TV.

Superbowl Sunday 2010. Spencer wore a shirt with footballs. He ate cheese while saying cheese. Oh the irony.

Josh and Amy came to our house this time. Spencer is OBSESSED with Josh and Amy. He talks about them all day every day. I told them we're going to take out a restraining order against them, but the truth is, they need to get one against Spencer.

Ginger looked a little sassy.

Amy helped Spencer peel an orange. He was in heaven.

Amy is 7 months pregnant. That black shirt is hiding a very adorable baby boy bump. We can't wait for Superbowl 2012 when their baby is almost 2 and Spencer is 4.5.

Spencer spent a suprising amount of time hiding in the corner playing with the electrical cords. Surprising because it took away from Amy and Josh time.

2008

2010

What a BIG difference 24 months makes.

The Phoenix Zoo

Michael's Aunt Sandy has been in Arizona visiting for the last week. Yesterday she and Michael's parents came to see us. We all went to the Phoenix Zoo. This is the part where I should show you a lovely picture of Spencer with his Great Aunt Sandy.

Yeah. I don't have one. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

The weather was perfect and all the animals were out strutting their stuff.

We saw adorable wallabies.

And ferocious tigers. And playful orangutans.And lazy beagles. Oh. Wait. That's a picture for another post.
Yesterday happened to be the 6th. We had to get the 2 year, 5 month shot. We tried to get Spencer sitting on all these different animals.

In the end, though, the best picture was the one without an animal. He's sitting on something (I don't remember what), you just can't see it.
We loved the petting zoo. Goats (or goaks according to Spencer) are just funny.

The giraffes were eating like 1.5 inches from where we were standing. Ok, it was a little further than 1.5 inches, but they were really close.

I could so make this into a poster for National Geographic.

This baboon was either really cute or having an epileptic seizure. Can baboons have epilepsy?

He was just rubbing up against the glass.

This would be a better picture if you could actually see the monkey that Spencer was sitting on.

It was a fantabulous day. After the zoo the boys went home for naps and the ladies went out shopping. Then we continued the zoo/animal theme and went to Elephant Bar for dinner. I had a Mai Tai and pretended I was in the tropics somewhere. I didn't really fool myself.

Thanks to Grandma and Papa and Aunt Sandy for a fun, fun day.