Things that make me happy

Unlimited triple coupons at the grocery store.

Free stuff at CVS. Even if the poor kid working the cash register is wishing I would burst into flames on the way out of the door so I wouldn’t make him ring everything up separately.

Having dinner with friends.

Advance ticket sales at fandango so I don’t have to stand in line opening weekend for tickets to Twilight!

Mac and cheese. Although after making this I am going to do a few modifications, like adding a cup or two of sharp cheddar along with the white. And layering the cheese instead of just baking it on top. Though I did like the crust it made. Yum. Now I'm hungry. Stupid food blogs.

Puppy cams. Thank you Kate. As if I don’t have enough to distract me during the day. But I am completely ok with this :) And most anything else really. I’m easily amused. And I want another puppy. Like now. Or next week. I’ll even consider waiting another month. But no longer. Or maybe I will just dream of having another puppy. Because someone, I won’t name any names *coughdougcough*, has somehow decided the house limit on dogs is two. Give one, get one. And somehow my final veto power was overthrown on this decision. So I have to relish in cute pictures of puppies and puppy cams instead.

Going home for Christmas. Or rather, the day after. But still. Knowing I will be with my family in only 5 more weeks makes me giddy. And Sydney will get to see her grandma and grandpa, aunts, uncles, and cousins and they will spoil her rotten and I will get to take a MUCH NEEDED nap! Not that we are going home just so I can get some sleep. We're also going so I can put away my coat and enjoy Christmas in short sleeves. OK, maybe not for just that, but it's on the list!

A full night’s sleep. A blissful, uninterrupted 8+ hours of sleep. No fussy baby waking up at 2 in the morning. Though she is terribly sweet when I am holding her in my arms after I get her back to sleep. So sweet that I almost forget it's 2 in the freakin morning and I have to get up for work in just over an hour but I can't bring myself to put her back in her crib just yet. Just one more minute of holding her and watching her sleep, breathe, suck on her pacifier. No snoring hubby (QUITE loud in my ear). No snoring dog (also quite loud in my ear). No dog licking the comforter incessantly. Yes, Remi, the sweetest most precious shih tzu in the world (besides Jasmine and Sabastian), I am talking about you. Now come lay on my feet and get so comfy that I don’t dare move you, no matter how uncomfortable I am.

Peanut m&ms.

Enough said.

Black and white is the theme for today.

Sydney wearing her hippo ballerina pjs (and Ethan's penguin-fied leg)



Anyone know what this is?



Anyone? Anyone?

"In 1930, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, in an effort to alleviate the effects of the... Anyone? Anyone?... the Great Depression, passed the... Anyone? Anyone? The tariff bill? The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act? Which, anyone? Raised or lowered?... raised tariffs, in an effort to collect more revenue for the federal government. Did it work? Anyone? Anyone know the effects? It did not work, and the United States sank deeper into the Great Depression. Today we have a similar debate over this. Anyone know what this is? Class? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone seen this before? The Laffer Curve. Anyone know what this says? It says that at this point on the revenue curve, you will get exactly the same amount of revenue as at this point. This is very controversial. Does anyone know what Vice President Bush called this in 1980? Anyone? Something-d-o-o economics. "Voodoo" economics."

Sorry. I just had to. But no, it's not VP Bush. Or Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller. Oh cool. According to imdb, Ben Stein shares a birthday with my brother-in-law. I get the pleasure of sharing one with Fred Durst, Al Roker, Robert Plant, and Isaac Hayes! Chef! Sweet. Wait. What was I talking about before I had a Ferris flashback? Oh yeah. Anyone know what this is? Anyone? OK. OK.



It's a wonderfully cute and sleeping Remi.

And the evidence I was telling you about in my last post.



Yes. I know it's not black and white. Well, not completely. Just the bags under my eyes. Oh, what I wouldn't give to take a nap right now.

Aunt Kate comes to MD

How is it that you can have an extra long weekend, yet STILL feel like you need more days off to recover from that long weekend? And there wasn't even any drinking involved! I shudder to think at the bags under my eyes if there was. They are bad enough with only infant-induced sleep deprivation (evidence below).

On Saturday, we drove all the way to Reagan to pick up Aunt Kate.



It was totally worth crossing the Wilson Bridge because look at the cute barrette Aunt Kate made for Sydney! She's so crafty :)



We took the metro into DC on Sunday and went to the Spy Museum. I wonder what she's thinking about.



My guess? She was plotting how to keep mommy up all night last night. She succeeded. Again, see evidence below.



This is the only picture we took inside the museum - no cameras allowed. Also, no strollers so we had to carry her through the entire thing. I'll know better next time to bring the Snugli. Better yet, we'll not go back until she's walking!



Someone missed naptime while we were downtown and easily fell asleep on the train ride home.



On said train ride, Aunt Kate taught me there were different settings I could use on my camera. I was drawn to the B&W.



Look who can sit by themselves now.



Sydney REALLY loves her Aunt Kate.



Can't you tell?



She's very spoiled.

Come Twink! I mean Tink...

I know you have all been on the edge of your seats waiting to see Sydney in her Halloween costume. So without further ado, meet Tinkerbell!



Trick or treat!



Believe it or not, there's candy in that there pumpkin.



Check out the stash.



Not too shabby for her first Halloween, eh?

And now for some random cuteness. We just got new windows installed in the house. Guess who likes to leave her sticky little handprints all over them?



Tonight was also military appreciation night at our local Chick-fil-A. In case y'all don't know, I love me some Chick-fil-A. I could live on a #1 with a Barq's, although they don't have Barq's at this particular store so I have to settle for Dr. Pepper. There's nary a bad thing to say about this little piece of heaven on Earth. Those 2 crucial pickles on a warm buttery bun. Man. You just can't go wrong. And then there's the whole cow campaign. Love them.



So does Sydney :) That's my girl!