Thursday, March 11, 2010

her 4 month pics.

i got together with a friend about a month ago so she could capture vera on camera. we ended up deciding to reschedule since she wasn't in a very good mood. here's a few from that smile-less day.

memories.

the last 2 weeks i have been running 20 miles/week. my runs usually look something like this: mon-5, tue-4, wed-3, thurs-2, fri-3, sat-4. i like to taper my runs because mentally i'm finding that if i know what i'm in for, i can prepare myself and be in the mode for a long run versus a short one. i did 2 miles today and didn't even break a sweat. it was weird. i'm still getting used to this and find it funny that i'm so into it.
a few memories i have about running...

1) pt in the army. cadences. yelling. not sounding off loud enough so our whole platoon had to roll in the sand afterwords. the sweat made it stick something fierce.

2) running in high school at night while my mom followed me in the car with the lights shining for my path.

3) running with my friend, joe, who saved his own life by running away from the civil war in liberia. for real.

4) putting the girls on lockdown with 3 sports bras.

5) training with the boys soccer team since i was the manager my freshman year. that didn't stick for long.

6) running at purdue to 'shane and shane'.

a vocal morning.

click here to hear her chatter.

Monday, March 08, 2010

sweety pie.

Friday, March 05, 2010

this too shall pass.

found these links on a friend's blog. worth the watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJKythlXAIY

somebody hold me back.

i absolutely cannot tolerate racism. there is nothing more stupid in this world. it makes me so angry when i see people acting or speaking rudely toward others and for it, i just want to kick them. but repaying violence with violence isn't too smart either. that's my bold, but brief thought of the day.

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

a very hungry 'pillar party.

i just got an order for this cake, which will be super fun to make.
sweet carter is turning 1!

bug.

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

not too old.

having recently become capable of doing something i never thought i could do and do well (run), it has made me think about pursuing other things in life that i've only dreamed of doing, such as learning to play piano or speak another language fluently. in my head i use the excuse that i am too old already to start fresh at something and become really good at it, but i think that's a cop-out. 25 is not too old. 80 is not too old. i don't want to live life holding myself back from trying new things. i am learning that truly, all things are possible with God.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

fun with the in-laws.

chris's parents came for the weekend and we loved hanging out with them. i love it that they are layed back and easily pleased. we played board games (one of our favorite things to do together), drank coffee (okay, another favorite thing), ate pie (and another), and laughed a lot. we went to mount bonnell yesterday since it was such a beautiful day. this was vera's second time on the peak of austin.

pumped!

i just signed up for my first race--Cap 10k--and i'm so pumped. i'm feeling really good about it already since it's only a 6.2 mile run and considering 5 miles has been pretty easy for me lately, i'm thinking with the adrenaline and everything, it would be a great first race. it's in 6 weeks, so i'm starting to get organized with a training schedule. my next goal will be the Rock 'n Roll (holy crap!) in november with Hollie!

Friday, February 26, 2010

more thoughts on running.

so i guess i'm a runner now? i'm really loving it. ran 5 miles again today. and this time under an hour. i've decided that my goal is not speed but distance. it feels so great to finish a long run and not be winded or have my heart rate sky-rocket. i'd like to get another pair of spandex shorts and eventually a new pair of good shoes. but for now, my $30 adidas are getting some miles. :) i'm trying to figure out a training schedule so that i don't overdue it or get injured. i know the consistency is going to be hard to keep, especially when i go out of town or am on vacation, but i need to figure out how to push through it and keep it up. i've never been an athlete, let alone a runner, so this is all new to me--but i love it!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

addicted.

i experienced the runner's high for the first time ever today. it felt amazing. i'm a slower runner (10 minute miles), but longer distances are getting easier. i ran almost 5 miles today and it was after the first couple of miles that it kicked in. i didn't have to think about breathing. my heartrate was not high at all. i wasn't huffing and puffing for air. it was seriously so easy. i've never felt that before but it was awesome and now i'm addicted, i think. i tried to go into my run today with the mentality of asking myself if i could do a half marathon in the future. instead of watching the clock, i just set my ipod on shuffle and let the music be my focus (and 'the view' and 'ellen'). i can't believe i'm going to say this, but i love to run. i'm making sure to stretch out really well today. come march, i think i could up my run to at least 4 miles and make my long run of the week 5 or 6. we'll see!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

had me a chuckle.

as i was walking out to my car this evening after catering an event at The Mothers Milk Bank at Austin, i found it rather humorous that i served a tres leches cake for dessert.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

#2

we are still in the process of pursuing a non-biological child for the next addition to our family. we were in the middle of the paperwork to become foster parents when we found out we were expecting, so we put it on hold until after her arrival. originally we said that when vera was 3 months old we would start the process over again. well, she's just passed the 4 month mark and we are still sitting. but the reason for the delay is that we are praying about whether to pursue domestic or international adoption or foster-to-adopt. honestly, i really don't care all that much. there are kids anywhere that need a family and i would be happy with an international adoption or a home-grown one, but most recently, chris has felt that we should check out all our options. so that's where we are. i'm researching agencies and looking into independent international adoption. we are also getting certified to provide short-term child care for our friends who are foster parents. i think this will be a great opportunity to "get our feet wet" before we are actually ready to become mom and dad to child #2. i'm super excited about all this.

Monday, February 22, 2010

love her.

my nemisis.

i am a self-proclaimed hater of running but have been doing so for about a month and a half now. it doesn't make any sense, i know. but i joined a gym at the beginning of january and they offer a free hour of childcare for vera up until 6 months of age, then 2 hours for 6 months and older. that's a nice incentive because otherwise, a work-out wouldn't even be possible. we walk a lot in our neighborhood and hike the greenbelt with marlow, but those don't make me sweat. and i have to say now that i've been doing it consistently for awhile now, it feels good to sweat and feel the aches and pains of exercise.

all of january i ran one mile each day. (gotta start somewhere, right?) february came and i decided to step it up to two and a half miles. i'm scared that it's almost march. i'm not educated about how to train, so i'm just making up my own thing and feeling it out. i suppose i'll increase it by at least a half mile. i think 3 miles a day will be my max for awhile though. but i'm also learning that it is much more of a mental battle for me than anything else. i have to run with my ipod because the sound of my breathing (or lack of) discourages me. i bring a towel or sweatshirt to drape over the treadmill so that i can't look at the numbers, progress, and time..otherwise i'm obsessed with it and looking every 2 seconds which makes 2 1/2 miles seems like an eternity. if i can just listen to my music, get in the rhythm with my breathing (in the nose, out the mouth), then i'm mostly able to tune out active thinking and just run. :) it is a nice repreive from being mommy 24/7 and i feel like it makes me mentally healthier, too, to have that short break.

i would like to sign up for a 5k or something this year. i remember doing the race for the cure our first year of marriage here in austin. and i still wear the shirt. but let me tell you what a poser i am. i definitely remember walking more than i ran and if i sign up for another race someday, i'd like to say i actually ran the whole thing. if i ever do a half-marathon (gasp!), i think i would be okay with walking some of it for the first time though. this is all new for me, so we will see where it goes.

i am also really enjoying the dance class i'm in at my gym. i do it 3x/week and they just introduced a new routine, which means i am completely lost again. it's a good thing though. i had the old one down and was getting bored with it. this new one has a lot more jazz/ballet stuff. last time it was more latin and hip hop. it will taken me a few weeks to figure out the moves, but i have so much fun.

Friday, February 19, 2010

calling all bakers...

help! i need some advice. i have several silpats that i use very frequently; sometimes 3-4 times per week. have you found a good way to store them that also keeps them easily accessible? for awhile i folded them up and fit them inside large ziplock bags. i liked feeling like they were clean from dust and attracting dirt. but then i learned that they are supposed to be rolled or flat when stored. they get too grimy inside my cabinets, so i'm looking for a new method. i've heard some people roll them and put them inside of an empty paper towel roll. that's the best i've heard so far but wanted to know if there was a better way out there that i didn't know about. any advice?

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

no more grandmas.

reading the recent posts of PW about her "Ga-Ga" has made me think. actually, i've been thinking for awhile now. it's been on my mind. and believe it or not, not all of what is in my mind actually makes it onto this blog. there are times that my filter does indeed work. there are also times that my thoughts don't need to be on this blog. but there are also times when this blog helps me process.

anyhoo. i've been thinking about my grandmas lately.

grandma #1: agnes irene
i suppose she's grandma #1 because she was the elder of the two. she lived to be 100 years old and passed away a little over a year ago. my memories of her range from her mad pie making skills to her joyful chuckle to me playing with her underarm flab. she was a lovely lady. it will make me sad one day when her house is sold because it holds so many memories. like the bird wallpaper in the bathroom. or the cherry wallpaper in the kitchen. and both cuckoo clocks...i had a love-hate relationship with them. i used to like to clean up from dinner with her. (perhaps a foreshadowing of when my enjoyment of domestic duties began?) she'd wash and i'd dry with those white dish drying cloths. we never used them at home so i think that's why i thought it was fun to dry and put away dishes. there were antique dolls in her attic, too. and tons of old national geographic magazines. my grandpa collected those. some of that fake green turf on the patio outback. she used to put money in books in their house. i remember finding a hundred dollar bill once. and i used to love looking through her jewelry. especially her earrings. i always wanted my ears to be pierced and when they finally were at age 12, i'd try on her earrings then put them back in their designated spot in her drawer. i remember holding my grandma's hands. they were big like mine. big knuckles. big palms. she had pretty rings and pretty fingernails. i used to pluck her chin hairs for her. oh the bonding!

grandma #2: mary elizabeth
she passed away six weeks ago on january 7th. she would have turned 83 years old this april. her body was tired and it was her time to go. and though it was a good thing in many ways, i'm finding myself missing her tonight. no proper good-bye. i saw her at thanksgiving but that day was so rushed (especially having a new baby) and busy seeing so many people. i could kick myself for not slowing down enough to really talk to her. to hug her. i loved her smile. she was a great listener and made you feel good about yourself. her skin was gorgeous. i complimented her one time on it and she seemed to be proud as she responded, "soap and water." i liked her laugh. it was quiet but joyful. i liked her skirts. i don't think i ever saw her wear pants. and i wish you could see the way she did her hair. she'd braid it into pigtails, then bobby pin them on top of her head. i spent the night at her house once when i was little and remember seeing her do her hair. i think that memory stands out in my mind so much because that was the one and only time i saw her with long hair. i kind of didn't realize she had long hair. i also remember seeing her kill baby mice with the heel of her foot. i was traumatized. in the back of her house, she found mice and although "cute" (as much as rodents can be) as babies, she killed them knowing that they'd grow up to be not so cute. she also used to go to my volleyball games. and she helped move me to college.

i missed both of their funerals. but mostly, i missed getting to know them both better. i missed out on many conversations that could have taken place if i would have made the initiative. they were both lovely, Godly women who stood by their husbands through thick and thin. and great mothers. they loved fiercely and have left a lasting memory in my heart.

Monday, February 15, 2010

recently.

james 1:17

"every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father..."

it has been quite the challenge starting back to work while also taking care of the bug (a.k.a. my daughter), but i have to admit, it has also been very fun. i really love my work and it feels like quite an accomplishment to have built a business at the age of 22 (no credit due to me..read on) and that it is still succeeding, making a profit, and adding on new clientele each year. this last weekend was crazy-hectic, but worth it. and i've got a couple of catering events this week that will be rewarding. i absolutely love being in peoples' homes. whether it is celebrating a new arrival (baby shower), new commitment (engagement/wedding), or another one of life's festivities, i consider it an honor that people actually pay me to make food for them on their special day. i really love my work. and i know that it is absolutely by God's provision that i am even able to cook, let alone run a business...cuz Lord knows i am not gifted in that area at all. luckily He gave me a wonderful, organized, attentive, business-minded guy to marry that helps me out in the aspects in which i fall short. together we have figured a few things out and are enjoying seeing the growth of taste and see. i know that none of this is by my talents at all. all glory and credit goes to God. but i am very thankful that He's blessed me with a job that i enjoy so much and can do part-time as a mom.

Sunday, February 07, 2010

work.

i've started back to work again part-time and i love it. i didn't think i would want to work, but i've really missed it and i'm excited for the events i've booked for the next couple of months. this week and next will be very busy with valentine's day coming up and then a couple of catered parties. i'm thankful that i am able to have a flexible schedule and that chris can watch vera while i work.

i always thought having a job was something to tide me over until i became a mom, but i am grateful that God has given me a love for my work and business for an income. taste and see fine dining will turn 4 years old this year. it has taken me that long to build rapport and clientele in austin, and that's another reason i wouldn't want to quit working now.

i have some goals for my business this year that include some continual education, updated state license for food safety, an investment in marketing, a website update, and the purchase of some additional equipment. i am also at the point where i am compiling a list of hire-able contract workers; servers, bartenders, delivery service. it's stressful at times, but overall very rewarding.

the blues.

though the colts didn't bring it home tonight, we enjoyed a superbowl party with friends nonetheless. thanks to the indiana grandparents, vera even sported her colts attire.

Friday, February 05, 2010

apparently...

...i am a great salsa dancer. who knew? my latina friends compliment my hip movement.

...whiplash occurs from playing tug of war with marlow.

...if i open a bag of reese's pieces when home alone on a friday night, i'm likely to eat a few too many.

...while up in the middle of the night, i walked into a wall and busted my lip.

...doing both jobs as chef and mom are hard when working from home.

...something is in the water because SO MANY of my friends are pregnant right now!

...i am at a standstill with reading. i was a whiz when pregnant and now can't seem to find the energy during my rare, free time.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

on becoming a momma: part deux

man, i love it. thank goodness post postpartum depression didn't stay too long with me. i feel like i'm in my element. i can't believe vera is almost 4 months old already. i called chris at work today just to thank him for how hard he works to provide for us. i feel so very blessed that i get to stay home and raise our daughter. she is so stinkin sweet and i look forward to getting her from her crib every morning. when she's sleeping at night and i think of her, i just want to go wake her up and hold her--but i don't. :) we are in a good season. and she is my little tagalong now. i love running errands with her and having her attached to my hip. she's getting a lot more personality and is SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT, so we are really enjoying this stage.

Monday, February 01, 2010

bangs.

man, what a blogful day this has been for me. you blog stalkers of mine out there, you're hitting the jackpot today!

a friend of mine posted this on facebook and it was too funny not to post. i have totally been there! and i might be going back soon.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

moo.

FIFO. have you heard of it? do you do it? i love it.

first in. first out. it's a term i learned in culinary school and it applies to proper food storage. say you have so many jars of peanut butter in your pantry that you can't keep track of which you bought first. you organize them putting the "first one" you purchased in the front so that it can be used and be the "first out." i FIFO mostly everything in my house when i restock. even toilet paper. again, rare breed.

i was organizing the stored breast milk that i have in my freezer and most definitely putting them in correct FIFO order since they are only good for 12 months. i was curious as to how much i've been stocking so i decided to count the bags and calculate the amount of ounces in each bag. that brings it to a grand total of about 5 gallons of breast milk. hence we are in the market for a deep freeze.

vera eats 5 times a day now, usually about 5 oz. at a time. let's do some math.

128oz. = 1 gal.

she needs 25oz. of food for a 24-hr. period.

128/25= roughly 5 days of food for her.

i could almost take a week vacation.

thinking back to my shared thoughts of selling my bodily fluid as liquid gold, let's do some more math.

i've read that you can make $1-$3 per ounce.

128 oz. * $1= $128.00
128 oz. * $3= $384.00

i currently could cash in for $128-$384. not very impressive.

let's say my goal is to devote 15oz. a day to sell (that's on top of breast feeding vera) and i do it for 6 months.

$15/day * 180 days = $2,700
$45/day * 180 days = $8,100

if i keep it up for 6 months, i could cash in for $2,700-$8,100.
impressive.

if i keep it up for 1 year, that's $5,400-$16,200.
now that's a lot of mulah. or should i say moo-lah.

the chronicles of carey: january 31st

1995 (I was in 5th grade.)
I like to play with my doll house. I actually think it's too babyish, but I still think it's fun.

2000 (Classic boy troubles.)
I called him and told him my feelings. He seemed confused. He said he has feelings for me but that he doesn't know what that means. He said he doesn't want a long term relationship and that he's hesitant with the whole commitment thing. We decided that being friends for now is best.

2002
I am officially in the United States Army National Guard. I swore in today.

2003
Help me to understand how much You really love me. I know that You went to the greatest length possible to win me into Your kingdom. I feel like I see You as a God who only wants to get justice and unleash Your wrath to those who have sinned against You. But the cross shows that there is an abundance of grace and mercy extended to us, too. Forgive me for doubting it. I don't mean to discount what You did for me. I just want to understand.

2005
I've been hanging out every Monday night with a friend and we watch 'The Bachelorette' together. I can't think of a more useless show to watch, but it's a good excuse to spend time getting to know her better.

2006
I don't think I believe that God has given us only one perfect mate. I don't like considering it though, that there are others out there with whom Chris or I could have married and been just as happy. I always tell Chris that if I die someday, he should remarry because he is incredible and any woman would be lucky to have him. God really blessed me with a great man.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

breakfast for dinner.

i know i've said it before, but i'll say it again. i get so much satisfaction out of using up everything in my fridge. granted, there will be plenty of condiments in the door, but not much else will be hanging out in there by the end of the week.

most weeks i plan out creative, colorful meals for my solid food eating family of 2. some weeks, however, i am in the mood to clean out. this was one of them. i bought a handful of ingredients at the market to complete menus for what i wanted to use up in the fridge, pantry, and freezer.

i have to give a shout out to my husband here. he loves to eat anything and everything and i love that about him. he also loves to snack. (who doesn't?) i appreciate him sticking it out on these weeks when there ain't much else to snack on besides our costco sized bag of dried cranberries and the ever-present, always-stocked jar of peanut butter, as well as some nuts in the freezer. most of the time he's about to conjur up something to satisfy his craving.

by the end of the week, i usually run out of ideas for dinner, so my go-to meal is usually breakfast for dinner; pancakes and eggs. i LOVE me some pancakes! i've got some sour cream to get rid of, so sour cream pancakes it is. whisk some eggs, throw in the leftover cheddar, scramble it up and dinner is served. (you'll notice the absence of vegetables and fruits, but it's all about getting by at this point and not spending money.)

what's your go-to meal when your refrigerator is nearly bare?

Sunday, January 24, 2010

loving the hard-to-love.

i stink at it. i've really been convicted lately about how i rarely hang out with people like that. as christians, we are not called to always remain in our comfort zones. i want to be better at loving people who drain me emotionally, those who are so self-absorbed they make me want to scream my head off, those who put down others to raise themselves, and those who annoy the crap out of me.

any advice on how to do that? i don't even know where to start.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

chris turns 30.

i asked chris what he wanted to do for his birthday
and his response was, "wine and games."

we had a fun day together celebrating his 30th birthday yesterday. we hung out with several friends at crú wine bar downtown for happy hour. they gave us a lovely private room in the back where we got to catch up with a lot of really good friends. the appetizers and wine were good and vera did great being social, too. :) we were home around 7pm and i put her down for the night soon after that. then more friends came and met us at our house for cake, ice cream, and games! it was really fun and i hope he felt extra loved on his birthday.
chris harvey & matt simmons
lessa & jennybrandy & jim routhlessa had the touch!scott & lydia hekmanjenny & bekah30 candlesnewlyweds: joe & daisy, and andrea
today we went to the greenbelt and it is absolutely beautiful! the water is back and barton creek is full with rushing currents. marlow was in heaven. it'd been quite awhile since we'd been back, and it was so much fun. it was a little difficult hiking some of the trails with vera in the carrier, but we just took it slow and easy and it reminded me of being 42 weeks pregnant. :)

i love living in austin!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

makes my heart melt.

we seat her with us when we eat dinner. she boycotted the nap today and therefore fell asleep at the table. too funny!

Monday, January 18, 2010

over the moon.

i am SO excited that karen will officially and permanently be a part of our family. cousin sammy proposed and she didn't say no.think you jumped the gun though, sam? it's been only 8 years. geesh. (jab, jab)

tradition.

i love traditions. they are something to look forward to in different seasons of each year. one of ours that we started our first year of dating is writing in a journal together at the start of each new year. we start off by telling a story in both of our perspectives that we want to remember later on. it usually signifies a big event from our year. year one it was how we met, year two was our wedding day, year three was my experience in culinary school, year four was losing and finding marlow, and year five was the pregnancy and birth of our daughter. we record random memories that we don't want to forget, then make a list of dreams/goals for the next year. it is a very special time of reflection for us where we can look back and see how God provided perfectly. it has chronicled our marriage. and i'm pretty sure it'd be one of the first things to grab if our house was burning down. besides marlow, of course. oops! and vera. and chris. :)

Saturday, January 16, 2010

vivaldi to ludacris.

last saturday chris and i drove up to ft. worth, dropped off the baby with the grandparents, and went on another date. i could get used to this! he bought us tickets to the ft. worth symphony for my christmas gift, and since i'm a quality time person, it was perfect. we got dressed up and since we were running late, decided to grab dinner afterwards.


the symphony was beautiful!--my first time. we heard vivaldi's four seasons. there were four sections (i don't know the musical lingo) to the piece and each represented a different season. there was a sonnet that was printed in the program that vivaldi had written to coincide with the music. for spring, the orchestra made the music sound like birds chirping, wind, and rain. for fall, it sounded like leaves were blowing and horses galloping for hunting season. winter and summer, too. it was really cool. i left feeling cultured and enriched.

it was late when the symphony got out and there weren't many restaurants open still, but we did find an upscale tex-mex place on sundance square. we had been to the same chain in austin and it was really nice when we'd went before. this time, however, it was somewhat of a different experience.

it was blistery cold that night--i even got to wear my down coat--and the place was packed out probably because it was one of the few places still serving food and drink. immediately when we walked in, decked out in suit and dress, we realized it wasn't as polished as the austin location. tons of high school and college-aged kids (did i just say kids?) packed out the place and filled the dance floor where a d.j. provided less than tasteful music.

it was kind of funny. we heard music from both ends of the spectrum that night.

Friday, January 08, 2010

more pics of the patio.

he finished up the roof. then scrubbed the wood and will seal it later. he washed down the inside. next we'll install an outdoor fan and wiring for electricity. speakers and lights to come. and new screens.

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

chicken poop.

this was by far one of my favorite stocking stuffers. my mom is catching onto the type of humor i enjoy, apparently. :) i love the quote on the top right that says: " grandpa says, if ya got dry lips, put chicken poop on 'em and you won't lick em." that's great.
from now on, whenever i refer to chap stick, i call it chicken poop. i need me some chicken poop.

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

our little bug.

in dots.
ready for church.
am i a mean momma for this? hil-ar-ious.

Monday, January 04, 2010

the human cow project.

chris is always trying to come up with an original invention. most of the time they are really great ideas and we've found that most are already patented. his most recent money-making idea was to create a website market where those interested can buy and sell breast milk. well, many websites already exist for that. isn't that funny? i guess someone would be interested in buying breast milk if you weren't able to produce on your own or were adopting and didn't want to use formula. we also found an additional use that some adults drink it for homeopathic purposes. gross. but that's not to say i haven't jokingly threatened before to disguise some in a smoothie for chris to drink. i know. if only you were a fly on the wall in our house. we try to act our age and not let people see how truly weird we are...rather, how weird i am!

when reading up on the milk bank sites, we discovered that the buyers will pay for the shipping costs and that you can make up to $32,000/year by pumping only about 10 oz./day. fo shizzle. you may think i am the craziest person ever for this, but i am actually considering it. either i might breast feed vera until she's 6 months old, then pump and sell for another 6 months, buying us a car and helping us save the money we were planning on using for it. how awesome is that? or i might breast feed vera closer to a year and continue pumping after that to sell. but that's less appealing since i am not a fan of breast feeding anyway.

regardless, i think it's flippin awesome that i could make that much money by devoting only 30 minutes a day to pumping.

but i would have to file them on our income taxes. what would you put for occupation though? human cow? mammary factory? milk donor? wet nurse, i guess...but that's not nearly as funny.

Sunday, January 03, 2010

don't worry, i got permission to post this story.

i have always enjoyed taking care of the domestic duties around the home; dishes, cooking, making beds, straightening up, and laundry. i have my system and would consider myself rather efficient. there is a specific place for most things and always before going to bed, the kitchen has to be clean and the pillows on the couch fluffed. no joke. some might say i am anal retentive or at best OCD, but i know that i function better in life when there is order. i know, i know, i am a rare breed. i should be very thankful that my husband has kept me around this long!

all that to say, while i was up to my neck with things to do this afternoon, my lovely husband was leisurely enjoying his book in the living room. we try not to judge how each other spends our time, but sometimes, i must admit, it is not easy for me to be the wife, the housekeeper, the mom, the dogmom, the errand-runner, grocery-shopper, etc. i really do try not to nag. and i think he'd say i don't do it that much. but i was holding my tongue today.

he finishes up reading and comes into that kitchen and asks what he should do with his time. i ask him to do the laundry that is piled up in the laundry room--though probably not the response he was looking for. as he begins to throw in a load, i peek out of the corner of my eye and once again, hold my tongue. he may not be doing it the way i would do it, but the goal is for the clothes to be cleaned, right? so what could go wrong?

he's had a little rough patch in the past the one other time i asked him to help with laundry and the result was slightly pinkish clothes. but we've moved past that.

no big deal.

while unloading the first load into the dryer, he asks when i do laundry why it comes out dirty. i didn't understand so i went over to check out the situation and found that two rugs had frolicked in wet merriment with soft baby clothes among other delicates. and dirty they were.

we had a good laugh together. i'm not sure if he really doesn't know how to do laundry or if this is part of his grand scheme so that i don't ask him again. :) regardless, i love him and enjoy moments like this when i can pick on the smarty pants engineer that he is.

the end.