After a very hard week, Randy whisked me away to an unexpected date night on a Thursday.  Which made it seem like an extra-long weekend and boy, did I need one.  Then Friday was a friend's birthday party, and Saturday we all got together and watched the Duck game, so it was a fun weekend indeed.
In other very random news:

   There is a mouse in our house right now, and he has chosen to take up residence in one of the light fixtures in the kitchen.  I think he's a little bit like me and isn't good with directions, because instead of going back whatever way he came from, he is trying to chew through the ceiling, right next to the light fixture to escape.
    I'm not normally afraid of mice, it's spiders I can't stand.  I even used to have a pet mouse in my room, in a cage when I was younger.  It was fairly tame and I would feed it Saltines with peanut butter from my hand.  True story. 
    But when I became a woman I put away my childish things, and even though I am still not "afraid" of mice, it is pretty horrifying on any level to hear little chewing sounds and look above you and see a mousy little head peering through your ceiling, looking right at you with those beady little eyes.  Gross.

   The girls had a nice day today.  Currently they are taking naps, the laundry is laundering, and I am enjoying a cup of coffee.  It's moments like these when suddenly everything just seems a little more doable.   I think large credit is due to the fact that this morning I really took time to play with both of them.  Hide-n-seek, Memory, pat-a-cake, the works.  I really played with them.  I neglect to do that far, far too often.  But it seemed to really just make their day and consequently, they were more content on their own when I was busy.  Happy morning all around.

   Ty Burrell is one of my favorite comedic actors of all time, and just when you thought he couldn't get any cooler, turns out he's from Oregon and is an avid Duck fan. Check it out here.

   Speaking of the Ducks, that's a good segue into our football party, which I must say, was a lovely time.  Hosting hasn't been my strongest point in the past, but I'm relieved to see that it is making progress.  For example, you know that unsettling feeling in the pit of your stomach after company leaves that maybe there wasn't enough to eat?  I hate that feeling.  Unfortunately, I am often afflicted by that after hosting.  But not after this party!  Of course, it helped because everyone brought something.  Ha.  But I did feel like I made much more than I usually make, and didn't at all have to wonder if there would be enough goodies to eat.  That, is a MUCH MUCH better feeling than the alternative.  And I will know I have officially arrived when people start complaining that I'm ruining their diet, or they actually avoid coming over because they know I'll be shoving food at them the entire time, and it's just too hard to say no. 

I am not my mom yet but by George, I am getting there.

    Not only was it a great game, but it was so fun to be able to share it with friends and (bonus!!!) our friends all have kids.  So the kiddos had fun as well.  Here they are scavenging around the food table....

   And really, can you blame them?  What with all the jalapeno-chicken-bacon bites, bacon cheeseburger puffs, veggies and dip, chips and salsa, puppy chow, ranch pretzels, homemade breadsticks and more festooning our dining room table?  Yeah, I didn't think so either.



 Babies, babies, everywhere.  Here's Erin, Jada and Charlotte just...you know, chillin' with their peeps.  Or at least that looks like what Jada is thinking. 

    Then when the Ducks had reigned victorious and some of the guests had left and the evening was winding down, Emily and I were chatting upstairs when we looked up to witness this non-posed, completely adorable sight:  Liesl and Jocelyn reading books, side by side.  Of course I ran and got my camera, and boy howdy am I glad I did.  It just doesn't get much cuter than this. 

 Both thinking:  "Hmmm, I think I'll pretend to read my book while I very sneakily read hers, because hers is much more interesting but I don't want her to think I am going to steal her book...."

   "Oh Jocelyn, that Dr. Seuss really knows what he's doing, doesn't he?  So witty and intellectually stimulating!  And our moms think they have to read to us.  Hahahaha."
   Yes, she is wearing sandals with her pajamas, as she is very into shoes right now, and constantly asks to wear them.  Naturally, wanting to feed a healthy admiration and fascination for shoes, I willingly oblige.