all you need is love, but don't forget

Brandon and I wear hats all day long.  The Boss hat, Aggressive Driver hat, Gardner hat, Telephone Operator hat, Mom hat, Dog-mom hat, Chef hat, Housekeeping hat, Diaper-changing hat, "oh-crap-I-forgot-to-feed-the-cats" hat.  Then there is the hat that is closest to our heads, but has all the other hats stacked on top of it.  Its the hat that's wrinkled and beat up but also the most comfortable.  Its the married hat.

Anyone who tells you that marriage is easy is a liar.  seriously.  Marriage is probably our hardest job of any of them.  Not because we aren't in love, but because its so easy to take it for granted and push it to the side while the pot on the stove is boiling over and the baby is cutting teeth and the dog needs let out.  Most nights we both barely make it to the bed before we're passing out with our glasses still on and teeth unbrushed.  So all of this neglect obviously builds up until there is a big blowout and you suddenly realize, "why don't I ever see you anymore?"  Sure we see each other as we're throwing the burp cloth after the baby had a monster spit up on one of us.  Or we glance over and half sigh/half laugh when the other announces that the toilet is clogged, but we dont' always see each other.  There was something that struck me as beautiful and true about the Na'vi tribe's greeting, "I see you" in the movie Avatar.  I know its kind of cheesy and from a movie, but I loved when Norm is trying to explain to Jake that saying "I see you" is more than saying hello; its the idea of telling someone that you see who they are, you see how they're feeling, and know whats in their heart.  I get that.  I love that.

So after a major blowout recently, Brandon and I have been making an honest commitment at seeing each other.  Life is hard and exhausting and although marriage is hardwork; its happy work.  We are re-installing our date nights and recently attended a showing of Rent at the Erie Playhouse.  It was great and was reminiscent of days in NYC (as much as a small time off-broadway show can be).  We also recently put the baby to bed early and sat out by a fire in the backyard and playfully fought over which constellations were in the sky. 

Um, scary kind of.

Last night we played, what Brandon called, a "writing game" that we made up questions we thought the other should know about us and quizzed each other.  Brandon got 9/10 right (!!) and I got an 8/10...I didn't know the brand of his fishing rod or his rifle...but I do now:)  Its all just silly fun, but its the kind of fun that reminds us why we work so well.  We obviously love each other, trudging through this life sharing the weight of a heavy backpack filled with house duties and carseats and dog treats ...but we're doing our best to remember to glance over more frequently to see each other;  to recognize that the load isn't that heavy when someone is helping you carry it and laughing at the same stupid jokes as you are.

birthday girl: 27 years young

We celebrated my 27th birthday at the Pittsburgh Zoo and it was a perfect day.  We spent the morning lollygagging around walnut street and grabbed a bite to eat a teeny little restaurant that was delicious.  We didn't even get to the zoo until after 2p and it actually turned out to be perfect timing, as most of the visitors had already passed through the park.  We made a sprint for the shark exhibit after noticing that they were holding a shark feeding at 2:15 (we are still  hyped up from Shark Week).  We even recognized some familiar faces when we stopped to chat with some high school friends!  After kind of a boring shark feeding (they were introducing new fish and the sharks were confused) we headed back to the start of the zoo and took the normal path.  Since we got there so late, there were hardly any visitors and we mostly got to check out all the animals with only one other family or so. 

Greyson was able to see and interested in so many more animals than just a few weeks ago at the ERie zoo.  He loved so many of them and the only way to show our trip adequately is visually; so enjoy:)

Greyson "bought" me the Goddess package from the spa near our house (Coventina) and I got to go for an amazing morning on Sunday.  I received a body scrub, Vinyasa shower, body wrap, and a 60 minute massage.  I literally blacked out during my massage and when it ended I had no idea where I was or if I was even a human being.  It was so relaxing and calming I could have been floating in outer space for all I knew.  It was exactly what I needed and I am so grateful that I have such a sweet baby to schedule that for his mummie on her birthday.  (hahah, I know it was really you, Brandon).

Brandon also is sweet enough to get birthday cards for me from all my kids.  So not only did I get a signed card from Grey, but I also got a SIGNED birthday card from all my other kids; Bullet (dog), Lola & Jinx (cats), AND Penelope, George, Baby's Daddy, and Silver (the fish)!  So much birthday loving:)

Grey's 1st Hotel Stay-over

I had to visit Pittsburgh for a few customer meetings the week of my birthday, so with Greyson in tow we headed for his first hotel sleepover!  Aunt Uch and Aunt Kitty came out to sleep over our first night and, of course, we got the smallest room imaginable with only a queen size bed.  Somehow SCF got all cuddled up and settled in for a semi-solid night's sleep - hah!  While I worked with customers (or at Starbucks!) Grey hung out with Aunt Uch who stayed with us for the next two days:)  

They did a lot of spit up cleaning (Aunt Uch's favorite! hah), sleeping...

...and giggling together.  We were very lucky to have her babysit:)

BooBoo also got to ride in his first elevator! 

Then we met up with Stef and Mallory for dinner at Olive Garden where Mals and Grey had tabletop playtime....

...a few sweet cousin kisses:)

And the mommas had a deserving "soda"

And Grey even fell asleep at the dinner table!

On Wednesday, Katie & Sophia drove out to Pittsburgh to have lunch and go for a walk around the South Side.  Katie came to the rescue when my car broke down in the parking lot of an elementary school, and helped us move hotels with all our baby stuff.  She's a saint<3 

Greyson and Sophia had a fantastically naked-baby playtime on the beds while we all stood back and giggled at how sweet and cute they were.  I took a mini-baby photo shoot and will have to save all the pics for their wedding memslide (www.memoryslide.blogspot.com)