The Other Guys

Ok, ok. So the concert wasn't just Jessica Simpson. Rascal Flatts were the main show of the night. And I'm not a HUGE fan, to say the least, but I did have a great time. They, too, played the new stuff mixed with the old (better) stuff. And they are definitely entertainers. It was a high energy show. And they talked to the crowd plenty.....stressing that despite the economic situation that is impacting everyone, they really appreciate us spending some extra money to come out and support them. They are definitely some funny guys!

They brought this little girl on stage......walked her all around, sang to her, let her sing.....and then signed her hat. It was so sweet!! And she never even smiled. If that happened to ME as a little kid? I probably would have taken his mic and stole the show, lol!

A Dream Finally Come True

For those who don't know, I am a massive fan of Jessica Simpson. I have followed her career since.....well, as far back as I can remember. I watched her reality show religiously.....I own all the seasons. I'm not an obsessed fan. I'm just a fan. And let me tell ya, the girl can SING. She is one of my favorites. And last night? Last night, I got to see her perform LIVE. It was amazing. SHE was amazing. Despite all the negative media surrounding her lately, she comes to the stage and impresses upon her fans to break through the walls of uncertaintly and push on in life.

And she sang songs new and old......everyone sang along....and she was definitely well received. Maybe it had something to do with those shorts! And I'm tellin' ya....the media is HARSH. Because if they are callin' HER fat? Yikes....I don't even know what that makes me!

Movie Review: Lakeview Terrace

I was surprised by this movie. I had heard from several people that this movie wasn't that great. But we really enjoyed it! Samuel L. Jackson plays a cop who has some race issues. His new neighbors are a mixed-race couple and he's clearly not fond of that. And he is not shy in letting the couple know that he's not cool with their living arrangement. All in all, it was a really good movie!

Dining Out

I have two loves in my life.

(1) Mexican food.

(2) My child.

Ok. So I love a lot more than that. But these two things? They rank at the tip-top of my list in life. And tonight? I got to mix them both together to see if they get along. I will let you be the judge. (blackberry pics.....sorry for the quality)

(chips and bean dip)

(That plate is the kid's meal. Yeah. Seriously. Maybe for a 12 year old.)

Knick Knack Tour

So, over by our front door, we have some built-in shelves. I love them. Because I am a decorating fool, when money allows. (Which, isn't a lot of the time. So pictures and candles kind of take over my house. But at least it smells nice all the time!)

Anyway, one of the shelves is dedicated to the hubby and me. And our infinite love. Yeah. Anyway. So, from right to left (because I'm being a daredevil and going backwards from the norm) in this picture, we have a hand-made cross-stitch that Eric's younger cousin, SaraBeth, made for us and presented at the wedding. It's awesome. I love it. And she framed it. Even better! Then we have a lovely potpourri (let me explain what just happened here. I couldn't figure out how to spell 'potpourri'. So I decided to live on the edge and just leave it. But my OCD-ness (as so many people like to point out that I have, though I don't) took over and I had to click on dictionary.com and look up the spelling of the damn word. Seriously. It was eating at me as I continued to type my post) in a tall glass vase. It smells amazing. But it's old. I need to change out the potpourri (see, now that I know how to spell it, I'm going to use it 73 more times in this one blog post). And then a lovely picture of us on Christmas 2006, which was ironically when Carter was conceived. So the odd thing about that picture is that we are pregnant and don't even know it yet. I think it's a cool thing. Maybe not to other people. But it is to me. And it's my shelf. Then we have several shells that we picked up on our honeymoon and brought back over the border. Because you can do that with shells. And then.......

Then we have this fella.

Our Mayan mask. That we got screwed into buying. Well, I would have bought it anyway. We bought two actually, and gave one to my father. Seriously though? When we were walking around the Mayan ruins, all the locals were whistling at us (have I mentioned that I HATE whistling?) ONE DOLLAR! ONE DOLLAR! So finally, I walked over and said, "seriously? One dollar for this mask?" And the guy said "yes! One Mayan dollar!" So I inquired, "Oh. And how much is one Mayan dollar to American?" He tells me, with a big grin, "Fifteen American dollars." See, this is where I started to walk away. I don't like being deceived. So I finally talked him into the $15 for TWO masks. I'm sure we still got ripped off, but we wanted some momentos (mentos, the freshmaker!) from our honeymoon. So we came home with the overpriced mask.

And that's our shelf of love.

Random Nothingness

So my cold is finally gone. I still have an occasional cough, but that's something I can deal with. Now that the cough is gone, I can get back to my 5:30 a.m. workout routine. Which I LOVE. And for those who know me, you are probably wondering how I possibly enjoy anything at 5:30 a.m., let alone working out. But seriously - it works for me. I am ready for the day by the time I get home. I don't stumble around getting ready for work. I'm actually awake and get ready faster.

And on my way out this morning, I grabbed another Dane Cook CD and popped that into the car. Talk about improving your mood 100% before you even get to work! I love the man. It even improved my mood so much that when I pulled in to work and saw that someone had been pulled over by a cop.....and for some reason, it made sense to this person to not park in a parking spot, but to park sideways, taking up FOUR damn spots....I just laughed. Seriously? Why not just pull into ONE parking spot? That makes sense to me. However, I'm finding more and more in life that what makes sense to me, doesn't make sense to a whole lot of other people.

We took Carter swimming yesterday. There was this very white trash couple (I think she had more classy tattooes than he did) that were seriously getting a little too friendly in the pool. Yes! During a family swim time, no less! That's true class right there. And when they walked over to the hot tub, we left. Blech. Gym memberships are NOT cheap.....which makes me wonder how these people get in.

And my child meows now. It's so freakin' cute! He's starting to get a lot better with repeating words we give him. But he listens to the cat far more than he listens to us. We have been put in our place, that's for sure.

Knick Knack Tour

For those who know me, the following item on our knick knack tour of my house comes as no surprise.

I still have my baby blanket. The Duck.

My grandmother (on my dad's side - now deceased) made this blanket for me before I was even born. My parents tried many times, clearly unsuccessfully, to rid me of this blanket. They didn't throw it away - it was simply folded up and put on the top shelf in my closet. I would make it a couple of nights (MAYBE) without The Duck before dragging it back out.

I still sleep with The Duck. Every night. Underneath my head. I have drawn a line, however, and The Duck no longer leaves the house. A good friend of mine also holds tight to her baby blanket and she has been known to take it on camping trips, and even on her honeymoon. The Duck was not a travel companion on my honeymoon. ;-)

I Married a Thief

We enjoyed a rare night out last night. We had quite the group of people. Our regular friends, Rob and Nicole, came out, along with their friends, Shawna (my husband's ex....and no, it wasn't awkward) and Brad, and my brother, Dana.

(Nicole and Shawna)

(My brother (Dana) and me)

We had a great time. We went to this dive bar called The Navajo. This place has been around since my parents were our age. Not that I'm saying that's a LONG time or anything. Just a historical note. Maybe historical isn't the right word either. Anyway! So The Navajo also features karaoke. And for anyone that knows my husband, he would have married karaoke if it was legal in Idaho. He loves it. He has no fear of singing in front of people.

(Eric and Rob)

He also has no fear of singing with whoever happens to be on stage.

(Nicole and Eric)

Or grabbing the group of guys and making them sing along with him.

(I LOVE the look on my brother's face! Priceless. Why? Because he's just like me - will NOT perform in front of crowds. But apparently there was just enough alcohol in his system to inspire him.)

But as the night wore on, the husband started jumping in to random people's karaoke fun. Did they mind? Absolutely not!

And occasionally, he would let Nicole and Shawna perform alone. He's generous like that and all.

But as soon as someone broke out the Green Day? He was gone. He's a punk at heart

As you can no doubt tell. And please notice in this picture below that I am such a stellar photographer when I am intoxicated, that I can catch other people sloshing their beer around. What a party foul!

To finish out the night, and old friend of the husband's showed up. He sang the last song of the night...in the wee hours of the morning...and the husband just couldn't let him perform alone either. It was a great night!

A Random MeMe About US.

I figured I could do one of these about me and the hubby.

What are your middle names?

My middle name is Morgan. His is Ryan. Carter was lucky enough to get his middle name.

How long have you been together?

Well let's see.....we met back in 7th grade and "went out" back then. This time around, we have been together almost 3 years.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?

That's a difficult question given the fact that we have "dated" a couple times now. We'll assume this question is directed toward our adult dating life, though we have "known" each other since 7th grade.

Who asked whom out?

I don't know, really. I was engaged to someone else when we got back in touch with each other. Things were going way downhill in the engagement, so Eric took me out to play pool and have drinks every couple of nights as my "therapy". And then played the good guy and told me that I deserved better than what the current dude was giving me. It finally sunk in, I guess.

How old are each of you?

We are both 27

Whose siblings do you see the most?

Probably mine.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?

Money, I guess. We used to have ridiculous, drawn out fights. Ask any of our friends who received pissed off text messages or phone calls. However, through some counseling (professional and on our own), we have really come a long way. Money still sucks though.

Did you go to the same school?

We both went to the same middle school. We went to different high schools, however. I went to college. He did not.

Are you from the same home town?

We sure are.

Who is smarter?

That's a dumb question. There are obviously areas where one of us is smarter. I can tell you the laws, he can build a house. We are both incredibly book smart though - no one likes playing trivia games with me anymore.

Who is the most sensitive?

Actually, he is.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?

We have gotten away from this. Usually, a mexican place.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?

Progresso and Cozumel, Mexico

Who has the craziest exes?

I think we both have some special ones, lol!

Who has the worst temper?

Me. By far.

Who does the cooking?

We both cook. Not together very often. He doesn't have the patience and I get pissed off.

Who is the neat-freak?

Neat is not in his vocabulary.

Who is more stubborn?

Me.

Who hogs the bed?

We would both say the other does. But honestly, he does.

Who wakes up earlier?

Usually I do.

Where was your first date?

We went to Tony Roma's for BBQ and then played mini golf.

Who is more jealous?

Both. It's a nasty, nasty tie.

How long did it take to get serious?

Not long at all. I broke off my engagement, took several "mental health days" for myself. Took the time to get over it. And then he moved in a couple weeks later. It was fast.

Who eats more?

Him

Who does the laundry?

I do it. I have started making him fold and put away his own stuff though.

Who's better with the computer?

Me. By far.

Who drives when you are together?

Both. Well, not at the same time. Just depends on who feels like driving.

Knick Knack Tour

So, like most people, I have some pretty random things around my house. Some are cool, some are just plain wierd. Let's take a tour of all things cool and wierd, shall we?

First item up? A bowling pin. Yes. I have a bowling pin in my house. No, I didn't steal it. My grandfather (on my dad's side) used to own a bowling alley in Oregon. All four brothers on my dad's side of the family are big bowlers. They have bowled on a league together since I was a wee child. They still bowl. Every Thursday. Most always in tribute to their father.

When my grandfather closed down his bowling alley and moved back here to Idaho to be near his family, he brought some keepsakes with him. Such as? Bowling pins from the bowling alley. Makes sense! So the one I have sits on a shelf in my closet.

I pulled it out for this blog post and of course, curiosity killed the cat. It's almost too heavy for him to lift! Have you ever held a bowling pin? Those suckers aren't light!!

Growing Up

When did this happen and how do I stop it? I do not want to be a participant. I just want him to stay my little baby.

Random Fact #56

I prefer Miracle Whip over regular mayo.

In all honesty, I will eat either. My preference, however, is Miracle Whip. I like the tangy flavor. This may be because I grew up with Miracle Whip - it's what my mom would buy for us. Every other house we went to seemed to have just regular mayo. And for the longest time, I couldn't stand the regular mayo those sandwish places served on their sandwiches. My husband refuses to eat Miracle Whip. So we have both in our house.

New Stuff?

So, as usual, I try to think of some new ideas to keep the blog fresh and interesting to my readers. If there are any. (Seems like I ask for more people to come out of the woodwork and comment, and I receive LESS comments than before.) However, I was thinking of snapping some random pics around my house...of little things that mean a lot to me, and telling the story behind them. I don't know if that would interest anyone, but I'm going to try it. Stay tuned......

Weekend Recap

We had a fabulous weekend! Friday night, we went out to dinner.....we aren't big into the Valentine's Day celebration, so that was basically the extent of our celebration. We had a nice italian meal, and we took the child with us. It was a great night. Until this happened:

I had a ton of laundry on the couch, waiting to be folded. How the child found this pair of fancy pants (from Eric's aunt at the bridal shower) is beyond me, but it seemed fitting given the holiday and all. Eric wanted no part of it - he said he didn't want a picture to document his child walking around in women's underwear. I laughed. It's all in the memories. Even if I only share it on the blog. No harm.

Saturday was a big shopping day. We both had extra money from our paychecks, so we went in search of some new clothes. I was desperately in need of some pants for work, and some new jeans. I succeeded in finding all of that...and more. Eric got some shirts too. It was a really fun day. No Valentine's Day celebration - just a nice steak dinner.

Sunday was a very quiet day. We only left the house to pay a visit to Carter's great-grandma. She had a great time visiting with Carter and watching him play. Then, it was back home to more laziness and peek-a-boo with the bathroom door that he loves to slide open and shut....open and shut...open and shut.

Yes. It gets old.

But that face is worth it.

Monday, Eric had to work while I had the holiday off. Carter had another playdate! He's becoming quite popular, the little stud. He continues to be quite cautious at first, but ends up opening up and having a great time. I love watching him interact with other children his age. I don't get to see enough of it at daycare, but it's always so fun to watch!

After the playdate was over, I had a dentist appt. I didn't take my camera. That's not something I care to document via pictures. Or at all, for that matter.

As soon as I got home, we started the baking. It was time for some cookies in this house!!! My boss just bought his daughter this learning tower....however, I don't have $200 to drop on one of those, so a chair will have to do. And you know what? It does the SAME thing....minus all the safety precautions, lol! We were very careful though - he is sure-footed enough by now to not fall off. But we had a great time! He loved helping me measure stuff, and he especially loved the mixer. Must be something with the noise, because he loves the vacuum too. Something I will never understand. As you can see, he's quite the little helper. He even screamed when my phone would vibrate from a new text message. And the oven mits? He was SO in charge of those. And after we were done baking cookies, I baked a ham. And I don't want to talk about that. ;-)