Mutual Respect

Some mornings when the boys get up at the same time Casey likes to crawl into Connor's crib and hang out for a bit. I took this pic this morning and the way they are looking at each other just kills me. I know they're my kids and so I'm a wee bit biased, but they're so damn cute sometimes I just can't stand it.

And guess who decided to start climbing the stairs last night? Yep. Add that to the list of "Learning New Skills at the Least Convenient Time Possible for Mom."

Saturday night I saw The Police in concert with Christa, and a very good time was had by all (a better time was had by some, but that's another story, right Cree?). I have decided to go vegan and start daily yoga sessions because Sting looked way too good for his age. He just might be one of the sexiest human beings on the planet. Next to my husband, of course. :) I'm still trying to understand how I develop all these crushes on rock stars (John Mayer & Dave Matthews being past victims) and yet I managed to marry a dentist. Oh well, c'est la vie!

Winner

I very rarely enter contests, because I have so rarely ever won anything. But last week this company, Blu Domain, that designs websites for professional photographers (I have been lusting after their designs for quite some time) was celebrating their anniversary by hosting a bunch of photo contests. Late last Friday I entered one, and could hardly believe my eyes when I checked their blog this morning to find that I had won! My prize is a free website design, and a discount on a year of hosting. According to the post on their site, they had over 500 entries for this contest and picked just three winners! Here's a link to check out my goods if you're interested:http://76.163.83.176/blog.cfm?catID=4. The image I submitted isn't a new one, but it's a goodie and it was an amazing boost to my self-esteem to be chosen. I can't wait to get the new site up and running - I will be completely revamping the entire look of Jennifer Alderman Photography. Stay tuned for links to the new site when it goes online, and beware that the current site will probably go offline starting tomorrow.

Bad Dog

Sure, she looks innocent enough. But look closely at this photo. Notice the ears laid back. The tail tucked under. The look in her eyes that says, "I'm sorry I was a bad dog."

I woke up this morning to find my diaper bag knocked over on the floor with a mutilated and empty box of baby cookies lying on the floor next to the bag. The suspect soon presented herself, and it was quite obvious from her entire body language that she was guilty. I gave her a stern admonishment, and sent her outside for a doggy time-out. I took this photo after she had some time to think about what she did.

See, this isn't the first time Ani's performed this sort of crime. While we were at the grocery store on Thursday she knocked over a box of her own cookies and managed to eat half of them (without destroying the box, so I didn't notice for several days - she might be bad but at least she's usually clever). And a few years ago when I was pregnant with Casey and Rob was in Texas for several months she chewed a hole in our couch while trying to chase a sleeve of graham crackers that had fallen under the couch. Do you see the pattern of criminal activity here?

Rob was gone all last week, and he came home yesterday for a quick visit and left again very early this morning. I can only assume that Ani's compulsive cookie stealing is the result of some sort of coping mechanism to deal with missing her Daddy. I guess we all have our means of coping - Casey throws tantrums, Connor cries for two hours straight in the afternoons, Ani steals cookies, and I drink boxes of wine after everyone goes to sleep. So I suppose I shouldn't be too angry with her. She's just trying to get through the next few weeks like the rest of us. She's not really a bad dog, just a lonely one.

P.S. I stepped out on the deck Friday night after getting the boys to bed and snapped this photo of the beautiful colors in the evening sky. I'd love to paint the ceiling of my bedroom to look like this, but I'm pretty sure Rob would have me committed. I might have to settle for a painting - I wonder if Sara is up for any commissions?

I Lub You. You're My Best Friend Ever.

Overheard today from Casey talking to Connor.

The Big 32

Today is a big day for Rob. I mean, major, huge, big-time big. He was up at the crack of dawn this morning to drive to Ft. Knox to officially sign out and discharge from the Army. He then changed clothes and pointed his car north and is on his way to Indy to begin the first day of his new residency, and he has his first night of call tonight. All this, and today is his 32nd birthday! I guess if you're going start something new, start big!

And just in case anyone was wondering, I have tried a few recipes from the much-anticipated Rachel Ray cookbook. The best was this Spinach & Artichoke Pasta, which tasted like the appetizer you get in a restaurant but with cheese raviolli in it. As Rachel would say, "Yummo!" (and then I would slap her because I hate it when she says that).