Sorry, random thoughts aren't going away. The only cohesive posts I have seem to be on PSD these days.

*Love my coffee cup from Whole Foods M got me for Christmas. It feels like Valentine's every day I drink out of it (mine is the red roses, of course)!

*What about talking to my Dad keeps me from wanting to work? AGHHHH. He's SO motivating to talk to full of crazy ideas just like me, only he actually makes them happen, or gets other people to make them happen. And after a few minutes of crazy inspiration, I curl up in my shell and don't want to do a thing. Literally. At all. At all. At all.

*A little bit of sugar in my coffee keeps me from feeling insatiably thirsty for more coffee. More satisfying, maybe.

*There goes my work phone. Which reminds me, there's a sweet call I HAVE to return today whether I like it or not.

*Brando has half the day off. Can't wait for him to be home!!

*All, I had an AMAAAAZING Valentine's. Please skip this if you don't want to read about it :) . But I've been thinking about it and I have to write it down so I remember it. I think part of it was that I was only expecting a low-key day because our lives have been so busy lately so I was blown away by what Brando actually did and all the thought he put into it. He pulled out the whole nine yards for me. He woke me up with flowers and a card on my bed, even though as I was getting dressed to take Shawner's to school I didn't even notice them sitting there for ten minutes!! I finally noticed him staring at me strangely and saw them out of the corner of my eye. So freaking sweet.

He had the day off and spent it helping out in the classrooms at Justinbustin's school (what a man!!). When he got home, he took me to get my chewed off nails done. While I was there he ran and picked up Love Cake Cupcakes from Hey Cupcake and surprised me with them when he picked me up along with a note that said, "Happy Valentine's! Will you still be mine?"

Then, he took me to our favorite Valentine's Day restaurant, NXNW, where he'd made reservations last week. All, we had the four course dinner. I haven't been spoiled like that since Cali!! Usually, it's too much food, but (LOVE NXNW) we asked if they cared if we split it (since a lot of people around us were ordering regular food any way it didn't seem like a big deal) and they so didn't care. They even split it for us. It was just the right amount of food and just the right amount of way too full at the end. We both enjoyed our wine - me, my malbec, and he, his tiny glass of port, we both laughed at.

I guess that's what 20% alcohol gets you. We had dessert via fresh fruit, whipped creme, and chocolate there, then came home and enjoyed the cupcakes he brought me on our bed.

Absolutely. perfect. in. every. way.

aa-and he's home so I'm ending this :) ! actually that sound of a car wasn't him... but he did call me a few minutes later to invite me to meet him for lunch so now I'm off for reals :) .


PPS I LOVE LOVE LOVE summer!! These photos make me not be able to wait for it anymore!! I wish I lived in a place where it was summer year round! I feel good, I look good, and I'm outdoors ALL the time when it's summer and I can't WAIT to do that again!

Brando Email Love

I'm loving...

working backwards from right now...

*that my boys are total geeks watching Prototype This

*that Justinbustin had the biggest grin on his face when we came home from our date that said I found a new super geeky show to love

*that my hubby took me on a date to get my craving - a Chipotle margarita and was totally okay with my drunk arse blabbering off one margarita (oh, Chipotle, you do me so well)

*that my hubby took my comment about wanting to "high-school makeout" (thanks, Teagan, for that ;) to the max

*that my hubby was watching the clock last night to make sure he could make it last as long as he could

*that I *did* feel like I was in high-school last night lol

*that I could feel that way after ten years of marriage

*that I was listening to the dance/hip hop radio station that I normally listen to today thinking "those were the days" but today I was thinking "that was last night"

Dear Life,

Refocusing on Brando and the boys, thank you for opening my eyes to many things, one of which my main blog sort of feels like a friend I need to focus on less. I love dumping my thoughts here, because there's hardly any readership (and I love all that do read here!), but dumping my thoughts there seems too vulnerable. And organizing my thoughts in a sane manner takes too much energy. I may save you, dear blog, for pictures of trips and call it good over there. It's been fun to revamp, though, and try new things. That, above all, I believe, showed me that it's not worth my energy over there.

Stores, thank you for all the GORGEOUS summer clothes out! I went crazy town at forever 21 and can't wait to model my new wardrobe for Brando on dates.

Summer, how can you be so near? I can't believe this may actually be the last summer that Justinbustin will sorta do what I want because he has to. Fortunately, he loves outdoor activity as much as I, so that means I have an adventure buddy!

Girls weekend, I am so sad, you didn't work out. I can't wait til' you do!

My own weekend, I am kinda relieved that I can make you happen now. Justinbustin will get to go camping, go to a special event Saturday, and the boys won't have to be left alone Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.

Pool, why don't I go to you more often? Your sun rays were absolutely glorious yesterday and left the perfect tan line that I'm still olive oiling to get rid of the burn. Your water is still cool and refreshing.

Brando, thank you for being so awesome at figuring out new strategies. I can't believe the school changing the way parents could pick up could give me anxiety attacks! Thank you for relieving those by figuring out a new way to easily pick up the boys, and a way that they love, in an instant.

Boys, you are incredible when given responsibility. My prayer is that you will find ways to rise above, be a leader, and find your own things to be responsible for even when you aren't given responsibility.

KT, thank you for being my bestie. For sticking with me through thick and thin. For noticing my irritation yesterday, and not saying a thing, but simply showing up in your bathing suit with a towel and inviting me to go to the pool just so you could be silent and hear me vent. Thank you for knowing me well enough to know something is bothering me, and also knowing me well enough to not question me about it, but simply be there for me and let me tell you in my own time. You are amazing, and I don't know what I did to deserve your amazingness. I don't think I did anything, I think you just are that person and I'm so glad I know you.

Happy birthday, honey!

Not planning anything for Brando's birthday went pretty well after all - hanging out with friends two nights in a row, paddle boarding, and a mani/pedi for me. Who knew not planning could be so rewarding?

I Love the Mornings I Wake Up In Love with My Husband All Over Again

I'm loving about my husband...

*Going to a meeting with the principal of the middle school, irritated that I'm a little late, and being totally taken off-guard and breaking into a huge smile when I walk in and see my husband already sitting there, saving a spot for me in the front. Made me feel so special to be one of the only moms with a dad there, too, and one of the few dads there period, and to slide right in next to him and not feel like "the late person" cause I already had my man there.

*Having him say to me I look adorable as we walk out. I told him I was hoping he had noticed when I walked in.

*Having him Brando realize exactly the question I was asking the principal who didn't understand it, and then having Brando explain it to me, and hearing the other parents hear him as well and go "Ooooh, we were totally confused, too" only they were too afraid to speak up and say so like I did

*Walking out and talking to the middle school counselor and telling her that her site is awesome because almost all of the information I got this morning I had already seen on her site and telling her I was going to figure out how to get it emailed to me like she had mentioned somebody was able to do but she didn't do, then hearing Brando say "Oh, yeah, the RSS feed you were talking stands for (blah, blah, blah, I already forgot) and is real easy to do, you can have it update automatically" even though the counselor hadn't mentioned RSS feed at all, she only mentioned that somebody was able to get the updates from her site sent to them via email and she didn't know how they did it. I love that he put two and two together and automatically figured it out. He's so sexy smart.

*Brando figuring out someone was stealing our internet and figured out exactly how to keep them from doing it ie unplugging our wireless router and modem every night and shutting down the computers instead of leaving them plugged in and the computer on like we normally do. No problems since!

*Love having a techie in the house. It's incredibly sexy.

Sweetness

Brando set up the office today to be able to have both our computers in here. Mine faces one wall, and his faces a make-shift wall. As we're both sitting on our computers - him doing whatever, and me leaving a comment on a blog I hear in a quiet voice almost to where I'm not sure who he's talking to, "God, you're cute." and I turn my head (as I'm sitting with my knees pulled up to my chest and one arm between my knees to reach the keyboard, all I had to do was turn my head) and see him looking back over his shoulder staring at me as he said that. I'm totally giddy in love from these moments. They happen all the time, but I don't usually happen to be sitting in front of a computer to write them down. Need to start writing them down more. Love, love them.

I love when my man reads between the lines

He's been working late every night since he got his new managerial position (awesomeness!) and tomorrow he's working while I'm juggling getting Justinbustin's friend home from a sleepover and then getting Justinbustin to a volunteer event at 11am, Shawners to a running event at 11am, and somehow being here from 8am-12pm for our mattress that's being delivered. Justinbustin's friends Mom is willing to take him where he needs to go, but the rest is on my plate. On top of that, Friday nights is our normal family night and it's 7:30pm and he's still not home. He is, however, picking up a pizza on the way home for family night.

I just called him crossing my fingers he didn't just get a meat pizza for the boys - I've been eating so healthy lately that my taste buds have no taste for the grease of meat (LOVE when that happens). He read my mind and got him and I a black olive, green pepper, and tomato pizza. Yum! He also arranged for my nephew to spend the night tonight so he can be available to be here tomorrow for the mattress or take Shawners to the running club. Amazing! Love when he reads my mind and takes care of things so awesomely!

Beautiful Sunday

As I sit here on Valentine's Day morning with my fresh cup of coffee and Brando's famous fruit salad, my heart is bursting with the fun of Saturday.

But, Sunday was amazing in it's own right. I'm not one to sit by the sidelines and let life pass me by - usually I take the reins and make sure things happen. So being down and under this week with my back has thrown me for a loop. This weekend I had to lay low - between my back and all the meds I just didn't have the energy to get us doing activities like I normally do. Saturday turned out amazing, thanks to Brando.

Sunday all I wanted to do was say good-bye to my girlfriend who is leaving for a month. I didn't expect us to do anything else, because normally I would be the one to plan that and I didn't for the aforementioned reasons. Brando did take me to say good-bye to my friend. We picked her up and meandered over to a beautiful grassy area in the middle of town where you can see the skyline. Her and I walked to the top of a hill to see the backdrop of the skyline with the grassy area all around us, then I dropped her back off where she needed to meet up with another friend, while the boys stayed and played.

While I was dropping my friend off, the boys discovered an impromptu circus. The performers had brought all their toys out to play - silk ropes, wheels that you stand on and pedal, tight ropes, hula hoops hanging from a tree, and more. My friend and I had seen them from atop the hill, but didn't think about asking what they were up to. The boys and Brando had been brave enough to ask, and when I got back were playing away.

We spent the next three hours there pedaling on the wheels, climbing up the silk ropes (well, the boys did - I would have if my back was not injured and almost did any way until Brando reminded me that I had just said I was at the point where my back is okay but if I do anything to strain it it feels like it would go right back), and hula hooping in the tree.

The boys also found out they meet every Sunday there. I pride myself on researching the heck out of my town and knowing every little in and out, but you just can't research things like this - groups of people spontaneously gathering to share their art. Letting go and letting Brando figure out what to do as a family was a new thing for me, and I would've taken the reins if I had the energy. But now I see what can happen with a little spontaneity and Brando taking the lead, and am more apt to let him take the lead more often.