if a tree falls

So... it's been almost a year since I posted. I could have sworn that I posted about the "exciting news" I promised in April, but that post seems to be lost.

I had a baby on October 1. His name is Eli and he is a fantastic, happy little guy. Well, he is now. I'm hoping, as I get back into the routine of writing and posting, to tell the story of his short but eventful life over the course of the next few weeks.

More pictures from his first six months here.

Love this song

Love even more that the video uses lasers instead of cameras.

Mother's Day scene

Mother: Brush your teeth before we go.

Surly Teenage Son: No.

Father figure: Listen to your mother. Go brush your teeth.

STS: No! I don't want to.

Me: You know, your breath is going to stink if you don't brush your teeth. That's just nasty.

STS gets up and goes inside with toothbrush.

Flight of the bumblebees

This is going to sound weird, but so far my favorite sign of spring (besides the 70+ temperature) has been the flight of two fat, confused bumblebees in the back yard. They are harmless, loud and clumsy. I love them. One just flew into the kitchen window to say hello back. Thunk.

Host mode

I love to have company. This has only grown after reading Amy Sedaris' "I Like You," which my sister gave me for my birthday. However, now that I know how easy it is to do fun things, I put a lot of pressure on myself to do something impressive. Tonight we're having company for dinner, and I'm trying so hard to keep it simple and keep myself from stressing out. Lasagna, garlic bread and salad is just enough food (though I bought ingredients for a starter that I may or may not make). Then there's dessert. But I get ahead of myself.

This post is my contract to keep it simple. Exciting news and posts to come soon.

More pictures from Colorado

Recap

We've been back for almost a week from our travels, but spent the last five days or so catching up and, ridiculously, starting new projects.

Two weeks ago we were in Rhode Island, where we caught up with some friends and Joe attended a continuing education seminar. There was a monsoon and a crazy wind storm, so we left a little later than planned, sticking around to watch King of Kong (two thumbs up, especially for geeks like me) and Be Kind Rewind (sideways thumbs).

Last week we flew to picturesque Boulder, Colorado to see friends Angus and Keri, who moved there about six months ago. We hiked, took in the nature, and took in some amazing food.

While we were away, we decided to do a couple more minor renovations on the second floor of the house. Maybe we were in withdrawal from the bathroom nightmare after seeing how nicely it turned out. Though we're just doing a little painting and rearranging, it's still a little crazy around here. My purpley-beige paint looks pink on the walls, but it's not done yet, so we'll see how it turns out.

Last night, we went to the world premiere screening of The Mensher Brothers' latest short film, "He's My Dad." Heath was brilliant and hilarious as a reformed psychopath, so check it out when it comes to a film festival near you.

We're far from  a quieter life at the moment (Philly for Easter and RI again next weekend), but for now, we're having fun.