Love Thursday 02/15
Originally uploaded by nichole_e.

I had a few rough days this week, for no reason that I can discern. I was in a bad, bad funk and couldn’t break out of it. But all is well now, and for that I’m grateful.

As much as I love “The Departed,” I think I might need to wait awhile before I watch it again. Last night I dreamed that I was going bowling with Leonardo DiCaprio. And then there was a tiger chasing me through an abandoned house. I don’t know what happened to Leo.

February 8

• Poppy stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to dance to “Get Off of My Cloud.”
• California Kitchen pizza.
• (Lovingly!) mocking Rockford while he painstakingly picks out tomorrow’s outfit.
• Taking a nap with Poppy cozied up in my arms.

February 9

• Playing in the living room blanket fort with Poppy.
• Realizing that Poppy’s shirt and hairbow match (purchased at separate times by different people).
• Napping during Poppy’s nap.
• Falling asleep with Rockford.
• Getting the news about my friend Young Greg’s new job.

February 10

• Poppy kissing all of her buddies before getting out of the crib.
• Pi laughing at the “Puppy overboard!” page everytime we read “Clifford’s Bathtime.”
• Lunch at Pei Wei … and leftovers for dinner!
• Finding the perfect bedside tables at Target.
• Starting a Netflix account/queue for my in-laws (thanks for the idea, Amy!).
• Discovering that Pei Wei’s Kung Pao Tofu is only 6 Points.
• Walking around the fancy-pants shopping area with Rockford & Pi.

February 11

• An all-together lovely day.
• Poppy walking over for a bite of yogurt and, as she walks away, turning around, pointing at me and saying “Yo.”
• The butterflies and flowers plane at the art museum.

February 12

• Poppy’s kisses.
• Losing two-fifths of a pound.

February 13

• Watching “The Departed” for the third time.
• Watching the Bare Minerals makeup DVD.
• Rockford putting on fresh socks for bed.
• Justin saying he’s willing to take Marsha when we move into a no-pets apartment.

February 14

• Poppy being so goofy when I have to wake her up.
• “Lost”!
• 1-Point Creamsicles.
• The pillow landing on my back when Rockford throws it at me.
• Making Valentine’s Day dinner with Justin over the phone.

. . . . . the end . . . . .

Please click here to join Nichole’s Oscar pool. If that doesn’t work, go to http://defectiveyeti.com/oscars/ and enter poll ID 24724. You could win an as-yet-to-be-determined something!

Love Thursday, 2/8
Originally uploaded by nichole_e.

February 1

• Rockford taking the day off.
• Poppy saying “Mommy” rather than the usual “Mama.”
• Waking up to snow.
• The sound of rain on the roof.

February 2

• Poppy’s big words: “serious,” “precious” and “delicious.”
• Getting ready for our anniversary weekend.

February 3

• Happy anniversary!
• “Groundhog Day” first thing in the morning.
• Breakfast at Tupelo Honey Cafe, which has excellent sausage.
• Walking with Rockford in the cold.
• Rockford disliking “Pan’s Labyrinth” as much as I did.
• Crying at “Children of Men.”
• Finding a great pair of boots on clearance at TJ Maxx.
• Wandering around Barnes and Noble.
• Rockford loving “The Departed” as much as I did.
• Three movies in one day!
• Eating Raisinettes for lunch.
• Our “fancy” anniversary dinner at China Garden.
• Spending the whole day with my best friend.

February 4

• Breakfast in bed!
• A nice lunch with Rockford.
• Strolling through the Mast store.
• The people at TJ Maxx finding the right-sized boot. (The fabulous boots I found? They were in two different sizes!)
• Hugging my girl!
• Walking through Big Lots.

February 5

• Poppy having fun at The Little Gym; the bubbles in her hair.

February 6

• Emily Gilmore on Tucson: “Ponchos, all the turquoise. Men in sandals. Spare me.”
• Poppy’s fresh-from-the-bath smell.
• Tangy Three-Bean Soup.
• Poppy smiling for the camera.

February 6

• Reading to Poppy; playing with her baby doll together.
• The return of “Lost”!
• Getting an email from a former co-worker and browsing through her wedding photos.
• A Valentine’s Day surprise from Justin and Carrie.
• A good self-portrait for the day.

. . . . . the end . . . . .

Please click here to join Nichole’s Oscar pool. If that doesn’t work, go to http://defectiveyeti.com/oscars/ and enter poll ID 24724. You could win an as-yet-to-be-determined something!

Thanks to Rockford, I was able to spend alot of time alone this week. I love being with my family and with my friends, but I also love being alone sometimes. I’ve never been a big fan of flying, but I relished the solitude this time. It’s hard to find time to be alone when you’re a mom.

January 26

• Reading “A Spot of Bother” without interruption. (And loving it!)
• Caramel mocha from Starbucks, with extra whipped cream from the barista-in-training. The trainer scolded him for using too much whipped cream, but I thanked him.
• Chatting with the shuttle driver about his granddaughters.
• Feeling at home when the shuttle pulled into Columbia.
• Dinner with Amy in the “VIP seating” at Bangkok Garden.
• Talking into the wee hours with Amy like eighth-graders at a sleepover.
• Pineapple Upside-down Cake ice cream at Sparky’s. I can’t begin to describe how good it was.

January 27

• Breakfast (including the world’s best “sassage”) at Cucina Sorella with Amy, Rachel, Taina and Sharita.
• Walking down Ninth Street with my friends.
• The Butterfly Tattoo, Bluestem, Poppy and the shoe store.
• Reading magazines on the princess bed.
• Having dinner at Chick’s with the Crutchers, B & Rachel and Amy.
• B leaving his LAN party to have dinner with us!
• Holding baby J
• Amy’s sock monkey slippers

January 28

• Seeing my church family.
• Shakespeare’s after church.
• Amy saying goofy things like “I love big girls” (re: America Ferrara, Jennifer Hudson and Dr. Miranda Bailey on the SAG award show) and another thing that she asked me not to repeat.

January 29

• Unexpectedly having a friend to chat with all the way back to KC.
• Breaking into an uncontrolable grin at the thought of Poppy saying “Mama.”
• Poppy saying “Mama” when she saw me at the airport.
• Being with Rockford.

January 30

• Getting back to normal.
• A good new recipe (Vegetable Red Curry).

January 31

• Watching Poppy play at The Little Gym.
• Poppy eating all of her lunch (chicken tenders and sweet potato fries).
• Rescuing monkeys in Zelda.
• Hanging out at the mall.

Mir at Woulda Coulda Shoulda wrote a wonderful Love Thursday post today about her children and her faith. Here’s an excerpt:

I remembered that no matter what they do or how hard this feels, they are still my joy. And I may not be able to fix their hurts, I may not be able to keep their elbows off the table and their hands to themselves and their misbehaving butts out of the principal’s office, but I can remember my joy in them in spite of those things.

. . . . . the end . . . . .