An Afternoon Out: Pictures and Stuff

Going to the mall today was a really good idea. MM got to run around and blow off some steam and we all got to get out of the apartment for awhile. I was super smart and packed a lunch for us so after we’d had our fill of the mall play area we headed to the food court for a (FREE!) lunch out. Otherwise I’d have been starving by the time we got home – or I’d have broken down and bought lunch at the food court. So that was pretty perfect.

they grow up so fast

BB got to play in the play area, too, for a little while which she thought was fantastic. I can only imagine how amazing that place must seem to her at her size / age. When we got home I had to stop and take some pictures of a couple of the trees outside our apartment – their blooms were simply too fantastic to ignore.

gorgeous spring blooming

These pictures don’t really do the blooms justice – I’ll have to go out later with Dan’s Nikon and take some closer shots. But I did  get these…

not quite tall enough

got it!

reveling in the beauty

Then I got really lucky and got this shot…

that would be my heart puddling near my feet right now

So many of my pictures of him lately are either so forced and staged that it just doesn’t feel like the real him… or pouty and bored that I’m taking pictures… or too close for my camera to focus properly. This shot… pure gold. Heart meltingly MM.

aloha friday: about time

I haven’t participated in an Aloha Friday in so long that it seems criminal – especially when it’s quite possibly one of the easiest internet memes ever. But for the past two months I’ve had to leave early in the morning for my son’s YMCA class and by the time I got back and relaxed and had a quiet moment to myself – it kind of seemed like the Aloha momentum had passed me by and watching tv seemed more interesting. Sorry about that.

I’m going to make this quick a’cause we’re heading to the mall in about 15 minutes to get out of the house for a bit – now that we have no Y class to go to, Fridays seem a bit empty and I’m feeling a bit stir crazy – especially because this week I had the lame awesome idea to declare a No TV Week in the life and times of MM anyway (that just means that when he’s napping or sleeping I am still watching tv myself, because unlike somebody I know, I don’t whimper cry and flail about when it’s time to turn the tv off – also I don’t wet my pants because tv is better than using the bathroom. Just saying.) and after four days of no boob tube, I’m basically running out of steam and I think if we don’t go out and do something I’m going to cop out and turn on Playhouse Disney so I don’t have to answer the question, “Mommy, what can I do NOW?” every fifteen seconds.

Anyway, I’m sure you are now like “Ask a question already!” and “How is this making it quick??” and my kids are like, “Are we leaving yet!?” so to ask a question completely unrelated to any of that:

What’s for dinner tonight?

I’m making Penne a la Betsy – one of my favorite recipes ever and the recipe which forever changed my opinion about spaghetti sauce in general (i.e. spaghetti sauce without a splash of white wine is pretty much a sin).

aloha friday @ an island life