Birthday boy

Happy birthday little monkey!

Nothing cuter than a husband who falls asleep with a ribbon around his head. He said he was a birthday present. For himself?

The less cute part of the story:

Right before I took this picture he rolled over and the bow got in his face. I stood there, trying not to laugh, hoping he wouldn't wake up, when he woke up because of the bow irritating his face. He looked up and saw me standing over him, camera in hand, laughing with tears coming down my face. He then accused me of putting the bow in his face and wouldn't believe that I didn't until the next morning.

Why I've been smiling

On the shuttle home I had the urge to smile. So I did. Smiles are too rare, and I've decided I'm not going to fight the urge. If I want to smile, I'm going to. So there!, all you shuttle people who thought I was crazy.

Some things I'm smiling about:

Tomorrow is David's birthday and he is definitely worth celebrating.

David bought me a little European stovetop espresso maker, and each morning I've been having an Americano in a tiny porcelain mug.

My classmates (or "cohort" as they like to say) threw me a surprise birthday dinner at the Turkish restaurant down the street. Almost everyone in my program came, which is a big deal for these super studyaholics.

There was carrot cake involved.

I am blessed with amazing friends. Friends who will write you poems and friends who will ask about your toothache from a week ago and friends who will pray for you even when you don't ask.

It is blustery and rainy outside, which is an excellent backdrop for sleep.

I've discovered the best homemade pizza: eggplant and green olive.

Baltimore isn't so bad, really. It's actually rather nice.

Oh, and see below. There's one big reason to smile.

Oh, Baby

Welcome, Baby Silas! Born Oct 27, 2009.

(Read all about it on Matt and Sada's blog.)

The birthday people

Happy birthday to all of us. I wouldn't want to share with anyone else.

Halloween bitterness

Yeah yeah, David was the cutest Superman ever, blah blah blah, he's always cute. But I was a boxer! See the black eye? And the cut on my cheek?! The robe?!? Okay, it was lame. I'll admit it. I need to work on my foresight when it comes to costumes, and try a little harder to not look like a psych patient when I'm supposed to be a boxer.

From,

Still Bitter That People Were So Excited To See Superman And No One Could Even Tell What I Was

Baltimore and Poe

One last mention of spookiness before Halloween is gone and we can move on to nicer things. Edgar Allan Poe spent much of his life in Baltimore, and died here mysteriously in 1849. In honor of Poe's funeral (the city recently hosted a funeral because he didn't get a proper one at the time), the museum down the street held a creepy celebration. Poe was there, and was rather polite if you're wondering. Weird, I know, but I enjoyed the quirkiness. This city loves its Poe.

Happy Halloween!

(LOST, Halloween 2005. From left to right: Shannon, Kate, Danielle Rousseau, Claire, Locke,Random Pregnant Other, Charlie.)