Rankin's Thoughts #4

RANKIN: Must....not....let....sneeze....win.

RANKIN: This would be a lot cuter if we were cognitively aware that our arms are linked.

RANKIN: So you're telling me I can make this thing do whatever I want?

RANKIN: Hey cousin, I'm in the 99th percentile and your lap is in the 50th. See the problem?

Rankin's Thoughts #3

RANKIN: I better not do this too often or they'll make me carry this heavy thing around all the time.

RANKIN: Exactly what a 3 month old needs: an exfoliated right ear.

RANKIN: I'll wait until I grow out of this onesie to tell them I'm more of a Stones guy.

Rankin's Thoughts #2

RANKIN: See this eye? It's watching you. And if you try to set me in that white wooden cage I will open the other one. And you know what that means.

RANKIN: Hey dog, you should try pooping inside sometime. They don't mind when I do it.

RANKIN: Why is this kid sitting up like some sort of expert? If he was a real friend he'd slump over and stare at the ceiling so I don't look bad.

Rankin's Thoughts #1

RANKIN: What's so cute about this? You dressed me up to look like the thing you're trying to kill in the laundry room.

RANKIN: Lady, you're supposed to lie next to me until I fall asleep not the other way around. I hope you get a gas bubble and wake up screaming.

RANKIN: I shouldenna taken that lassst shotttt.

The Importance of Curb Appeal

I did it in the rain, with a baby monitor in a plastic bag clipped to my shorts, between three failed attempts at a nap but by God I planted a flower garden.

Before:

After:

And these two lazy bums didn't do a thing:

Note: After three nap attempts I brought the baby outside in his bouncy. I know you're thinking, "but I thought you said it was raining." Under that big tree he barely got wet. But still I see your point. "A baby in the rain" just sounds bad.

I will cook dinner. I will cook dinner. I will...

Ok, so I prefer the NYC/London/Paris way of shopping where you stop by the tiny, overpriced grocery store on your walk home from the subway and just buy the ingredients for that night's dinner. Sure, it costs a lot and it's time consuming, but you look so cute walking home with a baguette sticking out of your tiny shopping bag.

However, when I shopped like that I had one less 10-week old baby and one more job. So here's my first stab at meal planning (i.e. making the most meals with the least hassle).

It all started with a whopping 15 chicken and veggie kabobs....

(Marinated in a combo of tex-mex chix marinade, olive oil, & beer and served with roasted rosemary sweet potatoes.)

The next day I pulled my chicken and veggies off the skewers and made chicken fajita tacos for lunch. I even tossed in the leftover sweet potatoes which is probably wrong but it tasted very, very right.

And last but according to Brian not at all least...Taco Salad!

(I did buy a fresh ear of corn, cut it off the cob, and saute it in butter before adding my chicken and veggies to the pan which made it feel less like leftovers.)

I really channelled my Grandmom this week. (She's the one who taught me how to cook. We literally had lessons one summer.) She told me she wore a dress and full make up everyday when she was a stay-at-home mom. Amazing, huh? Yesterday, I changed out of my PJs at 6:50pm and put on a dress 10 minutes before Brian got home. Don't tell Grandmom...

Baby Day Show, Here I come

I've known that Tuesdays are Baby Day at Alamo Drafthouse for years but I was always missing a key element: a baby. Now I have one and I'm so tired of watching movies on HBO. This week I saw Jane Eyre. I really enjoyed the movie. It was like a dark, moody, and sexy version of Pride & Prejudice. Right up my alley.

What's more, it was my first time to nurse in public. I was nervous but the dark theater helped my confidence (along with my fancy new nursing cover that Brian calls an overpriced poncho). The only problem was that every time something scary made me jump, I yanked the poor guy's lunch right out of his mouth.

Next week I'm either going to see The Lincoln Lawyer (Can I tolerate McConaughey as a lawyer again? A Time to Kill bugged.) or Source Code (Supposed to be good- but really, another "I'm in someone else's body movie"?) I'll let you know what I decide!