You're in for a treat

The lovely Chell decided to spoil us rotten again.
Oh how I love being spoiled rotten!
I've been amazed at how many people have seen fit to spoil me (and the Captain) in so many ways. Some seriously lovely things have passed our way.
And here is some magic.... somehow she managed these lovelies in our bear-cave of an apartment. (A place where I had given up on the possibility of a decent photo, let alone anything like these)
Methinks it is time to get to work on the birth announcements/valentines....
And this one makes me giggle....

update

One lousy centimeter.

I wanted to give up and go home, except for the part where I'm already home, and we're way past the point of no return.
So instead we went out to lunch at the Olive Garden, where Sir O was perfectly content to scavenge the salad and breadsticks and color on his kid's menu. In fact when we left the restaurant it was so windy that his kid's menu escaped his hand and blew right out into a busy road. He was devastated, so I had to go back inside and ask for another one.

.................

My little brother got married today.

Thanks to all the family who found ways to make me feel (at least a little bit) included.I'd be a lyin' to ya if I said I wasn't feeling the teensiest bit gloomy today. In fact I'd probably feel tremendously gloomy, except for having received the most stellar gift (from an Em much cooler than me) for the belly monster. possibly the coolest baby quilt ever

That is definitely a big enough happy thought to rescue this day.

Sir O's perfect Day

Today we gave Sir O his Christmas present early.
We took him out to Strasburg to have a day chuck full of trains.
(Because prices go up when December hits, and we are nothing if not frugal)
Can you imagine his bliss?

First we visited the Pennsylvania Train Museum

Then we rode the Strasburg Railroad

Then we let Sir O go nuts at the National Toy Train Museum.

And to remember it all by he got a mini wooden-block train, which he loves.

One little boy was in heaven today.
All our photos and videos of train-ness here.

first step toward recovery

A new camera came in the mail today.

It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the old one..... but it sure beats a camera phone.

Sir O, texting somebody.... probably.

We've been helping a newlywed couple move in to our apartment complex and I think I'm having flashbacks to my horrid unpacking experience. Boxes everywhere, and nothing having a home. Luckily they seem much more able to manage their belongings than I was.

But then again, most people seem to be able to manage things with less drama than me. I really dislike that about myself, but am at a loss to change it.

i.e. the student loans came in the other day, and after a budgeting session/fhe.... I have been in a rotten mood for days. I need to go watch a film about a nomadic tribe or something to renew my perspective and fix my mood. Money stinks. say it with me....... STINKS.

Okay, the end.

Christmas in September

You know, sometimes God is really good at what He does. (Okay, well...always)
Usually this is brought to my attention as evidenced by the people He puts in my life. Seriously, looking back on my life, a lot of teachers, roommates and friends I have had seem to have been custom selected based on what I needed to learn and was prepared to learn, or simply what I needed at the time.

Such is the case with Tracy. Which is crazy, considering we've never met. But our relationship is such that Mr Renn would go to the ends of the earth for her. She's just intrinsically nice, and gracious (and humble...and talented). And she manages to simultaneously make me feel like a million bucks, and like my disasters in mom/wifeness are perfectly normal.

Who could ask for anything more? Well, nobody. But she is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only did she single-handedly cloth Oliver for his first year, but look what she did just for me! This lovely package appeared out of nowhere today.

Who wouldn't be overwhelmed with such unprovoked loveliness?

The perfect present

Thanks Grandma!

A splishin' and a splashin'

Wahoo! Sir Oliver LOVES this present!

Sir Oliver waiting (quasi-patiently) for mom to find his swimming trunks and lug a 5 gallon bucket of water down 3 flights of stairs.

Splish

Splash

Whoopee!

irony and happy thoughts

HaHa...no sooner do I get that last post up than my doorbell rings and I get a package from HSF herself. It's going to be a great day! Can't wait to try the kiddie pool!

Parties, parties everywhere

Had another shin-dig with Mr Renn's High School friends tonight. How cool is it that 9-odd years after graduating they still get together? I certainly don't have that kind of a relationship with my High School friends (wait, did I even have friends?)And Renn's friend Jill (she's my friend too) - made this AWESOME hat for Sir Oliver. WE LOVE IT! And it actually fits pretty well, she was worried it'd be too big. Oh, moments and gifts like this make me so happy - perfect perfect perfect!