This and That

So, yesterday was Malcolm's birthday and I think it is safe to say that he has had better ones! I forgot about it until around 11:00am and we had had a little tiff in the morning. Poor guy! Madalyn and I spent the rest of the day trying to make the evening special. We decorated with a birthday banner and streamers (she was quite sad we didn't have any balloons) and then I found the recipe for the Olive Garden's Chicken Scampi. Malcolm really likes it and always orders it when we go there for dinner (usually for my birthday). It was really easy to make and tasted pretty close to the real thing. Madalyn was the waitress and had a fun time serving her daddy. She made him a basketball card (well a drawing of Daddy with lots of basketballs around him) that turned out pretty cute. I think the evening of his birthday was better than the beginning at least I hope it was! I don't know what has been wrong with me lately. I have been kind of irritable and on edge. I could blame it on PMS but I don't know if that is really it! I think I need to get more sleep. Malcolm and I are going out tonight (just the two of us) and I am really looking forward to the evening. We are way overdue for a date! I think we need a whole weekend! I know that time together as a couple is so important (I can tell when we haven't) but I find it hard to actually do it. One reason is that I am horrible at asking others to babysit for us. Even if they have offered I feel like I am so imposing on them. I have issues! We don't really have a teenager out here that could just come to our house and be here while they are sleeping. Connor is still a little young for me to be comfortable with that anyways but in the future that is what we need! It is at these times (and others) that I wish we lived by grandparents. Any thinking-outside-of-the box ideas on how to have some couple time without it being a big production? We do have part of the evening when they are both asleep that we could use more productively but I need to get out of the house sometimes. I know this is not a new problem and many couples have the babysitting problem. I hope I will remember this when we are empty nesters or have teenagers and will call a mom with young kids and offer (and make her pick a date right then because she might have issues like me) to keep their kids while they go on a date. :) I think it is so important and they also wouldn't have to pay me because that can also be a deterrent to actually going too. I did not mean to ramble on so much about this but for me I need that time and investment into my marriage. All of that to say, I am really looking forward to going out tonight! :)

Madalyn has not played in a soccer game since I last posted about it last Monday. Monday of this week she was sick with a horrible cough and cold so I did not think it would be wise to let her play out in the cold. Then on Wednesday it was cancelled because it was raining and the fields were wet. Hopefully, we can get some nice weather and enjoy some soccer games next week!

Last weekend we had a garage sale and it went amazingly well. We got rid of a lot of our junk and I am so happy. We definetly priced to sale because we only made about $60 but we got rid of a lot. We even shut down early to go to a wedding. Malcolm took the rest to Goodwill so we are getting closer and closer to getting more organized around here. Yeah! Now, to get the carpet laid in the basement and then we can really get some things done!

The wedding we went to was Bruno and Laurie's and it was just lovely. They invited kids to come to the wedding and reception which is so Laurie. All the kids at Journey love her so much. Madalyn had a great time! Before we went Madalyn said that she thought Laurie would probably wave to her when she went down the aisle. I told her that she would probably be looking at Bruno but Madalyn could give her a hug at the reception and talk to her. Madalyn followed her around at the reception and kept giving her hugs. Laurie told Malcolm that Madalyn had told her that when she (Madalyn) gets married she is going to where a beautiful dress like Laurie's but that her daddy is going to pick out her husband. Woo Hoo! Now, if we can get her to keep saying this until she is about 25 years old! :)

I must go and start getting everything ready for tonight! Have a great weekend!