QT

Dylan and Gavin got some extra quality time this week. Dylan grabbed G from Dawn's on Thursday, and I had a meeting after work. But not before grabbing a beer or two at Cien Agaves with Chau, Mike, and Ashley. A totally legit and previously exercised practice before going to a pharmacist meeting. My work peeps are my peeps. We had fun. (At happy hour...not so much the meeting.) I got home wayyyy late (for me) and returned puffy-eyed in the morning, but meetings are necessary every now and then, I suppose.

Saturday was equal parts lazy and productive and entailed moving our TONS and TONS of crap that we had somehow stashed away in the embarrassingly ugly nook we call "an office." We disassembled desks, and took EVERYTHING out. Dylan made a run to get all the tile and other necessary things in the morning, and Randy, our neighbor and tile guy, came in the afternoon to help move the biggest portion of the desk. The carpet is now gone, and Dylan politely granted my request to NOT show me how disgusting it was. He's got a couple more things to do, and then Randy will be back tomorrow morning to start his work laying the tile. Sometimes timing is perfect, and this was never more clear to me when I found dog diarrhea in the office yesterday morning, just before ripping out the carpet. Little by little, this house will become completely tile. (Next up, our bedroom.) I've become slightly germaphobic in my old age, and that, combined with my inability to train Joe to do his business outside ALL the time, has made me distinctly aware that carpet, in general, is gross.

I'm also pretty alarmed at how much stuff was in that office, and I determined that at some point, we need to have a garage sale. This carpet thing has been a worthwhile undertaking not only because of the tile but to shock me into clearing out some of the clutter.

At one point on Saturday, I was in the kitchen fixing a snack, and Gavin was in his playroom when I heard a thunk and a cry. I ran in to find him sprawled across the toys with blood pouring out of his mouth, and immediately I grabbed him and ran out to the garage for Dylan to assess the damage. (Randy did not stick around very long after that.) I don't do well with blood. We're still not sure where exactly the blood came from, but it did stop flowing, and he stopped crying, so we'll assume everything's a-ok.

Father-Son QT weekend.

Creeper dog joining us for some Friday night sitcom catch-up

He climbs on EVERYTHING! Probably the reason for the dramatic tumbles he's been taking.

Child King on his throne.

And the careful dismount.

Saturday morning beer break

My sweet cousins at Aunt Angie's birthday party.

I managed to put up a few Christmas decorations on Saturday but respected Dylan's rule about no Christmas tree until after Thanksgiving. By the afternoon I was itching to leave, so I hit the gym and allowed a few extra minutes to read my book by the fire in the cozy living room there before heading south to the Art of Merlot. It was Aunt Angie's 60th birthday, and so we all gathered to surprise her. My painting did not turn out awesome, but it was really an enjoyable exercise, and I had so much fun sandwiched between Sumer and Erin, my awesome cousins. For once the tables were turned, and I came home to a sleeping husband and a dark house. D & G managed to fit in some things that I would usually disapprove of, like eating chicken cordon bleu that comes in individually frozen packages from Costco and giving Gavin hot chocolate. When the cat's away the mice will play. I think the cat needs to get away more often.

The weekend's not over yet. We've got more fun in store with some old friends this afternoon, and I cannot wait to see them. Two weekends in a row with Dylan home, and we are loving it! It's a holiday week, which translates into a 2-day work week for me, cooking, eating, and family fun. (And a 15-month check-up with vaccines....yuck.)