THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

THINKING ABOUT: Flyboy is interested in purchasing a jogging stroller so he can bond with Max while he runs. Um, getting the baby out of the house for a hot second? Sign. Me. Up. We're looking at various options, but I figured I would turn to YOU for some help. In the event you have experience in this area, what brands and models would you recommend? It will definitely be an investment, as they're not exactly cheap, so we're looking for quality and preferably a jogger that accommodates Flyboy's height.

FEELING: Last Saturday morning I placed a party hat on Max and snapped a quick picture to send to my father-in-law for his birthday. After our celebratory photo sesh, I noticed the babe was eyeing the pom-pom attached to top of the hat and grabbed at it. <Insert heart palpitations here.> I'm well aware that once this child starts moving on his own life as I know it is officially over, but seeing him attempt to detach that pom-pom took things to a whole new level of REAL. I did my best to smile through the pain, but I quickly became overwhelmed by all of the embellished details throughout the house. You guys, this does not look good.

THANKFUL FOR: I'm sure you've noticed the majority of my Swell Rio stories take place at one of three places—HEB, Starbucks, or Wal-Mart. Lucky for you, it will most likely be this way for awhile, so prepare yourself for all sorts of exciting ahead. Now that I got that out of my system, I should tell you about my favorite clerk at HEB. Most Fridays we see each other at checkout. She'll go out of her way to help me unload my shopping cart, and she always asks about the baby. A few times when Max was particularly fussy, she's opened up a new register so we don't have to wait in line. Sweet and thoughtful, isn't it?! Well, about two months ago, I approached the checkout and overheard her telling the teenagers bagging groceries that she and I go way back. Hmmmm... Did she mistake me for someone else? She went on to tell them she's known me for years. Uh-oh! I wasn't sure if I heard her correctly, but she continued to carry on about my Baggus, Max, etc., so I decided to just go with it. Since that Friday, we've carried on like old friends—because we are. I know all about her upcoming presentation, the trouble she's had finding dress pants in this town, and that she recently started waxing her eyebrows. I guess she inherited facial hair from her father. Part of me can't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation, but seeing her makes me feel really special. I look forward to our weekly exchange, and I get kind of sad when she's not working. Her kindness means so much to me. We probably only spend ten minutes together each month, but for those ten minutes I feel really connected to my "old friend". Now if I could just figure out how to pronounce her name...

EATING: Ooh, I tried another recipe I think you should know about! On Monday night I prepared Spoonful of Flavor's Cilantro Lime Shrimp Quinoa Bowls, and they were SO stinking tasty. I've never been big on leftovers, but I was kind of jealous that Flyboy got to enjoy the remains of this dish the next day for lunch. Part southwest and part tropical, it was absolutely delicious!

LISTENING TO: Flyboy has had early show times this week, which I really don't mind. Around 5:45 a.m. he'll depart and I'm left with almost TWO whole hours of free time before Max awakes. A tiny part of me wishes I was still asleep, but the time alone feels like an incredible gift. As I prep today's post, it's just me and a cup of coffee along with the roaring sounds of thunder and heavy rain. I would almost call it peaceful if I didn't have two dogs who are terrified of storms at my feet panting and trembling. Oh well!

WATCHING: I have a confession. I'm a HUGE fan of Kevin Hart. I find him equal parts adorable and hysterical, and I not-so-secretly dream of hanging with him and Puffy on a yacht somewhere. P. Diddy boat dance, anyone (reference found here)?? Anywho, I've been itching to see The Wedding Ringer since last fall. Chuckle if you must, but it was the first real movie I was bummed I couldn't see in theaters because we just had Max. When a friend told me that it was available at Red Box, I was instantly giddy at the idea of renting it. So on Saturday, I picked a copy up at Wally World and Flyboy and I set out to watch the comedy after we put Max to bed. I guess renting a movie and watching it in its entirety felt like a rite of passage because we'd yet to do this post baby. I should also note that Max has always been pretty easy (knock on wood) to put to bed. Well, not even five minutes into the movie, he proceeded to wail off and on for the next hour. Really, kid? Really? Flyboy and I sat on the couch shoveling handfuls of chocolate into our mouths pretending to not hear a thing. Baby? What baby? And while I'm certain we missed out on a punchline or two, we forged on and finished the flick as we set out to do. I'll go ahead and chalk it up as a win because I got to see Keven Hart's squirrely antics.

READING: To remedy the rainy weather this week, I've relied heavily on polka dots, baby giggles, and my favorite art books. A few moments spent with Frankenthaler, Matisse, Kalman and Katz are like sunshine for my soul. I should dust them off more often.

LOVING: Pardon the hokey pun, but this quote by Marc Jacobs is spot on. I honestly couldn't have said it better myself. Preach it!

Enough about me. How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!!