THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

ILLUSTRATION VIA BIANCA CASH

THINKING ABOUT: You guys, I think THE Jenna Lyons liked AND commented on one of my Instagram photos (this one) yesterday afternoon. Upon the realization I almost choked on my lemon water and fell out of my seat. Something tells me I'm one step closer to rocking thick glasses and wearing a matching tux with J.Crew's creative director at the Met Gala next year. Move over, Lena Dunham! Just kidding, you should totally come join us and bring some of those coordinating diamond rings while you're at it...

FEELING: For as long as I can remember, I've had this thing about my bed. It MUST be made (always!), the comforter needs to be pulled taut, and the pillows are best primped. I distinctly remember having my friends over when I was in grade school and I never liked hanging out in my bedroom because that meant they'd probably want to sit on my bed and mess it up. As I type all of this, I'm cringing because I can't honestly believe I'm sharing this level of my OCD-ness with you. Yikes, it's embarrassing! I see how inviting bedrooms can look when the comforter is all fluffy and pillows are strewn imperfectly across the bed, but for some reason it feels messy when I try to achieve this tousled look in our bedroom. Now that Max has mastered getting on our bed, I've had to let go a bit. I suppose if any one was going to get away with messing up the bed, it would have to be him. This is probably another one of those instances where kids have a way of pushing you out of your comfort(er) zone for the better. Now, where's my magic wrinkle spray??

THANKFUL FOR: Flyboy's friend and his wife have a son a few months younger than Max. They take him to the childcare center on base, but since they're out of town for the next week they offered to let us have their slot at daycare while they're away. I was initially unsure as to whether or not I wanted to take them up on the offer, but it would be silly not to take advantage of the opportunity. While I know I'll miss the little lad, I'm eternally grateful for some alone time and the chance to hunker down and show my Saturday deadline who's boss. I haven't decided if he's going to go two full days or not, but I'm certain it will be good for us both.

EATING: I'm convinced that any recipe I try from the blog What's Gaby Cooking is a slam dunk! This Grilled Chicken Burrito Bowl might not sound like anything to write home about, but I can assure you the recipe is worth trying. I whipped it up on Monday night and we were both equally obsessed (especially with the vinaigrette—WOW!). It's no secret that I'm not big on leftovers, but part of me was a bit bummed to send the remains with Flyboy the next day. If you're looking for meal ideas, TRUST me on this one.

LISTENING TO: If you're done sipping on Lemonade, then it's best you buzz on to the next category or bid today's post buh-bye. Now, for those of us still obsessing about Beyonce's latest album and "conscious coupling", do you have a favorite song? My sister and I agreed that Hold Up is on the top of our list. In fact, I think I've started every spin sesh this week with the tune blaring through my headphones. If I try my best not to obsess about the lyrics—because it's still all SO fresh—I can have fun with the catchy hit.

WATCHING: Last Christmas when we visited my parents, we couldn't help but notice the way Max would stop whatever it was that he was doing and become absolutely entranced by Charlize Theron in the J'adore Dior fragrance commercial. Any time the ad would appear, he would freeze and nothing could break his trance. I almost forgot about his "ad-oration" until Flyboy and I were watching TV a few nights ago and Charlize graced us with her presence in that fabulous gold dress. Like clockwork, the wily tot went into zen mode for 54 seconds. I guess it's safe to say that Max's future is gold...

READING: Every night we read Dear Zoo and If I Were A Puppy to Max. I'm not entirely sure what it is about these two books, but he insists we sit down and read them before bedtime. At this point Flyboy and I have them both memorized, so I can't help but wonder when we'll be able to move on to something new. Ha ha! Maybe it's time we shake things up in the board book world, you know?!

LOVING: Whenever Max is acting out, I try my best to ignore him and not give him any sort of negative attention. This is, of course, easier said than done—especially when the surly fellow knows exactly what buttons to push that will force me to react. A few months ago, he learned that if he picked at the holes in my distressed denim, I would inevitably correct him. Argh! Needless to say, I ended up ordering another pair of my beloved Madewell boyfriend jeans because the continuous ripping and picking created one large hole in the knee. Thankfully, this new pair isn't distressed in any areas he can reach, or at least that's what I hope. 

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

P.S. If that was a Jenna Insta-imposter, I don't want to know that Santa Claus isn't real. Okay?! Let me cling to this one...

P.P.S. I promise to make time to respond to comments today. Clearly I'm reeeeeeeeeeeeeeealllly behind. Oops! What else is new?!