Day 107: These Shoes Were Made for Walking

I've been watching the weather report for the last few days. So has the rest of Chicago. It was rumored to reach 60 today, and while I don't think it got that toasty, it sure did taste a tad bit like Spring today. The humidity made my hair curl at the ends. The pavement is glistening with melting snow. People are outside!

I've been itching to go on a real walk with Maizey. I can't stand being outside in the cold, so the two of us haven't enjoyed a good stroll together in months. Until today. Though it was cloudy and sticky out, it was the perfect day for a walk because it was bearable to be outside with exposed skin for the first time since November. It felt so good to breathe fresh air and break a little bit of a sweat. Maizey pranced her way through the neighborhood and I swear I saw her smile a couple of times. It was a little taste of the months to come, and I am now more ready than ever to bask in some sunshine and smell some flowers.

Day 106: Fancy That!

I received some very exciting news yesterday from one Fancy Nancy. She's coming to town next week, and I couldn't be more thrilled! A whole week of play time with Fancy and Izzy and Allie and all! What a treat! Is it obvious I'm on a happiness high!?!?

Pretty much sums up my feelings :) 

Day 105: Check...Check

I'm a big fan of lists. They're efficient. They are concise. They make me feel like things are under control. My favorite part of making lists is when I get to check the items off. The feeling is on my top five list of most satisfying feelings of all time.

There are two things on my list that have been there for quite awhile. Both work related. Both of which I have been avoiding like Joey abstains from commitment (if you get that reference, YOU are now on my top ten list of coolest friends).

Report cards are due next Monday, and today I completed behavior grades. CHECK!

I have been meaning to grade the kids' writing projects for weeks now. Remember that bin of papers from Day 94's post?? CHECK!

And now, blog entry 105 is complete.

I also managed to cook dinner tonight! Two nights in a row...just call me Super Wife.

Next items on my list:
-- Say hello to Rick
-- Shower
-- Go to bed
-- Wake up tomorrow

Day 104: Be Still My Heart

*Note: Though posted today, 2/15, this was written late last night, but I fell asleep before I could post it :)* 

Today is Valentine's Day. To many, it's just another day. To some, this day brings with it sadness. To me, Valentine's Day brings a lot of love, hope and a reminder to be grateful for the many people who love me and whom I love so dearly.

For the last 27 years, I've had the sweetest Valentine. Every year, my dad would buy my sisters and I flowers and chocolates. He told us each that we were the best Valentines he could have dreamed up. My dad made me feel special and loved. Even when boyfriends and husbands came along, the flowers and Valentine notes continued to come. Just like always, I received flowers from my very first Valentine.

I'm pretty darn lucky that I not only have one fabulous Valentine, but two. Rick and I do a pretty good job of showing affection and appreciation to each other on a regular basis, so Valentine's Day just seems like a good excuse for us to go on a date, drink champagne and eat lots of chocolate. In the past, we've gone out for dinner on Love Day. This year, it seemed silly to dress up on Monday evening and leave the poor pup to fend for herself. So, I cooked up a fancy meal, brought out the crystal and china and chilled some bubbly. There was a lot of love sprinkled into this meal:

Rick came home with a beautiful arrangement of flowers as well as a collection of my favorite perfumes in mini sizes to carry in my purse. All around sweet:

 We ended our night curled up in bed and decided to flood ourselves with memories of the most love-filled day we could both remember. June 27, 2009.

Today was a day full of love. Pure, simple love.

Day 103: Heat Wave!

There's a heat wave hitting Chicago. I noticed the warmth as I was running my errands and had to take off my jacket because beads of sweat were beginning to form on my forehead. It got up to nearly 50 degrees yesterday! Wowza!

For a Texas girl, this barely qualifies as warm. But, I welcome it with open arms. Come on down, Spring... I'm ready for ya!

Day 102: Hugo-Mania

Yesterday, we got to meet Hugo, Kate and Andy (and Elliott's) new pup. He is a 12 week old, 30-something pound Golden and has the softest fur ever. He's such a sweetie and just wanted to snuggle up to any one of us the whole time we were there. Maizey is so excited to meet her cousin!

Of course, we also got to play with Elliott before he took his nap. He has this very fancy Batman set up and he insisted I play Robin. Well, I must say, "playing" super heroes isn't exactly my forte. So, this was my interpretation of Robin...

Elliott's thinking, "Gigi...play ROBIN not the Creepy Aunt!"

Day 101: Night Out

Rick's cousin Billie and her husband Joe live here in Chicago but we don't get to seem them very much because both our schedules are insanely busy (and completely opposite). We love hanging out with them and their girls, and we were able to make some last minute plans with them for a dinner date last night. Usually, we have to book out months in advance, so we all jumped at the chance to eat some Italian fare together on a whim!

They came over to our place beforehand to have a drink and play with Maizey. We had a wonderful night together catching up. We look forward to seeing them again...in a few months, I'm sure!