Violence in Bangladesh

Jessie made me aware last night during a Skype visit what's going on in Bangladesh... a military group in Dhaka, the BDR (Bangladesh Rifles), have been upset for years that they don't get paid enough and food rations are too meager. On Wednesday they took a large group of their own higher-ranked officers hostage and killed them. 62 people are dead and they so far have found 40 bodies. This is so sad for the country and for the families of the lost. I am VERY grateful we aren't there for this and that D's mom is home safely. Crazy how this happened just over a week after she left. Even more crazy to read about this knowing we were right there in Dhaka where it happened and to see pictures of where we've just been.

Pray for peace.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

What can I say... how can a person be so beautiful in every way? You embody every quality of a mother and woman that I could ever hope to have and I love you so dearly Mom! Blue skies today and can't WAIT for our afternoon together! I love you!

I'm One!

Happy



Birthday



To You...



Our sweet little prince!

Thanks again to Jess for the celebratory outfit (from Thailand, wow!) Once again he was walking around with more bounce in his step because of these swanky duds!

This is what we're noticing and loving about you right now:

*Insatiable curiosity

*Maturity of soul 

*Magnets for eyes!

*Your voice is starting to sound like a little boy

*Brave... no fear toward new things, places, or people

*Mr. Fix-It, like Grandpa.  You are constantly trying to understand how things work

*When you have something you like, i.e. this red Hershey kiss you're holding in the picture, you walk around with it as if it is a prize you have won!  Huge smile on your face, talking happily to yourself... 

*I could make a long long list but we have a birthday party going on today, let's celebrate Croz!

We love you so very much. 

Not When I'm Shopping Please

I had about one hour today to go to three stores for some things on my own while D watched Croz because I'm much more efficient that way.

Music probably doesn't determine the outcome of my shopping experiences, but today it kinda did. Maybe I was just moody but as soon as I heard, "Where have all the cowboys gone," I rushed right back out of the store.

Sorry for anyone who likes that song, I just don't ):

Happenings

Had a fun Valentine's weekend, despite Crosby still dealing with his ear infection and not feeling well. Poor guy, he has suffered through real pain but today so far has been the best day for him and I can tell he's more himself. I just realized I go a bit crazy with the camera. I feel like I need to take a picture of everything, and I don't need to it's just getting to the point of weird now. But since I have the picture, here it is... the cake I made I think a couple weekends ago for Sunday dinner at my parents':



On X96 Gina said she'd be at Dream Dinners in Brickyard on Saturday so my good sport of a mom came along (I asked her to just stay in the car with Croz) but we ended up getting our free herb-encrusted frozen flank steaks, so it all worked out. $60 worth of dinner, so not bad! But Dream Dinners is cool.



When I've seen it just to be honest I've been turned off at the whole "come and make your frozen dinner for way too much money" idea, but in all actuality they're affordable for how much it makes and the time it saves. And they had samples there... quality food, REALLY delicious! I was too shy to talk to Gina and she was standing by her lonesome under the tent in the cold ):
Her boots were really cute though.



D surprised me a day early on the 13th with these classy roses and I've enjoyed them so much.



Then when he had to go to work I made him a heart full of pepperoni bread, more for my entertainment than anything...



Croz was asleep and I was so enjoying the shadows of our V-day heart decor playing in the light outside the curtain:



Late night on Valentine's we picked up D's mom from the airport. She's been in Bangladesh for four months! I still can't believe how long. One month for us seemed so long. She faithfully wore her sari all the way home, as she did all the way there. It was an interesting night... she came over and I had fixed stir fry and we were all eating around midnight, my parents had stayed with Croz and we were visiting, we had a fire in the dark and Crosby woke up so I brought him out for a minute, he was so out of it but smiled at her knowingly. Her sari was glittering in the firelight, I was exhausted... kind of surreal.



C's been taking amoxicillin twice a day and he's grown a bit addicted to the stuff. In the mornings I've been giving it to him in the bath... here he is trying ever so diligently to get anymore of that bubblegum taste! He was so upset when I took it away I kinda felt bad I couldn't give him more.



D's been able to spend a lot of time with us over the past few weeks. Specially with Crosby and the time has been precious.



Love to all!

Funny Cup

I think this was a week ago... we LOVE when he does his Emmanuel Lewis chuckle!

Sigh

The Grammys! I am a blatant sucker for it all... the glitz, glam, and gossip. It's a welcome distraction and one of those once-in-a-while "programs" I allow myself to watch, crazy as the whole thing is. I am realizing more and more each day how ODD our country is, or at least the representation of it. Honestly. It's becoming such a mishmash. Some good, some bad I guess. But when it comes to music we all have such various tastes... one of my favorite collaborations/performances was Gorillaz and Madonna opening the 2006 Grammys. I loved it! And that was pretty bizarre, I admit. But then for instance tonight we have MIA, Lil' Wayne, Kanye West, and TI... I never intend to offend when I state opinions but I thought it was the WORST. Why crunch all of those talents and good songs together in one crappy performance? They're all separately good but together awful in my opinion. Katy Perry? Was I in hell or am I just getting old? And poor Stevie. The Jonas Brothers should stick to their own genre. It took me a second to process that they were trying to play... oh, and SING... Superstitious. Oh, man. I just wonder who's in charge of pairing these artists up.



But then. I was refreshed, revitalized, blown away... McCartney and Grohl THANK YOU for saving Grammys tonight. I couldn't take my eyes off Dave Grohl. Yes I'm biased because I absolutely adore Foo Fighters but he is truly incredibly talented, and finally a collaboration that worked! Ahhh, loved it! American Boy was great; catchy song (that I had never heard... guess I am getting old). Coldplay deserves the Grammys I suppose but it's still disturbing to think about whether they ripped off Joe Satriani, the king genius of music.

Online Rolling Stone had this picture of Grohl and McCartney at a gala event where they "chatted and giggled like girlfriends," and they mentioned they definitely have a "bromance" going! Ah. See... just put the right people together and you get the chemistry, that stage presence, that energy... but above all, the magic's in the music.



Ooooh and I loved Radiohead with the USC marching band... it could have ended there for me. Much love to Robert Plant and Allison Krauss; they are wonderfully talented, but what happened to her? He's aging beautifully, but D and I really didn't even recognize her. And then Whitney. I think my brother's right: she's not clean yet. I can't wait for Her Tigressness to unleash the talent she's had pent up for DECADES now. Okay, I think I'm done now.

Now onto the important things in life, right?!

Family.

Crosby and D. My parents. All of my family and friends out there. I love you all so much! Just wanted you all to know.

Adjusting back after coming home has been harder than I ever imagined. For so many reasons. But it's been sheer bliss to be with our son again; D and I are astounded at the changes in him that take place as each new day comes around.

I really love this picture of Croz, even though it's blurry:



Crosby takes after D in that he always has something going on with his feet. While eating he would always twirl his feet around but he doesn't do that as much now...



... he crosses his ankles in relaxation mode! Love it.



We visit with our neighbors daily, and Arthur and Crosby have truly become good friends.



Luce tried on her mini bangles and innovated by using them as anklets. She's so fun to watch and I can't believe she and Crosby walking around together, passing each other by like they were minding their own business!



Hallie and Crosby. Sharing graham crackers. Need I say more?



Nan and Grandpa, Crosby wants to thank you once again for all the tricks he learned at your place. He loves you guys SO SO very much. And Uncle Steve and Pat and Snoop!



Thanks to you D and Croz have a way to "kiss..." they just head butt.