So Exciting!!

First of all, Patrice Karst left a comment on my previous post about our library books! How exciting is that!? She is the author of The Invisible String. This just may be my new favorite book for older preschoolers! (Maggie has enjoyed it so much that I will probably purchase it in the near future.) I cannot wait to read Patrice's latest book The Smile That went Around The World.

Now for a little more excitement...Big Daddy and I are going on a date later today! My mom offered to keep Maggie & Ellie last week (as if she doesn't help us enough) so that we could have a little date, but we took them with us for a little lunch out. We really don't go out very much as a family, so it's hard to leave them behind. Other than our very rushed Christmas shopping date, this will be the first time we've been without both of them for a meal...except for the burgers that we had after we closed on our new house.

We decided to go for a late lunch so that Maggie & Big Daddy could go to the gym and so that we'll be home in plenty of time for bath and bedtime. We had picked out a restaurant and then five minutes later we were both leaning towards Panera! It's really cold outside, so soup sounds delightful!

And in other news, Maggie has planned her birthday party a few months in advance! She wants a "balloon cake", hot dogs, chips, ice cream and a party with Cousin Callie and just family. I went through all the possibilities of other cousins and friends, but right now it will just be my parents, my sister and her family and my two aunts. Maggie has become so shy so I really want to honor her wishes even though I want to invite my mommy friends and their kids. (And just so you know, we don't label her as shy in front of her, or at least I don't. I also don't encourage or force her to talk or hug people if she doesn't want to.)

Happy Weekend!