Just a few things.

I've had this quote on my mind quite a bit lately - 

A woman who makes a house a home makes a far greater contribution to society than those who command large armies or stand at the head of impressive corporations. (Gordon B. Hinkley)

I love this! And of course it's absolutely true. It's beautiful & inspiring & makes me think lots of happy thoughts about being a stay at home mother. When I get lost in the cycle of motherhood (feed, clean, play, sleep, clean & repeat) I try think about this while I step back & really look at the big picture about what I'm doing & why. But seriously? Last week I felt like my sole contribution to society was getting egg roll wrappers into my HEB. Egg roll wrappers! I went early in the week, armed with my shopping list for a week's worth of meals, & discovered that my store carried only won ton wrappers. Not egg roll wrappers like my recipe required. They're different! One is very small, the other very big! So, feeling frustrated, & upset about needing to haul my toddler to another store, I spoke with the produce manager about how they could possibly not carry egg roll wrappers. He apologized & explained that they just didn't carry them. People asked about them often, but they didn't stock them in their store. I pleaded my very best egg roll case, made a few sharp arguments, & let it go. 15 minutes & the other side of the store later, I felt a tap on my shoulder & turned around to see the same man - I made a call, got them ordered, & we'll start carrying them on Friday. We had Southwestern Eggrolls for dinner Friday night! A small victory, but my greatest accomplishment for the week. I can't decide if it was minuscule or huge. 

More internet bragging about how awesome I am: With Quinn transitioning into just one afternoon nap, finding the time to shower in the morning is tricky. So more often than not, I stay in my pajamas until Q has eaten his lunch & I've put him down for his nap, & then I feel like I can really start my day. Like today! So - instead of wearing my pajamas, I'm now all dressed up & wearing my (suburban wardrobe of) Lululemon pants & running jacket so that I can head to the gym as soon as he's up. 

Sigh.

(Post-edit: 9:52pm & I just showered an hour ago. But I showered!)

Speaking of being really beautiful, this morning as Q & I were snuggling on the couch he kept reaching for my face & pinching it. After a few very focused attempts where he'd look at his fingers, obviously frustrated that he couldn't pick whatever he was trying to get, I realized that my son was trying to pick a little red dot off of my makeup-free & slightly blemished cheek. Thanks, Q. 

He really is the sweetest boy though, & we love him extra-much lately. He's mostly giggles & smiles, loves playing I'm going to get you!!! in the kitchen, & still seeks out lots of hugs & cuddles. He loves books. Loves books! And then there are his teeth - he has a bazillion coming in still (all at once!), which means that some of our nights have been hit & miss, but that's okay. Seven teeth so far! He's running around the house like crazy, only getting into a little bit of mischief with the Christmas tree, & basically gains new members of his fan club everywhere he goes. His smile is infectious. 

Lots of random photos in absolutely no particular order. 

(He got himself stuck underneath the table this afternoon. It was funny, until he got really, really mad.)