It's a little late...Halloween Picture

Steve, Kylie and I went to a Halloween party last Friday night and had a blast. One of our favorite parts was showing off our little Kitty. She is almost busting out of this costume (one can never consider Kylie to be malnourished..). I love it!

I guess I'm a softie...

The little Miss Kylie and I ventured out this morning to fulfill our civic duty, and cast our vote for the presidential candidate of our choice (who will remain nameless...). We were so proud of ourselves that we decided to celebrate with lunch at Noodles and Company. It's one of Kylie's favorite restaurants.

We placed our order, and sat down at a table beside a little family. This was strategic. I thought - since they had a little guy, he looked about 1.5 years old, they might not notice when Kylie does one of her famous wild bird calls (that's what I call that loud shrill sound she makes out of nowhere). Anyway, I was finishing up my meal when a sad event occurred at the table with the little family.

This blond haired blue eyed cutie was standing on his chair, playing around after his parents had finished their meal. He was bored. He lost his footing, fell off his chair, and on his way down to the floor smacked his head on the table. He burst into tears. So did I. I saw the whole thing. I wept. I put my head down so his parents (or anyone else for that matter) wouldn't see me. I felt his pain, I kid you not.

When I realized that I was crying too, it struck me. WHAT AM I DOING??? I guess life has made me soft. That may not be a bad thing. It is what it is.....

Too Cute

Forgive me for always writing about Kylie, but after all, this is my blog, and she is my favorite hobby these days. Steve has a love for that digital camera that goes deep. Thank goodness it's not my job to be the family photographer. Check out some of our latest shots:

Kylie in her new dress from Grampie and Grandma Rosie.

Kylie and Daddy, going for one of her daily walks (her favorite part of the day). Note her new fleecie outfit to keep her warm. Thanks to Auntie Julie Anna for her new pink beanie that matches everything!

Alas, we have discovered why Kylie has been sleeping through the night lately (or we thought she has been sleeping). Turns out she's been out cattin' around town during the night. Broke into the Betty Brim Children's Museum recently. She got caught. Steve and I had to pick her up from the Clink. We saved the mug shot. Little stinker.

The Sweetest Thing

As Kylie gets older, she keeps us laughing. Sometimes, we switch roles. A good game of Peek-a-Boo really cracks our little gal up. Take a look...

Our Newest Addition

Baby #2, The Dyson

Alas, I have a new baby, one that I have been waiting for, dreaming of, for over a year. Steve finally broke down and gave in to my shameless begging for this fine machine. Really, I've had it for over a week and it's even sweeter than originally thought.

As reigning Queen of the O'Brien household, it is my duty to keep our sweet, little abode (aka two bedroom apartment) spic and span. Only the best instruments to aid me in this process will do. Our old vacuum cleaner did not live up to the job. I would vacuum over the same piece of string on the carpet over and over again. This leads to frustration, which lead to a hatred, developed over time, towards said vacuum cleaner. The final straw came about eight months ago, while attempting yet another disappointing vacuuming session, the filter flew out of the side of the canister, dumping the whole wretched contents all over our lovely cream carpet. Disgust! I shared my frustrations with Steve, who responds - can we hold off for a little while on this purchase? (No, we can't, I think, but since I'm such a GREAT wife, I answer "sure", only half meaning it..)

For the next eight months I toil over this carpet, with my less than par vacuum cleaner, plotting its demise. I even told Steve one time that I thought it smelled like it was going to catch fire (which it did), so that he would give in. He didn't....Another strategy would be necessary to get my dreamy Dyson.

The window of opportunity appeared last week when the Kohl's flyer came. I peeled back the sticker, and underneath, lied the letters 30% off. This never happens. We always get 15% off. My heart started to race. I did the calculations in my head. With the 30% off, and Steve's employee discount, my dream of Dyson ownership could be achieved at almost half off. Before I reveal my discovery of the coupon to Steve, I must research the options thoroughly. Which I did, lickety split. A little search on the internet yielded me the information needed to select which model was the one of my dreams, with options. Lovely. I test the waters. "Steve, we got a 30% off coupon on our Kohl's flyer today"...pause..."Wow, that's pretty good", he says. "Is there anything we need at Kohl's? Now would be a good time to buy it"...Ahaa...He's caught in the trap...."What about a new vacuum?" I ask. "How much?" His response....Now, this was the pivotal point of the conversation...I think, don't tell him how much, but go over my research. He loves research. He researches everything, smart guy that he is. After I tell him what great reviews I have found on the vacuum, I reveal the make, model and price. Then the clencher - "Hon, with your discount, we could almost get this thing half off!" He loves a sale. A good deal. Feeling like he made out like a bandit. He must have been feeling sorry for me, because he agreed to go look at it on Saturday, the next day.

So first thing, bright and early, I get Kylie and myself dressed and ready to go. I had to get to the store early, before he changed his mind. When I let him know the gals are ready to go, he looks at his watch (it's barely 9am). Now? He says..Well, anyway, around 2pm we made our way over. We gazed at my pick, went over the final cost, as well as the other models on display, to make sure our choice was sound. Finally, my dreams were achieved. We made the purchase. We brought it home in its pretty box, and laid it to rest on the dining room floor. My sweet husband lost focus, retiring to the couch to watch a little t.v. He'll put it together later, he says. Well, I always say - Never leave something to a man that you can do yourself. I decide to put this beauty together, no problem. I open the box, locate the instructions (yes, we women know that instructions are meant to be READ), and put that thing together like nobody's business. LOVE IT!!

To conclude, the Dyson lives up to the hype. That baby purrs all over our carpet, removing dust and grime in its wake. It takes no prisoners. Our carpet now looks brand new. Thank you Dyson, for helping this Queen clean up her empire, one vacuum at a time. Welcome to the family..

Thankful Thursday

Today is one of those beautiful fall days, with a gentle breeze blowing, and it's the perfect temperature. Kylie is taking her nap, and I finally have a brief moment to reflect on "things". When I have these moments, which aren't many, that I get to take a break, my thoughts always go to how greatly my life has been blessed. I am so thankful for

Our Little Family

The last week of July Steve, Kylie and I loaded up the car and headed to Michigan (Petoskey) to spend a week with Steve's family. One night we took pictures at the lake, and this was one of my favorites. We had a great time that week, spending time with Steve's siblings and their families, as well as Steve's parents. We hope to do this summer family vacation every year!

My First Attempt

Okay, I set this blog up a few weeks before Kylie was born, and I haven't thought much about it since. A lot has happened since May 8, 2008, when Kylie Ann O'Brien joined our family. Life will never be the same for Steve and I. It has been an exciting adventure having a little baby girl in the house. I have attached a video of Kylie doing her latest trick at tummy time, swimming in air. Enjoy! Hopefully my blogs in the future will be a little more interesting...