Things I Love Thursday

Living in a place where sometimes it's faster (and always it's more fun) to take the ferry to your destination:

(When you come visit us in the stunning Pacific Northwest, we will have to do this!)

When Greg can take the day off work to join us on the field-trip to the pumpkin patch.

Gymnastics kisses. When the girls pass each other's class, rotating through the apparatus in the gym, they often stop to give the other a kiss. It's a very nice moment for a Momma.
How every time I hear, Every Rose Has Its Thorn {I hope you enjoy the eyebrows of the woman in the music video as much as I did!} it takes me right back to freshman year and I have to fight the urge to call Tasha--just to blast it on her voicemail.
This picture I took:

Modern Family. Seriously (I mean, sUriously [sic]) if you're not watching this show--you're missing out!
How affectionate Geneva is becoming.

Piper's new phrase using the term "very" (pronounced "wary") to indicate she can do something well. Here are some examples: a) "I can wary go under this table." b) "I can wary, wary run fast like NeeNee." c) "I can wary show Katie all my big muscles."
Piper becoming so much her own person and a full-fledged member of our family, exerting her opinion and "spice" to every interaction. She is "wary" two-and-a-half!

Jeff Lewis of Flipping Out. There is really no excuse and certainly no explanation for my appreciation of this very gay man. I'm so sad the season is over.
Cupcakes

How Oregon (or maybe just West Linn) doesn't have "red tape" when it comes to dealing with government issues. I was summoned to jury duty after we moved here. At the bottom of my summons was a local phone number, a street address, and an e-mail address. I sent an email explaining that I was a "stay at home Mom" with two little ones so childcare, if I was selected, would be a problem. I received a response 20 MINUTES later excusing me from jury duty. Also, if you've been reading the blog lately, you might remember I recently was cited for speeding. I went to pay the fine and the clerk asked about my driving record (which in Oregon--technically, was PERFECT prior to this infraction). She reduced my fine by $40 on the spot. I thought I was on Candid Camera! I'm sorry, I do miss y'all in California... but I'm not coming back!
Piper's love of her first pony ride. You know, she rode that pony "wary" good!

Julian Casablanca's new song, Out of the Blue, which reminds me of Johnny Cash while still inspiring me to dance like Molly Ringwald - Breakfast Club-balcony-style. I can't get enough!
Baby "moozers." I've always had a strong reaction to these big fuzzy babies--and I always will... Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my older brother sometimes called me "cow eyes" when he wanted to be wary mean?

Re-reading Twilight and New Moon with my girlfriends in anticipation of our midnight screening on November 20. We are literally reading it together: in three-chapter installments that we discuss every morning via email. I know, externally you think we're crazy; however, internally, you wish you had girlfriends like I do--or at least something you could feel this excited about.
Little girls in bowling shoes... Actually, I kind of love anybody wearing bowling shoes.

My fabulous neighborhood (so sorry {not} if you're tired of hearing how much I love my neighbors). On Halloween, we had a bbq. All the little girls on the street dressed as witches (except the tiniest one--who was appropriately, a black cat) and all the moms donned witch hats. We were "The Witches of Short Street." The daddies took the littles out trick-o-treating and the moms congregated in one driveway with space heaters, several bottles of wine, a treat bowl from each house, and plenty to talk about. It was perfect--no rain!

How, when I told Piper she couldn't take her blankie to the gym childcare center because "it might get sick from the other kids' germs," Geneva suggested putting vegetables on the blanket in the event that it did get sick--"because vegetables help keep us very healthy."
Piper's insistence that she can do anything her big sister does--even HUGE slides she can barely climb UP!