Pay It Forward {Day 21/Year 2]

Living with our families far away from us, we don't get out on dates very often these days. Today I used my pay it forward for my marriage. A few months ago I bought us tickets to a four part storytelling series put on by NPR called Stoop Storytelling. I wasn't sure how we would find a sitter for each of the evenings, but I knew we needed the time to connect and decided we'd just have to find a way to make it work. Good friends of ours who have a boy the same age as Liam graciously agreed to watch him tonight AND they gave us a gift certificate to use in Little Italy beforehand. It was very much appreciated and we are really lucky to have great people like them in our lives.

Today is also my birthday and the hubs surprised me by taking the day off so that I could sleep in.

Best. Present. Ever.

I also took a nap before we left for the show.

So good.

Now off for a slice of pumpkin pie before saying good-bye to a super awesome birthday.

Hope you can find a little time to pay it forward to your spouse today. Taking care of your marriage does good things for you, your kids and the karma of the universe.

Week In My Life: Monday

Let's dive right in, shall we?

All this week I'll be doing my best to show you what a week in our life looks like on a day-to-day basis. Come play along by linking up over at Adventuroo. (She's the mastermind behind this.)

I'm not sure when or how it started, but sometime after Liam transitioned to his big boy bed in mid-June he decided that he'd find a new way to wake me up everyday. And, aside from yesterday when he smacked me with a stuffed animal with huge plastic eyes...which felt like being slapped across the face (Mamma didn't take so kindly to that.) it's a really fun part of my our day.

This morning he woke me by telling me that he loves me more than cookies and banana creams. Later in the day he told me that if I really REALLY loved him I would never say I loved him more than anything other than "cookies and banana creams". Noted.

So we got ready in our usual whirling dervish fashion (but not before decorating his legs and playing in the car)

and zipped on over to the mall for a little indoor playground action.

Followed up by a zip around the pint-size carousel,

a few wishes in the fountain,

a quick sit in the photo machine (they didn't turn out so well today) and then to Red Robin for their opening day for lunch.

After that we thought we'd grab a little time at the beach. I love the beach in the fall and I just learned this about myself this past weekend.

No one is there this time of year and there are gigantic pieces of drift wood from Hurricane Irene that were a blast to discover and create with.

We left the beach to discover this recycled tire playground created by an Eagle Scout in 2004. We both can't wait to get back there again. Liam really fell in love with the accessible swing before we had to leave.

We bopped back to the house just moments before Tim got home and we sprang a surprise on him. Liam went over to his friend's house for the evening and Tim and I went out for a date. We've been on less than a handful since Liam was born 3 1/2 years ago and it was really nice.

The date was attending the Stoop Storytelling event at Centerstage here in Baltimore and we had a really really lovely time.

So that was my Monday. What did you get up to?