long winded morning entry

Yesterday was a long day.  Aaron and I both overslept, meaning we couldn’t make a trip to town like we’d been planning.  I told him I would let him pick out a new TV with part of my loan refund check, and we had planned on going to look at them yesterday morning.  After sleeping in, there’s no way we would have had enough time to do that and get him to work on time, so we just decided that I would take the kids with me and pick one out myself.  (I’m very surprised he suggested this, because he’s an electronics snob and likes to pick them out himself.) 

Because his dad was out doing storm work (he works for a tree removal company), I had my cousin with me for the evening, otherwise there’s no way I would have dared taking a toddler and an infant TV shopping at Walmart the day before the Superbowl and two days before a big winter storm is scheduled to hit.  He was a big help in keeping Chloe occupied and keeping a close eye on her when I had to change Ben or feed him. 

The TV I finally decided on was out of stock (big surprise), but I was able to talk the department manager into letting me have the display model for 25% off, which was a good deal.  So, I ended up getting a 32" flat panel LCD HDTV for about 350 bucks.  The TV is nice, and I think it’s going to look really great hanging on the wall between my two bookcases.  And we really did need a new TV.  We’ve used Aaron’s old 20" for as long as we’ve been together, and he’s had that thing since he went into the service in ’99.  After surviving so many house moves, and then Chloe attacking it with random toys, magnets and the like, it was finally starting to go.  I’m also trying to reduce the clutter in the house, so getting a wall mountable TV is going to enable me to get rid of the cart the previous TV sat on.  Plus, sticking the TV up on the wall will keep little two year old sticky fingers off of it. 

I also bought a Wii for the whole family.  I’d already paid all of my bills up three months in advance, which included paying off my car and my house, so I felt pretty good about being able to splurge a bit on the TV and the game system.  That thing is so much fun!  I love being able to get up and move around while playing a game.  I’ve bowled so much the past two days that my arm is sore.  lol.  So far I’ve bought three games: Animal Crossing, Sonic Unleashed, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (for Aaron).  Haven’t had time to try any of them out though.  I can’t really turn the system on and do anything with it while Chloe is awake because she throws a fit to play with the remote.  I’m totally getting Endless Ocean for her the next time I go out to buy games, though.   And in a couple of weeks I’m going to go pick up a FitPad and start using it to help me get rid of this baby weight.  🙂 

Today is going to be a pretty lazy day.  I’m not really going to concentrate on anything except making sure the house doesn’t get any messier than it already is.  I’ll probably straighten up the living room and clean off the bookshelf that we’re moving the DVD/VCR/game systems to so Aaron can hang the TV when he gets home, but I don’t have much on my list other than that.  I told Aaron he could have the evening off to relax because today is his ninth straight day working (he’s been covering for coworkers who were sick or snowed in), and he’s tired.  Tomorrow, though, we’re cleaning the house from one end to the other before any fun things get done. 

Speaking of tomorrow, we’ve got a heavy winter storm coming our way.  It’s supposed to last through Wednesday, and all the local stations are saying we’ll get anywhere between 12 and 24 inches of snow.  We haven’t had that much snow in 15 years!  It will be nice if we get it, although life will grind to a complete halt if we do.  I sent Aaron to work this morning with a grocery list to make sure we’d have enough staples to last us through the week if we get snowed in.   But, I really wouldn’t mind if we were all snowed in together for a few days.  Might give us a chance to get some things done around here, plus spend some quality time with Chloe.  She really hasn’t much time with the two of us together, since it seems we just split up the childcare when we’re both home – I take Ben and he takes Chloe, then I have both kids when he’s at work. 

When we were at Walmart yesterday, we were cruising through the toy aisles because Andy had some money that was burning a hole in his pocket.  Chloe spotted a bright green Hot Wheels motorcycle and went crazy over it.  "Take it home for Chloe, please?" she asked me.  And how could I refuse those manners?  Not to mention such a long sentence!  So she got to bring the motorcycle home.  She was very excited about that. 

As for Ben, I discovered something about him that is so extra cute that I almost can’t stand it.  He laughs in his sleep!  He’s just started grinning on his own while he’s awake, but he’s full-out laughing in his sleep.  It’s the most adorable thing in the world and I just giggle like crazy every time he does it.  🙂 

There is nothing more precious in the world than hearing a baby laugh.  Nothing.