Currently

Sending you all over to this website and this post for information on how you can support a very special Daddy Daughter Dance event happening in two weeks for a family that is near and dear to my heart.  I can't write about it without breaking into tears so please just go check it out, and if your business (or you) has a service you'd like to provide to support this event, or product you could donate for the silent auction, please get in touch with the Kahlers directly.

Bending the bedtime routine quite a bit lately. For example, last night was Penny's first bike ride.  Keyword: night.  We've been researching and dwelling and researching some more about new and used bike trailers for weeks, and finally today we pulled the trigger and Dan picked up this beauty on super sale from REI.  Our best laid plans for an early-evening ride got delayed, and it was already 7:30pm when wheeled down the driveway.  Rode to dinner and afterward we stopped over at Aunt Becca and Uncle Shane's house to say hi and ultimately eat a bowl of ice cream [me, naturally].   Long story short, Penny was in bed at 10:30pm with no bath and no books.  As we rode home in the dark quiet of our neighborhood, Dan and I talked about how we won't have the flexibility to do stuff like this forever. Only-child Penny goes with the flow now, but some day we won't be able to get away with this kind of stuff.  Kinda like how we went to the movies all the time when I was pregnant.   Last night we were at the Lang Gang's house 'til wayyyy past bedtime as well.  There's always something.  Judge me all you want about babies and routines... but don't you kind of wish you went for a late night bike ride with your family tonight...

Ending our hypothetical planning for the design of our play room, and celebrating the fact that we got it done! And only one trip to Ikea too!!!  This living space is an example of me and Dan sharing a vision, meshing strengths and compromising weaknesses to create, together, something that turns out even better than either one of us thought it would.

Tending to new baby-proofing things around the house as they come up.  As of this weekend we now have a gate at the bottom of the stairs in additional to the one already installed at the top of the stairs.  This should make playgroup in the basement much more manageable. And we also now have a new rule in the house about keeping bathroom doors closed at all times because Penny has discovered toilet water.  I would have thought the dogs' giant water bowl in the pantry to be more tempting to a one-year-old, but nope. She likes toilets and trash cans.

Mending a blown-out-of-proportion discussion with my husband about whose fault it was that one of our cars is two months overdue for an emissions test and registration renewal.  Why do all the worst domestic discussion somehow involve the Motor Vehicle Division? [actually that's not a valid statement... I'm just so irrationally upset that we/I let this happen...].  I've got some 'splainin and some apologizing to do when the dust settles and it will come across as sincerely as I mean it to.

Gearing up for Fall!  Last night on our bike ride we got a hint of brisk wind that usually means its October; and this morning I just looked at all the scarfs in my closet and got excited knowing that it's not unrealistic for me to think I might get to wear one in the next month or so!  I can't wait until it's cool enough for boots!  [that means high of about 85 degrees here in Phoenix area]

Procrastinating getting my hair done. The grays coming through my roots are reeeee-diculous, but I just don't know when I'm going to get to go!  I set myself up for this when I started dying my hair again.  I've gotta call Kim and get on her schedule...

Thankful for our brave firefighters and all other first-responders who are at work 24/7 in my city, my state and my country to preserve our way of life here on the home front.  It just hit me that my children will not remember where they were on September 11, 2011; they will only learn about it in history books.    May we all keep our heroes and their families in our thoughts this 12th anniversary of the attacks that affected us all and changed history.

Laughing about Penny's confusion between humans and dogs.  She seems to think that what the doggie says (stick out your tongue and whisper "heh-heh-heh") is a universal greeting for all beings, human or animal.  It's adorable.  Oh, and Dan and I are watching season one of Arrested Development.  To tell you we are laughing about Arrested Development would be like saying that Apple announced a new product yesterday.

Inspiration for 'Currently' posts comes from Danielle over at Sometimes Sweet and Megan on tumblr. I don't know them personally, but hooray for the blogging community!

Link it up in the comments below if you've got a Currently Post to share this week!