We had a big weekend

We celebrated Super Bowl Sunday by getting a van.

Sorry she's cut off on both ends. I was a little bit embarrassed to be photographing my van and didn't want the neighbors to see me. Although I should just check my dignity at the door for all eternity, since I now drive a van and all.

Kidding aside, I've wanted a van for some time now. We were really crammed into the Forester. The kids' car seats were separated by a few inches, not nearly enough for someone to sit. (Unless you're lucky enough to be my mom, who has on a few occasions been shoved into this tiny little space. No more, though! Grammie can have her own personal row now.)

Just look at all that space between car seats! And the back row of seats is folded down, leaving a veritable cavern in the back.

Laura approves.

I approve. It basically does everything except get Will out and take him into his classroom.

So now we're van converts. I can't imagine that we ever didn't drive one. (Speaking of driving, it drives really well and doesn't seem all that much bigger than the Subaru.)

In other news, Jamison also got a Prius. Two new cars in one weekend (more accurately, in one day--we were the Toyota dealership's favorite customers that day). I don't think we can handle much more excitement.

Speaking of excitement, we're pretty excited that we finally watched "Downton Abbey." We're hooked. It's definitely a little different than "Friday Night Lights" but it's really, really good.  (I was listening to "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" this weekend and there was a joke made about telling the audience that the Super Bowl was some event that was on at the same time as "Downton Abbey." I cracked up.)

All for now...

Oh, we're still around...

I'm still on Official Computer Restriction. So I'm breaking my self-imposed time limits this afternoon to show you some obligatory pictures of my children.

I surprised the kids by taking them for a picnic at the playground on the way home from getting Will at school the other day. Their sheer joy at such a small thing made me want to do it a lot more. (Weather permitting, of course, although winter has yet to really show up here except for brief cold periods. We've only had snow once or twice and neither time was the messy accumulating kind. Our brand new snow boots are brand spanking new, two full months into possible-snow-territory.)

Will fully embraces the "big kid" section of the playground now. It seems like it was a few months ago that he was a little hesitant to go down the big slides. (And they are kind of tall.) No more.

Not to be outdone, Sister has to go down the slides by herself now. She still embraces the toddler part of the playground, though. More my speed.

Playing spaceship. There was a complicated navigation pattern that I was supposed to be following (I was the driver, as Will was on the lookout for baby aliens). I don't usually think that Will and Laura look alike until I see them in pictures. Then the resemblance is obvious. Like in this picture.

I found this in the fridge the other day. You just never know, do you?

In other earth-shatteringly monumental news, I got a new steam mop that has really had an embarrassingly significant effect on my life. It really is a game-changer. (Sidenote: Here is where I have to mention that Jamison reviewed the options I gave him and chose one other than my initial choice based on reviews. I would hear about it later if I neglected to say so.) I actually purchased one a few weeks back at Big Lots for a steal and loved it the first day. (I have a love/hate relationship with Big Lots. Right now it's a bit skewed toward the "hate" end of the scale.) However, the second day, the water coursed through the mop and out the bottom at an alarming rate, leaving a huge puddle on the floor. Needless to say, I was not thrilled. But I had seen the Steam Mop Promised Land and I made it my mission to get another one asap. And here we are. Thrilling, right?

And now my steam mop and I have some more mopping to do. 

And PS. Eileen, your thoughtfulness is really overwhelming. I so appreciate your putting me on the traditional African clothing mailing list. In return, please look forward to receiving a catalog featuring lederhosen and such for your visual pleasure. Enjoy and you're welcome!