we are boring hosts

GranE and Batman drove out last weekend for a little visit. As soon as I heard them come to the door on Friday evening, I started asking Mae, "Who's at the door? Mae, do you hear someone you know?? Whose voice is that?" She hesitantly stepped around the corner and spotted Batman. Then she screeched with excitement and RAN down the hallway to greet them.

Overall, it was a pretty quiet weekend. It's hard to get much done under threat of a blizzard and with a baby that sleeps for 3 hours right during the middle of the day! Friday evening we walked to the park for some slide time while Dan cooked dinner.

Saturday morning I went out for a long run, which passed near our house around the half-way mark. Dan tracked my progress on his phone and bundled up the family to come cheer for me on their way to the nearby coffee shop. That little glimpse of them got me through a very challenging run! Mae got a cookie as a reward for being such a good sport about riding in the stroller.

We had a relaxing Saturday afternoon where almost everyone snoozed for a little while. Lazy Saturdays are the best!

We went out for a very enjoyable (but not very relaxing dinner) where Mae insisted on exploring the entire (thankfully almost empty) restaurant while I scarfed down a cheeseburger. She ate a decent dinner of pizza and orange slices from the bar. We finished the evening all snuggled up on the couch watching "Finding Dory" on Netflix! (Or, Finding "Doh-Dee," as Mae says.)

Sunday morning, we went to brunch at our neighbor's house. Mae is a little bit obsessed with their cats and stalked them all around the house. We had another quiet afternoon and a tasty dinner cooked at home. Thanks for spending a nice relaxing weekend with us, GranE and Batman!

sockhead hat

Here's a long overdue post on a project I finished back in December! This is the Sockhead Slouch Hat, made from yarn I bought at last year's Kentucky Wool Festival! This self-striping skein was hand-dyed by Rock and String Creations in the very vibrant colorway called Aura.

I intended to make a pair of socks, but was inspired by my friend Kathy's sockhead hat. She used another Rock and String colorway called "Zombies Walk at Midnight," which is striped but also has random splatters of red mixed in with the stripes. I would describe it as secretly gory, which amuses me to no end.

After finishing this hat, I wondered how often I would wear this casual/slouchy style. Fortunately, I'm very delayed in writing this post and can honestly say this hat has gotten LOTS of wear. It helps that we've had a fairly snowy winter! Project details on my Ravelry page.

Last week, Mae and I bundled up and went outside to enjoy a first-day-of-spring blizzard! We built a big snowman in the front yard, and I asked Mae what she wanted to name him. She thought for a moment and then babbled something long and complicated, ending in the word "Eyeball." I asked, "Eyeball?? Are you sure you want to name him Eyeball?!?!" She grinned and responded, "Eyeball." We spent the next 10 minutes trying to catch our breath amidst some serious giggle fits. Meet Eyeball!

the best st. patrick's day

I think the Maid of Honor said it best during her speech this weekend: "There are two great places to spend St. Patrick's Day. The first is Ireland. The second is the University of Notre Dame!"

Dan and I had been looking forward to this weekend since the save-the-date arrived from my friend Erin and her fiancé Matt several months ago. Friday afternoon, we dropped Mae off with Grandma and Grandpa. They brought Mae along with them on Saturday morning, so Dan and I had a whole evening to ourselves. We met Julie and Dave for dinner before heading to campus for the beginning of the wedding festivities: a welcome party at a venue called Seven on 9 in the new stadium building, which had superb views of the football field.

Saturday morning, I woke up early for a long run. I circled the lakes with Lauren and Zach before venturing off-campus to explore the St. Joseph River Trail. I got back to our room with just enough time to shower and get dressed before my parents and Mae arrived. We were fortunate to have a 2-room suite for the weekend, which was SUPER helpful with a toddler. She was able to nap/sleep in the bedroom while we hung out in the sitting room. (Funny story: When I called to book my room for the wedding, they accidentally put me in the bride's suite for the same price as a regular room. When they realized their mistake, they moved me to the only-slightly-less extravagant executive suite, while honoring the original rate. Guess I had some luck o' the Irish this weekend!)

After a quick lunch in the room, we walked to the Basilica for the wedding. Believe it or not, this was my first time to attend a wedding at Notre Dame! The ceremony was beautiful (as expected), and Mae was mostly well behaved (a pleasant surprise). I kept her occupied with M&Ms for a while until she wanted to wander, and Grandma took her to the back of the church. There she tried to eat a half-eaten red M&M from the floor. Grandma quickly snatched it away, just before realizing it was actually a live ladybug. Good catch, Grandma!

From the church, we walked to the steps of the main building for a group photo. A bagpiper entertained us while we waited for the wedding party and photographer to join us. Mae LOVED the bagpiper. Every time he stopped playing, she asked "Mo'? Mo'? Mo' bagpipe??"

Kelsey returned from her spring break just in time to babysit Mae for the evening! They enjoyed a walk around campus and some room-service pizza while Dan, Mom, Dad, and I danced our little hearts out at the reception. I had so much fun spending time with my high school friends, especially the ones who are scattered to further parts of the country!

Sunday morning, we enjoyed a quick brunch with my friends in the hotel before driving back home. Can't wait to see everyone again soon!