I am afraid of my couch. And several, completely unrelated, highly captioned, photos. Because this entire post canNOT be about my couch!

So, I'm afraid of my couch. There. I said it. I'm 34 years old, and I not only avoid sitting on my couch, I also skirt around it on tiptoe when I come down the stairs to get through the family room. You would too, if you came down the stairs, only to find your 14 year old cat sitting in absolute attention, staring at the leg of your sofa! I am just positive that one of our former visitors either made a nest inside and is now pining away for her family in the field down the street, or that an elderly mouse is using the crumbs that escaped my Bissell's stabbing vacuum session as a retirement policy. And I swear that I can hear the scratch, scratch, scratch of a critter from deep within its cushions!

Either way, I am afraid of my couch. I managed to hold it together during the birthday party on Saturday. I even SAT UPON IT. After all, a mouse wouldn't attack during a party. DUH. No, I'm sure it lies in wait for everyone (including Patrick) to vacate the home, leaving me completely defenseless. It waits, absolutely still, with its stealthy, beady, little eyes, for me to sit upon that couch so that it can silently creep up beside my exposed ear, and, and.... Eurrgggguh!! (shuddering. SHUDDERING over here! I'm typing with my feet on the chair...)

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Gotta change the topic. MUST.
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The Birthday Boy! You can just barely see some of his Football field cake. In fact, you can sort of make out the star from the Cowboys that I put on it. Why would a kid from Northern Illinois want the Dallas Cowboys on his cake? Well, to be honest, he really wanted the Patriots. And then I looked at the picture of their field and said "Are you SERIOUS?!? There's like, 4 colors and a weird design! Don't you like some other team, too? How about the Bears?" and he said "Nah. How about the Steelers?" And I looked at their field's design and just about cried again and said "HONESTLY? How about a simple team like Da BEARS?" and HE said "Nah. I guess I like the Cowboys, too." and I looked at THAT picture and said "DEAL. Dallas Cowboys on your cake. Now go outside and play." And that, my friends, is how my baby boy got a sloppy blue and white star on his cake that he was SO EXCITED about that he hugged me all day long and repeatedly called me the "best mama ever!!" to which I could only quietly acquiesce. Who am I to argue with him?The best present. EVER. My parents and Patrick's parents went in on the basketball hoop for Evan's birthday and the boys (and all the neighborhood kids) are LOVING it. Best part of the day? When the party was over, and Evan had a couple of new (highly desired) video games in the house. And where were the boys at? Outside. Playing basketball together. Our hearts, they sang...
The best picture out of what I had to work with. My daughter, in full Easter regalia and her brothers in jeans and cotton shirts. BUT! Their pants didn't have holes in them. And Justin's hair got washed that morning! So, actually? They were dressed up.Despite the wind, it was a gorgeous day. Corinne and her aunt played with pine cones and hula hoops and bubbles and Lord knows what else. All I know is that my daughter can make a game out of anything and that she has several women in that family that adore her. So basically? I am just an accessory when we visit which is WONDERFUL by me!Moments before Patrick took his snooze to get him through the Sunday night shift.

Happy Easter! Hope your home only had rabbits in it yesterday. Hope mine did, too...