Midmorning snacks

Thea just lost her third tooth

Birthday trip to Philadelphia

For my birthday, Heather and Amy met us in Philadelphia for dinner. I wish we could have hung out longer, but Heather started a new job (yay! and it sounds very, very cool! yay yay!!) and didn't have MLK day off.

The highlights included an evening spent shooting aliens and zombies at Dave and Buster's, great food, a lovely hotel, and watching people hum the Rocky theme while running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Huddled around the warmth of the iPad

Thea's appeal to my boss

Things have been pretty busy at work. I've been working long hours, and some days are better than others. Last night we tried to explain to the kids that, even though sometimes work is hard, it can be very rewarding, so you don't mind the long hours and sometimes difficult personalities with conflicting goals.

Somewhere along the way, someone must have mentioned that the harder you work, the more likely you are to get more money. (Something tangible that the kids can relate to, that's for sure.) Thea decided to write this note to my boss:

Dear Kelly's Bos

Kelly will do enything you whant her to do if you pay her more a little mony.

from: Kelly's children Thea & Liam
To: Kelly's Bos

The first draft just requested more money. Then Thea called down from upstairs, where she was drawing a happy picture on the front of the note, "Mommy, do you like your boss?"

"Yes, I do, Thea. She's very nice."

"Okay, I will ask for money more nicely, then."

I told Thea that if I got more money, I might spend it on candy and toys. She looked at me very seriously and said, "MOM. What about important things, like food and clothes?"

I gave the note to my boss this morning. She promised to pay me more, though it might be in bottles of bourbon so I'm not able to squander my newfound earnings.