I shouldn't be here...

It's almost, positively wrong to be at work while the boys are home enjoying the day off for Veteran's Day.
Did it suck to wake up early and go to work? Damn right, it did!

Not that today has been crazy. Not at all. Mondays are Fridays for us here at BE.
Fridays are not good days. Mondays are better days. So yes, today is a good day :).
I walked over to the bookstore during lunch and found the funniest book that I just had to get..
"Unless I can sleep with my parents," says Jake, "I won't close my eyes and I won't go to bed!"
** Did someone hear my pleas and decided to write a book about it? Note to self: ask for royalties!**

My parents are back from Vegas where they met up with my mom's college friends. They've been there since Thursday, and every day I get text messages from my Dad which is no fun :(. "Had lunch at Wolfgan Puck's", or "Watched ___ show", or "Went to...." - come on!! Don't rub it in when we can hardly take days off from work!!! I'm glad they're home. The husband and Jake picked them up from the airport today and will be coming over for dinner.

We hung out with the P's on Friday after work, and finally took them to our hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant. I'm glad they liked the food - because we've been raving about this palce for.ever, especially since we've been going there since god-knows-how-long. Jake practically grew up going to that restaurant. It's THAT good! After dinner, they came by for an impromptu movie night since they have yet to watch The Da Vinci Code. The old fogies watched that, while Jake and J got busy playing and watching Monsters Inc in Jake's room.

Jake had his color belt graduation on Saturday, moving up to Little Dragon Gold Belt. It's always so fun (and sometimes emotional) to go to them ceremonies...it's like you can almost feel the pride within the room with the kids beaming, full of excitement. We spent the rest of the day tinkering around the house before heading up to my IL's to spend the night with MIL since FIL is in the Philippines visiting his family.

We headed back down early on Sunday to get ready for our photo shoot with my brother. I love having our very own personal photographer - who is just as eager to take our pictures, just as we are to be his objects (or subjects!). And to have to do all of this, in the convenience of our own living room? Couldn't get any lovelier! Here are snippets of what happened yesterday:

My sister and S called asking what our plans were for dinner and when I told them that Nelson was cooking pot roast, they invited themselves over promising to bring dessert. After the shoot, the boys took a nap in the living room and I decided to slip out really quick and head out for some retail therapy by myself. Loved. It.

Every day at our household, the topic of conversation has been what to do and where to take BFF and the family. I'm just so excited - it's not even funny! We are so pampered when we go and visit them in Manila that I can't wait to reciprocate all of their kindness now that they will be here with us. I just want this to be a very memorable holiday for all of us.

OH - and today, we got tickets to watch Barry Manilow in February (YES people, I said it right...BARRY MANILOW!) with the BFF's J&C. I am so excited! I wish we can take Jake - believe it or not, the boy grew up with Barry Manilow songs, and not your usual nursery rhymes :).

Forty-five more minutes and I'm outta here, people...