I'll tell you right now that my iPhone lens is scratched. It's also dirty. It's causing it to not take the perfectly wonderful pictures it did before. It still takes pretty kickass pictures, though, if you ask me...

Today was kind of an oddball day. At work, they posted movie listings on the wall. They had a team outing--pick a movie you want to go to, get together with the group that wants to see that movie, go to lunch together somewhere, then see that movie. I overheard a group of women saying they were going to Mamma Mia, and I figured I was never going to see it anyways if I didn't go with them... so I did.

The bonus to my decision was that they went to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. I had never been before. I ordered a lunch chicken something-or-rather that came with pasta. The lady next to me and I had this conversation about how much of a Shepherd's Pie conoisseur I am (though I'm really not), and that's what she ordered. She gave me a few bites on a little plate to try, and it was <i>wonderful</i>... so wonderful that I wished I had ordered it myself, and so wonderful that it made my breaded chicken and pasta seem dry and bland, but I didn't say a word. Lunch was literally enough for two meals--and it was a lunch serving--I think a dinner serving could easily feed my whole three-member family.

Did I mention that work was paying for this whole outing?

When we got to the theater, we headed up to the snack bar together. Everyone was too stuffed for snacks, but a couple of us got drinks. Now this is going to make me sound like a big sissy; but not only did I have goosebumps through most of the movie, but I even caught myself squeezing out a tear or two at one point. For those of you who've seen the movie, I'm sure you can guess what point that was. Yeap, believe it or not, Suzy's a sissy once in a while.

The little group of women kind of all went their separate ways after the movie. I started heading home. I had about a half-hour head start from when I usually leave work, and I got to beat a lot of the traffic. Woo hoo!

I picked up the kids, and on the way home, I had an idea. I had this buy-one-get-one-free pizza coupon, so why not get two pizzas tonight, and feed the neighborhood kids? So we stopped at the pizza place and ordered two pizzas.

The kids asked to visit a little country bumpkin store down the street that sells Webkinz, so while our pizzas cooked, we walked. It was <i>incredibly hot</i> outside. Once inside the store, the kids realized that they no longer sold Webkinz... but they were still happy, since they were offered (and allowed to get) free samples of the fudge there. Walking around the store, we saw that a lot of the stuff they sold was chili pepper kitchen stuff, so Rain asked if we could pick something out for our friend. Her whole kitchen is chili peppers. She picked out a cooking oil bottle that was painted with a neat chili pepper. We paid and headed back out into the heat to get our cooked pizzas.

Once back home, the kids took off in different directions on their bikes. They both called in a few minutes later to tell me that none of their friends were home, and they were headed back. So with two whole large pizzas on my kitchen counter, we started to eat, and I txt'ed one of my friends from work, asking if he'd like to bring his kids over and eat pizza. His son didn't want pizza, so he asked for a raincheck. So currently there's most of a ham pizza and two slices of pepperoni pizza combined in one box into a Frankenstein pizza in my fridge.

After dinner (and a couple episodes of My Name Is Earl) I ambled into the garage. I had been cleaning it a little bit at a time, picking at it here and there, emptying a container or so a night, getting rid of things we didn't need, putting things to donate in bags. As I was cleaning out a container (that happened to be cracked and un-re-usable), Rainlin and I got into some kind of argument. Oh, I remember what it was about--she wanted to go over her friends house--at 8pm on a school night. I told her no, period, no, and she got very upset with me.

I try to keep a set schedule during school--some things have times set to them--6am, out of bed... 7am, out of the house... then in the afternoon, when we get home, go out and play with friends... 6:30pm, dinner... 7pm, play with friends... 8pm, shower time... 8:15pm, story time... 8:30pm, bed time... sounds easy, right?

The beginning argument and tears turned into a very constructive conversation. She sat on the couch, and I sat in the Archie Bunker chair, and we talked for a good half hour. She brought up things that were bothering her, and I responded to each one in turn. We let each other talk, and she began to stop crying and calm down. Then she continued to talk about other things that were bothering her, which I won't mention here. I listened, and I said uh-huh, and I was very attentive.Dylan ended up on the couch too, and I joined him in our conversation. I wrapped things up by telling both the kids that I love them very much, and I am so happy for every minute I get to spend with them. I told them I'd say good morning every morning, and good night every night, and I love you in between, and hey hug your brother once in a while. I had them giggling at points, and they had me giggling at points. It was difficult, but conquerable, and wonderful. I love, love having my kids feel like they can talk to me about things. And they can--anything.

Then Dylan asked if he could read for half an hour, and he did, while Rain finally took her shower. That's where I took this aforementioned picture. He's really gotten into this Star Wars book in the past week--he's had it at least two years and is finally getting serious about reading it all the way through. I've made it a point to sit the kids down and read to them each night this week, even if it is for ten minutes... and it's just ten more minutes I get to snuggle with them.

Only 9:30... but I'm more than ready for bed. I'm going to post this an head in that direction...