He said he like my boots ...

The day started with a perfect cake doughnut from Smith's.

David surprised our little family with baked goods and oh, my stars and garters — his presence. He's been working so much lately that having him around when the light is still crisp and the coffee's fresh was a welcome change. We spent a lazy morning reading books, hoisting a chubby Gus and laughing at our clever Liam. For those of you who might be interested in the minutiae, David's reading the last Harry Potter book (bleh) and I'm entrenched in "The Weight of Silence." I took several mental Polaroids hoping to freeze the morning because I knew we had other things to do — as we always do when David has a whole day off. But the entire day turned out to be one of those that you file in away and talk about later.

We ventured to the mall. Ugh. Surprisingly, the place was docile and actually pleasant. David spotted the VW toy machine, then Liam did. They're obsessed with Volkswagens these days.

Despite my better judgment, I wore my silly knock-off boots from Target with my rolled up jeans ... totally dorkified and not remotely chic. Like women in these parts need to be wearing boots, it's so not cold enough. Feeling sort of absurd in my "trend on it's way out," I wasn't expecting what happened next. My sweet husband, unaware of my insecurity, commented on them as we got the kids out of the car:

"I think you look cute in those boots."

When you're with a person long enough they start to know what you're thinking ...

We were so tired from our mall jaunt that I decided to whip up a quick dinner a la Vons. My store is WinCo, so Vons is always an eye-bulging experience for me. But it's close and the deli selection is good. I grabbed a roasted chicken and heirloom tomatoes to toss over romaine, pre-made tortilla soup and french bread. I also found freezer paper. This is important for a future post involving crafts. Score, freezer paper!!!

Our babies napped as I prepared our Vons cuisine and the Beatles wafted through the house. I've been gathering decorations that I've had around the house for Thanksgiving, so I grabbed a few candles for the table. We don't normally dine by candlelight, no, normally it's Liam's mission in life to turn on every light in the house. But tonight's soft glow made me feel warm and happier than I've felt in while.

Later we ate chocolate cake and strawberries, prompting the blonde boy to say:

"I sure do like cake."