NEW NEW NEW

I have a new laptop computer people. It is awesome. Actually, to be honest, to me it's just very very pretty - I'm very aware that the degree to which is is truly awesome will probably never been known to me as it is known to Steve.

Which is sort of similar to the way I saw the LOST finale.

Anyway, this beautiful laptop has ALL the keys of it's keyboard intact.

I have realized over the last ten years or so just how awful I am to buy a present for. I never knew I was awful before I saw Steve trying to be wonderful. And the problem was, once our finances were OUR finances, Steve didn't just have to be a mind reader and get just what I wanted. No, he's probably always got ten or so gifts in his thoughts that I would love and he knows very well that I would love... but... would also just not ever feel good receiving because they are expensive.

Well, I won't say EVER. It's just one of those things. No matter how much Steve is making or I am making for that matter "expensive" to me means $75 and higher. And I'm going to sweat that 75 bucks, believe me. I'm comfortable around 50... for a gift from the love of my life - yup, about 50 bucks feels extravagant but not stressful.

NOW the list of gifts that I'll really really love and really really get a kick out of (besides a words and time... oh how I love them) starts dwindling. After all, if I really really want that dvd when it comes out, we have an entertainment budget to get it. So why wait til my birthday? Yes, I know, I'm awful.

Anyway so what Steve has had to do is listen to me tap my fingers in frustration as I wait and wait and wait for pictures to load on my old laptop, watch me punch angrily at the "d" key and constantly wave off all suggestions of replacing the laptop because I was pretty sure the price tag was above the magic $75.

So the only way he was going to be able to give this to me without it ultimately feeling like I had in some way been to blame (we discuss purchases quite a lot - so if he'd said he was GOING to get me a new computer then I would have discussed us out of it, or if I'd agreed - felt like I had had a hand in it), was to completely go behind my back.

So voila. Here it is, and I'm so thrilled. But I'm MOST thrilled about the WAY he did all that. Because all that matters in the scheme of things. Not always, I don't expect him to have to mindread passed me all the time. But this time, being as it is such a totally selfish gift for me (i.e. it's mine mine mine, no you may not borrow it, no Abby cannot practice her ABCs on it, no Jack cannot watch a movie on it, it's MINE, all MINE)... it was just plain priceless to have the weight of the decision out of my hands.

Anyway, you may have guessed this is my first blog post on the new computer. This is also (and forgive me parents if I'm being an ungrateful forgetful jerk) but I think that this is also my first NEW computer ever that is mine (sensing a theme?)

In other news:
Samantha moved to Washington D.C. today. This sucks for us but is great for her. Bah humbug.
Finn is really really trying to follow the kids now- gates have to be at the ready. He is so ridiculously cute still. I'd show you pictures but I am behind on pictures. I'm very busy which is awesome, but it feels like a whirlwind. And finally we are finally finally finally going to have all the behind the scenes stuff done with this house. Plumbing & Roof are in the cards this year. From then, any home improvement in the budget will basically be cosmetic. Now that is freaking awesome.

I don't want to move anytime soon, despite Abby's impatience, but there is something about knowing that we really can't, with positive heart, put this house on the market as is. There is just something that screams "not going to get top dollar" about a non-cosmetically complete house which ALSO needs a new roof and new plumbing. But really, seriously, we're here to stay for quite a while. We are going to enjoy the lack of stress when it rains, my friends. Yes indeedy.

Need dessert.