20 Random Things about Matt

If you’re on Facebook, you have probably seen the recent rounds of 25 random things that everyone is posting about themselves. Well, I am stealing an idea from my friend Katie and writing 20 random things about Matt in honor of his birthday. I know I am short a few, so feel free to add some of your own in the comments.

1. Matt can cook, and not just on the grill. Before I left my job to become a stay-at-home mom, Matt got home from work first and he would always start dinner. Sometimes he still comes home and says he’ll cook dinner. What a treat!
2. He helps with the youth group at church. He went on a 12-day trip to Mexico last July with a group of high school student.
3. Matt has played the guitar for many years, and has recently started playing bass. I think it’s just because the youth group needed a bass player, but I’m proud of him for doing it.
4. He is in a band with the same guys he played with in high school.
5. He has been friends with some of these guys since he was 13. He is very loyal.
6. Matt really likes cookies.
7. He also likes zucchini bread, but not actual zucchini.
8. He makes up the bed at night before he gets into it. He likes the sheet to be nice and neat. I think this is because he is so tall that his feet actually come very close to the end of the bed. We cannot have a footboard for this reason.
9. Matt has worked for the same company for 10 years. Again with the loyalty thing.
10. He really likes to play golf. I think his retirement plans may revolve around how many times a week he will be able to play golf.
11. He also plays on the church softball team, but has relinquished the job of coaching this year.
12. Matt has a collection of cords and wires. This drives me crazy, but he assures me that he might need one someday.
13. Matt does not like to read. He probably reads one book a year. He enjoyed the Harry Potter series and read one book each year on vacation.
14. Matt is a very sound sleeper. He truly does not hear the boys wake up at night. Sometimes a swift kick helps to wake him though.
15. Matt is almost never wrong. If he says something, it is almost always true. It may not be exactly relevant to the argument/conversation, but it is usually an accurate statement. I have caught him doing this one time, and it brought me great joy. His friend Warwick keeps a tally on how many times Matt has been wrong. I think it may be up to 14 now.
16. My nickname for Matt is George. I don’t know why. Elliott is Fred. I don’t have one for Aaron yet. Matt calls me Lucy. Maybe I shouldn’t post this one in case we ever have to go into the witness protection program.
17. Matt is very gracious about providing tech support to the friends and family who call seeking his expertise.
18. Matt is a great friend.
19. Matt is an awesome dad! He loves our boys so much and always makes time to play with them. I can’t imagine a better dad for these two boys.
20. He is a wonderful husband…the perfect one for me. I love you, George! Happy Birthday!

February Favorites

The month in pictures...

Unfortunately this month my normally healthy family dealt with a bout of sickness that lasted for about 2 weeks. Everyone is now feeling much better. In this picture of Aaron with a rash-y face, it doesn't appear that he was bothered at all. (The rash did go away as soon as the pediatrician told me to stop treating it.)

The Return of the Rice Toy
This homemade toy filled with rice, beans, trucks, and measuring implements has finally come back into circulation. After several cold days, we needed some new activities so I pulled it out with strict orders for Aaron not to eat anything. The boys played for quite awhile before he disobeyed and the Rice Toy had to be put away, but I think it might be able to stay in the cold/rainy day rotation now. Please note Elliott sticking out his tongue while he measures. I wonder where it gets that from?

"Excuse me, Mr. Cheese?"
We finally made our first trip to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate cousin Sophia's birthday. Elliott was quite excited to meet ChuckE and wanted to get a hug from the giant mouse. He was very polite, using only one finger to tap on ChuckE's costume, and did, in fact, get his hug.

Boys and Guns
Elliott wanted to play the shooting game, and of course his daddy was game. In fact, this picture reminds me of a recent outing to the bowling alley and arcade where Matt and our friend Chris could be found in a similar pose.

"Nice to meet you, Bob."
Aaron is not yet walking, so ChuckECheese was a hard place for the little guy. He desperately wanted to be down on the floor, but it was quite crowded and not the time to explore on his hands and knees. I did, however, find that he enjoyed the moving Bob the Builder ride. So I snagged some of Elliott's tokens and kept Bob going until someone else wanted a ride.