Go Browns!!!

An Earlier Introduction

Well, we didn't think that Aiden would meet his cousin Christopher for another two weeks when we head down south for vacation. But plans change; due to a death in the family, Aunt Sara & Uncle Jeff, along with Christopher, arrived in Columbus today. The two cousins, separated in age by a short 7 months and 2 days, seemed to accept each other right off the bat! For some reason, they were pretty interested in touching each other's faces. It's pretty neat to see how they each take on their fathers' characteristics in different ways; Aiden's blue eyes have much more gray in them than Christopher, and Christopher has a lighter shade of blond hair than Aiden. Jeff, Sara, and Christopher's unexpected visit will be a bit short, but we're looking forward to spending more them with them in just a couple weeks. Then we'll really be able to get some great photos of these two cuties together!

So I can't be the only one who LOVES this show...

Ech. Looks like the events of this past weekend have lead me down a familiar road; in the wake of yelling my throat raw, I seem to have caught a cold. A sick day for me is as good a time as any to fess up about my latest guilty pleasure. So here we go--anyone else out there just love NCIS?
I must admit, it took me a long time to appreciate this show. Unlike other obsessions of mine, I only watched NCIS when nothing else was on. When Mike & I would wind down after Aiden went to bed this summer, we usually weren't all that impressed with what was on TV, and somehow we'd always manage to end up watching one of USA's many marathons. Before I knew it, I NEEDED to watch every episode to catch up, which was an absolute goldmine for anyone just starting out on a new show; I had SIX YEARS to catch up on! If you're not a regular viewer of the show, I'm not going to go into the details of the "mythology" or character histories here--an easy Google search should do the trick for you.
While I truly enjoy all of the characters on the show, my favorite is Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, played expertly by Michael Weatherly. He's a clown, he's a playboy, he's all-business--he's Tony. And truth be told, one of my favorite details is that his character is an OSU alumni! They've hinted that he played both football & basketball for the university, and there was even an episode where he wore his letterman's jacket for nearly the entire time. The Buckeye in me is so proud every time it's mentioned. I am nothing if not a geek. :)
Besides drooling over my favorite character, why do I like the show? Let's see: the writing, the humor, the cast chemistry, the acting, the Gibbs slaps, the "look"--virtually everything. It's ENTERTAINING, which for me personally is all I want when I sit down to watch a program. Those of you out there who are already fans (and I know there are a TON--it's become a top-ten fixture in the past year) know about the tension between Tony & Ziva, and while I'm not looking for them to hook up (in other words, I'm not exactly a "Tiva" loyalist), I really hope they keep up their highly-charged flirtation. I also love that this show is willing to dispose of characters without mercy (so long as they leave Agent DiNozzo alone) and dredge up story lines years after they had supposedly lapsed. For me, it's a fresh, fun hour of television, and I am beyond excited for the new season to begin this coming Tuesday!
Heading back to the couch now for a nap. I wonder which episodes I still have DVR'd...

What a Game...Except for the End

You'll have to forgive me if when you read this post, it feels as though I'm yelling at you. I think I did some serious damage to my hearing last night, but it was so, so worth it. For a glorious majority of last night's OSU-USC game, I was a part of the largest crowd in Ohio Stadium history (and that's saying something, folks), cheering relentlessly for my Buckeyes as they nearly pulled off a stunning victory in a game in which the "experts" had chosen them to get killed. Angie & I agreed that even scoring our first touchdown was a moral victory--it gave us more points than we had scored in all of last year's game! Ladies & gentleman, let me assure you of one thing: the fans showed up last night. I still get goosebumps thinking about screaming at the top of my lungs, then looking around to see all my fellow Bucknuts doing the same during every USC offensive play. The defense did me proud, and while the offense could have done better, they were hampered by some questionable play-calling. The most frustrating thing was that as soon as USC began their last possession, I knew exactly what was going to happen, and I even kept repeating to myself "Not like this..." Ultimately, though, I guess the reason I'm not as bothered by this loss as I have been with more recent big games is because it was a GAME, not blowout. Those boys played their hearts out, and I for one will give them the credit they deserve. On to next week, then--GO BUCKS!!! BEAT TOLEDO!!!
While I'm trying to nurse both my throat and ears back to health, I've got to get Aiden ready for his first day at his new daycare tomorrow. It seems that my little munchkin has reached another milestone, too--he's 18 months old today!

Heart Aflutter...

...and not because I'm in love! Ohio State began their season yesterday by scaring the crap out of their fans in nearly allowing Navy to tie the game in the waning moments! I'm not used to being THAT nervous in the opening game of the year! I guess I can't complain too loudly, though; after not winning a dime in last year's Buckeye pool at work, I won the first two quarters yesterday and pocketed a quick $63. That should help as Angie & I head to the 'Shoe next week to watch our beloved Buckeyes take on--gulp--USC. I'm hoping my flawless track record of only attending games that OSU wins is still in tact after the skirmish.
Aiden, however, decided to skip all of the scary moments, opting instead to go out the BEAUTIFUL sandbox that his "Gampa" so lovingly made for him. While I would have been proud, had he sat at my side to watch the game with me, I guess I could understand why he'd want to enjoy the beautiful weather outside instead. I just LOVE this time of year. I can already see the leaves starting to change!
We have SOOOOOO much going on in the next few weeks--months, really. Aiden starts his new daycare next week, then I have a March of Dimes event as well as a wedding to attend next weekend while Mike has his District Coast Guard Auxillary conference to go to. After that, I'm having a Lia Sophia party, then school starts (ACK! Haven't said that in YEARS!), and before you know it, we'll be leaving for our Hilton Head vacation. And somewhere in all that mess, my sister and brother-in-law will bless us with a new niece or nephew! So if you don't see me on here, you know why, but with this much going on, I'll try to keep everyone updated :)