Dave took all of his vacation, 2 weeks, when Ingrid was born. So, when HR called him in to say "hey, you have 2 vacation days to use before December," he said "No I don’t." The HR lady said "hmm, well, maybe there was a glitch WINKWINK because you have two days left." Well, then!

As such, dave has taken today and tomorrow off, to celebrate Ingrid’s first Halloween, and our 3rd anniversary. I can’t evenbelieve it’s been three years! Or that I’ve known him for 6! Weird.

We spent today just doing stuff… we went to vote early (they moved our polling place to a more inconvenient spot than "across the street," dammit) and we were the only people at the polling place, aside from the clerks. One of the clerks, however, was the notary that married us, and he was excited to see us and meet Ingrid. He’s only married 4 couples, and I worked with him for years, which is why I asked him to marry us. Not only totally civil and not religious at all, but also a funny, strange guy.

We got other errands done, I got to go to the PO, unfettered, and then later to the new LLBean outlet. Which, OMG, seriously, I saw things I *JUST BOUGHT* for cheaper than my discount allows, and I get a standard 25% off the outlet sale prices. For instance, that stocking I hemmed and hawed over? I ended up buying it, with my discount it was 13 bucks. At the outlet, it was 10, and I would’ve gotten 25% off that, so I could’ve had it for 7.50. Or, a fleece I just got for 35, from 60, was on sale for 20, and I’d have paid FIFTEEN AMERICAN DOLLARS for it. But, it would feel unethical for me to exchange and rebuy that stuff cheaper (esp since I DO get a discount on firsts) but still. Holy cow. Ingrid and I have a new weekly field trip destination.  As it is, I got a small braided foor mat for our bathroom, and some highend long underwear pants for dave, for um, 16 bucks total. Both are anniversary gifts — the rug, because we are always jockeying the one in there now from tub to sink, and it’s just… annoying, but Dave likes to have a rug to stand on as he shaves and such, so he gets a chenille rug. It was pink and green, but then again, our bathroom has a pink sink and tiles, but Dave will happily stand on a pink rug that retails for 50 bucks, and that I got for 7. 🙂

Ingrid seems to be just amazed that Daddy! Is! Here! all day long, and she just freaking ADORES him, so that’s cool. She also slept pretty well last night — I dream-fed her at 11 when I got home, and then she woke up at, god, I don’t even know — 6? — and cooed in her crib for a while, and then had an audible poop, so I got up and changed her and brought her to bed with us. I was all kinds of engorged, as the dreamfeed didn’t drain either breast (and I put her on BOTH, which I never, ever do, but I was rock hard after working for 6 hours and not pumping…) and all day has been spent recalibrating, it feels like.

I also applied for permanent part-time at work, which could mean super-duper part time (work some every month, but not more than 1000 hrs each year) or guaranteed 20-29 hours a week. It’s a really easy job, with great perks (especially with an outlet in town, where they just GIVE stuff away!) and, you know, until I get a Real Job, or Childcare, might as well ride this train as long as I can.

So, yeah. A good day. Tomorrow we costume up Miss Ingrid and take her to see her grandma and aunts in town, and then we’ll hand out candy here. We have decorations out, with more going out tomorrow, and the windows getting ‘boarded up’ tomorrow afternoon. Maybe THIS year, I’ll get a damn PICTURE. Sigh.