Life Begins at the OLC.

Oliver's Love Palace now smells dreamy, with no trace (that I can detect) of the boiled dust stench it had after being empty so long. This is largely due to air conditioning and opening doors, but I think the fact that I've plugged in more Wallflowers than I've ever used in a house may have something to do with it. I have Lavender in the living room, Strawberry Patch in the dining room, Lilac Blossoms in the kitchen, Japanese Cherry Blossom in the bathroom, Vanilla Coconut in our room, and Cinnamon Stick in Oliver's room (Oliver's room! I feel a happy flutter every time I say that, just as I still tend to gasp with wonder when Oliver gives a good kick).

Oliver has had his back turned to my belly for days. He seems to do this when anything is not to his liking (cold hands on my belly, too much activity...). I don't like this because I can't feel him move as much. Also, he's been trying a new position in which he seems to push his feet hard against the back of my hips, and his back and rear nearly explode out of my belly. I'm sure he needs to stretch, but that made me feel rather ill. I'm hoping that as my constant activity winds down, he'll face front and say hello to us.

My brother came to stay with us on Tuesday night during my dad's business trip. After I left Josh to finish the cleaning at the old house, I put on my gray maternity pajamas. Later, I made my second real meal in the OLC kitchen: chicken and veggie fried rice (sans chicken for Josh. You can see my recipe in Meals for Culinarily Poor, Lazy, and Untalented Couples). Cooking this meal in a kitchen with already limited counter space right after a move (meaning with highly cluttered counter tops) was an exercise in colorful language, but the meal was very satisfying. Still, I soon experienced a powerful sweets craving.

 (Image: http://www.burgerking.ca/en/View.aspx?uid=TopMenu_OurMenu_Treats_HERSHEYSSundaePie)

Burger King has a HERSHEY®'S Sundae Pie, which I decided to try. Josh went to get it, picking up a serious Oreo shake for James and strawberry cheesecake for himself. The pie was perfect: perfect size, perfect combination of crunchy and smooth, and perfect blend of cookie, ice cream, and solid chocolate flavors. I have I feeling I will be becoming better acquainted with that pie.

I settled in to grade tests online while the guys played Dragon Age II. In the game, Josh is romancing Merrill, an elf character who reminds him of me (minus the blood magic). I think it's an ill-fated love, but I like that he's drawn to me even in fantasy worlds. 

 (Merrill from Dragon Age II by Bioware)

I love how in this new house, I can sit at the spacious desk to work and still see the HDTV and Josh playing in the green recliner (which is old but matches the leaves on the fancy couch beautifully). I'm already imaging grading there while Josh and Oliver watch Disney movies. When I'm done, we can have a stretched-out family snuggle session on the big, comfortable couch.

I spent some time on my exercise ball, and then, I was ready for bed. The cats were quite sad when James closed his door for the night. Davis had been been quite snuggly.

 (Image: http://ariannabelle.blogspot.com/?zx=4d1e3be34c7bdf1)

We had a lazy morning on Wednesday, apart from Josh taking a load of recycling to the drop-off site. Oh, the boxes we will break down (hopefully at amazing speeds)! I worked on some blog writing and reading, both of which I'd missed and felt incredibly behind on. James watched The Sopranos. Dad got back into town, and we all met again at 215 on Main. I wore my new green dress and felt quite pretty. I've been wishing for a green dress anyway.

I had a bacon cheeseburger (impressively juicy and saucy) with those magical Parmesan and herb fries,

Josh had a fancy salad with the fries,

James had catfish (sans sandwich) and fries (he'd already nibbled a bit when I took the picture),

and Dad had these impressive looking shrimp and grit cakes.

Yum! I ate just the right amount, realizing at the critical moment that I could either finish my burger or my fries (I chose fries). Josh took some photos of the downtown area, including an art deco bank (of course, he loves that) and a strange, empty, open-air shop space that I think would be a lovely backdrop for artsy or quirky photos.

Dad and James left, and Josh and I went home (new home!) to lie down. The neighborhood was so quiet. I kept thinking about that crib box in Oliver's room. We don't have a mattress or bedding for it, but I still want to see what the crib will look like in the room, along with the two tall white bookshelves and the pretty purple "grandparents' bed."

Oh, something else that seems peacefully settled and homey amid the cardboard chaos: we have a fruit bowl on the dining table. I normally wouldn't set food out like this, but the cats have never seemed to care about fruit. Wal-mart sells bags with mixed oranges and red and green apples. The different colors look nice in the silver bowl on the black table. And I like seeing Josh munching on a green apple.

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lauren-nicole/3372842469/)