LoveMomWorkLife

Poor Ignored Blog

2010-09-01T17:08:00.003-04:00

Sigh. It happened again. Hiatus.

Well, I've been BUSY, people. I will actually post my dad updates to the blog in the coming week - I was sending out updates on a daily basis to family and friends.

Short-story, Dad is hanging in there and doing as well as could be conceivably imagined after his surgery. It is still a long road ahead but right now progress is great though we still have some unknowns.

Lots else has happened too but I've got some catching up to do first.

Hasn't ANYONE Had Tongue Cancer Twice?/Heading to MSKCC

2010-05-13T09:37:00.005-04:00

Jeez.

I like to think I'm a pretty internet-savvy sort, and in the over-sharing world we live in, you would think that with a good online search there would be an overwhelming volume of stories of people who have gone through the same thing my dad is. But there aren't.

The reality is that there may not be a lot of case studies in the public because there aren't that many cases. I've found a Livestrong chat group for survivors of BOT (Base of Tongue) cancer and have signed on just to see if I can find out any more info. We just need to be armed with any questions and as much experiential info as possible.

Now...the good news (at least for now)! After a number of conversations with my Dad...and good friends, and kind contacts, and referrals, and research, and ultimately a conversation between my dad and his current doc...we have landed on a doc that we will be meeting with at Memorial Sloan Kettering. He actually has expertise in Rehabilitation of Head & Neck and the potential robotic surgery my dad may need. He sounds like a perfect fit. Let's hope so.

My dad, true to form, was worried about going to NY for treatments. After all, it's not like it's 20 minutes from his house, like New Haven. He'll need help. And that is ok. I told him it's the last thing he should be thinking about. We just need to go where someone is going to know what is best for him. The closest center that makes sense is MSKCC.

On another note...perhaps unrelated, but maybe not...O woke up with a crazy nightmare last night. Like, to the point where he asked to stay with us for awhile. He never does this. He refuses to discuss it with us - he "doesn't want to talk about it" - but needless to say, I think my empathetic boy has picked up on something going on.

Yesterday Was a Bad Day

2010-05-12T11:17:00.007-04:00

FAIR WARNING: I am going to wind up talking about my father's ordeal with his cancer recurrence in the coming months. For the few folks that actually read this, you're going to wind up seeing more than might want of that, and less about the kids and food and entertaining anecdotes. But that is okay, it is life, my life. I just need to get it out. If you don't want the details, I am not offended if you don't read, and you don't need to feel compelled to comment. I know you're there. xo

---
Well, for me personally it was just kind of a bad evening. For my dad, it was a bad day. He went to the chemo doc Tuesday, and it was "that visit" where you get the worst possible case scenario. I could tell it wasn't great news because he didn't call me. When he has good news, he calls me right away after an appointment. (ie: Monday, when his PET scan revealed that the cancer was "contained".

He needs to get a second opinion. It will be all about that for the next few days. Research, outreach, recommendations. Finding someone who has actually dealt with this - which is not easy.

I had a call with a friend Tuesday (who reads this...) who made a very good point. It's not good until it's really good. She is right. I think I was reiterating what my father's POV was in protecting me and my feelings. Staying positive. Perhaps a little pollyanna. I think I was just needing to simply keep my chin up. But things change quickly, don't they - as I mentioned in a recent post.

More details on what is exactly happening in the next post, as the progress keeps changing every hour, it feels like.

His Heart Shows

2010-05-10T09:32:00.005-04:00

Last night, we were having a simple risotto dinner cooked by C, to tie up a sweet, relaxed Mother's Day. We were listening to the radio, and The Bad Weather came on. C noted that Jack White had recently invested in some massive studio in Nashville, and he wonders if it is okay based on the horrible flooding down there, considering that Kenny Chesney's home is likely to be condemned. He commented that since it's not really a flood zone, he wondered if people would even get any insurance money to rebuild.

Green/AP

O spoke up and asked what we were talking about. So we explained to him about insurance, what happened with the flood, and why it could be hard for people to rebuild. (I know, he's not even six, we likely go a little far sometimes with the explanations.)

So then he offers to open up his piggy bank to help out. "I have a lot of money in my piggy bank - we can send some to those people." So we said, yes we could, if he really wanted to. Of course, I think he had the impression that he could half-build a house with "all the money" in his piggy bank.

So we talked more about donating, and money vs time. And that sometimes volunteering time was as or even more important than donating money. If he wanted to build something, we can look into groups (I was thinking Habitat for Humanity) that build houses for people, and we can see if we can volunteer. Would he like to do that? And he said yes.

I think we all need to listen to our children at that age, before things affect them too much. They can teach us so much, and give us a very good reminder about priorities now and then.

The Upside and the Downside of the Last Two Weeks

2010-05-07T21:49:00.006-04:00

I'm not going to stress about blogging. I'll tell you that right now. But I guess I am owing a catch-up since going AWOL about 2+ weeks ago. Well, there's been some reason behind it.

First, work had been somewhat slow. Which is kind of a bummer, always gives me pause and makes me question if I am doing the right thing. But I come around, and I know that I am, and remember that the economy is still crappy, and things change quickly.

And they do.

Last week I got one new client, and two new possible clients. Plus, an existing client that I adore has allowed for slightly higher comp. Nice! Feeling like my mojo is running a bit. Very good stuff.

And then, I get a call from my Dad. He has a spot bothering him in his throat, and he is going to get a biopsy. On my birthday. Which is really just coincidence, and I'm all for sooner rather than later with that stuff, but the messed up part is that it was 12 years ago that he told me he had cancer. So...what the heck. Okay, well, we don't know anything yet.

I'll fast forward. They are squamus cells and will need treatment. But, the good news is that it looks like it may be less invasive than last time, probably no surgery. He's had an additional PET scan to determine the extent of what he is dealing with today. At any rate, we are waiting to see. No pity, please, Dad hates that. He'll attack it with both barrels, and he'll beat it. That's the only option, and I know it's the way he views it.

So...I've had other things on my mind. Which is ok.

Proof a Five-Year-Old is Smarter Than Most of Us When it Comes to Ecology

2010-04-19T20:55:00.005-04:00

This week O's teacher sent home some worksheets and activities for the kids to do around Earth Day. Not homework, really, but activities to make them think about the planet and our effects on it. Which of course made me smile.

So there is a "blank" picture of the Earth, and the activity asks to draw things that are beautiful about the earth. So he drew flowers, water. :)

Then it says, flip over, and on the back, draw something showing one problem Earth has. He drew a dumpster, and "garbage". He said he drew an old TV that someone threw away, and a banana peel.

So I figured it would make sense to take the opportunity to explain the difference between those two types of "garbage". I explained that a banana peel is a fruit, so it comes from the Earth - it's a natural product that will simply decompose back into the soil, and the Earth will use those nutrients to grow other things.

I then explained the old TV, on the other hand, was man-made, with plastic and glass and metal. And those pieces don't break down into the Earth. So that becomes the waste we don't know what to do with, and why we have a problem.

So he looked at me, and said, "so why do we throw our banana peels in the garbage?"

(Dramatic pause as the adult realizes she'd better step up. Now.)

I attempt explanation. Well, we don't have anywhere to put them. The right thing to do is compost that stuff. That means we can collect it in a composter under the sink, and then transfer it to the garden. We're going to make our garden this weekend...would you like us to start doing that?

Yes.

Okay, deal.
I'll report on how it goes.

Limbo

2010-04-16T16:30:00.005-04:00

I know it's Friday and perhaps some of you think I have Louis Prima or something playing in the background and I'm making everyone bend under a broomstick. But, no. That's not what I mean.

Limbo. Stuck between earthly life and heaven, technically, no? Analogy in 3, 2, 1...

Earthly life. Which is a good thing if you are thinking about our environment and doing all the right things that go with it. If you are thinking that you have daily drudgery, well, things can always be worse. Right now I'm in a little slow patch, which is actually (other than financially) ok now and again. I feel like it clears my head. I get to clean up (mentally...no I did not ask you to look at my house at the moment), organize, see friends or catch up. Things like that. Yet, missing a little something.

Heaven. Let's say this is the perfect state. For me that would be an ideal balance of something that challenges my head, inspires good thinking on a daily basis, and brings in enough cash to make things easier and buy new shoes while maintaining the home office situation, spending some time with kiddos, and keeping any commuting or travel to a minimum/non-existent state.

Tall order, perhaps. But I'm willing to wait. It will come.

Food

2010-04-10T17:57:00.003-04:00

I like food. I like shopping for food. I like feeding my family and friends. I'd do it all the time if I didn't have to worry about making a living or any nonsense like that.

We hosted Easter this past weekend and experimented with a few new recipes. Success! I think I have a couple new "regular" dishes.

It's not hard. Cooking, I mean. It's the one thing in life that is very easy NOT to fall into a rut for me. And with more of a focus on organic and ingredients and evolving what we eat to even healthier than what we do now.

We have one rule about eating in this house. You have to try it. My kids are good about it. I'm not sure if that's because they are wired that way, or whether it's because both Chris and I are good examples, or whether my food is actually tasty. But for the most part, they comply. Okay, O does, regularly.

I wonder. I wonder if there is a place for someone who is NOT a trained cook or chef to have a point of view on how kids eat. How families eat. Would people care? Will I be talking to myself? Hmmm.

Easter...Bunny?

2010-04-04T23:22:00.005-04:00

Today was Easter, and we host our family (families) each year. The crowd changes for a variety of reasons, mostly for the my family/your family rotation that just about any married couple deals with in some form or fashion - we were happy to have friends join us as well this year.

Tried some new recipes. Went with a Tyler Florence recipe for pulled pork in the oven, and I have to say...holy cow, I am making THIS again! Pulled pork, fantabulous. And the ham was good. And my MIL's lasagna. And my mom's rice pie for dessert. And like twenty other things. We have enough for for the week, I think!

O woke up CRAZY early today...this is the kid we need to drag out of bed every school day, and sleeps past 9 on the weekends quite frequently - yes, a bit odd for a 5 3/4-year old - wanders in our room at 6:45! Ugghhh. If he wasn't so cute. Really.

I always take a family photo on Easter. (Okay, this is the second year in a row. But it is a new "tradition".) Unfortunately I didn't get around to it until after my children had chocolate cake. You can see the residual damage on O. Lesson learned.

And yes, I am a super-dork and make us all coordinate. Note I said coordinate...and not "match". Very different. This retains some modicum of self-respect. Loved G's dress. Let me squish those almost-not-baby-limbs of hers. Yum.

I know. I am still working on post frequency - I'll rally!

My Own Little Droid

2010-03-23T23:04:00.006-04:00

Everyone who knows me well knows that I am a Mac user, an Apple fangirl at heart. Since my early agency days when I was plopped on a blue iMac, and then a black Macbook, I fell in love. The side of me that loves all aesthetic nuances and ease of use just becomes happy. I'm writing on a MacBook now - the smallest, in white.

On the mobile side, I've had iPhone envy for some time. But if you know me well, you know I also have a pretty feisty practical side. My husband has a corporate discount with Verizon at work, and since we have our two phones, one for our nanny, and one for my mom...and Verizon actually does have better coverage in our area...I just haven't been sold on making the iPhone switch. It would mean switching us all over at the same time. So, I got a Blackberry when I started freelancing. Make that FIVE phones, since I didn't want to drop my old mobile # yet.

Well, a week and a half ago, I made the jump (after talking about it forever). I got a Droid. I lovvvvvvve it. It's very easy to use. It's not so thin and sexy as it's Apple nemesis, but coming off a Blackberry Curve, it feels like I advanced a decade. I've forwarded the old mobile number, so we're down to four phones again (well, physically, anyhow). It's got the slide-out keyboard but I find the touch screen simpler. I have small hands.

I haven't changed the alert yet. It sounds like I have a small Stars Wars character with me at all times. The kids get a kick out of it. So do I. "Droid" makes me giggle a little, still. I put a purple case on it so it looks at least a little more girly. Photos are great, apps, mail accounts easier than the Blackberry - must have something to do with that Google thing.

Next, Google Voice! I'm aiming to chop at least one more phone line off my bills. Will keep you posted on that adventure - so far I've assigned it to the wrong gmail account. Don't ask.

I love No Junk Food Week

2010-03-15T21:11:00.005-04:00

If you've read this in the past, I've mentioned a few times that I love food. Cooking it, eating it, finding new ways to play with it, trying new things out on the family.

I have progressively been getting more green and eco-conscious about my food. I only buy organic meats now that I am certain have no hormones etc, have started buying bulk to omit all the packaging, and am trying out all sorts of new leafy green veggies on the family. More vegetarian meals in the mix. With good results all around! I've also figured out how to shop in Whole Foods without it costing a stinkin' fortune. It's do-able.

(On a side note...if you have not seen Food, Inc. - you should. I think it should be required for all Americans, like requiring people to also work either in retail or food service/hospitality in their teen years so they learn how to treat people properly.)

To borrow a phrase from one of my clients, everyone is on a different place in their journey toward being aware of how they eat and what they eat, and how what they do in this area affects the environment.

So, needless to say, I was thrilled to see O come home with a No Junk Food Week flier from school, and a "contract" that he has to fill out this week with a healthy snack a day. Sweeeet.

So far we've got guacamole for yesterday (yes, I helped him spell that one) and today he wrote down cheese for his morning snack he brought to school. I wonder if this is stressing anyone else out...we are lucky that we both grew up on "real food" so we try to take it a step further in our house. It's a journey.

Last week they all were asked to bring in empty cereal boxes - so I gave him one of the worst we've had in the house - Corn Pops. 12g sugar a serving. (Then they gave them blocks to illustrate exactly what that meant.) One of the highest in the class. So we picked some new cereal this week - completely his choosing, after label-scouring - that had just 7g of sugar in it. Much better.

Can we make it No Junk Food Month?

We have a Swimmer!

2010-03-09T16:37:00.005-05:00

Mr. O has been taking swim lessons, as I've mentioned before.
I had started to have a little angst that my 5-year-old was not swimming yet. This past November (during the blog hiatus) in Aruba, we got both he and G the Konfidence vests - which I have to say, were stellar. Kept them upright, actually got them comfortable in the water. I think it made a huge difference when it was time for lessons.

Now G wants to jump in the water too!

We took this last week.

We are so proud.
So is he!

The Something Good Parts

2010-03-05T23:55:00.005-05:00

Let's just gloss over the week, mini-recap includes interesting flux with clients, income, blah, blah, blah. Nothing overwhelmingly terrible by any means. Whatever.

And for some reason I've gotten all sorts of scraps from social media in the last 24 hours from folks I know who CAN'T WAIT for this week to end. Really. Ya know...don't rush it. I'm going to guess that something good happened this week. You wouldn't have wanted to miss it, right?

My week ended on a wonderful note, actually, if I focus on my morning - a really awesome "something good". For the second time this school year, I went in to read to O's kindergarten class. Our selections: The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss, and Clam-I-Am - a Seussian approach to learning about the beach and all its associated creatures. Clam-I-Am was all fun and good, but I was pretty pumped in my newly reinvigorated green-ness to read The Lorax.

I love some of the connections the kids make, what goes through their heads, what they raise their hands to share.

"I have trees that fell down in my yard from the snow." Well, yes, but maybe some of those trees were old and that happens sometimes. But you didn't cut them down yourself, right?

"I like Paris." Really, have you been to Paris? It's very nice there. "No, but I am going when I am 12.". Good planning. Send pictures!

"I saw a dead bird once." (Mmmm....okay. Can't say I was prepared with a reaction for someone else's child to discuss death.)

Amidst all the sidebars, they all seemed to engage, to get the lesson that "UNLESS someone like you...cares a whole awful lot....nothing is going to get better...it's not." Tonight it occurred to me it would have been stellar to bring some seeds for everyone. So...maybe that's an idea for another time, it's not like they could have gotten planted today anyhow.

Enjoy your truffula trees today, everyone.

The G2 Summit

2010-02-25T21:55:00.000-05:00

G has turned 2! I know, she was barely walking the last time I told you about what was up with her. She is a bit of a mini-me, which is reinforced by at least one or two people weekly, and she has personality to spare. Demanding, silly, lovable little tiny girl. "Tiny" is one of her favorite words...she always raises her voice when she says it: "TI-nee!"

We had a family birthday party this past weekend. A Dora extravaganza. Please, por favor.

She was the star of her own show, looking lovely in purple and brown and a very, very special crown that was handmade by her older brother and held in place by a rhinestone headband (thank you, Crewcuts).

And now...introducing new technological leaps to LMWL...flip video! (Drumroll)

A fantabulous cake, with Dora and Boots on top. She is still at that age where all the hullabaloo over candles on a cake looks a little nutty from her perspective, I believe. Did not want to blow them out. Our big girl.

See, at least I have evolved in the last 9 months. Multimedia!

It's been way too long, friend.

2010-02-18T23:13:00.003-05:00

No, not you. I think I'm speaking to myself, here.

I told myself that come 2010, I would be back on the blog. Things have been up and down around here but honestly, it's all good. The short news is we are all healthy and we have the two best kids on the planet (well, they are mine, I am allowed to say that). So what's new in the last (gulp!) 9+ months?

We have a C of O for the house! This is recent news. Oh yes, you'll hear more about the house.
O is in kindergarten! Officially 67+ months old, as he puts it. Still my little old man, my baby boy. Much more of a boy, with boy things and boy sounds.
G is turning TWO this weekend. Seriously. She is a mini-me, cubed (poor thing). Such a trip - demanding, hilarious, goofy, dramatic. Beautiful.
C is still a great husband. :-)
I lost some weight. (I did have a 20th yr reunion last July, people.) And hell, it was time to ditch the baby-weight anyhow. Not a lot, but it doesn't take much on my frame.
I like to cook even more than before. Trying lots of new recipes, techniques, ingredients.
I'm trying to be greener, inspired by a client of mine. Buying in bulk when I can, reusable items, watching waste.
I have an updated client roster...yes, still consulting (woohoo! I AM NOT GOING BACK!). This is mostly what's been keeping me distracted. They are inspiring, wonderful and unique in different ways...I'm very lucky. And good people, most importantly.

So, stay tuned, if you still have any interest. I still don't shut up all that easily.
xoxo
N

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder? And Other Happenings...

2009-05-01T13:41:00.004-04:00

Well hel-lo strangers. I've been kind of remiss on the blog lately. 3 weeks w/o a post. Shameful. Especially with all the great photos and whatnot we've been taking.

Yesterday was my birthday. Still clinging to the 30s, almost barely. A regular day during the day but then my lovely husband treated me to a dinner at X20 in Yonkers - an outpost of the famous Xaviar's up northern way in Piermont. Yum. Definitely will need to make a return visit.

We've had a lot of developments at our house. We have a driveway! And as I type, there is a team of guys out in front of my house laying a new walk, fixing some steps. Next week...the whole lawn will get tilled and seeded and graded. Oh my. It will look like...a house. That's not in construction. Pictures to come.

G is Walking. Walking with a capital W, yes. As in, on her own, talking and carrying things, turning around, doing laps...walking. She's that "little person" now. It's too much.

Okay - consider this the clif notes update. More fun this weekend. I'll catch us all up a bit.

Don't Get Lost, Now

2009-04-10T23:36:00.004-04:00

Or....now.

I had a meeting on Wednesday morning at the Harvard Club in NYC, with Susan W. Bird. I've been a number of times before, for other meetings - but I always get confused on whether it is on 44th or 45th. So, I googled it on my bb.

And I thought...huh. I really can't get lost anymore. I have a TomTom in my car, I can search for anything via mobile, anywhere I go, and pull up a map if needed. I can't get lost. Actually, that means most people I know can't get lost.

Okay, who can get lost? Well, my mom. She doesn't do the tech thing so much. We take care of a cell for her, but let's be honest...she calls me on it, and she certainly isn't going to be doing any typing on a mobile device - she doesn't have a regular email address. (Please note I'm not poking fun here; she'd be the first to tell you the same thing.)

Susan and I had an interesting conversation about it - what that means, and how it will be so strange to my children when I recount some "old" anecdote about how their dad and I got lost somewhere and they'll say "well, how did you do that? Was there no wifi or cell service in that area?" Actually...they probably wouldn't even have that issue. Le sigh.

(On a side note, Susan is fascinating, and has a fascinating company, wf360...check it out.)

So then I came home at the end of that day, and thought about it a little more, and I recall my daughter's Christening last fall. A relative got lost on his way. There was some ensuing impatience with the fact that he's "old school" (sans mobile) from certain members of my family. And how there is no understanding....how it almost seems ridiculous.

Did we lose our patience that fast? Did we all just lose the opportunity to get lost and actually find something new in the process? Good, or bad? Or....both.

Personal Business

2009-04-03T22:08:00.000-04:00

I have a friend, a mentor of sorts, introduced to me by another mentor of sorts (who, come to think of it...was introduced to me by another mentor of sorts....but I digress...), who articulated the point that business and personal interactions aren't necessarily neatly separated, and that's a good thing.

I completely agree with this. Now that I've been at this work-for-myself thing for 6 months (yee-ha, btw), I have the ability to work on what I want to work on. With who I want to work with, more importantly.

And you know what...I only reach out to the people I really enjoyed working with. Sure, I'm networking my head off, but I have the luxury of pursuing engagement with folks I liked before, and that I know I'll enjoy working with again. I've got that handful of folks in my past that I could reach out to...big positions at big places...movers and shakers, if you will...but if I didn't like working with them then, why would I now?

I can't detach people from business. People DO business. I like people. Most, anyway.

Astronomy Lesson

2009-04-01T21:28:00.004-04:00

Apologies for being such an absent blogger. Sheesh, what good am I?

O gave me some great fodder today. We went to IKEA this weekend, picked up a new roll of paper for his easel. Hooked it up today and he started drawing late this afternoon. Of course, I am not allowed to look at it until he is finished.

Here is his masterpiece. It is a picture of "space."

"See the rocketship? That's me, me in the rocketship...and that up there, that's the alien spaceship. That alien spaceship is trying to destroy my rocket but I'm not going to let it." (note shooting in picture)

"Wow, bud - that's pretty cool. I like the spaceship, but those are bad guys, right? What's down at the bottom?"

"That's an alien."

"He's a good alien?"

"Yeah, he's a good alien. And then that (points to top of picture)...that's...uh....that's the thing in space - the thing - the thing in space that pours milk. Yeah, what is that called Mom, that thing in space that pours milk?"

"Umm...(significant pause)...the big dipper?"

"Yeah, that's the big dipper. Yeah...that's what it is."

Super-Inspired

2009-03-19T09:35:00.004-04:00

I have to give it to my pal K from Kwana Writes who pointed out the WAY fun site The Hero Factory. You can "make yourself" into a superhero.

Considering my dear husband is a bit of a comic book geek, I figured he would get a big kick out of seeing his wife superhero-fied. So here I am:

No, I did not come up with the name...and yes, I opted for the skirt/chick uniform. You know tailored + girly has always been my thing.

I love it! Take a spin and make yourself super today.

Okay...I'm working now.

Walk, baby, walk

2009-03-17T21:37:00.007-04:00

G is walking! We had officially 6 steps tonight, all by herself, no holding on. So exciting!

Haven't caught her in mid-stride yet, but this is how we felt watching her, anyhow...

Oh, and happy St. Pat's! We all got in the spirit today, particularly O....

Recession-onomy

2009-03-09T21:43:00.004-04:00

It sucks. Let's just say it, lay it on the table, get over it.
Too many people are belly-aching about the recession. Bottom line is, you have to get off your tush (as we say in this house) and deal.

I don't mean to sound unsympathetic. I have friends that have been affected, that have lost their jobs because accounts have left, financials are in disarray, management is poor, etc, etc. But you have to think about it...it's LESS about you personally now than it may be otherwise. So you can't wholeheartedly let it get to you.

I have been consulting, as of October. Some people think I'm crazy to do that now. I am confident with some diligent searching that I can find a position, if I wanted one, in advertising.

But I'm greedy. Not money-greedy...life-greedy.

And that's a greedy that I'm ok with. Means that I want it all...enough to live a decent life, enough time to spend with my family, enough freedom, enough happy. Admittedly - it sometimes takes a while to get priorities in order and grow up. But eventually, it happens.

I say...this is actually a good time to take advantage of an opportunity out there. A different mindset than the one we're used to, and sick of.

Perhaps the country (world? am I getting too grand?) wouldn't be in this mess if everyone was a bit more life-greedy, and a bit less money-greedy. If there were less Madoffs, less CEOs that justify their millions while cutting others' salaries, less politics in the workplace. Judging people on who they are - doing business that is good.

Problem is, it just takes a handful to mess up the rest of us.

Look around you. You decide what makes you wealthy.
Happy recession. Just go out and do better on account of it.

So If You Actually, Really, Check in Now and Again...

2009-03-01T22:39:00.000-05:00

Go ahead, follow me. I know, I've pointed out the Twitter thing before - I don't really think many of you have taken me up on that, which is totally fine. But now I've added the "Following" module down thar to the ol' blog.

So help me not be embarrassed by having only one fan (bless your heart, K) and please show some love. You're not required to comment, don't worry. :-)

Cheers.

G1 Summit!

2009-02-25T12:56:00.011-05:00

Time goes WAAAAYYY too fast.

Little baby G turned a year old this past Saturday! Oh my. How is she that big already? I'm floored. Good morning, sunshine! Thanks for being a birthday girl for us with breakfast.

And here she is opening her penguin from her brother.

We had a party and it was a blast. Family and friends joined us for her big day (which nicely fell on the weekend this year). Here are some pics from our little soiree for our little cupcake.

Her cake featured "chocolate art" created by our wonderful in-village bakery, The Riviera Bakehouse - now there's an example of a business that changed owners and remained a quality operation. It matched the invites, courtesy of Tiny Prints. (If you don't know Tiny Prints...do go online and introduce yourself.)

And here is her big birthday news...she is standing on her own! Okay, we don't have a photo yet but it's adorable...the way she kind of stands like...she's surfing. Hilarious.

She is such a wonderful, happy, verbal, demanding, love of a baby girl. Once again, we're so lucky.

Chopped Inspiration

2009-02-18T21:36:00.007-05:00

C and I do not watch a lot of "quality television" or even "hits". We make totally questionable choices that we're often embarrassed to admit. I will say we both enjoy "Life" quite a bit, as well as "Paranormal State". I know, I know. Honestly not worth discussing most of the rest of it.

However, one other theme that carries throughout our TV-watching is FOOD. Food Network (almost anything but Emeril), anything on public access...anything food. Recently, there has been a new show introduced (at least to us), "Chopped." Stars Ted Allen as the host; you know, the food guy from "Queer Eye".

Premise is this: four competitors, three courses. A competitor's dish is on the "chopping block" each round. Trick is, they hand you a basket of random - and I mean random - ingredients that you must use.

Many times people get booted for not using all the ingredients, not cooking their food properly (there's a time limit for each round), lack of creativity, etc. Best ousting? Messed up and used salt instead of sugar in his dessert.

Well, this has been a long lead-in...my copywriter friends would likely scold me for that. Long story short, Chopped is a bit of an inspiration of late.

If you are one of the very few dear regular readers of this blog, you'll know that on occasion I post up a "Dinner Surprise" post. Tonight I really did a dinner surprise. But I forgot to take a photo of it. Ditto with yesterday.

Dinner surprise means...no recipe, no plan, seat of my pants.

Yesterday: Seared shrimp with fresh parsley and mint, butter and orange zest, served over Israeli couscous; side dish: sauteed cauliflower.

Today: Boneless pork chops, lightly grilled then baked with coconut milk, black beans, green onions, cumin, lime juice...and banana. Side dish: my homemade guacamole.

Verdict from C and O: thumbs up on both! Woo-hoo. G ate well too. I am so proud.

I don't really know what the point of this post is except to show that I can cook creatively. Yep, that's it.

Organizational High

2009-02-16T21:46:00.005-05:00

Isn't it wonderful when things just come together?

I am finally pulling together our little back room as my office. A real desk chair, filing, a place for everything. Places that actually make sense.

We went to Target this weekend in search of bins, baskets, containers, thing to put things in. We have a shelving unit from Crate and Barrel we got years ago that's affixed to the wall. We've got video game bits, stationery, photos/memorabilia that needs to be put into albums, books, albums, some of my son's craft/work books...all of which needs to be somewhere.

Cue the angels singing. There they were, staring at me on an endcap in Target. Orla Kiely flowered fabric-covered storage containers. Ooh la la! We were meant to be! Check them out.

We had only picked up three. I am now so in love that I am sending my husband to grab some more this week. (Mind you, can't find them online.)

Glamorous, no; but adorable. I like comfortable. Now a happier little nook.
Perhaps I am getting to the 2009 organization resolution a bit late...but better late than never.

Miss G Makes Milestones

2009-02-09T23:39:00.009-05:00

Alliteration always makes things sound important, doesn't it?

Well our little lady has conquered a series of milestones...so before her upcoming big "1" birthday, let me tell you where she is in her adventures.

Standing. On her own. But only when she's not paying attention that we've let go of her hands.
We've got cruising, full speed ahead. Those little well-shod feet are working hard.
Babbling. And some words. She mimics us quite a bit. "Bye-BUH" (bye-bye) and "eyees" (eyes) and mama and dada and a half-variant of our son's name which is insanely cute.
"Hi" and "apple" and "cookie" and some version of "Cheerio" and...oh, it is so FUN. She's got this kind of raspy little voice.
She loves, loves, loves books. Can sit and flip through board books for ages.

She sleeps with her blankie, pink spotty puppy and the little pink bear that her brother picked out for her before she was born.
She just busted her 8th tooth! The last few days have been tough with a lot of back-arching and scream-crying. But it has freed itself. The scary part is that we know that two more are close behind!

Not to mention, as you can see...I think she's getting some bad-ass hair. Must be her dad's.
Mmm...baby.

Supper Club, Baby

2009-02-05T23:01:00.003-05:00

File this one under "well, did you take long enough?"

Prior to the end of the year, we got a lovely invite from friends up the street - those whom we share post-renovation stress disorder with - for a black tie potluck dinner. Really! Because that is how we roll in the Freshchester suburbs...during a recession.

The rules were:

Dress up like you are going to a "fancy wedding".
Bring a dish. And if you want, bring what's in your fridge...leftovers are totally legit.
Kids welcome (of course). And yes, they dressed.

Now, as I alluded to above, E & J recently renovated their home and it came out positively gorgeous (check out the wild kitchen...fabulous). It created a courtyard of sorts right in the "middle" of the house - really in two parts - so unique and absolutely perfect for entertaining. I love it. (Once you've renovated you can really appreciate the thought and creativity that people put into their house renovations.)

Not to mention the adorable kitchen booth that the kids took over for dinner.

Well, we didn't go quite black tie but I think we pulled it off pretty well. (Yeah...there were no pictures of me. I'm ok with that.)

We had such a good time--let's hope they didn't think they were going to get rid of us earlier than they did--one of our other friends commented "I'm not sure if they knew that we're always the ones that close down the party." Which is totally true. Yes, even with the kids. God knows, after all that wine we stayed for hours playing Catchphrase.

That's C with little G right there. She partied like a rock star, falling asleep during our wild and highly competitive play of Catchphrase. (Wine makes you creative, people.)

We decided collectively that an official "supper club" is in order. We have a couple options:

Seasonal: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Themed: for example, this was black-tie potluck

See, I needed to post this before we set the next one!
What's your vote? I knight myself (okay, I think I was nominated) official blogger for the club...most likely because I have the least-focused blog in the village anyhow. I find myself saying "club" like Fitty. What is up with that?

Cheers!

So Why, Exactly, Are My Posts Dwindling?

2009-01-28T22:21:00.005-05:00

Nope, not comments. Not visits. My actual posts.

For those of you who take the time to check in, I'm sorry I've been so negligent. I do appreciate the visits, so to me...worth the effort to apologize for lame-ness.

What's been keeping me so busy? Well...

I've been working on a new music discovery site, GrokMusic. Check it out! When we officially launch, I'll tell you much more about it. Suffice it to say for now that you can lose yourself in the GPS applications for quite some time, and I can't say enough nice things about the two founders.

I've also gained another two new clients...a home improvement media brand and a great cause-based Committee. For both of them, and for GrokMusic, I'll be helping them to position themselves to secure marketing partners, business development efforts.

So this is all good news.

What else. We got a Wii for Christmas. I am moving around a bit more! So is C. I do better than he does in bowling, he kicks my butt in tennis. Kind of maddening, considering that I took years and years of tennis lessons. It's like virtual drop shot after virtual drop shot. Argh.

I'll get better and become a regular poster again...the resolution is 2x/week.
See you soon!

A Good Day

2009-01-20T22:06:00.005-05:00

Today makes me look forward. Whether you were an Obama supporter or not, it should really make everyone look forward. It's a fresh start, one way or another.

Why? Some big reasons, some little ones.

Our new president represents America as an intelligent individual, with poise and class.
I don't feel like our country will be a bully anymore. I don't like bullies.
I think that the first family will be a good example--an accessible one--to others in the country.
It's nice to have a First Lady that I can actually relate to.
Feels like my family is going to be more important to everyone, not just to me, for some reason.
I can't remember the last time this much of the country was excited about anything.
I liked the fact I followed so much of real-people-chat on Twitter and online, in terms of how they felt, how the day impacted them.
LOVE the new White House web site! http://www.whitehouse.gov/
It felt good to have both the kids in the room with me during the oaths.
What he says makes sense to me, as a person.

I hope everyone has good feelings in their heart today. It will not be easy, it will not be fast to fix all that is currently off-balance in the USA. But at least it seems like a good running start.

Great-full

2009-01-19T13:56:00.005-05:00

I usually don't get very sappy or emotional in my posts, but you must forgive me on this one.

Everyone by now has heard about US Air Flight 1549 and how it had to make a necessary "ditch" landing in the Hudson River after both engines were taken out by a flock of geese. I now, officially, despise those Canadian geese.

A dear friend, a mentor of mine, was on the flight. I had a call with her that morning to discuss some business-related issues and she noted she was going to be flying home that afternoon around 2pm or so. When my husband called to tell me the news, I was picking my son up from preschool and it just didn't register immediately that the flight was heading to Charlotte. When it hit me, I freaked out.

Photo: J. Krums

Photo: AP

After getting home and seeing these visuals, and waiting for them to confirm that all we off the plane and there were no life-threatening injuries, I seemed to calm down. However, when I recognized her in the NY Post the next morning - I burst into tears.

I'm not going to expose her in a picture, because she deserves her privacy and to handle this event in the way that she needs to. She's gotten enough exposure from the general media at this point.

All I know is that I am eternally grateful to the pilot, the crew, everyone who rallied together both on and off the plane, and most of all, to her, for having the sense of knowing how important every life was on board.

I finally spoke with her this morning, and she sounded great - good perspective, her sense of humor was intact, and ready to head home on a flight soon. She loves travel and this "type of thing" is hardly going to stop her, or as she put it, "it's not going to make me live a type of life I don't want to lead." She is an inspiration.

I love her and I feel so lucky to still have her in my life.

Reveling in a Design Moment

2009-01-08T21:22:00.008-05:00

Oh, I am SO happy. I must share this.

You may recall we've recently redone our house. Of course, there is decorating to do...which will undoubtedly last forever. For starters, this includes some relatively major kitchen decisions like cabinet hardware, backsplash and what to do with an entire blank wall across from the island. Oh, and stools for said island.

If you ever read this, you may have picked up that I am an Anthropologie junkie. I love their clothes, shoes, accessories...home stuff. Yes. Home stuff.

So...seeing as I get every catalog and email they generate, I clicked on the new email today and head through to the site. Well, whammo. I find our new kitchen cabinet hardware. ON SALE.

They are actually made of bone. Maybe that's a little crazy, but...whatever.

It fits all the criteria:

Not boring.
Not metal.
Doesn't become the main focus of the kitchen.
Haven't seen it before. I know...I have issues.

C bought in and we ordered 44 pieces. Score. Happy dance. No fingerprints on the cabinets anymore.

Closing the Door on 2008

2009-01-05T23:53:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! I guess before I start anew with my first official 2009 post with a happy welcome to the new year - hello, it's the 5th of January already - I should make sure that I close out with everything I meant to post before end of year. Yeah, yeah...resolution, shmesolution.

Perhaps the best way to do that is keep with my theme for this past month and not make it just about myself but share a little bit of what we experienced throughout 2008 and especially during this holiday season.

Our first bit of awesome-ness this year arrived on February 21. Little miss G, who is our wee angel & little sister in this house. Hard to believe she will be a year before we know it.

O immediately acknowledged the fact that we had a new addition.

O finished his 3-year-old's preschool class and started "the 4s". He is officially...a boy. And so darn much fun, with a good sense of humor, mischief, and unfortunately he's also a lot smarter than his parents some days. He continues the rock star/surfer look.

G has seven teeth, is cruising, crawling on hands and knees, trying to go up stairs, can't be left alone for a second, and makes us laugh all day. When she meets you for the first time, you get an intense stare for about 12 minutes, then she warms up. She's got a lot to say but we can't understand all those coos and beautiful sounds quite yet. We think she's trying to tell all of us what to do.

C and I had a wild ride, a busy year with a new baby and an almost-conclusion to our house renovation. (Yes, I'll get to that once we get the driveway and landscaping done in the spring).

We got the president we wanted, the economy officially tanked, and I was laid off in September. In the long run, that's motivated me to further improve the work situation to emerge (finally) as a marketing and business development consultant. Economy tanking or not, I am looking positively at the coming year. There are still lots of opportunities out there.

Our trip to Aruba was great, a great underscore to all the family time we had this year. But nothing topped the holidays this year--we got to see so many friends and family, it made us realize how lucky we really are.

Christmas Eve...O with my handsome godson B. Like a big brother, he is. (God, that sounded like Yoda.)

G got her first "dollie" as a gift from her godmother. She loved it. Kissed it. We all fell apart.

Seriously, what kind of four-year -old needs to be woken up on Christmas morning? Mine.

We opened gifts with my parents at our house, had some mimosas, and got on our way to C's family. Little miss G, with so many gifts to open...just distracted by the sparkly stuff.

O goofing around on Grandma's lap with cousin J, entertaining as always...

...and C with our silly little gal, taking her turn at making like Frosty.

Ups and downs come and go but it's the real stuff that sticks. You know what I mean.

It's Not About Me: Santa & Dr. Kaplan

2008-12-27T11:03:00.005-05:00

My freshman year college roommate has been recently married to a wonderful man that has been in her life for years now. I think I can speak for all of the college gals that we adore this guy. He is a great dad to her beautiful daughter (who my boy has a major running older-girl crush on) and I have to say he makes a pretty good lasagna, too.

It was a lovely surprise this morning to open the paper and see him smiling back at me.

Turns out the good doctor performed some life-saving surgery on Santa this year, and the big man came back in person to thank him and visit the kids at his hospital. You can read the whole lovely story in the NY Post.

Our friend doesn't seem like the type that would like a whole bunch of news about himself, but it was the sweetest article, and I just needed to share.

If that's not good inspiration for holiday spirit, I don't know what is.

It's Not About Me: Nature

2008-12-21T10:25:00.003-05:00

Well, Mother Nature counts as a special person, doesn't she? And we all know her.

This morning we were all finishing up a yummy breakfast of eggs, eggnog donuts and mango while a lovely buck wandered into our yard all by his lonesome. Can you see his antlers?

The snow is just gorgeous in our neck of the woods, even if it does make the roads a bit treacherous here and there. There's no better reason to light a fire and snuggle up together. Or, have a little bit of wine and cheese with the kids. (Yes, yes, the wine is just for me and C...have a little faith, people.)

Stay warm, everyone, and enjoy the snowy ramp-up to Christmas. We are.

It's Not About Me: H1202

2008-12-17T13:40:00.007-05:00

You know, I'm a lucky gal. I have some amazing friends (so you've noticed, if you've been reading). There's always a good story or two floating around this house about folks we know.

I've decided for the rest of the month, I'm going to make all my posts about some of my amazing friends or people I know. I'm too busy trying to make this consultant thing work to be of much interest myself, anyhow. (Okay, and maybe the kids here and there; it's the holidays and it would be hard to leave them out.)

Let me introduce you to H1202 (the nickname is...well, don't worry about it). H came into my life as a co-worker and significant other to one of my good friends. H is now considered a full-on close friend, someone I would consider one of my "girls". They live close to us and have two adorable little boys and we get to eat and hang at each others' places every now and again, which is always a good time, and never often enough.

She is smart, sassy (in a grown-up, take-no-prisoners way, not a Bratz doll way) and knows more about more stuff than I think could ever possibly fit in my head.

H went through breast cancer 10 years ago and kicked its ass. She is an exemplary model of what you can do when you put your mind to it.

In honor of this anniversary, she applied for, and got accepted to, run the Boston Marathon for the Dana Farber team. If you know anything about the Boston Marathon or breast cancer, this is a VERY BIG DEAL. H has never run a marathon before.

Check out her new blog, 10 Years Cancer Free and Running the Boston Marathon!, which will exist for the duration of training through the marathon only. Like I said, she's a smart gal and she writes a hell of a lot better than I would about what she went through and why she's doing the marathon.

Keep up with her progress...root her on with us. Check in for inspiration. Make a donation if you're so inclined. And learn something...she is full of info about what is going on around the topic of cancer today. She's also got a facebook group on her effort if you'd like to check that out.

10 years cancer-free and 100 more for you, I hope, H. Best wishes! We are so proud.

G .... That is Beautiful

2008-12-07T21:49:00.010-05:00

Some of you may stumble on my blog via pve design. If you do, you know how talented and charming she is. You may now add that you are completely jealous of me because:

(a) I get to actually be in-person friends with this lovely woman, and...
(b) I have a beautiful piece of her work in my home.

I had asked P (it's de rigueur here on LoveMomWorkLife to go by first initial only) if she could do something special for my daughter's room. G is nine months old, and I've made a genuine effort not to decorate it like a baby's room; pastels have never been my thing. This is G's blanket. (To give credit where it's due, it was a custom order from Maddie Boo via TraLaLa in Irvington. And yes, those are FLOR toy poodle tiles on G's floor.)

I want the room to grow with her; when she saw my frame, she said good-humoredly that it was kind of "baby goth". (Nailed it.)

So I asked if she could do a "G" for me. And I left it up to her. She asked for G's bedding and came and saw her room. Let me show you what she's brought for us.

Isn't it gorgeous! We are too lucky, and little miss G will have the most decadent piece of work to keep in her room, hopefully for a long time.

Well, if you don't know PVE (you poor, poor thing) you must check her out. She does custom work and I have never heard of anyone being anything but unbelievably delighted.

Last look...all together:

You're Going to See This Differently When You're Older

2008-12-04T23:16:00.005-05:00

I had a really hard time titling this one.

There's really no way to fully appreciate the insanity that presents itself in everyday interactions with one's children, particularly something that illustrates the amazing change that happens in one's perceptions as they move from childhood to adulthood.

C and I have a running joke that G, our 9-month-old daughter, has a bigger rear end than our 4-year-old son, O. It should be noted O is a little smaller than "average" for his age and requires pants with an adjustable waist, and G is a bit on the heftier side of "average".

Last night, we actually sat them next to each other on the couch, and were like, yup, G's tush is bigger. (She is going to kill me when she is older for this.) She's a baby! She has baby fat. It's the cutest thing, really.

Then it happened. O had a meltdown.

"NOOOOOooooooooo! My tush is bigger than HERS!!! She does not! Nooooooo...!!!!" (crying ensues). Oh God, what did we do.

G, meanwhile, looks at him, and us, in complete bewilderment.

"No, buddy, no, no...it's not a bad thing...why are you getting upset? Don't get upset...she's just a baby, and babies are chubby...."

"NOOOOOOO!!! I don't want her to have a bigger tush than me! (Crying, sobbing, insanity) Nooo!!!" We hug him. Tell him it's ok. Try to explain, and he is not having it.

So, here is my son, yelling at me that he wants a bigger rear. Seriously.

To finally get through to him, C and I point out what is pretty evident to anyone else. My rear is bigger than my husband's. It's a "girl thing", that we're shaped differently, we say. (I know...it doesn't really apply to a 9-month old, but work with us.)

You can't get tickets to anything better.

We Go Out Sometimes

2008-12-01T23:14:00.005-05:00

Well, that sounds kind of lame. Okay...we don't get out quite as much with two kids. But we still know how, dammit. But on Saturday night we had a great time at our friend's surprise birthday in Manhattan.

Happy Birthday R! You are a classy chick, a wonderful neighbor, and a great friend.

We hit the roof bar afterwards for a quiet moment of our own, too. Yay.

Thanks

2008-11-27T22:52:00.007-05:00

There are so many things to be thankful for. Our families are the first. Life may get crazy sometimes but we are lucky to have parents and siblings to share our lives and to share our children with.

I'm thankful for having two wonderful kids and an awesome husband. I love him and he loves me; regardless of what happens, that much I know.

Wishes to you all for a wonderful thanks-filled day.

Aruba 2008

2008-11-27T22:06:00.000-05:00

Last week, we came back from our family vacation in Aruba. We have been about 5 or 6 times before, and we always go with my husband's family - his parents, brother and sister-in-law, and usually an aunt and uncle too. (I'm one of those lucky folks who actually enjoys my in-laws quite a bit!)

These are the moments I relish the most on vacation.

We had a grown-up night out with my brother- and sister-in-law. It was a blast and completely silly; after a delish dinner we hit a piano bar. We said "one drink"...I think we left after about 6.

You get to take pictures like this, that you never have time for at home...

The coconut flan finale to family dinner out presented with great flourish by O.

We took O on a submarine ride, which was truly cool - shipwrecks and coral reefs and lots of sea life he's never seen. Down 130 feet and you get the "wow"...

Our last big dinner night out pooped out our little party girl.

Mmm. Happy.

I have been really lame.

2008-11-22T14:56:00.004-05:00

I'm sorry, blog. I haven't been paying attention to you, ignored you on vacation, and just haven't kept you up to date with my goings-on.

What's happened in these last two+ weeks since the election? Hmm.

I've been trying to get that free agent thing moving. Working with some very lovely folks and meeting new people. Feeling lucky even though much money isn't coming in yet. I have faith for that. It will happen. More to come soon.

I got myself on facebook. Yeah, yeah, it's about time.

I am on Twitter. Trying to figure out how to have it feed into the blog. Which should be easy enough, I think.

I submitted some articles to a site I'm working with, travelingmom.com. I'll let you know when they get posted.

I met a great gal named Beth who owns rolemommy.com. Check out the site...she has a great sense of humor and if you're a mom, you'll pretty much always relate to where she's coming from.

Oh yeah, and we went to Aruba! Okay, I'll do a separate post with lots of pics on that tomorrow.

Forgive me.

Wow.

2008-11-04T23:18:00.007-05:00

It's been a long time since I posted, but I can't help but do this right now, even though I was hoping to catch up with Halloween and some fun stuff first. Anyhow, apologies for the dry spell but you're just going to have to wait for those Halloween shots.

Barack Obama was just predicted to win the presidency by all three major news networks. History has been made.

I have friends and family that I am certain did not vote the way that I did. I, for the first time a good number of years, voted for the president-elect, for Senator Obama. I am thrilled. I'll even admit my eyes welled up with tears as the networks all announced the prediction at 11pm.

John McCain is giving a gracious concession speech right now. Honestly, one of his best of his entire campaign--emotional, inspirational, genuine. The negative vibe from his followers in the crowd is palpable, which is unfortunate and he is doing his best to dissuade...but perhaps it's just a vocal handful.

C isn't home--away for work in Boston. We've been on the phone on and off much of the evening. Kind of in disbelief, and excited.

Entering the election period, I had the usual concern that I was going to have to vote for the least offensive candidate. I tend to shy away from politics, and dislike the negativity that reminds me of middle school torture. I am typically insulted by the level of discourse that they think should satisfy most Americans. While there seemed to be enough of this to go around, I do feel like Obama took the high road, for the most part. Admittedly, both campaigns had their divisive moments, and both campaigns had their high points. One clearly balanced a bit better than the other.

I'm a registered independent. I've voted with both parties in the past, though primarily Democratic for presidential elections.

I feel like, for once, someone gave me the respect I deserve and earned my vote. He didn't tell me how to vote, he told me how it was. He showed he was intelligent and thoughtful and knew more than simply the party-line worldview. He speaks to everyone with the same tone, one that I think will resound strongly with our allies and aid in foreign relations.

This election was more important to me than ever because of my children. I don't want anyone leading this country through anger or resentment, or even someone who uses a snarky tone to communicate to the public. I don't want them to see a leader that believes aggression is a first means of approaching an issue. I don't want them to see us living in a "bully" nation. I want them to be proud and I want them to genuinely understand the value of all human beings and what anyone can contribute to this world.

I am really proud of our country for making this decision. I am thrilled to see the excitement throughout the entire country! When have we ever seen celebrations like this over an election? This is the passion America is supposed to feel, all the time. I took pictures of my TV, as you can see.

I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. How will the world perceive us now?
Very, very differently.

G is 2/3 of a year old!

2008-10-21T21:54:00.004-04:00

That's 8 months! Big girl.

She now has FIVE teeth...two bottom middles and the two "fangs" up top, plus her right top middle finally poked through.

Very serious tonight. Must be worried about getting old already.

Leave Us Together

2008-10-18T22:52:00.007-04:00

The leaves are just so gorgeous in our neck of the woods right now that C and O couldn't help themselves but rake up a few big piles. They came and got G and I to jump right in with them.

One of our neighbors walked by and offered to take a picture of us all in the leaves...heck yes! Like C and I are ever in a photo together any more...well, figures...neither of the kids looked at the camera.

Beautiful, beautiful fall day. Saved the best for last...

WHOA! WHOA! Whoa, there, buddy...

2008-10-17T16:18:00.004-04:00

(photo of O as he woke up the other morning...completely upside-down)

My four-year-old son informed me today on the way home from school that he was getting married in the park tomorrow to his current preschool girlfriend, who shall remain nameless. I am certain she is a lovely little girl...but jeez! He's four. (And a quarter, as he would add.) Not to mention a proper wedding requires a bit of planning.

So I also bring his little bud home, as we carpool. So his pal asks, "where are you going to live?"

And he repeats our address. So I say, "Wait, you and '___' are going to live with us?"

"No!" he says, with a giant grin on his face. "California!"

Help.

G's Christening

2008-10-13T09:10:00.008-04:00

Our little girl was baptized Sunday. Here she is in all of her splendor.

Her gown was actually "donated" by my aunt, my godmother. She picked it up in a children's store that she worked at ages ago when it was going out of business...figuring she may have a granddaughter someday! It was positively beautiful and somehow, remarkably...fit perfectly. Had an antique feel to it.

We even got the boy dressed up. (Well, we all did.) Do you see big brother holding her hand?

Of course, you can't let a 7 1/2 month old who's as active as she is stay in that gown all day. So she had a costume change.

Note the shoes. My friend D has the BEST taste. Whoppers.
(In case you can't tell...they are leopard-print pony-hair flats. D&G. With a delicious tiny white leather bow. Every little girl should be so inspired, so young.)

God bless you little girl; you were the most wonderful angel all day.

Tennis Lessons Started Again

2008-10-05T23:40:00.004-04:00

O started tennis again. Look at that form!

Backhand practice on Friday. I'm so proud. He likes tennis so much more than any other sport so far.

Begin Again, Lady, with Grace

2008-10-01T23:05:00.000-04:00

I have parted ways with my current employer. All about the math.

Revenue needed, clients can't commit, salaries to be paid, time ticking, I was most exposed.
And...there you go.

Not entirely unexpected, which is why I've been entertaining freelance opportunities. I will admit my heart has not been in it lately at work...slowly, slowly realizing after having a second child that priorities continue to tilt and spin as life evolves. And that what seemed "good enough" perhaps wasn't.

Don't get me wrong; I am grateful for the flexibility I was allowed. I'm thrilled with all that I learned. It's made me significantly more qualified for the current day. I am much more valuable now than when I walked in that door.

I am lucky to have remained in contact with good, smart people. It's time to make a change and do something that is more fitting. In other words...I'm not going back to an agency.(Okay...maybe on a project basis, to make some cash...hey, we have bills to pay!) But not in a client-management, day-to-day role.

This is my opportunity to change for good, to get more time at home with the kids, to never have to feel stressed about my priorities being in the right place.

I'm ready to crack the code somehow. Wish me luck!

Tagged Again!

2008-09-28T23:12:00.006-04:00

Oh goodness, that Kwana gets me in trouble.

You can see my first "tag" post to get an idea of what it's all about but it seems the rules this time are:

Link to the person who tagged you. (Kwana)

Post the rules on your blog. (here they are)

List 6 unspectacular quirks you have. (ooh, I probably have more than that.)

Tag 6 bloggers by linking them.

Leave a comment on each person’s blog to let them know they’ve been tagged.

Six unspectacular quirks about me.

1. I prefer short nails. Very short. Not a manicure girl. Also keep the kids' nails very short. Long nails actually gross me out a bit.

2. I don't really like pizza. This is particularly quirky for a 1/2-Italian American girl. Used to pull all the cheese off as a kid.

3. I talk a lot. I tend to have a story for everything. I can relate to just about anybody.

4. I cannot drink coffee with milk. It must have half-and-half or really, the experience does nothing for me.

5. I have some strange desire to go against the grain on most things. An example: my daughter's wardrobe. I think she owns more blue clothing than my son. I don't buy pink for her...for him, sure.

6. Compulsive email checker.

Who can I tag? Oh...forgive me, people...pve, Seleta, Fink, googs...aigh...can some of you regular readers just comment and give them to me? C'mon, help a girl out...volunteer.

Focus on Un-focus

2008-09-25T23:53:00.005-04:00

That makes no sense. So today, I will pepper the ol' blog with some random thoughts that are plaguing me this week.

Planning a Christening for baby girl. Still need to figure out what she's wearing. She is a GIANT BABY so we need to sort out that gown thing and I think she'll change for the reception. A little non-traditional, but so is waiting 8 months to do it. Doing a family-only thing, not as big as O's (the family budget is somewhat tighter than in those one-kid, pre-renovation days...).

On G. Already noted, she is big. Adorable. Sitting up on her own. Third tooth came in an odd place, upper (expected, since she already had lower) but like two teeth over on the left side. Looks like the next one in is another bottom. She gets woken up by it sometimes, but in the last week she has ditched her last bottle in favor of sleep. Amen.

She talks. No, not real words (yet) but she is a chatterbox already. Especially while she's half asleep. Tells us a whole story in her darling little coos and noises while she is drifting back into dreamland. It is the most charming thing ever.

O. He wrote on his face with marker today because he thought it would look "cool". Still a little green post-bath.

What the heck with this debate nonsense? So how about this...I want to know what the heck you both think about this mess we're in. How about you move the debate to DC so you're traveling less and make the topic ONLY about the economy. Then tell me what you would do about it as president. All of a sudden it's not important for us to have presidential debates? Are you kidding? C informed me that we had a debate on the day we invaded Normandy. Let's go, people.

These new "I'm a PC" ads. Get your own idea. And advertise the product you actually sell, Microsoft. You don't sell PCs.

I'm overworked. My job is actually more than full time, it feels, I'm back in the swing of fall school shuttling (which I enjoy so I can't complain), and I am taking on freelance that I do starting at oh, 10pm at night. I know...I signed up for this. All in the name of evolution, I suppose. Keeping the eye on the target.

I'm feeling fat. Crap. I have to lose a little weight. Vacation in November. Don't want people to look at me with the..."oh, well, she did just have a baby" look.

Good grief we really need to get that driveway put in.

And jeez, it makes me crazy when I have to edit the auto fill-in post labels on Blogger. If I put a comma, dammit, I don't want auto-fill.

Okay. Done now. Why is G crying.

Dinner Surprise III

2008-09-20T21:10:00.004-04:00

I have to say it wasn't much of a surprise but it worked well!

Last night I encouraged C to grill up an entire package of yummy Italian sausage (links). I suppose I didn't judge very well but we wound up eating maybe 1/4 of it. In the fridge it went.

So I was thinking, if I just leave it in the fridge it will totally go to waste, we'll never eat it if it stays in link-form. It was grilled already; we had it with grilled vegetables and cornbread.

Planning a laid-back night at home with the kids today, I grabbed it. Yes, we were going to have sausage again, damn it.

I also grabbed an onion, some zucchini and plum tomatoes from the farm market, and a handful of chopped cilantro. I cut the sausage into somewhat thin slices.

Olive oil in the pan; onion and zucchini. Just until both started getting soft. Threw in the sausage. Let it all carmelize a bit together.

About 2 minutes before I was ready to take it off, I threw in the tomato (good-sized chunks so it didn't totally fall apart) and the cilantro.

Took a fresh Italian bread with a little butter to have with it and soak up the juice...delicious.

Woo-hoo! Success. Happy family. We even threw the vegetables in the Cuisinart and G ate some too.

Now Here's the Way To Do It

2008-09-16T20:09:00.002-04:00

Sometimes you can learn a lot from a four-year-old.

We are blessed to live in a very diverse neighborhood and have a fabulous set of neighbors in this diversity, as you've heard me brag about before.

O was at the playground this morning and was telling me that he was playing with a girl. I asked him what she looked like, to see if I could recall meeting her before.

He described her not as blonde but her hair was a "coffee" color. He always defaults to flavors when describing people. I think this is so great. (I've mentioned he has a food/cooking thing.)

People are "vanilla", "chocolate", even "coffee". It's just how they look and how to describe them to someone else. Clearly that's the only reason he even uses terms to differentiate. There's no reason to, otherwise.

So I encourage his flavor-descriptions. So does J, my nanny, who is a different "flavor" than me.

Is this the "right" way to handle it? I don't know. We're just doing our best, trying to teach him (and ultimately G) that all people are the same. They're people. They might look different but that's about it.

Next time you need to describe someone...maybe use a flavor, and see how it feels.

Slow Down, Speed Up

2008-09-11T23:17:00.005-04:00

Time is flying. O is four, G is almost 6 months, preschool just started, Halloween is around the corner.

Work is busy, C's work is busy, I'm blessed with a little freelance, I keep thinking about what's next for work, gosh this house needs to be cleaned. (Again. Damn construction dust never leaves.)

Paint the porch and front door, get the driveway done, landscape, finish the siding on the garage. Finish the island, paint some inside, what are we doing with that backsplash.

We have to plan G's Christening, make and send invitations. Dentist and doctors' appointments for the kids, I need a haircut...oh crap; I just realized I have double-booked myself when I was supposed to have acupuncture tomorrow. Again.

Ugh, that new printer doesn't work with the Mac OS...return it, keep it? Submit everything for the C of O.

I can't wait for our vacation in two months - yay, two months!

I can't wait for holidays this year because I missed decorating so much last year.

I can't wait to see G crawl. Take her first steps. Say her first word.

I can't wait until next year when I hopefully reach the point where I can schedule every day based on my own priorities. When I take vacation when I want to and not because of the number of days I have left.

I can't make up my mind.
Images from aslpict.blogsome.com & tell.fll.purdue.edu, respectively.

Don't Let Your Monday Ruin Your Sunday

2008-09-10T00:20:00.005-04:00

We had our block party this weekend, on Sunday because of the rain-out on Saturday. A friend noted that she saw "Don't Let Your Monday Ruin Your Sunday" on a t-shirt on a recent vacation.

It's genius. And it's something that I personally need to remind myself of on occasion.

I was so bummed out because I just felt like I'd have a better time on Saturday. I didn't have to worry about getting the kids down at a decent hour because we had work the next day, because today happened to be a kind of full day and a full week for me, work-wise.

Why do we do that to ourselves? I continually try to work myself out of bad habits I developed when I was a young workaholic living in the city. I look back on it and think, ok, fair enough to feel that way to get ahead in your career when you're that age...but jeez, do priorities change when you have kids.

And now with two...even more so! De-program, de-program, de-program.

On a more upbeat note, we had a great time at the block party. We are too lucky, our neighbors...our friends...rock.

Karaoke, Wii, potluck, apple bobbing, bouncy castle, local fire truck. Awesome.

(thanks E., for the quote.)

Brunette

2008-09-06T22:43:00.003-04:00

So C and I just flicked on "Walk the Line" for the, I don't know...45th time? Love this movie.

I really think Reese Witherspoon needs to be a brunette. Always thought she was so striking in this film.

Johnny and June Carter Cash. What a story.

Not a Political Observation

2008-09-04T23:07:00.004-04:00

So C and I were watching the RNC (and yes, we watched the DNC too, we are both registered independents). I may be really leaning one way, but I don't see how you can't watch both. We don't understand voting a party line.

I didn't mean to get so serious, there. There are a thousand comments and observations I could make after watching these. And I probably will eventually. But truthfully, since these things are propaganda machines for the most part...I want the debates.

On to my far more light-hearted point.

It's the close of the convention and McCain and Palin are walking the stage together. Their spouses are on the other end of the stage, also together.

I say to C, "What do you think Cindy McCain and Todd Palin talk about?"
His answer has to be dead-on.

"Beer."

What is Wrong with People? Volume I

2008-09-04T00:15:00.005-04:00

What is Wrong with People? is most likely going to wind up becoming a recurring topic, driven mostly by other parent interactions. Because I don't know what is wrong with some people out there.

Anyhow. I dropped G off at the park today after her doc's appt. (It went very well, she is 18 lbs, 7.5 oz...90th percentile in weight. My big bundle of love who is happy, healthy, and a smartie.)

J, our nanny, deftly and tactfully pointed out someone that she had mentioned before to me. This was the woman who had actually asked to check the tags in the back of my son's shirt to see where it was from some time ago.

Was she checking to see the brand name? Did she like it and want it for her child? Or (more likely) was she attempting to find out what kind of background that O came from based on what he was wearing?

I had heard from other mothers that they experienced this at a Gymboree or like venue, so clearly it's a tactic of some sort. Can anyone shed any light on it? I find it horrifically offensive.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?

One Sentence

2008-08-29T22:51:00.004-04:00

I had an acupuncture appointment this afternoon, then took my Prius to a farmer's market and bought some locally-grown organic produce.

So if you don't know me otherwise....what do you think of me now?

Hi, I'm a New Mom and I Bought a Bikini

2008-08-27T23:20:00.006-04:00

Someone needs to smack me or send me to a 12-step program.

Let's start with the premise I love a good deal. I LOVE a good deal. On anything. It's like a high for me. (Vices could be worse, right?)

So I stumbled across this new site that has designer sales, and some of them are just fantastic, killer deals. I signed up for the email...thinking, okay, we're on a budget at the moment because we're still recuperating from the reno. But they have kids' stuff, accessories...everything. I'll behave and be very selective if I purchase.

So a few days ago, I got a sale alert, and I bought a Syla swimsuit--a two-piece tie bikini. The one on the right. Except like a deep coral color (actually, the color I want to paint my front door). I figure, oddly enough, the tie bikinis usually work on me because you can adjust them, as I am somewhat short-waisted and it doesn't "cut" into any tummy or hip, since you tie it. Two pieces with fasteners never work because they are never tight enough under my chest based on my "size".

It's small. Let me explain...it fits, I chose the right size. It's just a small bathing suit. It didn't look that small on the model.

But then, the model doesn't have my tush. And probably hasn't had two kids.

I suppose it will provide sufficient inspiration for our upcoming vacation in Aruba. I guess I know what I need to work on.

G is SIX Months Old

2008-08-21T23:04:00.005-04:00

...and has two teeth! It's all from Mama the paparazzi today.

She has on her Mets dress that Daddy bought for her at Shea. Which comes with "Mets underpants" as my son puts it.

Doing her new favorite trick, the raspberry. Which we think must somehow make those aching gums feel better.

And as always, looking for the best escape route.

Happy half-birthday, little baby girl.

Current State of Mommy

2008-08-20T23:49:00.005-04:00

Or Mama, as my son puts it when he is working me for something. "MAmmaaa."

I have Mommy Track'd noted on the sidebar over there as a favorite stop for me. The articles, posts and content in general often brings a trickle of levity when I'm having a "working mom moment".

I stumbled across this comic by Betsy Streeter on Mommy Track'd during the week and absolutely loved it. I have often done the "Mom-on-a-business-phone-call-dance".

----

Took a spill today. I am going to chalk it up to old wood floors, leather-soled shoes, my clumsy nature, and lack of sleep. I scraped both knees and bruised them up (they STILL hurt!) after slipping in the hallway on my way into work. It actually hurt quite a bit. Finally beginning not to smart anymore. But I look like an idiot; no more skirts this week.

Remarkably, I only spilled about a 1/4 of my iced coffee. Go figure. (Open glass, too.)

So I entered the office, told whoever about my incident matter-of-factly, and joked about the fact that O would most likely encourage me to wear some of his glow-in-the-dark Sponge Bob band-aids. (He didn't.) Hit the First Aid kit, and cleaned myself up. Yes, I went out to the hallway and cleaned that up, too. Can't have someone else falling on my account.

This sounds kind of pathetic, but I realized that while I got some top-line sympathy...no one really cared much that it hurt like hell and it was a really shi**y way to start my morning. (Okay, maybe one person, plus the guy who offered me a plastic bag for my ice.) I took care of myself and that was it. I'm not whining about it...just a little sad that I spend all my time at this place, away from my kids, and when it comes right down to it...well, you know what I mean.

I think my expectations are too high most of the time.

That's Wack

2008-08-19T23:55:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, we've been having a crazy week or two. And the Olympics are on! (I know...that's really no excuse. But the lack of sleep is taking a toll.)

A classic tonight from Oscar:

He's taking a bath tonight; I am "helping". Being a mom, you always need to make sure they clean behind the ears, and in them. Jeez, that sounds cliche.

So I'm washing his ears and he said, "I have a wack in that one."

"A what?"

"A wack."

"Wax?"

"Yeah, a wack."

So I guess he had just one.
We took care of it.

Evolution of the Olympic Personality

2008-08-13T23:12:00.006-04:00

Well, who doesn't like to watch the Olympics?
I love watching the swimming, diving, gymnastics, and track and field in the summer games. It's addictive. We've been staying up way too late.

While it's subtle, you can see a bit of a difference as each Olympics passes. The US is famous for its hero worship and elevation of all sorts of folks--deserved or not--to a pedestal. The gamut obviously ranges from Paris Hilton to Al Gore to Natalie Portman to Pete Wentz to...professional wrestlers. Normally, most of it makes me a little sick to my stomach.

When the Olympics come around, the worship goes to the athletes, which is mostly a good thing. You have the great stories of courage, like Kerry Strug; the "rebels" like Elvis Stoyko or Surya Bonali, the uber-athletes like Mark Spitz. This year it's Michael Phelps.

Boy, is it fun to watch that kid swim. (Hello, age. Kid?) He's remarkable. And when they interview him, for the most part, he still seems grounded, though very confident. Likable.

Now, here's the weird part--and unfortunately I can't find this graphic to share--NBC has actually created a Michael Phelps "countdown bug". In case you don't know, a "bug" in broadcast is the little graphic they put in the lower right hand corner of your screen, usually to brand something or to tell you what's coming up.

"Michael Phelps: 5 minutes"

What? I feel like it's the Olympics on E! for crying out loud. Let me just hear it from the announcer. What if he's not the only reason I'm watching? Hasn't this taken our hero worship to a level that contradicts the principle of the Olympics a bit?

(Not that I'm not going to miss one medal race for men's swimming...)

(photo courtesy AP/David J. Phillip)

Dinner Surprise II

2008-08-12T21:36:00.006-04:00

Just to recap for anyone who hasn't seen this before..."Dinner Surprise" is whatever the heck I come up with based on the ingredients in my fridge. We rarely plan a whole meal when we shop and it's decided when we walk in the kitchen every night. Usually, it's just a series of proteins and vegetables we come home with.

Had some good-looking swordfish as a start, tonight. I figured I could pair it with Stew's potato salad.

I made a mango salsa to go with the swordfish. It was great.
1/2 avocado
1/2 mango
1/2 tomato (cored)
chives
good slice of red onion

Chop it all up and put in a bowl. Add fresh lime juice and some salt. Stir and refrigerate. Mmm.

Vegetable. Needed a vegetable. Yellow and green squash in the fridge. Cut one of each up in long slices. Buttered a small casserole dish.

Melted some butter (2 tbsp?). Took it off the heat. Stirred in sour cream, about 3 tbsp, about 2 tbsp of grated pecorino romano, and a couple good shakes of seasoned breadcrumbs. Made it a little thinner with some milk. Threw the squash in the pot, stirred it all up, put it in the casserole. Baked it at 350 for, oh, I don't know. Until it was done.

(Of course I forgot to take a picture until we had eaten most of it. But you get the idea.)

We bagged the potato salad. Totally unnecessary.

What did you have for dinner?

Weekend Photos

2008-08-11T00:01:00.005-04:00

Honestly, we're not really fancy folk. But you wouldn't know it...

My father-in-law got a new car. My husband was taking them out for a spin. Check out the movie star in the back.

Yes, the baby is wearing gold sandals. I know. It's beyond.

Domestic Combat

2008-08-07T00:21:00.005-04:00

I am not a good creature-killer. By creature, I mean some sort of thing that has interrupted your domicile with its presence. A bug or the like. Usually I have C take care of it, if he's home.

Last night, with C still away on business, I had to take action on my own. A large moth flew upstairs into my bedroom.

It should be noted I have lost good cashmere to moths. They are evil, and must be destroyed once they enter my home.

The moth lands on one of our bedroom skylights, on the screen. I pick up a sock (C's, of course) and roll it into a ball. I aim...and throw.

Direct hit! The moth swoops down, practically hits me in the head - so much I have to duck, and dives toward the floor near my doorway.

I pick up a flip-flop and chuck it at the intruder, crushing it.

Me, 1...moth, 0.

I'm not sure why I'm posting about this; most likely because I'll venture a guess that everyone else out there has had some sort of twisted pride in a victory like this at one time or another.

Have you?

Oh, I just don't have time for this nonsense.

2008-08-05T22:10:00.003-04:00

No, not blogging, silly.

I got some sort of virus--the less-than-24 hour variety--this morning. I'll leave the details as that I spent much too much time in the loo. Feeling better now.

Admittedly, I was slightly panicked because my C is away on business for a few days. Oh jeez, what if I drop J at the train (my nanny) at the end of the day and I'm sick? Like, really sick? O needs a lot of attention and G, well she's just a baby. And if they get sick I'll feel awful that I gave it to them.

Am I that inept, you wonder? What, of course I can handle my kids on my own. But I haven't had to do it sick yet. Thank goodness it was a quick one. Saved...thank you, fate.

I write this as I wait for G to wake up from her "last nap" for a night bottle, then I can go to bed.

Leaving you with a funny today that a good friend sent to me...hits the nail on the head. I didn't author it, as I do not have an official naturally-born "sister".

MY LIVING WILL

Last night my sister and I were sitting in the den and I said to her, "I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle to keep me alive. That would be no quality of life at all. If that ever happens, just pull the plug."

So she got up, unplugged the computer, and threw out my wine.

She's such a bitch.

Hee hee. Have a good night everyone.

G: Peas

2008-08-04T23:53:00.001-04:00

Wow. This was fun tonight.

Tired. But I want to post, something.

2008-08-01T22:52:00.005-04:00

Therefore, an easy picture montage.

G's first "swim" at our friends' (gorgeous) pool 2 weekends ago.

O's last day of camp (already!)...dancing while waiting for the bus in the morning.

I can't decide whether O was puffing up his cheeks to look like G, or whether they actually do have similar profiles.

Some days I just stare at the pictures. They are too much.

The People in Your Neighborhood

2008-07-31T23:41:00.005-04:00

Hopefully I have just corrupted the rest of your brains into singing "....the people in your neighborhood, in your neighborhood, in your neigh-bor-hoo-ood...the people that you meet each day." From Sesame Street. Oh, come on. You know it.

We had a concert in the park tonight. What a beautiful evening. I made a variation on this salad tonight. Good summer fare.

Saw all sorts of locals, which is so fun. We are lucky to live in a nice little village with lots of nice folks.

I finally got to meet my "virtual" neighbor! So lovely in person. What a treat.

My son was off the hook tonight. Running, running, running. One of our neighbors, who lives up the street (and around the corner) has a lovely daughter who is, I think, about 5 years older than my son. He was literally stalking her at the playground during the concert tonight...calling her name, running after her, inserting himself when she was hanging out with friends. No shame at all. How good is it to be four? (I should add she was a dear, being highly tolerant of all his craziness.)

We're going to have an older-woman problem when he's older. I know it.

Dark Chocolate: The Answer? Or the Question?

2008-07-28T23:36:00.010-04:00

There are a few things that I think reveal much about a person.

Some key indicators, if you will, are likes, or dislikes. C and I have often commented that one can likely boil down a psychological profile to simple everyday preferences that somehow really strongly indicate a personality "type."

One of these is chocolate. Think about it. You know people who:

Don't enjoy chocolate at all.
Prefer chocolate bars/candy over other chocolate foodstuffs, or conversely, have an aversion to the solid stuff.
Have a preference for dark, milk, or white chocolate (white chocolate can be considered a chocolate for those about to debate it...the difference is that white chocolate doesn't contain chocolate liquor; but it should - unless it's made cheaply - contain cacao butter).

We are dark chocolate people. O eats it too, though he is not as discretionary as C & I are. I personally have zero desire to eat any variation of milk chocolate. I'll typically go no-chocolate before I go milk chocolate. And well beyond a Hershey Special bar...give me 70%+ cocoa and I'm happiest. Not entirely bitter, but a somewhat bitter is just fine. Too sweet or full of non-natural additives...ick.

I truly believe that dark chocolate is a personality "type". Ok, yes...right now it's being marketed as being good for your health, blah blah blah. Maybe it is, but it's right up there with me liking pomegranates before that news broke.

So what does it mean? Now, no one take offense. This is hardly scientific; I've done zero research on this. C and I feel that you can cut a wide swath through our friends and family and...yup...dark chocolate. It's like there's a gene or something. We don't discriminate, I mean, hey, we have plenty of non-dark chocolaters in our life, but it just so happens we run in more "dark chocolate" circles.

Here are a couple links I just dug up, realizing that it's always a little more interesting with some back-up:

Kind of based on your "chocolate soul"
A quiz to find out what your preference is (well I would imagine you know that already)

Are we crazy? Do you agree?

Renovation: Now it looks like a house.

2008-07-25T23:12:00.009-04:00

What did I post last on this? Oh yes. That gorgeous Tyvek exterior. Ahem.

Let's move on.

We have siding now. We choose tight-knot cedar with a bleaching oil application, one of the good recommendations from our contractor (as opposed to a good bunch of stuff that...ugh. I don't need to get into all that now). Here is our "address" side of the house. Note that we plan on (eventually) power-washing the paint off the brick chimney to match the extension.

Ok, if you moved left from the photo above, you get this view (below)...ultimately the entrance to what will be our front porch. The deck--what's left of it--is coming down.

Keep going around to the back of the house and this is behind our new dining room, with the french doors. When these pictures were taken, we were planning a brick patio. Now we have it ...but you'll have to wait for an updated set of shots to see it. You can see all our skylights from this angle.

Here is the driveway side of the house (to the right, around the corner of the first photo). No garage doors yet. (Still! Next week, we think.)

Here is an interior shot of what the old "sunroom" area looks like now that the renovation is relatively complete inside. This is the block of windows to the left on the photo above.

Next week, after a little painting and additions, I hope to post the whole exterior set. Interior...well, we're working on that.

G: Reversal of Fortune

2008-07-24T23:08:00.003-04:00

Don't misinterpret that. We're beyond lucky to have this little girl and love her to bits.

I think I may have mentioned in an earlier post that she was sleeping nine hours, eating well, and even doing a #2 on a regular basis. Clearly, I was asking for the jinx.

That came to a grinding halt in the last week as the train seemingly went off the rails. Now:

she is not sleeping well
she it not taking more than 3 oz at a time
she's much fussy than she was
she's spitting up more that she was
when she wakes up in the middle of the night, she's almost in a painful "startle" reflex, crying and inconsolable
she demands a bottle in the middle of the night since she wakes so much

She does have a bit of a cold as well, that I assume is residual damage from her brother's cough last week. But that has really just been the last three days.

Allergy? Formula? Ear infection? Teething? Lactose intolerant? All those hypotheses were in round one. Yesterday, I took her to our pediatrician (who we love, if I haven't mentioned that).

He pretty much ruled out everything mentioned above. (I personally was thinking ear infection, but they were clean.)

Based on all we told him, he had three theories:

It's a sleep problem. She doesn't self-soothe yet. We know this is ultimately going to be an issue. But, he felt there was a bit too much going on with the eating to mean this was the crux of the issue.
It's a virus. Possible, he said, but no fever, so it's a long shot.
It's reflux. Meaning, the gastro-intestinal variety (actually I'm not sure what other types of reflux are). This is the age it starts, around 4 - 5 months, and since she seems more disturbed at night, he feels like it's making sense.

So, I have a prescription for baby. That's the easy part. It's less of a dose than infant Tylenol - a liquid Pepcid. The other thing to give her...Mylanta. Three and a half droppers full. That is just foul torture, for all of us.

We'll see. There have been very minor improvements here and there today. Cross your fingers.

I wish you could talk, baby girl. Makes us so sad.

On Pins and Needles

2008-07-23T06:29:00.006-04:00

I have been missing for a few days...mostly due to the fact that I've been trying to be typing as little as possible. I woke up on Thursday with a ridiculous stiff neck. It really hurt.

I did the usual: hot shower, asked C to give me a backrub with some anti-pain herbal oil, tried not to strain it, took some Motrin. Which is tricky when you have a baby that is hitting 17-18 pounds and is a bit needy lately (more detail on that in the next post), having to be picked up a lot and soothed, waking in the night, and generally not leaving you with the ability to sleep well.

It felt a bit better on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, I was quite stiff again but put on a brave face and was feeding G at the breakfast table when she jerked and I had to react. The pain was so horrible I think I cried for 15 minutes. At this point, I figured I'd better do something about it.

I reached out to friends, neighbors, and co-workers for recommendations on a chiropractor. I'd had an accident over 15 years ago, and a great chiropractor set my two vertabrae straight that were out of alignment. But, that was in CT. (I should say that I did get one or two great recommendations, particularly one from a friend who had almost the exact same situation she needed help with. So they are filed for future use. Thank you!)

I got to thinking about acupuncture. I had acupuncture once before--long story short, I was taking a mental health day and had a great session, then walked out to find 7 messages on my cell that my major client had fired us. Nice timing. Needless to say, my relaxation and comfort was short-lived.

I am not one to take pills or pain killers if I can avoid it. This was no exception, and I honestly am not sure what motivated me toward acupuncture over chiropractic, but I found her cell number and it turns out she practices in Dobbs Ferry. I was able to get in on Tuesday.

The basic principle of acupuncture, from Wikipedia:

Health is a condition of balance of yin and yang within the body. Particularly important in acupuncture is the free flow of Qi, a difficult-to-translate concept that pervades Chinese philosophy and is commonly translated as "vital energy"). Qi is immaterial and hence yang; its yin, material counterpart is Blood (capitalized to distinguish it from physiological blood, and very roughly equivalent to it). Acupuncture treatment regulates the flow of Qi and Blood, tonifying where there is deficiency, draining where there is excess, and promoting free flow where there is stagnation. An axiom of the medical literature of acupuncture is "no pain, no blockage; no blockage, no pain."

I wound up getting around 20 needles, I think. That's an acupuncture needle, over on the right. They are small, and some you don't feel going in at all, some you feel varying degrees of a pinch. I had a few put in my ankles--she explained that was to draw the energy/blockages out through the bottom; that if you just focused on the localized area, it could backfire.

Once I was set up with the needles, I settled there for about a half hour-45 minutes. (I was face down on a massage/therapy table, so the only part is that the head rest does get a little uncomfortable after a while of not moving.)

She took the needles out and then--I don't know how to really describe this--used her hands to somehow focus the energy in my chest/shoulder/neck area. Probably for about 10 minutes.

How did it work? I started the session not being able to turn my head to the left more than 10 degrees, and I couldn't lift my chin. I left with motion to turn my head to my shoulder and was able to look to the sky. Wow.

There was a little residual bump on the back of my head where one of the needles was; she noted that happened on occasion, and that my condition should continue to improve over the next 24 hours. It has.

I'm going back next Friday, as the stress, baby-carrying, and sleep situation doesn't have a lot of promise in the next handful of days. She thinks she can get rid of "it"...meaning my residual injury. Will keep you posted.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Why Everyone Should Own an American Express Card

2008-07-19T23:02:00.003-04:00

I've always loved AmEx. So does C.

9am this morning (yes, a Saturday), I get a call. Answer the phone and I hear:
"Please wait for an important message from American Express." So, I wait.

A rep gets on and tells me she's from account security. Uh-oh.

Seems as if someone got a hold of my account number and has been attempting to charge a few things to my card. I say attempting because as it turns out, AmEx was able to realize that it wasn't me for whatever reason, and nothing was actually cleared. They tried to use it at sears.com, 800flowers, netflix...places I don't really shop at.

I got off the phone in 9 minutes and 10 seconds. In that time:

I was alerted that fraudulent charges were attempted on my card.
I was given detail of these charges to see if I could identify them.
My card was cancelled.
I was transferred to another rep that actually knew what the situation was.
This rep issued a new card and arranged delivery.
I'll have a new card by Monday EOD via UPS (no cost for the rush delivery).
All this was done very courteously and professionally.

Seriously. And I don't even have a fancy card...just a rewards green.

I am rarely impressed (genuinely) with customer service. People don't pay enough attention any more. American Express is one of the very few that have never disappointed me.

O: Crazy Hat Day

2008-07-18T23:23:00.005-04:00

Today was crazy hat day at O's camp. Per the calendar.

Now, most parents know that if you need to bring something to school, even if it's noted on a calendar they gave you a month before, the school realizes you're totally preoccupied with life and sends a reminder. I did not get a reminder yesterday. So I figured they were making hats at camp. (Admittedly, I am a first-time camp mom. Maybe my expectations are off.)

This morning, as always, I looked at the camp calendar to tell him if it's "wishing it was winter" day, or what he's having for lunch, etc. So I mentioned the crazy hat day to him and said, "you'll probably make a really cool hat today."

"NOOOOOOO! I have to bring a hat!"

Oh, for the love of God. Good thing I'm crafty. In the ten minutes before the bus came, I grabbed one of his summer hats and a handful of pipe cleaners. I quickly whipped up a "sun hat"...meaning a sun affixed to and hovering over the top of his head.

How'd I do? He said a lot of people thought it was silly. Indeed.

G: "Carrots!"

2008-07-18T23:19:00.002-04:00

Are better than sweet potatoes. Yummy.

G: Solid Food!

2008-07-17T21:45:00.003-04:00

Whew, it's a milestone every other day here.

Little miss G had her doc's appt yesterday with our fave pediatrician, and weighed in at 16 lbs 4 oz. Nice and healthy, but not too big at all.

She has been reaching for our dinner (and breakfast, and lunch) plates for at least a month and giving us this "not fair!" look for some time, too, when we are eating in front of her. So we got the green light for orange vegetables from her doc yesterday, but waited until today to try it out since she seemed a little feverish/off from her immunizations yesterday.

For those who are thinking, "what? no cereal?", our pediatrician said she is getting enough iron via her formula at this point, so why not...give her the good stuff.

Here is G right after her first bites of sweet potato. No crying, just messiness. She'll get a hang of it soon. Go, little girl!

G: Rolling Over!

2008-07-15T23:49:00.003-04:00

Our almost-five-month old is rolling over!

She's been doing it for a week, but I never saw the full roll myself. So, technically, at least in my mind, it doesn't count until then. Back to belly.

Here's a shot of our little beauty once she made it to the other side this evening.

On Working from Home: Articulate the Plan Well

2008-07-14T23:41:00.001-04:00

So here it is, summer, and I am feeling torn, as I did last year at this time.

My son is out of school. The main reason that I work part time from home is because he goes to school, and I need to be a functioning part of the carpool. I'll admit that I haven't necessarily gotten over my freelancing days, either, and I like the freedom of working how I wish without an office environment all the time, too.

I'd explained to my employers that getting him back and forth to preschool is the primary reason for my work-at-home status. As I've said before, they are really very supportive of the situation, and I can't really put my finger on a time, ever, where I've been given a hard time about asking for/notifying them of flexibility needs.

With that said, whether it's the guilt demons in my head or an actual vibe I get from a co-worker or two, I have a hard time reconciling the fact that I am not "required" to be home and I am still heading out early to work from home a couple days a week.

I like that I have a regular schedule. That I am home a little more, even if I am working. That I can see them that much earlier at the end of my day, and they know I am "here". Why upset that just because I'm not required to drive him to school two times a week?

Two points come out of this to think about, if you're going to consider a similar arrangement.

When you negotiate your flex-time, or days from home, or however you are approaching it...don't be too detailed. I will be taking/need "x" days at home. Period. Don't undo your flexibility by backing into a slim schedule. Most likely, it won't benefit you in the long run, and it will be difficult to re-negotiate. (There is probably a whole other post hidden in "will take" vs. "need"....)
Get over it! Priorities are priorities. And perhaps the fact that your priorities are in order make someone else uncomfortable. Remember that's their problem, not yours. At least that's what I'm going to try to do.

A Long-Awaited Date Night

2008-07-13T21:31:00.003-04:00

C and I went to NYC last night for a date night. Very overdue.

It was a pretty decadent date night, as a matter of fact, since we actually got to overnight in the city, using a gift certificate for the hotel. We stayed at the Four Seasons New York and had a wonderful room with a city view, 22nd floor. What amazes me is the massive closet they give you...a walk-in, complete with built-in drawers, places for shoes...and the bathroom. This is the size of our foyer in our house.

Let me take that back. it's bigger. And the bathtub fills in 60 seconds. Yes, I had to take a bath. I don't think I turned the water up all the way, but...it could do it. Very lovely.

C made 9pm reservations at Raoul's in SoHo. If you haven't been...go. We opted to wait 20 minutes when we got there to dine in the back garden area. You have to walk through the kitchen to get to the back room, then out, where they have three little tables outside. It was such a gorgeous night it wound up being the perfect choice.

This is a pretty accurate review from New York Magazine. You must, must get the Steak Au Poivre; unconditionally the best in the city, as far as I'm concerned.

We had a great, romantic night, full of conversation and catch-up and connecting.

Love you, C.

Summer Fireflies

2008-07-11T00:16:00.005-04:00

I guess it took me so long to post this week because I was waiting for something great to post about.

We had the best time tonight after dinner on the patio, running about with my son (and running the daughter with us), chasing fireflies. O has actually gotten the hang of catching them gently, watching them, and releasing them to see them light up as they fly away.

Do you see it? I actually caught the firefly in the shot. (Yes, I'm proud of that.)

C and I often followed them about our yard, even before we had kids. There's something so charming about them. Is there a human on earth that doesn't enjoy them?

It was just one of those times that was perfect, in parenting-land.

Go find some fireflies this summer.

Easy and Cheesy

2008-07-07T22:16:00.008-04:00

Feelin' cheesy this week!

In addition to the post yesterday about fromage fort, I felt the need to post my mac-and-cheese recipe that I have received numerous requests for. Here it is, on Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. I made it this Sunday when we had guests over; I also made it recently for O's kids' birthday party and it was a big hit.

It should be noted that I rarely, if ever, use the exact recipe.

Sometimes I add the ham. It's best to do that after you have an awesome ham for Easter, or some other holiday. (Which, on a side note...if you do...order from Ham I Am. Sounds silly, but it sure isn't when you taste it. Just close your eyes when you sign for the shipping charges. It's worth it.)
Inspired by some other recipes, I add Worcestershire and mustard. This adds a little kick to it and is particularly delicious in the cooler months. Holds up a bit better next to a red wine. I like this better than the cayenne mentioned in the ingredients.
I don't always add the breadcrumbs on top, either. Not necessary if you've got too much else going on. Add a little extra cheese and it will get crunchy anyhow.
Wheat pasta. Go ahead. Just use it. It tastes good in this and no one will really know unless you tell them. I think it actually adds to the flavor nicely.
Lastly...and I think I find this about every mac-and-cheese recipe I've ever tried....add more cheese. Like, a cup more. Trust me, you won't ruin it.

Yummy. I had leftovers for dinner...I guess that's why I felt compelled. Let me know if you come up with any other variations.

Summer Has Finally, Officially, Arrived

2008-07-06T23:55:00.006-04:00

And by that I mean the entertaining vibe is on.

There is nothing we like better than having friends over for food, drinks, and just getting silly and talking for way too long. We were blessed with being able to do it twice this weekend.

One thing I've done for years is clip recipes from anywhere I find them. Most of the time they get filed away until I am ready to dig in and need inspiration (I am very much one of those "what is on sale/fresh this week or what is in the fridge, they are coming in a 1/2 hour" folks). You can imagine how delighted I was to stumble upon the following in the ol' recipe box.

I found a recipe from Jacques Pepin from Food & Wine for fromage fort. Simple and fast, it is about the greatest appetizer I can imagine. Because I hate wasting food. Especially good snacking food, like good cheese. It went over very well on Saturday and will be in my recurring repertoire.

Side story on Jacques Pepin (who I love to watch)...he rented a beach cottage next to my friend's place in CT years ago when we were young. I wish I had the appreciation for this man at that age, and for food, as I would have been knocking on his door asking him to teach me to cook.

Now this weekend didn't really serve up the best weather for taking advantage of the patio. But we'll get out there soon, I'm sure.

Hope you all had a happy 4th!
Happy Birthday, USA.

Photo credit: Marc Nilsson, Food & Wine, 2004

O: On Travel and One of the Five Senses

2008-07-04T00:21:00.004-04:00

Two beauties today.

One.
We have a repro vintage Eastern Airlines poster that hangs in our TV room, at least at the moment. "Miami Beach Florida - Just 10 hours from New York". I can't recall what exactly was said that brought up Miami, but C pointed to the poster and I told O he actually was in Miami when he was 10 months old.

"I don't think I was in your ammy. Maybe we can go to your ammy or Daddy's ammy."

I then attempted to ask him what an "ammy" was, since Daddy and I clearly both had one, and he pointed to the poster. Kind of like a beach. Fair enough.

Two.
I don't know about anyone else out there but my son always has to go to the bathroom during a meal. Never fails.

We were eating outside tonight, and he had to go, so I eventually followed him in to see if he needed help (he's pretty self-sufficient, just needs a "clean" check). And he looks at me after a pause in his ramblings and says, "Do you smell that smell?"

"What smell?"

"My poop."

This deteriorated into a back-and-forth about smelling/not smelling and the fact that all I really wanted us to do was get back to dinner on the patio.

So many, many laughs on a daily basis. Never would trade it.

Blogging from CT

2008-07-02T00:00:00.003-04:00

Check out a new blog that discovered me first...a CT local (for those of you who don't know, that's where I'm originally from). Lots of breaths of fresh air.

And she may help me know a few good restaurants in the Constitution State when I need it.
Enjoy.

On Working from Home: Really?

2008-07-01T23:32:00.002-04:00

I haven't done a post on working from home in a while, and an article in the NY Times this past week inspired me to do so. It's titled "Working Alone, In a Group".

A main point in the article discusses what drives folks to these shared workplaces that are seemingly becoming popular. "...my home is not always conducive to work." (Well, my friend, have you tried it with a renovation underfoot?)

But Ms. Belkin makes a really good point in a single sentence that outlines many of the biggest challenges of working from home, especially when it's a new situation:

But if you stay home, you lose the routine, the companionship and the accountability (napping is tempting).

I've gotten over the temptation to nap--well, only once or twice--and it was technically on a sick day or at the very end of my pregnancy while I was just trying to hold it together. So let's put that particular issue aside and stick with accountability. You still have to have a to-do list, an agenda for the day. Whatever you would get done in the office, you have to be just as productive at home. Period.

Companionship is an important consideration with work. There are folks who do best when left on their own entirely. It is true of many businesses, however--and I have found this to be validated in the marketing discipline--that collaboration brings inspiration, even if not necessarily crafted for that purpose.

When I work at home, I do have distractions, like the fridge. (That's a whole other post in itself...controlling your food intake when it's "free" and right nearby.) And I'm a talker. But I just re-channel that urge and call a client instead.

The routine she mentions is something you need to control yourself. I've said it before. I think you need to be far more disciplined at home than in an office.

With that said, maybe I'll try one of these sometime. However, if it's just a hipster version of cube-land...I'm already over it. What do you think?

Camp

2008-07-01T00:11:00.005-04:00

O had his very first day at camp today. Highlights:

Both C and I almost cried with him getting on the bus. He was so BIG boy about the whole thing. Like, see ya!
Best response a parent could ask for about the camp you shelled out for when you ask them how it was: "It was great!" Separately, "My favorite part was everything."
You hope he'll like his counselors. "I knew I liked one counselor when I saw her. She smiled at me. I knew in my heart that I would like her." (Can you stand how cute that is?)

I could just eat him up some days.

Arrrgh! Pirate Party!

2008-06-28T23:27:00.011-04:00

O's birthday party (parties) were today (Saturday)...kids, followed by a family party later. We had a great time at both.

The kids' party was great. Some highlights:

Food. We opted to take a chance and cook for the kids. We made homemade mac & cheese, mini-burgers (they weren't really sliders since they were rounder), salad. Other snacky stuff. Went over very well with the kids and the parents. I just couldn't bring myself to default to pizza, and I'm happy we didn't.
Entertainment. If you live in this area, and you have a young'un that you need to entertain at a birthday party...check out Zev Haber. Kids of a range of ages absolutely love him, and the parents do too. He's kind of like a musical Ben Stiller for kids. I hope he takes that as a compliment, it's meant to be.
Treats. I made cupcakes (decorated with O's help), rather than having a cake. (I ordered one from Riviera Bakehouse for the family party.) The frosting was a cream-cheese buttercream which was delish...got the recipe from Martha. But what really rocked was that we decorated them with personalized m&m's that I ordered. (if you already read this, I deleted the photo.) Instead...check out how easy it is here.

The kids were so good. It was wonderful. Love the at-home party.

Blogging with Style

2008-06-27T13:39:00.003-04:00

This one for the ladies (well, heck, could be for anyone...I don't know who everyone who reads this is...). God knows what you people are into. Hee hee.

Didi is a doll. Met her through mutual friends years ago and recently back in touch. Blogs on style and associated nonesuch on Sparkle Shelf.

Check in over on the right, enjoy. Kind of like yummy beach reading.

Renovation: Built, with Tyvek

2008-06-25T21:41:00.009-04:00

Timeline: October 2007.

At this point it started to look like something that someone may actually live in again. The crazy thing was, we lived in it the whole time.

In this first photo to the right, you can see the roof is on, the Tyvek is on (boy, that Tyvek stayed on for a loooooong time). This is the angle that shows the entirely new space; there are two skylights intended for the first floor that aren't in place yet, and I like the way the roof angles around O's bedroom window.

This next photo shows the garage and front view of the new space (hey, and our old car!). Note how only a few of windows were punched out of the Tyvek. In case you didn't guess this already, this makes the house kind of dark inside.

Here's the side view...now officially evolving as our "front" yard as the new porch and front door space takes shape. Our deck is still attached to the back, and the chimney is not extended yet in this photo. But, you can see the change in roof angles from this elevation.

Inside, this is our living room/sunroom area that at this point, has been connected since the wall was knocked down. Our furniture is under the plastic sheet, and we've got more plastic between us and the elements. Thank goodness there weren't that many elements and we had temperate weather. The fireplace is to the right in the photo, also covered. Like our hanging electric? Yes...we had to keep a close eye on O.

This next one is taken of the space to the left of the sunroom area...soon to become part of our kitchen. At this point, we still had functioning appliances behind the wall to the left of the photo. You can see the new triple window and the new support beam across the broadened kitchen space.

This was when the outlook was rosy, we were still relatively on budget, and the tight living space hadn't started to wear on us yet. I'll try to spare the grisly details as they come up.

G is Four Months Old

2008-06-25T00:52:00.003-04:00

And clearly...a very girly ballerina.

Four months was actually Saturday. Fun frippery courtesy of Aunt P and Uncle L.

O Tells a Joke

2008-06-23T20:14:00.002-04:00

We're at the dinner table.

O says, "hey, wanna hear a joke?"

"Sure pal...whatcha got?"

"Why do you pour water on a sandwich?"

"That's a good one, O. Why?"

"So the pickup truck can drive by."

I don't get it either, but I love it.

Renovation: Back Inside - Living in De-construction

2008-06-22T09:02:00.001-04:00

Now. These photos are from October--I know, I know--but I'm catching up, aren't I? It's starting to cool down, but if you recall we had a rather temperate Fall around these parts.

First I'll give you a glimpse of how lovely our exterior looked once the majority of siding came down. Mmmm. House was built in 1945. Old. It should be mentioned that the second story to the above left is the master bedroom area, which was added in the early 90s.

The next three photos are: the family room (expanded and opened up to include the sunroom, which is where our old front door entered the house...do you see the cracks between the plywood?

...a wider shot of the now completely opened up sunroom area (our fireplace is to the right in this shot)....

And this little yellow room...what was that again?...oh yes, our KITCHEN. Still functioning. I think it was a rainy day when I took these. Cheery place to live, no? Ugh.

All I can think when I look back at this is, poor O. What a good, good sport he was.

Renovation: The Build on the Outside

2008-06-21T09:28:00.004-04:00

Around the same time as the pictures you saw of the inside (ie: our open-air upstairs), the outside was slowly being ripped apart, too. See the gaping hole on the left? We actually cut into our dining room to create a new front door. You can see how we raised the roof on the right; this is where G's bedroom is now.

Here is the driveway side of the house...two car garage, and the second floor has taken shape. This area closest to the front of the picture is our dining/multi-purpose room, really the crux of the addition to the house.

This is the back view of the addition I was just mentioning. The space on top is O's new room. The big hole is for a set of french doors, ultimately out to a patio in the back. Note the Japanese Andromeda next to the house. Sadly, we lost it. Too big to transfer. Thank goodness we have another five or so.

Here is a view of our old deck. Note that the contractors put a temporary door in here, where they broke into our old dining room to create the porch for the new front door.

Good story (well, not really) about this lovely plywood temp wall. When they ripped the siding off initially, our outdoor light was still outside. It was a motion-sensor light, and it stayed on during the rain one night. It was kind of leaning on the wall, which was exposed rotting wood (nice, eh?) and insulation hanging out.

C was coming up to bed, and smelled something funny outside. Turns out the wall was ON FIRE and he had to run and get the hose, after slipping in the mud, to put it out. So yes, get rid of your motion sensor lights, please. I heard other horror stories about them after I told mine.

Tomorrow, more chaos. This is kind of cathartic, though.

The Promise of a Patio

2008-06-20T13:12:00.003-04:00

Our "lawn guy" is outside right now, laying stone dust for our brick patio. I could not be more excited at the prospect of having usable outdoor space again. Not being able to have dinner off the grill outdoors is such a bummer.

Hooray!

We have reclaimed the brick from a friends' house, as they were opting for a different look in their outdoor space. The sizes of the bricks are somewhat irregular.

He has suggested a "brick wall" type pattern (ie: like you would do with subway tile) vs. a chevron-like pattern since he thinks the irregularities would be less glaring. I'm rolling with it. We prefer the bricks over pavers because of the "older" look...so who's to complain about irregularities?

Upgrading the Blog

2008-06-19T23:02:00.003-04:00

I'm trying to update the blog with some of the new bells & whistles that are out there. Let me know what you think as they show up, please.

I'm going to aim to add...

1. An updated blog list to the right. It's a relatively new feature of Blogger that allows you to see the newest posts, and how recent they are. I like it because it means I know when to check in on them.

2. Flickr. I'm trying to figure out how to feed a flickr account in so I can snap pics when I'm away and post them, hopefully via cell phone or BB. Fun stuff or celeb sightings or...whatever that's interesting.

3. Twitter. Just in case anything happens that's a total pisser, you all can find out about it in real-time. No, I won't be posting "I'm in the bathroom!", "We just got to my parents' house", or "I am so tired". Promise. It will need to be far more earth-shattering than that. Like G's first step of something. (Okay, that is a while away.)

Stay tuned.

Renovation: The Build, from the Inside

2008-06-19T13:54:00.008-04:00

Yesterday's renovation post gave a quick glimpse into how the exterior of the house looked at the beginning of the construction and demolition. Here are some shots of our interior during that period. The first photo, above, shows what you would see when you walked upstairs. Yes, you read that right. Our bedroom door jamb is to the left in this photo. Other than that area, we had no roof for a few days. And then, tarp.

The next photo, above, shows what it was built into...a entry to my son's room, with a new bath on the right.

Now, note the stairway on the right. This third photo shows what you would have seen if you looked to the right after coming up the stairs (so our bedroom door, as mentioned above, would be at your back). You can see the chimney (which we ultimately had to extend) exposed here, which was behind the wall in O's original room. Which was all of a nook, truthfully.

Lovely views, though, no?

Here is that same space, framed out for G's room. Of course, we didn't know it was G's room at the time. O decided he wanted the new room, rather than the new & improved version of his space. Personally, I think the new version here is bigger than the brand-new room, but don't try to tell him that.

More to come.