Kids love lists

I used to think it was only Zoe who liked to make lists of everything from her favorite colors to places she'd like to visit to potential band names, but it turns out my niece, Sophia, is also quite the list maker.  We had the pleasure of having her as a sleepover guest last week and prior to her visit, she made this list of things she wanted to do while staying with us.

Unfortunately the actual list got wet when a cup of water was spilled on it in the night, but here is an annotated transcript:

1. See Rio [the movie -- lucky for Sophia and Zoe Grandma was in charge of most of the activities so they even got to see it in 3D]
2. Order Govie's Pizza [Actually it is Giove's and for reasons that remain a mystery to me and despite the plethora of really good pizza places in our area, it is a favorite with kids.  They deliver so that was dinner.]
3. Play puppies [I can't say for sure if this took place, but it is checked off on the list so I guess it did.]
4. Acrobat show [We opted to skip this one.  I wanted to return Sophia to my brother and sister-in-law in one piece.]
5. Talk [Oh, there was no lack of talking with a 7 and a 9 year old.]
6. read Books [Now this is one I can really support.  Both Zoe and Sophia are voracious readers.]
7. take a bath [Nah, they weren't that dirty]
8. go get our nails done [Again lucky for the girls that Grandma was in charge.  Sophia got pink nails, and Zoe got highlighter green.]
9. draw [Again, I have no proof, but it is checked off]
10. watch a movie [Not including Rio, I guess.  They did watch the available for free on Netflix streaming Imagine That starring none other than Eddie Murphy.  I'm not sure, but I think Zoe and Sophia could have made up a better movie on their own with 2 hours and a video camera, but they really enjoyed it so what do I know?]
11. ride scooter [They did, in fact, ride scooters, but only for 10 minutes.  Maybe less.]

All-in-all I'd say it was a pretty successful sleepover according to Sophia's list.  

Tuesday Shoesday: Espadrilles

When the going gets tough, the tough go shoe shopping.  Things got kind of tough last week so ...

Now that the weather has finally turned warm I am ready to think seriously about warm weather footwear.  As opposed to sandals I have been drawn to the flat espadrilles I've been seeing around (not the skyscraping wedge variety).

Here are some that I like:

Franco Sarto

Kate Spade

Michael Kors

Steven

The nice thing is that all of these are relatively affordable.  I guess since they are primarily constructed from canvas and rope, that makes sense.  That and they probably don't last more than one summer.  

Naturally my favorites are the Kate Spade pair although I'd like to try on the Stevens to see how those stay on your feet.  

Questions for 3pm on a Monday

• When can I take a sick day that's really what I like to call a "sick of work" day?  This entails much calendar analysis.
• What should I read next?  I very often finish a book or come close to finishing a book on the weekends.  Right now I am trying to convince myself not to buy a new book for my Nook, but to read one of the books I have stacked on my shelf or by my bed that are unread.  
• What should I make for dinner?  As often as not this is the first time I've thought about it for the day which means I probably haven't defrosted any meat.  The other times, like today, I've usually taken out chicken breast so it is a matter of what chicken recipe to use.  Nothing too ambitious, I am sure.
• What activities does Zoe have this week?  I must check my meeting calendar against my taxi calendar.
• What's the deal with tumblr.com?  Who uses it and what's good about it and/or better than my Google reader?  I'm not sure I get it and I'm sure I don't like that I don't really get it.
• Why isn't there a shopping site (like Land's End or Piperlime or Sephora) that would give me stuff for free if I would blog about it?  I really would blog about it.  
• Is there anything worth watching on TV tonight?  Mondays so often are the worst night for TV shows, but it is also the night I most want to zone out in front of the TV.  
• What can I have for a snack?  I want something filling, but not too caloric or sugary.  
• How much Diet Coke really is too much?  Because I think it is Diet Coke or nap right about now.
• Is this list of questions long enough for a decent blog post?  I hope so because I can't think of anything else I am pondering this Monday.  

So Beautiful or So What

I'm a music fan, of course, but I am a Paul Simon devotee.  I am pretty sure my father played Simon and Garfunkle records for me while I was in utero.  There isn't a time I can recall that listening to the music of Paul Simon (or Simon and Garfunkle) wasn't completely appropriate.  His music is probably the soundtrack of my life and I have a million memories wrapped up in so many of his songs.

I don't know how many albums (or whatever they are called these days -- releases?) he's had and I certainly don't have them all, but this week he came out with a new one, So Beautiful or So What, and I have to say it is seriously fabulous.  Possibly the best complete album I've heard in a very long time.  The single that was released a few weeks ago, The Afterlife, has been playing in my head since I first heard it.  It's rare that I feel so strongly about music that I feel the need to write about it, but for some reason, in this case I really do feel the need.  Probably because one of the things I love about Paul Simon's music is the poetry of the lyrics and this album is chock full of poetry.  (What is a song without the lyrics, anyway?  Don't actually answer that.)  Here's an awesome excerpt from The Afterlife:

Buddha and Moses and all the noses
From narrow to flat
Had to stand in the line
Just to glimpse the divine
What’cha think about that?

You can find all the lyrics along with all the lyrics to all Paul Simon songs here:  http://www.paulsimon.com/music/so-beautiful-or-so-what/afterlife 

And if you're interested in previewing the album before purchase, the whole thing is on constant streaming here:  http://www.paulsimon.com/news/so-beautiful-or-so-what-online-listening-party

Blog-iversary

6 years of ZoesMom!  I can't believe I've been blogging for so long.  Thanks to everyone who's reading!

For fun, here's where it all started:  http://zoesmom.blogspot.com/2005/04/new-job-day-1.html

Tuesday Shoesday: Pucci Please

I'm sure I need these:

Now I am off to find:

1. The money to afford them
2. A place to wear them

I'll let you know how it turns out!

Book Review: Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain

Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain
by Portia De Rossi.

I don't know why I was drawn to reading this book.  Fortunately I don't have an eating disorder, I was never a big fan of Ally McBeal or Arrested Development or even Portia De Rossi, but even so something drew me to this book and I'm glad for it.

First of all, I am now a Portia De Rossi fan.  Her honest and compelling writing made this book impossible to put down.  It was good that I knew there was happiness in store for her or I think I would have been sobbing much of the time I was reading this book.  It is always amazing to learn the truth about something or someone that appears so different on the outside.  Her fight against herself even when it seemed like she should have been sitting on top of the world is an utterly heartbreaking account and it says a lot about the message sent to women and what it means to be successful.

I have been on a number of diets.  I have felt bad about eating something "bad" and I have exercised as a counteraction for that.   I always thought that anorexia was born out of some abuse either mental or physical or some other trauma, but now I see that is not the case.  I don't think I am in danger of becoming anorexic, but I can see now how it can happen and it does make me worry that much more for my own daughter who is on the verge of entering those tender years of body changes.

I can't recommend this book more highly to women as well as to men who love women who struggle with weight issues.

Is that alll there is?

Did you ever have one of those days when you:

• Get up early to shower and dress
• Wake your husband so he is not late for work
• Wake your kid(s) up for school
• Make sure your kid(s) get dressed, hair brushed, etc.
• Make breakfast for your kid(s)
• Feed the dog
• Pack lunch for kid(s)
• Put in a load of laundry
• Take kid(s) to the bus stop
• Take something out of the freezer to cook for dinner
• Go to work
• Work all day
• Scrounge something for lunch
• Eat while working
• Drive kid(s) to and from after school activities
• Cook dinner
• Do dishes and clean up the kitchen
• Fold a load of laundry
• Make sure kid's backpack is ready for the next day at school
• Sign permission slips
• Write check to the PTA for fundraiser
• Make sure kid(s) bathe, get pajamas on, get into bed
• Pay bills
• Return phone call from your mother-in-law
• Sit down on the couch and fall asleep 10 minutes into your favorite show
• Drag yourself up to bed
• Set alarm to start all over tomorrow
• Lay in bed and think just before you fall back to sleep "is that all there is to my life?"

(Of course not every day is like that at all, but sometimes it feels that way.)

5 Things that make me fall asleep

Sometimes I have trouble falling asleep, but usually my problem is staying asleep. However, in case I do ever find myself in need of something to help me fall asleep I have composed this list of 5 things guaranteed to bring on sleep almost instantaneously:

1.  The opening monologue of Saturday Night Live
2.  Any segment of the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart before the guest
3.  The last 5 pages of a book
4.  Animated movies
5.  The "reveal" portion of any reality show, but especially "What Not to Wear" or "Top Chef"