How to Have a Great Weekend Away

Step 1:
Invite yourself to a good friend's house where you like visiting. Make sure that friend's house is full of things you really like (like books and comfy chairs and chocolate cake and wine). It also helps if that friend lives in a town called Paradise.

Step 2:
Get another good friend to join you for the weekend so you don't have to make the journey alone. If you're really clever, you'll even get that friend to do all the driving while you do a somewhat poor job of navigating while singing along to their CDs.

Step 3:
Arrange for Mother Nature to provide some unusual weather and therefore affording you with dramatic lighting on cityscape views and streaks of lightning crossing the sky.

Step 4:
Arrive and immediately be presented with a glass of wine followed by a delicious home made dinner. A dinner that you didn't have to shop for or prepare at a table already set. Eat, drink, talk, eat cake, talk. Be amazed by such a wonderful meal.

Step 5:
Enthusiastically sample the local delicacies -- especially if those delicacies include sticky buns and coffee cake. Eat and talk.

Step 6:
Buy a few pounds of chocolate at the local chocolate shop.

Step 7:
Wander through little shops then drink tea and eat crumpets and scones from lovely floral china.

Step 8:
Open a bottle of prosecco and horn in on hosts' tradition of picking winners for the Preakness. All pile onto a bed and root for your horse (always pick the favorite) with lots of shouting and cheering. When your horse wins, feel like you've actually won, even though no actual bets were placed.

Step 9:
Get gussied up in dresses for dinner at the local pub and take photos in the yard like you're going to the junior prom.


Step 10:
Bring and excellent bodyguard to dinner at the pub. Eat, drink, be merry, talk, and get Blizzards from Dairy Queen on the way home just to make sure you are good and full.

Step 11:
Fall into bed and sleep like a log. Wake up an loll about in the morning while hosts are busy getting ready to attend to their responsibilities. Finally clean up and go out for a diner breakfast.

Step 12:
Pack up all your stuff and goodies acquired along the way. Reluctantly say good-bye to incredibly generous and fun hosts.

Step 13:
Sing along to every song on Madonna's Immaculate Collection CD to pass the time while stuck in traffic.

Step 14:
Arrive home to big hugs from Zoe.

ZoesMom's Bear

If you've been reading this blog for awhile or you've been in Zoe's room, you know how much she loves stuffed animals. I think we have just about one of every kind of animal ever made in stuffed animal form -- including a duck-billed platypus, a porcupine, and a salmon. Therefore I am sure it comes as no surprise to learn that one of her favorite stores is Build-a-Bear. I have lost count of how many bears, dogs, etc. that we have now "built," but it is surely enough for a small army.

For those of you that don't know the Build-a-Bear business model, it is really all about the clothes and other accessories. The bears and whatnot are relatively inexpensive, but they get you with the other stuff. It is brilliant really. Luckily for me, Zoe has never cared for the clothes or the accessories so supporting her habit has been relatively inexpensive. Not worse than something like Pokemon cards. But I digress.

This year for Mother's Day I received from Zoe my very own Build-a-Bear! She had Rob take her to the mall, she brought her own money, and she "built" this bear for me. Because it is something that she loves so much, I love it too. It is part of the mother's curse to love these kinds of presents, but it is a burden I am willing to bear. (Ha. Get it? Bear.)

So, ladies and gentleman, I now introduce you to my new bear friend Justice. She even wears a t-shirt that says "Happy Mother's Day" to commemorate the occasion.



Yes, I got some beautiful flowers and some delicious shower gel and lotion from my wonderful husband, but this is my favorite gift.

Check-up Time

Zoe had her 8 year-old check-up today and it was markedly different from all other check-ups we've had.

First of all, the nurse and the doctor talked primarily to her and she primarily provided all the answers.

Second, there was no drama. None. Not over peeing in the cup -- which she managed by herself with only a little coaching from me. Not over getting undressed. Not over the eye exam (I accidentally told her last year she might need glasses.) And not even over the finger prick. I was amazed.

Most amazing and wonderful of all is that Zoe is 100% healthy and in my opinion perfection in a child. I am ever grateful and am feeling kind of like I won the lottery tonight.

Shopping with Zoe

It started about a month ago. Every pair of pants that Zoe pulled on (that aren't leggings or yoga pants) were too small. As of last week we were down to one pair of jeans that fit, but they weren't a particularly favorite pair so they weren't worn either except under duress. (I.e. me saying, I can't stand to see you in yoga pants again!)

The straw that broke the camel's back was when her favorite sneakers were too small. That meant that surely some of the other lesser worn shoes were small too. So, yesterday we were off to the mall. Not just any mall, however. We went for it and drove to the Palisades Mall in Nyack, NY. They've got every store you want from Target to Macy's and everything in between. The place is enormous!

We shopped for about 5 hours and I think we managed to get Zoe a wardrobe that will carry her through spring and summer. There was a break for lunch and a break to ride the Ferris wheel (yes, the mall is that big that it can hold a Ferris wheel), but otherwise we were shopping the entire time.

When we were looking at clothes for Zoe the conversation went like this:

"What about this shirt?" I would ask holding up something I think she would like.
"Yeah," she would reply.
"Yeah you like it, or yeah it is a shirt?"
"Yeah I like it."
"Do you really like it?" I would ask.
"Yes, I really like it."
"But are you going to wear it?" I would implore.
Brief hesitation usually followed by, "Probably not." And back on the rack it goes.

I just don't remember being that picky. Actually I don't think I ever had a choice when I was 8. Alas, I give choices.

However, my goal this year has been to cut down on the amount of unworn and worn once clothing in Zoe's closet. I love my nieces and I am very happy to pass along Zoe's hand-me-downs to them, but it does drive me crazy when I know I am giving away brand new items. I sometimes feel like I might as well be stuffing cash into the bag as well. So, I had to wait for Zoe to actually look around the store we were in and then actually pick something up that she liked or I had to wait for the "Yes, yes I really like that!" accompanied by vigorous head nodding to be sure I picked something that would actually get worn.

Now you can see why it took 5 hours.

And we didn't even get to shoes.

Blog-iversary

Celebrating 5 years of ZoesMom!

Time flies when you're having fun.

These Were the Days

My neighborhood is the kind with postage stamp size lots and the ability to see into the next house from your own. My block happens to be packed with kids who are all about the same age. There are 4 second graders (including Zoe) in a row with a 5th a few houses further down. There are 3 fifth graders, a third grader and some kindergartners too. In other words, it is an instant play group.

Over the winter during the few snow days we had all the kids got together outside a few times to play in the snow, but since the weather has turned nicer in the last few weeks they are outside playing almost every day after school, weekends, and today they've been out there all day because it is spring break from school. It seems like they are all suddenly old enough to go out without their parents and without being fenced in to one backyard or set up on designated "playdates". At first I was nervous about Zoe being out there unsupervised, but then I realized that I can see Zoe just about anywhere without leaving my yard so checking up on her is pretty easy. Also, she has a pretty loud voice so I can usually just hear her too. We set down some rules and she seems to be sticking to them pretty well.

These are the days I remember most about being Zoe's age. The endless games of tag, the riding of bikes, the staying out until "dark." It was a constant playdate with no parental intervention and it was a first taste of independence without any worry since home was right there.

To top of the joy that is spending the entire day outside running around, having water gun fights, playing catch, and using sidewalk chalk, the ice cream man just came down the street. Zoe came screaming into the house and I swear I thought I was going to have to call 911 until I heard, "The ice cream man is here! Hurry I need money before he leaves!" Despite the fact that dinner is in an hour I gave her money because what could possibly be better than the first ice cream from the ice cream man of the year?

Nothing I can think of.

Open

Recently a book was thrust upon me by my father -- Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi. As a lot of you know, I am a very big tennis fan (as is my father -- where do you think I got it from?), but I am not a big reader of biographies, I was always more of a Sampras fan, and my TBR pile is already two stories tall so I didn't really need another book on the pile. Despite all of that fraternal pressure won and I decided to give it a go.

I was hooked almost instantly. I know Agassi had a ghost writer (J.R. Moehringer) who helped him with a lot of this, but it doesn't matter. It feels very authentic and is quite moving. As one reviewer wrote, "It's a completely unexpected trip to places you've never been." Of course I never knew most of what is in this book and I never would have guessed.

This was one of those books I could not put down. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about the next chance I would get to read it. I think it probably helps if you follow tennis just a little so you know most of the players, but other than that this book stands on it's own as an incredible journey of growing up.

I mean, this book was so good I was motivated to write a review despite the fact that I don't like to write reviews. So read it already.

No Amount of Planning...

OK I realize it is only Wednesday, but it has been a week already. I mean, I am completely ready to call it quits on this one and start again on Monday. It's not that any one particular dramatic thing took place, but rather a series of small events combined with plans, obligations and a little help from Mother Nature that have led me to wish I could just get back into bed and stay there for the duration.

Here's a taste of what's been making me want to dive under the duvet:

• Zoe was sent home from school on Monday at Noon because she was not feeling well and had a sore throat. This progressed into a fever by Monday night.
  
• Monday night was the first night of Passover and Seder attendance was required along with cooking. I didn't have too much to prepare -- just macaroons, but it added another thing to do into an already busy and shortened work day.
• No school for Zoe on Tuesday because she was still running a fever at 3AM when she woke up crying. (Which also = no sleep for Mom that night.)
  
• It feels like up until this afternoon it has rained for 40 days and 40 nights.
• Work meeting frustrations too long and ridiculous and uninteresting to expound upon.
• Easter planning/family nonsense.
  
• Issuing performance reviews to all my direct reports had to be completed this week
• After a midday visit to the pediatrician it turns out Zoe's illness is most likely strep throat and she definitely can't go to school again tomorrow which will basically mean she has missed the entire week because, of course, school is closed Friday for Good Friday.

I shudder to think what new joys Thursday and Friday will bring.

Reason #943 Why I Will Never Understand My Husband

I'm sorry because I know he hates when I blog about him, but I just can't help it today because I am so confused/annoyed/truly puzzled.

I like to bake and Rob likes to eat what I bake. I make a lot of cookies because they are popular among all household members and fun to make. I tend to store these cookies in Tupperware-type containers and I can always tell when Rob has had cookies (or brownies or my newest baked good -- granola bars) because the top to the Tupperware is only 95% closed. There is always, every time, without fail, that one corner he has not pushed down all the way. I complete the seal on the container whenever I notice it, but since Rob's favorite time to eat these baked goods is after everyone else is in bed, I often don't notice it until well into the next day. The part that really kills me is when he complains 2 days later that the cookies are stale already.

Why is it so hard to close the container all the way? Is there some way I can encourage him to close it more? (I have asked, nagged, begged about a thousand times now.) I just don't understand.

Happy 8th Birthday Zoe!

This is a picture of me holding Zoe for the very first time. I am finding it very hard to believe that was 8 years ago!

The Cosmetics Counter: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

Last week Zoe brought home the gift of conjunctivitis, AKA pink eye. First she had it and a couple of days later Rob contracted it. I thought I had escaped, but no such luck. My eyes started to turn red this past Monday and I wasted no time getting to the walk-in so I could start my eye drops.

Of course there is no good time to get pink eye, but this timing was particularly awful since I had two important meetings to attend and by that I mean attend in person, not like my usual conference calls. The doctor at the walk-in clinic told me I had to throw away all my eye make-up and that I should avoid using make-up for a few days. Now anyone who knows my make-up buying habits knows that throwing away my eye make-up is no small hit in itself, but then being told not to use make-up was the killer since I had to be in a room with company bigwigs.

Normally I buy the more expensive stuff sold at Sephora or department stores, but it occurred to me I could buy some inexpensive make-up at CVS that I could more easily treat as single use. As I was scanning the cosmetics aisle looking for the minimum products I could buy and I came across Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara. Many make-up artists consider this to be the best mascara out there. I was never sold on it because frankly I can be a make-up snob, but I can't say for sure that I'd ever really tried it. Since I didn't know what else might be good, I bought it in Brownish Black.

I have to say I was incredibly surprised by this mascara. It really is good stuff. It goes on smoothly and easily without clumps. The color was exactly what I expected and it lasted all day. It certainly out-performed many other much more expensive mascaras I have owned and at $5.49 each I can afford every color.

Life is Good

Lately it seems like I've been leading a life that is not mine because I've been having too much fun. Seriously. I was actually away for 2 weekends in a row!

2 weeks ago Rob and I spent the weekend in NYC. The weekend away including babysitting was a gift from my Mom for our 10th anniversary and my brother and sister-in-law put the icing on the cake with a gift certificate to our favorite steak place. Rob and I had a weekend like we haven't had since Zoe was born. We meandered around the city. We spent hours in the Barnes and Noble at Union Square. We lingered over dinner. We slept late. We window-shopped. We held hands a lot. It was just all romantic and perfect. We could use about 10 more weekends just like that.

I didn't think weekends away could get better until this past weekend with Emily and Becky in Philadelphia. Why Philadelphia, you ask? Well, thanks again to my Mom who gave me this trip as a birthday present. (Mom is on a roll with the excellent presents!) The idea was for me and a "guest of my choice" to go to the Barnes Foundation museum which is just outside Philly. I had never heard of the place, but it sounded like my cup of tea so I called my favorite tea-drinker (aka Becky) and asked her if she wanted to go. Then I immediately realized that we'd be in Emily's neck of the woods so we'd have to have her along too to make another girls' weekend out of it. Luckily it didn't take too much calendar examining to come up with a weekend that suited all three of us.

The Barnes Foundation is a pretty amazing place. It is filled with French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early Modern paintings among other works of art including furniture, sculpture and pottery. Despite the rather stringent security measures (The White House should take notes from them!) the galleries are really wonderful to walk through and there were quite a few surprises including a beautiful Matisse I had never seen. And they even had a poster of that Matisse.

The museum was followed by lunch and then very excellent shopping in Rittenhouse Square area of Philadelphia. Then there was dinner at Parc, a French bistro. Lots of good girl talk, book shopping, new jeans, and some good food -- a recipe for perfection. I really didn't want the weekend to end. Thanks to both Emily and Becky for their excellent company.

And to top off all this goodness, like a cherry on my sundae when we were shopping on Saturday afternoon we made a stop in the Lucky Brand store. In the store there was a moment I will never forget. As some of you know I have been working quite hard to lose weight and get in shape over the last year. I've lost about 25 pounds and I am pretty fit, if I do say so myself. I don't think I was quite this thin on my wedding day and it feels really great, but I still think of myself as being, well, fat. While we were waiting our turn to try on jeans I was looking at a top and I asked the sales person if it came in black and she said to me, "Yes, what size do you need?" and she turned and looked at me, "a small, right?"

It might not sound like a big deal, but in my entire adult life I can't remember anyone ever asking me if I wore a size small. It felt soooooo good. (Especially because the small was the right size.)

Life is good even if it isn't all weekends away and shopping, but wouldn't it be nice if it were?

TBR Challenge: Miss Match

I know it is surprising to see another TBR Challenge post so soon, but I had to do something I rarely ever do and that is abandon a book. Gasp!

The book in question is Miss Match by Erynn Mangum and was given to me as a gift. (To be fair, it was given to me by someone who doesn't know me at all.) I was quite surprised to discover that this book is so-called "Christian fiction." That was a new genre for me. I mean I am sure if I'd ever given it thought I would have realized that it had to exist, but I never have given it any thought.

In an attempt to be open-minded I read the first 50 something pages the other night, but I felt really uncomfortable about what I'd read. I wasn't sure why because I've read plenty of books about people of other religions. When I woke up the next morning I realized that what was making uncomfortable was that the "born again" aspects of the book (and there were quite a few for only 50 pages in) were a lot like preaching and not just part of the plot. I struggled with the decision, but ultimately decided the book must be abandoned because life is too short and there are too many other books out there.

Am I a Big Girl Now?

I am finding it hard to believe, but Zoe's 8th birthday is coming up in just a few weeks. (Yes, that means I will be posting her baby picture again soon.) In some ways these have been the fastest 8 years of my life. I have no idea where so much time went because it feels like only yesterday that we brought little baby Zoe home from the hospital. At the same time, I can't remember or imagine my life without her in it. But I will save the rest of the "remember when" stuff for her actual birthday because that's not what I wanted to write about today.

Zoe is obsessed with being a big girl. When she got up on her own and got herself dressed without being told she asked me, "am I acting like a big girl?" She has opinions on what big girls wear, read, play with, etc. I've been encouraging her efforts, of course.

This morning, however, I had to correct one of her ideas about being a big girl. Just before leaving for the bus stop Zoe asked me, "When I turn 8, can I say f**k?"

I forced myself not to laugh and said, "No, that's a grown-up word. Not even big girls should say that word."

"But Asher says f**k," she replied. Asher is her 12 year-old cousin.

"He shouldn't," I replied.

"He shouldn't say it to grown-ups," Zoe answered. I couldn't argue with that one.

I re-iterated that it is not a word she should use, but that some people do it in frustration. I suggested she use "phooey" instead.

"Phooey is a baby word." She got me again.

So finally I told her, "life just doesn't make sense sometimes, does it?"

TBR Challenge: Sense and Sensibilty

Back in December I agreed to participate in Emily's TBR Challenge. Several weeks ago I finished my first book for the challenge and that book was Sense and Sensibility. According to rule #6 I am supposed to write a blog post about each book I read for the challenge. Since I have a feeling I am going to have a hard time with a lot of the other rules that are part of this challenge (like not buying new books!) I am going to try to adhere to the blog post rule. So, even though I am not the most talented book reviewer, here goes.

This was my third reading of Sense and Sensibility, but my last reading was sometime in the 90s so it had been awhile. I had a pretty good memory of the overall plot, but had certainly forgot much of the details. It was excellent to have my memory refreshed to this wonderful book.

Despite the fact that I knew a happy ending was forthcoming, I was held in suspense much of the time while both Elinor and Marianne careened toward heartbreak and sunk into it. I found it interesting that both their views on love and the way to happiness turned out to be wrong and their heartbreak and disappointments give them both a better understanding of love and the way of the world.

This book also has some of my favorite secondary characters. Especially the girls' brother John and his wretched wife. They are quite funny caricatures, horrible in their behavior, but still amusing to observe. They and the others (Mrs. Ferrars, Lucy Steele, etc.) add to the color of the book and keep you from arriving at the happy ending too soon.

That all being said, I still think Colonel Brandon was too old for Marianne.

Play day #2

One day off wasn't enough for me last week so I decided to take Friday off for some more playing.

My good friend Tracie invited Zoe and me to come skiing with her and her daughter and since that is something I have been dying to do, and actually resolved to do this year, it was an offer I couldn't refuse.

Before Friday I hadn't actually been skiing since the winter before I got pregnant with Zoe so that was 8 years ago! I was a little nervous about remembering how to actually ski, but a little voice in my head was reminding me of an article that my father clipped and mailed to me once about "muscle memory." Besides a day of bad skiing has to be better than even a good day of work, right?

So, off we went Friday morning up into the Berkshires. I do love it up there -- as a place to visit. I could never really live there. Zoe and Tracie's daughter were singing along to their iPods and we were chatting away and before I knew it we arrived at Butternut. Zoe and I struggled our way through the ski rental process and got all our gear on and then we had a quick lunch in the lodge before Zoe's lesson started.

I dropped Zoe off for her lesson and she was pretty nervous. So nervous that she really didn't speak. Anyone who knows Zoe, knows how unusual that is for her! I was only a bit worried about her though. She's pretty coordinated and very strong. There was no reason why she couldn't get pretty far along in learning how to ski in a 3 hour lesson.

Tracie, her daughter and I then headed for the bunny hill chair lift line. There were a few butterflies in my stomach as we rode up. I struggled a little to get off the lift, but easily maneuvered to the top of the mountain from there. And just like that we started skiing and I was doing it. It was a thrill. One more run down the bunny hill and we moved on to better parts of the mountain. I think I had a smile on my face for the entire time. Until my legs started to ache anyway. Luckily that coincided with the end of Zoe's lesson. I couldn't wait to see how she did. I was hoping for a smiling face, but prepared for a serious pout.

We made our way over to the lesson area and there was Zoe going up the chair lift with her instructor. When she saw me below she shouted to me, "Mom! Mom! I can ski!!" The grin on her face was about a mile wide. It was awesome. I was so proud and happy. We can't wait to hit the slopes again!

I think this picture pretty well sums up what a great day it was:



Thanks again Tracie!

Play day

Due to some miraculous alignment of the planets, the stars, and the births of two of my nations most famous presidents I didn't have to work on Monday. I've been so busy with work that even though I knew the day off was coming I never stopped to think what I might do with my day. Luckily, inspiration in the form of my 12 year-old cousin, Asher, struck.

Asher and Zoe get along really well so it is lots of fun to get them together. He came to sleepover my house on Sunday night and I decided to make the most of having 2 kids on Monday.

We started off the day with some morning Mario Kart races on Wii. (That is one of the most addictive games ever invented!) That was quickly followed by pancakes and bacon at the diner. We needed fuel for the day ahead. Next stop was Wonderland if Ice skating rink where we were joined by my sister-in-law, my niece, and my nephew. We got in a good 2 hours of pretty good skating. All of us were inspired by the Olympics, of course.

Next up was lunch. Asher was dying for Subway so we stopped there on the way home and loaded up on sandwiches, Doritos and Gatorade. (None for me, thanks -- had to draw the line there.) After downing lunch and some brownies it was time for more Mario Kart races until Asher's parents picked him up. We were so sad to see him go Zoe and I had to take naps so we could feel better.

Later that afternoon Zoe and I went to Border's and stole some books by reading them while we were there. I had a coffee and she had a hot chocolate. We took up space in their comfy chairs until dinner time.

Although the day was filled with activities that wouldn't necessarily all go into my truly ideal day -- I mean we didn't even look in a shoe store -- all-in-all it was a fantastic day of play. I highly recommend it and hope to have one like it again soon.

Life is like a box of chocolates

On Sunday my Dad came over to watch the Super Bowl with us. He was leaving for a vacation to the Bahamas the next day so he brought Zoe a Valentine's gift. (Yes, I hate him for being in the Bahamas right now.) Zoe's gift was a traditional heart-shaped box of chocolate with a little stuffed Teddy Bear attached to the top. She liked it very much.

Before half-time Zoe gave up on watching the game with us and went upstairs to watch TV in my bedroom. She asked me if she could eat her Valentine's chocolate for her dessert. Since I am on a diet and want all candy like that disposed of one way or the other as quickly as possible, I said yes. She's a pretty good self-regulator so I wasn't worried she'd eat the entire box.

About an hour later I went up to check on her and tell her it was almost time for bed. Then I asked her how she liked her chocolate.

"It was awful!" she said. I was quite surprised so I asked her why. "I don't like chocolate with stuff in it. I took a bite out of each one, but they all had stuff in it."

I opened the discarded box and sure enough there was each chocolate with one bite gone. It was a pathetic site.

"Why can't they just make all chocolate? That stuff ruins it," she complained. I told her I didn't know.

I left the room and immediately burst out laughing. Then I showed the box to Rob who promptly made the problem chocolate go away by eating all the bitten candies.

Fashion Critic

I suppose I deserve this for all the fashion criticisms I've handed out to friends, family and strangers over the years, but last night I got my first taste of my daughter as my fashion critic.

Rob and I were having a date night and we were meeting another couple at a rather posh sounding place in downtown New Canaan, CT. I was looking forward to a night out and took the opportunity to wear my favorite heeled black boots and a black sweater that has silver sparkly threads running through it. I got myself dressed and ready and just as we were leaving and I was kissing her good-bye, Zoe looked away from the TV and at me and said, "Mom! Don't you think that's a bit much?"

Oy. I told her I didn't think that was very nice, but I kissed her good-bye anyway. She then finished me off with, "I still love you."

Double oy.

And for the record, I don't think my outfit was a bit much at all. A lot she knows!

Zo-wii

My father bought us a Wii for Hanukkah this year. Needless to say this gift has been a big hit with Zoe. She's becoming quite the boxer and bowler -- at least in the land of Wii. I have to say I think the Wii is pretty fun myself. I don't get much chance to play, but I do enjoy it. So the other day when Dad was over the house I suggested he try it out and maybe go a few rounds in the ring with Zoe. I don't think he had any idea what it would be like, but he sure got into it quickly.

This picture of the two of them boxing really cracks me up:


But what cracked me up even more was when my Dad asked me for the instructions. I told him you don't need them, you just figure it out. Apparently that was not a satisfactory answer because the very next time I saw him he handed me a half inch stack of paper on which he had printed out the complete instructions for all the Wii Sports games. Classic my father, I loved it. It reminded me of the clipped articles he used to mail me when I was in college. I gave the instructions to Zoe who promptly asked me what we needed them for.

Habits

Dinner conversation tonight:

Zoe: Mom, what's a habit?

Me: A habit? It's a behavior you do without thinking about it.

Zoe: Like what? What's your habit?

Me: Ummm... I eat too much candy.

Zoe: What about Daddy?

Me: Daddy has a habit of falling asleep on the couch.

Zoe: Isn't a good habit like a hobby?

Me: Ummm no.


It's always entertaining at our table.

Say it backwards

Lately Zoe has been obsessed with backwards words. Things like stressed backwards is desserts and dog is god, etc.

Even more fun are the words that are jibberish backwards which we've decided means the opposite of their meaning. For example at bedtime we've started saying "doog gninrom". That's good morning, of course.

Now I think I'll have introduce Zoe to palindromes. I think she'll get a real kick out of "racecar" and "a man, a plan, a canal, panama."

Location:Hurd St,Fairfield,United States

Evolutions of Birthday Greetings

As some of you may know, I recently celebrated my 39th birthday. Doesn't that sound like such a grown-up age? Fortunately I don't feel any more grown up than I did last week.

In my house when cards come for birthdays or other occasions we usually display them in the kitchen on our island. Yesterday I realized that I only got 4 cards. One from my mother, one from my father, one from Rob, and one from Heather. All great cards that I was happy to receive. But 4 seemed like a small number. Thinking that made me feel like maybe I was being greedy and I didn't feel like anyone "forgot" my birthday or anything like that. Then I remembered all the birthday greetings that poured in over Facebook, Twitter, and email. I was honestly overwhelmed by that. I heard from people who never would have sent me a card, but since it is so easy on FB, Twitter or email, I got tons of greetings. No one had to buy a card or find a stamp or my address or anything. And yet that really was a treat. Chalk that up to reason # 5,999 why I love the internet.

Of course this all got me thinking that the greeting card business probably isn't booming these days. Being that I work in book publishing, I gotta say, I can relate! Not sure what will happen with greeting cards in the coming years. It is still special to get a card or a physical invitation (non evite), maybe even more special now. But will places like the Hallmark Store evolve or die out? At the same time will that make more or less room for the independent card maker? And then I wondered...will Zoe send out actual paper invitations to her wedding? (Should she choose to have a wedding, and all that, of course.) Funny to watch the small things change, isn't it?

Zoe's room

My mother bought Zoe a desk for Christmas. She's been wanting a desk (and a computer, but that has to wait) so it was a great gift for her. The weekend after Christmas, Rob, who has a PhD in Ikea-ology, put the desk together and then we spent about 3 hours moving furniture around until we found just the right arrangement. That's a pretty good work out, actually.

All of a sudden it was a completely new bedroom which of course meant that Zoe needed new bedding. Rainbows just weren't going to cut it in this new "grown up" girl room. So, we went to Target (where else?) to check out their collection of bedding. At first Zoe was attracted to the iCarly bedding, then the zebra stripes caught her eye, but after some serious contemplation she ultimately decided on the "Rock Star" bed-in-a-bag set.


They are not pictured here, but the set also came with fuzzy throw pillows. Pretty cool.

Am I sad that we've gone from rainbows to rock star? A little.

But I do appreciate her desire to update her room and make it a place she likes. And since the re-do she has been spending a lot more time in her room which does please me. I remember how important my room was to me as a kid. It was my refuge really.

The only problem now is that she wants to paint her walls too -- lime green and sky blue. Luckily I still get the final edit.

First lines meme

I saw this over at Musings from the Sofa and thought it looked like fun...

The rules are easy: post the first line of the first post of each month [from last year].

January: Here is the list of all 50 books I read in 2008.

February: Tomorrow around noon I will be boarding a plane for California.

March: We're just home from Puerto Rico one day late as Mother Nature thoughtfully provided us with a snow storm on Monday and forcing us to prolong our stay.

April: I haven't gotten out my soap box in awhile so I thought it was time I dusted it off.

May: Any discussion of head lice will cause my own head to itch -- one hour for every minute of conversation.

June: Have you seen the blog Photoshop Disasters?

July: I just read this post from traciedesigns and I had to share it too because I think it is a great idea.

August: If you're a fan of teh show Mad Men then you've got to give this a try. On the AMC site you can "Mad Men" yourself!

September: It is definitely that time.

October: I love Mad Men, but I have loved Sesame Street even longer...

November: Because Halloween fell on a Saturday this year, I decided to make a little party out of it.

December: How on Earth did it get to be December 10th already?


I'm not sure what this says about my blog or me except that I like Mad Men, but it is an interesting snapshot of the year that was.

2010 Resolutions

OK, it's a new year, time for some new resolutions.

1. Make a budget. Stick to budget. This is the big one for the year. The big one and the hard one. It is sad, but true that we have no household budget and it is past due that we get one together. We certainly need to save more and make better spending decisions. Oh and there's that little thing called college tuition looming out there... My goal is to have the initial budget created by end of first quarter and start sticking to it by end of third. I know it shouldn't take this long, but I feel like I need to time to get it right.
2. Blog more. The last few months have been really busy ones for me and I've really let my blogging slip. I have not been good about keeping up with writing or reading the blogs I follow and I miss it -- both the writing and the keeping up with my blogging friends. I have a goal of a minimum of writing 2 posts and 2 blog reading sessions per week. That's not huge, but at least it gets me back into the habit of blogging regularly.
3. See more movies. I love movies and I hardly saw any this year. (Kids' movies don't count.) I am going to start keeping a list of movies seen on my blog similar to the list of books read. This will be both movies rented and movies seen in the theater. I prefer to go to the theater, but its just not always easy. I've already put together a short list of movies I want to rent and I made a very good jump start over Christmas week when I saw 3 movies in the theater and rented one.
   
4. Do some different stuff. Is that vague enough for you? OK, here's what I mean...For my birthday my mother is giving me a trip to a museum in Pennsylvania (not sure which one) and it got me thinking about how I never go to art museums anymore. I can't even remember the last time. I can't believe I haven't taken Zoe, my aspiring artist, to the Met or the MOMA. I've been wanting to go skiing for 2 years and haven't been yet. I love ice skating, there is a rink 15 minutes from me and I've only been twice in the last year. That kind of thing. It is time to shake things up a bit and be open to new adventures.

See you in 12 months for the wrap up report.

2009 Resolution Round-up

Here are my resolutions from last year and a report on how they worked out:

1. Read another 50 books.

Check. And that will be an ongoing goal.

2. Stay on top of my inbox.

I was doing really well with this until November and then things just fell apart. I hope to get back on track and it is more of a habit now so that is a good thing.

3. Cook.

Believe it or not, I did it. I think I am most proud of this. I have been cooking a lot and looking up recipes and all kinds of things I never thought I'd do. And while I can't say I really love cooking, it is good to be able to make what I want to eat and to know what I am eating.

4. Try doing more sports and outdoor activities.

Never made it skiing this year, but we did go ice skating. Also we got Chief who has brought a lot more walks and trips to the beach and park into my life. I did OK on this, but I'm just never going to be a kayak-er or anything like that.

5. Get rid of the clutter.

I'm getting there, but it could be better.

Overall I think I did pretty well this year. In addition to these goals, I lost 20lbs and am finally, FINALLY at my pre-pregnancy weight. And I have managed to keep it off and it feels like a real permanent change. It is a very good feeling.

OK now I have to get to work on my 2010 resolutions...

TBR Challenge

Somehow in a weak moment I agreed to this challenge from Emily. Here's how she presented it:

So, here is how this challenge works. It begins December 1, 2009 (because I always believe in challenges that give you more than one year to complete) and ends no later than December 31, 2010, but it really ends whenever you manage to complete it. Here are the rules:

1. Choose 20 books from your TBR list (or tome, if you are like me), and post them on December 1, 2009. If you'd like, you can tell us why you chose each book (I'm sure you can guess what I'd "like").

2. Read those 20 books.

3. Oh, did I mention? You are not allowed to buy any of them. If you don't already own them, you must beg, borrow, or steal them in order to read them.

4. Oh, I guess I forgot the other difficult part: you are not allowed to buy any new (or used. No, you can't get around it that way) books until you have read (or attempted to read at least 30+ pages) of all the books on your list.

5. There is one exception to the rules (because I am a fair kinda gal and belong to 2 book discussion groups): you may buy books you have to read for book discussion groups before you have read all 20 on your list, if you can't get them any other way (i.e. your library system doesn't have them and employs the Sloth Express to deliver all interlibrary loans). However, I highly recommend that you encourage your book discussion groups to read books from your list of 20.

6. And then that final thing: write a blog post about each book as you finish (or decide you can't finish) it.

As you can see I have already broken the first rule because I did not get my list up by December 1. Since one rule is broken, I think I'll break a few more, like rule number 3. If I have to have that kind of impediment, there's no way I'll get through this list. So, I've decided that I can buy books from this list, but no other books (besides books for bookclub). And the last rule broken is number 6. I am not a great book reviewer so I can't promise more than stating I read the book. I will keep a special list on the column of my blog to track my progress instead. If I feel I have anything worth saying about the book, I will post. I have I made this half-assed, or what? Hopefully, Emily won't be too disappointed in my version.

OK, here's my list:

1. Then We Came to the End -- Joshua Ferris
   This has been sitting on my shelf and I have wanted to read it, but I just never pick it up.
   
2. Independence Day -- Richard Ford
   I read the Sportswriter over a year ago for book club and I have been wanting to read the second book ever since.
   
3. Lay of the Land -- Richard Ford
   If I am going to read the second book, I might as well read the third.
   
4. Breakfast at Tiffany's -- Truman Capote
   I can't believe I haven't read this.
   
5. Sense and Sensibility -- Jane Austen
   This is a re-read, but one that I have been meaning to do for a few years.
6. Lady Susan -- Jane Austen
   Speaking of Jane Austen, I've never read this one.
   
7. Ten Days in the Hills -- Jane Smiley
   Another one that has been sitting on my shelf that I have been wanting to read and just never pick up.
   
8. The Player -- Michael Tolkin
   I loved this movie and I'm not sure I knew it was a book until I heard about the second book. I figured I couldn't read the second book until I read the first...
   
9. Return of the Player -- Michael Tolkin
   See above.
   
10. Brideshead Revisited -- Evelyn Waugh
    Another book I can't believe I haven't read yet.
    
11. The Glass Castle -- Jeannette Walls
12. Miss Match -- Erynn Mangum
    Both #11 and #12 were gifts from my LibraryThing Santa 2 years ago and I still haven't read them. I feel like I should read these books someone took the time to pick out for me.
    
13. The Believers -- Zoe Heller
    I bought the hardcover and still haven't read it. I want to get it read before the paperback comes out.
    
14. The Best American Short Stories 2009
    I get this book as a gift from my Mom every Christmas and I don't usually finish it so this year that is my goal.
    
15. Raymond Carver: A Writer's Life -- Carol Sklenicka
    I love Raymond Carver. I know this book just came out, but it immediately landed at the top of my TBR list.
    
16. Never Let Me Go -- Kazou Ishiguro
    Another one that's been sitting on my shelf.
    
17. The Poisonwood Bible -- Barbara Kingsolver
    So many people I know loved this book. I own it, but for some reason I've never read it. I am kind of afraid I won't like it, I think. We shall see...
    
18. Casino Royale -- Ian Fleming
    I feel like I should read this.
    
19. Mrs. Dalloway -- Virginia Woolf
    Just in case I'm feeling too happy.
    

Happy Holidays!

All the best in 2010

What is it about the holidays?

The holidays combined with the end of the year are just kicking my butt this year. Everything feels extra-intense -- the highs and the lows. Makes me kind of want to dive under the duvet until January 4th or so. Am I the only one feeling like this?

Zoe has certainly built up Christmas this year. She was very upset when we were decorating the tree because we didn't hang every ornament we own. She was afraid Santa would be disappointed. She is pushing on the Santa thing extra hard this year because I am afraid she is starting to question the whole thing. It breaks my heart a little. I want it to be extra special magic for her just a little longer.

The family stuff can be rough too. Its not too bad this year, but every little bump in the road gets magnified when Christmas or Hanukkah or New Year's is attached to it. I decided a few years ago that I wanted the holidays (including Thanksgiving) to be fun for me too and not just about familial obligation. Ultimately that has been good, but it does cause some tension. How can it not?

Work is insanity and I don't even want to talk about that. I just want a few days off to forget it. Hopefully I'll be able to put it mostly out of my mind. I will say that as rough a road as work has been this entire last year or more, I am ever more grateful for the wonderful people I work closely with. I have made a few very close friends that certainly make every day better. Some of them are far and farther flung, but it is no matter.

I hope for everyone that they can find something fun or special or just relaxing about this holiday season. I wish everyone all the best in 2010.

Coming soon...new year's resolutions...

The Cosmetics Counter: 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil

This is about as close as you can come to the perfect eyeliner.

The 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil by Urban Decay is my favorite cosmetics discovery of 2009. Sometime over the summer I read an article about waterproof eyeliners which I thought would be fun to try for swimming days. I tried a couple of other brands with mixed results, but I wasn't thrilled until I stumbled upon this eyeliner at one of my favorite stores, Sephora. My color of choice is Rockstar which is a dark purple, but any of the colors that don't include glitter or glimmer are excellent choices.

What makes it so great, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

1. It is easy to apply -- unbelievably easy, really. You have to try it to see what I mean.
2. It goes on super-smooth and even.
3. It lasts a long, long time without running or smudging.
4. Even though $17 may seem like a lot for an eyeliner, the pencil lasts a long time.
   

The only downside is that you should use eye make-up remover to take it off at the end of the day otherwise it can be a little bit too lasting.

So if you're looking for a new eyeliner, I suggest you give this one a try.

SXSW Tour 09: Photos

I can't believe I never published this post. This is my collection of photos from my SXSW trip. Hope they are still somewhat interesting...

My favorite gas station quick mart (Somewhere in Louisiana):

Manicures and Pedicures for everyone! (Best manicure and pedicure ever, I should mention.)


Zoe and Samantha wrapped up with the presents.


Zoe and Samantha help with the Thanksgiving cooking.


Table is set and the first Thanksgiving meal I ever helped prepare is ready to be eaten! This was the first year I didn't just bring the wine.


The chefs!

The cool parking meters in Memphis just off Beale St.



Somewhere in Tennessee I spotted this helpful sign. Now what is a buiscuit and are they appropriate for the office??


Vacation is good.

The Gateway Arch. Missed it last year and thrilled I got to see it this year. It is pretty cool and something I've wanted to see since I was about 5.

Note to self: Remember to blog

How on Earth did it get to be December 10th already? I swear I just got back from vacation so that would make it around November 30. I want my 10 days back!

I've been swamped with work and holiday preparations and as a result, I have been neglecting my blog. The saddest part is that I didn't even realize how much time had gone by since I'd posted because I keep thinking about writing posts. Which just goes to prove that thinking it and doing it are two completely different things. Luckily my good friend Heather emailed me to find out if I was OK since I hadn't posted in so long. That has helped to kick my butt into gear.

And even sadder than the saddest part is that I discovered that I never even finished or published the last post I wrote, but I thought I had. Sad, lonely, unfinished post -- I will take care of you now.

Sad, lonely, blog -- I will do my best to neglect you no more. Holidays or not, crazy job or not, there should always be time for ZoesMom!

SXSW09: The Journey Home

We hit the road for home yesterday afternoon. It was so hard to say good bye, but we wrenched ourselves away and set the GPS for Memphis.

It is a long, flat drive through East Texas and Arkansas. The highway is dotted with ranches and Walmarts and that's about it. So it was quite exciting to cross the bridge over the Mississippi river and arrive in the city of Memphis. Our hotel was right downtown and our room was on a high floor of the hotel so we had a great city view.

Almost immediately upon check in Zoe and I got our bathing suits on and went to seek out the indoor pool. The pool room had 2 walls of floor to ceiling windows with another nice view of the city. The pool itself was big and wonderfully warm. Zoe and I swam until we were exhausted and then went back up to the room and flopped happily into bed.

This morning we went to The Arcade Restaurant which is an old diner kind of place that claims to be the oldest cafe in Memphis. We found the place by accident on last year's trip and the memory of their delicious beignets was more than enough to entice us back. The restaurant is a few blocks from Beale St. in what looks to be an arty area. Zoe really didn't notice the food, but she was quite enamored with the painted parking meters. I have pictures on my camera which I'll post when I get home.

From Memphis we set a course for the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO. Details on that to come.


- Posted from the road

SXSW Tour 09: Turkey Week Wrap Up

It's hard to believe we're already on the road home, but before I start posting about the return trip, I should sum up 6 days in Dallas.

It was terrific to be with our friends and everyone took up right where they left off last time we were all together. It felt like we barely saw our daughters as they were so busy playing the whole time, they barely paid any attention to us grown-ups. That was a fine arrangement for us all!

As any trip to Dallas should be, the week was filled with good food and good shopping. I had two delicious Tex-Mex lunches including one at my favorite place, Mi Cocina. If you're ever in Dallas, I highly recommend a meal there. The restaurant's proximity to the Tory Burch and Cole Hahn stores is an added bonus. The shopping at Northpark Mall is my favorite in Dallas though. Karen and I did some damage at Sephora and we got new Kate Spade iPhone cases.

Dallas has a wonderful thing -- a drop-off childcare center that is open until 10pm on weeknights. This meant that we were able to go out for a really nice dinner at Cafe R+D without having to bring coloring or order anyone chicken nuggets. The Bellinis there along with all the food were fantastic.

And then I participated in my first Thanksgiving meal cooking. Karen and I made everything together from the turkey to the ice cream. In addition to those things, our meal included corn pudding, baked sweet potatoes, green beans, salad with home made dressing, corn muffins, biscuits, stuffing and 2 kinds of chocolate chip cookies. The only thing we bought were the cupcakes from Sprinkles. Truthfully I mostly cooked the desserts and bread items and Karen did the turkey, stuffing, etc. It was a pretty fair division of labor, but I still can't say I actually cooked a turkey. I was very glad I have been working on my cooking skills this year!

It was one of the more relaxing Thanksgiving Days that I can ever remember. We ended the day in our pajamas watching movies. I can't remember the last time I did that with friends.

It was very hard to leave today, but we have some road adventures to look forward to in Memphis, St. Louis, and Columbus.

SXSW Tour 09: Day 3

Well, we made it! It's great to be back in Dallas. I know it has been a year, but in a way it feels like we were just here the other day. Zoe and Samantha ran right off to play as soon as we arrived which was wonderful to see. Rob and Ashton are hiding and talking about going to the shooting range (thinking we don't know what they're talking about) while Karen and I are making our own plans for the week. All is as it should be.

Before I settle into our stay here I just wanted to share this one last list...

Things we've seen on the road that you would never see in Connecticut:

Letty's Beauty salon and coin laundry

Get-n-Geaux (gas station quick mart)

Crawfish Tackle Box (@Popeyes drive thru)

Biscuitville Restaurant

Ranches with horses and cattle -- one even had camels

Aligator farms

Billboard advertising $990 cremations



And here's a picture of Zoe and Samantha. Reunited and it feels so good.






- Posted from my iPhone

SXSW Tour 2009: Day 2

Today has been a great day, but also very long. We have just about reached our hotel for the night and I must say I am ready to get out of the car. Meanwhile here are observations from the road:

There's a whole lotta nothing much of Alabama and Mississippi -- at least in terms of what can be observed from the road.

Atlanta looks like a great city. We spent about an hour at the Underground and then drove around. I would love to go back and see more.

LaZboy furniture is much more popular than I realized. There has probably been one store for every 2 Wal-marts.

There was a big Clemson football game today. Fans go all out decorating their cars. It's amazing!

People in the south are so friendly. It is so unusual coming from the Northeast where everyone is in too much of a rush to be that friendly.

Mullets are still alive and well as a popular style in some places.

And while we spent much of today's ride listening to an audio book, Zoe spent her time with the portable DVD player looking like this;






And after spending the night in Jackson, MS tonight, tomorrow we make it to Dallas!

- Posted from the road

SXSW Tour 2009: Day 1

Thanks to my iPhone I am blogging while we ride.

We left CT around 7:00 this morning which was only an hour later than we had planned. (Mornings are tough for Rob.). Luckily it is Friday so the morning traffic out of NY wasn't too bad. Coffee and egg sandwiches from Starbucks fueled us all the way to Silver Springs, MD where we made our first stop. Interesting place, Silver Springs. From what little I saw it looks to be undergoing yuppification. That's not all bad or all good, but there were some nice shops and restaurants in one area so we were able to have a nice lunch and meander a bit.

Back in the car we pressed on to Charlottesville, VA. (Emily, please don't tell your parents we were there and didn't stop by to say hello.). After my brief visit there this summer, I wanted to stop so Rob could see the downtown Mall. It just so happened that they were lighting the Christmas tree tonight so things were bustling with music and activity. We walked around, Zoe talked us into buying her a stuffed animal, we had coffees and it was all very nice. I wish we could have spent more time in one of the awesome used bookstores, but used bookstores and 7 year olds are not generally a good combo. Rob said he would have liked 2 hours in the bookstore follwed by 2 hours in the coffee place to read, but alas we also had to get back on the road. Just as we were leaving we saw this cool book chair. Doesn't look too comfortable, but it would be an excellent addition to a library room!





So now we're on our way to Greensboro, NC where we will be spending the night. Tomorrow will be the really long day of driving so we need to get a good night's sleep.

More soon from points south.


- Posted from the road

SXSW2 Tour 2009

Tomorrow morning will be the start of our 2nd annual South-by-southwest roadtrip. Our final destinatio will be Dallas, TX but we are hoping to make some interesting stops along the way.

Don't worry, I plan to keep you posted as well as keeping very good track of Eeyore.

Have you seen this? Make Your Own Jeans

What is one of the hardest things to shop for? Bathing suits of course, but second to that is jeans! Imagine if you could have your own custom made pair without it costing an arm and a leg -- wouldn't that be fabulous? Well, now you can at Makeyourownjeans.com.

A number of years ago Levi's did this, but the options were very limited, but now on Makeyourownjeans.com you get so many options it is actually overwhelming. The jeans are made using 7 different measurements that you provide. You choose the type of denim, including options for stretch, weight, and color. You can also personalize them even more by choosing embroidery, buttons, rivets, pockets, patches, rips, washes, and thread color. Like I said, the number of choices is overwhelming.

And most of the jeans cost around $50!

I haven't ordered my own pair yet, but that is only because I have to do all the measuring stuff and I can't decide what I want. I will let you know what I think when I do order.

The only criticism is for the site itself. They desperately need the help of traciedesigns!

B is for Bathtub

In college I lived in apartment that was the third floor of a house that had seen many better days. The place was kind of dumpy, the furniture was falling apart and it was hellish walking up the stairs just to get to the door, but there was one beautiful feature and that was the enormous claw foot bathtub. It was close to 6 feet long and maybe 2 feet deep. My roommate and very excellent friend HT and I really enjoyed it. We even once auctioned off a bubble bath in our tub for a department fundraiser.

The thing I remember even more than taking baths in the tub were the talks HT and I had while she was taking a bath. She was an end of day bather and would fill the tub with bubbles and go for a soak. I would hang out in the bathroom and we'd talk and talk about everything. Sex, school, life, you name it. It wasn't so much what we talked about as the intimacy of it. Not only because HT was naked under all the bubbles, but because it was so open and so unbound by time and and life's responsibilities. It seems like those moments with good friends are so few and far between these days. It is hard enough to find time to spend with good friends -- life and responsibility get in the way all the time. I'd love to have a few of those nights back. And maybe one more swim in that enormous tub would be nice too.

Halloween Menu

Because Halloween fell on a Saturday this year, I decided to make a little party out of it. I invited my brother's family and Rob's brother's family. In years past I would have ordered pizza for an occasion like this, but since I have been cooking lately I felt that I could tackle cooking up a Halloween feast -- or at least something that passed for dinner. Worst case, a heavy dose of candy would make everyone happy in the end.

I based the meal around a chicken dish of my own invention and then pieced it together from there with a focus on kid-friendly-ness. The official menu was this:

Cereal Killer Chicken (cereal crusted chicken tenderloins)
Baked Cheesy Brains
Mummy Dogs
Witches Fingers (bread sticks)
Blood Red Wine
Pumpkin Cake (not pumpkin flavored, but shaped like one)

Zoe was my sous chef and she even created this menu:



I think the food was a success. Everyone seemed to enjoy it so I was really pleased. Of course that was all just to fill time before the real event -- trick-or-treating! Bags of candy were procured and there were belly-aches for all. And how could I not post a picture of Zoe in her costume...

Euphemism

I love euphemisms. They really have a way of glossing over the ugly stuff.

I write this because I recently had the pimple that ate my face. (Luckily it has since spit my face back out and gone back into its cave.) However, rather than calling it a pimple, the lovely lady at the cosmetics store referred to it as a "blemish." When she said that, I thought to myself, lady, this is way more than a blemish, but whatever. Just give me what you've got to get it gone.

That little word blemish got me thinking about other famous euphemisms. Some of my favorites are:

Restroom. As a child I always found that one confusing because, well, there aren't any beds or couches in a restroom unless you go to one of the really fancy departments stores, of course.

Lavatory. This was even more confusing because just when I figured out what a restroom was, I got to school and they called it something else. Something that sounded a lot like laboratory.

Pro Life or Pro Choice. They are pretty meaningless when you think about what they really mean.

In a family way. There are so many more good ones for pregnancy, but that is my favorite.

Period. This is a good one. No one likes to think too much about this.

First Base, etc. Silly, but important to know.

Gay or Straight. I don't get it.

Concentration Camp. The prime example of how dangerous a euphemism can be. Its name says nothing about what it really is.

Toasted, buzzed, and any of the other 5,000 terms of that sort.

The list could go on for days, but I'll stop here.

So when I asked the nice lady to help me with my blemish I was hoping for magic, but instead was offered a product I already owned. I was SOL.

Halloween Meme II

I was tagged by the Queen herself!

Rules:

1. Answer the questions on your own blog. -- Will do!

2. Tag 13 others to answer the questions on their blogs and link to them. -- Probably won't do since The Queen already tagged everyone! I'll just leave it at this -- if you want to do this meme, go for it!

And here we go...

1). Which urban legend ghost scared the bejeezus out of you when you were a kid?
The one about the guy who had the dog that would lick his hand at night and then one morning he woke up to discover his dog was dead and written in blood was "humans can lick too." This was one of the most popular campfire stories at my sleepaway camp. Not much sleep for me on the nights that story was told.

2). Which horror movie has the best premise?
The Birds or really any Alfred Hitchcock movie.

3). What is the most disappointing "treat" to receive in your bag on Halloween night?
It has to be an apple. Second to the apple is the little box of raisins. I mean really.

4). What's the best non-candy item to receive?
Bouncy balls. They were big in my neighborhood when I was a kid.

5). Did a monster live in your closet when you were a child?
Nope. The monster lived in the basement of course.

6). Which supernatural creature sent chills up your spine when you were ten and still does?
The headless horseman. I know it sounds silly, but that just creeps me right out.

7). Which supernatural creature makes you yawn?
The Mummy. What is he really going to do? He's held together with medical tape! The new Mummy movies have not had any improved impact.

8). What's your favorite Halloween decoration?
Jack-o-lanterns. I love to see people get creative with the carving. I still haven't carved my pumpkins, but hopefully I will get to do it this year.

9). If you could be anywhere on Halloween night, where would you be?
Right where I'm going to be. Home and then trick-or-treating with Zoe and my nieces and nephew. Halloween is a kids' holiday to me. I love celebrating with them.

10). What's the scariest book you've read so far this year?
I don't like scary books so the only thing that comes close this year is 1984.

11). Haunted houses or haunted hayrides?
Haunted houses. I feel too trapped on the hayrides.

12). Which Stephen King novel/movie would you least like to find yourself trapped in?
Misery. That was scary, scary, SCARY to me.

13). Which are creepiest: evil dolls, evil pets, or evil children?
Evil dolls -- especially clowns.

A weekend of funnies from Zoe

It seemed like just about everything Zoe had to say this weekend was having us all laugh out loud. Here are a few of my favorites:

The worst Halloween ever would be instead of getting candy, getting advice.

It's weird. Neil Armstrong and Louis Armstrong have the same last name, but they are not related at all. Not even a little bit. It's spelled the same and everything. A-R-M-S-T-R-O-N-G

Avatar [the TV Show] gives you spiritual advice. Don't make fun of that show, that show is my life.

It was more dangerous for Grandpa in his driveway than at the battle of the bulge. [Said when discussing the fact that Rob's father did not get any serious injuries in WW II, but he did manage to slice of part of a finger in a car engine fan.]

I have to cartwheel. It's who I am.

Have you seen this? Recursion

I just stole this from a tweet from David Pogue (@Pogue). I could have re-tweeted, but it seemed like a perfect blog post too.

Here's what you do:

Google the word "recursion."

On the results page click "Did you mean?" spelling suggestion. (It will say recursion.)

Repeat.

Giggle.

One is enough to fill my life with ...

I'm not sure if it has do with Zoe's age or mine or other factors I am not considering, but it seems like lately a lot of people have been asking me about having another child.

Does Zoe have an older brother or sister?

Do/did you want another?

Are you going to have another?

Typically followed by...

Why don't you have another?

Will you ever have another?

Don't you think Zoe would like a little brother or sister?

And after those questions are answered, I am usually given some comment on only children that vary in degree from good to bad, but very few land in the indifferent category.

I don't mind if someone asks me about having more children because I know it is common to have more than one. I accept that as polite conversation on the playground kind of thing. It is the relentless follow-up that gets to me. I mean, I don't go around asking pregnant women why they are having another baby. I don't ask people with 3 kids if they worry about their middle child. And even though I'd like to, I haven't asked my neighbor why on Earth she is having fourth kid. Do you know why? Because it is not my life and not my business.

I know that some faction of the world believes I am denying Zoe something crucial in life by not providing her with a brother or sister, but I don't believe that. I believe I am trying to be the best mother I can be for her -- and to me that includes not having any other children.

Halloween -- a pictorial history

It's that time of year...leaves changing, pumpkins, and of course, Halloween. One of the favorite holidays in our house. What could be better than costumes and candy?

Zoe keeps asking me what she was for Halloween at every age. I wasn't sure I remembered everything so I went back and consulted my photos.

Here's the full history:

2002 First Halloween -- she had two costumes this year because really, is one enough?



She only lasted about 15 minutes in the Hershey kiss costume before breaking down into hysterical sobs, but the cow costume was worn until it didn't fit anymore.


2003 -- The First Flight of the Bumblebee
Also the first time trick-or-treating.


2004 -- The Bumblebee flies again.
The costume still fit so why not?

Next to Zoe is my niece -- that was her first Halloween.



2005 -- The Year of the Witch

This was the first year she chose her own costume. She had to have that witch hat.

2006 -- The Year of the Princesses


2007 -- Argh!
This was the only moment she was actually wearing all the pieces of this costume.

2008 -- A Friend of the Devil

I just realized that I've probably posted most of these photos over the years, but it is fun to look at them all together. I am looking forward to seeing her in this year's costume. I won't give it away so I have something to post on 11/1.

Friday's Lessons Learned: All Work and No Play Makes Me Tired

I've been suffering from work overload lately and therefore I have not been blogging at my usual rate and I seem to have completely stopped creating these lists in the last few weeks. Not good. Time to get back to the blog ... and the bullets.

• There is nothing so anti-climactic than the completion of a large project. All along I always think I am going to feel elation and relief when the project is done, but instead I tend to go into what I think of as my post-project depression. And I realize all the work that I had been neglecting and am swamped all over again. I am hoping that after this weekend I will be over the depression and magically caught up on my work (insert plea to elves here).
• Kids don't love shoes. They may love a pair of shoes, like the sneakers Zoe is currently wearing into the ground, but in general shoes are just annoying even if they are necessary.
• We are going to a family wedding on Saturday and Zoe will be wearing a DRESS. That's right, a dress. A dress that she chose and is actually excited to wear. Keep your fingers crossed that she won't be barefoot (see above).
• Speaking of shoes...I wanted to start hating Zappos because they were bought by Amazon, but I just can't. Especially since they always send me shoes the next day for free and since reading this article on their CEO in the New Yorker. I'd like to work for this guy.
• More about shoes...it is all of a sudden boots season around here. I don't know who flipped the switch, but I would have preferred something a little more gradual. The pool is closed, the heat is on. How can it be winter when we never had summer?? Oh well, I guess I better get shopping for those boots!

Have you seen this? Mad Men on Sesame Street

I love Mad Men, but I have loved Sesame Street even longer...