All "Frozen," All the Time

We are, shall we say, a tad obsessed at the moment. 

With "Frozen."

Have you seen it yet? The big kids and I went last weekend. I broke the news that we'd be going around last Thursday and anticipation began mounting immediately. 

Last Sunday morning, around 7:00 a.m. Ellie started asking to watch [YouTube] videos of all the songs from the movie. I'm not sure two people have been more excited to see a movie, ever. Ellie also got dressed (at 6:30 on a Sunday) without being asked to (unprecedented) and went to bed the night before, exclaiming "Tomorrow is the day I get to see Frozen!

See? A little excited.

What can I say? The movie has it all. First of all, it's absolutely stunning visually. It's warm (which might be surprising, given the, ahem, title), it's funny, it's sweet, it's sad and it's poignant. Without giving away anything, there was also a nice and refreshing twist on the whole "Find a prince and everything will be Fine" which I think we can all agree we are finished with.

And did I mention the incredible music? We started downloading songs from the soundtrack in the parking lot of the theater after the movie was over. Wait, I lied. I bought the "theme" the day before and the big kids and I listened to it in the car on the way to getting haircuts on Saturday afternoon (to get them in the mood for the movie because, clearly that was needed). Ha.

Ellie asks to listen to the soundtrack in the car on the way to school. Before I've put the key in the ignition. 

She calls upstairs while I'm getting dressed in the morning to "bring my phone downstairs" so she can listen to "Frozen."

And perhaps one of my favorite moments  came last night when she sang herself to sleep. With songs from "Frozen." I kid you not. 

Ellie got a little set of figures of characters from the movie for Hanukkah and that was a huge hit--such a huge hit that Leo burst into tears when he didn't get the same set. Oops. (When am I going to learn that I should always just buy two of everything--and soon enough, I guess, four). Oy.

Last night Ellie and Leo spent their post-dinner/bath time sketching each of the characters from the movie. Before that, Ellie built a little "stage" for them from a small discarded box. And when I was upstairs putting the twins to bed, Leo and Ellie took it upon themselves to stand on chairs and get the tin foil from the top shelf above the refrigerator (you know, tin foil = ice= "Frozen"). The kitchen table looked like a craft room had exploded (scissors, tape, construction paper) and in the background, the music from the soundtrack blared: 

"Let it go, let it go…Let the storm rage on. The cold never bothered me anyway."

This is the best song. I mean. Idina Menzel? Are you kidding me? I pretty much have it on repeat. And I'm using it to further my brainwashing of Ellie into full-blown Broadway show tune nerdom: I told her she's one of the witches from "Wicked" (which Ellie is very interested in after seeing a poster for it when we were in the city and hearing one of the songs from the show on the "Glee" soundtrack).

But on to the art. I think the Disney animators would be proud, don't you?

Olaf, the snowman.

Olaf, the sun loving snow man, By Leo.

By Ellie.

Sven, the reindeer.

Sven, by Leo. 

When we first started listening to the music, Lucy, in her usual, characteristically oppositional manner screamed "NO FROZEN!"

But we won her over soon enough. The music is irresistible, even to an opinionated two-year-old. Now we are all dancing around to "Fixer Upper" and Lucy is demanding that I "Dip her."

It's not that often that the kids and I are "into" the same things, but you know, DISNEY. They know how to do it (there's a reason plenty of adults without children visit the Disney theme parks). I am, however,  pretty sure I'm one of the few adults rocking out to the "Frozen" soundtrack during their morning commute (true story). Yup, I'm a proud and self-proclaimed fruit ball, what can I say. 

And this morning, on my way to work I may have stopped at the Disney store on the way to my office to look at the "Frozen" paraphernalia again (Hanukkah is over and Christmas is coming!). I may have had my headphones on and switched them off, only to realize that the Frozen soundtrack was also playing in the store. Pfew! I didn't have to miss a moment of "Frozen." 

We're having fun. And I'm not sure who's enjoying all this more, the kids, or me. 

Planets, Bones, Molars, Costco and the Golden Globe Goes To: The Weekend

I've long been an awards show junky. In my youth, I was known to turn the red carpet show on at 3 p.m. (when you live on the west coast, the Oscar coverage starts early). Pre-celebratory cocktails and hors d'oeuvres would soon follow, though my dress was always casual.

Last night the Golden Globe Awards were on. As you can imagine, my pre-awards show regimen
these days differs just a tad from days gone by. After dinner was made and cleaned up, after lunches for the next day were packed, after four small bodies were bathed and tucked into bed (four bathed on the same night! That feat--not that I did it alone--high five, Erin!) will make me feel accomplished for at least 36 hours)--we collapsed onto living room couches. Leftover Chinese food for me and a cobbled together hamburger for Erin, followed by Diet Pepsi and Bailey's (no, not together). I know, you're jealous. It's OK.

I thought Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were wonderful. My only complaint is there wasn't enough of them. It seemed like last year its was the Ricky Gervais show (snore) whereas this year, Tina and Amy were hardly seen.

I'm not going to talk about the fact that I have set a new record in that I have literally seen none of the movies nominated for best picture.

As we always do, Erin and I had loads of fun making fun of everyone and trash talking fashion. And it's always fun to see celebrities get tipsy and make speeches.

It was around 9:30 that I heard rustling coming from Leo's room. I thought maybe he'd fallen out of bed (I wasn't alarmed since his mattress happens to be three inches from the floor). Minutes later, there was the little man himself.

"Good morning, Mommy," he greeted me. At 9:37 p.m.

I told him it wasn't morning but night time. That it was late and he had to go back to bed. But Leo was in a funny sort of half-awake dream state. He returned to his room for a minute and came back with a pillow and blanket. He made himself a little bed of sorts on the chair across from Erin and me. And proceeded to watch the Golden Globes. I was too tired to stop him. I figured he would probably fall asleep in the chair and, confession: Leo is a lot of fun to stay up with. Like all kids, he's completely different when the spotlight is on him, when he's not competing with the attention of three other little people.

His favorite part was clapping after all the speeches. He was outraged that Erin and I were not doing so.

***


I spent a rare day alone with Harry and Lucy on Saturday. Erin took Leo and Ellie to the American Museum of Natural History and the long awaited planetarium (Leo has literally been talking about going daily, for months). More on that in a minute.

It was nice having time with just the babies. Even with two toddlers, the house felt really, really quiet without the big kids. I forget sometimes, how much they play with the twins, how much they occupy and amuse (and yes, aggravate) them. By afternoon I found myself watching the clock, checking to see how much longer until I had to go pick up the rest of the gang at the train station.

Lucy is in a really, really (did I mention really?) whiny phase right now. She follows me around and just wants me to hold her. She hangs on me. If I'm wearing yoga or pajama pants? Look out. Those suckers are pulled down, so desperate is that girl to get to me. I acquiesce when I can but of course, it's not always possible. I made the mistake of teaching her "uppy" (not sure what I was thinking) and that's her new favorite word. Ellie went through a similar thing around this age. This too shall pass and all of that. It's really not a big thing, it's just very noticeable.

Harry, meanwhile, is Mr. Chill. Except that the pathetic little guy is setting a new record for how long it takes to birth a molar. Poor dude can't fit his little fists far enough into his own mouth to soothe himself. He's woken up screaming inconsolably several times in the last week. Saturday he wouldn't even sit in his high chair and was only content to be spoon fed plain Greek yogurt while he sat in my lap. Rough life.

More on the planetarium: Apparently "Journey to the Stars" was a tad too exciting as they both lasted exactly two minutes before freaking out and demanding to leave due to presumed sensory overload. Ah, well.

Looking at models of planets is fun. And not scary at all.

And you can't beat a good dinosaur bone.

While Erin and the big kids had adventures in the city, the twins and I held court in the suburbs. Costco never disappoints. Six gallons of milk (yes, we are that family) and three vats of blueberries later (Leo is on a blueberry kick) we were on our way (with a few other things too).

And sometimes, just for fun I look at pictures like this

and this

and think:

A) How did I ever leave the house?
B) WOW. It's so much more awesome now.

Friday Listiness

I bow to the list. In no particular order:

Fish Oil: Dare I say that it’s doing something? Leo’s just been…lighter lately. Not so angry. More reasonable. Honestly, he’s been a sweet little pleasure. There have been no “Too Loud” incidents in the last week (at least at home and as far as I’m concerned when it comes to school, no news is good news). We even went out to lunch on Sunday and he marched right in without argument. True, it was one of his favorite places. Sadly, the Great Rice Incident of 2008, in which he managed to sneeze a half a cup of rice all over our table was not replicated, however he was kind enough to spill a good portion of the rice on the floor as he was attempting to throw it in the garbage. Yeah, sorry about that.

Three: It is becoming painfully obvious that Ellie is close to turning three. There’s been a real amping up of “I do it myself” and “No I don’t want that” and perhaps my own personal favorite, "Mommy you hurt me! Don't touch my Band-Aid!" And the emotions. Oh, the emotions. It must be exhausting to feel things as intensely as an almost three-year-old. A few mornings ago as she sat happily in the car eating her fruit bar while I carted the garbage and recycling to the curb, I had the nerve to open her door. I thought maybe she needed some fresh air. As I passed by on my way back to the car from the curb, I found a sobbing Ellie. “Mommy I want my door closed!” she wailed, giant crocodile tears coating her cheeks and neck.

File This Under It Was Bound To Happen Eventually: Speaking of things that are being “amped up,” I have one word: Princesses. Dear me. Suddenly, everything is Princess This and Princess That. And this morning, I think I met the culprit. A little girl at Ellie’s school has a lot of Princess accessories (I’m talking the fairly nauseating although guess ultimately benign Disney variety)—clothes, hair accoutrement, lunch box. I know I sound like a huge snob here, I guess I just wasn’t quite ready. I know we can’t all grow up in a bubble and you could do worse than Princesses, but, well. Yeah. Like I said, I wasn’t ready yet. (And I know what happens when you “ban” something).


Attitude: Last night as I was singing to Ellie and telling her a story, I started to giggle, as I watched her grind her pacifier nipple into her eye (she does this when she’s especially tired). “Mommy, why are you laughing at me?” Ellie asked, with all the exasperation of a thirteen year old.

The Reader: Leo is now reading books to us at bedtime. He does it with fervor and intensity and such purpose. I understand some of the words, and he’s definitely making a lot of it up from memory, but one thing is obvious. That boy is reading. Video to come (If he lets me. It could be tricky).


Milestone: Leo is bringing new meaning to the term “lost tooth.” Yup, another one "bit" (sorry, couldn't help it) the dust, another bottom one. He’s now missing two bottom teeth and by missing I mean just that. It was there and it was gone and the Tooth Fairy never even got a chance.


Shoes, Again: My obsession with finding Leo yellow Crocs for the summer has come to a happy end (I paid to much for used ones on eBay but Hey. I got them. I should have bought them from crocs.com when I had the chance last week but I was being cheap and I waited too long and now they are out of stock. I know that I’m enabling his yellow obsession but I seriously can’t think of anything more fun than yellow shoes (let’s face it, you don’t come across them often nor, as evident in my experience, easily). Leo and Ellie are so vocal about their favorite colors that I just can’t resist (because you know that of course I’m getting Ellie the pink ones). Whenever they are presented with a color option, then comes the chorus of Ellie: “I want a pink one!” and Leo: “Yellow!”

Smarty: This happened a month or so ago but I forgot to mention it. A friend recently taught me a new sign—“share” and I thought, wow I need to use that with Leo. I asked him if he knew the sign for share (because he knows way more signs than I do so I figured I should check to see if he already knew it). He looked at me blankly, so I said, Leo, do you know how to say share? (Sometimes I also forget that he now talks way more than he signs.)
Leo smiled and said “Ellie.”

Don't Like Football But I Like a Good Soap Opera: "Friday Night Lights" starts again tonight (for those of us without DirectTV). Best. Show. Ever.

Greetings From the Tundra and Other Fun Facts About the Weekend

I’m not usually one to complain about weather. I was born and raised in what many argue to be one of the more shall we say, depressing weather places: the gloomy, rainy pacific Northwest. It wasn’t until I left Oregon and lived in other places: southern California, even sunny-in-the-winter-yet-frigid-cold-New England--that I realized: OH. Rain and gloom is not normal. It’s not the way everyone else lives. In fact, I'll admit it. I like rain. I like it even more when I'm sitting in a pub in London and I have no where to go and nothing else to do.

But.

It has been cold here, now, for the last month I would say. And when I say cold, I don’t mean freezing. I mean, well below freezing. Highs in the 20s, on a good day. And as much as I pride myself on my sturdiness and my hearty Russian stock…I have to say the cold is getting old.

To wit, today I am wearing pants AND a skirt, as well as a “foundation garment,” long sleeved shirt and wool sweater.

Without kids on the weekends I could see myself holing up on the couch with a pot of coffee and The New York Times and a stack of library books and and lots of blankies. Heck, I would probably even take the dog on a walk in the afternoon when it “warmed up” a little (translation: when it goes from 19 degrees to 22).

And I confess, this is a rough time of year for me. On top of the cold, the Bright! Sparkly! Holidays! are over. The decorations are packed away and the house is returned to its previous, decidedly less-celebratory self. The visitors are gone. The staying home business is over (mixed feelings about this one, really) and the next vacation is not for a l-o-n-g time.

But we plug along. Someday again I will wear flip flops and a full, thin, billowy skirt and the summer breeze will blow. My arms will grow tan (the famous "mini van tanned arm," my nose will get red from too much backyard play (can there be too much? No way). My hair will frizz in the July jungle that is summer in New York. Most of all, spring will come.

We did our best to stay warm and busy this weekend.

-I kicked off the weekend with a trip to Crumbs on my way home from work for some of this ridiculousness:

I'm partial to the chocalate one with the white "squigle" in the front. It tastes JUST like a Hostess Cupcake only So. Much. Better. And, totally expensive and totally worth it. Life is too short not to, you know?

-We took the kids to see "The Princess and the Frog" on Sunday morning. The 11 a.m. showing, to be exact. Don’t think I’ve ever had popcorn before noon, but yesterday I did. And by the way Ellie ate about half the bag. She’d clearly had popcorn before, though not under my watch (daycare? I guess). Both kids loved the movie and sat enthralled, up until about the last ten minutes when Ellie started to get a little restless. The only hitch was that Ellie doesn’t weigh enough for the seat to be held down unless she sat right on the edge of it. I know, such problems.

-This is such a cliché for a cold winter day but seriously, the kids, on their own volition, built a fort. Doesn't that sound like a suggestion some exasperated parents would make?: "Go build a fort!" Sunday night, while the Cardinals and the Packers were duking it out, Leo took all the cushions off the love seat and made a tall pile.

He proclaimed his fortress a “hayride,” which I can only translate to mean, it was a vehicle like a tractor, the one that took us on our memorable October hayride. Boy did that word “stick” in Leo’s memory. He also took all of the various Little People vehicles and structures and piled them on his “Hayride.” That boy’s imagination…he slays me. It is a beautiful thing.

-We played A LOT of indoor ball (catch). When I got tired of playing with Leo I convinced Ellie to play with him and I have to say, that is a sight to see. Note to self: get some video of this.

-I read about a new TV that premiers next week called Life Unexpected. It is set in Portland, Oregon and is being compared to "Juno" and "Gilmore Girls." Of course I’m holding out hope that it’s the next "Gilmore Girls" (I’m still mourning its passing) and wonder...Portland...Gilmore Girls...did they write this show specifically for me? What can I say? We cancelled HBO and Showtime, "Mad Men" is over, "Breaking Bad" and "Friday Night Lights" haven't started up yet. My standards are low, but please don’t suck!

-Leo continues to "toast" us with his cup every chance he gets. Leo watched "Julie & Julia" with Erin and me over winter break. In the scene where Julia Child clinks glasses with her husband and sister, Leo reached over and toasted his Playtex Insulator Straw cup with my coffee mug. It took me a moment to figure out what he was doing. He was all smiles, beyond pleased with himself.

What can I say? We are raising him right.

Eight and Nine

Here are two more for the “Top 10” list for winter break. Why do I feel like this list might grow to "Top 20." Lists are fun.

Still kicking myself for not doing an "End of Year" post and so impressed with those of you who did. Would it be too late to write one in February?

Without further ado...

8. Adults Pursuits
Saturday afternoon (and not a moment too soon) I finally slipped out for some “Me” time. I did some leisurely kid-free grocery shopping (Heaven, even if it was Costco the weekend before everyone went back to school and also apparently decided to return their Christmas presents). I went to the mall to spend a gift card (a strand of fake pearls so I can be just like Julia Child—I re-watched “Julie & Julia” over the break, can you tell?).

But the highlight of my day was seeing a movie. Alone. I’m a huge fan of this. There is no haggling over what to see, no discussion of where to sit. It’s just me in the dark, alone, with a muted cell phone and for two hours, nothing and no one can touch me. I used to do this a lot before I had kids.

I saw “Up in the Air,” which was good but not great. I liked its intelligence, the writing was good and it definitely had heart, which for me, trumps everything. Ultimately I think I’m a sucker for any movie that has an Elliott Smith song in it (Oh, Elliott Smith, I miss you). I loved that they paired George Clooney with someone in his nearish age bracket, since it seems that it’s become Hollywood habit to have leading men involved with women who could easily be their daughters. Then I got home and IMDBed Vera Farmiga and hello she’s YOUNGER THAN I AM. She’s lying. She’s totally, totally lying. Right?

9. "Glee," Volume 2
I bought it with a leftover iTunes gift card that I forgot I even had (Christmas in January!). I think I burned a hole in Volume One I listened to it so much. I feel like a bit of a cliché for even talking about this, but it’s that good. It’s that mood altering and it doesn’t involve intoxicants so who can argue? On paper, it sounds absurd. Listening to covers of songs by Van Halen and Journey and Cyndi Lauper sung by teenagers? Riggghhhht. Sign me up! It just…appeals to the musical theater nerd geek in me (which is decidedly not buried very deep).

Maybe watching “Glee” and listening to its music has allowed me in some odd way to relive high school again but on my terms, and with killer, mostly upbeat but often sentimental, so all the better) background music. If I could do it all over I would not care so much, I would not worry so much (I know, so original) and I would definitely eat a lot more. Starvation=not recommended. And also? I should have been in glee club.

At this point, it doesn't matter at all. But still, things could have been so different.

Housekeeping

Well I guess not really housekeeping, not the kind that entails actually cleaning (although I do keep waiting for Matilda-that's what I've named our imaginary cleaning person-to drop by while I'm at work).

I guess this is more like a check-in.

Summer is winding down. Though it's still blazing August hot, I think I've detected a chill in the air the last few mornings. Au Bon Pain had pumpkin soup today (seems like they're jumping the whole fall thing just a tad but hey, I'm ready). Pumpkin spice lattes can't be far behind, can they?

A few things:

-I took Ellie (aka Chunka Munka, pictured above) in for her two year check-up today. She's amazing. She's also not small! 33 pounds and 36 inches, as in three feet. I've referred to Ellie as "Chunka Munka," (from the Beatrix Potter story about the hungry mice who tried to eat doll house food) for a long time. She really doesn't eat that much, she's just big like her Mommy. She's too busy to eat, I swear. Anyway I don't think she takes it personally. It still rattles me a bit to go to well baby check-ups with Ellie, to be able to answer "yes" to all the developmental milestones, to not leave with a list of specialists. Typical kids are so...weird!

-At the doctor our pediatrician told me that he recently was called to examine a newborn who surprised his whole family by having Down syndrome. The couple decided to give the baby up for adoption. This breaks my heart. I understand people might not think they can "handle it," but still. The fact that this still happens, in 2009...there is still not the information in place at hospitals or genetic counseling offices, for people to know that Down syndrome is not the end of the world. Stepping off soapbox now.

-We are in new school countdown mode. Leo's world is about to be seriously rocked as he starts kindergarten and a new after care (daycare) the day after Labor Day (along with Ellie). I'm nervous but excited to see what these changes bring. We got Leo's official "packet" yesterday. I was expecting a mile long supply list. I guess that will come once he actually goes to school?

-For all my big talk about fall TV, I am so lame. I have yet to watch the first episode of "Project Runway" (it's waiting for me on the DVR). I didn't get to the new Top Chef until the weekend and it took me about half the day to even watch it, with all the interruptions. The sad fact is, it's hard for me to stay awake past 10:30pm. Even for Don Draper.

So Excited I Almost Can’t Stand It (Alternatively Titled: My Life Really Is This Exciting)

The wait is over. After three months of wandering in the television desert that is "Dating in the Dark," "More to Love" and that American version of the Japanese game show where the people fall down a lot, we have the return of a gorgeous trifecta:

Mad Men (pictured above, premieres tonight)

Top Chef (August 19)

Project Runway (August 20). I'm looking beyond the whole association with Lifetime and am optimistic it will remain sassy.

Be still my heart.

Now if those kids would stop giving me such grief at bed time. Don't they realize I have television responsibilities? Thursday night Leo was awake in his room and reading--no joke, at five minutes to midnight. Can a five-year-old have insomnia? Maybe it was jetlag.

In any case. I heart fall television. And don’t even get me started on the new season of Grey’s Anatomy. Come on, you know it will be so bad, it will be good.

Oscar Remorse, Dud Doctor, Home After Dark and Forward Facing Ellie

Every year I stay up to watch the Oscars and every year I ask myself why I do this, when the next morning I am beaten down tired and dragging You Know What. I have that feeling I remember having when I came home from a slumber party on a Sunday morning after staying up all night, or I guess more recently, of being up all night with a newborn. I just want to lay down here next to my desk. I’ve heard “Slumdog Millionaire" was a great movie but I didn’t see it so having it win every other award just felt hollow to me, personally (though I’ve heard it’s really really all that and more). My fault I realize, but still. It’s just kind of boring when it’s a blow out. Oh wait, it’s a blow out every year. Oh well. I guess we need to rejoin Netflix because there is just no way I am going to see it in the theater.

Having moaned about the sleep deprivation, Go Kate Winslet and Sean Penn! (Best quote of the night? “Well you commie homo-loving suns of guns!”) I didn’t see “The Reader” but Kate has been amazing for many years. Her performance in “Revolutionary Road” (which I did see! But it wasn’t nominated!) was extraordinary. And “Milk” is on my list to see. (The speech by "Milk" screenwriter Dustin Lance Black had both Erin and I wiping away tears.) So it wasn’t all for nothing.

Closer to home, I should report that the doctor on Friday afternoon was not any big deal at all. I think that’s a great policy, tell the patients it’s going to be a monumental, soul crushing wait so they can be pleasantly surprised when they are In And Out In An Hour. I came armed with apple juice and Cheese Nips (#1 health choice—purchased in rushed desperation at the bus station on my way home). The hooligans were more than happy with the MSG loaded treat and it helped passed the time splendidly. I made the mistake of having a few after they went to bed. My god, the salt. They were delicious. Anyway, the diagnosis was as Erin and I suspected, conjunctivitis. A bit of fluid in the ears, but not infected. Leo’s definitely goopy but his spirits seem fine. But can I just say how much I dislike this doctor? She’s just, I don’t know, off-putting. She has no sense of humor (an automatic shut-out for me) and just seems critical. She walks in the door and sweet Leo throws his arms around her. Her reaction? Oh, thank you for whipping your boogies on me. Way to put the kid at ease, right? I mean, seriously? She's a pediatrician. I have to think "boogies" are the least of what she sees. I do my best to keep Leo’s nose and face snot free but I literally would need to hook him up to a hose to keep it totally tidy. Sue me. I do the best I can. And of course for some reason this critical doctor alerts my Can’t Stop Talking reflex. I say things like:

Me: Well he went to school today and they didn’t call me about his eye, I was very surprised.

Dr. X: He went to school like this? They didn’t call you?

Me: Yea well I had to go to work and the regular school nurse is on maternity leave so maybe the new one isn’t as good I don’t know…

Maybe I’m too sensitive, but she just generally creeps me out. And it’s weird because I LOVE everyone else in the practice. I think if I met the nurse practitioner in a different context we could totally be mom buddies, so to have this weirdness…I’ve thought about having something in our file that says we don’t want to see this doctor. I’ve talked to other people that have done this. I’m just a chicken sometimes. I don’t like conflict. Not that I think anybody would care if we boycotted Dr. X.

In other news, maybe I am tired from the weekend itself. Don’t get me wrong, it was wonderful. Saturday is just the kind of day I like to have (ONE day out of the weekend). We left the house at 10 a.m. and didn’t get back until dinner time. And best of all there were no major meltdowns (by the kids or me). Erin had to work (which is rare for a Saturday). So it was just the hooligans and me at a birthday party at one of those indoor play spaces (not the one we usually go to). After the party we drove around while I tried to get them to take a nap (success) and then it was on to Manhattan for the playdate with the Down syndrome group (more on that and the party, in a later post).

In milestone news, we turned Ellie’s car seat around. She’s technically still able to be rear facing in the seat she has but she seemed to be very uncomfortable in it with her long legs. I can’t believe what a big girl she looks like when I turn around and see her facing me now. The pigtails don’t hurt either.

Wanted

I really want this t-shirt. One of the contestant's on "Top Chef" was wearing it the other night. It's so stupid that it's funny. And what can I say, also true. Cough. Ahem.

Random thoughts on a Rainy Friday.

It’s Friday (yay!)

It’s raining (boo!)

I am wearing a non-maternity shirt that looks maternity and therefore makes me look pregnant. (why!)

I’ve grown to feel that my Danskos are clunky (though I still like them) and insisted on wearing ballet flats (so not rain-proof). My jeans are wet up to the calf from the puddles on the way from train to building and my shoes, well they are just wet. Oh well.

I am loving and devouring The Book of Dahlia. So disturbing and sad and funny and moving. I feel myself bounding through it too see how it will end (well I think the girl with the brain tumor is going to die, duh) but I also find myself stalling. It’s the book that I don’t want to end. When I really enjoy a book and it’s over, it’s almost like a loss. The people, the characters in that book are so real that I am sad to see them go. And I love how it makes the commute fly.

But the real news is that Ellie slept from 9:15 to 7:15 last night. Not. A. Peep in between. But of course, because life is like this, guess who has decided to have nightmares two nights in a row? Yes that would be Leo. Poor guy. He goes right back to sleep after a few minutes of comforting, but the fact that I have yet to sleep blissfully through the night, well I guess if it wasn’t so ridiculous it would be sad. I know I know, we should all have such problems. In the grand scheme it’s not that big of a deal and it is so much better than it was even just a few weeks ago. I am just so excited about Ellie sleeping that a little Leo wake-up seems negligible.

I still can’t get used to the whole both-kids-in-bed-I-have-the-night-stretched-out-before me-thing.

Well to be fair it’s hardly “the night.” By the time I have showered, unloaded/loaded the dishwasher, gotten bottles ready for the next day, sorted the laundry and picked up the toys it’s practically time for bed. I won’t even tell you how much DVRed stuff there is to watch. I remain at least a week behind on Top Chef and I still haven’t watched last week’s America’s Next Top Model(never mind that they announced the Wednesday night—ssshh don’t tell me!). I vote for the Big Girl but I doubt she got it.

It’s hard for me to settle down and relax; for fear that someone (um, Ellie) will start to cry. And sometimes when she goes down I think I should just go straight to bed, to seize that sleep time. But if she is serious about making a habit of sleeping through the night, then I might have to rethink that urge. I might have to actually consider Doing Stuff at night. Last night was my favorite night of the week: Grey’s Anatomy. I actually watched it live (ok it was a bit delayed as I watched it late so I was still able to fast forward through the ads). I am loving the Hahn/Torres Sapphic thing. I just hope they don’t make it into some big joke. Ha ha they’re not really lesbians. I mean I don’t care if they’re really not but I just don’t want it to be a joke—something that will just get laughed about. I give the writers a bit more credit than that though.

On tap for the weekend: a lot depends on how this weather turns out. Right now it is looking suspiciously like my hometownout there and that does not bode well for the outdoor activities. Still no fence and still no word from fence guy which is a little troubling.

And where oh where is my tax refund?

I leave you with cute Ellie news. I had been talking with a work colleague about Cute Things Our Kids Do and realized I am so busy with having two that I don’t pay attention to the minutiae the way I did with one. Maybe it’s because I was constantly analyzing and assessing Leo and with Ellie I am more relaxed. But I realized I didn’t know if Ellie could give hugs or kisses, heck I found out she could wave by complete accident. So this morning I asked her to give me a kiss and guess who leaned over and planted her wet little mouth on my cheek. Well to be fair it was more like she planted her whole face on my cheek, but I think she gets the idea! The kissing!

I could not be more proud. The sleeping. The kissing. What more could a mother ask for?

Pictured above (since I haven't taken any good pictures lately this one will have to do) is Leo at the park on a weekend a few months ago when the weather was much nicer than it appears that it will be this weekend. It was only a few months ago but he looks so much younger there. Maybe because of the bowl hair cut?