One person's New Year's Day is not another's.

So ... we spent the day doing a little shopping - using some gift cards, preparing for the barrage of January birthdays on the horizon and... just taking in the last bit of holiday without the crazy crowds. It was nice to have our teen with us, enjoying a lucrative and stress-free shopping outing. It was even fun to do the whole "mall experience" - the food court "Five Guys" burgers, pizza, chicken and sodas (a little junk to start off the New Year - good thing diet is not on our resolution list ;-).

A couple of highlights to the day? My teen saying, "Oh no - why are THEY in here?" as we shopped Victoria's Secret, and I turned in time to see hubby, with all three kids running around him, holding up a sweatshirt and saying, "Did you see that they have Steelers stuff?" in a loud voice. Too funny. Another highlight was the teen running from hubby when he tried on his new brimmed hat with warm side flaps and did a little shopper's dance of joy, '80s style, in Nordstrom. Again, way funny.

I sat with my wee ones a bit.... drank iced soy chai and watched Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph with them, allowing the other two to shop with their cards and have some downtime (where IS that hubby - where IS that teen?). My downtime came later when I got ALL kids in bed and hubby went to practice (jam session, right musician friends?) with his old bandmates; I did chick flicks and hot tea propped up in bed.

Even our family dinner went well :-).

Photos: Scenes from a mall.

Skate photos

Apparently, Milo tackled the ice like he does everything else - with a vengeance and with no fear. Enzo was more methodical, as he always is, and was doing really well - able to skate faster than his older cousins. I was treated to videos of Milo having one of his meltdowns, which kinda made me chuckle, as he was able to right himself on his wobbly skates and continue on his way as freaked out skaters looked on, and Enzo with his sweet face just beaming with pride as he glided along unaided and happy in his surprise ability to skate well. Anyway, next time, Lil's feet will be big enough for skates (though she had fun with Mommy on our shopping outing :-), and Olivia, who has rediscovered ice skating, will join us (I feel confident in that ;-). I actually took lessons as a kid - though did not take to it like my Mom had hoped (she is a really good skater - many times, my mom showed me up on both roller skates and ice skates :-), so... I will, of course, be present for the festivities as well. For tonight.... just glad they had SUCH a good time with Daddy :-).

Today's Musings...

Paranormal Activity is one of the least scary, most laughable "horror" films I've seen in a long time. Along the lines of the pathetic Blair Witch Project years ago. The premise was great, but....

Butter makes a freakin' mess in the kitchen. Hubby and his Sunday pancakes are a comprehensive, greasy force to be reckoned with each week.

There are some people in life who, as much as you try to be gracious and polite to, will always rub you the wrong way.

Middle schoolers on the edge of high school, fresh from a late Sweet 16 birthday party for a friend ( a boy :-), will always stay up past 2 am and will always be loud (it is 10:30 ish - so shocked to see these girlies on the couch ready for the pancake mess - expected them up at noon ;-).

Found something cool at the artists market last night: Handmade kids clothes and cool hats and neck warmers for adults - check her out, Carla Morris - www.carlamorris.etsy.com - AND - discovered something kinda funny that's not supposed to be funny - the band Nobadjuju from Pitt - OMG - think bad '80s lounge music and / or hair band and classic rock covers.... only these people look like they're in their 30's. Hello?

Feelin' snarky, so... signing off. Though.... was thrilled to run into an old friend last night. Hi Leah :-).

Photos: My Olivia with two of her partners in crime from last night (and there are others... just no pics today :-).

More yin and yang.

First of all, it's too freakin' hot - waaaay too hot. Over 90 degrees with humidity that puts the heat index over 100 is not fun - no matter how you look at it. Kids overheat easily - no one sleeps at night - AC works so hard there are random power outages... Tough week.

On the bright side (and, as I always say, there IS one - there really is), hubby and I watched a DVRed Hell's Kitchen this morning - snuck in a quick workout (kids went happily into the gym daycare) and.... ate at the Iranian take-out place, Kubideh Kitchen, in East Liberty - finally. REALLY tasty - spiced beef with basil, mint, onion, lime - all on a yummy dough-y bread (kind of like Indian naan - did I spell that right?)..... $5 from the quick take-out window. If you're shopping at Whole Foods, Borders, etc. - definitely check them out! They will be switching countries every four months - next is Afghanistan.

And... watched something interesting last night on HBO. The Neistat Brothers - filmmakers and ... just kinda interesting guys. Not sure quite what to make of them yet, but... highlights last night for me included the one brother and his 9 year old son making a movie in which part of it entailed lighting a box (boat) on fire and letting it float on the choppy beachfront surf while the kid narrated (his concept) - funny. Also, the one brother went to meet his birth father, and.... not sure what I liked better - the quick odd exchange between them followed by his assessment that this guy was "really nice" - or the fact that his prior narrative about, despite genetics, etc., his brother was not his half brother but his brother and his step-father definitely his "real" dad was hit home by that odd exchange in the denouement of his film. Nice job - props, props, props to you for that brotha in adoption and blended families ;-).

Speaking of props... must give some to the older of my two brothers. After discovering this past weekend that my Dad's watches had all disappeared and my Mom "didn't know where they were" (I had not been allowed to touch them), he has told me that he will give me one of them (obviously - they were divided between my two brothers - probably twenty or more - and, for the record, they are Rolexes and other expensive brands, but... I just want one to wear when I need to remember him or have him with me - kids' sporting events, etc. - my bro got that and offered me one. The yin to this yang - or vice versa - is that my other brother told my mom he texted me an invite to his one year old's birthday, which he did NOT - also, no one mentioned it to us, so we missed it and sent gift anyway / instead. I don't say this often, but I am completely wounded - hurt to the point that I can't talk about it. Had happened before - and, as is usually the case with people like this, I am not the only one he has done this kind of thing to, but....). Anyway, the older of the two is nice to my kids, skis with us, comes to parties, invites us out, etc. He and his girlfriend ARE family people - thank God.... truly. Must say here... visit with Mom went well - a few bumps (she yelled at me for asking about some old family photos that my cousin and I discussed - won't give them up - will keep trying, Lou Who, if you're reading), but, all in all, a really good time. I focus on the positive. I do. I might kvetch now and then, but.... at the end of the day, the good is what I make an effort to remember.

OK - so the heat is making my kids CRAZY - they are wild, cranky, eating toothpaste, stealing things from their big sis' room, spilling stuff, yelling, fighting, not listening, etc. Have to say.... in my adult way.... I am acting out in the same way (note previous snarkiness). Funny note: Hubby went to kill a wasp in the boys' room today (they thought it was a "stink bug"). Wasp flew up his shirt and stung him several times. As he was running about, screaming, the boys and Lil thought he was doing a "dance party". They've been talking about the dance party ever since ;-).

So... Olivia swam well in meet last night.....attended bonfire with her pals up the street (I need to crash one of these bonfires... they sound fun).... will go to pool with us today. Hubby's cousin coming in tonight (apparently, no one can drive him - they want to stay in DC until tomorrow - ?????!!!!! - so he and his wife took the train); I will have a cool, clean bedroom for them - bath gels set out on the fluffy comforter - fab croissants and fruit in the am - we have errands tomorrow - we'll take them to dinner and sight-seeing later - looking forward to it.....

Lastly, calm down Clevelanders and Akronites; Lebron James made his decision for his career - his family, etc. The fans were great, but..... did the team really treat him well these last few years? I mean - he carried the Cavaliers for a while! I can say this... I used to sit at the traffic light with him years ago (hey - it's something) as I am from the area - my Mom still lives near him. Anyway.... Miami is lucky to get him. I'll still follow his career... and him (and not in a weird, stalker kind of way, but... like my Dad used to follow players and their careers - he LOVED basketball...).

Have a good weekend, all.