Merry Christmas (and no more Bah Humbug - promise ;-)

So ... I wrapped and wrapped last night - ran out of paper - had to leave a number of gifts under a big comforter in my room lest someone for whom they are intended see them. It looks like a dead body - or.... really... several dead bodies. BUT the gifts that I did get wrapped look beautiful (nothing special - just sparkly Crate and Barrel paper and ribbon).... and ... we wrapped our porch up in greenery, and I think it looks sweet and retro with our big, funky house lights. I happened upon an extra Barnes and Noble card (guess I bought my Mom two - oh well), AND... big score... an extra Williams Sonoma mulling spices (which are only $10 and so tasty in cider).

I'm a little stressed this week. An old back / hip injury that I've had since I was about (and I'm not kidding) 17 years old is acting up - has not been this bad since my late 20s, and it usually reacts when my body is tensed - I have a filling that hurts, though it is on the side of my mouth on which I grind my jaw when I'm stressed - and I kinda can't sleep. Still - today, I awoke today renewed (after much introspection at 4 in the morning), but then the toilet overflowed, and my five year old ran into the wall face first in response to the fact that we do not have apple juice, we have orange juice. I hope this doesn't set the precedent for the rest of the day.

I DO love hearing my boys get excited about the Advent calender, counting down the days to Christmas. I love the covert gift-wrapping (and even the Christmas Day menu planning as we watch Top Chef), and the fact that Olivia has her super cool teen gift exchange tonight. I do not like the fact that I have to rearrange my downstairs for Santa gifts and a large number of people on Christmas Day. I do not like all the spending. I mean, I do like shopping, but I feel obscene, crazed - the way I've been flashing that debit card all over the place (our online financial summary sent an alert this morning - "exceeded budget on gas and fuel" - what? just fuel and gas? how 'bout ridiculous kitchen utensils, sweaters and designer crap? - which... we all know is actually fabulous, to buy AND receive - I love my designer crap and all the fun kitchen toys, etc. - I am always a very grateful recipient of anything at Christmas - love seeing the thoughtfulness in gifts and love returning the gestures :-) - in truth, the retail side of it actually does kinda thrill me - just like when I was a kid :-). I dislike the daily fighting between the kids, a little bored because the adults have work to do, and the snow isn't deep enough to be fun. And... while I'm glad that I did get to do some shopping outings with Olivia, and did get to go out to dinner with hubby, I have not had time to enjoy the magic of the season with Lil or snuggle more with the boys on the couch or even bake more (and hubby IS going to the Steelers game tonight, so... maybe another family movie night like we did last night, which will be truly lovely).

So.... today - yes, there are errands to run, but... I want to bake and cook, filling the house with all sorts of nice smells - I want to deliver our neighborhood Christmas gifts, and... I want to rest a bit - keep wrapping, preparing for family, enjoying my kids, looking forward to Christmas carols and a beautiful ceremony at our familiar little church on Christmas Eve, family joy and fun Christmas morning....

I am anticipating craziness over the next few days, so... my Christmas greeting to you comes today (and some of you will be receiving New Year's cards soon.... yeah - did not get to cards in a timely manner - and, AB, the scene will look familiar to you - though your card WAS better :-). Stay safe and cheerful, everyone - Happy, happy Christmas!!!

They say, someday, you'll look back and laugh....

... and you do. But you also smile, cry, remember, discuss, lament, rejoice..... This crazy, beautiful life. Thankful for it all this season. Also thinking of others who need love, comfort, and a lot of joy this time of year.

Photos: Me, hubby, baby Enzo and 9 year old, Olivia in Paris - infant Milo (who we think "hails from" Paris ;-) - born nearly 9 mos. after trip) - Me and Olivia at her 10th b-day party, only a week or so after my Dad died (I'm wearing the ring of his that I always wear in the photo) - Daddy and Enzo on go-carts in NC (a year and a half ago?) - Lil on that same NC vacation, looking at the ocean.

Oh - and I should have told you this last week, but... if you aren't watching Top Chef Masters, you should be - Wed. at 10 pm on Bravo :-).

Field Hockey Practice

Ok - this was literally seconds before I was almost beaned with a field hockey ball as Olivia and friends fooled arou... I mean .... practiced passing :-) last night on Winchester Thurston's field.

Stay healthy, everyone. I have something horrible - have coughed until my chest hurts - throat also killing me - had low grade fever that broke during the night ... Yuk. I coughed and coughed all through Top Chef Just Desserts last night (which, btw, was a wild ride....) - sent in a Whole Foods quiche for teacher breakfast today... just couldn't bring myself to bake or cook last night (also did not want to cough into it :-).

Pretty day today.

In closing, here's a little story on a Peruvian writer (hubby was born in Lima) who just won the Nobel Prize for literature - interesting man.

How do you feel about rainy days?

I like them. However, today is REALLY soggy - I am soaked from a morning of gymnastics and errands with my Milo. And I'm cold - like to the bone cold.

Have some vegetarian recipes here to warm us all up (Olivia always says I'm half "veg-head" - hubby says I am "barely a carnivore" - and... I take it all as compliments, having a long vegan past - now abandoned, of course - but will take veggie over meat anyday - still feel that animal rights activist fighting to get out - so does that make me a hypocrite or just sensitive? Hmmm.... food for thought ;-).

And... locals.... Spoon is now open in East Liberty (why do I think food when it is cold and rainy out?).

Photos: Me and Milo EXACTLY one week ago having coffee and treats at a sidewalk cafe while we drew pictures and filled out Enzo's birthday party invitations - breezy and warm. And.... Milo and Lil today at noon "morning out" pick up. Rainy, rainy, rainy (and cold).

Oh - and, hey - is anyone watching Top Chef Just Desserts? I am.

Countdown to Halloween....

...can't wait. Some fun ideas here.

And ... a cool idea for those of you dealing with demanding teens with expensive taste (specifically in clothes :-).

Anyone surprised by the outcome of Top Chef last night? I was a little... creative guy... but made some mistakes in the past - and even last night (despite help from Michael V!) that I'm not sure were "Top Chef-worthy". Anyway.... no spoilers here - though weigh in if you want (and I know you will - text or email me, "cookie" ;-). I also started watching the new Top Chef: Just Desserts as well - immediately following (will take the former's timeslot at 10 pm next week) - wowee.... some divas on that show, eh?

Finally - quick question: Do you ever have someone NOT return an email or a call despite the subject matter / situation being VERY important? And, further, it appears that this person MAY be trying to gain an advantage by doing so? Appalling. Impolite. My two cents..... What do you think, though? I'm truly interested (and provide stories - you know I like to listen).

Photo: Last year - Halloween. I love my fall photos - especially Halloween - may revisit some from the past in the next few weeks ... post now and then. My zen.

Free rangin' a bit.....

Let my little ones run off to the clubhouse after a quick dinner of pasta, apple slices, hot dogs and warm cookies for dessert. Unsupervised and totally self-sufficient, they put on their own sneaks or slip-ons and headed off to climb crossbars and swing - while Daddy and I discussed birthday party plans, new furniture, bedroom painting and other vital bits of info. before soccer practice. Texted my teen while I watched Weezer on Yo Gabba Gabba with Lil - discovered that the field hockey team wandered Oakland like college students - grabbed some Lu Lu's Noodles and boarded the team bus bound for Peters Twp for their games - ETD tonight: past 10 pm - though my girl and her responsible friends will be riding back with another parent in order to get homework done, etc. - She doesn't need me there - assures me she will play hard. Who ARE these kids and how did they get to be so.... um .... secure?!?! ;-).

This is my post for tomorrow - going to get back on gym schedule and stock up on school lunch stuff which is already running dangerously low PLUS continue my ongoing organization projects (can anyone say photos and seasonal clothing), so..... I will be MIA (should I hang a "Gone Fishin'" sign here? - Nah... I'm a "throw'em back" kinda girl anyway ;-). Happy Wed, all. Don't forget Top Chef on Bravo - 10 pm - finale!!!!!

My night house... my day house....

At night - alone - whether hubby is home or away - or he and kids just asleep and I'm wandering, trying to get sleepy.... I do reflect on the day. A lifelong writer, I have to replay, record and / or analyze my thoughts - constantly. In grade school, I wrote little books that I would staple or tape together - in high school, I journaled - in college, I drank coffee and smoked cigarettes and talked and talked into the wee hours with my roommates - and.... since those formative years, have written, journaled, blogged, analyzed in person or over the phone, etc. the events of the day, the week, the month, the year. I can type four big paragraphs in like 10 min. - as you know ;-).

So ... last night, I reflected again on trying to be more patient - how to offset the escalating fighting and / or yelling and chaos that sometimes occurs at day's end. Olivia is trying to make plans with friends, asking me for spending money, complaining about not being able to find clothes in the clean laundry and always unable to find something she likes to eat in the house. Enzo and Milo fight - cry because I won't let them play Wii for hours - bake but then eat ALL the cookies - refuse to take showers or baths - and Lil - well Lil is two, and she is very, very TWO, tantrums, high drama and all.

I decided to try to focus on how the other night, after the swim meet, I drove Olivia and her friends (the other two Olivias - pictured earlier :-) around a bit. We joked about how we were going to cruise until 3 am in the minivan, but... really ended up getting waffle fries and depositing them back at a house that had some more interesting friends hanging out until the wee hours. I focused on, too, how one on one, the little ones are quiet and cuddly. Last night, Lil and I snacked and watched TV while the boys were in their room, watching the pre-bedtime movie. Enzo and Lil fell asleep while feisty Milo actually came down the stairs and ended up showing me a late night finger puppet show, singing, then eventually dozing off on the couch next to me. This morning, my early riser, Enzo, is cuddling with me on the big chair, watching Spiderman and eating toast, cuz, see... we always have our morning time when he is fresh and talkative and excited for the day (and one morning, we scored a tv-adapted version of Harold and the Purple Crayon while Enzo stole sips of my milky, sugared coffee).

Good to reflect like this. I feel calm .... listening to the birds sing - albeit while I take the garbage out, intercept email bills and note areas of the kitchen that need to be scrubbed, but...I can do this. I can bring order back to this house - underschedule the kids for even just today, and.... try to relax a bit. This is why I started this blog - to share my day - to hear from others in my situation - and to learn....

Anyway - have you seen both Garnet Hill and Tea Collection this month? GREAT kids fall stuff in both (always good "go tos"). Worth a look. Also, did NOT see Top Chef last night - DVRed it, so.... no spoilers... Here's something fun... I've always liked to do photo self-portraits (funny - interesting to look at later, etc.) - hubby and I have many - I do them with the kids - had many with friends in high school and college (until my Mom and brother boxed up my room in grad school, and I never saw those photos again :-( - and... it seems to be becoming a trend with the ease of the iPhone photos and all, so.... here's one spot with self-portrait tips - though there are MANY others (hello Google). And - did you read the Ramona (by Beverly Cleary) books as a kid? I did. I LOVED them, so... am excited to see Ramona and Beezus, which, I believe, opens this weekend. Lastly, hubby just bought some Marvel comic books for the boys the other day on his way home from a local photo shoot, and... I thought they would not be interested in them, BUT ... they are! And.... superhero violence aside, it seems to have inspired some urges to draw and document some their little character pretend play, which is interesting and... productive / creative, I think. Now and then, I get a "why did (insert female superhero here) kiss Spiderman on the lips?" but.... all in all, a good purchase and ensuing activity (need to mention here - waaay late - that gra[hic novel / comic book artist / author and Clevelander, Harvey Pekar, who visited my alma mater, Ohio U, years ago, recently passed away. RIP.).

Happy day, all.

Stuff

Random today. Try to follow.... I'm all over the place (keeping up with chaotic schedule today... but playdate got canceled :-(. Looks like rain, rain, rain....

Anyway... was passively listening to this interview with Au Revoir Simone on my Sirius radio, and one of the girls in the band mentioned her pregnancy / mommy blog at "trying to be barefoot and pregnant" a Wordpress blog, but I couldn't find it - at all. It sounded a bit interesting - working mommy trying to deal with people who want her to quit her music BUT staying on tour and dealing with it all, and... sometimes... wanting less. Ya know? What we all bitch and / or get happy about... in a nutshell. Anyway - will keep looking.

Also, have not kept up with Gwyneth Paltrow at Goop lately (and you know I love to).

Anyone see Top Chef last night? I have no comments yet - still getting to know this group.

I just heard that Italy is OUT of the World Cup. Yikes. I was wrong yesterday, btw - US plays Ghana on Sat. (not Fri).

Anyway ... Enzo had last tennis lesson today and did GREAT (Pioneer Camp starts Monday) - Milo swims for last time tomorrow and also has been doing GREAT (and gymnastics camp starts Mon) - Lil has her check-up today (to this day, even though I am no longer a "new mommy", I love the reassurance of the well check-up) - Olivia swims tonight (after "boot camp" with pals, Caroline and Olivia B) so go Edgewood Eels!

Big time project today? Trying to figure out how to unlock the downstairs bathroom door behind which all the new diapers, pull-ups and bathroom cleaning agents reside. Lilliana has learned to lock things. Thankfully, she is on this side of the door. Paper clip has not worked yet - plus the hardware has already been removed from the doorknob on this side...... so.... what the hell is holding it onto the other side? A mystery.... Any suggestions?

Photos: More summer kids :-) 2010.

Happy, happy!!!

Top Chef - top workout - and top swimmer

So ... tonight is the premiere of Top Chef DC - Bravo - 9 pm this season.

Worked out tonight at my new gym - yippee!

And... Olivia shaved 5 seconds off her time trials 50m freestyle time at the swim meet last night. Go, Olivia!

And... in a nod to hubby... World Cup news.... Spain lost their first game to Switzerland. Shocking :-).