My Baby is One

Happy Birthday, Lilah!

In some ways I can't believe an entire year has passed since you were born. It seems like yesterday you were so tiny, covered in new baby smell and softness. In other ways it seems like you've always been here. I can't remember a time when your giggle didn't fill our home and our hearts. I remember vividly everything about the way you looked when I held you seconds after delivering you. Sometimes I see the exact same expression on your face as I did then. A tiny creature whose eyes were full of wonderment. Those eyes are reflections of my own- both in physical appearance and sentiment. I am full of wonder of you. You are my calm child. Always peaceful, serene, quietly observing and later implementing what you have learned. I hope you always have that sweet, peaceful energy about you. I love you for that and for so many other reasons. Happy Birthday, baby girl. Looking forward to a lifetime of love and memories!

Sales 101

All inspiring sales people please heed the subtle yet successful methods of Jordan at MAC (who is no more than five years younger than I am).

Yesterday my mom took us girls to the mall for a much needed wardrobe update. After pushing two antsy kids in two strollers around the mall for a few hours, during which is usually nap time, we were quite ready to call it a day. Except that I remembered that I had been out of my lipstick for about four months. The MAC store was right by the mall exit, so in we went, a caravan of fatigue and crankiness. I walked right up to the counter and said, "can I please get a tube of x and a tube of y."

Jordan: Oh! Those are my moms favorite colors!
Me: thank you
Jordan: That will be $__.
Me: Long pause. Actually, give me some eye makeup.
Jordan: Um, what kind?
Me: Whatever. Let me just sit in this chair and you make me look good and young again.

Five minutes and five times more than the original total later, I was on my way home.

Next in Project Make Me Feel More Like My Own Age: A haircut on Friday.

24*

*disclaimer- I have never once seen the show 24 and I am okay with that.

Here's what I have accomplished over the past 24 hours (see also: why I have no time for intelligent blog posts, calling friends and their fetuses, or anything else really):

-I sketched out the entire mural in the playroom. Next comes painting!

-I painted an old chandelier. What was once old and brass is now chic and black.

-I unpacked Shimmy's office even though it meant carrying empty boxes up to the attic to distribute the weight of the boxes of books better and taking twice as many trips down with boxes as it would have taken Shimmy.

-I shlepped both cranky kids to the store after picking Sophie up from school and then shlepped them and huge boxes of diapers back home (yay for lots of coupons and sales).

- I made a dent in the ever-present and ever-growing pile of laundry.

Oh and I took care of the kids all day long, including during the witching hour while Shimmy works late, aka, is at the CAPS game.

This is my new norm since the move. I exist at a break-neck pace. I do not stop to eat or sleep. I have lost 5 lbs. I fit into my skinny clothes. I am hungry. I am tired. But I am thrilled. Stay tuned for more pics as soon as I get a chance.

Purim 2010

You may remember last year's Purim debacle. So even though we moved into our new house exactly one week before Purim, all I could hear echoing in my head were last year's famous last words "Next year the party is back on. I don't care what else is going on in my life- the party is BACK ON." And I meant it. I invited everyone over a month ahead of time and assured them it was not too much to handle and I was very excited and I had it all under control! I made a few things (mostly dough to bake later) ahead of time. I also assembled all of our mishloach manot ahead of time (with non-perishables of course) and packed them in a big bin to be brought to the new house. I worked like a madwoman unpacking this house as soon as we moved in. And I pulled it off! And had an awesome Purim! WOOT!

Our Mishloach Manot were Beatled-themed, complete with photo-shopped pics of us as the "Fab 4," everything written in a Beatle font I downloaded, filled with food items inspired by Beatles songs, with a vinyl listing those songs. Yes I am a Beatles freak. No, I did not go into nearly as much detail as I could have because I knew most people do not appreciate this stuff as much as I do.




I had found a peace sign costume on clearance at BRU for Lilah right after Purim and I thought it fit our Beatles theme well enough so I bought it. I knew I'd be lucky if I could get Sophie to wear a Beatles t-shirt on Purim, so I did not bother buying her any type of costume. A few days before Purim she informed me that she would like to be matching with Lilah. I found the same costume online in Sophie's size, ordered it, and prayed it would arrive in time. It came in the mail Saturday afternoon just in time for her to wear it Saturday night! BUT she changed her mind at the last minute, insisting she wear her ratty old cupcake dress that she takes naps in (which she coincidentally wore as her costume last year), and some make-shift ballerina gear. She is going through a camera-hating phase, so this was the best shot I could get of her.
On Sunday we hosted a party. The food was off the hook.
Wipe up that saliva.
And the company was awesome as well.



By the end of the day the girls were exhausted. "Stop taking pics, mom. Just give us some peace!" (ironic pun intended)
The next day was Shimmy's birthday. I fired up the grill part of my new oven and grilled us some thick juicy burgers. Then we all had birthday cake!

So this year's awesome Purim totally made up for last year's sucky one. Can't wait for next year! Time to start brainstorming themes...