New Year

2012.

I love January. After a six week splurge of Christmas music, fudge and non-stop tinsel, the quiet simplicity of January is a welcome relief.

Closets are being organized. Drawers cleaned out. Maybe, I'll finally work up the nerve to (finally) unpack the garage. It's a good time to take stock- to make lists, clean house- both figuratively and literally. Simplifying in January means you surround yourself with the meaningful. Let go of the excess that weighs you down. It's freeing.

Yesterday, I ordered 20 saplings of blue cypress trees.

A few bare root roses.

My backyard is a teensy-weensy blank postage stamp. It will feel good to get my hands dirty.

Annie Get Your (Ear Piercing) Gun

At long last, Annie got her ears pierced.

She's wanted earrings for quite some time. I had to wait until I was 10, and since what was good for the goose is supposed to be for the gander, I'm actually proud I was able to make it to almost eight. Sigh. Must work on parenting toughness.

The week before the grand event, I caught her talking to her ears in the mirror. "Don't worry ears!" she crowed. "Soon you will have earrings!"What is this, a 2nd grade version of "The Secret?"

When the actual day arrived, she got pretty nervous. Here she is with a good buddy, who graciously volunteered to hold her hand. Her little sister ran away- she couldn't bear to watch!

First glimpse in the mirror after the earrings are in...

Success!

We celebrated with frozen yogurt from Tasti-D...

Today it's earrings, tomorrow she raids my closet. Crikey, this goes by fast.

Summer-in-a-nutshell

Jumping off the diving board

Icees

Baby ducklings

Circus

Night fishing

Fireworks on the beach

Boat ride

floating in an innertube

ceiling fans

Walking on a sand bar

corn-on-the-cob

Engagement Party

S'mores

Water slides

swim meets

library books

High tides

Plane rides

outdoor shower

Cracked crabs

lemonade

Cab rides

Liberty Island

sunscreen

Subway rides

Lazy river

matinee movies

sparklers

Train rides

view from the Empire State building

air conditioning

Sonic happy hour

watermelon

barbecued chicken

Summertime, Summertime, Sum-Sum-Summertime

Summer.

It's been a good one so far. A really, really good one. I put the kids in a variety of camps for the month of June, and it went by in a blur. Lucy's new school did a "Here Comes Kindergarten" camp, and it was just the thing to acclimate her & get her excited for the new school year. It helped that she had a "cooking class" in the afternoon. They didn't cook as much as smear frosting on anything that moved.

Annie's new goal in life is to be on "American Idol." This surprised our household- because during her spring school play, Annie looked like she was going to blow chow from stage fright. And yet, she insisted on attending a local theater camp. Last Friday was her performance, and I'm happy to say the stage fright has been reduced from nausea to paralysis. Progress!

As for me, I've got a dear friend with a booming business who asked for me to help her, but really, we just enjoy spending time together. She's an interior designer- and our first venture together is with a lovely local family that just moved in to a new home. (The irony that I was hanging pictures in their foyer while I still had boxes in my dining room did not escape me).

The family are true Texans- and their home reflects this. They have mounted, stuffed (really stuffed) animals on the walls- deer, duck, the occasional wild boar & even a bear. During my first visit, the gracious home-owner told me how she decorated her son's nursery with the stuffed ducks. She said this was a creative way to teach him about animal sounds.

"What does a duck say?" she laughed.

I thought for a moment and said, "Ow?"

Next up: packing up the anklebiters & heading to the East Coast. I cannot wait to see the Statue of Liberty, have a beer with my 92 year old grandmother & hit the beach. If there's a Snookie sighting- you guys will be the first to hear.

Camper In A Coma

The oldest anklebiter starts theater camp tomorrow. We spent a bit of today reading the camp handbook.

"Mom?" she says, glancing over the pages of stage directions. " I think theater camp is going to be a lot like Hogwarts." I smiled, and thought the following:

By Hogwarts if you mean lots of pale children wearing black and listening to the Smiths, then yes, my child, you may be right.

For Your Reading Pleasure

Last night, I go to tuck my 5 year old in, and she's crying.

"What's the matter, pumpkin?" I ask.

"I sometimes think that Daddy will die, and you will die, and my big sister will die, and I'll be all alone." she says, rubbing her eyes while crawling into my lap.

I quickly give her a kiss and tell her we'll read a story to take her mind off such depressing thoughts.

I picked up Cinderella. Got about 2 pages in, when I realize the Mom kicks it.

Bambi? No go.

Her sister is reading Harry Potter, and pipes up that this will not be a good choice either.

Annie? Nope. Anne of Green Gables? Ballet Shoes? Pippi Longstocking? Orphans, every last one of them.

We settled on Seuss' Yertle The Turtle. A nice allegory of social injustice, to take her mind off the heavier things.

Moving Right Along

I just bought 100 feet of bubble wrap and 25lbs of newprint paper. It felt better than a fancy pair of shoes, because it means I'm finally saying goodbye to our rental house.

The rental house with drawers filled with someone else's fingernails. Remember that housewarming gift? I still shudder.

We have lived here live for 7 months. And during that time-

• the air conditioner broke twice (something you CANNOT live without in Houston).
• the roof leaked once.
• our power has gone out more times than I can remember.
• the ceiling fan in my kids' room almost came out of the ceiling.
• the kitchen sink leaked.
• the kitchen faucet refused to work.
• The single, solitary outlet in the master bath stopped working.
• A family of (hopefully?) squirrels took up residence in our attic.
• Someone stole beer out of the trunk of my car when I was bringing in groceries.
• Someone stole a book of checks from my mailbox.
• Someone stole my drivers license (with the hideous picture).
• Someone is now posing as me & is working as a dishwasher in a Texas restaurant. Hey! At least they're paying their Social Security.

Technically, our lease isn't up until July. But the property management company that manages the house is so terrific- they understand the litany of house repairs we've had are somewhat ridiculous, and are being really reasonable. (Blessings everywhere you look!) So yes, this time around- I'm ecstatic to see the packing paper and bubble wrap. I'm wrapping anything I can get my hands on, so the dog better be careful where he naps.