Orange

Have you heard that 2012's color of the year is Tangerine? Call me old fashioned, but I'm still partial to plain old orange. Since I haven't subjected my kids to any torture at the pediatrician's this week, I thought it would be fun to round up a few of my favorite things featuring my own version of 2012's "it girl" for color. I will avoid knock knock jokes with "orange you glad" in them. I pinky swear.


I've been wearing this scent for a while, but 3 people stopped me last week- just to ask about it. Besides the ocean, it's my favorite smell. I guess it helps that my hometown in California is known for these, and this time of year- the air is just starting to thicken with the early blooms.

Jo Malone's Orange Blossom

I clipped this to my Pinterest addiction/collection a few weeks ago. I love how the orange trim on the curtains and pillows livens up the room. I'm tempted to swing by Ikea and dredge up some simple white drapes to give this a go...

Traditional Home

It was 70 degrees today. Not a bad way to spend your January, but instead of cozying up in front of a fire in my flannel pjs, I'm craving spring. I know the whole color block thing is making the rounds, and I would never be caught dead dropping this much cash on a handbag, but a girl can dream- right?

Diane Von Furstenberg

It's no secret I love my dog. He may not be the sharpest tool in the toolbox, but did I ever tell you the story about how he got me out of bed to tell me I left the oven on? (True story). This doesn't exactly have the pizazz of a group of pooches playing poker, but the idea of a custom portrait, of my George, thrills me to bits.

From Vapor & Vamp

When I lived in San Diego, a dear friend used to tell me why she loved monthly date nights with her husband. "He puts on a belt, and I put on some lipstick."

I love this. And while Matt wears a belt on a regular basis, sometimes it's nice to put on swanky clothes and go out for a great meal. 

Last Saturday night, we did just that. This is what our orange-inspired dessert looked like- (and maybe, just maybe, I licked the dish when no one was looking).

Grand Marnier Souffle

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

I finally took the kids in for their annual wellness check. Three months late, but who's counting?

We adore our pediatrician. We see her around town frequently, and the kids constantly plague her with endless rounds of "We don't need shots until we're eleven?"

So when the new nurse asked me if I wanted the kids to get their flu shot, I shrugged my shoulders and said, "You have the mist, right?"

She said no, sorry- they were all out. The kids would need to get an old-school flu shot.

Immediately, I felt 2 sets of eyes bore into my skull, as each ankle biter quietly implored me to answer the right answer.

"Sure, I guess so." I replied

Immediately, all hell breaks loose.

The younger kid dissolves into huge, racking sobs in the corner.

The older ankle biter? She isn't going down without a fight.

She starts with yelling.

"Nooooooo Mommy!" No shots!"

I start to do that embarrassing giggle that moms get when their kids dive off the deep end of normalcy. The nurse realizes she should have not asked this in front of the kids, and whispers an "I'm so sorry."

After the yelling, Annie moves on to phase 2.

"FORGET IT!" she says. "I'M NOT STAYING HERE. I'M LEAVING."

The nurse looks at her with wide eyes. I raise my eyebrows.

Annie flings open the exam door, and stalks out into the hallway. She bumps into our pediatrician, who has heard the hullabaloo and is trying hard not to laugh.

"Hey there, Annie. Where are you going?" The doctor asks.

"I am NOT getting a shot today. I AM GOING TO WAIT IN THE CAR." Annie replies.

Annie's sister follows her out, empowered by her sister's brazenness and is adding to the cacophony with sobs of despair.

The exam room door next to ours suddenly opens, and an elderly grandmother walks out, holding her 3 year old granddaughter's hand. The little girl looks at Annie, then at Lucy's tear stained face- and her eyes get really, really big.

Annie moves to stand in front of the exit.

"I'M NOT KIDDING. I'M NOT GETTING A SHOT TODAY." Annie states.

"Excuse me, little girl. We need to get through there." says the kindly grandmother,

"I'M NOT MOVING UNTIL THEY PROMISE I'M NOT GETTING A SHOT." Annie starts to barter.

"You need to move." Elderly grandmother starts to not sound so kindly.

The pediatrician and I are trying hard not to laugh, and I take Annie by the shoulder and not-so-gently guide her into the exam room. The nurse asks her to count to five as I hold her body down, and before she can get to number 2, the needle goes in her arm.

Annie's eyes get big, and she stops screaming.

"Is that it?" she asks.

So yes, both kids got their shots. And realized that shots don't hurt more than the fear of them does. But that 3 year old that witnessed this go down? Good luck getting her to come back.

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.