What Ana Does

Since moving away from NYC, we've traveled back each year with the kids for the Parkinson's Unity Walk that David attends for work. It's usually the end of April. And the weather is usually a bit iffy. This year Grandma bought tickets to see Cinderella on Broadway with all her granddaughters. So, the trip was scheduled around an afternoon with my in-laws, nieces and sister-in-law. Otherwise, Friday and Sunday were all up to me. And I took some care this year on finding some BIG events for us to do and make this trip memorable. Because, at this point on, these girls are going to start remembering these trips. Highlights included: Statue of Liberty, morning in Central Park, Top of the Rock, SoHo for cupcakes with Sonja, evening at MOMA, breakfast at Alice's Tea Cup and FAO Schwartz. Plus, while the girls attended the show, I got some solo shopping time. Looking Out At NJ Broadway Boogie Woogie! Contemplating Jackson Pollack Breakfast at Alice...

A few years ago I listened to the Julie Julia audiobook and was really drawn into the story and the idea of cooking French food. But, I didn't have the book (or time or inspiration). I always thought that I'd stumble upon Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a used bookstore -- stained and dog-eared. Well-loved by its last owner. But this is so much better! My birthday gift from my beautiful big sister. LOVE!

Her number didn't make the cut. In fact, she was one of the last numbers picked. So no hope of even the wait list. Deflated. Defeated. Disappointed. :( I totally wish I was one of those crazy moms that would bust into their offices all irate and yell, curse and scream that they were robbing my child of a chance at a brighter future. And they would rue the day they denied her. Etc. I'd be wearing stiletto heals and a purse made of gold chain-male, of course.   But I'm not and I now have to explore others avenues to encourage her bilingualism.  For now, I plan to sulk for a few days. 

Wednesday is the day the school district will fill the 50 seats in their highly-coveted Dual Language program.  It's full-day Kindergarten that runs half the day in Spanish (immersion) and half in English. Soak that in. How cool does that sound? I want Alice to be in the program so bad I can taste it. It's a lottery system, so we've been given a number (33). On Wednesday, they'll flip a switch and the computer will randomly fill the available spots. 123 lottery numbers were issues for 50 seats. Those are not good odds. Send all the good vibes you can my way on Wednesday. And ... "May the odds be ever in our favor!" (Hmm... maybe not an appropriate quote.) Editor's Update: Did we get in? 

The other BIG painting project was the transition wall in the kitchen and family. Originally, I thought I'd go white with all the rest of the walls in the kitchen (someday), but all winter I had imagined painting it the bold navy I have on the TV wall. And what am I if not BOLD! ;) BEFORE: Beige. Yuck.  So, we opened that navy can of paint and added two coats of navy to this wall. It wasn't a huge time commitment and with the temps around 70, we could open the doors and let the breeze in to speed the drying time. AFTER: WOW! Bold and Beautiful When we were done, we couldn't stop staring at it from the sofa. Wow! The crisp freshly-painted white doors and trim pop on the pretty navy walls. It's just gorgeous! As we were putting supplies away, Dave says: "Done. Will you leave me alone now?!" Not likely, my friend. The beige siege continues!

This was the last chill-at-home weekend for a few weeks, so we took full advantage of it and tackled some house projects. We added navy to the transition wall in the family room/kitchen (more on that later). And I finished the first beige-to-white door and trim project.  Before: Half Done I started this closet three weeks ago and haven't had the time to go in for another coat (or two). The results are so fantastic ... can't wait to hit more doors with white.  After: Crisp White Looks Great with the Green Walls Found These Knobs in Paris! 

Leah started piano lessons this week. There's a teacher who lives down the block and provides lessons to most of the neighborhood kids. Such a good deal! This is monumental for two reasons: 1) Dave and I have discussed finding piano lessons since the girls were born. We don't play and we agreed learning to read music and play instruments was something important to teach the girls. Promise fulfilled! 2) This was on my list of goals for 2014. Especially after the free piano fell out of the sky and into my lap (or front hall). It always feels good to check a list off that BIG list. Recitals in concert halls filled with Mozart, Beethoven and Bach are sure to follow.

I have a pretty healthy dislike of boy bands. From teen years and on, there have been boy bands (Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, etc) and I've pretty much hated them. They don't play instruments or write their own songs (usually). They're not great singers on their own. And they're way too stylized; more a commodity or music industry product than musicians. Seriously. Ugh.  However, HOWEVER, there's always just one song from a boy band that I simply cannot deny.  One Direction, one of the latest to crop up, was never on my radar until they sang this song on SNL. And though the lyrics make no sense (it's almost anti-romantic) and their look is just WAY too young for most 30-somethings to understand (what is with that hair!) ... I can't stop listening and humming it. It's now on heavy rotation on my guilty pleasure playlist.  Warning: Once you hear the song, you may become hooked, too. 

The guys came this week to remove the huge juniper bushes that hugged up against my house and snaked behind my raised beds. WOW! They were so out of control and their needles were so prickly, they've been a literal thorn in my foot since we moved in. I'm sooo thrilled they are almost gone! Juniper Bush Is Gone! My plan is to plant huge hydrangea under the dining room windows -- something that blossoms and adds color to the backyard. I'm also considering adding another raised bed -- this one longer and thinner. But I'll have to check out the space. In the meantime, I have a lovely little greenhouse (a gift from Dave) to install. Does that mean it's Spring? Related links: More BACKYARD posts

I recently started to follow 100 Days of Real Food and Lisa, the blogger, is deadset against low-fat food. Sure, I'm with you there for most foods. Low-fat usually means more processing to remove the fat. If there's a low-fat version, you should probably just consume less of the "natural" version. Got it. At least, that's my theory for everything except milk. It has been drilled into my head that low-fat/skim milk is the only way to go. In fact, when I hear of children Leah's age drinking whole milk, I flinch. That's a lot of fat, dontcha think? But, there's a bunch of research that proves me wrong. Or, maybe, just outdated. I started to do some searching, counting on trusted experts like Michael Pollan, Marianne Nestle and news sources like NPR. And, yes, there have been several studies that show whole milk doesn't add to your waistline. And in fact, it helps your waistline, though we're not sure why. Could be because you feel fulle...

Decorating the master bedroom is not my priority. But I had a problem. When we bought our lovely bedroom furniture five-ish years ago -- one of the biggest furniture investments at that time -- we skipped the bed-side tables. Oh man, was that a mistake! Ever since, we've been using random bits of furniture that don't match and are usually too small or just not functional. And it's a perpetual thorn in my side. Recently, given the amount of reading or laptop-typing I do in bed, I decided getting a wee writing desk with some drawers might be the right piece of furniture for the bed side. It could function as a little get-away writing spot. And the drawers would be great to hide away all the bed-side clutter. Plus, and this is my thinking a lot lately, it's a piece that can function in other rooms -- even the kid's room, if we needed it to relocate. The New Writing Desk So, I waited and watched writing desks scroll through my One Kings Lane shops until...

Apparently our Russian-novel-themed winter isn't over yet. It's April 14 and there's snow on the ground and it might stick around for a few days -- as our temps are not getting out of the 40s. So, This Happened. Great.  This weekend I had been contemplating storing the hats, scarves and mittens for the summer. Mother nature must have taken that as a challenge. 

As it's Leah's GOLDEN birthday, we decided to celebrate with a BIG trip to Disney World next month. But, in the meantime, we still needed to commemorate the big day with some gal pals. So, six girls were running around my house on Sunday morning. We painted little houses, ate homemade pizza and sang silly songs around my big dining room table. The shindig was owl-themed (of course) and even included a homemade Pin-the-Beak-on-the-Owl game. We got lucky with some breaks in the rain for outdoor time. And, at the end, a big hide-and-seek game. Great fun! It all reminded me how little you really need to do to throw a good kids party. Since Leah turned 2, we've been celebrating her birthday at those big jump places or gyms, but we decided after last year she was too old for those kiddie-themed gigantic parties -- as we near the age of sleep-over parties and smaller sets of besties. Plus, they're so pricey! Sheesh. Anyway, the most important thing is Leah and her gu...

Yup it's my birthday. Today. And I love my birthday. It may be weird, especially for a gal pushing 40, but I don't really care. I believe everyone should embrace the one day they get to celebrate themselves. Go up to as many random strangers, or anyone who calls you up on the phone, and say "Hi, it's my birthday." Because, if the day you entered the world isn't a big deal -- even to yourself -- than, well, I question your feelings of self worth. You are a big deal on your big day. Birthday Selfie I was treated like a queen and got a delicious breakfast in bed. I opened some cool gifts (more on that later) and decided to work from home. Then, it's off to coach Leah's first soccer practice of the season -- which I couldn't be more excited about. And then a little dinner and a LOT of ice cream.  

Thanks to all that we're juggling -- work, meals, household chores, home improvements, upcoming trips, kid activities, playdate, etc. to infinity -- sometimes you just lose sight of your parenting goals and strategies. Am I right? Plus, you constantly have to adjust rules as they grow up. It's a lot. For example, my focus on family meals started strong but has really dropped off lately. As has controlling the screen time the girls are getting during the day. (It's winter, we're all sick of being inside. Sure, watch another Nick Jr. show.) So, a few weekends ago it seemed the right time to pull out my parenting books and remind myself of my own little parenting curriculum by realigning my goals and rules with the some of the advice I get from my current two go-to parenting books. The books in my repertoire have changed over the years, I once had tantrum books and "how to say no" to two-year-olds. Now, I'm currently hanging on to these two: My Two Cu...

Hooray Hooray! My little white desk is on the way! I ordered it from a discount shop online as a final sale. Talk about HIGH RISK! But it's mostly wood and painted white -- so I can probably fix any issues once I get it. It was a steal of a deal, I tell you! How's that for a tease?!

In 2005 there was a little show on called Veronica Mars that I didn't watch. Back then I was in my 20s working until 6:30 or 7 each night and seeing a lot of concerts, plus, this was a time BEFORE DVR. Veronica Mars , a show about a teen detective, did not strike my fancy no matter how much my fellow YA-culture-obsessed friends loved it. I remember clearly the outrage of the fans when they cancelled the show -- and have followed the news as the fans pitched in to bring it back and finish out some story lines. Which is so cool. So, given the new movie, I decided to watch the pilot episode on Amazon Instant Video ... and then the next and then the next episode. I sped through the first season, trying to get the gist and by about episode 13 I couldn't turn it off. Totally hooked. Here's why I love Veronica ... she's a complex girl who's burdened with all these terrible secrets, including those of her peers, and because of this she has major trust issues. But...

I've been thinking a lot about aspirations lately. Maybe because of this diet and how close I'm getting to my goal -- it's a pretty fantastic feeling. Like, I put it down (the lbs, not the inches around the middle, unfortunately) and now I'm getting there. And the saying is, if you put it out there, it might come back to you. Not sure where "there" is, but this blog seems "there" enough for me. Alice in Paris! 2010 Goal 1: Live in Paris for 2 or 3 weeks.  - I dream about renting a small apartment and living as a Parisian for a time. What we discovered during our time in Berlin is you get so much more out of a city if you're at their grocery stores and taking the kids to playgrounds and little restaurants. Bring my kids, my hubby and just enjoy the sights and sounds of daily life in France. Goal 2: YA book reviewer/editor or something.  - Let's just say it. I would love to read as an occupation. I'd be good at it. I find holes...

The, as mentioned before, needed some help. There were a few drawers in particular that were hard to pull open -- including the frequently-used silverware drawer. The solution: we hired Rick the Handyman to come over and install 42 pulls to the kitchen cabinets. He did the fence fix in the backyard this fall -- and he did a bang-up job. It's holding up like a champ through the windy and horrible winter. So we knew he was our guy for this job. It took him just about three hours and BAM ... The kitchen looks bedazzled! Before: Cabinets Have to Be Opened Around the Doors. OK for Some, Impossible for Others. After: Easy, Practice and Pretty! I Love a Quick Fix. After: It's Kinda Like They've Been There All Along! After Rick was done, I peppered him with questions about other little fixes I'm interested in doing around the house. Including: Replacing the cheap ball-pull faucets with something a little less -- um -- cheapie. Adding more outlets to the b...

We're going on the seventh month of winter and it's pretty hard to see an end in sight -- thanks to a continually gloomy forecast. It's the beginning of April and we've hardly climbed out of the 40s. The Spring soccer has even been postponed by a week because the fields are not close to ready. So it's extremely exciting to see some signs of spring in my back yard. Daffodils, tulips, the few crocuses and my strawberry plant all seem more optimistic than I am that the sunny summer is on its way.  Strawberries Anyone? Tulips, and a Few Teeny Crocuses,  Pushing There Way Up! Well, I guess I'm a little optimistic about warmer weather... Socks Be Gone!