What Ana Does

This week I had parent-teacher conferences with the teachers of both girls. It just worked out that way, scheduling-wise. Both girls are doing well. Both have things we need to work on. (Alice doesn't eat at lunch. Why? She’s a picky eater and she chats too much and runs out of time.) I learned a lot about their days in the classroom and how I can help them succeed. But most of all, I learned that parent-teacher conferences is now a task that belongs to David. I cried. I’m not sure why. When I started while talking to Alice’s teacher, the topic was mundane day-to-day things. But it somehow made tears sprang to my eyes and I couldn't stop them. It didn't take much to turn into full-on weeping.  I got a tissue. I attempted to keep the conversation flowing. The teacher really likes Alice. She’s a great kid. I swell up with pride and weep some more.  Leah’s teacher was via phone, thankfully, and I was able to keep the tears at bay, t...

What is it about the Rockettes that make me teary? Thanksgiving morning I'm sitting on Lauren's sofa watching the parade. My girls and Lauren's kids (Heather, who is a day younger than Leah) are running around, screeching and playing. The Rockettes are about to go on and I'm yelling for the kids to come over and watch. They are beautiful. Graceful. I think about how they were once little girls watching the parade, too, telling their families they were going to Rockettes someday. And the commitment and work and rejection they endured to get on the squad. To be out there on Thanksgiving morning, high-kicks in a line. Call me sentimental. But, I find myself tearing up. Clearing my throat. Go girls! Go!   Future Rockettes? To be honest, I'm an easier crier. I was nearly in tears the night before over a coffee commerical. It's why waterproof mascara is for everyday, not just to weddings or whatever normal women do. Later today, we'll go to Thanksgivin...

I'm totally not bragging but Leah's first grade teacher calls her "the Super Writer." Ok. I'm bragging. Sue me.

View From Our Hotel Room I tagged along with David this weekend on a work event in NYC. We took advantage of Nana being nearby and enjoyed our first weekend away together in a very long time.  It's weird to think of NYC as going home, but getting back to the familiar after a year of learning my way around a new place felt just like that. I had a list of people to see and places to visit. No. 1 on my list: SLEEP IN. Dave's company put us up in the Waldorf Astoria in Midtown. A gigantic hotel perfectly located with incredibly comfortable beds. And with no kids for the weekend, I wasn't getting out of the bed until I was absolutely ready. We met up with a bunch of friends, and all had stories of Hurricane Sandy and the snow storm. We walked, we shopped, we ate some great meals (though, no pizza this time). We felt lighter without the kids. And it's been a long time since we had a full day in NYC with nothing to run home to, no meetings to attend and a hotel in th...

I woke up this morning to a thin layer of frost on the patio furniture. Which, I guess, officially marks the end of the outdoor growing season (unless I had a snazzy cold frame, which someday I might feel confident enough to explore). Anyway, it got me nostalgic for the garden and my first year here at the new house. I had some triumphs -- the basil, sunflowers, baby carrots. And I had some set-backs -- lettuce, tomatoes, chives. But overall, a good harvest. And I learned a bunch! Already starting to plan next year's garden. Would like to try more cutting flowers, maybe a fruit or two, and solve when-to-harvet-lettuce mystery I was dogged by this year.  

I've been loving the filters I can use with Instagram. Recently, I found a service that will print them in Polaroid-like squares. It took a few weeks for them to arrive, but when they did, they were better than I expected. I'd been brainstorming how to display them -- but finding frames in this small size isn't easy. And they are lo-res, so the smaller, the better. As a fan of the clothesline minimalist look, I finally got around to hanging them in the dining room. It came out great! My Instagram Gallery Related posts: More Dining Room stories

I've been staring at this wall in my dining room for months. And, after a lot of browsing through design books and websites, I narrowed down my goals to these: More storage for serving pieces Not another large piece of furniture Use wood matching the dining room table So, it became obvious that shelves were what I wanted.  Before - Empty Dining Room Wall A few trips to all the hardware stores over the last month helped me narrow down available supplies, so when I was ready, here's what I shopped for: Three pine boards Pre-Stain "Classic Gray" wood stain Sanding blocks Six shelf brackets (in a stainless steel) Lug screws - 18 (extras just in case) I was able to keep well under my budget on this one (under $100) -- which just puts more cash into my dining room curtain budget. Yay! After - Shelves Ready for Dishes & More Here are the steps: First, stain the pine shelf boards from Home Depot with pre-stain, then "classic gray" wo...