Happy Friday! Are you ready for a three-day weekend? I most certainly am!
It’s Friday, so it’s time again for Three Questions. Last week Mia asked the following 3?s:
1. When was the last time you received a letter in the mail (excluding thank you notes)?
Wow – great question! I have no idea the last time I received a letter in the mail. But, I love Meghan’s idea!
2. What is blooming in your yard?
My herb garden is thriving now, as is my Bougainvillea, and many of the native plants we have in our yard. Nothing we can cut yet, though. I am waiting for my lavender to start blooming; I love having a collection of lavender stems in little vases throughout the house. Your lilac looks incredible; I can only imagine how amazing it smells!
3. Any “a-ha” moments lately in your life?
I feel like I have had a few lately! I find that with 40 comes a great deal of confidence and clarity that I haven’t had in the past. My recent “a-ha” is to trust myself and my instincts more. I actually do know what I am doing most of the time!
Now, it’s my turn! Three Questions for you:
1. Memorial Day is Monday… do you follow the “no white pants before Memorial Day” rule?
I used to follow the rule. But, in the last few years I have made my own rules; I allow myself to wear white jeans after my birthday, which is the end of April. This is due to a few factors:
- My favorite Spring uniform is white jeans, black sweater, colorful scarf, and ballet flats. It makes me happy, and waiting for that until the end of May just doesn’t work for me.
- I live in California; the rules here in general are pretty lax.
- A family member is a Southern girl through and through, and she could fill in for Emily Post. She rocks white jeans ALL YEAR ROUND these days. If she can do it, we all can do it!
2. Speaking of Memorial Day, what are you doing/ did you?
Our oldest son has a baseball tournament in Half Moon Bay all weekend. The field is walking distance from the fantastic walking path along the water, and close to great food in town. So, I am looking forward to watching some baseball with the other families who have become good friends, walking along the water, and having a couple of casual and yummy meals with my family.
3. Finally, can you take a compliment graciously?
I admit, this is sometimes hard for me. I am always proud of myself when I simply answer, “thank you” to a compliment. And, I always find myself embarrassed after I clumsily try to deflect or explain it away. This video made me laugh out loud. It is a little crass, but highly entertaining and oh, so true!
POP QUIZ
It’s 7pm on a school night.
Bedtime is at 7:30pm.
You just walked through the door from ballet/soccer/baseball/piano and have 30 minutes to get the kids fed and in their pajamas.
And it starts to rain.
That sweet, warm, summer rain.
Do you:
a) Throw on your Drill Sergeant hat and order the kids to quickly eat, get jammies on and get to bed?
OR
b) Open the back door, push the kids outside and suggest a dance party in the rain?
Nine times out of ten, I’d opt for A.
However, before I could take it back, the words “Go dance outside” tumbled out of my mouth.
And I don’t want to make y’all jealous, but I think “Best Mama Ever” might have been screamed at the top of their lungs.
Note to self: Lighten up! Let those bedtime routines slide now and then….
My day today is timed within an inch of my life, so I really couldn’t afford to get sidetracked. I sat down to my computer at the designated time to write this blog post, which was to be about the bridal shower tea that we gave for our friend this past Sunday. (And, since I had nothing to do with the decor or the tasty delights, which both were amazing, I feel safe in talking about the lovely event.) However, I got sidetracked.
I was sidetracked by the horrifying pictures of total devastation in Moore, Oklahoma. I really tried to refocus, particularly as the tears started streaming down my face, but I just couldn’t. I then made it a mission to find the perfect place to which I could donate to help that community. I found a great place to make a donation–through Donors Choose to Rebuild Moore Schools. And, it made me happy to do a very, very small thing to hopefully help them rebuild their lives and community.
But, I didn’t edit the pictures from the weekend, and I didn’t get around to writing about it, and I have run out of “blogging time” for today. And, so, you get this hastily written but well-intended blog post; I hope you will understand! I will get to that tea post next week, I promise.
xoxo, and stay safe.
-W
I admit it…I bought a lottery ticket. Afterall, it’s the largest Powerball jackpot in lotto history.
$590.5 million!
And of course, once you have the ticket in hand, you can’t stop dreaming of the “what ifs”…
First on the list is to send all of my children, nieces, and nephews to college without any debt. But wait, I have $590.5 million! So let’s also send all of the kids in MA to college too!
And you have to have a few crazy splurges, like this breathtaking classic on Martha’s Vineyard.
And it’s only $17.5 million…chump change, I say!
And what about some killer shoes. When you think glamour shoes, do Louboutin’s pop into your head? If I had won, all of you readers would have had your pick of Louboutins….but oh well….you’ll have to wait until next the PowerBall.
Oh, and I think I’d have to redo my closet to make room for all of my new shoes. Christina knows how to do it right (minus the pirate mannequin).
I think I’d also buy Ambercrombie & Fitch and put XL and XXL’s back in their store. Take that — you arrogant CEO!
If you won the Powerball, what would you do with the money?
Dream big, ladies!
On a heavier note, our hearts are with those who were impacted by the tornado in Oklahoma. Prayers to you all.
The school year is winding down, but not before end of school activities speed up! In the midst of all the craziness that seems to be starting, I have a couple of little things that are making me really happy right now:
Peet’s Coffee. Sometimes I just really need a big dose of strong caffeine, and Peet’s never disappoints.
My new Bougainvillea that are enjoying their new home.
Lettuce in our backyard. I cannot wait to enjoy it!
Time for Three Questions! Wendy asked last week:
1. What’s your “mommy morning compromise?”
I don’t care if we are late to school, but I’m taking a shower. No compromise there! It’s not so much because of vanity as much as I just need that “pick me up” to start my day. And make it a HOT shower too.
Probably my biggest compromise is breakfast. I have the intention of making steel-cut oatmeal, a smoothie or eggs, but end up with Life Cereal. Every morning. Blah. Maybe this summer will be different when I’m not rushing to get the kids to school?
2. Want to read a touching story?
Love happy stories!
3. What are you doing for Mothers’ Day?
It was the crazy birthday weekend, so we were happy to have a low-key veg kind of day. Morning run. Church. Brunch. Golf for the Mister, bike ride for the ladies. And cake, we had to end the day with cake. Oh, and the little one gave me THE BEST Mother’s Day gift….a bubble bath!
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Questions for Ms. Wendy….
1. When was the last time you received a letter in the mail (excluding thank you notes)?
Seriously, when was the last time someone wrote to you ON PAPER with the pure intent to catch up? Imagine my surprise when my dear friend Meghan dropped me letter this week. She is starting a project to get more connected to friends outside of texts, emails and quick phone chats. Love this gal! I feel like a 12 year old with a new pen pal.
2. What is blooming in your yard?
Our lilac tree is going NUTS this year. We transplanted it a few years ago with no blooms, and just when I was about to pull out the hatchet — boom. I’ve been cutting a bunch to place in mason jars for the girls to deliver to their teachers and favorite people.
3. Any “a-ha” moments lately in your life?
A big one for me — sometimes I just need to ask for what I want.
I can’t believe it’s taking me 40 friggin’ years to figure out that PEOPLE CAN’T READ MY MIND. Crazy, huh?
I am a typical female first-born who tries to please the people around her. Saying “yes” to everything, apologizing if I’m inconveniencing anyone, quietly going about my day. A certain dilemma appeared and for the first time ever, I asked for what I needed (even though the ask was pretty radical). So I did. And they said yes. Feeling grateful for this voice, even if it took 40 years to find.
A few recent news stories have captured my attention:
- Empowered. Angelina Jolie never ceases to amaze, and this time it is with her revelation that she underwent an elective double mastectomy as a preventative measure. I’m impressed by her candor and her decisiveness If I had the gene, I am pretty certain I would do the same. What do you think?
From the New York Times
- Altered. Merida, the heroine of Disney’s Brave, was recently given a makeover. She’s skinnier and much more glam. Personally, I liked her the way she was; far more realistic. Which one do you like better?
From MSNBC.COM
- Gone. A 41 year old impressive career woman, wife, and mother of a 5 month old recently passed away from breast cancer. I met her a few times socially about a decade ago, when our husbands worked together. She was memorable; whip-smart, ambitious, and engaging. I just can’t imagine.
What about you? What has grabbed your attention lately?
There was a very funny article last October about the disconnect between how we think we look when working out vs. how we look in reality. You know, when you are running in a 5k and feel like you should be in a Nike commercial, until you see your pic online the next day and look like you need an oxygen mask. This quote sums it us:
The camera pretty consistently fails to capture my own sense of speed.
I feel like a gazelle and yet I look like a hippo.
The other day I was in a hotel gym and had the place to myself. This place was more aerobic studio than gym, complete with the wall of mirrors and ballet bars.
With no one watching, I thought I’d do one of those crazy moves from Flash Dance.
Meet my gazelle.
And I caught a picture of myself.
Gazelle, meet Hippo.
One of the very non-glamorous but productive things I did this past weekend was to clean out my closet. Wow, did it feel good! Gone are nine pairs of shoes, seven hardly-worn scarves, three pairs of “work” pants that haven’t been worn in a year and a half, and many other items that I just no longer wear. Feels so good to clean out, doesn’t it?
And, you may be wondering why I took a picture of it. It wasn’t actually with the intent of writing about it, that came later. Our accountant advised us a few years ago to take a photo of all the items we donate, as proof for the IRS of donated items if ever you are audited I thought that the receipt was good enough, but he said that a picture coupled with the receipt is much more effective. Makes sense!
The past few days can be summed up with one word: CAKE.
We have celebrated a 6th, 43rd and 70th birthday. And all wanted chocolate cake. Even my stretchy yoga pants are feeling tight.
Some favorite photos.
Celebrating my Mom’s 70th in NYC.
Birthday favors — notepads with the name of each party guest.
One of the few photos I remember to take at the special 70th. Birthday girl to the left; birthday planners to the right.
Moving on to the 6th birthday…the table is set for the arrival of 8 Kindergartners! The party was at 10am, and the guests were asked to arrive in pajamas for pancakes and fun.
Our sitter made these darling barrettes and set up a “hair salon” where she braided and styled the hair of each party guest.
Those pajama clad girls had a tough time leaving the bouncy house for cake!
Ended the party with a scavenger hunt — rubber duckies were hidden all over the backyard.
The 43rd birthday was much more low-key. Church, brunch, golf, cake…and of course presents.
This past week was full of To Do list, chaos, clean up, baking, and I’ll admit, some stress. But it was also full of togetherness, reminiscing about past birthdays, love and laughter. And with that, I am grateful — even if it means my elastic pants don’t fit.
