reality check

Tonight, as Gage sat in time-out for smacking his sister with a necklace, we discussed how we were going to deal with his aggression. I calmly (good parenting tactic) made a couple threats that I thought might scare him and that I knew I could follow through with (yes, good too). He then proceeded to (also calmly) recite them back to me, adding his own spin to it. It sounded something like this...

"you can take away my weapons, you can take away my fighting videos...and you can take away my karate...but you can't stop the violence...you can only stop the the violence by turning me off...yeah, there's an on/off switch back there that you have to find."

It was flawless acting and he had a glazed over look in his eyes that I swear I have never seen before. I know this sounds completely insane, but for a brief moment it really did cross my mind that my child had become possessed and actually might have some kind of power switch hidden behind all that hair. But just how did I find the damn thing?

Once the visions passed I simply lost it. Cracked up hysterically right in his face. I'm assuming that's a parenting tactic that generally won't work in my favor and I should try not to repeat.

not for the modest

No, it's not wikipedia. It's dickipedia. This site is far less useful. In fact, it's not useful at all. It is, however, pretty darn funny if you appreciate a little vulgarity now and then.

flip for this

Found this on another blog today. Going to check it out at Best Buy as soon as the time presents itself. Look for video clips to appear on the blog soon!

and you found me!

Sorry about the name change but I realized today while reciting the old address to someone that it was simply too damn long. I figured I'd secure something more memorable before we got too accustomed to it. Cheers.

music lovers read on

This is a cool website that Scott turned me on to. Great way to share music with friends.

Yes, We Can.

This Obama music video was created a few months ago but I finally have a forum to share it. Watch the video on dipdive. Read the dip*finition by will.i.am that follows. Be inspired. Inspire others.

it's beautiful here

I could get lost in Anthropologie. I just wander around and around and around. Look at this amazing in store display I found today. It's a little tough to get the full effect from a photo but the white hose is pouring water into the top white tea kettle which is filtering water downwards until it cascades out of the tea cups and into the large green bowl.



Not rocket science but refreshing. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I'd just left a massage and was feeling quite Zen but never the less I was inspired.

Also inspiring were these darling cloth napkins that came home with me. Unfortunately, Zuzu appears to love them as much as I and would prefer them OFF the oven door.

And this is a fabulously unique wall hanging that I admired for quite some time. It was handmade in Cape Town, South Africa. It would have come home with me too but it's quite pricey. Need to secure some space for it in the house before I commit.



Yes, it's most definitely beautiful here.

spontaneous musical

Check out this Food Court Musical on youtube.

dear daddy,

We had so much fun celebrating your birthday this weekend. Cupcakes for breakfast? Whoa. We loved the bike ride to the park and being outside by the bay. (By the way, that thing with the crazy coach, mommy didn't want us to tell you...but you're going to be on some show called 'Punk'd?!)

Sorry we both fell asleep in the car but we were just wiped out. Plus we needed our rest for the slip n' slide. Thank you, thank you daddy for setting it up and sliding on your tummy with us. You're silly!

Here are some of our favorite pictures so you can always remember what an awesome day we had. You are the coolest and funnest daddy EVER.
Gage & Zuzu

proud mama

After a long day of multiple parks and a slip n' slide I started my usual meal time ritual by transfixing the children in front of the television. Tonight, however, they could not agree on a show so Zuzu ended up in the playroom with Dora Saves the Mermaids while Gage remained in the great room with me and High School Musical.

I went about preparing dinner. Zuzu poked her head out a few times to check in but both kids remained seemingly content with their shows. When I was done, I went into the playroom to turn off Dora and was blown away with what I found on the floor:



This may not look like much at first glance but wow, did it make me proud. Not only because Zuzu wasn't just transfixed in front of Dora for 30 minutes after all...and not only because she initiated and completed the project with absolute independence...and not only because she only left TWO pieces out of five boards...but also because those two pieces were NOT AVAILABLE in the box.

Our baby is growing up. How time flies...

bag lady

Yes, I am a bag lady. I subscribe to reusable grocery bags religiously. It's a no-brainer. I am, however, not quite as consistent when I head to the mall because those green fabric grocery bags don't look quite so fashionable strolling through Nordstroms. I do my best to shove as much as humanly possible into my pocketbook or stroller but I ineveitably leave with some plastic. Well tonight I found THE answer. The stylish answer. It's called the BAGGU BAG and it looks like this:



Take a moment to check out their website. Notice how modern and relatively inexpensive the bags are. Notice the bright array of colors they offer...something for everyone. Then take a minute to read how you will be helping the environment by using their bag - or one you already have in your closet that might work just as well. In the words of the BAGGU BAG website:

PLASTIC BAGS & THE PLANET
The average family brings home 1,000 bags every year. Most of those bags end up in land fills. That really adds up - 100 billion plastic bags are sent to landfill in the US each year.

In landfills, it can take up to 1000 years for a bag to decompose. Plastics don't biodegrade, they photo-degrade, breaking down into tiny toxic pieces that contaminate soil and water or harm wildlife.

Every time you use your Baggu bag instead of plastic or paper you are doing something Good.

I bought six. Two fuschia, two olive & two smoke. Happy shopping.

when science & irony collide

Imagine our surprise when, during a heated game of balloon volleyball, our "ball" stuck to the ceiling. Presumably caused by the static electricity generated while hitting the "net" (sofa) one too many times, it garnered a good laugh. I quickly snapped a photo. It was not until I went to describe the situation over the phone later that I realized our oxygen filled balloon posing as a helium balloon was positioned with the most ironic background imaginable.

a sophisticated game of tag

Who knew that tag was not just for kids anymore? No, this is not a shameless plug for Scott's new agency as tag should not be confused with t.a.g (which has recently launched their still raw website). Apparently, this game of tag is not unlike the one you played as a child and quite unfortunately reminds me somewhat of a grown-up chain letter.

I was "tagged" by my friend Jill at everyone is doin' it, the one who inspired this blog in the first place. The tag charges me with a "meme" or as she defined it:

"An idea that is shared and passed from blog to blog, such as a question posted in one blog and answered in many other blogs."

One week with a blog and I feel like I'm learning a whole new language. This particular "meme" requires me to share a quote and then tag three other bloggers. The quote part seems fairly easy especially since Scott and I have been knee deep in quotes lately trying to find the perfect one for our new Blair Bradshaw canvas which will look something like this Blair Bradshaw gem:



I digress. Now, the problem at hand is not the quote but the fact that I am brand new to this blog scene and tend to be very slow making friends and therefore have a very limited selection of folks to tag! We'll get to that in a bit.

The quote.

Last January I was in a battle with myself - VP vs. Mommy - trying to find a sound balance running a business and raising a family with no grandparents within 3000 miles and an incredibly successful hubby who justifiably devotes a great deal of time to his trade. It was during this time that my friend Elizabeth brought me an article called 'The Station' from a 1987 LA Times. It was written by a man named Robert J. Hastings. There is a handwritten note on the photocopy that reads:

"I found this in Kevin's wallet, please read, share, make copies...this was so Kevin. -Gail Shahan"

Kevin Shahan was a VP in our Finance Department in his early 40's. He was standing in a ski lift line in Tahoe with his teenage son the prior year when he died of a sudden heart attack.

The article he carried with him compares the journey of life to a train ride. It's too long to include in its entirety but the parts that seem to sum it up best go like this:

"Sooner or later we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us...Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough."

The sentiment is also echoed in the words of a John Lennon song that we sing frequently:

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans..."

A week or so later I quit my job to stay home full time with the kids.

Now to the hard part.

I tag my cousins, James and Christian Mason, singers, songwriters & musicians... and the closest friends I know that have a blog. (although their blog is designed to promote the Mason Brothers music so I won't fault them in the least if they choose not to include this "meme" and unlike chain mail, no bad luck comes with not following through!)

I also tag Emmalee, whom I've actually never met but is soon to be my cousin-in-law. Welcome my side of the family Emmalee!

most cousins rock but MY cousins ROCK

If you have not yet heard of them you will, of that I'm certain. They are Christian and James Mason and the band is appropriately dubbed 'Mason Brothers'. There are a number of ways you can find them. Check out their website here. Or visit their brand new blog on my sidebar or here. The latest album is called 'The Sun, the Moon & the Sea' and it definitely deserves your attention. Remember, you heard about them here!

the psychology of mall fountains

As I sat watching Zuzu having the time of her life with four very wet frogs streaming water from their little fountain mouths I had an evil realization. Those money hungry, conniving retail experts (and yes, I was one of them) strategically placed the over abundance of fountains for reasons other than sheer ambiance, didn't they? The one Zuzu and I were exploring was smack dab in front of Gymboree and, come to think of it, there's one in front of Nordstrom's, Baby Gap, Janie & Jack and one down by Macy's too (although Macy's has recently pulled children's wear out of this mall - don't get me started there - so they have failed with that particular fountain.)

What a brilliant premise. Kids are 100% engaged in independent play (and a wise mom NEVER interrupts independent play) which gives mom the rare opportunity to make overdue phone calls, check email & quietly sip a latte in the sun (oh, no, not me, I was very attentive to Zuzu of course). Then mom, too lazy to carry a second set of clothing, is forced to head to the nearest retail outlet for some dry clothes...and an outfit for the sibling at home so that no jealousy ensues.

Well not me. I was determined not to give in to their trickery. Once I realized what was going on, I simply picked up my soaking wet toddler, threw her in the stroller and took her home in her undergarments. After 15 minutes in the fountain she was far too numb with joy and laughter to know the difference. Besides, I'd already spent quite enough money on the absolutely essential items at the Apple store!

marin high school musical

Last fall, Gage was approached by a complete stranger in a restaurant who invited him to spend some time with her photography classes at Marin Catholic High School. As a child model. For some bizarre reason she got the impression from the next table that he was "animated".

We had to wait a few months for his part of the curriculum to come round but today was the big day. Did he enjoy it you might ask? Hmmm...let's look at a brief list of the things required of him...

hang out with dozens of "big kids"...
wear a full on cowboy costume...
play the guitar and sing show tunes...
play tag on a stadium size football field...
ride a skateboard...
catch & kick a tennis ball...
kick a soccer ball...
dribble a basketball...
try on a lacrosse helmet...
hang out in the basketball team's locker room...
climb a tree...
jump on a trampoline like structure...
listen to hsm songs on itunes with three big kids...
stand on a table in the cafeteria just like in hsm...
visit a chapel...
(strike that one. surprisingly enough he did NOT enjoy the chapel and refused to return for the next class even though the light was 'divine')

All in all it was a pretty cool day however it proved to be quite exhausting for mom who simply got to lug the props all over campus.

When we got home, Gage asked if we would be visiting a different High School tomorrow. Fortunately the only school we will be visiting tomorrow is his pre-school. I only hope that he doesn't decide that life with twenty-four 4 year olds in a 20x20 classroom playing with blocks is simply passe now that he's experienced the real thing.

Here are some pix of the big kids taking Gage's pix...

zuzu the yaya

About two years ago I was shopping at Mill Valley Baby & Kids and found this ridiculously expensive dress on sale 50% off. Apparently no one else was interested in it because there were about six left but I was smitten (and deliriously pregnant with a little GIRL). So I bought the smallest size...a 2. Needless to say, it's been hanging in Zuzu's closet ever since.

This morning, Zuzu pulled at it and announced, "I want to wear this". (yes, she's talking up a storm). So I hastily followed her orders and put it on.

OMG. I LOVE this dress.

I immediately pulled at the tag and googled the manufacturer so that I could go buy lots more outrageously expensive but totally unique dresses. Now Baby Ya-Ya is not what I expected but I do think they have potential. Of course I emailed them immediately with pictures of Zuzu and advice for an easier shopping experience. I'm not buying anything new from them now but I am bookmarking them for future views. This dress deserves a sequel!

iwantnypizza.com

Who in the world thought of this? Why wasn't it me? And how could they dare to close for renovations?

it really did start in a barn

Tired of superheros and nick jr. characters joining you for dinner? I certainly am. Look at these darling vintage dinnerware sets from a place called Barn Dandy's. Especially worth the money if yours is as obsessed with cowboys as much as ours!

art history

Check out our new aquisition from local artist Blair Bradshaw. We're working on an exclusive piece from him now. Super excited. He's got great style and talent.