Sheila's 29 again

A little happy, happy birthday happy hour for Sheila (click on card to enlarge). It's always great to get together and talk about all the wild and crazy things we've done, but even better to plan for the next one!

Book Club - Elizabeth Street

Elizabeth Street - incredible Italian family saga about coming to America at the turn of the century. Full of life and character and sadness and perseverance and what it means to be a family. Sort of like the book club - so full of life and character and sadness and perseverance and traveling sisters and old friends and the softest butt I've ever felt (after granny panties vetoed), the first kisses and first dates (oh, how much better life is when there's a BOY around), the incredible veggie lasagna and anti-oxidant chocolate covered pomegranate, the vows to get off the couch and get together more often, make 2011 the best yet. Ciao!

World Spins Madly On

Come to Arizona, Mr. President, madly spinning Arizona. Make us feel better. Tell us what to do.

6pm tonight at U of A. No school today, kids.

Here's a little song that made me smile (thanks Amy).

La Escuela

Maybe it's all my fault.  I remember how hard it was when I dropped Shana off at pre-school and she cried. It was so sad. Maybe I was too nurture-nurture-y, too many mommy wuvs yous, too many she's an only child, no back-ups, I can't screw this one up moments. I tried to explain back then how everything would be alright, she would make friends, she would like her teachers, she would love recess and lunch and nap time and coloring. But she kept crying. For days. Sometimes I would go out to the car and cry, too. I wondered if I should home school her. Quit my job. Drop out of college. Dedicate my entire life to her. But one day she went in and she didn't cry. Just waved at me and ran in, smiling.

Talk about sad.

Today, a decade and a half later, it happened again. Since getting to Spain she's been calling (well, Skyping, actually - maybe all of this technology makes it harder on us rather than easier) and she's been sad. Sad, lonely, homesick, sleep-deprived, jet-lagged, a bit uncomfortable living in a stranger's home. I explained that this will all pass. Her Spanish family seems great. Her fellow students will arrive shortly. She will eventually get a good night's rest. She told me that she understood all that, but it was still hard. I tried to help and it broke my heart when I saw some tears. But today she ran off to school with her friends all day, came back to her house, had some zucchini soup, took a nap and was headed back out tonight, happy as can be. Gotta go, Mom. Adios!

Adios la nina, te quiero.

Just keep swimming...

Fill up the calendar, get out there, get back to the dash, Shana's fine, life is good - birthday parties and book clubs and Walt Richardson and Concrete Blond and Carefree art and mah jongg and work, work, work and lunches with high school friends and muffins with yoga gurus and movies and Shawn, Shawn, Shawn. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

1-11-11

1 of a kind
1 in a million
The 1 and only
Number 1

Happy Birthday, Dad, have a good 1!

Movie Madness - Somewhere

I'm hoping that someday Somewhere will sink in. Maybe someday Somewhere will point me to the meaning of life. Maybe someday Somewhere will show me that the long, lingering scenes, full of art, imagery, interesting moments and good acting were all worth it.

Somewhere

A Broad Abroad

(Kickin' it with Don Quixote)

A broad abroad...and she's blogging. Chocolate-dipped churros for breakfast - yum!

And she's off..

There's been something very first day of Kindergarteny about the past few days as Shana got ready to go. I tried to cram all the life lessons in, make sure she had everything in her backpack, 

reminding her to say please and thank you, don't burp at the table, be quiet on her mat during siesta time, play nice with the others. 

We spent a lot of time snuggling on the couch in front of the fire, 

keeping the Christmas tree up until every drop of moisture in the needles was gone. There was a constant stream of friends and family coming through, propping up their feet, playing rousing, hilarious games of Monopoly and Scrabble (who needs beer pong!), 

going to the zoo,

 hitting every favorite restaurant, playing tourists in Old Town

making sure the bags weren't over packed - 49.0, just made it, 

that the flight was going even after a delay due to a snowstorm in New York, heckling the Tigers and the Ducks as they poured into Sky Harbor, then watching as the she hit the Elite Passenger line (thanks to Nana and Papa's extra miles, the poor kid got to go First Class) and headed off. Lots of texts on the way: my seat totally reclines! I'm never going back to coach (yes, you are), I'm in Newark and finally, at 1:38am my time, I'm in Madrid. Two hours later and a few back and forth middle of the night texts (for ten bucks you get 50 international texts, which usually lasts about fifteen minutes in Shanaland), she got her bag, made it to a cab, paid a fair rate, was safely delivered to her family in Alcala, reported that they were nice and I finally realized that everything would be OK. Working through some time difference issues over the day, jet lag and siestas, we've been able to Skype some, so we know about her room and the town. Technology is amazing. What did all those kids do when I was in high school and they had to wait for a real live letter? Those poor mommies. Having to actually wait until the Kindergarten school bell rings at the end of the day to find out everything, or until July when this adventure ends. Torture. So thanks for sharing today with me, Shana. Have fun at school on Monday. Study hard. Use your napkin. Brush your teeth. Call your mama.

Viva Espana! 

Cheaper by the dozen

New year, new shade of lipstick call. I wasn't the only one tonight desperate for some girl time. Twelve lovely ladies showed up, I think setting a record, for a new year review, we made it through the holidays, the back to schools, the current dramas, the new goals, the toasts, the squishing in tight, redecorating the place as we saw fit, until we counted the pile of cash in the middle and it was exactly right, another first. Must be a sign. Good color. Cheers. MMmmwwaaa, kiss, kiss the girls.