Pink Me Not

Girls' Weekend

2012-01-27T21:21:00.003-05:00

My best friend (my BFF according to Sophie), is getting remarried in March. She's keeping it simple - in fact, she's essentially eloping with her fiancé. But she still needs a dress. And because I her self-appointed best woman (I refuse to use the term "matron of honor," which is just so stupid), she and I are spending the weekend in New York to find something she can wear in front of her soon-to-be husband and the justice of the peace.

Our plan is simple. We arrive in New York late morning. We head to the department store. She finds her dress in under two hours, one hour if we're really lucky. We have lunch. We go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the newly restored American wing. We go to the movies. We have dinner. We spend a restful night in a lovely hotel room without our kids. We sleep late (which for us probably means no later than 8 AM), have a leisurely breakfast and maybe hit another movie before returning to our real lives and real families on Sunday afternoon.

Of course this brilliant plan is contingent on a very expedient dress hunt. But my BFF is nothing if not determined to keep the whole shopping thing simple. She has about as much patience for shopping as I do, so I hope she's right. In order to successfully fulfill my role as best woman, I will need to suppress my natural impatience, be incredibly supportive and make sure that she doesn't settle for the wrong dress just because she can't stand the shopping anymore. Oh, the pressure. What's an acceptable time to start drinking?

Sophie is a Reader

2012-01-25T20:52:00.000-05:00

The best thing about kids learning to read is that they can read themselves to sleep. Don't get me wrong. I very much enjoy reading books to Sophie. But it sure is nice when (1) Sophie reads a book to me, like she did tonight - "I Broke My Trunk" by Mo Willems and (2) Sophie reads to herself when she can't fall asleep.

After I tucked her in, Sophie came back downstairs to say she wasn't tired. "What should I do?" she asked. I suggested she read a book. So she did. "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss. Thirty minutes later, she came bounding down the stairs to announce, "I did it! I read the WHOLE book. 62 pages!"

"Did you enjoy it?" I asked. "Oh, yes!" she replied, a face full of smiles.

The joys of reading. There's nothing else like it, I tell you.

Football, Anyone?

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

I don't know what's happening to Chloe. I truly believe that she's being taken over by aliens. Between an acquaintance in school mentioning to a friend that she thought Chloe was "fashionable" (WTF?) and her announcement last night at dinner, she's just not as familiar to me as she once was.

You're all dying to know what that announcement was, I can sense it. It had nothing to do with boys, or sex or music or TV, or YouTube videos. Her declaration was as American as apple pie, but still shocking. "I want to watch the Superbowl. I think football might be cool."

Frenchie dad thought at first she was talking about soccer. Which would have been shocking enough. I just burst out laughing. I know, very supportive of me. My husband told her she'd be watching it alone. But she doesn't care. She needs to check it out for herself. Just to allay our fears, we then asked her if she had any desire to become a cheerleader. Fortunately, the aliens haven't yet entirely possessed her. To that question, her response was an emphatic, "NO!" Phew.

So Much for a Winter Without Snow

2012-01-22T14:41:00.000-05:00

We woke up to a few manageable inches of the white stuff yesterday morning. The snow was light and fluffy. Sophie is currently outside with her Papa throwing snowballs. If you look closely at the photo, you can see her rosy red cheeks, not unlike the portraits of Renaissance princesses. As I look out the window into the backyard, I can see her trying to climb up the playset to protect herself from the army of one Papa. She has good aim. Papa, not so much. She's taunting him now with great glee. Life is so damn simple when you're six.

Home in Time for Snow

2012-01-20T21:24:00.003-05:00

After a couple of absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous days in south Florida - 80 degrees, cloudless skies and no humidity whatsoever, I arrived home to 30 degree weather and an impending snowfall tonight. The first one of the season, not counting the wacky snow back in October.

They say up to six inches will grace our fair territory in the coming hours. Only to be followed on Monday by springtime-like weather all over again. The weather has been incredibly odd this year, but I'm not complaining about the winter we've had so far. If we manage to make it to the end of March with a modest snowfall or two, I will be a very happy person.

I arrived home to an empty house, as my husband took the girls out for dinner and then to my mom's to drop Chloe off for a sleepover. Her grammy is taking her to see the Broadway version of "War Horse" tomorrow for her upcoming birthday. Which Chloe was super excited about until yesterday. When I realized the show was on the same day as her friend's birthday party, and there was no way to make it to both. She had, of course, already told her friend she'd be there and was justifiably upset at my lapse.

I hope she has since forgiven me. Because I know she's going to absolutely love the play. But it's probably not a bad idea that she doesn't see me tonight, in case she hasn't forgiven me. By tomorrow evening, I'm hopeful that my forgetfulness will be forgotten...I love you, Chloe and I'm sorry!

Enjoying the Sun

2012-01-18T18:31:00.001-05:00

The Sunshine State is living up to its reputation. It was a glorious day today. But the best part was the room upgrade I received for no apparent reason. The bathroom is larger than some hotel rooms I've stayed in.

As I meet and talk to all these legal marketing folks, I think of cults. We're all speaking the same language, all facing similar challenges. When I first started attending these conferences a couple of years ago, I found the sameness somewhat reassuring. I now find it somewhat depressing. There's very little innovation year over year. But the people are nice and harken from all over the continent.

On a totally different note, Sophie wore cute zebra barrettes that her great-aunt brought her from China (photo to follow) to school today. It took a lot of guts to wear them, since they protrude out if her hair like Shrek's ears.

But wear them Sophie did. And she was very proud to report that her friend told her, "they're cute!" Sophie, my little fashionista forever and always.

Florida Tomorrow

2012-01-17T20:53:00.000-05:00

Sunny Miami, to be exact. For a three-day conference on legal marketing (don't fall asleep, dear readers). Hey, it's at a very nice hotel and for two whole nights, I will have a quiet room all to myself. If that's not worth the price of admission to the conference, I don't know what is.

I hope Chloe and Sophie will be on their best behavior with Papa. I'm a little concerned. They are a bit sneaky. And loud. And they're not the greatest listeners in the world. I'll allow Sophie to sleep on my side of the bed if she's scared Papa will be lonely. I never let anyone sleep on my side of the bed. 'Cause it's sacred. But for my adorable Sophie, I'm willing to make an exception.

I have to get up at 4:30 in the morning to catch my ride to the airport. Which should be a big pain in the ass. But it isn't because I've been getting up at 4:30 in the morning every day for the past several weeks. It's wonderful. Really, friggin' wonderful. Although I'm fairly certain my internal alarm won't let me down, I've set a real one, just in case.

They call it the Sunshine State for a reason. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

A Day with Sophie

2012-01-15T21:07:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was a great day. Sophie and I hung out together for several very fun hours.

It started with a trial dance class for Sophie. Modern dance, specifically. Tennis was a no-go this semester so we needed to find some form of exercise for her. And anyone who reads this blog knows how much Sophie loves to dance. She was reluctant to dance in a classroom setting, but she did great and loved it.

On that high note, and with a new leotard in hand, we went out to lunch. And after lunch, with a new balloon in hand, we went to see "Beauty and the Beast" on the big screen. Sophie enjoyed it, but was quick to reiterate that: (1) she doesn't like princesses anymore and (2) she prefers watching the movie at home.

From the movie, and with a set of 3D glasses in hand, we went to Target to buy her some new underwear. As we were slowly making our way to the checkout lines, I mentioned how dangerous Target was because it's so easy to find things to buy. Sophie then exclaimed, "That's because everyone loves Target!" The sales associate who overheard her agreed wholeheartedly with Sophie's assessment. From Target, with new underwear, pajamas, skirt, purse and Hello Kitty notebook in hand, we finally made our way home.

Spending so much special fun time with my little Sophie was priceless.

Carl, Volume I

2012-01-14T17:51:00.002-05:00

The Amazing Adventures of Carl by Chloe

Hello. This is Carl. Carl is going on a vacation! If Carl doesn't come back, don't worry. Carl is probably sleeping. If Carl is awake then Carl may have a problem. Carl is starting to get worried. Carl might cry. Nobody wants to give Carl a tissue. Poor Carl. Don't worry! Carl will ride a motorcycle! Carl might get some girls. Carl wants to go to Hawaii. Carl doesn't have enough money! What should Carl do? Carl's going to have a lemonade stand! Carl doesn't make much money. He earns one dollar! Since Carl can't get a ticket to Hawaii, he doesn't know what to do. Carl decides to buy some Skittles! Carl has to go home now. Carl says bye.

The End!

Coming Home to an Empty House

2012-01-12T20:22:00.001-05:00

It was a milestone day today. We gave Chloe a house key because Papa needed to pick Sophie up from school to take her to her first French class (a milestone in of itself). Our big girl made it home from the bus in one piece, unlocked the door, hung out for about 90 minutes all by herself and locked the door behind her as she left for her mother's helper gig. And she still had the key when she came home this evening.

When I asked her to practice locking and unlocking the front door last night, she looked at me like I was an extraterrestrial. "Mom," she said in her tween exasperated tone, "I know how to open and close the door. I do it all the time when Esperanza is here." Well, excuse me for being a concerned parent, Chloe.

Every time I tell her that one day she'll understand my worries when she's a parent herself, she rolls her eyes and huffs. Let's face it, at her tender age and in her "I-know-it-all" world, I am nothing more than a source of annoyance to her. Like a beetle or a fly.

And yet, despite her attitude, she babysat herself today for the first time. My little girl is growing up and even better, she knows how to lock the front door.

The Color Pink

2012-01-10T22:38:00.001-05:00

I was stunned. When I came downstairs this morning, Chloe's school project was on the dining room table. A poster about Albert Einstein, she had used calligraphy for his name and colored the letters...

...PINK. Ok, pink with an orange outline. Color me gobsmacked.

So I asked my tomboy daughter if she felt alright. Actually, I exclaimed, "You used pink!!!" It took Chloe a minute to register what I was talking about.

She looked down at her project and responded, "Oh, yeah. I don't think pink is so offensive anymore." All you can do is wonder. She's more interested in clothes than in the past, she seems slightly more open to accepting the fact that boys do indeed exist and now she's giving my blog, www.pinkmenot.com, a bad name.

What kind of pre-pubescent monster has possessed Chloe's body? I've grown accustomed to Sophie's "girliness," but Chloe has been a bit surprising lately.

Can I legitimately rationalize this bizarre behavior by attributing it to hormones? Or is something more nefarious at play here?

Cozy Sophie

2012-01-09T20:06:00.000-05:00

"I am sooo adorable!" Sophie chanted as she pranced around the house yesterday evening wearing Papa's sweatshirt and a pink bear on her head.

"I am sooo cute!" she exclaimed, tilting her bear-covered head to one side and looking at us with her big saucer-like eyes, challenging us to disagree, which of course was simply not possible.

Sophie made my evening today when she asked if she could prepare her lunch for tomorrow. Dumb question. "Of course, baby bear." A few minutes later, as she was making said lunch, she remarked, "This is fun." And after she had finished, she asked, "Mommy, would it be ok if I made my lunch everyday?" "Of course, baby bear, " I sputtered. I could barely contain my glee, yet I didn't want to seem too eager because that would cause the alarms to go off in her astute little 6-year old brain.

Don't get me wrong. I am fully aware that this exchange of ours will likely be forgotten by tomorrow, but as with most things offspring-related, one can't help but hope.

Hiking in January

2012-01-07T21:38:00.002-05:00

Disregarding for a moment Sophie's bold choice of clothing today, let me just say how much I am loving this warm winter weather. Yet another springlike Saturday in January. I'm starting to wonder if Lars von Trier knows something the rest of us don't - perhaps there really is a planet heading toward an apocalyptic collision with Earth, as depicted in his most recent film, "Melancholia." Because other than global warming, nothing else really explains the strange weather we've experienced over the last six months or so.

In any case, we went on a lovely hike today with our friends. The girls used tree trunks and water pipes as balance beams, chased after dogs and threw sticks in the stagnant puddles of water. Sophie was visible from miles away in her clothes. As my friend aptly put it, Sophie's sense of style is reminiscent of Betsey Johnson. As you can see from the photo, she managed to throw together horizontal stripes, Jackson Pollock-like splashes of color and magenta checks into a dazzling show of six-year old fashion sensibility. And by Jove, it almost works.

It's Still Warm Outside

2012-01-06T21:56:00.001-05:00

No snow in sight, at least for the next week. I am supposed to go to Miami for a conference the week after next and I'm willing to bet that it will snow the day of my flight.

Took my team to dinner last night for a belated holiday meal. We all had a good laugh when we realized that the youngest person on my staff, who is 23, hadn't seen, let alone heard of, "When Harry Met Sally" (my colleague's impossibly convoluted order caused us all to think of the classic scene in Katz's Deli).

The conversation made me feel old. Very, very old. Because that movie came out when I was 20 years old. Depressing thought. Can I stop the clock? At least for a little while?

Antique Stickers!

2012-01-04T20:45:00.001-05:00

The stickers on this piece of paper are relics. When Sophie and her friend showed them to me the other day, I was rocketed back in time - back to 1982 to be more or less precise.

Sophie came home from her annual trip to my aunt's house in Ithaca last summer with a bag full of these stickers. They used to be mine. I think I probably handed them down to my younger cousin, Moriah, when I decided I was too grown up to play with stickers. And luckily for Sophie, Moriah, in turn, apparently grew out of them, too.

And now, some 30 years later, they've come full circle and are now in my little one's hands. It's funny how seeing them sparked such vivid memories - especially of sharing them with the little girl I babysat who lived next door. I absolutely loved the rainbow heart stickers and the puffy stickers with the googly eyes. And Hello Kitty was just as popular then as she is now.

Thanks, Moriah, for not being as sticker-addicted as I used to be. And thanks Aunt Barbara and Uncle Brian for not throwing old stuff away!

New Year's Resolution Resolved!

2012-01-02T20:23:00.000-05:00

True to my word, I have fulfilled my new year's resolution. After three hours of pretty enjoyable labor (and with a crucial assist from Sophie), an album documenting our trip to France last summer was born. As an added bonus, I have recuperated a few more square inches of space on my desk.

It was nice to revisit our trip - I hadn't looked at the photos in a few months because I was avoiding the project. Too much to do and too little time. But there's nothing like setting a goal with a very short deadline. You're forced to see it through. And so I did.

Purging Paper to Ring in 2012

2012-01-01T22:49:00.002-05:00

It sounds so exciting, I know. With an extra day off until Tuesday, I took it upon myself to clean my desk area today because piles and piles of crap had accumulated over the last few months. It was not a fun task and is not quite finished. Mainly because I have all of our photos from France still waiting to be placed in the lovely album I bought months ago just for that purpose.

Yes, indeed. Six months later and the photos from our once-in-a-lifetime trip have been buried underneath paper. Lots and lots of paper. But they've now been excavated and I am determined to finish the album tomorrow. It's a new year's resolution that, in theory, is absolutely achievable. Unlike dieting, or regular exercising, which requires ongoing dedication, this project simply requires singleminded focus for a couple of hours. I can manage that. And all I need are the photos, the photo mount squares and the album. Luckily for me, all three ingredients are sitting here on my desk. Procrastinating is no longer an option. If I'm successful, it will be the first time in decades that I actually conquer a new year's resolution. Not a bad way to start 2012, if you ask me.

Happy 2012

2011-12-31T21:50:00.001-05:00

If this weather is a harbinger of the year to come, it's going to be a very good year indeed (at least for those of us who have a distinct preference for warm weather). Contrast the photo above of Sophie on her scooter this afternoon - sans jacket - with this photo, taken on the same day one year ago.

After a lovely dinner with our friends, the girls are now in bed and we've got just a couple of hours to go before the clock strikes midnight.

Here's a toast to 2012 and having the courage to make this new year one of change and fulfillment. I love you, my beautiful girls.

The Thing Is

2011-12-30T22:05:00.001-05:00

It isn't Groundhog Day. But I feel a bit like Bill Murray in the eponymous movie. As I reflect back on the year, and read what I was writing about at this time last year, I feel like not much has changed. Not as much as I hoped, in any case. Unlike last year, there's not a bit of snow on the ground and we didn't have a trip to Vegas cancelled because of a blizzard. But other than that, things aren't all that different from December 30, 2010.

We did have a pretty incredible vacation this past summer in France, that's for sure. We're all one year older. Chloe and Sophie are better tennis players than they were a year ago, and smarter too. I now own an iPhone, which is like a third child, albeit inanimate. But...

...All of my philosophical questions about where I was in my life at the end of 2010 are still unanswered. OK - that's not quite true. I have the answers, but I'm still afraid to act on them. I am in the same place professionally as I was one year ago. I'm working just as hard, if not harder. I am still not spending as much time with my family as I would like because I'm still suffering from the "present, but not really present" syndrome.

The window of time I have to make a change and spend more time with my girls before they want nothing to do with me is quickly diminishing. Let's face it. Chloe is now one year closer to the dreaded teenage years. I only have about 730-1,065 days left before she becomes a teenage hermit texting in her bedroom and trying to avoid me at all costs.

I'm lucky to have Sophie and am grateful for the five-year age difference between the two girls. That buys me some time with my little one. But the seconds, minutes and hours will continue to tick away. I need to make some decisions.

I just read that Samoa (not American Samoa, mind you, just Samoa), whose economy is now more dependent on Asia and Australia than on the United States, has decreed that it is going to change its time zone in order to have a 3-hour time difference with its principal trading partners instead of the current 21 hours. Which makes sense - geographically Samoa is much closer to Asia and Australia than it is to the US. It's just on the wrong side of the international date line. But in order to effectuate this pretty drastic change, the country is skipping one day this weekend. They went to bed tonight, Friday, and when they wake up tomorrow morning, it won't be Saturday. It's going to be Sunday.

That got me thinking. I would never want to miss any days with my girls. I need to prolong this time with them. I need time to stop, or at least move more slowly. Definitely not more quickly. Good thing we don't live on Samoa.

Year-End Charitable Giving

2011-12-29T20:42:00.001-05:00

We started a new tradition for the holidays this year. Chloe has been saving part of her earnings (from duct tape products, allowance and mother's helping) for charity and what better time than now to make a donation.

A few months ago I told Chloe that for any amount she donated, I'd match it. She reminded me of my promise and I announced that it was up to Chloe to find a worthy charity. Which she did, this morning after struggling to find a charity to love. Drumroll please: savethechildren.org. I then announced that not only would I match her donation, I'd match it twice over. Boy was she excited about that.

This evening I went home and retrieved her charity money from a paper cup designated just for that purpose. It contained $43! Perhaps I should have confirmed how much she had saved before committing to increase her donation by 200%. But it's for a great cause and Save the Children is now $130 richer.

Games

2011-12-28T07:44:00.003-05:00

To the extent there was a theme for this holiday season's gifts, it was games. New family games would mean less time spent playing solo on our iPhones, iPad or iPod Touch. With that idea in mind, we shopped accordingly, seeking games that would please the girls and not make my husband or me crazy if we joined them in a round.

Our search led us to some very fun games that we've already played several times since Sunday. Among them: Qwirkle (a twist on dominoes), Pix Mix (identifying pictures that are piled on top of one another), Square Up (a wordless Boggle), Tiddlywinks (I thought this game was simple, but those Brits complicate everything - did you know there's a Tiddlywinks Association in the UK?), Zip-It (crosswords on speed from the makers of Bananagrams) and two versions of "Just Dance" for the Wii (what a workout!). Chloe also received For Sale, a game of real estate prospecting and auctioning.

While we can't prevent the girls from continuing to play on their gadgets, they still crave our attention from time to time and now we have a bunch of new games to play as a family - and to argue over. Fun, fun, fun.

Christmas and Chloe's Popcorn Rules

2011-12-25T21:16:00.002-05:00

Here we are. At the end of a very busy, very happy Christmas day.

Santa left Sophie a note last night. She was very excited to know that he liked her drawings, ate her cookies and drank her milk.

We played lots of new games this morning, including the very fun "Just Dance" on the Wii, which I think may become my new workout regime. Sophie, of course, is a natural. Chloe not so much.

We then went to the movies to see "Tintin." The motion capture animation was pretty impressive and the girls enjoyed it immensely. But the funniest part of the outing was Chloe's popcorn rules, which I've outlined below. Note that we shared a large bag of popcorn among five of us and had three paper cups that we used to distribute the snack.

Chloe's Movie Popcorn Rules
(1) No popcorn until the previews begin. If you want to get a head start on the snack while the commercials are still running, you're shit out of luck.

(2) The first distribution of popcorn takes place just as the previews are getting started.

(3) You are entitled to only one serving of "preview popcorn" during the coming attractions. If you happen to finish your first cup before the previews are over, you're shit out of luck.

(4) You can then receive a second helping as the feature begins. But if you want another serving, you better act quickly.

(5) That's because despot Chloe controls the bag. As good as she is at holding everyone else to her set of rules, when the movie starts all bets are off.

I was lucky today. I had three small cups of popcorn. About 20 minutes into the movie it was all gone.

Bubby's Cookies

2011-12-24T20:38:00.001-05:00

I promised Sophie that we would make cookies for Santa. Today was the big day. And what better way to welcome Santa into our home than to bake our Jewish Bubby's butter cookies.

I don't think Bubby would be offended by our appropriating the recipe to feed a symbol of the commercialism of a Christian holiday honoring the birth of Jesus. I rather believe she would have delighted in the joy on her great-great granddaughter Sophie's face when she prepared Santa's homemade cookies and milk tonight.

The cookies turned out quite well and immediately brought back memories of Bubby's apartment in Brooklyn. Whenever we visited, she'd have a plate of her freshly baked treats waiting for us on the small table for two in her tiny kitchen. Each cookie had three chocolate chips placed with love on top. Boy, how we enjoyed those cookies. They were so very simple, but so very yummy.

Santa will love them, I have no doubt. After all, the recipe made its way across the ocean to the United States from Russia with love.

Sophie's Presents for Santa

2011-12-22T22:27:00.004-05:00

In my last blog post, I mentioned that Sophie had drawn some pictures for Santa Claus. I realized afterwards that in order for my loyal readers to appreciate the depth of Sophie's devotion to the white-bearded fat guy, I'd have to post a photo of her artwork. These are not mere sketches. These drawings took time and contemplation and love.

What you see below are drawings of an apple tree (Sophie's favorite fruit these days) and an underwater utopia with goldfish, a seahorse and a dolphin. If you click on the image to enlarge it, you'll see that (1) each one says "To Santa. From Sophie," (2) she drew a heart around 'Santa' and (3) the fish are all smiling. I love that the fish are smiling. Because I interpret the smiling fish to mean that my dear little Sophie is indeed happy, innocent and carefree.

When I suggested that Sophie create a third picture for Santa to bring home to Mrs. Claus (which unbeknownst to Sophie essentially means a third picture for me), she balked. Mrs. Claus apparently doesn't rank nearly as high on the magical creature list as Santa.

Hanukkah and Christmas 2011

2011-12-20T21:02:00.001-05:00

Gift giving on steroids. For the next week. Good news is we're done with Chloe for Hanukkah. She just wanted cash. All at once. None of the one gift per night nonsense. Sophie is easy, too. Although she still receives one surprise every night, they're small surprises. We also have plenty of presents for them for Christmas - many of which were sent by family members in France. I truly think they made a mistake in ordering because we received so many. The girls are going to be very happy, for sure.

Sophie has been extremely busy drawing pictures for Santa Claus, which will accompany the milk and cookies we lay out for him on Christmas Eve. I'll have to remember to leave her a thank you note "from Santa." The fact that she still believes in the fat guy in a red costume and white beard amuses me to no end. Chloe sure as hell didn't harbor any such illusions when she was 6 years old. Frankly, it's nice to have a child who believes in all sorts of magical creatures, including fairies. I see no need to disabuse her of these notions right now, especially since hearing her talk about all of her imaginary friends makes me smile inside and temporarily forget the bad news of the day and the craziness at work.

That's my Sophie. Happy, innocent and care-free.

Chloe is a Member of the Colbert Nation

2011-12-19T21:55:00.003-05:00

Thanks to my husband who, as I've written about before, has no sense of appropriate TV for my girls, Chloe has been introduced to Stephen Colbert. Among all of the other TV shows she DVRs, she is now recording episodes of "The Colbert Report."

She thinks he's funny. I think that, despite what she claims, she doesn't really understand everything he's talking about and that she laughs because she wants us to think she's a woman of the world and because it's cool when a 10-year old laughs at jokes for the 25+ crowd.

Chloe also seems to be moderately interested in "60 Minutes." She joined me last evening to watch the piece on Meryl Streep. She had no idea who Meryl Streep was (boy, does she look good for her age). But no matter. Chloe liked the fact that she was a famous actress. Then again, she was probably simply feigning interest so she could watch a little more TV.

Regardless, she is starting to demonstrate a little more interest in the world around her, which is refreshing. And whether it's thanks to the real news or the fake Comedy Central kind, it's all good.

Our 2011 Gingerbread Villa

2011-12-17T20:15:00.001-05:00

Chloe, Sophie and Grammy made this year's gingerbread house in record time. My mom thought she'd need at least a couple of sessions to finish its construction.

What she didn't take into account was the fact that this is their 4th year assembling the kit. The girls are older and they're pros at it now. No broken pieces, no crooked walls, no stray candy.

Our living room looks lovely this year, thanks to the tree, the lights, the gingerbread house and most important, the recent paint job that transformed the space from being a cold uninviting room into a cozy haven where we are all spending more time. It took us 7 years to paint the damn room and now that it's finished, I can't believe it took us so long to get it done.

Happy Birthday to Me

2011-12-15T21:03:00.000-05:00

I took the day off from work and I only sent two emails and made one phone call. Not bad. Still some room for improvement, but not bad. My husband gave me a beautiful new handbag. Sophie gave me a lovely handmade card and a huge hug and kiss. Chloe also gave me a handmade card that said, "I love you SOOOOOOO much!" She also gave me a box of 1970s nostalgic candy. While the latter is really fun, I have to admit that I love the card even more. Because I'm going to keep it. And shove it in her face in a couple of years, when Chloe is a teenager and tells me she hates me.

I spent the day at the mall, shopping for the holidays and everyone else but me. OK - that's not entirely true. My mom gave me a gift certificate that I used to buy a blouse, bowls and a candle. I also bought some face creme and soap. I had a lot of bags at the end of the day. Containing a lot of presents for the girls. I think I am done holiday shopping. Hallelujah.

It feels like a Friday. Sadly, it isn't. Which means back to work tomorrow. Birthdays should really last more than one day.

Chloe Has a Job

2011-12-13T22:37:00.001-05:00

Chloe has herself a new gig as a mother's helper. Starting on Thursday, she will be assisting our neighbor with her three kids, helping the two girls with their homework and playing with their little toddler (who, according to Sophie and Chloe, is soooooo cute).

She will be earning some cash, gaining some more babysitting experience and best news of all, watching less TV. Good news for everyone because as Sophie would say, "she's addicted." And that's our fault. We're too lenient.

She DVRs "George Lopez" for crying out loud. Who watches "George Lopez?" Chloe watches "George Lopez." How she even stumbled upon that old show is beyond me. She also occasionally watches such culturally essential shows as "Hoarders," "Extreme Couponing" and "Cake Boss."

In any case, you can now understand why I'm so happy my almost 11-year old has a part time job. It'll keep her out of TV hell for 2 1/2 hours a week.

Thank you, neighbor, for coming to Chloe's rescue.

With Two Weeks To Go

2011-12-11T20:01:00.001-05:00

We have our Christmas tree. And not only do we have it, it's decorated.

And we decorated it twice because Chloe wanted a chance to put on the "cool" decorations, which we had, according to her, done without her. Which isn't entirely true. Chloe was in the room with Sophie, Papa and me, but was in one of her tween moods.

The good news is that Chloe still wants to decorate the tree with us. That will likely no longer be the case in a couple of years. We dismantled most of the ornaments so that Chloe could hang the "cool" stuff.

All is good in Chloe's world again. And our tree is dressed to the nines, a full two weeks before Christmas. Guaranteed we won't be that ahead of the curve again, at least for another several years.

What Sophie Wants To Be When She Grows Up

2011-12-09T19:55:00.001-05:00

Breaking news. My little Sophie has every intention of being a renaissance woman when she grows up. Sophie aspires towards greatness in five different categories. In no particular order:

(1) dancer
(2) singer
(3) artist
(4) shoe designer
(5) mommy

Hey, as long as she finishes college and doesn't go to law school, she can do whatever she wants. But the true measure of her ambition is in category #6:

(6) booty shaker

"I am the best booty shaker," she nonchalantly remarked. Of course, my husband and I looked at each other and immediately shared the same mental image of a 20-year old Sophie deciding to go the route of category #6. Perish the thought.

It Does Not Feel Like the Holidays

2011-12-07T20:17:00.001-05:00

We still have a lot of shopping to do. Too much shopping to do. Work is way too busy and stressful. The days are too short and sleep is elusive.

But my birthday is next week and I plan to stay away from the office if I can. Because I need some time to myself and away from my desk.

I'm turning 43 and I'm still asking myself the same questions about my life as I was asking one year ago, two years ago...Will I ever come up with the answers? And more important, will I ever build up the courage to act on those answers?

Calgon, take me away!

Sophie Is Still a Fashionista...

2011-12-05T20:07:00.001-05:00

...and she compensates for her older sister, who's only occasionally a fashionista when she's under extreme duress.

Apparently, the brightly colored fake hair clips are very chic among the young hip crowd. We had to convince Sophie that she didn't need to wear a headband as well. She really loves color and patterns, even when they clash.

Chloe's more monotone. Denim, dark t-shirts, a sweater and she's happy.

It truly is mind-boggling to me that the same genes (and jeans) produced such radically different girls.

Sophie Ma Belle

2011-12-03T20:41:00.001-05:00

My girly girl. She loves to dress up, she loves to pose for the camera and she loves to dance.

I was able to convince her to come to the mall today by promising her that we'd see if we could find her a new dress.

So we looked and we found. At a store selling a Spanish brand called Desigual. An adorable dress that reminds me of my favorite French brand, Catamini.

She was happy, so we were all happy. Sophie loves her dresses. Very, very much.

Chloe Doesn't Shut Up

2011-12-01T21:20:00.001-05:00

I've written about this before. But it's true and it's not gotten any better. Chloe yaks and yaks and yaks. And laughs at her yakking. I've never seen a kid who loves the sound of her own voice as much as she does.

One of my (far too many) guilty TV pleasures is to watch contestants get booted off "The X Factor." As I was watching tonight's melodrama unfold, the contestants were crying, thanking Jesus (aside: I am so sick of all the Jesus-thanking that takes place on these shows) and singing for their lives. Chloe chose to start her speechifying at the precise moment the contestants started to sing. And she just didn't stop. Despite my imploring her to "shut up." OK, my choice of words was a bad parenting moment. But I couldn't help myself - it was genuine and from the heart.

Chloe didn't care. She laughed. Continued to ramble on and on and on about the show, about the singers, about the judges, about I don't even know what else because my ears went on strike.

It's finally quiet now. Because she's sleeping. In her room. I do wonder, however, if she's having a conversation with herself in her head. Can't you picture it? Words and words floating around in her brain, fighting with each other to be heard. I wonder if the left side is telling the right side to shut up. Or vice versa.

I love Chloe very, very much. I love how precociously verbal she is. But I sometimes wish that she had been born with an on/off switch. Because quiet Chloe is nice, too.

Chloe's Silly Santa Poem

2011-11-29T20:03:00.001-05:00

One day Santa tried to go down a chimney
But because he was so very fat,
He got stuck and said "oh crap!"

And because he said that word,
He was put on the Naughty List,
Which made him so very, very pissed

So then he was quite annoyed
'Cause Santas who are on the
Naughty List always get unemployed

Sophie is Crafty, Too

2011-11-27T21:03:00.001-05:00

Our neighbor the shoe designer brought Sophie, her future apprentice, a bunch of shoe fabric samples the other day.

Sophie wasn't expecting such a wonderful surprise. As our friend took sample after sample out of the large shopping bag, Sophie's grin grew bigger and bigger.

Even though it was past Sophie's bedtime by the time our neighbor left, she went to work immediately. With Papa as her gluing assistant, she proceeded to make herself a wallet.

Chloe's duct tape wallets served as Sophie's inspiration. While child labor laws prevent our little one from earning her keep with her creations, I am willing to barter with her. A little stuffed animal in exchange for a trendy wallet I can show off to my friends and colleagues? Now that's a trade I'd be willing to bet on.

The Fun Begins

2011-11-26T22:31:00.001-05:00

I dragged Chloe shopping this morning because it was time to find her something, other than jeans or sweatpants, that she would be willing to wear on the lower half of her body. This was a do-or-die situation, with a very clear deadline. Friends have invited us to dinner next weekend, and they're taking us to their country club, which has a strict no-jeans policy.

We went to a local store that caters to the tween and teenage set. The owner was eager to help us, and Chloe was loud in her silence each time she asked my daughter if she liked something. After a few minutes of muteness, Chloe begrudgingly agreed to try on a few items of clothing that were not too girly or brightly colored.

A few minutes into her session in the dressing room, she called for me and I opened the curtain, only to see Chloe gasp in shame and then anger because she didn't have a shirt on and what was I thinking opening up the curtain and exposing her to the world? The more I apologized, the angrier she became. When I told her it was an accident and pointedly asked her how I was supposed to know she wasn't completely dressed - and remarked that, seeing as though she was the one who beckoned me, she should have warned me to refrain from opening the curtain before I opened it - she looked like she was about to explode.

At that particular point in time, I was nothing more than a big bug Chloe wanted to crush. The look in her eyes was worth a thousand curse words that she's not allowed to use. Rather than continuing to apologize (for something that wasn't my fault), I sat back down in the moms' seat and waited for her to try on the rest of the clothes.

Shockingly enough, even after that episode, Chloe still managed to find a few things she liked. And she even agreed to allow me to buy her simple black skirt, which she wore tonight to a party, along with a new top and sweater, black tights and a pair of super cool almost-knee high gray boots.

She looked terrific. She vows that she will not be caught dead in the skirt at school, but admits that she'd wear it outside of school, to certain events. I recognize that it may be under duress that she wears the skirt again, but that's ok. I love jeans. But I love seeing Chloe wear something other than jeans even more.

Thinking of You, Dad

2011-11-24T20:45:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving belongs to my dad. Memories of him come flooding back on this holiday, more so than on his birthday or the anniversary of his death.

From putting the leaves in the table (dad, you'd be shocked to know that after 12 years, it now takes the team only 90 seconds to transform the table from a circle into a large oval) to carving the turkey to taking a quick post-feast snooze on the couch, my father and Thanksgiving were like two peas in a pod.

Now that he's gone, he still looms large at the table. It's on this day that I most wish he had lived long enough to meet his grandchildren. He would have been so proud. And thankful.

Love you, dad. I miss you every day, but always a little more on this day than on the other 364.

Is It Thanksgiving Already?

2011-11-23T20:28:00.001-05:00

In my heart and mind, it is still summer. I am still in France. I am strolling through the streets of Paris, standing in snow in Chamonix with my family and speaking French 24/7. Problem is, my heart and mind are off by about five months. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Winter is sadly around the corner.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but there will be a smaller gathering at my mom's this year, notable for the absence of my brother and sister-in-law. She is currently undergoing radiation, which is the final stage of her cancer treatment, after chemo and surgery. She's getting closer to the finish line and her prognosis is excellent. Now if that's not something to be thankful for, I don't know what is.

We love you two, and hope that we can all gather together soon. In the meantime, I'll have a few bits of tender turkey and our aunt's delicious stuffing in your honor.

A Song by Sophie

2011-11-21T20:00:00.001-05:00

She's a budding writer, let me tell you. The spelling is all hers.
*******
Flower
Flawer
In the
Breeze
You look
Pretty
As me
Please
Flower
Flower
You
Look
Pleased
In a three
So as me
You look
Down
In a frown
Nice and
Daring as me

Dance, Sophie, Dance

2011-11-19T20:41:00.001-05:00

Showing off her newly trimmed curls, Sophie boogied down to the Gwyneth Paltrow version of "Forget You" this evening. Too bad she completely eschews the idea of dance lessons because she really does have some talent. At least compared to her parents and sister, who have very little rhythm whatsoever.

Sophie's a Writer, Too

2011-11-17T19:24:00.001-05:00

Sophie wrote a short Halloween story in school. Here it is (with Sophie's creative 6-year old spelling as an added bonus). She has some talent, I'd say.

******

Once a pon a tim there was a vanpiyr. The vonpiyr cam at the midll of the Nit. The vampier cam to sum budys Has. It suct sum blud.

******

After she read her story to me and we did her spelling homework, she announced that "Chloe has a digraph in her name." She explained to me what a digraph is, because I had no idea. Apparently, it's two letters together, like 'ck' or 'ch' or 'sh', that make one sound. I like it when my 6-year old teaches me a new word. "I can't believe you don't know what that means!" she exclaimed. She was very happy to be my teacher for a few minutes.

Chloe in the Mirror

2011-11-15T19:50:00.001-05:00

Chloe and I went on a shopping expedition the other day. She needed some new clothes that weren't jeans and t-shirts. And she really needed a pair of shoes that were not sneakers. I was pessimistic. After several unsuccessful attempts over the last few weeks to find her a pair of non-sneaker shoes she'd actually wear, I had just about given up hope.

But for once, the stars were aligned. After trying on some pairs at Nine West, I was optimistic. The shoes there didn't fit her well, but at least she had found a few that she liked. We struck gold at Lord & Taylor, where she found a pair of blue flats that looked adorable. Her first pair of adult shoes. Size 6.

And then we made our way upstairs to the kids' clothing department, where she found herself the cute sweater in the picture and a couple of other items, including another pair of jeans. I know. I just said that we didn't go shopping to buy her yet more denim. But they're a stylish pair of jeans and they were cheap.

It's amazing how wearing something other than jeans and a t-shirt transforms Chloe. Into the almost-11 year-old adolescent girl that she is. I may even get her to wear a skirt or a dress again - it may not happen until she gets married, but we'll get there eventually. For now, I'll settle for a few nice tops, a pair of shoes that she's not allowed to wear to gym and a stylish pair of jeans.

And Then There Was One

2011-11-13T19:17:00.001-05:00

My husband and I spent quite a bit of time today moving back into our living room after a new paint job transformed the space. During the course of our organizing and fall-cleaning, we rediscovered a bunch of gadgets:

- a Sony CD Car Discman (from 1995)

- a Sears camera (from the 1970s, when my father-in-law, who died in 1995 but spent his entire career with IBM, lived with his family in Poughkeepsie, NY)

- a couple of Olympus film cameras - one fancy, one not so fancy

- our first digital camera, by Minolta

- our first (and only) video cam, purchased when Chloe was born in 2001.

Chloe was perplexed by all of the gadgets. I had an epiphany when I saw all of them displayed on our dining room table. Not a particularly profound epiphany, mind you. Rather, an epiphany of the "wow, I never really stopped to think about it in that way" kind of epiphany. It was so simple, really. The iPhone and its predecessors, starting with the first iPod, have taken over the world. When once upon a time - and less than a generation ago - you needed at least three different devices to listen to music, take photos and make movies, you now only need one.

Pretty damn amazing.

Sophie and the Leaves

2011-11-12T21:05:00.001-05:00

This short video requires no narration, except that Sophie reminds me of Tigger in this video.

My Funny Bunny and My Slippery Eel

2011-11-11T20:32:00.000-05:00

Sophie is my funny bunny. She still cuddles with me. She still hugs me. And gives me kisses. She laughs at my silly jokes.

Chloe, on the other hand, is like a slippery eel. She flees my grasp and turns her head away whenever I try to embrace her. She's also into the eye-rolling thing. She doesn't even realize when she's doing it. When I tell her the continued frequent eye-rolling will cause her eyes to get stuck under her eyelids, she rolls her eyes some more, just for emphasis.

Sophie knows how much I appreciate her warmth. She sometimes uses it against Chloe, which bugs Chloe to no end. Sophie knows her big sister's number. Chloe doesn't like it when Sophie "tries to be cute."

I know Chloe loves me, however. Because even when she's annoyed or angry about something, I can still make her laugh. And she still likes to converse with me. And ask questions. And ask my opinion about things. Chloe gives me hugs with words. Who'd ever thought that a bunny and an eel would be so complementary?

A New Chloe Poem (It's Been a Long Time)

2011-11-09T20:20:00.000-05:00

She wanted him to forgive

For all that she did

She'd called him on the phone

Only to get the tone

She'd waited for his reply

As all night long she would cry

And then on that fateful day

She thought she heard his voice come her way

So she turned around only to find,

That the voice had been a figment of her mind

I Want to Be a Shoemaker

2011-11-08T20:48:00.000-05:00

Sophie had a very serious discussion with her Grammy yesterday. About her future and what she wants to be when she grows up. She apparently wants to be four things.

(1) A dancer. When my mom told Sophie she might want to take dance lessons, Sophie balked. Sophie doesn't need dance lessons, because Sophie thinks she's naturally talented.

(2) A singer. Let's just say that if she ever tried out for "American Idol" she'd be one of the contestants gently booted off the stage. Gently, because she's a sweet kid and wouldn't be an obnoxiously bad singer. She'd just be bad. Period.

(3) An artist. There's hope here. Sophie is actually a pretty talented 6-year old artist. She loves to draw and she draws well.

(4) A shoemaker (she really means shoe designer). Now that's an idea. Sophie the fashionista loves shoes. She might actually grow up to be a great shoe designer. Our neighbor is a shoe designer and she always compliments Sophie on her footwear. Sophie has already applied early decision for an internship at our friend's company (in about 10 years, of course). Manolo Blahnik, watch your back.

2011-11-06T20:34:00.000-05:00

Chloe and I had an argument yesterday morning. We stopped at the local bookstore before her tennis lesson so that she could buy herself a new tome. For once, she took care of her business quickly, and ran back out to the car after just a couple of minutes, new book in hand. But then she noticed that the cover was a little damaged.

She started to huff and puff, and she would have blown the car down if she was the big, bad wolf. But since she's just Chloe, she just huffed and puffed some more. I told her not to worry about it, to just go back to the store and exchange the book for another copy. "I don't want to do that, Mom. It's embarrassing!" "It's not embarrassing," I replied. "People do that all the time. Damaged books are part of doing business in a bookstore, and I am 100% sure they won't mind at all."

Instead of listening to me, she became more frustrated. "I've never seen anyone do that before, Mom. It's embarrassing!" "Chloe, you've never seen anyone do that before because you're only 10 years old and you've only lived a fraction of the life I've lived." She continued to huff and puff.

I then tried to reason with Chloe. Because she's a smart girl and because she likes to think she's mature and reasonable. "What will make you more upset? Going home with a damaged book or simply going back to the bookstore and asking to exchange the damaged book?" That didn't work. Her response: "They're both bad. It's embarrassing!"

I'd just about had it. These are the parenting moments that cause me to want to start ingesting tranquilizers by the cupful. I offered to go with her again (I had already tried that twice, to no avail). This time, her stubbornness lost out to her desire to have a book with a cover that wasn't bent and she finally relented. We went into the store and she asked me to ask the cashier if she could trade copies. And I did. And Chloe saw the employee smile and heard her say, "Of course." And off Chloe ran, to get a pristine book.

Happy again. When I asked Chloe a few hours later if she would be comfortable sticking up for her rights as a customer in the future, she admitted, "probably not." I have a feeling that "it's embarrassing" is going to be Chloe's favorite avoidance phrase for the next several years. Forget cupfuls of tranquilizers. I think I'm going to need bottlefuls.

Trick or Treating, Take 2

2011-11-04T21:47:00.001-04:00

After our town belatedly decided late on official-Halloween afternoon to strongly encourage parents to postpone trick or treating - because of the lost power and downed trees and wires - until today, Chloe convinced us that she and her friend should have a second chance at Halloween.

I was not looking forward to going out again. We have enough candy in the house. We did not need any more. But it's difficult to say no to a 10-year-old dressed in her masquerade Venetian mask. So I relented.

It is a strange feeling to go trick-or-treating twice in one week. Especially when it's November 4. There were stars in the sky, but it felt like November. It was cold. And not everyone was giving out candy for a second time.

There were some other children outside. But nowhere near the crowds we are used to. That's what happens when the town gives wishy washy "recommendations."

The good news is that the folks who were at home were very generous. Chloe and her friend collected a lot of candy. Apparently, it was a much better haul than Monday.

Yet again, we have way too much candy in the house. I had hoped that after Monday we would be home free, saddled with a manageable amount of candy. No such luck.

I hope we never have to celebrate Halloween twice again. It really is not a holiday that merits a do-over.

Let There Be Lights!

2011-11-02T20:59:00.001-04:00

And heat! The house is now a toasty 67 degrees, just an hour after the PSEG guy came and spent ten seconds on top of a pole in our backyard. Five long days later, a quick and anticlimactic fix.

I'm starting to feel like a human being again. We just need to replenish our food supply and it'll be like the last five days never happened.

After this experience a whole house generator doesn't seem like such a crazy waste of money anymore. What is crazy is that we are in the 21st century in the United States of America, and our infrastructure sucks.

A Dark and Dreary Halloween

2011-11-01T18:19:00.001-04:00

Definitely not a Halloween to remember, unless you think a longlasting, storm-induced power outage causing most residents to abandon Halloween in favor of lights and heat, constitutes memorable.

Let's just say that after two nights of being refugees in our own house, last night was not so fun. We woke up to a balmy 52 degrees in our home. The adventure and novelty have definitely worn off.

Despite the depressing state of All Hallow's Eve festivities, the girls managed a pretty good candy haul. Especially since the residents who decided to brave the elements were more than happy to give out bunches of candy to the kids who didn't let fallen tree branches get in their way of their trick-or-treating.

Snow, No Power and Family Time

2011-10-30T19:21:00.001-04:00

During an unheard-of pre-Halloween snowstorm that was remarkable less for the snow than for the thunderous breaking of tree limbs that devastated our neighborhood (and thankfully not our house this time 'round), we lost power. We still have no power and we don't know when we'll get it back.

It's cold in the house. About 55 degrees since this morning. But it's not entirely bleak. Without our usual electronic distractions, we layered up, cuddled together and played cards by flashlight. It was fun.

We awakened this morning to a very cold toilet seat and bright sunshine. We dug out the cars, moved all the tree limbs to the curb and attempted to charge our various electronic devices at Panera, along with all of the other addicted bozos like us who were suffering through withdrawal.

The fix was only temporary, however, as these toys only last so long without electricity. After awhile, I was back to playing cards with Sophie. And I can't say I minded it one bit.

Movie Night...Not

2011-10-28T20:57:00.001-04:00

It was a great idea. Taking the girls to the movies for the second Friday in a row, to see "Puss in Boots." At a dine-in movie theater, no less. A gimmick the girls were more than happy to experience. We arrived in plenty of time, only to find out that there were only a handful of crappy seats left. The theater had essentially sold out online by 4 pm for a 7 pm showing.

Our best laid plans were foiled. Instead, we went to a diner. Chloe moped the entire time, not because she was disappointed about missing "Puss in Boots" (definitely not a cool-enough movie for her), but for some unknown, mysterious reason, which seems to be an increasingly common occurrence as she hits puberty. She's fine now - back to her usual silly self chasing Sophie around the house instead of encouraging her little sister to go to bed.

I told Sophie I'd try to take her to see the movie tomorrow. But I have a bad feeling about that plan. Because it's going to be snowing and it's not even Halloween. Which sucks so much, I can't write about it without wanting to hop on a plane and move to the tropics. So I'm going to switch gears here, and talk about Medusa.

Sophie just saw a commercial on TV with a "woman who had snakes coming out of her head and turned people into stone." She was scared (big eyes, trembling voice - you know the drill). I tried to explain that the commercial depicted Medusa, a character in a myth who was never real and never will be real. I explained that a hero named Perseus killed her by cutting off her head. That happy ending didn't really quell her fears, but the good thing about 6-year olds is their attention spans are still short enough that you can generally change the subject pretty quickly.

She's now in bed next to me starting to enter a dream state. And I hope that she dreams of her pillow pet, Squinty, instead of the "woman who had snakes coming out of her head and turned people into stone." 'Cause if she dreams about the latter, we're in for a very long night.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Work

2011-10-26T21:59:00.001-04:00

I was stopped at a traffic light as five tweens were crossing the street to go to school. Four girls and boy, on their merry way, chatting happily and dressed in sweatshirts, jeans and sneakers.

A wave of nostalgia came over me as I watched the kids. I actually teared up as I experienced flashes of myself at that age, walking with my friends to Thompson Middle School. I started thinking about the passage of time. It's so hard to believe that I'm now about 30 years older than the kids I saw today and that Chloe is almost their age.

It doesn't seem that long ago. I still have memories of middle school and my classes, drawing on my bedroom walls and hanging out with my friends. As I sat at that traffic light for all of a minute, the thoughts just flooded in. And for that brief minute, I felt middle-aged and a little bit old.

When I was a pre-teen, I wanted to be a neurosurgeon. I never thought I'd get married or have kids, because I'd be too busy saving lives. I'm really glad my life took a different path. But I wonder, what would the 12-year old me have thought of the 42-year old me today? I hope she'd be proud.

It's Almost November, Which Means...

2011-10-25T21:37:00.001-04:00

It's time to start planning spring vacation. Dominican Republic, you're looking good. Never been, have talked a lot about going over the years. Lots of family-friendly, all-inclusive resorts. Leaning toward Club Med or the Majestic Colonial.

Club Med has a couple of distinct advantages. My husband will feel at home there among all the Frenchies. It also has a circus and trapeze school. Great kids' programs. And a nice spa for moi.

I have no idea where I'll be in a few months. If I'm finally going to make a "life change." But if I do, I want this vacation booked and paid for. Just in case. In the meantime, knowing the vacation is booked will certainly go a long way toward making the upcoming dreary winter months a hell of a lot more bearable.

Sun and sand, here we come!

There Are Not Enough Hours in the Day

2011-10-23T21:17:00.001-04:00

We ran around nonstop this weekend. Between tennis lessons, errands, food shopping, cooking and cleaning, we haven't had a break since Friday evening.

Sophie rode her scooter and improved her balance on her temporarily pedal-less bike (don't ask - it's a story for another day).

Chloe tried to find accessories ( i.e., clothing) for her Halloween mask, to no avail. Those pop-up Halloween stores suck. Two young teenage girls (15 years old at most) tried on and bought Playboy-branded costumes, which were in no way appropriate for 15-year old girls. Not sure where their parents were. I'm very glad Chloe's a bit of a tomboy. Sophie, on the other hand, probably would have liked those outfits. The thought makes me cringe.

I wish I had more free time. I have a list of things to do - the photo album from our trip to France, is near the top of it - but no time to get any of it done. And that frustrates me to no end.

When a More Than Perfect Test Score is not Enough

2011-10-21T19:07:00.001-04:00

Today it was math. Chloe received 102% on her test. Super, right? Well, it's not super. It's apparently only ok.

How is that possible, you ask? I'll tell you. It's because a perfect score would have been 103% and she missed perfection because she forgot a decimal point. A "stupid" decimal.

Those of you who read yesterday's post and know me, know I was not serious when I suggested Chloe start studying for the SATs next year, in 6th grade.

The scary thing, though, is that Chloe may actually do it. On her own, in secret. There's nothing like ambition in a 10-year old.

When an Almost-Perfect Test Score Is Not Enough

2011-10-20T19:51:00.001-04:00

Chloe is a perfectionist. She had a language arts test this week. She studied hard. She was determined to get a better grade than last time, because it was one of the few times she ever earned less then a 90%.

She was satisfied with her 96%, but not thrilled. She thought she could have done better and received 100%. Unfortunately, she would not have been able to receive more than 100%. There were no extra credit points for this test.

We started to talk about the SAT exam. Chloe was very distressed to learn that she might have a tutor in order to be able to compete with all of the other kids who have tutors. She thinks that idea is lame because she thinks that she should be able to do well on the test without any help.

I told her that if she wants to start studying for the SAT now, she might not need a tutor when she's 17. There are apps for that. She was not happy with my response. I, for one, hope she does not need a tutor because I also think the idea is lame.

Time will tell. It's too soon to worry about Chloe's test scores for college. Next year, however...now that's another story.

It's Not a Fluke

2011-10-18T21:35:00.000-04:00

Book #2. "Green Eggs and Ham." The entire 62 pages of the Dr. Seuss classic. I helped Sophie with three words. Just three words.

After she read, she danced. Demonstrated a couple of moves from her dance class at school. And lest I forget, she taught me some new words in Chinese. Don't ask me to recite them, however. They're too complicated for me.

I think our little Sophie is becoming an all-around renaissance woman.

Sophie is Reading. For Real

2011-10-18T08:39:00.000-04:00

Last night, Sophie read. And read. And read. All of "Polly's Pink Pajamas." As she progressed in the story, her smile grew wider. She required very little help and took the time to tap out her words. She was enjoying herself.

This is a huge milestone for our little baby. And I am so proud of her. If she remains this motivated for the remainder of the school year, she'll be reading Harry Potter in no time.

Friends

2011-10-17T19:51:00.001-04:00

Sophie has a few best friends. But Ella is one of Sophie's very, very special friends. They've been best buddies for about three years now. When Ella and Sophie are together, there are lots of laughs and hugs.

Ella is also very good with Sophie. I have never seen Ella get upset about anything. Ever. And I've spent a lot of time with her. Sophie, on the other hand, is definitely more moody than her friend. When Sophie gets agitated about something, Ella has the magic touch. She manages to make Sophie feel better just by making a silly face or comment.

When Ella works her spell, we see Sophie's lips start their upward-curving trajectory toward a smile. Sophie is generally reluctant to submit to at first. She resists. But she can't help it. Because Ella is just too funny.

Ella is also very thoughtful. She knows what Sophie likes and is always trying to make her feel good. Sophie is one lucky 6-year old. I wish we all had friends like Ella. Because if we did, the world would be a much happier place. Thanks, Ella!

My New Friend

2011-10-15T08:48:00.001-04:00

I took this photo of Sophie with my new iPhone. It is one very cool device. I stayed up late last night to set it up and download all sorts of fun things. I also got to know Siri, my new personal assistant, to whom I am currently dictating this blog post. Siri is very helpful, although she doesn't always understand what we ask her. She was, however, able to get me movie listings and the weather report. She did some addition for Chloe and told Sophie that her favorite color was greenish. Before my new toy I was already sleep deprived. My new friend is definitely not going to cure it.

Sophie's Spelling Homework Book

2011-10-13T21:00:00.001-04:00

Sophie loves her spelling homework. Here's what she has to say about it.

"The word scramble is really, really fun." In the word scramble challenge, Sophie chooses five of the week's spelling words, scrambles the letters and asks me to unscramble them correctly. If I succeed, I get a star.

"Spelling is good." Sophie is reading more and more, and sounding out words. She's very proud of herself when she nails one. In addition to word scramble, she's put words in alpha order and matched rhyming words. I'm even having fun with the assignments.

And she still loves her math homework. She's learning to tell time, which is a good thing because we gave her a Swatch for her birthday and maybe she'll actually be able to use it as intended before too long.

First grade seems to be going well for our little one so far. Despite the fact that she's the youngest in her class. I'm very proud of her.

Apple Picking

2011-10-11T19:36:00.000-04:00

Papa took the girls apple picking yesterday. I was working while trying to stay conscious in bed, sick as a dog for the first time in a couple of years. I had a flu shot last Thursday and this is the second time I've become sick within a day or two of receiving the immunization. Am I paranoid or is there something to that rather peculiar timing?

Anyway, while I was trying to breathe, the girls had off from school and my husband took them on this little adventure. Turns out they were a couple of weeks too late, as most of the apples had already been picked. But they still managed to bring home some cute little specimens and they were able to spend a beautiful summer-like October day enjoying a fall tradition. If we get our act together next year, maybe I'll be able to join in, too.

My iTouch and Me

2011-10-09T21:06:00.001-04:00

Chloe has a best friend. It's not her sister. Indeed, her best friend is not a fellow human. It's her iTouch. Chloe pays tribute to Steve Jobs (RIP) everyday with her quasi-permanent electronic appendage. She is addicted to it and it is addicted to her.

Sophie is sick of our reliance on computers. When I got home from work on Friday she was a very unhappy six-year old because "everyone has a computer and I don't have any. And I'm BORED! It's not fair! When can I get an iTouch?"

I hate to admit it, but her remark rang true. Sophie frequently finds herself alone with two free hands while the three of us are busy typing away on our various gadgets. Almost all of which are Steve Jobs' creations.

It's hard to even remember what life was like a mere 6-7 years ago, without all of these Apple products (except the iPod) in our house. No iPhone, no iPad, no iTouch, no MacBook...we're so connected today and the things we can do with these devices are so incredible, but the cool factor comes at a price. We need to remember to return to the world of human interaction from time to time, lest we forget we have warm blood running through our veins.

Of course, I'm pontificating on the philosophical nature of technology as I type this blog entry using my MacBook, but hey, at least my girls will have all these musings in physical book volumes that they can thumb through when they're older. Unless they scan the pages into their cloud storage accounts at some future date.

Chloe's Guilt Trip

2011-10-08T21:42:00.001-04:00

Last night, in an effort to convince us to play a game with her, Chloe righteously exclaimed, "I can't believe you don't want to play with me. You both should be happy I want to hang out with you. My friends don't ever want to hang out with their parents. You need to take advantage of this while you can, because when I'm 14 I won't want to be seen with you."

Wow. Talk about a guilt trip. I usually feel like we make pretty great parents. We're far from perfect - we should cook more, we should speak more French with the girls and we sometimes lack patience. But all in all, I think we've done pretty well with Chloe and Sophie.

Apparently, however, we haven't done enough. Still feeling some residual guilt this morning, Chloe easily convinced us to play Monopoly. The game started out ok. But the girls bickered, I was distracted by a little annoyance at work and then Sophie got some bad news (a cancelled sleepover, which is very bad news for a 6-year old) that caused tears.

Nevertheless, Chloe continued to have a nice day with her Papa while Sophie and I went to the city to see a show. Chloe's even convinced him to play tennis with her tomorrow. This wouldn't be particularly remarkable, but for the fact that my husband hasn't played tennis since March 2000 when, while on vacation in Jamaica, he threw out his back playing a game with me. Chloe, your guilt trip has been a smashing success. Just promise to be gentle with your dad on the court.

No Katy Perry on This Blog

2011-10-06T20:36:00.000-04:00

Chloe is unhappy with me because she wrote a parody of Katy Perry's "Firework" that I told her I'd like to include as tonight's blog entry. However, she wanted to juxtapose her masterpiece with the lyrics to the actual song. And I refused. Mostly because that song sucks.

Chloe was not happy with this rule and my offer to allow her to link to the song was not a sufficient solution. She huffed and puffed and almost blew our house down (luckily, its made of concrete and brick), and now she's calm again. But you won't be reading her parody tonight. We're at an impasse.
Her song is pretty funny, too. A little nonsensical, but funny. She actually managed to work a platypus into her lyrics.

Oh well. She completely overreacted, so this blog has no use for her tonight. Too bad (mostly for you, faithful readers, who are now deprived of her poetic talents), so sad.

School

2011-10-04T21:41:00.000-04:00

I love my girls' schools. I just got home from Chloe's Back to School Night and every year, I'm reminded of how lucky they are. Yes, there is undue emphasis on standardized testing (thanks again, President George Bush, Jr.). Yes, our are schools are constantly struggling with budget cuts. But, despite it all...

...Sophie is learning Mandarin. She's taking dance class. She's has art and music classes. She's taking a science elective called "Kitchen Chemistry." And she's in 1st friggin' grade.

During Chloe's last few years in her grade 3-5 school, she's had mythology, poetry, math olympiad, geo art and percussion electives. She goes to a local pre-K every Monday to read to the children there. And those activities are only a small sampling of the electives she's taken since 3rd grade. Her school also offers a traveling drama troupe, a dance troupe and a drum corps that's performed on network television.

And yet parents still complain about the teachers, the classes and money spent on a Mandarin program. I don't get it. I would have killed to have opportunities like these when I was in elementary school. Our kids are offered so many wonderfully creative outlets to show off their talents, it's astounding. And all of this despite deep and painful budget cuts. Pretty incredible, if you ask me.

Sophie's Unicorn Called "Horny"

2011-10-03T20:27:00.004-04:00

Chloe saved Sophie from herself when Sophie, your average, literal 6-year old, wanted to name her stuffed unicorn "Horny." Chloe burst out laughing when she heard the name and suggested to her little sister that the name would be a little challenging for the unicorn to carry.

I don't even know if Chloe knows exactly what the word means - in the context of sex, that is. She does know, however, to guffaw when she hears it. Sophie was warned off, but the episode still left its mark. A couple of hours later, while eating dinner, she asked me what "horny" meant. I explained that although the word was the perfect description for her unicorn, it unfortunately had another, adult meaning. "What? Tell me!" I insisted. "You'd be better off choosing a different name." What else could I respond? Nothing, that's what. I simply repeated that it was "a slang word that adults use." Chloe continued to smirk in the background. Sophie continued to be confused. "What does that mean?" she persisted.

I threw up my hands. "It's just an adult word that means adult things." As the words came spewing out of my mouth, I realized how stupid I sounded. But I could think of no way to explain to Sophie what the word means without referencing things she knows absolutely nothing about. The almost-named horny unicorn must have been looking over me and praying for a new moniker, however, because Sophie finally let the subject drop. Awkward conversation averted for another day.

A Family Weekend

2011-10-01T21:53:00.002-04:00

We're having a very family weekend this first weekend in October. My aunt in Ithaca is celebrating her 60th birthday and my uncle is throwing a big party for her tomorrow. We left the house this morning and made it to the Finger Lake region in record time, but it was an extremely disappointing drive.

Not because of the girls, mind you, although they were definitely sick of the trip after a couple of hours and they didn't hesitate to share their misery with us. The trip was disappointing because there is no fall foliage to speak of - and yet the leaves should have been vibrant at this time of year. The region's endured so much rain over the last couple of months that there's just one color: brown. Brown everywhere. The falling rain didn't add much to the scenery, either.

In any case, the lack of color is neither here nor there. We spent the remainder of the day with my aunt and uncle, our cousins, my cousin's boyfriend (who's really a part of the family now) and my mom. We went to a huge used book sale. Thousands of books. Despite the overwhelming choice, Chloe immediately decided that there was nothing worthwhile to buy. She methodically set aside any book written prior to 2000, until I convinced her to ignore the copyright line and choose based on the book's description. Soon enough, she filled her bag. One of which was "Blubber" by Judy Blume. She's already finished it. So much for the pre-2000 rule.

We enjoyed a nice dinner at a local restaurant where Sophie celebrated her birthday (again!) with a surprise birthday cake that brought a huge smile to her face. The girls are having a sleepover at my aunt's (Sophie's reuniting with her favorite dog), while my husband and I enjoy peace and quiet at a local hotel. Sweet.

"I Just Don't Get It"

2011-09-29T20:47:00.001-04:00

"I just don't get why the parents don't tell their kids they're bad!" exclaimed Chloe as we were watching the atrocious auditions for the "X Factor."

That's Chloe for you. Ever the realist. Either she's going to be one tough mama when she grows up or she's going to realize how hard it is to tell your kids they suck at something. Granted, she's learned from us. The running joke in our family is that Chloe will not be receiving a college scholarship for sports. She's just doesn't possess that particular gene and she knows this because we've told her as much and because, hell, look at her parents.

But she also knows that we love her in spite of her lack of sporty talent. She also knows that we think she's a great writer and that she's super creative. Because we tell her that as well.

Chloe raised a really good point with her comment. There is something to be said for unconditional love. I love my girls unconditionally and more than anything in the world. But there also is something to be said for being honest with your kids and not subjecting them to humiliation by giving them false hope about their abilities.

OK - I'm getting off my soapbox now so I can listen to more atrocious singers.

Happy 6th Birthday, Sophie!

2011-09-27T20:18:00.000-04:00

Six reasons why I love you, Sophie:

(1) At the risk of beating a dead horse, you are the best cuddle monkey ever.
(2) You are a loving and sensitive little girl.
(3) You're the future artist in the family.
(4) You make me laugh when you shake your booty.
(5) You are friendly.
(6) When I think of you, which is almost every minute of every day, I smile.

Sophie's Open House

2011-09-26T20:57:00.001-04:00

Grammy gave Sophie a very special birthday present today. All the more special because she assembled it and painted it with lots of love and 30 hours of toil. Sophie is beside herself with joy. First the photo:

And now Sophie's virtual tour:

P.S. The house is not for sale.

Chocolate for a Good Cause

2011-09-25T16:40:00.002-04:00

During a trolley tour of the town of Hershey today, we learned that Milton Hershey, the founder of the eponymous chocolate company, did not have children - so no heirs to his vast fortune. Instead, at the turn of the 20th century, he and his wife founded the Milton Hershey School to serve orphaned boys. After his wife died, he seeded the Milton Hershey School Trust with $63 million to ensure the future of the school; today, the trust is worth more than $7 billion and is the controlling owner of the privately held Hershey company. Needless to say, the school is now one of the wealthiest private schools in the world, serving 1,900 underprivileged boys and girls in grades K-12.

All of the profits from sales of the chocolate and the company's entertainment arm - Hershey Park, the two hotels, the restaurants, the arena - go back into the trust and therefore, the school. With all that money, it's not surprising that there are free sample chocolates everywhere you turn. And it's all for a good cause, which makes eating all those chocolates even sweeter.

Sophie survives the SuperDooperLooper, her first loop rollercoaster.

This ride looked a lot more harmless than it was. I thought I was going to puke afterwards.

No, we did not buy this chocolate bar for Sophie.

Lucy and Ethel, eat your hearts out. We made and packaged our very own chocolate bars today.

The girls with their own delectable treats.

Can We Have Dessert?

2011-09-24T20:53:00.001-04:00

Seriously? We are in America's chocolate capital, and we've been eating dessert since this morning. At a place where they serve chocolate butter, chocolate chip pancakes (duh), chocolate muffins and hot chocolate for breakfast. Indeed, we are in a place where they hand out free chocolate at almost every corner.

And after a super day at Hershey Park (photos to be posted once we're home tomorrow), where the girls continued their day of desserts with cotton candy and ice cream, we stopped at the largest Hershey store in the world, where the girls bought...guess...more chocolate, thanks to their ever-faithful accomplice. Papa.

When we returned to the hotel, the kids' check-in counter was open for business and the girls entered a count-the-chocolates-in-the-jar contest. And availed themselves of yet more free candy.

While finishing our main courses at the Hershey Grill* (which were chocolate-free), Chloe asked, without any hint of sarcasm or irony whatsoever, if we could order dessert. Boy, did we have a good laugh over that one.

*For all the talk of chocolate, I must say that the food at the hotel has been surprisingly sophisticated and well-prepared. And the service has been fantastic. Everyone who works here - at the hotel, the amusement park, Chocolate World - is incredibly pleasant. It's like being on another planet.

1260 Calories

2011-09-23T22:50:00.000-04:00

That's the number of calories in the six (yes, count 'em) full-size Hershey Bars we received when we checked in at Hershey Lodge about 40 minutes ago. Four because we are a family of four, plus two more attached to a cute birthday card addressed to Sophie and signed by 10 employees of the hotel.

When the front desk receptionist told us that she was going to give us a little welcome chocolate, I expected a Hershey's Kiss or maybe a mini-package of Kisses. Clearly, they are not particularly concerned with the climbing obesity rates in the U.S. Welcome to the Chocolate Capital of America.

Hershey Park, Here We Come

2011-09-22T20:59:00.003-04:00

We leave tomorrow evening for a weekend getaway in Hershey, PA. We convinced Sophie to forego a birthday party and instead celebrate her 6th candle with her loving Mommy, Papa and sister in America's chocolate capital.

The convincing wasn't a difficult challenge. When she heard the words "amusement park" and "make your own chocolate bar" in the same sentence she completely forgot that she wanted to invite lots of friends to a swim party at the local YMCA.

I haven't been to Hershey Park since I was a kid. The only thing I remember about Hershey was staying at one of the hotels and getting a Hershey Kiss every time we walked through the front entrance. My brother and I walked through that front entrance over and over again. In and out. In and out. We collected a lot of Hershey Kisses.

I doubt they do that anymore, no thanks to smart-ass kids like us who milked the doormen for as much chocolate as we possibly could. But based on a couple of conversations with the front desk at the hotel, Sophie may receive a little something special from Hershey for her birthday. She's going to go nuts.

Sophie is Bored

2011-09-20T20:25:00.000-04:00

Sophie is bored. We are not paying enough attention to her. "I'm annoyed by blogs. I'm annoyed by everything." Even cuddling wasn't enough for her. She wanted to play. What did she want to play? I have no idea. Because she wouldn't say. Coloring challenges didn't enthuse. Stickers didn't excite her. "You're all busy and I'm not and it's not fair," she complained.

And it's true. We were all busy. Chloe was making duct-tape coupon holders. Papa was on his computer. I was answering one of those dastardly work emails. Not good. Not good at all.

It was finally 8 pm. Time for Sophie to go to bed. Time for Chloe and me to watch the season premiere of "Glee." Sophie snuck into the TV room to watch with us. Papa came in to bring her upstairs. She resisted and suddenly wanted nothing more than to grab me by the arm for dear life and cuddle. Not so fast, little one.

Then Chloe chimed in, as she's wont to do. "That's not right. Sophie can't watch 'Glee.' I wasn't able to watch shows like that when I was her age!" In so many words, we told her to shut up. And don't you dare berate me for using those words with my big girl. She deserved it.

Who Can Resist This Face?

2011-09-18T20:22:00.002-04:00

Sophie allowed me to put her hair back today for the first time in several weeks. She also allowed me to change her earrings, after being traumatized by a somewhat worrisome experience in France when one of her earrings actually embedded itself inside her ear. Yes, that sounds gross and it was gross, but it's all in the past.

And all is better now. Sophie's wearing lovely blue sterling silver earrings that I bought for her as a pre-birthday gift and has her hair up so that she can show off her lobes. She's a picture of perfection at almost six years old. And she still loves to cuddle.

Fun With My Girls

2011-09-16T19:40:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it's the simplest little thing that makes me want to just grab Chloe and Sophie and hug them. Papa has been traveling this week, so he wasn't able to pick up the girls from school. His loss was my gain. I got to leave work early and spend some extra time with my little ones on a beautiful pre-fall afternoon.

We went to the toy store because I had promised Sophie I'd buy a new charm for her bracelet. That task quickly completed, we made our way through the throngs of pre-teen loiterers hanging out on the sidewalk in the center of town and took a brief walk. Chloe kept her distance, reluctant to be seen with an adult (yes, it's starting already). Sophie held my hand. I love the fact that my girls are five years apart.

We returned home for a short hour and then left the house again, this time to walk to dinner at the new super yummy Indian restaurant down the street. Chloe and Sophie gave the naan and the tandoori chicken an A. We then enjoyed an animated walk back home. Skipping, jumping and singing.

What a fantastic way to start the weekend. I'd like to install a permanent recording of it in my brain so that I can replay it over and over again.

Another Lost Tooth

2011-09-14T20:29:00.001-04:00

Sophie has lost her second tooth. It was a good thing, too, since the adult tooth had started to come up behind its baby counterpart. I told her that I'd put in a good word with the tooth fairy so that she would visit Sophie tonight.

Sophie wanted to know how I contacted her. "Do you send her an email?" No. "Do you video chat with her?" No. I replied that the Tooth Fairy isn't that technologically advanced. Instead, I told my dear baby, "I look up at the sky and whisper 'Dear Tooth Fairy, Please visit Sophie tonight. Thank you.'"

Sophie liked that very much. And I marveled at how written notes and telephone calls have been supplanted by emails and video chats. I love my Sophie.

Hormones?

2011-09-13T23:03:00.002-04:00

Chloe has been going through a phase recently. A cranky, way-too-emotional phase. Whether it's getting irrationally upset in response to her Grammy trying to do something nice for her or because she can't go to a birthday party taking place on a weekend we're going to be away (at Hershey Park, no less, which she was over the moon about when we planned it a couple of weeks ago), I'm seeing a new, somewhat perplexing side to her.

Listen, I know my big girl is not always the easiest kid to deal with. She's smart, she's intense, she speaks her mind without first editing herself, she can be mean to her little sister. But these most recent outbursts have caused me to wonder whether an alien being has infiltrated her brain.

Could it be that the late nights over the summer have finally caught up with her? Could it be the onset of puberty? Are the hormones starting to rage? Should I stop trying to find excuses for her behavior and accept the fact that she's just being a pain in the ass for no good reason? As much as I would love to assign a cause to her rants and raves, I'm leaning towards the latter.

I love Chloe more than words can say. But boy, can she be exasperating sometimes. For a kid who always acts fairly mature for her age, who's extremely astute and verbal for a 10-year old, she's a conundrum. And yet, the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree - she's a lot like me, so I shouldn't be so surprised. Hell, when I was 10, I was pulling similar stunts. Not for nothing, my parents' nickname for me was El Exigente ("the demanding one"). Even worse, I started in with my antics when I was still officially a toddler. When my brother was an infant I asked my mom if we could throw him down the garbage incinerator in our Queens apartment building (I'm very glad she refused my request - my brother has turned into a lovely man).

So, Chloe, if you're reading this, please don't take this post the wrong way or get upset with me for writing about you. I love you very, very much. You remind me of me. Indeed, you're a little like a mini-me. But cut the crap already! Tell the alien it's time for it to return to its home planet.

Family Day

2011-09-11T19:35:00.000-04:00

For reasons most of you will understand given the date, I declared today an official Family Day. I wanted nothing more than to spend today with my husband and my girls. We had a very "together" kind of day. The end result wasn't exactly what I had hoped for, but we ended on a high note.

We were together in all sorts of ways today. We cleaned the sunroom this morning, which was far from fun, but absolutely necessary. We went biking in the local park, which resulted in Chloe crashing and giving herself a big bloody scrape on her knee (that's what happens when you're so busy complaining about not wanting to ride your bike that you're not paying attention to where the pavement ends and the rocks and grass begin) and Sophie getting that much closer to being able to ride without training wheels.

We then dragged the girls to Fairway Supermarket. Chloe was a decent sport about it (by that time she had recovered from her "she asked for it" fall), but Sophie was in tears because "I don't like the supermarket! I want to stay home! Why do I have to go to the supermarket? We don't need to do everything together today!" However, after dozing in the car for about 10 minutes, she got her second wind. And the supermarket excursion turned out to be the best part of the day. Go figure. After enjoying a yummy dinner prepared by Sophie and Papa, the girls' bellies are full and they are contentedly quiet (ok, I spoke too soon re: the quiet).

One day the girls will understand why I insisted on spending this day - of all days - together. I, for one, am very glad we did.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes for Dinner

2011-09-10T21:21:00.004-04:00

After going to the movies to see "Contagion," I didn't particularly feel like having dinner. Germs everywhere! Hell, the film had me wondering why humans should even bother breathing. But Chloe and her friend were with me, and they were famished. The movie didn't affect them nearly as much as it affected me. But then again, they're only 10 years old. As for me, the image of a dead woman having her scalp peeled back during an autopsy is not one I'll soon forget.

By popular vote, we decided to go to a diner for dinner. Chloe predictably ordered chocolate chip pancakes. Her friend chose the more dinner-appropriate dish of chicken parmigiana. Chloe was in heaven. Because it's 'awesome' (boy, is that word overused in my family!) to eat breakfast for dinner. Once she had filled her belly with as much breakfast as she could muster, she helped her friend make inroads with her side of pasta.

That combination gave me renewed cause to feel nauseous. And their sharing got me thinking about germs all over again. Germs in pancakes and pasta. Germs on forks and knives, and paper napkins. Germs on seats. I am sure the makers of Purell are celebrating with champagne right about now. Their sales are going to spike, for sure.

Attack of the Packing Peanuts

2011-09-08T20:45:00.001-04:00

I was on the phone. Papa was on his computer. Chloe was watching TV. And where was Sophie?

Sophie went to town with hundreds of styrofoam packing peanuts. Was it a desperate call for attention? Only Sophie can answer that question. All I know is that after all was said and done we had a floor and a dining room table covered in packing peanuts. And Sophie was running around like a two-year old.

She then had the nerve to ask for help cleaning up her mess. And because I was eager to have dinner, because the sight of the mess gave me heartburn and because I am a sucker, I helped her. She used a broom and a dustpan; I used my bare hands and ordered her around. In the end, it took about 20 minutes to undo the havoc Sophie wrought in about two minutes. And let it be known that the entire time, Sophie had a s**t-eating grin on her face. Need I say more?

First Day of School

2011-09-07T20:48:00.001-04:00

Yet another year has gone by. Sophie and Chloe have survived their first day of first and fifth grades. Sophie had a grand old time. She's excited because a friend from pre-K is in her class this year, in addition to a couple of friends from kindergarten. Her teacher seems lovely.

Chloe seems reasonably content. She likes her homeroom teacher. She knows a few kids in her class and she's relieved that none of them are huge troublemakers. She also made a profound observation when I returned home from work. "All of the 4th graders are puny! They're so small!" The 3rd graders must seem absolutely lilliputian to her.

Sophie allowed me to take a couple of photos of her today. Chloe steadfastly refused. She didn't want me to embarrass her at the bus stop. So we agreed that I'd take the pictures this evening. But I forgot, of course. I think the no-photo mandate signifies the start of a new era. That bums me out big time.

On the other hand, Sophie's huge grins in these photos more than compensate for the fact that Chloe is an incredibly bad sport. I have no doubt that when Chloe is an adult, she will rue the day that she forbade her dear mother to take her 1st day of 5th grade photo. Yes, indeed. She will rue the day.

The End of Summer

2011-09-06T20:28:00.002-04:00

Well, it's not quite the end of summer - we still have a couple of weeks to go. But the girls start school tomorrow. And tonight is just like any other night, with the girls baiting fighting and hitting each other.

Chloe is attempting to watch as much junk TV as she possibly can before school rules go back into effect: no more than one hour of TV a day. And we have admittedly failed her in this respect, because we've allowed her to watch the junk TV all summer. It's so bad that she's discovered shows I didn't even know existed.

Sophie is playing video games on Papa's iTouch. Something about a mouse and cheese. I don't get it. I tried to help her advance a level the other day, but I had no idea what I was doing. According to Sophie, there's some kind of magic involved.

We had an amazing, unforgettable summer. But it's time for them to go back to the classroom. The girls are in need of structure - there are only so many pajama days that one can tolerate.

Sophie: "I'm so happy! I'm on the same bus again this year! I love my bus! I get to see my favorite bus driver! And plus I might get to see my old buddies!"

I am still amazed by how easy it is to make an almost-six-year-old happy.

A Day of Support

2011-09-04T17:09:00.000-04:00

Today was a very momentous day for Chloe. Without going into too many details, we went shopping for some back-to-school clothes. She tried out a new store, Delia's, which she liked quite a bit, and we walked away with a bag full of jeans and t-shirts. Chloe has grown a couple of inches in the last few months and will probably hit five feet by next year.

Given her recent growth spurt, we also decided that today would be a good day to acknowledge her rapidly changing body by purchasing a couple of items that would provide her a little extra support. Compared to the experience I had when I was about her age, which was completely humiliating because shopping for this particular garment involved my entire family (including my father and brother), today was pretty low-key. We shared a few laughs, but wisely left Papa and Sophie at home.

There was no need to make a big deal out of it. We chose the style easily and quickly. Life goes on, and this was just one small milestone in a long, long line of them. I will say this, however. Chloe was proud of her new look, as evidenced by the smiles as she tried the pieces on. And that was enough for me.

Desperate to Cook

2011-09-02T20:26:00.004-04:00

My husband and I are not cooks. We are capable of cooking and we sometimes do it well, but we just don't enjoy it. We do it because we need to. It's a chore. So it's very telling that when Papa, who had the day off from work today, asked the girls what they wanted to do, Chloe came up with the idea of a cooking day.

Yep. You read right. Not a trip to the beach or to the zoo, but a trip to our very own kitchen to cook. I don't know whether to be proud of the girls or ashamed of us as parents. I'm leaning towards the latter. My interpretation of this activity is that the girls, and Chloe in particular since it was her idea, feel so cooking deprived that she affirmatively chose to spend a beautiful end-of-summer day with Sophie and her dad in the kitchen.

Don't get me wrong. It's a lovely, heartwarming idea. And boy, were fantastic three productive. A pizza (photo below) for lunch, albeit a little overcooked. A yummy French chocolate cake. Chocolate mousse - not as successful as usual because they didn't use the best chocolate, but still more than edible. Barbecue chicken and corn on the cob for dinner.

I honestly don't think our kitchen and our cookware ever had such an intense workout. Papa is exhausted. The girls are stuffed. And I'm super lucky, because I arrived home from work to a feast. Not a bad way to start a long weekend, if I do say so myself.

Where Has the Summer Gone?

2011-09-01T20:47:00.000-04:00

I'm finding it hard to believe that summer is coming to an end. I wasn't sure where I'd be by now, but I thought I'd be a little further along in my plans than I am. I have definitely been procrastinating. Waiting for a sign that the time for change has arrived. But I continue to look the other way, missing the signs!

Honestly, I am not terribly surprised that I'm stuck in this status quo. As they say, it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I'll get there eventually. It's just a matter of time. Weeks or years? Who the hell knows.

In the meantime, we're getting together with dear friends this weekend and preparing Sophie and Chloe for 1st and 5th grades (shocking). And I will spend a good part of this long holiday weekend wondering where the summer went.

Chloe has a friend here for a sleepover, and they and Sophie are having a pillow fight in the attic. I hear lots of squeals of laughter. The noise comforts me and makes me smile. And serves as a reminder that in spite of our daily challenges, life is really good.

How Lucky We Are

2011-08-30T19:41:00.002-04:00

Just a few miles from here, towns have been destroyed by the hurricane that shall remain nameless. Countless homes are under massive amounts of water. The rivers haven't all crested yet and I imagine that the topography in these areas has been permanently changed.

I can't even begin to imagine the heartache and stress that these people must be feeling. The angst we experienced when a large tree fell on our house after a microburst five years ago is nothing compared to what it must feel like to witness your home and all your possessions succumbing to a flood.

There are those who say that the storm was overhyped because the eastern seaboard and New York City weren't impacted nearly as much as people thought they would be. That's bullshit and it's insulting to those who are living a nightmare right now.

It's cliche, I know, but I am truly amazed by the force of Mother Nature and its randomness. Our town was incredibly hard hit by fallen trees five years ago, but escaped relatively unscathed last weekend. This time, some towns that had never seen flooding were among the worst off. Then there are those towns that are in flood zones. They say lightning doesn't strike twice, but some have been hit over and over again in the last few years. Unless the government can find a way to manage these rivers, new building should be forbidden in these areas, and the property owners should be bought out and their land condemned so that they can start over.

It's incredibly beautiful outside right now. Which makes it that much harder to believe that up and down the East Coast so many are suffering.

We Survived the Hurricane

2011-08-28T19:54:00.001-04:00

We've been up since 4 am bailing water out of our basement, but given some of the flooding and other damage around here, I consider us lucky. We didn't lose power and our sump pump was working, so I can only imagine what a disaster we would have had on our hands if either or both had decided to crap out on us, as they've done in the past. I'm glad it's over. The wind wasn't nearly as bad as we had feared, but the rain just wouldn't stop. I think we had about 9 inches of it.

The water seeped into the basement in all of the usual places, but then it also found new paths, including the new playroom, which is why we spent so much time down there mopping and using not just our wet-vac but our friend's too. My husband made an ill-advised but fortuitous run to Home Depot at around noon and came home with new filters for the machines, which were no longer functioning properly. Without the wet-vacs, our basement would have quickly turned into the River Styx.

Chloe was a huge help today, spending a significant amount of time with us in the basement, getting soaked as she scooped up gallons upon gallons of water. Sophie watched a lot of TV (it's such a convenient babysitter) and had a well-earned pajama day. The tooth fairy made it through the storm and left her an extra dollar, which made Sophie very, very happy.

A Milestone for Sophie

2011-08-27T16:58:00.000-04:00

It's the calm before the storm. Except that we have one very excited little Sophie, who has just lost her first tooth. Exactly one month before her sixth birthday. An event that was certainly accelerated by her biting on a cherry pit a couple of weeks ago.

It's nice to experience a little levity around here today. And for such a momentous occasion, no less! Sophie has already put her tooth in her tooth fairy box, and will eagerly await her little cash present tonight. She hasn't yet asked if the tooth fairy travels in inclement weather, but she has prepared a little attestation for her, just in case there's any doubt about the veracity of her toothless claim.

Sophie cracks me up.

Anticipating the Wrath of Irene

2011-08-27T06:26:00.001-04:00

Update at 6:11 pm. About 12 hours after writing my post below, it's still calm here - other than some intermittent rain. We've done all we could to prepare, and now we're just in waiting mode. Sweet Sophie, concerned about her stuffed animals, has hidden them underneath her bedcovers so they won't be scared.

********

I have never wanted a weekend to end so quickly. I have never hoped so much to actually be at work come Monday. But there's always a first for everything.

As we prepare ourselves for the onslaught of this hurricane and as I obsessively follow the path of the storm, hoping that it will continue to weaken and turn east already for crying out loud, I am fearful of experiencing a redo of the 2006 microburst that caused a very large tree to fall on our house and tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage. The property damage was relatively easy to repair in the scheme of things. But since then, I cower in a corner every time we experience a storm that carries even relatively modest wind speeds.

Needless to say, I hope that my paralytic, post-traumatic stress fear turns out to be completely unfounded and irrational. We will ride this storm out as a family, playing some games, watching some movies and trying to get some sleep on Saturday night. I'm not looking forward to Sunday. But the hours will pass - last I checked, time doesn't stand still - and so will this storm.

And by the way, any mention of the name 'Irene' is now officially verboten in this house. Even if a real Irene someday comes to visit.

We're Canceling Cable TV!

2011-08-25T20:17:00.000-04:00

No we're not. But you should have seen the look on Chloe's face when I told her that we were thinking of canceling it. Priceless. A look of pure disbelief. Wide eyes, open mouth - you get it.

The face lasted all of a few seconds, until she saw my smile and knew I was jerking her chain. Once she recovered from the shock she put two and two together, and realized that we wouldn't cancel cable TV because without it I wouldn't be able to watch all the trash I like so much.

The relief she felt upon reaching the conclusion that it wouldn't be in her parents' best interest to cancel cable was palpable. Suddenly, life didn't seem so bleak anymore. When I told her that the idea wasn't really as far-fetched as all that, considering how none of us missed it when we were in France, she paused for a moment and argued that that situation was different since we were on vacation during the summer when almost all shows are in repeat mode. True enough.

Chloe's now convinced she has nothing to worry about. We'll see about that. Chloe - if you misbehave, beware. I may actually make good on my promise.

Things That Go Bump in the Night

2011-08-24T18:48:00.000-04:00

For the first time since she was a little, little girl, Chloe came into our bed last night after our new dehumidifer in the basement, which works well but is too noisy, woke her from her slumber and freaked her out just a little bit. Which I totally understand, because we're hamster-sitting this week and boy does he make a hell of a lot of noise at night, which freaks me out. Especially at 3:30 AM, which is prime time for ghouls, goblins and other fantastical things that go bump in the night.

It was pitch dark and I thought at first that Sophie was coming for one of her periodic visits. But the footsteps were too heavy for an almost 6-year old and before I knew it, there was a lot less room in my bed. And although I was apparently willing to let her share our mattress, I was less than willing to share our blanket. Which resulted in a shorter visit than I would have liked, considering that this was the first time she had graced us with her nighttime presence since she was about 4 years old.

The rarity of such nocturnal visits likely means that this won't happen again anytime soon. Which is why I am writing about it. So that I can remember it after she gets married or has kids of her own. And Chloe, if you'd like to come visit again, please know that you'll be welcomed with open arms (but maybe not a blanket).

Baking with Chloe

2011-08-22T19:56:00.000-04:00

I escaped from work on the early side today so that I could make good on a promise to Chloe to bake a fruit tart. We didn't have time to accomplish the task this weekend, so I rushed home to get it done for dessert this evening.

Chloe had her fruit tart epiphany in France. Prior to our trip she would turn her head away in disgust when we tried to convince her to taste them - whether made with apple, pear or some other delicious fruit.

Tonight we made a pretty yummy peach tart, glazed with cinnamon, sugar and raspberry jam. The bottom crust was a tiny bit undercooked, but that's my only quibble with it. Not bad for someone who rarely bakes. And Chloe liked it well enough to have two pieces, which is the best compliment I could have hoped for.

The Girls Are Back in Town

2011-08-20T21:15:00.000-04:00

Chloe and Sophie arrived home yesterday and if I hadn't known that they were in Cape May for the week, I would have thought that they had spent their days on a desert island in the South Pacific, they came home so tan. Really, really tan.

Chloe came home much more talkative than usual - hard to believe that's even possible. I told her that I would record her one day so that she can experience her loquaciousness herself. On and on and on. Today's main topic of conversation: she'd like to relocate the armoire in her bedroom somewhere else in order to add yet more bookshelves. She did consent to a nice big hug last evening and it only took a little bit of convincing this time around. Chloe must have really missed me.

Sophie came home as cuddly as ever. And fixated on adding gift ideas to her Amazon wishlist so that folks know what to buy her for her 6th birthday next month. Sophie also came home with an extremely loose bottom tooth thanks to an unintentional bite into a cherry pit. The tooth fairy is going to need pay her a visit sooner than planned.

In all other ways, the girls are the same as they've always been. And that's incredibly reassuring.