My Loves March

I love my loves:

Lolly:
Asking for Cloff, instead of Floss
Losing your underwear in the middle of the night, only to find you had put both legs in one hole and pulled them up to your waist.

When you told us to:
"SHUT (pause)...DOWN!", when you really meant Shut UP, and it's a good thing you didn't say that, because then you would have gotten a time out.
While I was talking at the pulpit at church, I read a scripture: Mosiah 18:11
"And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts." Then I said, "I wish we could do a little more clapping in church," and then you stood up in your pew and started clapping. I guess you do pay attention after all.
We were watching Oprah and I said to Lolly: Who is that? She replied: Muh-ROCK Obama.
Cuddling one morning over a book, I said: You smell good, Lolly said: You smell..........different.
When you had a little cold, telling me you had spider webs coming out of your nose, which you later revised to be called Spider Boogers, and then later complaining that you couldn't get the bunny fur out of your eyes.
We were practicing for Easter. You hid 7 eggs in the family room, and then went back to find them, and you couldn't find half of the eggs that you JUST hid.
Sitting next to me during books, saying: I can't get the sleep out of my eyes," and then falling asleep on my shoulder.
I told you my bones were pink, you explained everyone's bones and skelescopes are white.
Calling Tarzan, Carzan

Phoebe:
Telling me when you are a mom you will take your kids to McDonalds once a month. Being excited when I took you to McDonalds one night during your birthday week.
In a quiet, private moment during your party, you putting your arm around me:
"Mom, I'm having such a great time. I know how much work this was"
During your party when all the girls were dancing in a group and Lil Sis sat down in the middle of everyone, pouting. You went over, helped her up, and started dancing with her.
At dinner one night, I told Lolly to say this to Dad: "You look like Brad Pitt", which she did, and than Phoebe said: "You look like an arm pit!"
Discussing whether or not DH is HOT. Deciding he was NOT HOT.
Coaching Dad and me on our song for the talent show. Telling us EXACTLY what we did wrong after the performance. THANKS...we won't discuss the entire PAGE you skipped during your piece!
Everyday, after you leave for school, I notice that Bear was sitting on the filing cabinet during our entire violin practice. I never notice you placing him there, but you do every morning. 7 and still in love with Bear (who you stole from me, Daddy gave Bear to me the first Christmas we were dating in 1997).
Mommy-daughter date on Friday night. We covered all the hot topics: friends, boys, kissing, white house surprise (your FACE when I told you where we were going!), fractions, your 8th birthday, and ending the evening with coldstone-white chocolate ice cream with a kit kat mix-in for you and cake batter ice cream with cookie dough mix-in for me, which I couldn't finish-too sweet.
Being so upset about missing your concert, the art show and the beginning of the FRACTIONS unit in Math, when you got Scarlet Fever.

DH:
Being so good with helping with the party. Cleaning up and cleaning up some more, and then cleaning up some more.
Wanting to perform our song together at the talent show, and putting up with my extremely down-right POOR attitude about it.
Letting me go to Guys and Dolls with girlfriends.
Taking me to Brentano, and treating me to pre-dessert.
Going through with the concert even though you were nervous.
Sending the missionaries to come find me, to make an appointment for them to come over--sneaky.
Working so hard for us and for the ward.
Always cleaning up the kitchen.
Taking Tuesday off so that I could go to church instead of you.
When I told you that my budget was so tight that there was no more "fun" purchases you had a genuinely sad look on your face and reached for your billfold to offer me a 10-spot.
Being excited with me for the Eggroll tix.
Approving my Easter bonnet before I made the purchase.
Wanting to check the computer in the morning and you couldn't find it because I took it to the gym to do my yoga video. sorry.
Participating in Earth Hour. Okaying the use of the dishwasher and washing machine...because that's not light right? right.

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Flashback

I was sifting through boxes of old photos and found these two:

In Massachussets back in the spring of 2005, Lolly and I shot for 3 days, the catalog of Motherwear.


2 of us were modeling, and we were Kris and Kristy, so I got a new name: Gertie. Why? b/c I was wearing a girdle the entire time...hey I had a 10-week old baby.


Some of the images are STILL circulating:

robe

When I walked out in the bra and pants, the entire audience of stylists, art directors, clients, etc., took a collective breath in. They were willing me to SUCK-IT-IN. So, I did my best...see, I couldn't wear the girdle for that pic, with the belly showing and all.

dress

turtleneck

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Etsy Birthday List

My sisters and my daughters have birthday's this spring, so of course I went to my trusty etsy for some shopping...


Violin Skirt

Music Notes Tu-tu

Matryoshka Doll Skirt

Twilight Swag

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Visitor

We had a little visitor this weekend;

She fit in just fine.

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Witness

8:30 PM to 9:30 PM, March 28, 2009. 1 hour with the lights off. Why don't we do this more often?

New York Life Building at 8:29:50 PM...I didn't even have enough time to try for a non-blurry shot:

8:30 PM:

8:25 PM:

8:30 PM:
The scalloped white lights on the bridge are turned off. Look at the light in the clouds from picture 1 to picture 2.

Look at the Citigroup center on the right. It reminds me of the skyline in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, with it's light agitating the clouds, here at 8:25 PM:

And at 8:30 PM:

When I arrived at my shooting spot, the Chrysler building was not turned on at all, but the other buildings all went dark ON THE DOT. It was pretty cool to watch.

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Third Person Thursday

She thought she set the alarm for midnight.

Honestly, when she sets the alarm, she gets it right about 7 percent of the time, so she shouldn't have counted on it.

She left the computer on, with the White House Egg Roll page up and ready to go.

She set the alarm for 11:56. 4 minutes was plenty of time to lift up the screen, and trouble-shoot if something had gone wrong in the two hours of sleeping time she allowed herself. She imagined the Obama administration hiring some tech-saavy guy to make the site live right at midnight on the promised day of ticket distribution.

She woke up after dreaming about being on the White House lawn, with eggs and throngs of people and the giant white house. She glanced at the clock: 1:58! Of course, the alarm didn't work. She rushed to the computer and almost fell off the chair because she was half asleep.

No change to the page. She scanned again, google-searched. Nothing.

Back to bed she went. At 5:38 she checked one more time before heading down to the gym, still nothing.

Finally, at 8:15, she saw that the page had changed slightly and there was a link. She followed it and 30 minutes later she had 4 tickets for the Easter Eggroll at the WHITE-HOUSE!

She was pretty thrilled. She called her youngest sister and woke her up because she lives in a different time zone. She sang a song about the White House and Easter and her sister groggily giggled back. She hung up the phone and then texted her:

"Oh yeah, and our other sister is in the hospital, appendicitis." She got a little wrapped up in the moment. Appendicitis Sister and Woken-up-too-early sister are both fine. And she is fine too, especially now that she has picked out the perfect Easter Bonnet...come on...you HAVE to have one if you go to the White House for Easter!

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Tramp

Finally...

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Kimchi

Remember when I thought my friend named her new baby son Kimchi?

Well Baby Kimchi, I took a pic of myself with you this past weekend.

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GREEN POISON

I spotted the buds today. The sight of this makes me wheeze inside. Today as I drove around watching it, feeling safe and secure behind the glass, I pictured myself wearing a safety mask until I have my proper armor of Allergy Meds.


Can you see the tiny fake goat that is in the petting zoo part of Central Park Zoo:

It turned out blurry (this is what I get for taking pix whilst sort-of driving), but you can see that this film crew's set dressers have put FAKE leaves in the trees, to indicate spring...I wish it was all fake!:

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Slice of Life

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Glass Posse's Got Talent

Without further ado:

Clips from the Talent Show!

I practice piano, right along with Phoebe practicing the violin, every single morning. She made a few mistakes during her first time publicly playing 2 movements of a Concerto, so she was a bit reluctant to bow.

During DH and my song, the whistling that you here is Lolly....thanks Lolz. Phoebe let us know which lyrics we got wrong. Thanks Phoebz. Believe it or not, we practiced a lot...I think we sounded better in rehearsal.

And I love the look on Lolly's face when she gets applause after her group number. She likes her applause that one. Think an adult made those star necklaces?

I know I have junk in my trunk, but that dress, on that bench at the piano, not helping one bit...

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Some Day

On the list of Somedays.....

I will witness the Ringling Brother's Elephant Walk. I will take Lolly because she loves Elephants. I wish I could nail down better details, but alas I think I will just have to stay up all night in anticipation of seeing those pachyderms.

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Belated Birthday

Carrie totally delivered (when doesn't she?) for Phoebe's birthday:


Tiered dress complete with strings print

and one for her doll too.


Thanks....

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The story of yesterday

Oh my stress. Congress, voting, Obama (who I still support-please don't sign it!), unknowns, speculation, what does it mean for us, new school open house (will I even be able to make the last tuition payments?), more stress and finally deciding to clean the house.

I cleaned the house. It looks really good.


Thankfully Lolly was in a really good mood. She cracked me up all day. She had great energy, big smiles, funny things to say.

At lunch at Dad's work (half day of school), where you can just feel a change in the air over there, since the last time we visited, Lolly had the best quote of the day:

"Tomorrow, I am going to get an earring on my tongue."

Excuse me?

"Lots of people have them."

Name one.

"_____________" (teenager friend of ours).

Phoebe: "Well, she got hers in Brazil."

Name someone else.

Silence.

LOTS of people huh?

Lolly: "I am going to get an earring in my tongue when I am 4"

ME: "Well, you will have to go all the way to Brazil because they don't do that here in America."

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When I grow up...

I want to be her:


I cut out this photo from O Magazine to put on my bulletin board.

Her glasses!

Those shoes!

Short Chic Hair!

I think I might even change my name to Iris, once I reach a certain age.

Why not?

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Wrangling Updates

At the doctor's office during the virus of 2009, I found this issue of Ser Padres.

I wrangled this cover shoot for Parents December 2008 issue...didn't realize it might be used for Ser Padres too. This little one works a LOT. Her mom is really good about bringing a teeny tiny favorite something, that I usually end up using whilst wrangling her. She starts a little shy, but opens up quickly!

LOVE the shoes.

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New Mantra

TODAY is OKAY.

Today I have my bills paid.

Today I have food to feed my kids.

Today I have a monthly metrocard.

Today I have clothes, blankets, a home.

Today I have possibilities.

Today I have ideas.

Right now I have a plan for today.

Today I will summon the luck of the Irish for the most recent fly in the ointment. But the fly, and the ointment, was yesterday. And Today is now, today is okay.

Presence.

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getting closer...

These boys were on set the same day I did my trampoline action.....I have heard that my shots are in proof-approval right now...so I am hoping to see something soon!!!

Check them out.

Click on brands-flexon

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Lolly's last day.

Part of the Glass Family Budget cuts includes school (day care) for Lolly. Today is her last day...which means my last day to have 6 hours all to myself. ALL. TO. MY. SELF. And I choose not to spend it blogging.

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We've Got Talent Part II

We sang Lucky by Jason Mraz. We practiced a lot, but we were nervous. We did okay. We looked rad.

Phoebe played two movements of her first concerto. She had some moments. She pushed through. I did pretty good, especially when she skipped an entire section and I had to find where she was in the music. I had to practice a TON to accompany her. Who knew Phoebe taking violin would improve my piano skills?

Lolly sang with Phoebe and two other kids in a kids chorus. She ATE UP the applause.

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We've Got Talent

Our family participated in our church congregation's talent show tonight. This caused much practicing, outfit-planning and stress today.

I snapped a photo of Jason and me before the big event:

He only fought me a little bit when I put that headband on. He's learned that he will not win...it's only taken 10.5 years. I am actually surprised he protested at all...in 4 more years he won't say a word.

Phoebe wanted to take a pic, and I think it turned out cool save for the shadow on Jason's face:



Lolly wanted to take a pic too:

When she was done, she looked at it, and very matter-of-factly said: Oh, I didn't get your faces.

Jason replied: that's ok, because I really wanted to get a good picture of my pants.

She was quite pleased with herself.

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RAK

It's no secret my girls like boys.

Today on the train, I was minding my own business, but I noticed Lolly was occasionally burying her face in my side...in an embarrassed manner. Finally she pointed out someone across the ways' hair. He was a young Asian man with a great haircut, short with a little long, textured, spikyness. He had great shoes, clothes, attache, and was also toting what looked like a Barney's shopping bag.

They flirted back and forth throughout the ride. He thought she was cute, and she loved his hair. After a little while, he handed me what appeared to be a brand new book. At first I thought he was trying to sell me the book, but instead, he just had it on him and decided to give it away, right then and there.

He handed us this book. With Snow White smack dab on the cover, Lolly was SOLD. She immediately delved right in and loved it.

One of her favorite things is to page through an entire book. She quickly began this ritual, discovering that 70 years ago there was a comic book featuring both the Seven Dwarves and Dumbo. I discovered parts of the Snow White story that were not included in the film (although it's been a LONG time since I have seen it, maybe I have forgotten), including the Prince being captured and thrown in the dungeon, and then escaping to try to rescue Snow, before she bit into the apple (which the queen told the Prince about upon visiting him in the dungeon before she left).

At first I was skeptical that she would like the book as much as I would (vintage Disney comics! Stop it), but turns out she LOVES it. We have read through the Snow White story a few times, and she has paged another 4 or 5 time since her subway boyfriend gave it to her. I Heart New York.


ps. RAK: Random Acts of Kindness

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Found some Halloween treats...

Nothing like rifling through the stash and finding some alien eyes!



Sweeter than chocolate....

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New Blog Names

I tried to give Lil Sis a new nickname, but she replied with: "My name is _____ _______ _______" all three of her names. She is not into the new nickname. So, I decided I would change her blog name to the new nickname. Lil Sis is now......

Lolly.

And while I'm at it, Big Sis will be Phoebe. She sometimes pretends that her name...gonna try those on for size for a while. Try to follow along...

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Gradually Going Thrifty: Party Stuff

I used up more of my scrapbooking stash...seriously, there is still SO MUCH left...for the decor of our party:

The girls took last Saturday to create and color sea creatures, then we mounted them and tied them to the seascape that spread across our light fixtures:

The crepe paper was extra from the surprise ball party favors!
As I hung up our little homemade creatures, I felt great that I hadn't spent a dime, and that the kids had created it...

I bought this plastic table cloth, knowing that there would be lots of glitter and glue involved with the craft. It was on sale for about a dollar at Target. I then realized it was too small for the table we borrowed from our super. I then put my long Thanksgiving table cloth on the table inside-out, and laid the plastic on top of it...Jason offered to go get another table cloth, but I was very happy with this solution!



Most of her gifts were wrapped with reusable, cloth bags that I got for Christmas from Carrie:

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New York Weekend

As if putting on a party for a baker's dozen of 7-year-old's wasn't enough, I also went out both Friday and Saturday night.

DH and I bought tickets to the Brentano String Quartet's performance at Carnegie Hall, pre-budget-recession-private-school-drama-crisis-of-09. We enjoyed our last official date until we have funneled every penny that is required to the school. Then maybe we can set aside some dollars here and there for a dinner and a movie. We hope.

It was fantastic. I have a completely new appreciation for string players since I spend so much time with one each day. One of the members of the quartet's son goes to school with my daughter, so I emailed him after the performance with all my questions.

The women in the quartet both wore these split pants, that were like skirts and pants at the same time. They both looked lovely, but I realized there is only so much you can do for a woman who has to sit and play with an instrument between her legs. A market for a designer to tap into perhaps?

Then Saturday night, a generous friend of mine who also treated me to South Pacific last year, invited me to Guys and Dolls. I have seen so much signage advertising this show, and I told my Sis to come visit me so that she could see her favorite Lauren Graham in the role of Adelaide. I have to admit, I was looking forward to seeing her, the least, because I wasn't sure a tv actor could rise to the challenge of broadway. She did really well though. She had a TON of fans in the audience, who loved her.

The show-stopper was Sit down, you're rockin the boat. Titus Burgess, who I had seen play Sebastian in Little Mermaid last year, was excellent in this scene at least, and it was a thrill to see Mary Testa, even for a few scenes. I am such an easy audience member, so easy-to-please, but there were a few things about this show that weren't quite fitting together for me.

I felt the choreographer and the director weren't having any meetings...like they were on two different planets with their story-telling. I also thought it was a strange choice to have a mute character at the top of the show, typing out "broadway stories" and then launching in to the musical. He observed scenes in and out, but mostly he would pop up randomly and with no role other than to observe. He also ended the musical by typing: The End. I was pretty sure it was the end what with the two brides on stage and the entire company and all, I didn't need it literally spelled out for me! I had mixed feelings on the use of digital backdrops. it kind of reminded me of The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular, in a not-good way.

So, there's my review. And here is me saying to my sister: Neener-neener-neener, I am seeing Guys and Dolls, while you are on Splash Mountain.

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Not Fair

A few days ago, all I wanted was one of Smucker's peanut butter and grape jelly freezer sandwiches..they have a name...can't remember what it is.

Last night, all I wanted was apples dipped in peanut butter.

I never crave shrimp or any of the allergies I was diagnosed with prior to (still haven't) tasting them. But, every once in a while I just have a craving for my new allergies.

The Snickers ad campaign is back in full force in the city: Snaxi. It kills me. I want a Snickers EVERY TIME I see a SNAXI sign on top of a taxi.

Boo... Poor Me. Peanut-free.................

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Birthday Report Part 2

My Sister helped inspire a few of our party ideas:

She had a valentine's day party earlier this year, and made fruit and cheese skewers for the kids. I thought this was a festive way to present boring old fruit. The funniest part of our fruit and cheese skewers were how the kids, collectively decided they did not care for the cheese. I provided a bowl for them to dump their cheese in. Then a few started trying it and then everyone liked the cheese...so they picked it back out of the bowl.



I have already posted about the surprise balls that I made, from inspiration of my sister sending Santa surprise balls each Christmas. I tried to come up with a creative way to present our ocean pearls, as I called the surprise balls.

I made a fringe ocean with the remaining crepe paper. I also layered it with some of the mesh ribbon my mom wrapped Big Sis' presents in:

Behind the ocean was my friend Heather with red gloves and the labeled pearls, with each girls name on it:

The girls lined up and stated their name. Then I doused them with blue sea glitter a la Alice's Teacup, and told them to make a wish. Then out popped the red-gloved hand with the pearl to match the girl:

Then it was time for the sea pearl frenzy. One girl unrolled her ball to the plastic baggy, and popped the ball into it: All done! I explained that she had to keep going.
A few quotes:
This just keeps going and going!
A #1 sticker? (no, it's a 7...just keep rolling)
I know what THIS is...it's a SURPRISE ball (snotty tone)
AH! Look at this headband!
Oh my gosh! I can't believe this!
Hey, I didn't get a ring (yes you did, everyone got the same thing, look through the tissue paper)
Lots of joy, lots of laughter...worth ALL the nights sitting and rolling the balls!!!



Thanks for the inspiration Linz!

The final shout-out to sister is her GREEN wrapping. She wrapped the gift in a manila envelope, and made a card out of a discarded paint chip from her recent quest for just the right shade for her new walls!


Big Sis noticed and was THRILLED with the reuse.....good job.

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Party Report: Part 1

Oh my. I need to recover.

First of all, It's 10:30 in the morning and I am eating a vanilla tastycake cupcake with vanilla ice cream, as my second breakfast.

Yesterday, as soon as I woke up it was party-hearty central. We needed to decorate and organize and get everything ready for the big day. For some reason every single portion of both my legs were like uncomfortable. I did stretches probably 4 times yesterday...it was so strange. I pushed through it, and sat down for about a half hour at one point, just to gather myself (my legs)...willing them to just cooperate.

My friend nhb made a cake inspired by my other friends design. It turned out so well, and she even delivered it. Seriously, that cake brought us so much joy on so many levels.



This is Carrie helped by sketching a mermaid for all the girls to decorate, as our party enjoyed a mermaid theme. As the girls arrived, they decorated their mermaids...another thrifty way of getting rid of some of my scrapbook supplies.




Our playlist included the soundtrack of broadway's Little Mermaid, Splish Splash, Beyond the Sea, etc. We played a game that my friend taught me called DANCE ADD ON, to Starry-eyed surprise. There is some video somewhere....not sure if that will appear on the blog...

Another element of the decor was Faerie Tale Theatre's The Little Mermaid, playing on the tv, with the sound off. Check out the extreme wind machine making the mermaid's hair look like it's in the water:


Okay...there is way more....it's gonna have to be later....

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mother's guilt....

I got my 2007 blurb book in the mail recently. I paged through and stopped on this post that I wrote on Big Sis' 5th birthday.

I read the letter out loud to her.

her reply: Mom, I almost feel like I am going to cry.

me: why?

her reply: Because I thought you thought the opposite of all that, and that you liked Lil Sis more.


Oh no!!!!!!
I guess I need to take more time to express just how I feel about her...

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Gradually Going Thrifty: Party Favors

Inspired by the Santa Heads my sister made for my girls this Christmas (and my aunt used to make for us EVERY Christmas growing up), I decided to make Sea Pearls for our Mermaid themed party.

I scored the going-out-of-business sale at Libby Lu, and ended up with party favors that cost me $5.56 per child. One of my thrifty moves was to make a bracelet that was 3 wired together, into 3 separate bracelets:



Try to follow my photo map and words...I am not that great at photoshopping, but I tried....


Thanks Linz for the advice. I will try to get some pix of the opening frenzy at the party coming up...

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Workday

Have you seen this ad? My eyes always play tricks on me when I look at it...I just can't see it. Maybe if you suffer from migraines you get it...like you feel beheaded or something? Anyway, I had a go-see for this today, and they showed us this ad and we had to make the face.

I ran into my friend Victoria at the casting, and we went to lunch. I was so happy that we could do that, as my days sans Lil Sis are numbered.

Then I got a last-minute call for a Secret Phone Company (clients sometimes use this when they don't want to call attention to the ad campaign). I was given some copy...a script that you might here on a commercial or radio ad, and was told I needed to make up a tune and sing it.

It was pretty hilarious. I watched a wide variety (age, race, gender, song-style) of people all hear what was required and then watched their process. Some people pulled out pitch pipes, others were taking notes, a few people heard this and walked out, one woman sang it in Italian, another in German. It was so funny. Upon reading, I immediately had a tune/style/tempo enter my mind, and though I had over an hour to work on it, I never wavered from my original composition. I sang it for Big Sis a few times, in her ear and she approved.

The third time I sang it outloud was on camera, and it was alright....just another audition adventure in this great city of mine.

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1 YEAR

1 year ago today, her world was totally rocked. RRRRRRRRRR--OH---cKed.

she'll never forget:

waking up wondering why she was taking a nap on top of her clean laundry, on her husband's side of the bed, when she needed to get to lunch with a friend.

staring at herself in the mirror, touching her head with her middle finger, not understanding that she was in pain and that she was swollen.

her feeling of panic: where are my children? what day is it?

her husband responding after a disoriented phone call

k-larS coming to her aid.

not wanting to throw up everywhere in the waiting room at the hospital.

feeling startled at the repeated questions: are you pregnant? did your husband do this?

listening to her two roommates, one who was old, ailing and could not communicate with English, one who was an actor/dancer, with major spine issues, telling her story over and over and over again, so much so that she actually googled her when she got home....

family sending greetings, heather bringing her ben and jerrys, jen sending her a book, sara a care package, the cards, emails, phone calls, the genuine concern.

standing at the nurses' desk on day 3, telling them she would stand there and wait until they discharged her...it was her baby's birthday,: I WILL BE GOING HOME NOW.

And then she went home.

her mom spent a week with their family. She helped them so much. She loved her daughter, talked to her about everything but the head bump. It helped her to be treated like she was normal, and not disabled.

she cried to sleep a lot.

she remembers Easter weekend. she had an allergic reaction to her first medication, and she didn't take meds for 2 days. That was the last time she felt FULLY herself.

Picking up her cell phone in Times Square, hearing that her MRI showed that her brain had a bleed that was healing. Having to think through that news.

Some firsts:

feeling physically sad

24-hour EEG

driving restricted

driving resumed

brain buzz

new perception of where exactly things are

explaining her condition, being met with full understanding 100% of the time

therapy

psychiatrist

nuerologist

MRI

epileptologist

high medical bills

pill case

a break from work

feeling rage

reversing things: notes on a music staff, birthdays

holes in her thoughts

weak muscles

falling asleep if she sits too long


She wonders, is 1 year being seizure-free a celebration? She has had a handful of experiences that might pass for mini-seizures, so is she really seizure-free? Is it a major accomplishment or a small tick?

one year. and now presenting, the rest of her life.

She reflects on the cycle of the past year:

confusion-surprise-sadness-survival-pushing-fighting-struggling-breaking down-grieving-mourning-accepting-finally accepting

She feels more like the new her.

She misses:

finding words easily
adrenaline
energy
laughing
fun

She wishes that more of that would be part of the new her.

She has hope that it will return during the second year. Year 2. Seizure free? she hopes. Epilepsy free? nope.






brain cupcakes anyone?

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Accessories

You voted, and honestly, I went with what I wanted in the end. ; )



The feather fascinator came and it's superb.

I'm not sure about the half-face bandeau yet. I think with proper placement, it might work very nice with the feather piece, but the feather on it's own is working so well with the dress. My shoes are pretty great too. And I have to say, my hair is JUST RIGHT for the whole look.

Now I just need the weather to turn so that we can get some great shots. Our aim is to probably end up trashing the dress, so I would like some warmth for that.

Lil Sis took this pic, she did a pretty good job huh?:


I want to keep some surprise in the shoot, so I opted for my stand-in to model the new accessories:




These pix from the girl who at our last casting, ground her teeth tight together and gave a thumbs up (random). We did NOT book that job. Oh...that dimple....glad that's permanent!

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New Wrangling Protocol

Yesterday, upon completing hours of wrangling children age 4 to 7, I was presented with Pinkberry.

I had original with some raspberries, strawberries, oreos and bananas. It was perfect.

If I could, I would write into my future, very formal (wink) wrangling contract that I must be presented with this delicacy as soon as I hear the words: "It's a wrap."

Someday....

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Thrifty JUST GOT Thriftier

So, I thought I was feeling the old recession before, but I am feeling it on a new level now.

And I am ok with it.

Cutting back has forced me to focus. I am focusing on why I am cutting back (daughter's education), how to do it (needs only!), and I am counting my blessings (seriously---that's for you Carrie) .

Instead of panicking, I am affirming that today is today. I have heat, shelter, food, health. Tomorrow is tomorrow. Now is now.

I am motivated to get to those auditions. I got lazy last year because I coasted after jobs early in the year. Now I am back, I am paying attention, my kids are being good when I drag them to auditions (I guess it's not that bad when you are showered with attention, highlighters from the desk drawers to color with, everybody knows your name, and you occasionally score some cupcakes!), and I am trying to be good too.

The last two commercial auditions I have had I have been put on hold...so I have a little momentum, that got a bit side-swiped b/c I am wrangling today and forced to miss a callback. Grrrrr.....

I have had to cut my daughter's child care. No more two-days-a-week of mommy time. This I am trying to embrace. My mantra: Someday I will regret that I didn't spend more time with them when they were babies.....

I had a few months break from cleaning my house...no longer. Man, that was nice, and I did appreciate Maria when I had her. And, won't I burn more calories cleaning my house myself?

I inherited a breadmaker. I am not sure if that is going to save me money...it might just add a bunch of comfort and carbs (read cellulite) to my life....mmmmm....warm bread....but my fave bread is 4.19 a loaf, so making my own has got to be cheaper right?

And Counselor K will have to take a back seat as well. Knowing that I cannot process when I need to, is also helping me to focus on more self-care.

So...here we go. I am finally in it. I am considering changing my stage name: Thrifty Glass. People might not get it, they might think I have a speech impediment.

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SNNNNNNNNNow Day

Apparently the first snow day in 5 years. So inside I sit...with two wild children that I did not expect to have with me today. I am trying to be okay with giving up my plans of keeping to myself today, and instead sharing myself with the two lovely ladies.

I just tivoed a few workout shows, hoping to get a workout in, because I missed my 5:30 workout this morning. Maybe I will get my reading in too...we'll see.

I just heard on NBC that is costs $1 million dollars an inch to pick up the snow in my city. We have 7 already. Darn.

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Congrats Lil Sis!

Congratulations Lil Sis for getting into the only school we applied to. It is a perfect fit for you...we're glad they see it too.


You are a star, we love you!

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First Play

My baby has experienced the dance recital, violin recital, choral concert, but this was her first experience, singing, dancing and costuming for a full house. She was a natural, beautiful, and I am brimming over with pride.


Gown was reused from our Christmas Greeting, and I knitted her the sash. Thank you Target, for providing the Gladiator Sandals.

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