Reprise

The video is 3 minutes long but if you can watch all of it you'll be rewarded with an encore piano performance, tambourine thrashing, more piano using various limbs, and a little jig at the end. Auntie Snorg's wish to have Addie train for SYTYCD has come true. I love this video because I think it shows Addie intently doing something I've never been able to do - play a musical instrument. Her piano playing at times on this video seems inspired by a deeper muse. This gene she gets from her Dada.

photo journalism

I was inspired on Saturday by a TV show. You will be thankful that it wasn't So You Think You Can Dance this time. That was my number one favorite show last season and a little part of me died when it ended. So beloved was this show that I wanted Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer and one of the "jejees" as host Cat Deeley would say, to be Addie's Godfather. I haven't signed up for break dancing or latin dance lessons, yet. Nope, this show was on an amateur photographer.

I caught the last 3 minutes of feature about a women who has been documenting her children on film since they were born. She wanted photos that they could look back on and understand their childhood. Her photos were gorgeous and she said she shot them in a photo journalistic style and defined it in two phrases: black and white and wide angle. I was immediately inspired to capture Addie's life at home with all the chaos, clutter and quiet moments that are often tangled up together. This also meant dusting off the giant flash which I continue to eye nervously as a mysterious piece of photographic equipment. Monday I start my fall semester photography class. I think it's called Color Transparency or something, but it's basically Another Good Overview class and we'll be tackling flash photography as part of it. I'm excited because I can use my digital camera in the class for the first time.

she found it!

This video is dedicated to Auntie Snorg, whose love of belly buttons is infamous. Now that Addie has discovered her own belly button she's on the hunt to find yours. Watch out.

Truth or Myth: Innie our Outie. Are belly buttons shaped by how the doctor "ties off" the umbilical cord, or genetics. I open this up to unscientific debate.

Encore, Encore!

Ta-da! Thanks GranJanne for Addie's fabulous pink mini grand. Liberace would be jealous!

6:55 AM Hat Box

Last night I had my Office Summer Outing so 25 of us headed to Dodgers Stadium to watch them squash the 'Stros. Two of my dreams sorta, almost came true. I had 2 dreams come true on our road trip (seeing a Banana Slug and going to the Monterey Aquarium) so i figured I was out of dreams for a while. But guess who was on the jumbotron and didn't know it? Supposedly I looked rather pensive which I guess is better than picking my nose. Next time we go to a game, I'll dye my hair Dodger Blue and be sure I get on the jumbotron again - and know it. Then around the 6th inning the center fielder tossed a ball into the bleacher seats (they call them Pavilion seats here but who ya kiddin') and it was right at me. I screamed. I know I did but I couldn't actually hear myself. It was fight or flight and my body chose flight. I ducked. It landed in the row in front, got bobbled around and then rolled into the empty seat right next to me. Co-workers and other fans scrambled for it. I scrambled but in some sort of super slow, super delayed manner. I might have lunged for it after it had already been claimed. This is why I don't play sports or video games. So, it wasn't cathing a foul ball or a home run, but I'm pretty sure that's as close as I'll come to fulfilling that dream.

Dining with the Triplets

Friday night Addie and her pal Clyde along with their parents were invited to dine at The Triplet's house after work. It was a last minute invite so we didn't have time to bring any food for Addie or for me to bring my camera.

My jaw dropped when we walked in and Madison, Kylie and Ethan were all sitting peacefully at the kitchen table eating brocolli with forks. I had no idea that silverware should be on Addie's agenda. Addie was actually rather adept at it for her first time but she still refused to eat the brocolli that was kindly set forth before her on her own plate by our very gracious hosts. She did eat the inside of grape tomatoes leaving the skins, her serving of tofu dogs, and of course the pasta course.


By the end of the meal, Addie had dumped her plate on her lap, exchanged sippy cups with Ethan, and then stolen Kylie's empty plate. After the kids dinner, we let them loose in the backyard where the adults drank wine and beer and devoured pizza. The triplet's house is the perfect place - tons of space, toys and even a brand new puppy who came by for a visit.

Slurpee

Since my Dad noted that it has been almost a week since my last post, I thought it was my duty to fill the Addie-void despite the lack of available material.

After a lovely wine lunch in Los Olivos on the last day of our road trip, we stopped at the local market for a diet coke in a can (I insist on a can over a plastic bottle as I'm convinced it tastes better). There isn't much to say about the photo, but I like that it has a timeless appeal; we could be anywhere in the U.S. at any period of time .

We've almost been home a week, settling back into our normal schedule and routine. Monkey has tooth #10 coming in and last night she shrieked enough that we ended up bringing her into our bed where she flailed around punching me with arms, elbows, feet and knees. I gave up (rather impatiently after about 5 minutes) and slept on the couch. There I only get geriatric Didi waking me up every few hours so I can lift her back up on the couch where she curls up behind my knees and goes back to sleep. I'm ready for a two bedroom and a cat ramp.

the last hurrah

Today is the last day of our 2 week vacation. After returning from our road trip Thursday, we jumped on an airplane Friday to Seattle for my friend Bethany's wedding leaving Miss A in the loving care of Grandpa Mit. Bethany and I lived 2 doors away from each other in Mamaroneck, NY when we were in first grade. We loved Hello Kitty and Strawberry Shortcake and even our cats were best friends having napping playdates at each other's homes. I cried like a baby when I saw her walk down the aisle. I'm out of practice with weddings and forgot I'm a chronic weeper and didn't bring a single kleenex. I had gotten sucked into a free make-over at Nordstroms and was terrified that I now had canyons carved by tears with all the make-up I had on. It was fun though to get pampered, and I learned that there is actually a technique to using an eyelash curler.

This is the first time that we've left Addie and I am going through withdrawal especially after the bliss of spending so much time with her on our road trip. Cold turkey is rough. At the wedding there were 2 little blond haired cherub girls and I wanted to kidnap them. Cap is on his way to the airport now to head home, and I'm so jealous he gets to see her today. I'm staying over one more night and then have meetings all day in our Seattle office. I have that first-day-of-school-after-summer-break nervousness in the pit of my stomach. Maybe I'll try to cheer myself up and get another free make-over at a different counter at Nordstrom's.

Extra thanks to Grandpa Mit and the Aunties for rocking out with Miss A in our absence.

Check out all the photos from our Cali Road trip.

Greetings from the Road: Day 12

We're coming home today.


Good-bye cold, cold Monterey.


Good-bye seals (can you spot 4?).


Good-bye moon jellies at the Monterey Aquarium.


Good-bye Pebble Beach seagulls.


Good-bye Mama carrying an Addie on her back.


Good-bye sand flinging elephant seal.


and thank-you Subie chariot for keeping us safe.