tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136543182011-04-21T15:22:35.970-07:00Two time zones, Five children, No Perfect-Mom SnarkIsabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.comBlogger5681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-37274684013015682082008-02-08T05:21:00.000-08:002008-02-08T10:17:53.522-08:00

We each brought three favorite things to book club on Monday. And the winners are...Corner Cooks - a place to take cooking lessons for couples or groupsSweet Mandy B's - Old Fashioned Desserts at 1208 W. Webster in Chicagowww.greendimes.com - stop junk mailKeihl's Silk Groom - good for curly hairCreme de Cour by KeihlsRegeneration eye cream. Gold-eye repair by BeautiControliPhoneArbonne skin

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-18434930778362559032008-02-07T09:33:00.000-08:002008-02-07T09:41:43.124-08:00

From my Very Short List subscription came this quiz with their clever title that I have purloined above. The goal is to see if you can spot the furniture of Donald Judd a famous minimalist sculptor from ordinary furniture that is put together with an allen wrench.I scored a 100%. Though, I don't think it is because of my great eye for art, but rather recognizing some of the pieces from my own

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-59988360178522955912008-02-04T07:30:00.000-08:002008-02-04T07:40:36.083-08:00

My Dad's cat, Abby died last night. I found Abby when I was in college. She seemed to pick me, constantly coming to my apartment. When I went home for Thanksgiving that year I was afraid that no one would be around to take care of her, so I brought her to my dad. It was love at first site and from that moment on she was my Dad's cat.He and Judy took such good care of that cat. She was spoiled

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-12552817386831647942008-01-30T13:36:00.000-08:002008-01-30T13:45:53.262-08:00

I'm supposed to be distraught, but I'm not. The Preschool Era is officially over. Or nearly so.I filled out the paperwork for my youngest to go to Kindergarten next fall. Isn't that supposed to make me weep salty tears over the loss of my baby?Seriously, I just can't work up any hysteria about this. I have enjoyed my kids at all of their different ages and stages (although, in retrospect, I

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-24247260521321254152008-01-28T05:43:00.000-08:002008-01-28T05:45:28.589-08:00

Is it just me, or did Grey's Anatomy get really McBoring in the third season?And if so, why do I keep watching one or two downloaded episodes per night?--Melanie

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-46292809775163366102008-01-25T13:39:00.000-08:002008-01-25T14:07:51.815-08:00

SPOILER ALERT!!!! For those of you who have not read, but are planning to read, Loving Frank, by Nancy Horan you might want to skip this blog. Actually, you might want to skip the book and just read the blog, but whatever.If you don't know, Loving Frank is the fictionalized account of the love affair between Frank Lloyd Wright and one of his clients, Mamah Cheney. They left their spouses and

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-45657594521218409282008-01-09T15:32:00.000-08:002008-01-09T15:47:43.807-08:00

I have a confession to make. I don't bathe my kids everyday. Sometimes not even every other day. I won't go any further than that. I don't want to embarrass myself - or gross anyone out. But, I feel vindicated. According to this article a group that showered only once a week had lower instances of viral infections and skin infections compared to the control group that did their regular

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-87014854974353083692007-12-26T15:26:00.001-08:002007-12-26T15:35:48.208-08:00

Oh, thank God! We can all rest a little easier knowing that the last of the Dilettante chocolate covered fruits is gone.--Melanie

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-76719396704573460332007-12-23T08:15:00.000-08:002007-12-23T08:26:04.641-08:00

I try to keep a hand in. Y'know, like by reading enough in the newspaper about the hot TV shows so that I can at least converse about them at cocktail parties. But actually watch them? Heavens, no. That would be so...Well, so...addictive for one thing. That's what happened when I finally watched the first season of Grey's Anatomy. It started innocently enough. I downloaded a couple of

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-59679168465241132632007-12-20T21:47:00.000-08:002007-12-20T21:54:30.267-08:00

...on our blog, at least. For a week, I haven't been able to open our page, for fear that **someone** would see my last post about a certain Northerly, Crimson-wearing Hirsute Gentleman and the vulcanized simian error correction devices He will be bringing in several days. So....Ahhh, yesssss, I really need to stretch this out...Um, so...cooking a Crown Pork Roast for Christmas. And you? Never

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-9870121622900677062007-12-12T10:53:00.001-08:002007-12-12T11:17:56.082-08:00

How much do I love my daughter? Well, last week I drove 30 miles to Walmart to buy mega Foohys , because it's the only thing she wants from Santa. And then, of course, I loved her so much that I had to buy out all five sets of them. I'm not obsessed with these impossible-to-find little critters after days of scouring the internet, eBay, and even calling the company that makes them. Let's just

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-34076236189851401842007-12-05T11:19:00.000-08:002007-12-05T11:27:42.797-08:00

It's been an autumn of loss and mourning...and, man, does Boris Karloff have on a lot of eyeliner in that picture!Sorry, I got sidetracked there for a minute. As I was saying, my two PCs pretty much gave up the ghost, and I finally decided that it would be much more cost effective, not to mention time-efficient to just get a new computer instead of sitting around filing my nails while waiting

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-35770042643825589462007-12-04T14:11:00.000-08:002007-12-04T14:17:26.721-08:00

I went to an antique store today to do some holiday shopping and found the lunch box I had when I was in second grade. At first I thought it was a really cool find, then I thought. Hey, wait a cotton-picking second there. --Kelly

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-50112599003137049032007-11-21T08:36:00.000-08:002007-11-21T08:50:00.903-08:00

I haven't blogged in quite a while and now I feel like I have to play catch up. I don't know why, but I've had a few blogworthy events or ancedotes and because I didn't get around to blogging them, I feel like I'm behind and that my next blog has to be really good. This happens to me with other things too. Like I'll owe someone an email for so long that I feel like I can't just dash off a two

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-31466466547700482322007-11-18T06:25:00.000-08:002007-11-18T06:47:27.229-08:00

I don't believe for one minute his name was Eric. Not that it really matters. The customer service stank and that was that.My Vonage phone service cut out this week, sending me into a four day tizzy. I have never had such abysmal customer service--and if you know me, you'll know I'm not the type to get quickly outraged over something like that. I actually (gasp) raised my voice to the third

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-56915933186168897282007-11-10T08:42:00.000-08:002007-11-10T08:45:27.045-08:00

Operation Candy Corn: the target has been neutralized. At around 1800 hours yesterday evening, an elite unit located the target at a Rite Aid store in Southern California. Officers proceeded to escort the subject out of the store and into a vehicle. Target "Candy Corn" is in a safe house awaiting extradition to New Zealand, where local authorities will take over.--Melanie

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-9818155178538827432007-11-08T21:55:00.001-08:002007-11-08T22:00:36.117-08:00

Okay, I'm still laughing about three quarter century craptastic. I'm going to take every opportunity to say and type that phrase. Because it makes me LOL. That's just the late-nineties kinda gal I am IMHO.Anyhoo...I baked some brownies today. No, I do not have a real oven yet (we are mid-redo.) But I do have an Easy Bake oven. Mmmmm, nothin' says lovin' like a miniature little brownie

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-24716595221689050852007-11-08T15:31:00.000-08:002007-11-08T13:37:53.861-08:00

Has anyone seen the blog with the pictures from a 1977 JC Penney's catalog? It's complete with funny comments. You have to check it out. As for me, I kind of like this dining room set. I could totally see it in our family room. Instead of Mid-Century Modern, I think I'll call the decorating scheme - Three Quarter Century Craptastic!--Kelly

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-46133015373512818652007-11-07T08:23:00.000-08:002007-11-07T08:48:29.483-08:00

Unlike Melanie, I am nervous about the writer's strike. I've become addicted to Heroes. Last season was amazing, and while this season didn't start off quite as good it's really picked up and plus Nathan Petrelli is a total hottie now. At least I still have my nonscripted shows to fall back on. Namely Survivor and A Shot at Love. For those of you not familar with the latter, it follows Tila

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-2380684692939048822007-11-06T13:58:00.000-08:002007-11-06T14:31:50.318-08:00

There's something kind of funny about the to-do over the Writer's Strike. I'm probably missing something, but it's just hard to get worked up over it. I mean, what's the worst case scenario? Day 4: In New York City people take to the streets demanding that Tina Fey write new jokes. The National Guard is called in.Day 14: Management brings in scabs. Split infinitives and dangling participles

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-42147152033438287802007-11-05T07:05:00.000-08:002007-11-05T07:59:04.949-08:00

This weekend we didn't do anything nearly as classy as going to a symphony. Instead we decided to take advantage of one of the last not exactly warm, but not freezing days left in the year. We went to the zoo. It was one of our better trips. My daughter really wanted to see the giraffes (her favorite) so we waked through the Africa exhibit. All was very cool and interesting until we came to

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-14987961439069753072007-11-04T21:19:00.001-08:002007-11-04T21:39:16.182-08:00

I thought all had gone well with our latest parenting genius idea, until I sat down at my desk and found the note reading "ROBBER!" in my eldest daughter's handwriting.Inspired by a story I read about a local dentist who is buying back Halloween candy at a dollar a pound, and giving out toothbrushes and raffle tickets to seal the deal, my husband and I decided to try the same ploy.All seemed to

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-11847393747622299102007-11-03T14:39:00.000-07:002007-11-03T15:14:01.641-07:00

I thought the fat lady had sung after the encore with John Williams conducting the Star Wars theme, while dressed in a jacket inspired by the Venezuelan flag. But that was just the beginning. By the end, the players were taking off their clothes and throwing them into the audience like rock stars. Okay, well, maybe it was just the jackets, but still.The place: Walt Disney Concert Hall, a space

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-71479199996296970112007-11-02T06:29:00.000-07:002007-11-02T07:23:01.269-07:00

I ran into our Rabbi at Costco yesterday. Chatted briefly. Parted ways. Looked down to see I was wearing a Reed College shirt with the unoffical motto: "Atheism, Communism and Free Love." Oops! --Kelly

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-88520184072906162002007-11-01T04:39:00.001-07:002007-11-01T04:55:42.470-07:00

When I read about the new treadmill desk, I couldn't help thinking that it was a joke. I thought I saw this when I watched Modern Times in my freshman Intro to Film class, but maybe it was from a take-off of Charlie Chaplin on The Flintstones or The Jetsons or some other cartoon. Can anybody help me on that one? Beuller? Bueller?--Kelly

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-38821413661074601012007-10-30T06:56:00.000-07:002007-10-30T07:00:23.187-07:00

It ain't pretty when it's coming back up, but after the dust settles, it has amazing restorative powers.Our house has been the place of disease and pestilence for the past two days, but this morning, when given the choice between having Cocoa Puffs plus going to school vs. Healthy Cereal X and staying home another day, guess what my second daughter chose?Hallelujah, she's goin' to school!--Melanie

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-4057519517381240742007-10-28T10:46:00.000-07:002007-10-28T10:56:32.567-07:00

I can't believe I'm becoming one of those women. Yesterday, quite unintenionally I called our server..."Honey." As in, "Thank you Honey," after she took our order. I didn't even realize I did it until my husband said, "Did you just call her honey?" OMG. I used to always think it was so affected when women would call strangers that, but now I realize that it is such a habit from calling both

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-39714455370501082152007-10-26T10:53:00.000-07:002007-10-26T11:17:26.702-07:00

I would have completely forgotten about the Facebook account I signed up for--I think I originally did it because I wanted to see comments someone had written about our tee shirts(not the one in the picture at left!) But then the friend requests started trickling in.Now, you have to understand: I only have three Facebook friends. But the growth was positively explosive this week: a staggering

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-44370112951365949242007-10-25T10:28:00.000-07:002007-10-25T11:35:29.588-07:00

I got a free sample of $250 an ounce eye cream. Normally I use Clinique or lately, after reading the article in the New York Times about how drugstore brands are just as good as the expensive stuff, Neutrogena. So I was excited to see if it was really true. After using the Orlane Hypnotherapy religuously day and night (which is a step up, since I normally only use my eye cream in the AM) I think

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-40212831202302274952007-10-24T10:35:00.000-07:002007-10-24T10:46:12.799-07:00

I wuv my new iPhone. It almost makes turning 40 seem not so bad. Actually, I only say that because it's the expected thing: the turning forty gripe, not worshipping at the altar of the iPhone. Although, that's expected too, I suppose.And with good reason. I now can't imagine how I lived without one. And I even had a fancy schmancy touchscreen, internet-surfing phone before.The only problem?

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-67671237499213465922007-10-23T10:51:00.000-07:002007-10-23T11:33:58.654-07:00

What a month it has been! My dad and his girlfriend came to visit. My dad is very handy and fixed somethings around the house for us. Most notably, he replaced the rubber part on our threshold and put weatherstipping on the doors so hopefully this winter our downstairs will be a little warmer than in years past. We have a split level and while the living room will be a toasty 72, the kitchen/

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-81342298102235213112007-09-22T09:17:00.000-07:002007-09-22T10:14:34.912-07:00

Last December my husband and I decided to join a temple. Thus, this is the first Yom Kippur we've not exactly celebrated, more like observed. I am in hour 16 of a 25 hour fast. I still have to feed the kids and I almost wept smelling the leftover spaghetti and meatballs reheating in the microwave. Even worse then food is the lack of water and...coffee! To give that some perspective for you

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-50337315487423022752007-09-15T10:39:00.000-07:002007-09-15T10:58:11.591-07:00

Talk about a serious wakeup call. How about hearing your four year old singing, "I'm a Barbie Girl, in a Barbie wo-o-orld. You can brush my hair, undress me anywhe-e-re...life in plastic, it's fantastic...*"? Or your nine year old singing, "I'm flying first class, up in the sky, popping champage, living the life...in the fast lane...*"Yes. I need to eliminate my secret vice: I'm a shameless pop

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-49303614818836065092007-09-11T15:10:00.000-07:002007-09-11T15:16:01.524-07:00

I've been a bit AWOL and lax at blogging lately. I blame it on the beginning of school. I signed up to be a room mom for my son's class and my daughter's kindergarten and kindergarten enrichment class. I never dreamed I would be selected for all three. So I'm sure I'll be super busy for the beginning of this month anyway until I can delegate some of this stuff out! Until then I'll use this

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-50066062872640109522007-08-30T05:54:00.000-07:002007-08-30T06:00:11.017-07:00

There is just something wrong about having to read a manual to figure out how to operate your new coffee maker. After days of wondering and worrying about the weird elongated plastic piece in the water receptacle (Is it supposed to be there? Will it leach toxic chemicals if I leave it there while the water is heating? Why are there mysterious, crop-circle-like holes?), I finally decided to RTFM.

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-71112736114609264992007-08-26T07:37:00.000-07:002007-08-26T07:58:08.312-07:00

Oh, thank heaven. Finally. Lists are "in."In my family, it's considered a sort of family disease. However, an article in today's NY Times Style section makes list-making sound practically like the hippest thing since the iPhone (the article even cleverly includes the author's to-do list embedded in the text--actually quite revealing for those of us interested in writing and the structure thereof

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-10823983863482385482007-08-23T06:00:00.000-07:002007-08-23T06:15:59.206-07:00

Dear Steven Jobs,You would think that after I had forwarded past Sarah McLachlan's "Ice Cream" a few gazillion times, my iPod could somehow learn that I really don't want to hear that song ever again. Couldn't you and your brilliant team of software engineers use some kind of fuzzy logic protocol to learn my music preferences? Think of the potential! It could be called the smart iPod. I don't

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-47061247160810623372007-08-22T06:10:00.001-07:002007-08-22T06:20:53.846-07:00

In October, I'll celebrate reaching the milestone of four decades on this earth. Not that I'm complaining--life has a way of offering up tragedies that make you suddenly start to think damn, these wrinkles aren't so bad. But this isn't a tragedy blog. It's a comedy, so I want to tell you about what I'll be doing to celebrate my birthday...at the Ritz.Don't you just love the sound of that? It's

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-23840981921614280682007-08-07T06:51:00.000-07:002007-08-07T06:57:28.447-07:00

While getting my hair cut over the weekend, I tossed out the following conversational gambit:"We're really excited to go see the Pretenders next week."Long pause, while the two young ladies working on my tresses (Late twenties, mid-thirties) look around blankly, obviously desperately trying to think of something to say that won't hurt my feelings."Ummmm. I know I've heard of them, but who are

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-37265141178980782782007-08-06T22:07:00.000-07:002007-08-06T22:16:50.272-07:00

Me: (brushing teeth) Gawd, last night I had the weirdest dream--it was about narwhals.Hubby: Whoa, that's weird: I dreamt about whales too. What's a narwhal?Me: You know...a whale with a horn. At least, I think that's what it is.Hubby: Wait a minute. The whales in my dream had horns, too! Me: You've gotta be kidding. Who dreams about narwhals?Hubby: Evidently us. It must have been something from

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-62682417942348593892007-08-01T15:46:00.000-07:002007-08-01T16:12:23.599-07:00

We're just back from a trip to Gold Country in Northern California, where we pretty much did it all. Big Trees? Check. Trip 1800 feet into an active gold mine? Check. Stay overnight at a historic hotel where the bathrooms are down the hall and the saggy mattresses haven't been upgraded since 1849? Check. Panning for eensy weensy gold nuggets? Check.Actually the gold nuggets were hilarious. You

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-91736802338297429552007-07-20T07:20:00.000-07:002007-07-20T07:35:39.861-07:00

I've broken away from my two new obsessions long enough to write this blog, though I doubt the laundry will get done.The first is The ESP Game. You and an unknown partner look at pictures and try to come up with a word that describes the picture, while avoiding a list of taboo words. Every time you make a match you get a point. The second game is called Phetch in this game you and three other

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-13660422966270068502007-07-10T16:12:00.001-07:002007-07-11T07:24:22.941-07:00

And now, just in time for back to school (okay, it's only July, but if Macy's can do it, so can we)...presenting our latest dual effort--Mind Candy Clothing: Rhinestone Tees for Girls Who Think!And you always wondered what we were doing when we weren't blogging or making fabulous homemade buttah. Now, all your questions will be answered.It all started when our kids began begging us for those glam

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-85563438650833351972007-07-08T11:33:00.000-07:002007-07-08T11:39:16.485-07:00

The other day I found myself with half an hour to kill before picking up my oldest from summer camp. I was footloose and fancy-free (translation: no kids). Great, I thought. I'll get a trashy magazine, plop myself down at Starbuck's and have a nice cup of coffee and a bagel. Perfect.Until I realized I'd left the house without my purse.I had $2.34 rattling around in a plastic baggie in my glovebox

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-44727574023123156712007-07-06T12:04:00.000-07:002007-07-07T16:22:57.852-07:00

Inspired by the simple directions in the Sunday New York Times Magazine section I decided that a fun activity for my camp-free kids would be to make homemade butter.Step 1: Fit your electric mixer with a whisk.No problem. In fact, I bought my Kitchen Aid mixer for the express purpose of making the same coconut cupcakes that Melanie waxed ecstatic about in the blog below.Step 2: Pour the heavy

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-91598293403541086142007-07-04T09:05:00.000-07:002007-07-04T09:18:59.656-07:00

I've had visions, strange visions, ever since my visit to Saint Cupcake in Portland, OR in May. Visions of the most dreamy, creamy, cupcake-y type.My most recent cupcake fantasy was that I would make these delicious Barefoot Contessa coconut cupcakes with my kids, thereby proving for once and for all that I can bake from scratch. Never have my children seen such a thing, but I used to be quite a

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-60854052883103338472007-07-03T06:44:00.000-07:002007-07-03T06:56:35.133-07:00

Just watched the latest installment in the "Up" series of films. You know, the ones starting with "7 Up", where they filmed a bunch of British kids at age seven and then followed up with films every seven years. It's an amazing thing to watch, because it give you such a sense of the passage of time and the transitory nature of any particular phase. There was one comment that really struck home

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-19159368915497720492007-06-29T07:01:00.001-07:002007-06-29T07:04:52.607-07:00

Either my music taste is getting really bad, or Muzak is getting really good. Last month, I blogged about my multiple Feist encounters on Muzak (Urban Outfitters, Lululemon etc.)This month, it was Ben Folds. At Von's! O, what can it all mean?--Melanie

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-80773448046529453832007-06-27T07:20:00.000-07:002007-06-27T07:29:25.780-07:00

People! It was good. Really, really good. Lesson learned: you can make truly tasty sushi at home. We made ebi (shrimp) and tuna nigiri sushi, plus spicy tuna rolls and california rolls. We even had masago (orange smelt eggs) for garnish. And it was all seriously delicious. We have a really good Japanese market nearby, so I look forward to branching out into things like quail eggs and ikura (

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-55482718678779084452007-06-26T01:15:00.001-07:002007-06-26T01:35:11.151-07:00

Finally, after years of kids' birthday parties, my husband and I have learned how to throw a party. Simple: you just send out the invitation and the rest falls into place by the time the designated date arrives.Martha Stewart we are not, but the logic is inescapable.And this is how we wound up inviting twenty or so of our nearest and dearest friends to a sushi-making party scheduled for mid-July.

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-10098484864171014182007-06-25T11:52:00.001-07:002007-06-25T12:18:13.919-07:00

Are you a Norwegian male who is the eldest sibling in your family? Well, good news: scientists have discovered you're smart.That's according to Dr. Petter Kristensen and Dr. Tor Bjerkedal, the authors of a recent study on IQ and birth order. There have been several recent articles on the study--most notably in the New York Times last week. The difference in IQ between older and younger siblings

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-89847248572880703432007-06-19T03:51:00.000-07:002007-06-19T04:35:26.910-07:00

Wow, a lot happens in almost a month - End of school, a new phone, a ballet recital, book club, a trip to Florida, a Philip Glass concert, a visiting relative...I'm not sure why the end of school became so busy for me, but it did. I think because there were so many one off things to my schedule that I had to remember. Lucky for me my old beloved Razr phone died and I got the new Moto Q which

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-28118871618258407372007-06-14T10:31:00.000-07:002007-06-14T12:42:45.751-07:00

How do you spell relief? Um, well, frankly: T-H-E- E-N-D O-F T-H-E B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y S-E-A-S-O-NAll three of my kids have their birthdays between April 28 and June 8. That's a lot of parties all piled up on each other. Plus, this year we had a first communion, and a relentless progression of recitals, talent shows, field trips--not to mention more thank you notes than you could shake a stick at.

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-28814682743705262632007-06-13T06:14:00.000-07:002007-06-13T06:26:09.179-07:00

Holy Cow! It really does work as advertised. I almost fell over when I got my first "order" for a book about an hour after listing it. Within my first day of membership, I unloaded four old books and got the first--and only--book on my "wish list" so far. Sweet! Now I need to spend some time adding books to my list to use all the points I've earned. Any suggestions? I've noticed is that the books

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-33646256446234784772007-06-12T12:25:00.000-07:002007-06-12T12:42:38.287-07:00

What do you do when your used Michael Crichton book is only worth a penny on Amazon used? If you're trying to live up to a New Year's Resolution to maintain a steady state equilibrium in the book department (Books In=Books Out), like I am, you turn to the amazing book trading site, Bookins.com. It's a great idea for people who live in small houses--and good for the planet, too. You enter the ISBN

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-22458364489336884252007-06-04T05:56:00.000-07:002007-06-04T06:05:08.683-07:00

Who knew it was possible to whip up a batch of tasty Viognier in one's garage? After attending a wine bottling party this weekend, now we know: it can be done...and with style. When we were first invited to our friend's party, we weren't quite sure what a wine bottling party would entail--and not even sure how to dress, although in the end we decided to go with clothes that would mesh well with a

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-47283428587916060392007-05-31T06:24:00.000-07:002007-05-31T06:38:22.383-07:00

I had a zillion New Year's Resolutions this year, but I've recently achieved one that was near and dear to my heart--not to mention a seriously long shot...or so I thought. It was to run a 5K distance at 8 min/mile pace, and I feel safe saying it's true after doing it twice now (always a scientist to the end.) The first time it happened, I had a sneaking suspicion the clock was wrong! I've been

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-73317169659440170142007-05-29T15:02:00.000-07:002007-06-01T12:48:39.273-07:00

On our way to walk my son to the bus stop today my daughter cried out, "Look Mommy, a mouse, or a rat or something!" I told her to back away from it as I ran to catch up and see the poor baby opossum shivering on the sidewalk. I scooped it up into a towel in a box and the opossum snuggled in. I was in love.A check on Google however told me that baby possums don't create their own body heat and

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-39193473767103042242007-05-21T12:03:00.000-07:002007-05-21T12:12:57.943-07:00

It was a busy weekend chez Melanie et Kelly. While Melanie was corralling 9 girls into sleeping bags, my girl was going through her own right of passage - getting her ears pierced. We got them done at Little Girl Nirvana aka Claire's Boutique (where my husband also had his ear done, but that is another story). She was incredibly brave and they do both ears at the same time.In other "my

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-51554406922194757362007-05-21T10:24:00.000-07:002007-05-21T10:45:42.755-07:00

This weekend, I summitted yet another parenting mountain. It was challenging, yes. It required an entire team of sherpas to haul all of the necessary items. And, at times, I felt woozy from the oxygen deprivation. That's right, I hosted my first girls' slumber party chez moi!The occasion was my oldest daughter's ninth birthday, and she invited six friends. Together with my three girls, that made

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-36001579716205914452007-05-20T10:29:00.001-07:002007-05-20T10:30:42.286-07:00

Proving my theory (see below) about Feist being the new Muzak, another data point: Urban Outfitters, Friday morning, 10 AM. I love being proven right!--Melanie

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-18992178129569058642007-05-18T07:10:00.000-07:002007-05-18T07:13:42.064-07:00

Things look much better now. My Dad was on a regular hospital ward as of yesterday, and they're expecting to send him home in the next few days. What a scare, but it seems like everything is going to work out fine in the end... --Melanie

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-27871736134008665782007-05-16T22:06:00.000-07:002007-05-16T22:27:08.537-07:00

Asking for lots of good thoughts going out to my Dad, who had a health scare that landed him in the E.R. today. He was in stable condition when my mom emailed earlier, so I am grateful for that. The whole thing was a real shock. My parents have always been a lot younger than my friends' parents, so I never think of them as being anything other than totally young, healthy and just generally

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-30391524126714189422007-05-07T12:23:00.000-07:002007-05-07T14:46:18.674-07:00

I made it safely back from my Portland trip with nary a scratch and the worst thing to happen was an hour delay on the return flight. And don't think that it is a co-ink-ee-dink that Melanie was also travelling via the friendly skies yesterday. That's right - it was the reunion of Isabella Penn. More on our joint adventures later, but I'll recount my solo escapades.It was a very adult weekend.

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-75642812021458918402007-05-06T18:28:00.000-07:002007-05-06T18:38:34.816-07:00

Just back from a trip to my old college stomping grounds, and while there, I picked up one of their signature tee shirts, which includes the old, classic slogan "Communism, Atheism, Free Love"--the hippie radical charm is undeniable, no? And perfectly harmless, right? Especially on someone who is plainly a suburban mom and definitely not a commie.In retrospect, I can say one thing for sure: do

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-18306034544658182652007-05-03T22:06:00.000-07:002007-05-03T22:13:47.573-07:00

This proves it: gone are the days when being heard on Muzak meant you were passé. In the past two days, I've heard Feist at Nordstrom (while waiting for the elevator) and on two separate visits (don't tell my husband) to lululemon. --Melanie

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-24965069496199051232007-05-03T10:26:00.000-07:002007-05-03T10:30:07.817-07:00

You know you're a mom when...you go to put on your deoderant and somehow end up with toothpaste in your armpit. My oldest daughter has been making concoctions in the bathroom, including one called "Minty, Fresh n' Sweet", and I can't help thinking these events are connected somehow.--Melanie

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-1937912486090150732007-05-03T04:42:00.000-07:002007-05-03T13:58:54.578-07:00

1. Full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; greatly worried2. earnestly desirous; eagerTomorrow morning I'm going to do something that I haven't attempted in over seven years - get on a plane by myself. I'm going away for approximately 58 hours, in other words a weekend. On one hand I feel really excited - imagine a plane ride where I can read a book

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-73448103377921432302007-05-02T09:47:00.000-07:002007-05-02T10:07:27.179-07:00

What do Valerie Bertinelli, plastic bags and a pedometer have in common? They are all my latest obsessions. I'm not turning into a celebrity stalker, I promise. It's just that Valerie's new promos for Jenny Craig are so...so...I don't know...but I'm obsessed with them. It practically makes me want to join Jenny Craig, even though I'm not trying to lose weight (although maybe I should be!) I loved

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-71284241394245180312007-05-01T08:06:00.000-07:002007-05-01T08:07:43.130-07:00

Besides various Seussisms (see below) these are the other words that are echoing in my brain after this weekend. My husband and I went to Art Chicago, a huge contemporary art fair held in the Merchandise Mart. (The building by the way is huge. How huge? Big enough for its own zip code.) There were so many incredible pieces of work like the ones from Nicole Cohen, Patrick Hughes, and James

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-30278639693323259882007-04-30T15:13:00.000-07:002007-04-30T15:19:01.755-07:00

I took my kids to see Seussical the Musical on Saturday and I can't get that song out of my head. That's probably the reason that the show on Saturday was our second viewing. It was put on as a four-person performance at our little theater downtown, so we got front row seats baby! Both times!Such a good show, way better than Cats. Far superior to Les Miz. I laughed, I cried. You'd be the

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-10962966615629155652007-04-25T10:43:00.000-07:002007-04-25T11:26:31.165-07:00

Two articles in the NY Times today on the subject of women and work--well, actually one is about why Mommy books don't sell, but it comes back to work, promise.In an Op-Ed piece, Linda Hirshman reports on new labor statistics showing that the number of working, married mothers with preschool children is four percentage points lower than it was ten years ago. This gets back to the whole "opt-out"

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-55989069401468942552007-04-24T01:57:00.000-07:002007-04-24T02:02:57.467-07:00

This No Screens thing is so much harder than I thought it would be. First of all, if you'll notice, I'm up in the middle of the night, trying to get caught up on all the things I couldn't do during the day. I missed an important work e-mail that is going to cause an annoying delay in a project I'm working on. I think I'm passing through Kubler-Ross's five stages of grieving for the loss of my

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-85191483516785785672007-04-23T08:57:00.000-07:002007-04-23T09:12:43.013-07:00

Right now I feel like a nicotine addict, hiding in a smoke-filled bathroom, with the windows open and the fan blasting, as I sneak one last ciggy.It's National TV Turn Off Week and in our house we're doing "No Screens." That means no using the computer for any purposes other than work. I'm allowed to use my laptop during the hours that the kids are in school--hey, a blog can be "work"--anyone

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-80109190547711246452007-04-22T07:13:00.000-07:002007-04-22T07:23:19.508-07:00

"Driving while talking on the cell phone is as dangerous as driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08%. It's a scary thought." So started the copy on this advertisement I found on the back of my personal favorite, People magazine. Oh, hooray, I thought. Finally, a voice of reason. Let's get off the cell phones, people. There's scientific proof that it's not safe--and now a wonderful new campaign

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-34462901539605106892007-04-16T15:13:00.000-07:002007-04-16T15:19:34.952-07:00

I don't know about anyone else, but the hottest thing to hit the playgrounds around here are the "Foohys"--they're monkey-shaped pencil erasers that you snap on the top of your pencil. Except the kids do anything but that with them. Instead, they're a hot collectible and the girls dress them up like little dolls. My daughter has started a Foohy club, of which she's the self-appointed leader. The

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-11834072240575424482007-04-16T08:44:00.000-07:002007-04-16T15:57:32.947-07:00

I blame Melanie. First, for getting me hooked on yet another reality show, then for my kids getting hooked on the website. I am, of course, talking about Top Design the Todd Oldham vehicle that searched high and low (or at least in Chicago, LA, and New York) for the designer that would be crowned Top Designer.Despite my interest in design, the show would probably have escaped my notice had not

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-38046492271711997552007-04-14T08:41:00.000-07:002007-04-14T08:49:43.560-07:00

I'm not invincible, it seems. Not sure exactly what I contracted, but be it virus or microbe, I was beyond sick yesterday. I could barely lift my head to watch TV all day. Yet, somehow, I managed to take in back to back episodes of ER and then several reruns of the reality show "Blow Out" on Bravo, featuring hairstylist Jonathan Antin. That, plus a potent cocktail of Extra-Strength Tylenol,

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-67164518895267328262007-04-12T10:17:00.000-07:002007-04-12T10:25:07.027-07:00

I was turned on to this site from SBDave's blog. Just give them your email and every day they'll send you one cool thing to check out. Like this site that puts puts images to go along with poems being read by their author, Billy Collins.--Kelly

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-20051360568236049792007-04-11T08:54:00.000-07:002007-04-11T09:00:59.172-07:00

I've been beating myself up for the past couple of weeks, or at least feeling awfully guilty. Why wasn't I blogging more, despite my best intentions? Was it some personal failure? A lack of self-discipline? A paucity of anything interesting in my life?No to all of the above. This morning as I sat down to my desk with a large cup of hot coffee (decaf, of course), it hit me. I knew what I had been

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-70664124857018263602007-04-09T08:29:00.000-07:002007-04-09T08:44:55.981-07:00

I would have posted more last week, honest. Except for the fact that, under the guidance of my good friend Katharine, I completely replanted every single flower bed around my house in a two day orgy of horticultural mania.We went to every nursery in town. Some more than once. And there were other petty inefficiencies, such as when I had loaded and unloaded about twenty or thirty bags of mulch,

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-44795192861365741042007-04-02T04:34:00.000-07:002007-04-02T12:19:12.397-07:00

I had a date night on Saturday with my husband. We had a gift card from Morton's that was about to expire (that night as a matter of fact), so we had a delicious corn fed steak before watching a movie about the true cost of the meal. In the vein of Michael Pollan's experiment of buying a steer and following it through the food chain, two college friends rent an acre of land in Iowa to see where

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-43132771585281815502007-03-30T18:07:00.000-07:002007-03-30T18:17:56.504-07:00

Surprise, surprise, getting drunk can be a good thing for some intellectual endeavors. The April issue of Esquire magazine had the most fascinating article that I was reading on the plane to Mexico (and can I just take a moment to say how much I love this magazine--and yes, I know it's intended for men, but I can't help it. I'm subscribing.)Anyway, this article was an investigation on the effects

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-34987538137472071652007-03-28T03:10:00.000-07:002007-03-28T03:25:27.894-07:00

It's true what they say. You really can rediscover yourself while on vacation. My husband and I celebrated 10 years of wedded bliss in Mexico over four days this past weekend by drinking Pina Coladas, snorkeling, lounging by the pool and generally relaxing. It was our first trip sans kids, and I can sum up my self-discovery with this ad jingle you may remember from the 80's: "Cheese, glorious

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-75788824693571797212007-03-26T05:14:00.000-07:002007-03-26T05:57:12.754-07:00

Hubby was away this weekend, so I took the opportunity to finally view two of my Netflix choices that I knew he would hate. Friday brought me Bad Education. A subtitled (strike one by hubby) film noir (strike two) with male sex scenes (strike three, especially because we saw Shortbus last weekend which had a particular use of the yoga plow position that I won't get into here). Pedro Almodovar

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-65598061788634429202007-03-22T10:37:00.000-07:002007-03-22T11:00:38.664-07:00

For only $1999.00 you can own this laundry mangler by Miele, available in the latest Williams-Sonoma catalog.I don't know if it's just me, but there is something really freaky about this picture. The only phrase that can really do it justice is "fetishization of modern suburban womanhood," don't you agree? Either that or "The Warden assigned me to laundry duty for smuggling GMO free muffins in my

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-490587451810036572007-03-21T10:25:00.000-07:002007-03-21T10:32:25.875-07:00

In the midst of doing eleventy million things at once this morning, I thought it'd be nice to listen to something light and easy on Pandora. Something like smooth jazz that wouldn't interfere with my bajillion speakerphone calls. But how to best generate such a station, without any time to dedicate to the task?Quelle Horreur: I found myself typing "Popsicle Toes"--the Michael Franks version,

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-87164437312082649372007-03-18T09:01:00.000-07:002007-03-18T09:24:44.531-07:00

I usually don't watch a lot of commercials. I either watch Voom HD shows (The Gallery channel is my favorite) or I use my DVR and fast forward button. Today, however, I was flipping through the channels and decided to watch Ebert and Roper. They reviewed Maxed Out directed by a Mr. Scurlock, which I just found out as I added the link to Maxed out. I had thought it was Morgan Spurlock. See

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-27996731352462768222007-03-14T09:00:00.000-07:002007-03-14T09:06:19.915-07:00

Is there something wrong with me? I saw these leggings in the American Apparel store, and I can't get them out of my mind. Isn't there some occasion for which they'd be appropriate? Driving carpool, perhaps? Step aerobics class? Silent auction fundraiser on Friday night? The St. Patrick's day bash we're going to on Saturday?I know, I know. It's not having these urges that's wrong. It's the

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-24859039941024530392007-03-12T12:36:00.000-07:002007-03-12T12:42:32.164-07:00

Sixty degrees and finally sun, shining to put the past two weeks of death and sickness into the shadowy recesses of memory.--Kelly

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-17617366684342285312007-03-12T09:41:00.000-07:002007-03-12T10:47:44.628-07:00

It might have been the early hour, or the fact that I've been drinking only decaf for months now.It might have been an alien taking over my body and forcing me to think evil thoughts. I'll take any explanation if it allows me to deny the thought that flickered through my mind as stood in line waiting to sign up my daughter for after-school classes.This is how it went:"Hmmm. I wonder what I should

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-80420978598770373532007-03-09T09:24:00.000-08:002007-03-09T09:26:51.590-08:00

Me: (sniff) What's that scent?Him: Uh, I dunno.Me: It's Natalie! Did you put something on her?Him: Oh yeah, some of that lotion. She had dry skin.Me: (suspiciously sniffing again) Which lotion exactly?Him: The one in the brown bottle in the bathroom.Me: (incredulous) You mean the self-tanner?! You put self-tanner on my baby!Him: Er..............................-Melanie

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-15251522403116301162007-03-07T09:53:00.000-08:002007-03-07T09:59:43.003-08:00

For weeks, I've been lamenting the demise of my garden. I knew I had been neglectful through the long winter, but it was getting ridiculous. Everything was dying. But when I say lamenting, I mean it in a very half-hearted way. Let's just say the thought would flicker through my mind for about five nanoseconds every time I walked to and from the car. "Gee, the yard really looks terrible today..."

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-23303857564367556742007-03-06T06:28:00.000-08:002007-03-06T06:37:46.581-08:00

After finally getting back from the not so fun week in Florida (see below), then throwing a birthday party for 20 boys at bowling alley (much better than last year's fiasco of trying do to it home. We figured the bowling alley would be the perfect place - you can't break the ball, can't break the floor, heck you can't even break the record - though one boy who shall remain nameless gave the

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-15710180486332227542007-03-02T09:20:00.000-08:002007-03-02T09:31:32.439-08:00

That's always what she wanted to be called. Not Mom, which I would have been uncomfortable with given the relationship with my own mom, and NEVER Mrs. Streit - she was always Patti to all that knew her. Except for my kids of course who lovingly called her Grandma Pancake. She was such an accepting person and I felt at home with her the first time I ever met her.She was so happy when Barry and

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-51271421000431495792007-03-01T09:27:00.000-08:002007-03-01T09:45:31.698-08:00

There's a fascinating article by Emily Nussbaum in NY Mag about how the internet has changed our notions of privacy. It's not exactly news that kids today are comfortable with levels of exposure that would have been incomprehensible to past generations. But the article goes beyond that with a thoughtful analysis of how, why and when this shift occured.Also intriguing: the point that perhaps this

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-49310970333731112432007-02-26T09:12:00.000-08:002007-02-26T09:22:54.374-08:00

A sick and twisted truth of life that I've recently discovered: if you buy something at one of those discount stores, like Ross or Tuesday Morning, the amount of man hours spent scraping off the uber-sticky price stickers will cancel out any savings you might have realized at the cash register.Seriously, why do those places use such incredibly adhesive price stickers? It's downright sadistic.

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-77907880979483032672007-02-23T07:51:00.000-08:002007-02-23T08:01:06.682-08:00

Excuse me while I turn on every light bulb in my house and make several needless trips to Costco. I'm entitled, according to an opinion piece in the NY Times today. Thanks to California's aggressive energy policies, the typical Californian uses a third less energy than the average American, less than 60 percent electricity and accounts for only 55 percent as much carbon dioxide.They say baby

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-29449861668658632922007-02-22T08:52:00.000-08:002007-02-22T09:03:38.177-08:00

We've heard about DNA and genes in forensics, biology, and--going way back when--in those specials we used to watch on Nova. Well, now the concept of a genome is being applied to something that's actually useful in everyday life.It happens on my new favorite internet radio site: Pandora, which uses a computer algorithm to assign each artist or song to a "musical genome," (e.g. according to

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13654318.post-69018752198499223402007-02-21T09:26:00.000-08:002007-02-21T09:42:23.259-08:00

Can I just say how happy I am about a few things. No, not having to enter an e-mail address every time I want to get into Blogger (that's probably my only complaint, since my computer "remembers" me under another address by default.) What I really love are the little things. Like, say, the fact that when people click on our profile, it actually updates the number of visits--which it hasn't done

Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15966576446519872505noreply@blogger.com1