The Odd Couple

I saw two books on the floor in the playroom and asked Chris about them. He replied that Lila and Ada each wanted a book. "This is what they picked."

Since neither Ada nor Lila can really read, I am sure Lila was attracted to the Heimel book by the heels. Both girls are really into heels right now. Did Ada choose the Gogol because she has a thing for Russian writers or for herringbone?

The perfect stroller I can't afford

You know how sometimes you go wandering blog to blog, looking for something or someone entertaining or interesting? I did that this week, and wandered over to a mother of twins in Canada. She is giving away a beautiful, lovely, heart-stoppingly expensive stroller, a Bumbleride Indie Twin.

Let's face it, even when I am not in the middle of a 6 month leave from work, an almost $700 stroller is not in the cards for me. But if I could win it? That would be nice. So in a vain attempt to win this stroller, I am blogging about it. This is a little embarrassing to me, but it is a measure of how much I would like to win this. So there, we've found my price, huh? Did I mention it comes in orange? Sigh.

Embarrassment aside, here is a link to the giveaway.

Random Quote and Unrelated Photo of the Week

"Let's just put it this way, he says. "There is a very large demand for eyelash enhancement."

John Mack, Pharma Marketing News

Thank Goodness it Wasn't Raining

The wood delivery truck arrived

and to Ada's delight, dumped a cord of wood in our driveway.

She was more excited to help than seems reasonable

Ian and our pal Juniper didn't actually help move the wood out of the driveway, but she is so beautiful I had to include this shot (and she did do a lot of dinner prep that night)

Untweeted

I have a twitter account. I don't use it much, because I don't have a desk job or an iPhone. (Okay, I HAVE a desk job, but I won't be at it for another month.)  But the other day I thought, "things must be getting better. I cleaned a toilet for the first time in 7 months." Then I thought, I would tweet that, if I wasn't cleaning the bathroom. Some of the other things that I would have tweeted recently if I had been near the computer when the thoughts occurred to me:

Who set the rule that at least one of the 5 of us must be crying at all times?

care.com is better than craigslist for finding a nanny. but is it $30 better?

Am I the only one who gets a name or phrase stuck in her head for a day, only to have it replaced by some other word the next?

Ian thinks it is hilarious when I mock his crabby cries. Good to know.

Who keeps googling "scroti rhode island" and finding me? What is that about?*

I told Chris we should keep the temp cooler in the evenings, but now I'm cold.

Whenever I read a post about some newly potty-trained kid my stomach does a sad flip-flop.

Keeping the leftover Halloween candy in the freezer is no impediment to me eating it all. 

Is it terrible that I want to hire someone because they said two kids were "as different as chalk and cheese"?

Ada and I have been talking about trees a lot lately. 

Writing this post is making me wonder "so why didn't I just post these to twitter?"


*I figured it out. Rhode Island School of Design's mascot. 

Halloween is for Suckers (and Peanut Butter Cups)

Despite my concern that people would mistake her home-made ghost costume for a bride costume, no one asked her if she was getting married. (Maybe it was the blue felt letters spelling BOO! I sewed to her skirt.)

Onward, to CANDY!

Predictably, by the end of the night Ada had shed her costume. She did it bit by bit, handing pieces to her grandmother and me as we walked the neighborhood in search of sugar. Yet another reason I am glad I didn't make her a traditional, one piece, over the head ghost costume. In any case, by the time we headed home she looked like this:

Note the sugar-fueled twirling around every pole on the street. Whee! Impressively, there was no sugar-meltdown. Ada enjoyed the special treat of getting tucked in to be by her grandmother, and we heard not a peep of complaint as the sugar left her system. Even better, at about 7:30 I got a text from Ellen noting that things were well with my other favorite sugar fiend: "Monkey Boy has not vomited yet." So all around, a successful Halloween.

Oh, and Mira and Ian's first Halloween passed as I would have predicted: they enjoyed being carted around to the neighborhood pre-trek party, got cranky, drank some milk and went to sleep. Who could ask for more?

Heavy, for skeletons

Happy Birthday Motherwoman

Just a little electronic love for my pal Mother-Woman, who is celebrating the anniversary of her birth today. I may not have it together enough to send her a real card, but it is the thought that counts, right?

Happy birthday Mo! I am so glad to know you.