Playdate

Liz was Right, She Knows Everything

Good music in advertising. Liz already wrote about this here.

I love this one (The Ting Tings), I don't care what the commercial is for (ipod). It's the perfect soundtrack for buttering a bagel...

It kind of reminds of Motorcrash or F***ing in Rhythm & Sorrow. Did anybody else like the Sugarcubes? "The biggest group ever to emerge out of Iceland." Really? The biggest? Life's Too Good is the only one I have much of a recollection of - I just bought it off itunes. I wonder if it stood the test of time. Or will help me butter a bagel any faster. The saxaphone on Motorcrash reminds me a bit of a John Hughes movie, so we'll see.

My kids asked me to download New Soul by Yael Naim (Macbook Air). She's cool. Liz probably already knows that she did a cover a Toxic (Britney). Interesting. They also requested Run the Show by Kat DeLuna. They made me do it. But it's also a good song for buttering, and other things as well, I imagine.

Love This

Hope you do too!

(This is Princess Superstar, btw.)

Solar powered WHAT?!

The Japanese have engineered a solar powered BRA.

I'm speechless.

(And you know that rarely happens.)

Schnitzel mit Noodle

May 12th and it's windy, rainy and something like 37 degrees outside (slight exaggeration).

Oh well, good excuse to cook something. I chose a recipe for Schnitzel by Nigella Lawson. Specifically Schnitzel with Bacon and White Wine.

Mmmmm. Bacon. White Wine. A few of my favorite things.

I LOVE t-ball

...actually, no, I don't.

But I'm taking one for the team.

No question, a 5 year old in a baseball uniform wearing a helmet the size of a hybrid car is cuter than all the puppies in the world combined.  Absolutely, it's a great sport for the kids to learn teamwork, get eye-hand/feet coordination, and have fun.  And yes, I am loving the Kodak moments.  But when my husband signed up to be an assistant coach, that automatically signed me up for this commitment.  Let me tell you that running around getting to practice, games, photo shoots, I don't know - championship tournaments, with both kids and gear is not fun.  I don't even get to watch the games cuz I'm making sure Owen's not getting into trouble.  Sure I'm chatting with other parents but they are also watching the younger siblings of players. 

Rob and Ethan are having great fun together.  So if anyone asks, I will say through gritted teeth, "I love T-ball."

      

Happy Mother's Day

I hope you all had a great day.

Had to get gas last night ...

HOLY. FUCKING. SHIT.

A Book to Read

I read The Book of Dahlia last week. It's hard to recommend a book about an angry and depressed woman who's diagnosed with a brain tumor. I'm not even sure you can enjoy a book like that. But I couldn't put it down and I've been thinking about it a lot since I read it.

If anyone has or does read, let me know what you thought of it.

Composting? Me?

   

I guess I'm feeling guilty about all those disposable diapers we use.  I definitely feel bad about that summer I spent driving without a destination JUST to get my kids to nap.  It could also be my compulsive nature.  Recently, I decided to start composting.  I know.  Me, with my quick gag reflex.  Me, a self-professed city girl..composting? I know.  (Okay, so technically I've lived in the 'burbs for nine years.)  But I really want to give it a try. 

Last year, we had great success with our vegetable garden. 

  This year, I am planning a second bed.  Rob already moved some of our bushes around to make room in our yard.   It's very exciting.  (Yes, sadly, these are the things that bring me thrills.)  My kids love helping to water the plants and pick the vegetables off the stems.  My mom is also happy that I have taken such an interest.  She grew up on a farm and she has an amazing green thumb.  The woman can grow vegetables and plants in any container on her balcony in Queens.  ANY container.  I saw her growing scallions in a lasagna pan!!

So with my first vegetable garden under my belt, I felt I could move onto more things.  I had gotten a kitchen scrap container and box of BioBags from my MIL for Christmas (don't ask) so it seemed like a good time to try my hand at composting.

These BioBags are made of CORN and they biodegrade!  How cool is that?  Science is sexy.  No? 

Within three days we had filled one bag with kitchen scraps!  Think of all the trash we're NOT sending to the landfill!  But, Oh Crap!  I forgot about a composter!  Rookie mistake.

After a bit of web research and some advice from local moms, I found this unit to fit our needs.  The Eco-Cycle Base Tumbler.  Sounds impressive, right?

I can't wait for it to arrive.  (Perhaps it's complusive consumerism?)  No really, I AM excited to start my new "project" and I DO need to put these biobags somewhere.  I will say that even with rotting food inside, my kitchen doesn't reek.  Very impressive.  I heart BioBags. 

Sometimes I feel like I'm being guilted by the media into being "Green".  And some of this stuff can be really expensive.  It takes green to be green.  In the end, I feel like it's a good thing to do and just one more small step towards the bigger cause.

Wish me luck with the composting.  I hope I can produce some nutrient rich compost for my garden, for my mom's garden...and maybe yours.

A Good Patient

We had to schedule an emergency surgery today.

In a bizarre accident an ear was severed from Max, Ethan's animal friend.

Without anethesia, he was mended.  What a trooper. 

Our good patient is recovering nicely.