We're SWELL

Superman, I'm Not

2010-06-01T09:47:00.020-04:00

Post by Evan

On a recent trip to an amusement park, I got to experience a brand new type of feeling on a thrill ride. Panic! This is not a normal emotion for me. I truly love roller coasters and their kin (see previous post, Fear Factor). From my early days at Disneyland in Southern California rides like the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Space Mountain have always excited me.

I love to try new things in general (food, music, etc.), so when given the chance to try a new type of roller coaster in which you "fly" like Superman in a horizontal position with outstretched arms and nothing below you, I knew I wanted to go for it. (See image above for a depiction.)

Luckily I have a daughter who is fearless in this category as well. Since she was the only one of my three children tall enough to ride, I separated from the rest of the family to sneak away and enjoy it with her. We made our way over to the entrance where we saw no one in line. We ran up to the front only to find the ride was closed. (This should have been an omen in retrospect.) They said it would be open shortly so we walked over to another ride that had no line. Upon return, we were number three in line. Score!

As Sophia and I ran up to our moving car, we were required to jump up, climb a small ladder, grab some handholds, and situate our heads on a chin-rest. Once nestled in, the ride operators came in from behind and locked us down in an elongated clamshell to keep us in place. Now secured, we cruised forward along the track where a mechanical guide transitioned our cages from vertical to horizontal "flying" position.

Adrenaline began to flow as were pushed into the spiral elevator that takes you to the top. About twenty seconds later we reached the top where we saw a lot of open space below us in that split second before you launch. The downward plunge made my stomach give that traditional funny feeling you get when you're falling. We immediately went into a horizontal loop (which I had no idea was coming) and I was completely disoriented. A few more twists and turns brought us up to the secondary apex of the track where upon making the turn and orienting for the next drop, I heard a loud "clack" and felt a sharp pain in my chest.

I finally realized that the ride had literally "hit the brakes." We were completely stopped. In the process of that sudden stop all my body weight shifted forward and smashed against my hat and sunglasses that I had stashed there upon request of the ride operators. Ow! I assumed that there was a temporary delay and waited there for the ride to resume, taking in the limited view I had while hanging there.

After the passage of about 2 minutes, I got the feeling that were more than just delayed. I announced my suspicions to Sophia who seemed pretty amused by the whole thing. She pointed out the car below us that was further into the ride that had applied its "emergency" brakes on a 45-degree bank turn. It did look kind of funny to see others' legs hanging out from behind. I began to become a little annoyed at this point. I wondered how long we would have to be here. It was also at this point I started to become uncomfortable in the apparatus suspending me.

Had I not tried to adjust my position, I would have never realized that I was pinned from behind. But as soon as my butt and shoulders touched the cage that was keeping me in place, it was all over. The sheer panic of claustrophobia hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks! I took several deep breaths and tried to use logic to calm myself down, but about thirty seconds later I found found myself uncontrollably shouting for help.

This is where it all got fuzzy. The rational brain processes went out the window. I remember shouting something to the effect of "You don't understand! I have to get out of here!" and also a couple of choruses of "Help!" I vaguely remember them talking to me on a bullhorn and asking me if I was all right. I gave the thumbs down sign. They told me someone was coming to get me.

The last time I had a major claustrophobia attack was in an MRI machine which I'm told I almost broke as I clawed my way out. I hearkened back to that unfortunate event, and it amplified my feelings of being trapped. I didn't want to cry but the urge was definitely there. It was at this point I asked Sophia to hold my hand. I couldn't see her face, but I could see her arm. We linked fingers and I truly did feel better.

I watched yet another stranded car lower on the ride as the rescue crew climbed up to them. The engineers helped the passengers down to the platform below. I now felt hope, but I had wished they had gotten me first. About 8-10 minutes later, a man wearing a tie with a walkie-talkie clipped to his belt appeared in front of me. I had reached the point where I had calmed down, but was pretty ecstatic when he arrived. I couldn't see anything, but I felt him jump onto the carriage, heard a click then heard him directing Sophia how to crawl backward. Didn't they know I was the one who needed to get out?!

My turn arrived shortly after that. I climbed backward onto the horizontal ladder, the jumped down to the platform over which were were stranded. I was still pretty whacked but remember the chief engineer and an assistant trying to calm me down. The assistant climbed down onto the service ladder (the top of which can be seen attached the leftmost support beam surrounded by a cage). He told Sophia to follow him down.

After they were half way down, the main engineer asked me to follow him. The only thing I really remember about the climb was the 3-foot jump I had to make from the bottommost rung to the ground. (I vaguely remember babbling on the way down. I think I even apologized for inconveniencing them. Go figure.)

A park ranger and a police officer met me at the bottom. They made sure I was OK and walked me underneath the ride over to a service staircase where I found Sophia there waiting for me with a big smile. The park manager was there too, a kind-faced woman who made sure we weren't hurt, and later told us to follow another employee to Guest Services where I assumed they were going to debrief us.

Once we arrived there we just stood in front of the window. I then realized that Liz probably wondered where I was. I pulled out the cell phone and saw that I had all manner of missed calls, voicemails and texts. My battery was low so I thought a quick text would at least let her know we were OK. I then heard my name being called. She was about 30 feet away from me trying to get my attention as the park employee was guiding us to the window. Turns out they wanted to give us free passes and that was it. (Better than kick in the pants, right?)

I joined Liz and explained the whole thing. I'm sure I was visibly shaken and she was quite understanding. I realized then the amazing fortitude and emotional strength my daughter, Sophia, had shown during the crisis. She was a real star throughout the whole ordeal. She helped me get through my personal hell by keeping me talking while we were stuck. I owe her! Thank you, baby!

It looks like my adventure to fly like Superman was not meant to be in the end. I got a brief taste of soaring, but ultimately ended up getting a dose of Kryptonite instead. Life is like that sometimes. Will it deter me from trying it again? Probably not.

Oh my Birthday!

2010-05-04T22:58:00.003-04:00

My birthday was one of those extra special days this year. Ask me why and I won't be able to give you an answer but I had a near perfect day and week! Facebook might have had something to do with it as I was shrouded in lots of birthday love and wishes there. I had so many people go out of their way to wish me well and check in. That's all I need. Thanks for the fun and memories and all of the lunches and flowers and presents and mostly the phone calls and notes and texts and cards. 39 was easy and I'm looking forward to 40! xoxo

LUKE!

2010-04-13T14:33:00.003-04:00

Luke is really coming into his own. Lately he is all about the color pink and anything to do with balls. While we were picking out Sophia's softball stuff at Modell's yesterday, he insisted on this pink batting helmet (and Sophia chose metallic blue, go figure!), you know the one with the hole in the back for the pony tail. It was too cute. I had to snap a picture! Luckily, we avoided tantrum #569 for the day by offering a gumball from the machine by the checkout.

.25 gumball vs. $63.49 for all of this gear! One more point for TEAM mom!

Male Bonding: Winter!

2009-12-28T12:55:00.004-05:00

I hope there are many more days like this one. All 3 loving it. Ski on!

Santa 2009

2009-12-22T22:29:00.003-05:00

For Family Night, we took the kids to their long awaited trip to have a talk with Santa. I was so impressed with Luke running up to him and eager to have a chat. Sophia and Wesley closely followed behind and this cute Santa gave them a window of time that was just their own with no respect to the line behind us. He was very endearing. Thanks Santa! See you in a few days....we hope! ;-)

Merry Christmas 2009!

2009-12-19T19:19:00.026-05:00

Welcome to our virtual Christmas Card:

(This isn't our 2009 Christmas Card, it's the runner up but I love it the same!)

2009 is on its way out! It was an eventful year and here are some of the highlights:

Evan worked hard toward achieving a goal of competing in his first sprint triathlon:

Wesley lost his first tooth:

and started Kindergarten

(with his bffs Henry & Tyler)

Sophia traveled to Texas for the first time to visit her best friend Halle Kate

and got to do another solo trip to Utah and California to be with cousins

and then when she turned 8 she was baptized!

She continues to have supermodel aspirations and poses anytime there is a camera in her direction.

Luke has finally learned to say a few sentences, started school, taught himself how to somersault and knows how to work the microwave, car remote, camera and most iPhone apps with Jelly Car and Lightsaber being his favorites.

Oh and one more thing on Luke. He renamed everyone in our family:

Saw, Essie and Ook...priceless!

Liz travelled extensively through the espousal/goodness of her flight attendant cousin and enjoyed spending time with helping her mom a lot out in Utah, throwing her a 70th birthday party, and visiting other friends scattered across the US. We love JetBlue!

Liz also turned herself into a vintage lunch lady in September and taught herself the fine art of cafeteria food--gourmet style! (click on the link for some amazing recipes including homemade hostess cupcakes and smokey mac & cheese with bacon!)

(power to the lunch lady!)

Liz & Evan got to slip away a few times this year:

Once to the Dominican Republic

then Southern California

and Montreal, Quebec

by themselves. Lots of kissing.

What a treat!

Evan, Sophia & Wesley became frequent skiers in the Berkshires in Massachusetts.

(Liz even snuck in a run once when Wesley begged so Evan relinquished his skis, boots and coat and off we went!)

Evan continued with his aspirations to become a Rock Star and joined the basement band OnSeven and had their first gig and look forward to many more in the coming year!

The Smiths took a fun roadtrip to Niagara Falls and the Palmyra temple pageant in July

Pictured here with the Buckners who were lucky enough to be in the pageant!

and Who can resist a voyage on Maid of the Mist?!

and one of the most memorable events of 2009...

We managed to kill 21 flats of annuals with acidic mulch. Who knew?! Live and LEARN!

xxxx

2009 has been a year of many ups and downs! We're so grateful we have each other and this Christmas season to reflect on the meaningful things and people (YOU) in our lives!

xoxo

The Smiths

Our house is warmer when we have visitors so please come and play soon!

(The real card)

Sophia is 8 TODAY!

2009-09-30T11:18:00.001-04:00

Eight is one of those milestones. I vividly remember this day, eight years ago today! It was a balmy NYC day. Fall hadn't yet touched the city and the night before, I went to bed not feeling any different than the previous 9 months, which is not encouraging being almost 2 weeks overdue. I woke up an hour after I had retired to bed to a warm puddle of water! Yay, that moment you dream about had arrived!!! The first sign of labor! Evan and I were so anxious for our long awaited bundle of joy to come after so many heartaches and emotional rollercoaster rides with trying to maintain a pregnancy. As you can imagine, we were delighted to receive a beautiful perfect baby girl just 12 hours later who immediately had it all together! She got with the program of our lifestyle and brought us so much joy and excitement to our days. She was a people person right off the bat and she ruined it for the next siblings with her impeccable sleeping habits.

We love you Sophia and the talent and love your bring into our family. Your are an amazing nurturer and have many promising skills with the Arts! Today marks the day that you start another journey of learning a new instrument--the violin! I love how you tackle new things with vigor and enthusiasm and maintain your other talents. May you always cultivate a love for learning new things, expanding your horizons and loving your family as much as you do-- although it is hard sometimes ;-)!!!

8 is GREAT!

Sophia--15 minutes old, September 30, 2001, NYC

The Sticker Car AGAIN...

2009-08-15T01:20:00.004-04:00

Here is a little project I was asked to do this week and wanted to share on my blog. Literally, Drew, the owner of TrashTalkMedia, asked me if I wouldn't mind being interviewed for a story FOX5NY was doing on his company and I agreed thinking it would be a quick little blurb soundbite. When I saw the result today that was broadcasted, I was surprised that the story was focused mostly on me and my experience with a little bit of Drew and his company.

Click here to see the piece. (I can't embed it properly for now.)

If you're interested in doing this to your car, you can register here at FreeCarMedia.

This blog has flatlined.....

2009-08-04T10:40:00.001-04:00

...is there any hope of breathing new life into it? There is so much great content, but the creator is spent. HELP!

Here's a preview...

2009-06-06T15:40:00.004-04:00

...of our shoot with Blue Lily Photography last month.

More to follow...

Check out bluelily's website HERE.

Sophia's Piano Recital 2009

2009-06-05T01:36:00.004-04:00

How lucky are we to have this little girl in our family?!

We were so thrilled to see the nagging, the endless hours of practicing and the hefty resources pay off as we watched Sophia's third piano recital. She has been really committed to perfecting her talents lately and we're really so proud of her accomplishments!

Keep up the good work, Sophia!

Luke is 2!

2009-06-02T14:29:00.013-04:00

Our cute boy is TWO today!

Some highlights from his Birthday Party over the weekend...

Here, Luke is sampling the last car cupcake before it's ready:

(notice tongue on car...)

He kept taking tongue swipes at it when I'd turn my back...

Then he got more brave and took a bite:

"Oops! I've been caught!"

He just took little nibbles and licks when he didn't think we were watching. When he got caught, he hid his face, but then carried on again a few moments later.

"Hey, it's my birthday, so I'm entitled!" Could you punish a cute mug like this anyway?!

He was excited about all the fun loot he got!

He loves the show Yo Gabba Gabba and so he got the get up from DJ Lance

This talking Scooby Doo card was a HIT

He hasn't been able to get enough of it!

Bee Me is a cool edgy 3D moving picture book! Check it out!

Fun sand toys for our weekly beach excursions.

A new froggy beach towel. I'm sure he'll grow to love it. ;-)

Here's to a great year! I sure hope you shape up soon and stop your fetish for spray cleaners and Sharpies (as I was writing this, I had to interrupt my sentence to call poison control as he was eating the Benadryl Itch Stopping Gel) and fall into line. Otherwise, you may not make it to 3! xoxo

13 Years...

2009-05-31T16:01:00.001-04:00

Can it be this was us 13 years ago?

I remember this day of meeting Evan's family for the first time. Driving to Malibu to have our engagement shots taken by Trevor. Loving the green hills of Spring in Southern California. Frolicking on the beach. Excited for merging our lives and living happily ever after...

3 kids

7 mailing addresses

many trips

many heartaches

many happinesses

lots of trials

and lots of fun later...

Still happy.

Blue Lily is COMING! Anyone want a session?!

2009-05-13T14:14:00.006-04:00

Blue Lily is an awesome viral Photographer! I say viral because her business has become so well known and exploded all over the blogger world. I don't have to say much because her work screams for itself. She is simply amazing and creative and humble and fun and she loves me, so of course I think she ROCKS!

Anyway, to my point--- she is on her way to NY right this minute for a traveling photo session promotion for 5 days. She is doing urban shots in TriBeCa and nature shots in Central Park.

I just talked to her and while her schedule is mostly full, she has a few openings left, so if you're interested in a last minute photo shoot, shoot me a comment and I'll hook you up. (or contact her through her site & say you want the "Liz Special!") She's willing to cut her rate significantly on these last few openings just to fill up, so better hurry!

For a gallery of her work, go here.

For her blog and more information about her traveling sessions, go here.

For one of my top 5 favorite Blue Lily shoots, go here!

Be prepared to be blown away!

Happy Mother's Day to my MOMMY by Sophia

2009-05-10T11:36:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! My mom is the best mom this year, because she got the award to be the Mother Of The Year! Well not really, that's just a joke. Someone sent a video to my mom.(I don't know why?) Anyway, my name is Sophia Smith, I am 7, turning 8 in September. I know my mom is one of the best moms in the whole entire world. My mom is pretty and nice. She is tall and has three kids.(I'm one of them.) My mom's name is Liz Smith. Her husband's name,(My dad's name) is Evan Smith. That's my part of my mom's blog.

Happy Birthday to ME!

2009-04-26T22:04:00.002-04:00

A picture says a thousand words and I think this one pretty much sums me up right now!

Glamorous in my heart

Fun-loving

Trying to keep it together

Enjoying life's ups and downs

A little out of focus

And ready to take off!

Thanks for the birthday wishes, friends!

Getting Into Gear

2009-04-09T11:12:00.008-04:00

(post by Evan)

I bought a MINI Cooper for commuting purposes a little over a year ago. It’s a fun little car and when last year’s gas crunch hit I was feeling pretty smug when I was pulling off 45 miles per gallon per tank of gas. While it has its quirks, which I’m told are due to the fact that it’s British, I like my car a lot. One quirk, though, nearly got the best of me.

The Cooper is actually classified as a sports car. It has a low center of gravity and corners extremely well. Being such a light (in weight) car, it doesn’t take much engine to propel it at a good clip. What completes the “sport” part is the inclusion of a manual transmission. I think it really connects the driver to the vehicle. I also think it a shame to see a nice sports car without one.

While generally a conservative driver, there are times where I like to take advantage the sportiness and channel my inner Speed Racer. There’s a portion of my evening commute in the Bronx where the two-lane road is narrow, has lots of hills, and includes lots of twisting turns. This provides plenty of opportunity to exercise the clutch and gear shift. The speed limit on the Henry Hudson Parkway is only 50 MPH, but feels fast due to the tightness of the road. Quick upshifts and downshifts and frequent lane changes are employed in an attempt to maintain velocity.

There is one point where the Henry Hudson Parkway has an exit for the Mosholu Parkway and simultaneously becomes the Saw Mill River Parkway where you leave the Bronx and enter Westchester county. The topography includes some nice hills at this point as well. Coupled with a nice curve in the road this all makes for a potential bottleneck for through traffic.

As I came down the hill in the right lane, the exit ramp to the Mosholu was backing up. I wanted to change lanes to avoid the slowdown, but was blocked by a car. I braked a little and allowed it to pass. By the time I got into the left lane, the uphill had started and since I had lost some speed, I did a quick downshift from 5th to 4th gear. Imagine my surprise when the gearshift seemed to pop out of its socket and rise up into my hand!

For a brief second I was at a complete loss for what to do. My mind quickly fast-forwarded to me being the one car that was forced to stop in the lane (since there is no shoulder at that point) and become the source of the evening’s traffic jam. I could picture all the angry drivers shaking their fists at me as they were forced to merge and go around. Then it was to the part where the tow truck had to come bail me out. Then it was thinking about the outrageous towing bill I was going to get slapped with. (It’s really amazing how much thought your brain is capable is just a short span of time!) Reality came back when I realized I had actually made it into 4th gear and was motoring just fine up the ramp.

My exit strategy became my next topic of thought. There were no exits until the Cross County Parkway. As long as I didn’t have to slow down (about a 50% probability based on previous traffic experience), I could make it easily to that ramp. There was still nowhere to really get off there either. It was mostly just exits to other parkways and highways. I realized that as long as traffic was good, I could make it to my normal exit which puts me in a slightly more quiet residential area. My hopes were raised slightly at this prospect.

As I cruised the highway I next contemplated what to do with the shifter in my hand. It was then I realized the true nature of my problem. The gearshift was actually still connected to the transmission. It was only the shifter knob that had come off into my hand. Since the base of the knob and actual lever are convered by a leather boot, it wasn’t entirely obvious to me at the moment. My worries fled as I managed to shove the knob back onto the lever. My cortisol levels returned to normal as I finished my commute.

I don’t know if a detachable gearshift knob truly counts as a quirk. It continued to pop off every so often during aggressive shifting. But the MINI dealership in Manhattan (a finely run organization, by the way) saw it as a defect. They happily replaced it as a warranty item during its first scheduled maintenance.

With my new shifter in place I continue to act out my Speed Racer fantasy every now and then.

I turn my back for one MINUTE...

2009-03-05T19:31:00.005-05:00

...and this is what happens!

I made dinner for a friend who had surgery this week and while I was on the phone coordinating the delivery, I see Luke skyrocket past me with a chunky handful of the cake I made to complete the dinner. I ended the conversation and returned to the kitchen to see the damage. It was bad.

Quick thinking led me to this presentation instead...

One more point for Team MOM!

So if you're ever delivered a bundt cake this way, this is probably what happened! haha

Good to be flexible and forgiving because remember THIS that happened earlier this week? This kid is KILLIN' me!!! And he BITES. When will it end?!

But he's so darn cute and very lovable, so we'll keep him! But please grow out of this stage SOON!!! xoxo

Little Things...

2009-02-27T21:02:00.003-05:00

...Sometimes, it's the little things that mean so much.

This week, I took the car to get washed and they guys took an extra long time paying attention to little details. They even washed the sludge that's been accumulating in the center console cup holders and along the inside side rails where the kids step in with muddy feet. They thoroughly vacuumed inside pulling out the car seats and the back seats and hand dried the whole thing and even motioned to me to stop so they could re-dry my window where they saw they missed a little. I was impressed with their eye for detail during these "tough economic times" where everyone's morale seems to be down and companies are downsizing their service. LMC Car Wash on North Avenue--you've won a customer for life!

Good Bye, Liz

2009-02-26T10:43:00.004-05:00

Central Park, Sept 2001

I guess there's a lot of buzz from a certain 86 year old being laid off.

So far, I've gotten calls from Reuters, the NY Observer and my father looking for a statement today.

Will the calls, letters and publicity packets cease to come now that she's throwing in the towel?

I'll miss you, my friend. 2am calls from freaks who just finished your book and need to get answers will never be the same now. And the call from a certain old boyfriend from 50 years ago was a touching story, but alas I still couldn't help him either. It was fun getting calls from Kevin Spacey's office and invitations to galas in Florida. Most callers were amazed that someone could actually have the same name as you and tried to assure themselves that I wasn't "Liz Smith the columnist." Yes, I'm sure.

But I AM Liz Smtih the blogger. Read ON!

I don't believe it!

2009-02-25T10:37:00.000-05:00

I have a new friend...

This guy took sour apple green permanent marker off of my white marble counters and light yellow cabinets when a regular sponge did nothing....

I don't know how you do it, Mr. Clean, but I am blown away. Thanks for saving the life of a certain 21 month old!!!! I can't be mad now, but I have to say, my blood was boiling when I first discovered the damage a few minutes ago. I love art, but his designs need a different surface.

LOVE Day!

2009-02-24T22:47:00.009-05:00

Evan scored lots of points for sending me gorgeous long-stemmed roses to enjoy during the week!

Our Valentine's Day this year was packed with festivities.

The kids came up with an idea to have a party! Well, Wesley talks about having a party all the time, but when the idea for a Valentine's party was put on the table, Evan and I went with it and helped the kids create a low key breakfast party.

They were each allowed to invite 3 friends.

This is Alessia who Wesley talks about a lot...

We came up with a menu: Heart shaped pancakes, bacon (very heart healthy!) and strawberry smoothies.

We decorated,

they made puzzle crafts,

"Wesrey"

they played games and decorated cupcakes.

Afterall, it is the holiday of SUGAR!!!

It was fun having a party that was combined with the two age groups.

The older ones entertained the younger ones and the dynamic was fun! I think having a Valentine's party is a great idea. Spread the LOVE!

Then....

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

...Evan and I had been planning an adult party of sorts. Last year, we went to ICE for a

Romantic Couples Cooking Class which was very entertaining and lots of fun. We had the great idea to do it ourselves this year with 4 couples and Evan was the chef. Everyone participated in preparing a wonderfully delicious menu that Evan came up with. It was really fun to cook as couples and enjoy the evening together.

The menu:

Hearts of Palm Salad with Beets

Truffle Leek Lasagnette

Filet Mignon with Merlot reduction & frizzled mushrooms

Steamed Aspargus

Truffle Filled Flourless Chocolate Cakes

Lovely ladies: Liz, Jane, Anne, Annalee

Hardworking men: Bill, Evan, Kai

Cris prepping the herbs & shallots

Evan finishing off the Merlot reduction

The delicacy filled table awaiting us! Jane, bedding sylist extraordinaire delighted us with a beautiful table setting!

The guys pulled off making the chocolate cakes that each couple shared! I have to say Cris has some wicked cake decorating skills!!! Good job, men!

My Valentine:

Be MINE! xoxo

*** if anyone is interested in the recipes, leave a comment and I'll email the doc to you!

Scatophobe's Nightmare

2009-02-24T13:48:00.004-05:00

(Post by Evan)

(My dad once told that there are really only two kinds of people in the world, those who find farts funny and those who don’t. If you don’t fall into the former category, please discontinue reading now.)

I have been a scatophobe for a long time. Perhaps it was all those years being forced to pick up the dog crap in the back yard, but whatever the reasons, I had one of the scariest encounters of my life on a recent flight to Salt Lake City.

Delta Airlines had put us in a bad mood with some extremely poor customer service at the onset of our flight. Liz and I ended up traveling separately, with me taking the two older kids on one flight while she took Luke (plus all the baggage) on another. We were separately angry and annoyed at the situation and were already on edge. Please join me now as I’m about 2 hours into the flight:

Wesley is tired and falls asleep on my lap. The captain turns on the fasten seat belt light for turbulence. I check the security of his seatbelt and continue reading my magazine. About 20 minutes later he wakes up moaning, in a daze. I immediately recognize his cry as "I have to pee, but I'm not awake enough to do anything about it." The turbulence had subsided and the crew is up front serving drinks, so I decide it is safe to make a run to the lavatory.

Wesley drops his pants to begin his business, and immediately the turbulence comes back with a vengeance. Part of me feels bad for the boy. Another part finds it mildly comical to see someone in a dazed state trying to maintain balance with an unstable floor beneath him. I snap back to reality with his desperate cry of frustration, since he is unable to find relief. I watch him strain to perform the task and then look down with disbelief as a huge log emerges from his backside. I can only stare with a sense of revulsion as I watch it fall end over end, first colliding with the waistband of his pants, then falling squarely between my feet.

When I finally realize what has happened, Wesley is now awake enough to be full-on crying. Still stunned, I attempt to pick him up and sit him on the toilet. The only problem is now the turbulence is so strong that it makes it nearly impossible set him down. And to complicate matters the turd on the floor is now on the move, and I am doing a macabre dance trying to avoid contact with my shoes.

With a bawling Wesley situated on the commode, I realize I have the task of poop disposal. My whole body shudders. Due to the cramped quarters of the lavatory, I am unable to bend over to perform the necessary service. So I am forced to open the door, back out into the aisle, and get down on my hands and knees to wrangle the offensive deposit. I reach up for some toilet paper and find myself at the end of the roll with just a couple of squares, enough to take care of the task at hand, but not enough to finish up the whole ordeal.

I have one of those surreal feelings, almost like I am on a hidden camera show, as I’m down on all fours being buffeted by the bouncing plane trying to pin down a rolling bundle of fecal matter that is leaving “skid marks” all over the lavatory floor every time it skitters from one side to the other. I ultimately corner my quarry and grab it oh-so-carefully. My stomach does a couple of 360s while delivering it to the toilet.

Wesley is holding on for dear life as the plane shakes. I grab the last of the paper towels to clean the residue from the floor. It’s all I can do to keep from decorating the floor with the contents of my own stomach. After completing that task and being compelled to do a maintenance hand wash, I attend to my half-asleep frightened, confused son. But where to start?

I survey the situation and it’s worse than I thought. Wesley’s underwear is caked with poop. Wesley needs to be wiped. There is no toilet paper, no Kleenex, and no paper towels left. There is now a flight attendant banging on the door asking me to return to our seats. I spy the toilet seat liners and begin to use them clean the underwear. It’s hopeless, though. I figure removal is the only option. Luckily the pants themselves are poop free so at least I won’t have to haul him out naked through the aisle.

I realize Wesley has no shoes on. Standing on the floor won’t be an option. After cleaning his bum with a couple more seat liners I pick him up with one arm and try to remove his pants with the other. Remember the plane is still shaking violently, so this is not an easy task, especially in the confines of an airplane lavatory. I finally manage to get the pants off and have him stand on the sink with his arm around my neck for stability. After extricating the unusable underwear I wrap them in a few more seat liners and then pull his pants back on.

A sense of relief hits me and I prepare to go back. A thorough cleansing of my hands is definitely in order. When I look down at my hands, a huge feeling of dread and fresh wave of nausea hits me as I discover that my hands and sleeve have a good coating of poop. I know it’s just poop, but remember I have an irrational fear of it! With Wesley still hanging on to my neck I exhaust the bottle of liquid soap and do my best impression of a pre-surgical scrub. Shaking off the water and rolling up my sleeve, I grab a fresh seat liner and make a sling for the previously-wrapped underwear. I take that package with my right hand and pick up Wesley in my left arm begin the journey back to my seat. I only have to go about 5 rows forward, but it’s a very delicate dance carrying a 40-lb child and dangling a toxic waste package with my free hand while navigating a narrow aisle that’s in the throes of pitching, yawing and rolling.

When I arrive at my row I temporarily stash the package in the seatback pocket and get Wesley situated. I wipe away his tears and buckle him in. He puts head in my lap and I stroke his head until he falls asleep. I finally take a relaxed breath. I try to purge the recent events from my mind. The shuddering feeling dissipates. I fall asleep, exhausted.

As we’re landing I stop and recount the incident to myself. With the trauma behind me I actually realize that this could have been a scene straight out of a slapstick comedy movie. I muster a smile thinking about how funny it would have looked from the outside. As we’re walking on the jetway into the airport I realize that I left a certain “surprise” in the seatback pocket. I feel bad for the employee who will find it, but remembering how Delta had treated us earlier, the feeling quickly goes away.

Wesley said...

2009-02-18T00:16:00.003-05:00

"I'm too hungry to eat!"

When the dental hygienist finished his teeth today, I overheard him answer her, "That was AWESOME!"

"I don't want to go skiing today, but will you still buy me Clone Wars jammies?!?!" after I was trying to bribe him to ski. (he hates the cold like I do)

"Can we still go back to that house with the video games?!" (He's so cofused at who everyone is out in Utah. "That" house refers to his cousins' house.

"I want NOTHING and I don't want to go NOWHERE!" This is a regular extreme tired Wesley response.

We love you, Wesley, even though at the end of each day........you exhaust us! xoxo

Daddy's Inferno

2009-02-07T23:32:00.007-05:00

(Post by Evan)

Abandon all hope ye who enter here...

Famous words by Dante Alighieri. Those are the same words that coursed through my brain as I made my first appearance at Chuck E. Cheese's since my teen years in the early 80's. A lot was the same, but a lot had changed. It was a teen hangout when I went the first time. I spotted very few teens there this time around. Must be because of the requirement of parents to accompany minors.

All I can say is, "wow!" It was a complete assault of the visual and audible senses. The flashing lights, the noise from the game machines, and the noise from the crowds moreso made it the perfect way to cap off a sleep deprived night.

Now in all fairness, I went willingly, with the intent of making amends with the kids for having to bail out of a planned ski excursion for today. I got a call from work in the middle of the night with bad news about one of the systems I managed. During one of the windows where things were out of my hands we loaded some excited kids into the car for a journey west of the Hudson.

I have to hand it to Nolan Bushnell for his enterprise. It's a great idea to keep parents hostage in a place where kids don't have fun unless they're spending your money. You can't leave your kids behind on their own. That's just genius. I will try to incorporate similar logic when I come up with my next business enterprise.

All my kids had a great time. They all just wanted to run off and do everything. An especially close eye was required for a certain one-year old who had no qualms with assisting other kids playing their games. I'm not sure he understood what the problem was. A four-year old boy's brain is driven by the coolest looking apparatuses. (Or is that apparati?) Anything that invoked testosterone surges like race car video games was exceptionally attractive. I was impressed that a seven-year old girl's behavior was motivated by the social aspect. I found it intriguing that she was able make partnerships to play some of the games that weren't necessarily designed to played with a partner.

The 80 degree temperature coupled with the 100+ decibel noise and the smell of fried food and cardboard pizza was the ideal combination for a relaxing evening with the kids. I was sad that it had to end so that I could race home and jump onto a conference call to finish what we started 18 hours previously. I know that I'll relish my next trip to spend the leftover 60 tokens.

What a difference a day MAKES...

2009-02-02T11:12:00.006-05:00

Here are some videos of Wesley skiing over the weekend...

This is the first day...

This is a little later....

This is the end of the second day...

Now, that's improvement! Go Wesley!!!

The Winter Thaw...

2009-01-29T21:47:00.003-05:00

This snowflake looks way too cheery for how oppressive the weather was last week!!!

As last weekend was approaching, the thermometers were dipping into the 20s, then the teens, then a final threat of a possible 0. You know what I said? We're out of here! And so we went! I scooped up my kids and took off to California where the temperature was a dreamy 83 degrees when we landed in Burbank!!! It was heaven.

Hello California...notice the attire...BLISS!!! ;-)

Our purpose was to escape the cold, visit family and just plain THAW!

We had some spontaneously fun activities...

We had an adventure in Griffith Park on a Faery Hunt in the rustic trails of the mountain. The kids enjoyed the interactive activity and spectacle of faeries and trolls and gnomes popping out from behind trees and under bridges and following the storyline.

Then we enjoyed some great Authenic Mexican food in West Hollywood at El Coyote. You might recognize it from Prop 8 fame last year where one of the owners donated to the cause and then the West Hollywood crowd went into a tizzy over it and did some boycotts, etc. Delicious and funky fun atmosphere. It's a great W. Hollywood institution!

The kids couldn't get enough of swimming and being free of their 50 layers like they have here to survive. I loved not having to bundle them up and just letting them play outdoors for hours on end!

Oh, also, one highlight for our family is reconnecting to our roots. My family is Jewish and whenever we are out there on a Friday, I always look forward to the singing and challah and grape juice and the ritual of gathering at a beautiful table for Shabbat dinner. It's so fun for the kids to play with their CA cousins.

This was taken with my phone...oops!

On Sunday, we had a great time with our Simi Valley family! The kids were so excited to see their grandparents and cousins. Grandpa took all 3 kids to the park, while grandma and I tried to recreate my Moroccan B'steeya and sort of failed. Oops! It's a good thing it was just a practice run for her dinner in a few months. Better luck next time! ;-) (Sorry, no Simi pictures this time.)

On the steps at my Aunt's in LA

Old friends reunited!

Then we headed to Las Vegas to visit some old friends, old, old friends that we adore from our time on 67th and Broadway days. Rose and Sonny have been so good to us over the years and it looks like time may be coming to an end for our darling Rose, so a visit while she's still well was appropriate. It was a short visit, but a good visit. We hope to fit a few more in, ok?! (hint hint!)

Surprise visit to Rose on her 87th Birthday!

A trip to Vegas isn't complete without a visit to the Strip. We had fun with our dear friends Kyndra, Lexie and Sterling hopping around to all of the attractions we could fit in. We hit the Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, the Fountains at Bellagio and the festive seasonal Gardens.

Sophia's dream! A real chocolate fountain.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Wesley & Lexie--can't wait to fast-forward 15 years from now! ;-)

It was a great trip! We felt happy to find the sun, but were even happier to come home to daddy and the comforts of home! xoxo

Christmas Card 2008

2009-01-28T20:53:00.003-05:00

A funny thing happened this year--I got all caught up in Christmas and the hustle and bustle that I never produced the perfect Christmas card. Usually, I put a lot of thought into the production of a clever card and blurb about our updated life, but this year, I was just too in the moment of all of our holiday events, that it just never got done. As the weeks were rolling along into December, I was buying into the media buzz about the tanking economy and thought wouldn't it be funny to recycle one of our cards from year's past and just update some of the items from it? I have a stack of over runs of postcards from 2006 when I was pregnant with Luke and we were chopping down our tree. I could have just printed some stickers of Luke and stuck them in between the kids, added a few current facts on the back and called it "recycled!" We had a few laughs about the prospect of doing this, but then I just couldn't spend the time to be so witty and was thinking it would probably take about the same time as procuring a new card, not to mention money. Then I came across a picture I took of the kids in Central Park on Thanksgiving Day. I joked with the kids that it was the "money shot" and explained to them what that meant. Literally, of all the photos I took of the kids together, it was the only one worthy of a print! I started thinking; I could still go "green" because several years ago, when I was preparing for our annual card, I bought two different styles of cards and enough in each design with the thought that I'd return the losing design. Well, I did try to return all 15 boxes, but since they were seasonal, my favorite "red bullseye logo" store wouldn't take them back and so I was stuck and have been storing all 15 boxes of cards in my Christmas stuff for the last 4 years. Brilliant, I'll just print pictures and marry them to the cards and call it good. Aside from being dated looking, it was good. And it still took a lot of time. And it's still my top 3 things about Christmas that I love so much--receiving your cards and letters! With Facebook and the blog, I wasn't sure I could whip up anything you don't already know, so I just signed most of the cards to add that personal touch. Afterall, isn't a blog the ultimate in a perpetual Christmas letter?! I was surprised this year that the return of sends to receives was about 80%! So, now I did my part of going green for 2008. 2007's effort was a little more substantial, but every little bit, yada yada yada...

Thank you for keeping in touch and I promise a more contrived card next year!

xoxo The Smiths

Wesley 4, Luke 18 mos, Sophia 7

Might As Well Face It, You're Addicted to....Facebook?

2009-01-21T10:11:00.005-05:00

(Post by Evan)

“I can stop any time I want to,” is the phrase we’ve all heard from many who have addictions. Most of the time it’s not true. As much as I hate to admit it, I recognize that I have had addictions over the years including everything from pistachio nuts to video games. I just discovered my latest addiction: Facebook.

I spent a wonderful weekend with friends in the Berkshires where I enjoyed relaxing on the ski slopes and chilling. (A casual mention of the -6 temps might be appropriate here.) When it was time to leave, I dutifully cleaned up, packed, and loaded the car for the return trip. During the multiple runs to the car I was breaking a sweat, so I hung up the ski parka I was wearing by the door while I finished the task. As you have probably surmised, I forgot to pick up the parka when I jumped into the car. What does this all have to do with my Facebook addiction? Tucked away in the upper left pocket of the parka, was by Blackberry Curve.

Now many people would be upset about losing their mobile phone access. There are plenty of phone addicts. Just witness all those who walk around in public with the Bluetooth earpieces plugged in. I found that while not having my phone was inconvenient, I also found it kind of liberating. The worry of someone calling me from work to ruin my holiday was magically erased. However, rather than using it as as a phone, I realized I use my Blackberry more for the mobile Facebook application to update my status and check up on my crew of FB regulars.

I felt a little more lonely now, especially since my family was out in California. I wasn’t in agony by any means, but I kept on wanting to reach into my pocket for a quick fix. I never realized how many times a day I used it until I didn’t have access. The good news is that I didn’t have to wait too long to get it back. My friends brought my parka home with them on Monday evening to New Jersey. I drove to their place after work on Tuesday from my office for the happy reunion. My Facebook activity should return to normal levels now.

[Update: I discovered later that my Blackberry had developed a new problem. I have to reboot it every time I want to use it now. At 2 minutes per reboot cycle, I think my Facebook quick fixes will be severely diminished….]

What Happens in Vegas...

2009-01-12T21:56:00.004-05:00

...is a rockin' good time! Last weekend was a long anticipated trip to Sin City to celebrate one of my best friends, Kyndra's birthday! She was converged upon by two coasts with Allison representing California. We miss the days of all hanging out in NY.

The weekend was chock full of fun activities and lots of "chick chat."

Of course.

The original Charlie's Angels (at least one of us is...LOL)

Highlights: (the mentionable parts, at least)

In 'n Out

Massages

Nail Therapy

Mamma Mia Sing-a-long 2am style! (complete with Tide stick microphones!)

Making Fondue -- cheese AND chocolate!

Uncontrollable giggles and giddiness

Switch Restaurant at the new Wynn's Encore Hotel

and...

Cirque du Soleil's Beatles LOVE show at the Mirage!!!! <---highly recommended!

Happy Birthday, Kyndra! And many more to come...AND reasons to celebrate!!! COT 4-EVA!!!

On the flight home, Luke had a celebrity babysitter. Richard Belzer from Law & Order was enchanted by Luke and didn't mind the toddler attention. The funny part was, I was oblivious as to who he was until I could tell there was a little buzz and chatter about him an hour into the flight then it dawned on me he was a celeb. Luke even kept helping himself to his bag of Blue Chips-one by one. He couldn't have been nicer about it! It was entertaining watching the reaction of basically the whole plane since they all recognized him. Luke also passed out magazines to all the passengers in rows 1-5. Back and forth to the galley to retrieve more from the most cordial flight attendant, Edwin. Thanks, JetBlue! Plus the legroom is awesome!

One more indulgence:

Chocolate fountain--Bellagio

Christmas Day

2008-12-25T23:42:00.000-05:00

(Post by Evan)

Once again Christmas day is upon us. Weeks of the holiday spirit reached their culmination today. Bright-eyed children (OK, one or two of them weren't quite awake yet) couldn't contain their excitement as the doorbell rang at 8 AM jarring them from their long winter's nap. With their families far away, Arturo Morales and Melissa Bench were at the door and joined us for our family's celebration. I think we've managed to have visitors every year here in New Rochelle since we moved here.

Gleeful smiles were present as the much hoped for gifts were discovered. Who knew something called a DS, or a Speed Racer Hot Wheels "loop-da-loop" could bring so much pleasure? This really was one of the first years when I've felt this excited about Christmas. Seeing through the eyes of your children adds a whole new dimension. And as much as it was about the gifts, it was also about happiness and love. Holding my children in my lap as they helped me unwrap the simple gifts they had for me was a moving and heartwarming experience.

And what would Christmas be without Santa's elf-in-residence, my wife Liz? Not very good. In traditional style she directed the preparation of the Christmas morning feast of "Aunt Dorothy's Sausage Bake," butterscotch pull-apart bread, and orange julius. (Luckily on holidays things like sausage, cheese, butter, etc., have no calories associated with them.) She also came through with flying colors in obtaining all the difficult to find items at the last minute. (You rock, honey!) Even though we didn't go all out with decorations this year, her artful hand added enough holiday cheer to our home.

I know the kids think Christmas is the best holiday of the year. It's easy to see why. I hope that they will learn to see past the tinsel and wrapping paper and want to reach out to others, as did the person who started it all.

A Christmas Eve Tradition

2008-12-24T23:45:00.009-05:00

(Post by Evan)

I noticed our blog had gone a little "cold" so I thought I would take a moment to help bring it up to date.
Somewhere around 8 or 9 years ago, some friends of ours invited us to a Christmas Eve service on Manhattan's East Side. The venue was a beautiful Episcopalian church called The Church of the Heavenly Rest. Every Christmas Eve, they perform a re-enactment of the Nativity. It's done by the children in the congregation and is quite charming. They make use of costumes, choirs, music, and live animals! Mary always rides in a donkey, and many of the shepherds carry lambs. If you find yourself in Manhattan on Christmas Eve, this is a great place to get into the Christmas spirit.

What's interesting is that for Espicopal church, it has somehow managed to attract a fairly large Mormon contingent as well. This year we ran into several families we knew from our city-dwelling days and had some happy reunions with some we hadn't seen in a long time. We also invited some of our local neighbors who managed to make it down. As long as we're in the area, I think we'll be there on December 24th.

Supplemental to our tradition, we were invited by the Taylor family to spend a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner with them and their extended family and friends. On top of the fabulous dinner that had some of those great "family" recipes represented (I actually forgot that I liked Jell-O salads so much), we had Christmas talent show and singalong. Almost everyone contributed to the musical portion. After that was over, The kids all participated in their own nativity display. It was a magical day and night. (Even if Santas elves were forced to work into the wee hours to get ready for his visit.)

Soccer Mom no More (for a day, at least!)

2008-12-07T08:01:00.002-05:00

It's so much fun to dress up and when you have a grand occasion, it's even better! We went to a formal Christmas Ball last week and had a fabulous time both getting ready and at the event! Evan was hot in his tux and I felt great with new hair, makeup and borrowed Bulgari jewels, oh, and a new dress, of course! It took a lot of preparation to get this soccer mom fit for a Ball, but the results were certainly favorable! Thanks everyone who took a part in getting me ready! xoxo

Radio City: The Spirit of Christmas

2008-12-02T08:25:00.000-05:00

There is no better way to get into the spirit of Christmas than a trip to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular! It was a fun train ride in to the City with new Christmas clothes and lots of anticipation of a fun night! We walked up Fifth Avenue from Grand Central and immediately felt the Christmas cheer on the streets! I love the Christmas windows and Saks is always especially festive with their glowing snowflakes that adorn the entire facade.

Then a trip through Rockefeller center is enough to put any Scrooge in the gleeful spirit. The white angels that line the walk were all aglow and the massive annual tree was not yet lit, yet it's presence was enough to put you in awe. I love the story of where the tree came from this year when I heard it on the radio last week.

Radio City is such a gorgeous building and the Swarovski chandelier provided a warm welcome in the lobby!

The kids were giddy with excitement as we approached our seats.

Wesley's got his ticket, he's ready!

They loved all of it. My favorite was the Rockettes as the toy soldiers and of course their chorus line kicks. Their precision is impressive! While the show is altered a little each year to keep the interest up, I always look forward to the living Nativity that concludes the show each year. It's an inspiring spectacle that reaffirms my faith in the Christmas story. Thanks for keeping Christ in Christmas, Radio City!

***note: there is no Luke on this trip. He did not meet the age requirement for a stress-free trip ;-)

Thanksgiving: Central Park WEST style!

2008-11-29T20:39:00.008-05:00

Is there any better way than to spend Thanksgiving watching the parade above the balloons with dear family and friends?! Ok, maybe with MORE of our dear family and friends, but we have had the ulitmate in NY Thanksgivings for the past 4 years watching the Macys Thanksgiving Day parade from our friends' balconies.

Camera out the window shot!

Central Park West-2008

The parade is a wonderfully spectacular event full of color, excitement and grandeur. For those who have never witnessed it in person, a trip to NYC at Thanksgiving-time is a MUST at least once in a lifetime!

We trekked in the night before and had a blast trapsing around our old haunts. It was so great to eat at Ollie's. I LOVE the Sesame Chicken and Moo Shu Pork. The kids think their egg drop soup is the best around! Oh, how I've missed our house account at Ollie's and their fast, efficient delivery!

Then we joined the throngs of people getting a sneak peek of the blowing up of the balloons the night before. I remember going a decade ago when it was really a non-event! You just went and walked around and were amazed at the size of the balloons up close and talked to the balloon handlers. Now, there are mazes to get through to even watch! There were even printed indication signs and police barricades galore so it's turned into a full event in and of itself!

A trip to Pinkberry was not missed despite the near freezing temp and Pinkberry was once again adored by the kids! They have grown to love the tart frozen yogurt creation as much as I do! Luke entertained the customers while dancing to the tunes playing. Sophia had a gleeful smile as she finished the last bite and Wesley licked the cup clean! Bliss.

Then back over to the Eastside to stay at our friend's pad! It was actually soothing to sleep to the sounds of the city that night. (garbage trucks, street noise and the whooshing sound of the buildings--what is that sound?) What a great night's sleep!

We had a wonderful day of parade watching, great food, even better friends and just plain Thanksgiving tradition! The balloons were larger than life as usual and the colors parading down Central Park West were so vivid and striking! There was a pink and orange dance team that was so eye-catching with their swishing pom poms! The kids loved seeing the Bolt balloon and Santa bringing up the rear, of course!

Bow Bridge, Central Park

The Park was spectacular at mid-day! The weather was nearly perfect and the mood was cheerful! We went to our favorite spots by the lake and the Bow Bridge and then made our way over to the Bethesda Fountain area where the same entertaining Afrobats were starting their annual show. They chose Wesley to be their token cute kid to earn them even more money and gave him his street name, "White Chocolate" and afterward they shared a little of the profits with him. He was thrilled! The did a stunt and jumped over him. It was so cute and one that Wesley will remember for a long time!

Afro-bats @ Bethesda Fountain with "boy with stick" aka White Chocolate--LOL

White Chocolate returns with $1.25--woo hoo!

Dinner was outrageously fabulous prepared by Varan, an Israeli chef. He went over the top with so much this year. There were 5 different toppings and spreads for the cast iron baked corn bread, and sausage galore stuffing, extremely moist turkey and wonderful fixings. Wow! I was so full that I actually had to pass up pie this year!

Diane & Chef Varan

Wesley led a "what are you thankful for" discussion and he reminded us that his two favorite holidays are what hit the top of his list: Halloween and Thanksgiving! Sophia was thankful for the earth and Evan for family. Me, I'm thankful that we've had this great family tradition of spending Thankgiving in a warm and gracious home these past four years and the good friends that have been such wonderful hosts! These traditions are part of the tapestry of our life!

It's been a crazy year of ups and downs and health and sickness for all at the Thanksgiving table, but what I went away with this year is... wow, we are all blessed with so much, what are we going to do with those blessings to shape our lives and impart to others? What great lessons we have learned this year and what even greater lessons do we have to look forward to next year!

Let us all be thankful.

When Two Worlds Collide

2008-11-18T09:13:00.010-05:00

(Post by Evan)

Regular readers of this blog recognize Liz’s passion for keeping alive the graces that accompany the art of entertaining in the home through her Gourmet Club posts. I am the lucky beneficiary of her efforts, having been educated in many of the ways of social etiquette, and also being able to eat some truly fantastic food. While I truly enjoy high-end cuisine, I spend a lot of time preparing more traditional cuisine (grilled cheese, anyone?) for our family. Last night these two related, but distinct areas had a humorous intersection.

You just have scroll down a little to read about Liz’s “SPICE Dinner” event, and my “Holy Smokes!” debacle. Go ahead, refresh your memories. I’ll wait…OK, let me set the stage now. Wesley was having a good day. He had just returned from his Judo class and wanted tacos for dinner. We had just had our taco salad a few days ago, so it didn’t really sound good to me. He was insistent, and I didn’t have anything else to counter with, so tacos it was.

The prep was simple. The onion was stronger than normal and made me cry as I chopped it. This time I double- and triple-checked that I had the chili powder and not the cayenne when seasoning the ground beef mixture. Liz and the kids prepped everything else. As we were getting ready to deploy everything to the dining room, my eyes seemed to be still teary, and Liz and the kids started to cough as if something were in the air. I felt the urge to cough as well, and couldn’t figure out where the irritant was coming from. Unwilling to believe that I had repeated my cayenne pepper disaster, I tasted the seasoned beef mixture and couldn’t believe it when my mouth ignited with flame. I quickly picked up the bottle of chili powder that was still sitting on the countertop just stared at it in disbelief. I sprinkled a little onto my finger and put it on my tongue. Yep! Cayenne. And the truth was beginning to come into focus.

After the glorious display of spices as part of the Spice dinner, it would have been a waste to just throw them out. In fact, it would make absolute sense just to return them to their original containers so they could be reused later. However that only makes sense if you actually succeed in returning the spices to their original containers. A close examination of the chili powder container revealed a telltale demarcation between the brighter red cayenne pepper, and the browner chili powder. (This finally explains why my second attempt to make the taco salad meat last week was still mouth-burning.)

Needless to say, the “chili powder” has now been removed from circulation and will be replaced at the next possible opportunity. As for the tacos? They actually became burritos when, unwilling to redo the meat, we reached for can of refried beans and heated it in the microwave. Wesley didn’t notice and Liz and I had a good laugh.

Martha!

2008-11-17T00:57:00.005-05:00

Amy, Lauren, Mary, Kirstin, Martha, me, Mayumi, Lisa & Rachel

Here is the picture from our junket to the Martha Stewart Show. We were lucky enough to get to have her photographer snap a few photos of our Gourmet Club group with her as the centerpiece when we went to her show in September. It was quite a surreal experience being in her studio with all of the hoopla and the picture to me looks like she is a cardboard cutout because she is so well put together and flawlessly made up. She was lovely. I on the other hand could use a new stylist! LOL

Thanks, Martha!

***note, I thought it was quite interesting that the photographer grouped us according to hair color. I don't think it was an accident. Martha loves order!

SPICE Dinner

2008-11-13T23:09:00.005-05:00

For my gourmet club this year, my partner and I came up with the theme SPICE showcasing Moroccan food. It was quite an ambitious undertaking since I didn't know much about Morocco nor have any of the items to complement the dinner like serving pieces, ingredients and decorations. I wanted to be challenged so I plugged along with researching and practicing recipes and ideas with Mayumi. We even went to the local Moroccan restaurant Zitoune in Mamaroneck and talked at length with Alain, the owner. Then we came up with a menu that was beautiful and delicious! My rad friend Diane had visited Morocco last year so I picked her brain all about the Souk with it's sights and sounds. My friend, Nicole who is a TV gourmet maven in Westport, CT told me about Moroccan preserved lemons that take 4 weeks to cure. I knew it was a must to make these for our take home gifts. I washed, sliced open and stuffed with kosher salt over 130 lemons and then watched them brine in 3 large jars on my counter for an entire month. They are a great flavor for chicken or stews. And so pretty!

The night was a cold and rainy night, but we still put out paper lanterns that lined the walk and invited our guests in with Moroccan music playing. We set up my sideboard in my dining room with all sorts of fruits, spices and herbs like you would find in a Souk in Morocco. The aromas of the spices were so intense and inviting. My favorite part of the dinner was the Persian Love Cake with flavors of cardamom, lemon zest, rose water and saffron! It was such an unusual array of flavors that worked so well together. I also loved the couscous with the carmelized onions, raisins and pinenuts and the bisteeya was unusual and delicious too.

Go here for the recipes and more photos! If anyone wants to have a Moroccan night, I'm an expert now.

It was so great to get together with my girlfriends who share a passion for good food and cooking! Can't wait for next month and the next and so on and so on!

And a shout out to Evan who was an absolute superstar throughout it all! He was so great with helping with ideas, practicing, getting ready and of course keeping the kids at bay! I love you, Evan!

Be jealous, be very jealous...

2008-11-13T12:13:00.003-05:00

The Smith family lives in Business Week's Best Places to Raise Your Kids Winner:

See it here. You should all move here to New Rochelle with us. According to Business Week it is bliss. New Rochelle must have a great publicist!

Holy Smokes!

2008-11-12T21:13:00.011-05:00

(Post by Evan)

When you have a skill that you're adept at, it's quite possible that while executing said skill, that the entire cerebral cortex may not be completely engaged. Do you really think about how much force to turn the steering wheel with when changing lanes? For the musicians reading this, do you actually remember which notes make up a C-major chord when playing it ? I don't. One of the things that I like to think I'm good at is cooking. Besides having attended culinary school and owned a restaurant, it's something that I just do. While I do use recipes for new dishes or for baking where precision counts , I generally manage to get by just using the gray matter for more routine cooking tasks. Unfortunately for me and my family, tonight was one of those night's where the old synapses failed me.

I was the first one home tonight and looked through the freezer for what me might have on hand. The ground beef caught my eye as did the cilantro sitting on the countertop in a vase of water. Something Mexican-flavored started to materialize in my head. Liz arrived just minutes later and with her input, we opted for one of our favorite family standbys: taco salad. Within minutes, I had thrown together the hot part (ground beef, onions, garlic, kidney beans and seasonings). Liz had done all the prep for the cold parts (lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, avocadoes, sour cream and tortilla chips). The table was set and I was just about to bring the hot part to the table when I checked to see if it needed any salt. That was when it became obvious that something had gone horribly wrong.

I blew on the spoonful of the meat mixture to prevent scorching my lips or tongue, but as I placed the spoon into my mouth, I took in a breath. I immediately started to cough and not wanting to spew the contents of my mouth all over the place, closed my mouth and tried to gently cough through my nose, all while still chewing. The coughing soon gave way to burning in my mouth and I was completely baffled. What the heck was going on?! I just happened to glance up the still open kitchen cabinet and found my answer.

Most chili powder is a blend of sweet and usually mild chiles with cumin, garlic, oregano and sometimes onion powder. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would put it at a 2 or 3 depending on the brand. You would generally add 1 to 3 tablespoons per quart. Cayenne pepper on the other hand is a pure powdered cayenne chile and rates more like a 6 or 7. I hadn't planned on making this dish hot at all, especially since I had 3 small kids eating it. After adding a couple of tablespoons of cayenne, this batch of taco salad meat was pretty much for "experts only."

I ended up starting over. Even though I added no chili powder to it, there seemed to be sufficient residual in the pan to give it a substantial kick. It was edible, but all our our mouths were tingling throughout dinner. We finished off the meal with ice cold milk, and a spoonful of sour cream to cool it down. In spite of the "fireworks," the meal was still thoroughly satisfying.

This blunder reminded me of other failures in the past by me and by others. I still remember the morning as a child when my mother sprinkled the french toast she made us with corn starch instead of powdered sugar. (Both powders were stored loose in Tupperware containers.) She was furious at first when we wouldn't eat it and read us the riot act for complaining. She quickly forgave us when we insisted it was yucky and she actually tasted it.

I'm sure all cooks can contribute other kitchen blunders. Let's hear about them in the comments!

P.S. I froze the super-spicy meat mixture. If you're a chili-head come on over, and we'll resurrect it into something tasty.

Fear Factor

2008-11-08T21:52:00.008-05:00

(Post by Evan)

What is it about fear and pain that invokes our pleasure receptors? I'm sure there's a good treatise on the whole S & M thing surrounding that question, but on a simpler level, I stopped to think why on earth do any of us ever do scary things for enjoyment?

A few weeks ago we had one of the biggest adrenaline rushes that we've experienced in a real long time. There was a corporate sponsored outing at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ where we took the family for a very fun-filled day. For an October Saturday the park was pretty crowded, but the kiddie rides were fairly accessible which made Sophia, Wesley, and even Luke happy when they got to ride. Liz invited some friends of ours to accompany us. They were great companions to us and the kids. They stepped up and told me and Liz that we really needed to try one of the newer rides there, a wooden roller coaster named El Toro.

Now let me start off by saying that I love roller coasters. Always have. Wooden roller coasters are generally a different type of thrill than the new steel coasters where you do all the inverted, spiral, dangling, things which surely offer lots of thrills. With wood, I generally expect a traditional car with a lap bar combined with a bit of a rickety ride and lots of jerking turns plus a good downhill to get it all started. This coaster, for those who haven't ridden it, is, um, not traditional in that sense.

I should have known something was up when the car ahead of us kicked a guy off for whom they couldn't get the lap bar down. He was man of proportions just slightly larger than mine. I didn't think about it until they came to our car which was lit up with warning light and had two attendants try to jam the lap bar down on me. They crunched it down on me significantly and got the green light to launch finally.

Once the car left the starting gate, I knew for sure now that things were going to be different. The old-fashioned chain that agonizingly carries you to the top was nowhere to be found. Instead a high-speed drive was employed to whisk us with alacrity to the peak. We weren't in the front, but once we got a glimpse of the downhill, sheer panic and terror set in!

Like I said before I generally love roller coasters and always give up a good scream, but this one evoked an entirely new set of feelings in me. Instead of a plain scream, I think, but am not sure, that some words issued from mouth that would be typically notated in print (in family publications like this one) with the shifted number keys, if you get my drift. They weren't uttered silently either. After the initial shock of the first hill, we sped uphill where I experienced the first of several negative G's and felt my butt leave the seat. I couldn't be shut up at this point. I babbled/yelled/shouted incessantly for the rest of the ride. All I could think about was that lap bar cranked down in my lap wishing they had forced it down on me even more! Forget putting your arms up in the air--I think most people had a death grip on the handle bar.

Liz was sort of crying and whimpering and shouting during the ride. Normally I would have tried to be there for her and hold onto her and offer words of support, etc. But this was different. While cognizant of her beside me, I could only think of myself. (Sorry about that, baby.) Part of me was so hoping that the ride was over, but much to the credit of the designers, they filled it full of surprises, such as two false endings! Bravo, Intamin!

I'm usually not the kind that buys the expensive photos that you can view of yourself as you exit the ride. But this time, I made an exception. I knew I had experienced a whole new level when getting out of the car. For one, I had no voice left. I had shouted myself hoarse. Liz was dabbing the tears out of her eyes, but we both felt completely exhilariated! The look in our faces says it all, I think. (Click on photo for a closer view.)

Would I do this one again? In a heartbeat.

A Happy Halloween!

2008-11-03T23:20:00.013-05:00

(Note: Blog Post by Evan)

I have to admit, this has been the most fun Halloween I've had in a long time. I think since the kids are getting older and, hence, more into Halloween, that it's rubbed off. This is the first year that I've dressed up for real in a long time. I've paid lip service to this great fall event a couple of times before, using whatever I had on hand for a lame costume, but this year I was actually motivated to go for it. Part of the credit goes to Liz, who helped orchestrate a party earlier in the month where the game Rock Band was the centerpiece and we were all supposed to dress up as our favorite rocker. Unfortunately, I didn't think I could pull off a convincing Geddy Lee, so I channeled my inner KISS and came up with a hybrid version.

The kids this year really tickled me with their costume choices. Sophia wanted to be a dalmatian, and with a little of daddy's grease paint, pulled it off. Wesley was very moved earlier this year by the movie version of Speed Racer (daddy--not so moved) and has talked about little else since then. I thought he came up with a pretty convincing interpretation! Luke took his "Little Stinker" persona literally this year. He was the hit of the neighborhood. I wish you could have seen his tail move as he toddled down the sidewalks.

Decorating took a larger role this time around too. Liz scored some nice corn stalks and nice sized pumpkins. We had a lot fun carving the pumpkins this year. Again, since the kids were into it, it made it a lot of fun to help them realize their chosen designs. Who knew that scooping the pumpkin guts could be so fun?

For added fun this year, we constructed a swooping ghost in front of our house this year. After Liz spent the better part of the day chasing down 80-lb test monofilament fishing line, we strung a line from our bedroom down the walkway. As anxious trick-or-treaters approached, someone would lower the ghost down which would catch the floodlights and make its presence known. Many thought it was fantastic. Others were downright freaked out.

I also pressed Sophia's karaoke machine into service this year. After locating some spooky sound effects on the web, I burned a disc and played it through the rig with the speakers placed on the porch. With the added microphone, I had a pretty good time talking to our guests as they approached. I chose an affected British accent with overtones of Vincent Price. Unfortunately, I went a little overboard for the first group of kids. It was too freaky for the kids dressed as Thing 1 and Thing 2 from "The Cat In The Hat" to hear them being "called out" from a darkened porch. They ran off with a little shriek before collecting their candy. Toning it down led to some funny comments. "Where is that man?" "How does he know what we're dressed as?" "Is that a recording?" "Mommy, I don't like his voice." I also sent a 2-year old into tears as I opened the door in my garish makeup. (Note to parents: Although princess and fireman costumes are cute and fluffy, you have to tell your kids that Halloween has a scary side too. They need to have a heads-up for the possibility of meeting a goblin or ghoul.)

We're already planning next year's decorations. Come by to see our witch on a broomstick flying across the yard. Maybe some fog and strobe lights too. And hopefully we'll get some more foot traffic as well since it won't fall on the Jewish sabbath next time too.

A final caution: don't eat too many Halloween goodies, or this could happen to you:

Out of the CLOSET...

2008-10-21T14:02:00.007-04:00

...I've had the urge to go through, clean out, organize lately. Yesterday, I went through 5 boxes of "remnants from the past" and had an interesting walk down memory lane. For instance, I found the brochure of the house we currently own and noticed for the first time, that the grass on the pamphlet is unnaturally green and fuzzy, lots of other things were embellished too, I'm sure, but the grass was totally photoshopped in!!! We were duped! Then, I came across a bunch of old Christmas cards and had the thought to chuck them, but reading through them brought much joy as I perused the pictures and brief updates from years' past, so I tossed them back in a box to return to the attic. In a random stack of old mortgage docs from 3 purchases ago, I found a picture of me and "Chip" at a high school dance. I don't recall much at all about the dance or anything else surrounding it except for shopping with Chip beforehand to coordinate our kicka$$ outfits, but seeing the picture brought a smile to my face--especially the pink theme and thermals with boxers!!! So "totally rad" 80s. I don't remember much about Chip either. Where is he now? Does he still sport pink sweats and socks? I hope not. And what the heck was "TOLO?" It was written on the back along with the date "2-12-88." And the funniest thing was I think my hair was very similar to #14!!! (<-----referring to yearbookyourself.com)

While it feels good to let things go like old receipts for gas, antiquated computer parts (and there were tons of that crap!), out of date clothes and other bric a brac, it feels good to keep and hold on to things too. I don't think I would remember much about my past if I didn't have the paraphernalia to jog my memory. I just need to figure out a better way to keep it, but who has the time? I seem to only have time to discard things or throw them back in the box until the next urge to expunge things comes about. It really is much quicker than finding a solution for it, you know!

Back IN the CLOSET goes some of the meaningful knickknacks, but the rest will be carted off by NRSD Thursday. Good bye stuff that's clogging my attic! Feels so good to say goodbye.

Some Monday HILARIOUS! Enjoy.

2008-10-20T13:28:00.001-04:00

12-Year-Old Boy Scouts Volunteer To Give Women Breast Exams

It's FALL!

2008-10-14T22:46:00.003-04:00

Leaves are falling, there's a crisp in the air, clothes are layering, apples abound, pumpkins are everywhere, scarecrows too, the kids are obsessing about their every changing costume ideas, grass is browning, impatiens are dying, campaigns are heating up, I am baking, tan is fading, lots of planning, lots of weatherproofing, spiders are entering, i am leaf wreath-making, FALL IS HERE!

Wanted: New Tooth Fairy

2008-10-09T08:05:00.004-04:00

For the third or fourth tooth, Sophia's tooth fairy has completely snubbed her. The anticipation of waking up to something clanking under her pillow has been far too disappointing lately! Nothing, but a leftover tooth in her little box. Does anyone know where we could procure a responsible tooth fairy that is consistent and thoughtful? Is it so much to ask for to drop by for at most a minute and slip a little something under the pillow for a little girl who is waiting for some tooth fairy affection? My only thought is that our tooth fairy must have a family of her own and after getting her own kids safely tucked into bed and the dinner dishes cleared and washed and everything shut down for the night, maybe she takes a side trip to the couch to watch her latest DV-R recordings for "just a few minutes" before she winds down to take off on her tooth fairy flight. Then suddenly finds herself drifting off to slumber without remembering her duties. Yeah, I could see that happening for sure.

But, if anyone knows of a more reliable tooth fairy needing a gig, let me know. I can't take the disappointment in a certain 7 year old's eyes even one more time!

Tooth #8 bites the dust! Our jack 'o lantern this year is going to be identical. ;-)

Yeah, but I remembered the other 78 things...

2008-10-05T22:58:00.005-04:00

I know it's cliche' to say that as a mother I have to remember so many things, but really, if I had to write down all the things I do have to remember to keep it together on a daily basis, that is all I would be doing, because the processes are tedious to running a family! But over the summer, when we would get in the car and be on our way to the beach and Wesley would say, "Mo'om, why didn't you bring my so & so toy?" I'd reply, "I don't know, why didn't you?" And then he would get infuriated and usually launch into a whole full blown tantrum. I would reply, "I remembered the 4 towels, the sunscreen, the plethora of snacks (even the craisins that I know you love so much), the dry clothes, the chairs, the car keys, the sunglasses, the water toys, my cell phone, the drinks, the stroller, the diapers, the lunch, etc, etc... and so on, doesn't all that count? Do you have to dwell on the ONE thing I forgot that I knew you wanted, but could live without? If we were counting points, I would still get a 95% and that is well over passing grade.

Well, certainly there is more value in some things than others if we were giving scores and points for items we need when we go out because this weekend, we headed down to Six Flags with the kids for a fun company sponsored day and I forgot something KEY! Let me just preface it with the fact that we decided to avoid the crowds and get to the Safari part of the park 15 minutes before they open at 9, so that meant we had to leave at 6:45AM since we had a pick up to make in Manhattan along the way. That said, my cherubic kids did do a great job of getting themselves ready including dressing and brushing their teeth. On the other hand, Luke isn't old enough to do such things yet and he wasn't even awake, so we just scooped him up in his drowsy state of still being jammied and buckled him into the carseat so he could still sleep if he wanted to. I grabbed his clothes along with the packed bag of 27 other things in prep for the day and off we went! We made great time and had a nice drive on the Turnpike and then pulled into the lineup for the Safari--we were in a top position! It was exciting until I realized, We don't have any shoes for Luke!!!! Oops! Then, that's all I could think about as we sat in anticipation of the animalicious Safari ahead of us. Is it possible that there is a spare pair tucked under a seat, if so, it's probably only one and not both. I scavenged and came up with nothing. Indeed, we were 2 hours away from home and I forgot a key item! Lots of thoughts went racing through my head: Is there something else I could use for shoes? Do they sell shoes at Six Flags? Would I miss out on all the fun if I skipped out and just went outlet shopping nearby? Would there be another family that would just happen to have a spare pair of size 6 shoes, preferable Wide and no Hello Kitty logos?, Ok, pink would be fine, I guess beggars can't be choosers. Then ultimately,I thought "what am I going to do?!" Keep him suppressed in the stroller ALL day? Impossible. My only hope was that we would find a shop with some sort of shoes, so off we went. To make an already too long story shorter, after hitting 8 or 9 of Six Flags' stores, we finally found the bargain basement store where most things were 50% off. One helpful clerk later and a trip to the back stockroom, we ended up with a leftover pair of watershoes. Perfect! Luke was happy and thrilled to get out of his stroller finally!

The experience had me thinking, obviously, and reminded me of one of our trips to Italy 6 years ago when Sophia was Luke's age. We were going back to Pisa where we lived after coming home for a school break for a few days. We had a lot on our minds since our NYC apartment was still on the market and we had to decide if we were to stay in Italy for more semesters or to just come home after the first semester. Anyway, we took off to the airport for the night flight and when we got to JFK, I realized it that I hadn't packed a single diaper in my bag. Oops! I looked at every store in JFK, but no one had diapers, I looked for another mother, but didn't see anyone with a comparable or older child. Off we went and I just prayed for the best. The "best" being that we wouldn't have any #2s that night or we would be in deep "you know what" literally! Our prayers were answered, and we made it all the way to Pisa on that one diaper, albeit heavy once we arrived. Indeed a moment when I told myself, I will never forget to pack diapers again!

I'm certain that I'll be more aware of packing shoes for Luke from now on too, but maybe it's just my way of getting back at Evan for teasing me of always overpacking. In the end, which is better to be prepared or to lack an important item?

So, what's the worst item that you've forgotten?

Happy Birthday, Sophia!

2008-09-30T11:31:00.000-04:00

Wow, you're 7! It's just so exciting! I'm thrilled to see the beautiful, spunky, creative, precocious, nurturing, charming young lady that you are becoming! Thanks for all the giggles, knock-knock jokes that lead nowhere, observations, teaching moments and fun that you have given me and daddy! It's going to be a great year! xoxo, Mom & Dad

(ps...there are 8 candles on the cake for some unknown reason...i'll blame this one on sleep deprivation!!!)

I'm SWELL!

2008-09-29T22:11:00.004-04:00

I finally got to meet one of my idols! Miss Martha Stewart. Yep. It was amazing. By association of my Gourmet Club, I was able to secure us tickets for our group to go to the show today. The anticipation of going has been so fun because I have been a fan of Martha and all the equity she has brought back into the home and homemaking aspect of life since I was a teenager. I've always been fascinated with executing a lovely dinner table and making it visually appealing, interesting and fun. I love how expeditious she is and how's she's made her life into an art, just being Martha. I find it a compliment when someone says, "You're so Martha," when I've done something creative. ( I won't get into the dark side of Martha, we all have skeletons, eh?! LOL)

Anyway, going to the show was sincerely a fun experience and with so many of my gourmet girlfriends. The show was very interesting in and of itself. We all fell in love with Josh Bernstein. He was HOT-HOT-HOT and had a darling, charming personality. Then, another segment was about refinishing fine metal. Some may yawn, but not me! It reminded me of my days working at Tiffany almost a decade ago! She had a lovely butler's tray re-worked and refinished by a company in Queens that came to the show. I thought it was so fascinating to see the fine metalworking in progress! The last part of the show was with Chef Tom Colicchio of Top Chef and proprietor of several restaurants. He made some scrumptious fare that had our mouths watering. Disappointing that there weren't tastes for the whole audience or at least US, but we survived, it just tempted our palates for lunch at his place 'wich craft. Delicious!

So, after the show was done taping, our group was beckoned by the stage manager to come up to her cooking island while she was answering audience questions. The in-house photographer positioned us just so leaving a spot in the middle for the Maven herself and took several test shots and then repositioned some of us with tweaks here and there. We really weren't sure what to expect and were excited about all the extra treatment! When she was done, she came over and greeted us, then snuck into position for a few shots, then turned and talked to us for a few moments. She wanted to know a little about our group and Kirstin's cause and blog. It was really great moment!

My impressions of the show was that it is an extremely large and organized production! I can't believe how smoothly everything runs there and the multitude of people to make it so. Before the show, there were several workers in the greenhouse area of the stage sweeping up and moving flora around. Then they would go back and do more tasks, etc. She never even went into the greenhouse or addressed it, yet they had been busy at work tinkering there. There were at least 6 people in her prep kitchen busily working like Santa's elves. Everyone seems VERY intent on doing their job and doing it WELL. When the show was taping and in between segments, there were about 30 crew members scurrying about. Now I know why I can't keep algae off my slate patio for more than a week at a time, fresh flowers changed daily in my house, my windows spotless, my curio cabinets filled with interesting and up to date items changed out often and to coordinate with my daily outfit, my kitchen kept clean and organized and all my recipes rehearsed before the performance (dinner!)!!! Because I don't have a staff of 30 at my beck and call. It was an a-ha moment, I finally figured out why nobody can really be "Martha" like she does it! Because Martha is the face of a well oiled machine!!!

Keep it up Martha, we can all dream!

Sophia's Party

2008-09-27T22:43:00.001-04:00

Girlfriends

Why are Sophia's parties so fun for me and Evan? I think we have just as much fun as the kids! This year, I pulled it together very last minute and I have to admit that Evan did most of the party and I just did the shopping & styling part. We are a great team! Unlike most of my parties, there was no defined theme, but I decided to go with a pink and orange color scheme. It all came together so beautifully.

When the girls arrived, they made firecracker necklaces out of patterned paper triangles and rolled them on sticks until they formed a long bead. Once they had completed 20 or so, they strung them on cording. This was a really fun and darling craft for them!

Then the girls were each given a mini cake to frost and decorate. We brought out bags of tinted buttercream frosting with different tips and taught the girls to make flowers, polka dots, flourishes and to get creative and have fun with the tips! They were all elated to find out that there were endless possibilities.

Evan lead a killer game of Queen Elephant where each person has assigned an animal and a sign to do and the object of the game is to knock the Queen Elephant out of the top position so you can keep moving up. It was a wonderful way to tone down the exhuberance that a 7 year old party can generate after much sugar and excitement and redirect their energy into winning a game. Brilliant!

The food was normal kid-pleasing fare of corner pizza and pink lemonade and then the cake that Evan so beautifully made and decorated. It was delicious!

Sophia, thanks for letting us share your party with you! Glad you had a great time! xoxo

Old-fashioned Beadmaking fun

Emily's cake decorating talent

Letting the creative juices flow

Everybody do the crab

Cakes all packaged up to take home

Unplanned twinners--and they fit the color scheme too!

Evan's MUSIC

2008-09-25T11:48:00.006-04:00

Evan has finally put his music that he made a few decades ago online. Go here if you want to check it out! You can listen to it and buy it if you want to download it and make us rich-- .69 at a time!

By the way, that's not a real guitar--it's from Guitar Hero!

Update: I guess I should explain the picture! This in NOT his normal garb. We were at a RockBand party hosted by our friends and we like to get into character for the fun party. RockBand is a video game that has instruments that you get to play virtually. My favorite is the DRUMS! There is also a bass, guitar and vocals. You should find a RockBand party to attend and don your favorite thick black eyeliner and Metallica concert t-shirt. You'll be glad you did!

Happy Birthday, Thom!

2008-09-24T01:17:00.002-04:00

It's the week of Birthdays in my family! No kidding. My mom, my brother, my father and now my daughter! So, here's to a great year, Thom!

First Days

2008-09-24T00:46:00.004-04:00

I'm so behind with where I wanted to be with this blog. I skipped such an exciting and fulfilling summer! Hopefully I can fill in more on that later, but first, let me present my school kids....da da ta daaaa....

I take this same picture of Sophia in front of the same sign every year on the first day! She looks great for having walked off a plane literally 2 hours before!!! She was so excited to start school and see all of her friends that the adrenaline kept her going all day!

She was so thrilled to be in the same class with some of her girlfriends from last year! There is so much comfort in familiar faces. The cutest thing was that she was really excited that Nickolas was in her class. Now she isn't particularly close with him but they have been in the same class since nursery school when we first moved here and every year since then, so she was relieved that they are still together.

Wesley started in a special Magnet program at a school nearby. He got into this by lottery and we feel so lucky! His school is a beautiful castle-looking building. This will be his school for Pre-K through 2nd grade. He likes to call it the Barnyard school!

His teacher is darling and on the first day they just had the boys come to ease them into the program. The day before it was just girls and then the 3rd day is combined. He was so excited to start a new school and find some new friends! He has a grin every day when I go to pick him up!
Here's to a wonderful year! I can't believe I already have a 2nd grader!

Happy Birthday, MOM!

2008-09-23T14:19:00.002-04:00

My little bike RIDERs!

2008-09-23T09:04:00.007-04:00

All excuses aside. This was the week my daughter would finally be taught how to ride a bike! I knew she was ready and the process took about 20 minutes. Interestingly enough, she did best when Evan and I weren't watching. (or she didn't think we were, at least!) I knew she was ready and that she could do it, I just needed to find away to make her BELIEVE! I was pleased with the results! Wow, my little post September 11th baby has sure come a long way! She's growing up fast!

Then my garage saleing talent this week yielded some wonderful finds: the most important to Wesley being a brand new Trek bike trailer that attaches to Evan's bike. He was giddy with excitement as we got it installed! He was so thrilled to do our 3 road loop over and over again. Daddy got quite a workout and Wesley had an eternal smile! Pure joy!

Yay for bikes! I can't wait until we find a way to get me and Luke in on the action! The infant seat we have doesn't fit any of our bikes. We'll figure something out. Until then, Ride ON!

The men in my LIFE!

2008-09-23T08:56:00.003-04:00

There's something about a man in a suit and when you get your top 3 in suits, well, it's exhilarating! Last week on one of my shopping trips, I came across a suit that was perfect for Wesley. He was even excited about it and the prospect of looking more like Daddy! I passed the infant aisle and couldn't resist something similar for Luke.

Wow, my boys are handsome!

I'm sorry, I've been gone, but I've been busy trying out new hairstyles!

2008-09-19T11:20:00.004-04:00

What do you think? I'm thinking #1, #11 & #12 are pretty HOT!

You should try it too at YearbookYourself.com. Enjoy the laughter!

A weekend without CRYING...

2008-08-11T01:56:00.007-04:00

...yep, Evan and I experienced a whole weekend without crying!!! That's because we were delighted to get AWAY....alone!

We escaped to a place neither of us had ever been....PRINCETON, NJ.

Our impressions of Princeton were very favorable. The town was quaint, the food was delicious, the lodging was great, the company was excellent and the drive was short.

We were smitten with the campus of the University. We really felt like we had stepped into England as we walked around the dorms and various buildings. It even made us miss college life a little.

This is one of the dorm buildings. Lovely, just lovely!

There is an ad on tv for one of the nearby destination casinos (Foxwoods) where there is a couple that walks in the door for a weekend there and immediately unzips their exhausted, spent, frumpy selves and hands their molted layers to the bellboy and immediately takes off to experience all the fun, excitement and relaxation the place has to offer and then when they go to leave to go home, the bellboy asks, "do you want these back?" and of course their reply is "no way!" That is how we felt this weekend...REJUVENATED!

**ps...anyone who can find that ad online for me, I'll send them a treat. I couldn't locate it. ;-)

We had a great time at the pool, reading, watching the Olympics and getting relaxing massages at the Koi Spa.

This pretty much sums up the trip:

So we did a self-portrait with the camera and missed our whole faces, but....you get the idea!

Thanks for a great weekend, Evan! xoxo

A little emergency Fairy Tale...

2008-08-08T08:20:00.004-04:00

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom. In this kingdom there was a king and queen and 2 princes and a beautiful princess! On a balmy Sunday afternoon the king and queen and their court were invited to a kingdom in Rye. It was a lovely afternoon of BBQ, friends, frolicking and merrymaking. Now part of the majesty of the other kingdom's backyard was a perfect golf driving range that spanned back as far as the eye could see and a very intelligent mutt that loved to retrieve golf balls so obviously it was so much entertainment to drive the balls and have a real "fetcher!" The queen loved to do this over and over and then the prince and princess decided to jump in on the action and acquaint themselves with driving balls with a long driver. After several successful attempts the game was in full swing! Now, the king and queen of both kingdoms had reminded the princes and princesses to step back when they weren't the ones driving and for the ones that were driving the balls to make sure to look before they swung. This went on for a long period of time and much fun was had, when suddenly, we all heard a loud scream and the middle prince was running around the enormous yard yelling BAD Sophia, Bad Sophia!!! It was obvious what must have happened but the princess just kept on perfecting her game and the prince kept running around in his tantrum until the king and queen decided to investigate possible damage. When they finally approached, they noticed blood all over the young prince's hands and when he turned around the blood was gushing from the back of his head! Action was immediately taken to find the source of the blood and a small gash about 1 1/2 centimeters was located. After a few moments, the blood stopped and the prince was settled down enough to get some good drugs in him--Motrin--and his pupils and breathing were checked--all was ok. However, the injury yielded a trip to the Pediatric Urgent Care Center. Glue was promptly administered to the site of the opening and after several run throughs of the theme song of "Speed Racer" for distraction during the procedure, Prince Wesley was once again "put back together again!"

And they all lived happily ever after!!!

The Cheesiest Birthday EVER!

2008-07-23T23:41:00.002-04:00

Evan jumped into twin double digits today! Yay! (figure that one out...it's not 33! LOL)

The kids were so excited about Evan's birthday all day that they were scheming and planning and cutting and taping and hard at work in spurts! (picture to come...)

The morning started off with surprise lemon curd and cream crepes in bed coupled with a very vivacious rendition of the happy birthday song! Yummy!

Then a day full of work from bed on his back with his laptop on his knees! (Evan's still suffering from his 3 slipped disks in his neck! We need a cure, fast!)

Finally, we ended the day with a great trip to the fab NYC restaurant Artisanal. It's a French Bistro who specializes in over 250 cheeses! We were in heaven! When Evan and I lived in Italy 6 years ago, we used to make it a point to always come home from our weekly shopping trip to Carrefour with a unique and unusual cheese. We loved the variety that was offered in the stores in Italy and it really helped culture our taste in cheese! Tonight we had a delicous 3 cheese french onion soup, a charcutterie and cheese platter--the creamy California Truffle cheese was our favorite, and a Skate wing! It was an utterly delicious culinary dining adventure! The maitre'd was on top of things and ended the meal with a surprise "Happy Birthday" confection personalized for Evan! Thanks Artisanal, can't wait to come back--afterall we only have 243 cheeses left to try!

This had to be your cheesiest birthday yet! Am I right? Congratulations and may this year be a better year! We love you! xoxo, Liz, Sophia, Wesley & baby Luke

Happy 4th Birthday, WESLEY!

2008-06-27T14:33:00.005-04:00

Dear Wesley,

Four amazing years have passed by, it's hard to believe! You are such a fun loving charming boy. I'm loving your personality and how you get so attached to your toys! I've heard of kids sleeping with their stuffed animals, but I find it so endearing to see you tucked in bed with your Speed Racer cars held tightly--one in each hand as you're sound asleep! Your smile is so genuine. Thank you for caring about me and wanting to always be close. It was so cute today when you were ahead of me on the trail and you turned around to ask, "Mom, are you ok?!" I hope you always maintain that great quality to look after your MOM!

You have an amazing memory. I love how you know all about Sharks and which ones are the most dangerous. Who knew there was one called a "Wobbegong" or a "Basking?" You certainly do. It's so fun to listen to you talk about all the insects you know all about.

I love how you play with Sophia & Luke! When you all get the giggles together, it's heaven on earth! May you always be friends like you are now.

Here's to many many more Happy Birthdays, Wesley! Now that you're 4, I think you should be able to sleep in your own bed all night, though! ;-)

xoxo,

Mommy

Fourth Birthday Party at Opening Day of WALL E

At the Interactive Bob Dylan Exhibit at the Skirball Museum, Los Angeles 2008

Fall 2007

Oakland Beach, 2007

Credit: Smith Chick Photography

My prima BALLERINA!

2008-06-23T00:57:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year--the culmination of the year's efforts! Sophia had her ballet recital this weekend and it was so fun to watch her improvement through the last year's blood, sweat and tears! The recital was nearly 2 hours long, but she loved watching every minute of it. Thankfully, the boys were at home peacefully playing with the babysitter!

Good job, Sophia! Daddy and I are so proud of you! xoxo

Here are the highlight photos:

Chocolate & the CITY!

2008-06-20T22:35:00.000-04:00

Whenever my friend Anne has an idea for a party, there is always a level of fabulous to it! I think this is one of the reasons that we hit it off so well from the 7 years that we have known each other! We both have the motto: MAKE IT MEMORABLE. This week was our friend Chrysula's 40th birthday and Anne had the wonderful idea to surprise her with a chocolate tour of the City in a limo! I was so excited after I got the invitation that the anticipation was almost as fun as the actual event!

10 of Chysula's friends arrived in their NY summer flirty attire and we embarked on a fun-filled 2 hour voyage in style! Anne mapped out and researched 20 of the City's top chocolate boutiques hoping to hit them all, but the NYC traffic didn't allow it. It didn't faze us though, we just enjoyed the traveling party with stops at 6 major chocolatiers plus Anne catered a gourmet picnic we toted along and ate in between stops complete with diet coke and sparkling water served in champagne flutes--pure class! And who could forget that deliciously zesty pad thai served in darling colorful chinese take out containers and chopsticks?!

Highlights of the tour were the champagne truffles at Teuscher, the mini Rochers from La Maison du Chocolat and the wicked frozen chocolate with ancho and chipotle chili peppers at Jacques Torres--interesting and intense!

Chrysula, thanks for turning 40 in style! You are the epitome of class and loveliness! xoxo

Sophia's been published!

2008-06-19T21:19:00.007-04:00

Sophia's had the great fortune of having two teachers in a row that are part of a writer's workshop program from Columbia University. This year they each wrote and illustrated an essay and Mrs. Lee had them bound into a professional book for each of the students! The parents were invited to the author's party yesterday for the unveiling of the book entitled, "Best Friends!" Each student wrote about their best friends both animate and inanimate. It was so darling to hear them each read their page and to see the hard work that they put into their story!

It was a great exercise in public speaking as well as showcasing their work.

Sophia wrote about her BFF Halle Kate who moved to Texas when we moved to Westchester.

Sophia & Halle Kate age 3 1/2 Central Park

Here is the video of her reading. Great content if you're a grandparent! LOL

Great job, Sophia!

(And yes, that IS a tank top she is wearing at school. I'm much more comfortable with it when it's not snowing outside!)

A Night in Tuscany

2008-06-17T08:48:00.004-04:00

Evan and I offered a dinner hosted in our home for a Service Auction a few months ago. We finally found a date that worked for everyone and made it happen last week. I thought I'd post the yummy dinner we prepared. The lucky bidders were the Gibbs, the Jensons, and superstar Erin Thorn! (check out this link, she really is amazing!)

We started off with two kinds of bruschetta, portobello with parsley and cannellini sage. (sorry, no photo, but just imagine toasted goodness packed with lots of flavor!)

The first course was an asparagus red pepper risotto, an Evan original based on techniques he learned in Tuscany.

Then I did a insalata mista in prosciutto cups. (mixed salad in prosciutto cups)

The main course was a pork roast with prunes in a honey glaze with roasted apples and new potatoes.

The grand finale was our favorite Crostata di Frutta (fruit tart with pastry creme)

Evan and I are a great team. We love cooking together! Buon Appettito!

Great Weekend!

2008-06-16T13:56:00.002-04:00

We had a great Father's Day Weekend away on the shores of CT. Here is a cute video I captured of Luke on the beach.

The ward where we spent Father's Day morning in Madison had the cutest idea to honor the fathers of the ward. They baked 13 homemade pies and had them all cut and set out on plates in the cultural hall after church. The chairs were arranged in a few curved rows facing the middle of the hall and the partition accordion doors were closed. After each father picked out his pie and sat, the doors were opened up to several rows of their primary children singing the sweetest Father's Day Songs both original and standard. It was such a darling effect. The pie was only for them and they all loved it!

Wesley made Evan a cake and a cute card that told him what he loved about him and what he loves to do with Evan and Sophia made Evan a tie that was decorated including his AGE and an essay about what she loves about Evan. And Luke just whined and giggled a lot on Sunday! We love you, Daddy Evan!

Almost FAMOUS...

2008-06-10T21:24:00.004-04:00

After much anticipation, my big debut is finally ready! You can see another 3:12 minutes of my "fame."(I think we're over the 4 minute mark by now, aren't we?!) Only I'm not convinced it's really me. I think they used a very realistic body double, and they put a fat suit on her! Just kidding. Great incentive to get fit when you see yourself on TV! I have to say, I think I miss the days of rolling around in the pork mobile last Winter! Wesley asked me today why we got rid of our "sthicker car!" It was fun to relive it in this spot. Enjoy!

And before you think my days in the limelight are over, beware!!! Westchester 12 wants to do an interivew on me...I just need to get on the radio and then I'll be the Queen of all Media! LOL

Happy Happy Birthday Luke!

2008-06-02T13:41:00.000-04:00

Yay! Luke is ONE! He can even show you with his finger when you ask him!

Luke is pure entertainment to the family. We love watching his milestones. And it's fun to have him join in the family tickle monster wrestles.

He is on the road to be a politician or pageant queen someday, I'm sure. He loves to wave at anyone and everyone who he can engage! It's quite the spectacle at Costco.

He has mastered the social laugh. Whenever he hears someone laughing even in the other room, he cackles along.

He is a gentle giant.

I'm going to miss his waddle crawl now that he's starting to walk. As he goes across the floor his toes turn up and his hips swing side to side!

I'm not going to miss the social biting phase, however! He got both me AND Wesley yesterday really badly! Let's hope he outgrows this phase by Preschool!

I love that he cries when the cleaning lady, Estela leaves. He certainly has a crush on her!

I love that he eats most anything that is placed before him. Vegetables, Meats, Fruits, Grains, Cheeses! He is an adventurous eater, so he fits right in with the family.

Here's to many more years to come! We love you, Lukey!

12 years of BLISS

2008-05-31T00:47:00.005-04:00

To my Evan, I dedicate this post.

(the rest of you can read ahead if you want or just listen to the music!)

You:

...have been up for all of my crazy adventures. Remember going to Nashville and Florida on a whim? What fun!

...are great at pulling together wonderful meals out of "nothing" in the fridge.

...are so supportive with all of my ideas. Like using leftover slate tiles as table chargers.

...are a true friend. Thanks for all the texts, emails, calls and notes.

...have shared your shoes with me. Can you believe we wear the same size?!

...make beautiful kids.

...are adorable when I catch you fibbing or sneaking things. Like food in the sunroom!

...complete and perfect me.

You're my "everything!"

Fun in the BERKSHIRES

2008-05-29T04:23:00.008-04:00

Last weekend was a hit with the kids and the adults alike! We spent the weekend in the Berkshires which is a mountain range in SW Massachusetts. The geography and drive were reminiscent of Southern Germany. Lots of rolling green hills, meadows, quaint farms and just plain loveliness!

Benton Brook Farm Egg Hunt--Otis, MA

The first part of Saturday was spent on the farm of some people we know from Westchester. They hosted an egg hunt and picnic that got snowed out due to the weather in March this year. The setting was just beautiful on this 100+ acre farm in the middle of somewhere. The kids enjoyed the egg hunt in the rolling hills, tractor rides, bingo in the barn and just plain outdoor freedom. The adults enjoyed great food, conversation, laying on blankets in the meadow and the relaxation!

The coincidence was that we have some other friends that just bought a 200 year old Inn next to Butternut Ski Resort that was on the SAME road as this farm where the egg hunt was and they had invited us up for Memorial Weekend! We were so excited to see what Peter and Caitlin had been talking about these last few months. We anxiously arrived to a quaint old Inn formerly known as The Turning Point.

The Inn

Caitlin and Peter don't plan on being Inn Proprietors, but rather use it as their ski house for the winter months. It had endless rooms and bathrooms, a chef's kitchen, a great backyard for the kids to roam all day and the lovely fragrance of lily of the valley wafting about when you walk outside. Caitlin's already been busy fixing the rooms up to her liking and making it into a fun weekend hideaway.

The McNally/Smith Clan at Bash Bish Falls, NY

Along the hike, Wesley had to do this bridge over and over!

I think it was the element of danger that got him.

Sophia was in heaven playing with Cricket & Grace

Peter, Me & Caitlin in their chef's kitchen

Evan entertaining us with one of his "original" songs

We had a blast over the weekend with hiking to waterfalls with Luke strapped to our backs, playing guitar, making and eating scrumptious food, and just kicking back with great friends! The goat farm we visited had the most deliciously fresh cheese. Sophia is in heaven and I keep packing it in her lunch. I'll bet she's the only kid in the 1st grade that has goat cheese and tomatoes for lunch! She would literally sit and eat it like ice cream if I let her. Wesley fell in love with a few kids (baby goats) at the farm!

Rawson Goat Farm-- Monterey, MA

We went on a little hike on an old part of the Appalachian Trail. Luke fell asleep right before we were heading out, so I just left him in the stroller and figured we'd go as far as we could with the stroller and I'd head back. I went about a 1/2 mile up and then Evan, Peter and the kids continued on. When they got back, Wesley had the most adorable manhandled bunch of dandelions he had picked for me in a meadow. He is such his Mamma's boy!

So glad Evan captured my flower picker on the hike!

Meet my WALKER!

2008-05-24T00:08:00.006-04:00

This video was taken a week or two ago, but I think early walking is just so precious. He's up to 3 or 4 steps now. I love to see the progression day by day. I love to see how the competence waxes and wanes. I love to see how Frankenstein is alive in every toddler. I love to see the perseverance. Fall, get up, walk, fall, get up, walk, fall, get up...

I think we have a lot to learn from toddlers.

And I couldn't resist adding this video too!

Luke provides a lot of entertainment for our family!!!

Way to go, LUKE!

Mother's Day Bronx style

2008-05-13T21:45:00.006-04:00

Mother's Day was a very good day! The morning was started with one of my favorite grown-up breakfasts--crepes and lemon curd & cinnamon sugar. Then I was presented with some darling adornments picked out by my kids--some flower earrings and a turquoise color flat bead necklace. (Thanks, Evan, you're getting better every year!) I even got a mid-morning nap in!

We started a very humorous tradition a few years ago in that we spend Mother's Day afternoon on City Island at the end of the road at a place called Johnny's Reef Restaurant. It's like a combination of Coney Island Boardwalk and the New York Stock Exchange Trading floor. (I'm not kidding! You have to experience it on a busy day!) It's really the antithesis of what most other people's Mother's Day's version is, but our family loves it. Evan said he just couldn't wipe the smile off his face the whole time we were there. The funny part is that it's mainly DEEP FRIED Seafood and all of you that know me, know I'm not a fan of any sort of seafood, yet, their chicken is good and the atmosphere is like no other, so I'm good with it.

We really stood out!

The "dining room"

All in all a great Mother's Day! I felt honored and once again I cherish my kids, especially when they don't whine at me all day!

To Mothers: Past, Present & Future...

2008-05-09T23:37:00.004-04:00

In celebration of Mothers,

To my grandmother, who continues to nurture, show patience and peacekeeping: I have a lot to learn from you still! 91 and still going strong. Thanks for letting me tease you, "old lady"! I love you, Grandma Buddy!

To my mother, who has instilled a love of entertaining, homemaking and travel. Many of my adventures, I owe to you! Remember a midnight pizza run in Siena? Nothing could have tasted better that night! Thank you for teaching me so many things, Mom!

To myself, who has realized that there are many seasons to life and this one is particularly tiring, and particularly endearing with the abundance of learning and milestones. May I get a good nap soon and treasure the mishaps of the days! (and there are many!)

To my Sophia, who has so many budding qualities of mothering I see everyday. I am so proud of you and your love of your brothers. You are on the road to an amazing journey of motherhood! Your sweet and spicy personality are a perfect complement!

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

xoxo, liz

Officially CRAZY for flowers!

2008-05-05T14:26:00.008-04:00

In case you didn't know, Megan Sibbett and I are out of our minds! We had the brilliant idea the other day to go down to the wholesale plant market. Only thing is : A) It's only open from 1AM to 10AM and B) It's located in the deep Bronx and C) The best pick is right when it opens. My impressions: Yes, you get good deals and yes, the plants are wonderful quality and yes, it's worth the disruption of sleep. I was and still am pleased with all I got, but overall, we had a sidesplitting time when our minds weren't functioning quite so clear due to the wind chill, the hour and the darkness. It's literally in a dark parking lot at the Hunt's Point Fish Market.

It was so funny to watch as the trucks would roll in and the masses would clamor to the approaching cargo and some would literally take their pick as the carts were being wheeled off the backside before they were even placed in their spots.

The prices were pretty much what they dictated with little haggling tolerated. I did manage to get one vendor to lower his prices by $2/flat, but most would say, "My prices only go up, lady, so don't mess with me!" I would say the vast majority of vendors were selling for about 30% below retail, some even more.

It was so interesting to see this underground culture emerge at 2AM. Most were shop owners, lots of Koreans snatching up the hydrangeas for their corner markets and some Russians I heard and very few like me and Megan which are homemakers trying to save a few bucks and have a NY adventure! The funniest part of the evening (and there were many) was the fact that it costs $5/car to enter the lot, so we decided to leave my car outside while we checked out the goods and before we committed another $5. We never actually exited to retrieve my car, instead, we just put the excess that wouldn't fit inside Megan's car on top on the roof racks and you wouldn't believe the incredulous looks we got as people were shaking their heads envisioning the two giggling novices driving all the way home that way. Little did they know were were going 100 yards outside the tollbooth to my car to make the transfer. I'm all for giving people a laugh!

Overall, we learned a lot about Market etiquette (don't put aside what you're not going to buy an hour later or you will have the wrath of "Vinny from Jersey", have lots of cash on hand, bring a flashlight -- dark purple under sodium street lights is really neon pink during the day, it's ok to ask lots of questions about shade, water and planting, get there early and be prepared to wait for several trucks until you get what you want! Can't wait to post the progress of my flora in a few weeks!

Thanks Megan, you're a hilarious date!

I HEART Dolly!

2008-05-01T23:59:00.004-04:00

Had a great night with Dolly! She rolled into Radio City today and we were lucky enough to get tickets to the sold-out show thanks to cousin Josh. She is one hot mamma! A great entertainer. A witty comic. And her self-deprecating humor is so charming. In the beginning of the show, she thanked every single person in the audience for choosing to spend their hard earned money on her. Then retorted, "And I really need the money...it takes a lot of money to look this cheap!!!" And her delivery was always impeccable. The jokes never ended. So funny when she started talking about the tabloids and referred specifically to several of the articles about her over the years. It takes a strong, genuine person to sail through all that with such candor! I have always been a fan because above all she is always kind and kind-hearted. Dolly, thanks for bringing God and Jesus into NYC tonight! The world needs more Dollys!

The day Wesley's dreams of growing up shattered...

2008-04-28T22:19:00.004-04:00

Evan: Let's make a cake for mommy's party!

Wesley: What kind of party is mommy having?

E: It's her birthday.

W: What kind of party is she having?

E: A 37th birthday party.

W: NOOOO! What KIND of party?

E: You just have parties when you grow up.

W: How about a Spiderman party?

E: (laughing)

W: We could do a Scooby Doo party!

E: It's just a party.

He LOVES me!

2008-04-28T19:50:00.006-04:00

My DH listened to my hints and now I have a new baby...

(...and this one doesn't keep me up at night with its teething and diaper changes!!!)

I have to say I am in love with this technological creation! It is:

a) pretty

b) chock full of fun things to do

c) a phone, but oh so much more!

d) a babysitter (hello, youTube!!!)

e) MINE!

The day was perfect:

Morning: a great garage sale where I got two cute new wrought iron beds for the guest room and then dumpster diving at GAP. Did you know that they just throw away those huge oversized frames around the store? How could I let them leave such a big carbon footprint with that "garbage", so I took a few to save the universe. (about the amount that Evan might not notice)

Afternoon: Came home to a darling birthday cake made by 8 loving hands and a set of 3 and 7 candles, and interestingly placed sprinkles. It was precious and delicious! Then all of the presents: artwork compliments of Sophia & Wesley, then the grand present! (see above)

Evening: The best Visiting Teacher EVER arrived on my doorstep promptly at 5pm so that Evan and I could have a night on the town. We took the Mini down to SoHo and just wandered, shopped and ate. It was divine! Got some fun gadgets at Sur La Table, then had a delicious dinner at Ideya, a Latin Bistro and finished it off with a trip to pinkberry! Have you tried pinkberry yet?! YUM!

Thanks for all the calls, notes and well wishes! 37 is going to be a great year!

Happy Birthday, Lizzie

2008-04-25T22:18:00.004-04:00

For my birthday, I'm going to go unconventional and write about myself:

10. I'm spontaneous. Want to go to a movie at 9pm on a weeknight? I'm there. Wanna stop by to visit for a few minutes? Great, I'll pour you some limeade. Great deal on airfare and hotel in Vieques this weekend? Let's jet!

9. I love getting lost in the details of parties, events and life. Some people may say, why does it matter that all the towels are folded the same way to fit uniform in the closet, I say, it's like art in your home. Some may say, who cares if there are fresh flowers on the dinner table and fun coordinating plates--it matters to me. Got a party to plan? I'm on it!

8. I love maps. I've always loved to study them and look at the world and all the places I've never heard of and imagine life there. I can't believe how far away civilization is from some islands. Do those people feel isolated?

7. I love flowers. I wish I had the time and patience at this stage in my life to garden, and my latest attempt at planting seeds that grew into beautiful seedings failed last week when they all dried out in the warm sun. Oops. They were getting so big and full too. I guess I had better stick to buying cut flowers.

6. I'm addicted to Kettle Corn, Microwave Popcorn and only the Stop & Shop brand. I've never even looked at the label. I'm afraid to see what the calorie and fat count are.

5. My favorite color is navy blue.

4. I love garage sales except for the really depressing ones where everything is broken down, full of cobwebs and dust and looks like it came from the dumpster.

3. My favorite shows are all the reality ones. Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, Survivor, Project Runway and American's Next Top Model. It's an interesting observation, but I love to watch how people evolve in a game situation and they really do or they are booted off.

2. I am the luckiest girl being married to Evan.

1. Sophia, Wesley and Luke haven't cried all day today and that's the best birthday present yet!

37 isn't so bad!

It's SPRING!

2008-04-18T01:13:00.006-04:00

The Royal Star Magnolias are in full swing, that's how I know! I wish I could paste the fragrance on this blog somehow because it's such a lovely smell. Here is an example!

The yard is coming back to life from its long, Winter sleep and we couldn't be more thrilled! Welcome back SPRING!

We missed you.

Does April Fool's last all month?!?!

2008-04-17T22:33:00.003-04:00

Have you ever had things happening around you and you keep looking for the Candid Camera or Punk'd team to come out and say, hahaha, gotcha!??!?!

Last week, our cat Dolce started showing signs of a very infected mouth, so we took him to the Vet which ended up referring him to an oral surgeon in the Vet realm. (Don't ask, just think lots of $$$$$$) Dolce, Luke and I arrived at Dr. Surgeon's office. (yes, that's really his name) He pulled Dolce out of his carrier and I proceeded to pet him to calm him down. The Dr. practically dove across the examining room to get my hand to stop caressing the cat because he was A L L E R G I C to cats. Yes, a Vet that is allergic to cats!!! I couldn't think of anything more ironic. He immediately started wheezing and into a full blown attack as we was explaining to me how he was going to treat Dolce's mouth and all I could do was look at him in between his coughs and guttural throat clearings and think, "OK Ashton, you can come out now with your cameras!" I really thought this doctor was putting one over on me. Wouldn't you think he would take a proactive Claritin knowing that a CAT was coming in that day?! I mean it was getting progressively worse as time went on. I finally said, "Ok, do what you need to do and call me when I need to come get him." I just wanted to get out of there so I could call Evan!

Then, I can't get over the fact that our pet Beta named Sparkle is a trick fish. He knows how to play dead! I'm not kidding! Often, when I go downstairs in the morning to get breakfast going, I look over and Sparkle is on his side and I think, "Ok, today's the day that the fish gets flushed!" But when I reach over to tap the glass, he spooks and goes swimming around his bowl! OK, I know dogs, cats, horses and other animals that do the side sleep, but really, have you ever heard of a fish that sleeps on his side?! When he really does die one day, I am apt not to believe him! We should have named him "Wolfie."

30 seconds at a time...

2008-04-10T20:44:00.000-04:00

...so, many of you know about my tv shoot with Current TV featuring Curly's and Trash Talk Media as a stay at home mom.(still yet to have its final edit) Our next publicity stunt is today's NY Times Home section. Well, actually it's not necessarily a stunt because they came looking for us as did the tv shoot. Our kitchen was featured in the Times today. The kids made the final cut where they are making pasta by hand at the counter. Suzanne, the NY Times shutterbug was at our house for an hour and a half on a Saturday snapping shots of every angle and corner of our kitchen including the knobs, the drawers, the fridges, us, not us, the doors, the hinges, the spices, the breadbox, the baskets of fruit, the counters, well, you get the idea, don't you? (I could go on!) I have been so curious to see what made it to ink. Congratulations, Wesley, Sophia and Evan's world famous fresh pasta! Here's the story! Slowly, we're making up our 15 minutes of fame...30 seconds at a time!

***As a side note, our picture made it to press, but wasn't included on the online version.

California Dreamin'

2008-03-28T17:11:00.005-04:00

All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey...I'd be safe and warm, If I was in LA....

These lyrics are ALL true and boy did we have some California Dreamin' on our trip! It's been a long, frigid East Coast Winter and we couldn't wait to get out to the warm California sun. The trip didn't disappoint either. Not even a missed flight (never underestimate the NYC traffic!) and a middle of the night arrival in LA could rain on our sunny adventure!

We spent time with family, hitting 2 museums (the Skirball in LA and the Discovery Science Museum in Santa Ana), a production of the Sound of Music with Evan's mom, more family, Disneyland, the beach, friends and relaxing. Everything was perfect! Thanks to Alisa (shout out to you Alisa!!) we got into Disneyland for FREE! It's so amazing to see Disneyland through your kids' eyes. Wesley was finally tall enough to ride on most of the thrills and they loved all the magic of the park. The ride home was just as expected with all three kids completely sacked out in the back seat, mouths hung open. I'm so glad that we were able to have a break from our daily routines and head out West. We were certainly safe and warm in LA!

***note: Our trip was about 3 weeks ago, I'm just a little behind around here!

Smith Family: REJUVENATED!

Fun was had by all!

At last, a private meeting with Mickey!

"A dream is a wish your heart makes...."

Corona Del Mar Beach in the OC

Welcome Back ME!

2008-03-28T16:59:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the hiatus, but the stars and planets have been out of alignment for me to be able to post, not for lack of content, so I'll try to catch up. Here are our latest Easter pics. The kids really didn't cooperate for THE Easter picture this year, but here is a hodgepodge of the day for your viewing enjoyment and it looks like the theme is "from the back" because no one wanted to pose for pictures. I really loved their outfits this year too, so maybe I'll stage another Easter Photo Shoot some day soon! Hope all your egg hunts were lovely! xoxo

Homemaking and making a home...

2008-03-01T20:01:00.005-05:00

First of all, I don't take for granted my cushy life at all. I am grateful that I have a husband that allows me to stay home. I am grateful that I have a home. I am grateful.

This week I had an eye-opening experience. One that made me take a look back and give thanks again in my heart for all that I have.

The other night after the kids were snuggly tucked in their beds, I left Evan to watch the latest episode of MYTHBUSTERS and I went on a night milk run and sanity break. Of course, whenever I need to feel better about my day, a therapeutic shopping trip to the mother ship always makes me feel stellar! Feeling happy and fleeting around the store, I came across a very familiar face, one I see each morning between 7:55 and 8:06, Sharon, the bus monitor who always greets Sophia by name and has her best safety interest at heart. Then I realized Sharon was not shopping, but folding a mountain of towels. I greeted her in my playful Liz way, saying, "Is that my Sharon?!" She sheepishly looked up and said, "Sure is." My inquisitive mind wanted to know, "Do you work here a lot?" She replied, "5 days a week from 5:30-9:45pm." My mind did a few calculations thinking she is the bus monitor from 7:30-4 and then works here for the duration of her day? Only to collapse into bed at the end of the day, I'm sure. I then started thinking who was the real homemaker here? Was it me, shopping and trying to fill my home up with beautiful things to warm the walls and create interesting spaces for my family or was it Sharon who was working the majority of her waking hours to make ends meet and keep a roof over her kids' heads? I have pondered this encounter so much this week and can't get her image out of my mind.

All I want to say is God Bless you, Sharon! You are an amazing woman and I applaud you.

My even FUNNIER Valentine...

2008-02-29T08:12:00.005-05:00

Ok, well maybe I shouldn't be laughing but my only other response to this is to CRY. During the week of Valentine's, I felt particularly crazed with tons on my to-do list I remember. A box arrived on the day that Evan was working from home and I delivered it to him at his desk upstairs. (although I had a good idea of what it might be...a gift for ME, of course!) I didn't think much of it even though it said "perishable, keep refrigerated" on the outside box, but apparently Evan wasn't fazed by that. So, Valentine's comes and we have our great evening in the city and then a day later Evan emails and says, "why don't you open that box now and share it with the kids." I must have been in the middle of something else because I remember him saying that, but then went on to something else I was doing and didn't give it another thought. Flash forward to yesterday-- our internet service was very spotty so I went upstairs to reboot the router and check the cables. (remember, Luke is always on the prowl so loose cables are a distinct possibility!) When I bent down to take a look at the cables, what did I find but a label staring at me: Perishable Keep REFRIGERATED! My heart sunk, could it be that they were preserved in our swiss cheese for walls chilly house? Oh no! I scooped up the box and took it downstairs only to find a beautiful array of science experiment quality chocolate covered strawberries with a rather FETID aroma. YIKES! I started to laugh and then tried to figure out how to tell Evan of the mishap. So, you're looking at it. Evan, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you and open the box when you said. A picture really does say 1000 words, don't you think?!

My Funny Valentine...

2008-02-21T00:11:00.007-05:00

This year my friend Anne had the brilliant idea to do a couples romantic cooking class at ICE (Institute of Culinary Education) in NYC. I surprised Evan by telling him to meet me at the Flatiron Building at 5:30 so he really had no idea what I had in store. As we met up and approached the school, it all clicked and he got excited! I was so proud of myself for actually keeping it a secret. I get too excited and usually spill it!

The night was a blast! The class was made up of 8 couples and 3 menus, so 3 different tables made a complete dinner menu. We had 3 complete dinners! Outstanding! Ours was coq au vin, grilled vegetables (notice my perfect char gridmarks on the eggplant!!!) and chocolate mousse, then the next table was scallops, risotto and creme a la coeur, then the last table made filet mignon with burgundy sauce and mushrooms, pommes anna, a vegetable dish and bananas foster. There was lots of fire that night! The chef teacher claimed that that was the romantic part. He was a little uptight, but my friend Anne and I got the giggles with our creation of cleverly artistic whipped cream and raspberry decorations on our mousse and that was the romantic part! Use your imagination. We got a few eye rolls from the chef.

It may not have been the MOST romantic Valentine's, but surely it was one of the funnest!

I love you, Chef Evan!

Oops I did it again...

2008-02-16T10:02:00.003-05:00

Some of you may have heard that I accidentally dropped my cell phone in a bucket of ice water at Cosi a few months ago. I was with my friend Valecia and she had the great advice to immediately take the battery out and let the phone dry out. I did this and guess what....it WORKED! If this ever happens to you, take the battery out immediately, keep it apart from the phone and let the phone dry out for a good day or two. We put the hairdryer on it on a low setting for about an hour just for good measure (facing the phone, not the battery) and then it was amazing that it worked again! (My "L" key still doesn't work, but that's ok, a capital "I" looks the same on a text, so I just use that...sneaky!!!)

Then, the other day while I was bathing Luke, our cordless phone dropped in the bath. I didn't notice at first, but I saw Luke looking inquisitively at something floating in the water and saw it bobbing around!!! NOT AGAIN! So, I grabbed it, took the battery out immediately and left it that way for a week. Now it still WORKS just like before!

Just wanted to pass on this useful tidbit in case it happens to you. May the phone gods watch over you so you never have to use this, but just in case...

On a cold, Winter day like today...

2008-02-09T10:20:00.000-05:00

...I like to look at pictures. Here are a few of my favorites from years past.

Kitchen Pics #1 Before & After

2008-02-06T12:16:00.002-05:00

BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER

Kitchen Pics #2

2008-02-06T12:11:00.001-05:00

Before
After
Before
After

Kitchen Pics #3

2008-02-06T11:53:00.001-05:00

BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER

Smith Look-alike Meter

2008-02-05T00:07:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebs - Collage - Morph

Smith Look-alike Meter

2008-02-05T00:04:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Smith Look-alike Meter

2008-02-04T23:51:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Genealogy software - Genealogist

A day without crying....PLEASE!

2008-01-29T21:59:00.000-05:00

In my mind's eye I see a day without crying. My soul pleads for this day and I go so far as to visualize every possible scenario of all the wants that each of my children may have during the day and try to be proactive to satisfy such demands. I wake up in the morning thinking:

....WESLEY... needs milk in a sippy cup like an addict needs their morning joe...have it ready even before he asks...

...LUKE... go fetch him out of his crib as I hear the first coos and don't wait until the escalation of desperation because I'm trying to achieve just one more thing from my proverbial to-do list...

...SOPHIA... wake her up gingerly, upbeat, positive about the wonderful aspects of her day that are ahead, or better yet, take Luke with me to wake her, she's a sucker for his playful disposition and morning smiles...

...Don't let my own weariness from the circus of the preceding nighttime shenanigans interfere or even show, with the cultivating of a beautiful day for my family...

These are the thoughts of despair that race through my mind every morning. I think...this is IT! This will be the day without crying and I will rejoice!

Then, Wesley comes racing into my bedroom at the crack--literally-- of dawn and pronounces, Mom, look there's some sun, get up, I want my MILK! And I respond, just a minute, or five or ten or an hour! (just kidding, rarely do I put him off for a full hour!) Wesley's exuberance has spooked Luke who immediately jumps into a panic cry...need comfort NOW, Mom! I glance at the alarm clock and it's another day that Sophia must have not hit Snooze, but OFF on her Hello Kitty alarm clock, which is effective 80% of the time and I panic now... Shoot, it's 7:45, the bus comes in 10 minutes!!!

My rush into Sophia's room startles her out of her latest dream about rainbows and unicorns (probably) and her euphoria quickly turns to resentment for waking her out of such a state, C'mon Mom, I should be able to sleep as long as I want and get up when I'm ready. (she's so my child!) In the span of 2 minutes, I can already tell, this ISN'T going to be IT! I swiftly try to make a truncated version of our morning routine into a race because my kids love competition, but my attempt backfires and causes a cacophony in unison of the opposite desired effect. Wesley still doesn't have his sippy cup of milk, Luke is still waiting impatiently in his crib and Sophia has been ejected out of her bed unwillingly. I have been defeated once again.

Team KIDS 1

Team MOM 0

Is it because I'm outnumbered? Is it because that is truly how they prefer to behave? Or is it Job Security--Obviously I have way more work to accomplish with raising these fine individuals to become the future of our society--productive, happy and eager citizens! Yes, that's it and I feel more like a MOM than ever, but I still long for the day that the Smith family 5 can live in harmony in our own environs without the distraction of a tropical island oasis and watersports or an artificial amusement park with kitschy characters to keep them bemused and entertained, but just hanging out together with respect and love and NO CRYING of any sort.

Just one day, PLEASE!

***Rather ironically, I must publish this NOW without further edits because LUKE's moans have turned into crying in his crib. I go to retrieve him now. Foreshadowing of the night to come?

Expand your vocabulary and feed hungry people...it's a Win Win!

2008-01-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a site I found a while back and it's gaining popularity. Warning: It's addicting. The funny thing is that Evan went and counted 200 grains of rice the other day to show me that it doesn't amount to much at all(and it's 10 correct answers), so you really have to play for a long time to make a meal of it for someone. It's fun, it's upbeat and best of all it doesn't tell you you're stupid if you miss one.

Here's to free rice!