Chuck D & Mr. T

When Scottie hot my phone…

More pictures from our fall trip to Europe…I love that trip…

Strawberry shortcakes made by Milly and kids. So beautiful.

Fun dinner and lots of funny stories tonight at Reynard in the Wythe hotel with Greg and Carolyn (I loved the carrot pavlova and the ribbon artwork by Vadis Turner).

After Gettysburg we listen to Superfudge in the car (which the children love) and drive to Brooklyn to see Greg, Carolyn, Hannah and Milly (which we all love). Yesterday we “relaxed” at Spa Castle with insanity of many harsh water jets, a lady talking about her work as a stripper? an FBI agent? in a sauna, dining next to foot masseuses, and all types of people letting all types of it hang out. Then delicious dinner at Dover in Cobble Hill. Today hanging out in Williamsburg, getting brewed chocolate at Mast Brothers Chocolate Factory, looking at Sketch Books at the Art Library where the Sketchbook Project is, shopping, and having lunch in a kooky and adorable tiny Turkish bakery run by a Bjork-looking Turkish lady with flowers and yarn in her hair. One of the highlights has been watching Charlie get really interested in each place and go up to people working their to ask them anything from “Can I try the smoke chocolate?” To “Do you own this place?” I love that he is curious and knows to ask questions and has no inhibition about getting the info he needs. I love seeing how Teddy remembers everywhere we’ve gone and every detail of every encounter and how the girls are so excited by it all.

The boys made strawberry shortcake with Milly and everyone is now playing board games. I’ve gotten to read some of a Simon Rich book given to me by Greg and Carolyn. Dreamy.

We left for skiing and a trip in Gettysburg, stayed at the Gettysburg Hotel and visited the museum and battlefields. The battlefields were beautiful and dramatic and moving in the winter light and I was surprised how emotional the war became for me. The town goes above and beyond with Christmas window decorations (the pharmacy had a tree adorned with little boxes of soap and medecine, the hardware store with tools). We ate at Tommys pizza which MJ loved, acted in the Seward Johnson sculpture, wrestled in the hotel (the kids love hotels and they made many comparisons to our hotels in Europe). I had been to Gettysburg before as a child with my parents but really only remember getting ice cream and not visiting the amusement park that had been a promised stop because my dad was using a twenty year old map and the amusement park had closed 15 years before. The kids liked the BI Anyway, the boys for I to it and I overheard a conversation with the girls about “Peter Rabbit was not in Civil War…” And something about gold buttons.

I didn’t want to leave my flowers…

Holiday celebrating consumed all of December…seeing the Nutcracker with the girls dancing in their seats and the boys excited to see friends like Anton perform; watching the Bloshoi version on screen with Mitzi and the girls asking when the live dancers would come out; celebrating Hanukkah with Mitzi and Grandpa and lovely dinner; wearing a flamenco dress in celebration of Hanukka and the Elsa and Anna dolls from Hannah and Milly and Greg and Carolyn; feeding the horses candy canes on a Christmas even ride; getting gifts from Santa (“it’s an act and he’s an actor” says Nelly), and playing with cousins and trains at Aunt Loretta’s Christmas Eve party; leaving out cookies and milk for Santa; opening presents on Xmas morning, getting a birthday bouquet from MJ (best gift ever and first birthday flowers in my life), breakfast visit from Jenny (and basket of crystals, prayer flag and singing bowl) and skiing before dinner at Deirdre’s (long table with 20 seats, candelabra, delicious food and birthday cakes baked by Uncle Michael, Morgan and Robert there, Kitzy in my favorite white file dress of hers, and movies for the little while grown ups eat); the most lovely holiday. Oh and the realization that I need to remind the children that the holidays are fun but not the end all and be all that some people create them to be and that just any old day can be as special and beautiful.

evem

I like going into the Russian Citibank to do my banking. The transaction is so much more pleasant in person than online and so much more transporting there.

Everyone I know contributes so beautifully to my life…some in big ways, some in small ways, but everyone I know from the mailman to my best friends contribute light and happiness to my life. There was a reason I was writing this and now I can’t remember
Oh wait I remember, but there are some who just totally fill you with joy and inspiration- and one is Teddy’s teacher Darrell Smith. He is just so good through and through and loving and funny and brilliant. I want to be more like him.