Friday, February 29, 2008

Happy Leap Day!

Today, to celebrate leap year, we are having all of the girls from Juliette's class over after dinner for a p.j. party.

No. They are not spending the night.

That many five year olds away from home and their momma for an entire night, do you think I'm crazy?

Just pjs, popcorn, my mom's best company cake recipe and toenail polish.

Expect a full report tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

He's Baaack!

Ryan B.

He has returned to Mexico and is continuing in his devotion to Juliette.

As you may or may not remember, after the holiday break he came back from school saying he wanted to play with boys during recess.

Juliette was absolutely devastated. In our culture where every media story is incomplete without the word "devastated" I was hesitant to use it fearing a reader might blow past it.

Make no mistake, this isn't casual devastation. She burst into tears during school, was inconsolable. Finally calmed down during the day. Cried on the way home with me. Cried later with her father. Asked us both repeatedly "Why doesn't he WANT to play with ME?????"

Devastated.

Since then, he has seen the error in his ways.

Juliette doesn't head butt. Juliette likes to play tag, hide and go seek, and cerebral games too. She also knows all of the words to take me out to the ballgame and hail to the redskins (as does Evie). So, while she isn't good for a slug in the gut or wear a different football jersey to school every day, she can run competitively during a sprint and keep up with him intellectually.

He's coming over Monday for a play date.

Juliette says she wants to play doctor.

I asked her to describe what she meant.

"Why, operate on the animals, of course!"

Monday, February 11, 2008

OT-Current Addictions and What They Mean...

Currently, I'm addicted to two things that didn't exist ten years ago.

Netflix and XM Radio.

You are probably saying in your head - what took you so long????

Actually, in my defense, I subscribed to Netflix before we got Juliette and found their selection of foreign films limiting. That was actually when I saw movies in the theater (last one in the theater was 27 Dresses - how pathetic for a woman who has actually seen all ten episodes of the very fine Decalogue). Anyway, since every art house theater in DC is gone - goodbye Biograph, Dupont 5, Dupont North - and a lot of times the art house theater in Fairfax has odd times, so I end up seeing more mainstream stuff - so now Netflix is a Tahitian orchid of culture compared to the old days when opera was more than an advertisement for the Met at the movies shown during "coming attractions".

We've seen and loved - Rescue Dawn, Maxed Out, No End in Sight. I liked Across the Universe and 3:10 to Yuma. What is also cool is that a bunch of friends just joined Netflix too so we are also exchanging lists and recommendations (hence 3:10 to Yuma).

Another digression- been watching the Jane Austen chick-fest on Masterpiece Theater the past month or so. This Sunday was the first half of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth. (Which I first saw at Dupont North!) And it has me pondering - why do I love Jane Austen? Because just two days ago I hated the Sabrina remake with Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond (yet I love the original w/Humphrey Bogart & Audrey Hepburn). How unrealistic that Linus would fall in love with Sabrina after two days? How even more unrealistic that Sabrina would return the affection - hello???? Mr. Darcy going for Elizabeth Bennet?????? Come on? Is it because I have to work harder intellectually - decipher dialogue and clever reparte - that I love one and disdain the other? Good old Jane Austen, great dialogue aside she is the emotional equivalent of a 1986 John Hughes movie and we love her anyway.

Anyway - XM Radio - loving to be able to choose radio that has no commercials and can suit any mood - folk, 80's, 90's, 50's, Soul, Classical, Alternative, 200 channels of choice. Love it. But I'm depressed by my choices - I know who Amy Winehouse is, but I can't say I've bought a CD by a current artist in more than four (?) years. I trend toward my demographic 80's when the choice is completely mine. Which also makes me wonder if I'll be asking for "I'm Your Man" again when the young people from the Scout Troop come to visit and do a few numbers for us in the nursing home.

What does it all mean? I guess I'm getting old and typical and I'm willing to shell out $22 a month to like what I see and listen to.

How sad.

Well, enough pondering. I'm hearing Juliette ask Evie not to pull on her underwear while she is brushing her teeth. I'm thinking an intervention is in order.

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Is that Juliette eating ice cream?


Then, there must have been another photo adventure!


Monday, February 04, 2008

Hi Gramma!

I LOVE my new p.j.s!!!