Broken!

As if things weren't crazy enough, Charlie had to go and break his arm! Right before we were supposed to drive cross-country for the summer!

I honestly don't know if we will make it now. We'll see what the orthopedist says on Thursday. On Saturday, we enjoyed what was probably the best baseball game of Charlie's entire season. Charlie and his novice crew, were pitted against a very organized and skilled team of bigger kids. There were also twice as many of them as there were of us. We had 7 players to start, and one left in the middle of the game!

Charlie's team was outmatched, but they were hitting balls, stealing bases, and seemed blissfully unaware that they were getting hammered. Or maybe they knew and they were just having fun. God knows we parents were! We were laughing and cheering and I'm sure the other parents couldn't figure out why we were so darn happy that we were losing.

Who would have known, after our last game of the season, that just a few hours later we would be with Charlie in the E.R., waiting to have his Condylar Fracture repaired. Richard stayed with Charlie in the E.R. for over 8 hours, letting me leave when the doctor told him that Charlie would have to be sedated and have his arm reset. Richard also missed poker night. He never misses poker night.

HaHa channels he inner Richard Simmons!

Ahhhh... The stuff of life!!! Good times!

When I was downloading pictures from my camera, I found this photo Leo secretly took when I wasn't looking. He loves to take surprise pictures!

Charlie!

Today Charlie turned seven! I cannot believe that this many years have gone by so quickly! It seems like it was just yesterday that I was first pregnant and trying to figure it all out. I had always wanted a baby and a partner to raise that baby with. They came to me in such an unexpected way, that I was absolutely giddy and certain that it was all kismet. Sure enough, it was.

I had tried to plan a little get together for Char-Char, but because of many obstacles, it turned into just the family going to dinner for sushi (Charlie's choice). However, when the kids arrived to pick me up from work I learned they had been fighting all day, and that HaHa had not napped. Jordan and Richard were out and about picking up uniforms for high school, and Richard had to go back to work where he would be staying all night. I could not imagine going to a restaurant alone with cranky and tired kids, so I opted to cook instead.

We had a few surprise guests for Charlie's birthday dinner, including the lovely Pollyanna, the gorgeous Ayiko, and the ever handsome Josh and Brady. So, although it was completely spontaneous, it felt like a party. There was even some dancing! Happy Birthday Charlie!

Outfit:

Shirt: Hand me down from friend. Lux.

Pants: Forever 21.

Sweater: Clothing Swap. Express.

Shoes: Mossimo.

   

HAIResy!

 From Wikipedia:

"Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma...The founder or leader of a heretical movement is called a heresiarch, while individuals who espouse heresy are known as heretics. Heresiology is the study of heresy. 

 Etymology: The word "heresy" comes from the Greek hairetikos "able to choose" (haireisthai "to choose"). The term heresy is often perceived as a value judgment and the expression of a view from within an established belief system."

I am pronouncing myself a Hair-etic. Despite popular opinion, I believe that my children, with their wild and crazy locks, are fine. I don't feel the need to tame or control or style their hair. They are little kids, and they are fine. All yesterday, I kept looking at HaHa, and thinking she looked like a boy with her new fancy hairdo. I like her crazy curls just the way they are. And yes, they do get frizzy when she sleeps on them, or rubs her head against the car-seat, or puts food in her hair. 


As for Charlie, he happens to have some of the thickest, most dense, hair I have ever seen. When it gets wet it glistens as if it had dew drops on it. If you pour a cup of water on his head, his scalp doesn't get wet. When he sleeps on his hair, it gets extra frizzy and dry. I have been looking for product to put in his hair in the mornings, but I haven't found the exact right thing yet. However, the reason why I keep Charlie's hair longer than some people care for, is because he likes it. He doesn't want me to cut it short, although the more people talk about it, the more I'm sure the more he will get self-conscious about it. 


When I was out with my sister and the kids on Saturday night, she was surprised when a stranger complimented Charlie's hair. He gets a lot of compliments on his hair, actually. However, he also gets a lot of negative comments as well. I really don't understand why people are so concerned with the hair of my children. When they are older they can decide what they want to do with it. And, I do comb Charlie's hair, by the way. We'll see what happens after he turns seven tomorrow!


Outfit: 


Print shirt: I got this in the Bronx a few years ago.

Striped shirt: Goodwill. Banana Republic.


Pants: Goodwill. I.N.C.


Shoes: Capezio.

Cargo A-Go-Go!

Today we drove back down to Los Angeles after spending five lovely days away! The Browns, always the host/hostesses with the mostest, treated us like kings, and we had so much fun. They are a truly awesome and special family! In return for their hospitality, we left them with a broken sculpture/lamp that Leo ran into, a knocked-in baby tooth that occurred during one of the many trampoline sessions, and a bunch of dirty sheets... And Richard took their Kindle when we were walking out the door.

Does anyone else want to invite us over?! We're free next weekend.

Now, onto cargo pants. I decided to wear my ever-handy cargos for the seven hour drive down. They have pockets that you can stuff money and keys into, they are comfy, and they are cool. I think I've said before that they are one of my summer staples. However, since I first broke out these bad boys on May 30th, I have worn them 7 times (and four of those were in the last two weeks) ! That's a lot of times for someone who is trying to "mix it up" and "break out" of her fashion rut. So, although I have worn the cargos with seven different tops, I am retiring them. At least for a while. I may wear them come December, but I will bid adieu to my fair cargo pants anon!

Outfit:

Shirt: (Under) Forver 21.

Shirt: (Over) Hand me down from friend. Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Pants: Salvation Army. Mossimo.

Shoes: Fit Flops. Nice for traveling. Easy on and off.

Pictures from the Jelly Belly tour. The photo that would have been if technology had not sabotaged me,  and the boys.




   

218 Down, 147 to Go!

Okay... so every once and a while I have to remind myself of what I set out to do with this project, and that is: A - Not shop or collect more clothes, and B - Get out of my clothing rut.  When I say "not shop", it is not that I did not want to spend money, but rather, I wanted to limit my consumption of new (and used) materials, and challenge myself to use what is already in my possession. I also wanted to get out of my fashion rut, i.e.: jeans and shirt uniform.

So how have I done so far? Well, I have definitely worn hundreds of outfits that I have never worn before, and that, to me, is pretty cool. The introduction of the "no repeat" rule was enough to widen my wardrobe horizon, and make me get creative with my clothes. I promise you, if you want to feel like you have a new wardrobe, just vow to wear something different every day! It really works. You will see your old clothes with new eyes, and you will be surprised.

I have four months to go, so you will probably start recognizing more things as I wear them over and over... and over. I have recently started having major "Outfit DejaVu". I get out of the house and on my way to wherever I'm going, and I think "Oh no! I wore this already!" Blog death by default. However, every time that happens, when I get home and check my computer, I'm safe. My blog is still alive.

Outfit:

Lace shirt (under): Thrift store. Half of a dress that I cut on a whim.

Polka-dot skirt: My mom gave this to me at least 15 years ago. Express.

Denim dress: Goodwill. This was an eighties wonder that I de-constructed. It had big puffy sleeves that I tore off, and an extra tier that I took off.  Seen in: Attack of the Silverfish!


Shoes: Predictions.

Maliboo-boo!

I won't go into all the details of the day because it is 1:37 a.m., and I am tired. We got back from Malibu at 10:48, and after I got all the kids ready for bed, I fell asleep with HaHa on Charlie's bed. I just woke up a while ago and had to figure out how to import pictures with the camera I used today. My regular camera is not working, so I've been using different cameras for the past few days. It has made the process more arduous, and very frustrating. I had my little photo sessions down pat!

Anyway, as per usual we had a great time in Malibu. There were dogs and food and friends and good times. Everything was going great until Char-Char said "I hurt my knee". It turns out he cut himself with glass. The cut was not too deep, but it was in a bad place, and at first it didn't seem like the bleeding was stopping. I drove to the store because we didn't have proper bandages. I realized that we have two first aid kits at home and none in our green car. We won't be having this problem again. Will update about C-Dawg's boo-boo status tomorrow!




Outfit:


Charlie took my outfit pics today! Thanks Charlie! 
 

Top: This is the top half of a bathing suit I've had forever. I thought we would be on the beach today, but when we got to Malibu it was chilly! We played at the playground instead.

Skirt: My old high school stand-by purchased at Salvation Army.

Shoes: zoe & zac.

Sweater: Hand me down. Alfani.

The Jonathan Club!

Today, Richard's company hosted a beach day at The Jonathan Club, which proved to be quite lovely. I hadn't really wanted to go, because I hate to schmooze, but I ended up talking to people I wanted to, and it was great! There was yummy food, a water slide for the kids, and cocktails! Drinking on the beach in the afternoon! How decadent! (My exclamation point addiction is rearing it's ugly head!)

My poor husband has been working non-stop for the past few weeks. We actually have not seen each other since I left for Comic-Con. Today was the first time we have spent time with each other in two weeks. Literally. We've talked on the phone a lot.

Last night, he said he would be home at midnight, and, at four a.m, I was startled from my sleep by the cries of "Mama, mama!" I sat up and realized that Richard's side of the bed was empty. I rushed to get HaHa, and then I immediately called Richard. He was still at work. Four a.m. and change. I was relieved he was alive.

Now, another interesting that happened at this four a.m. wake up call was that upon entry to the kid's room, I found HaHa was not in her crib. This was my second shock of the early morn. No Richard. No HaHa. My little not-yet-two-year-old was walking up the stairs. In the dark. That means she climbed down the stairs in the dark. Yikes!

At first I thought that perhaps one of the boys lifted her out of her crib, but seeing that they were asleep, I quickly had to realize that my HaHa bear can climb out of her crib. Richard told me last week that she was out of her crib, but again, I thought it was the boys. They have gotten her out of her crib a few times before when she was crying. I guess that was wishful thinking.

Today, I asked my Ha if she would show me how she got out of her crib. After a little nudging, she agreed. Richard and I put her in her crib an we video taped her escape. Three times she made her exit with perfect execution. Richard is going to try to embed the footage here. We'll see if it works!

Below a shot of the progeny in action!

Outfit:

Shirt: This was a gift from my first grade class. One of the mothers, a gifted artist, had the children draw leaves, which she turned in to stencils, and painted on the shirt. American Apparel.

Dress: I got this at a street fair in New York over 15 years ago. The label is long gone. Seen in: Happy Anniversary!

Slip: I got this at a thrift store a long time ago.

Shoes:Prediction.

Sweater: Hand me down from friend. Alfani. There is still a lot of chill in the air!

By the way, it is 2:30 a.m. right now and Richard is still working! I fell asleep earlier, so I am posting while he works!

Molecules!

Today I gave what might possibly be the worst lesson in my life. It was about molecules, and it was based on a lesson an actual science teacher told me about. However, without a science background, and a deep understanding of the subject, my lesson was shoddy at best. I was lucky that I had one student in my class who knew all about "hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen". He also knew about the periodic table, atoms, a bit about molecular structure. A different student knew some more interesting facts about molecules, including the fact that you need a "special microscope" to see them. Thank goodness they were there! They provided a buffer for me, and a little comic relief. I was seriously laughing when I discovered they had the answers I seemed to be lacking! Oh well, I tell my students all the time that I'm not perfect, and I don't know everything!

There, Richard. You have it in writing!

Outfit:

Shirt/dress: This was a gift. I love the colorful print!

Skirt: One of my Salvation Army high school finds! It's falling apart, but I'm hangin' on!

Shoes: Fit Flops. I was actually going to wear my favorite platforms, but I was wearing these outside and forgot to grab my other shoes.

More cranky HaHa...

At least the boys are happy!

A Theory!

As I spent day three with HaHa in constant misery mode, I happened upon a theory: perhaps she is so unhappy because we have reached the beginning of weaning. When I was in San Diego, my milk production slowed waaay down. However, it didn't stop altogether because I was handling a stunt baby. She was two months old, incredibly adorable, and I felt my milk let down when I was holding her.

I had to pump a few times, just to let off some pressure, but I tried not to because I had this idea that HaHa would give up the "bah-bah" while I was away. Of course, I should have known she wasn't going to do that when she said "bah-bah" every time I talked to her on the phone. "How are you, HaHa?"... "Bah-bah". "I miss you"... "Bah-bah"... "Are you having fun with grandma?" "Bah-bah"...

At any rate, when I finally got home and got to nursing her, it felt like there was very little milk coming out, and it continues to feel this way. Perhaps all of HaHa's wailing, and it is more crying than she has done in her entire 21- month old life, mind you, is due to this loss. I did not anticipate this. I hope the change is temporary because it is really tearing me up. My sunny bear is just miserable. I hope that it will pass soon.

Outfit:

When I can't remember what I've worn, I make sure to include at least ONE piece I know I have only worn once or twice. I grabbed these pants first, because I just got them from the dry cleaners.

Striped shirt: Goodwill. Banana Republic.

Floral leisure shirt: Salvation army. This was a high school find.

Pants: Forever 21.

Shoes: Mossimo.

Birthday Mania!!!

Today we celebrated THREE birthdays, and I was out of the house with the kids for 11 hours straight! The three birthdays belonged to some very sweet and adorable boys, and both parties had pizza, juice, and cake. I think the kids drank their weight in juice even though I gave them the red light on sugary potables. One party included a pool, and the other a jumper! Boy, oh boy, it was a fun-filled day!

I got to be with both of my families. My blood relatives, and my painless family (my best friend's family). It was absolutely fun, and I am beat.

Richard keeps telling me that my posts have been stinking lately because I have been saying "I'm tired" and writing about nothing. But, in my defense, I am tired, and, I am doing a blog about NOT repeating outfits, and NOT adding or buying any clothing for a year. If I wanted to, I could just upload a picture each day. But we all know how I love to blabber on about my pizzicaca life!

It's 1 a.m. yet again. Will I ever learn?

When we were leaving the second party, we saw a rainbow! This made Cha-Cha say "we're very lucky!" I agree Cha Cha, I agree.

 Outfit:

Green dress: Hand me down from friend. Ella Moss. I felt so fresh and lovely when I got dressed, and within minutes of arriving at the party I got slimed by HaHa. It continued throughout the day, and by the end I looked like a small disaster. At one point I was wearing a large piece of pizza on my shoulder. Leo had placed it there after I told him to out it in the trash.  My cousin and I decided that it was the latest trend in "mom wear". Campaign: "You're going to be wearing food all over anyway, so why not really make a statement?"

Floral skirt: Thrift store.

Black shirt: Hand me down from friend. Alicia Lawhon.

Shoes: Hand me down from friend.

HaHa has a new baby that she adores!
                              

Happy Birthday Cubed!!!

Today is the birthday of 3 of the greatest ladies on the planet! Two of them were born minutes apart, and five years later, on the very same day, the third sister was born!

My mom is one of seven children. They were born in Iowa, and moved to California when the family was one child shy of seven. My mom's sisters are like goddesses to me. They are full of humor and wisdom and compassion and love. I have many fond and awesome memories of growing up, at their heels, always intrigued by their beauty and wit.

So the twins. My mom and her sister are identical twins. They looked so much alike that at one point their mom put bells on one of their ankles to tell them apart. When they got older she would beckon them to her room by calling out "Twins!" They are twins, through and through, and they are double the pleasure, and double the fun! The baby of the family, my Aunt Julie, is also a lot of fun.

I love these ladies so, so much, and I wish them a happy, happy birthday!!! And many more!!! They are the greatest!!!

Outfit:

I made sure I was not repeating outfits by wearing something a little crazy!

White Sweater: Hand me down from cousin. Merona.

Long print dress: Goodwill. Forever 21.

Polka dot Wrap: Thrift store. Old.

Jeans: Hand me down from friend. Express.

Shoes: Predictions. 

A flower Cha-Cha made while I was working in the class!

Day 182! Stat!

Hey! I really need to go to bed, so I am going to beg for mercy at not making a really great "I'm halfway there post!" We had a crazy night and when I was putting he kids to bed, HaHa cut her toe on the closet door. It's a sliding glass door, and apparently a tiny piece of exposed glass was at the bottom.

One minute I was walking to put something on my bed, the next minute there was blood all over the floor and HaHa said "Feet hurt." I was really upset, because she cut her toe this way before. Richard fixed the door, but I guess it came loose again. Anyway, the toe escapades threw off my evening schedule. I am just starting to write at eleven, and I really need some shut eye!

At school today, HaHa impressed me and Jordan by doing "pull ups" on the cubby hooks! She is so athletic! And crazy! I've included photos below.

Outfit:

Striped shirt: Hand me down from Pollyanna. Forever 21.

White shirt: Goodwill. Isabel Marant.

Brown pants: Goodwill. I.N.C.

Shoes: Predictions.

Jacket: Walmart. George. I got this when I was visiting my mom in her tiny Massachusetts town several years ago!

In The Stars!

Today, when I got into the faculty lounge, the first thing I did was look at my horoscope in the Calendar section of the Los Angele's Times. Here is what it said: "Aries (March 21-April 19): The way you put yourself together is a gift to others. The special care you take assembling an outfit pays off." Ha! Today I hated my outfit. My shirt especially. I got it for a friend's Sunday morning summer wedding. At the time, it seemed to fit the bill. Now, however, I feel like it needs to go. It will go in a few weeks at the clothing swap I am hosting. Thank goodness! This is definitely a "What was I thinking?" shirt.

Now, as for the outfit as a whole, it lacks inspiration. After yesterday's declaration of getting to bed early, I finally put my head on my pillow at 1:09 a.m. I woke up four hours later to a crying HaHa, and I got out of bed an hour and 15 minutes after that. I felt awful, so I grabbed my black death garments and threw on a "fun" top. It didn't cheer me up, but being with my new summer-schoolers did! I have realized after doing this for half a year, that how I dress is very much dictated by how I feel. It's nice to know.

My half-way mark is in two days! I feel hopeful!

Outfit:

Black Shirt: From Friend. Alicia Lawhon.

Black Skirt: Forever 21. Pregnancy buy.

Tan skirt: (underneath) Thrift store.

Polka Dot Shirt: Goodwill. Forever 21.

Black Sweater: Old Navy Maternity.

Shoes: American Eagle.

Back room business!