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!

Turn-Around!

Oh, how the mighty have fallen! HaHa must have read my post yesterday because she went from terrific to terror in no time flat. She was quite unlike herself today, crying and screaming, and carrying on. It made me realize how grateful I am that I did not give birth to constant criers, and, it made me wonder what in the world was wrong with her? Does she have the pre-terrible twos blues? (try saying that three times quickly)

I guess she must have had an off day. Perhaps it's because she was wearing shoes two sizes too big... Perhaps it was because she was wearing a mismatched outfit... I don't know.

When I was putting the boys to bed she was jumping on me, and dragging pillows about, and hiding under the blankets. After I left the boys she was doing all kind of crazy things, including dumping out my fresh out-of-the-dryer laundry so she could play in the basket. Oh well.
                  Tomorrow is another day!

Leo has a contemplative moment.

Outfit:

White shirt: From cousin. Old Navy.

Floral shirt: Goodwill. Clio. (I threw this on because I wanted to make sure I did not repeat.) HaHa's daycare provider said that Lilly of the Valley is her favorite flower, so this shirt will be going her way soon!

Skirt: Salvation Army. This was a dress that I cut. I'm wishing I had kept it intact. Oh well. Hindsight.

Shoes: Predictions.

Brother and sister.

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.

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!

A Story!

I was recently asked to share a funny or embarrassing story about myself, and the following is what I shared. I hope my mom won't be too upset, but she has a good sense of humor, so I'm hoping she will get a laugh out of this trip down memory lane...

Here goes:  

When I was around 10 or 11, my mom asked me to call in sick for her at work. I'm not sure why she thought that was a good idea, but my mom was only 30 at the time, so maybe she was just young and dumb. I had recently read an article in People magazine about a rock star who had over-dosed, and was found in a hotel having "defecated" all over himself. I thought that "defecated" meant "vomited", so, when I called into my mom's office and spoke to her supervisor, I said "Hi. This is Justine's daughter. I am calling to let you know my mom can't come to work today. She is sick. She defecated all over herself." Really. I swear. When I told my mom what I said, I think she said some expletives and told me the correct definition of the word in question. Lesson: Teach your kids vocabulary words, and, do your own calling!

Outfit:

I have said that my outfit's will get wackier as I go along and today I am proving it!

Body suit: Thrift store. Star Cody.

Dress: Goodwill. Old Navy. I fashioned it to make it more fun. I am loving the gray/red combo!

I threw the sweater on because it was cold in the morning and afternoon by the beach! I've worn it several times now!

Shoes: Predictions.

Leo post eye doctor. His eyes were dilated, so they gave him these shades! 

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!

My Cute Kids!

I hate to brag about my kids. I really do. I mean, I do go on about them to a small select group of folks I think might be interested, but otherwise I just go on about how crazy and wacko they are. And they are crazy. But in a good way. Most of the time.

Now today, I was crazy because I had the idea of "working" in the classroom while the kids "entertained" themselves. Why was this crazy you ask? Because two of my children are just not quite able to entertain themselves without parental participation. There is one who likes to climb anything stable, or unstable for that matter. There is another who manages to play by himself beautifully, but has to show me everything he has made, or tell me 18 million stories that start off with, "Mom, look...".  And he won't tell me the story unless I am giving him 100% eye contact. I tell him I'm working and it stops him for a bit, but by then Haha has spilled something, or tried again to start the computer, or taken a dump, or grabbed a sharpie, or unraveled an entire spool of string. Really, it was just a perfect illustration of why little kids and the workplace don't work so well. Or, maybe it was a reminder to me that I need to have reasonable expectations for my kids.

Oh. My kid brag of the day? Making dinner while the three little ones drew together on the white board. I have to thank Jordan for hauling it out of the garage at Char-bar's request. It was so sweet!

Outfit:

Grey heather tank (underneath): Urban Outfiters. This is very old and I adore it. Unfortunately, it has a small hole...

Striped tee: Hand me down. Gap.

Skirt: Salvation army. I got this in high school! I can't resist anything sparkly!

Gray cardigan: I gave this to my friend many years ago, and she was getting rid of it, so I took it back!

Shoes: American Eagle.

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!

Back To Class!

Today I had to go to school to get ready for the summer session. We had meetings and greetings. I found out that I will have an assistant who is a college senior. Man, that makes me feel old! As I was talking to her and some of the other college students, my cheeks started turning red. I felt like the old person trying to be down with the cool kids. What can I say? I am a middle aged woman with four children. To college age people, I am old.

I remember when I was in high school that I thought my teachers were so ancient. When I moved back to L.A. at the ripe old age of 28, I remember seeing some of my teachers and thinking that they were so young! The decade or so between us seemed inconsequential now that we were all adults. It really tickled me. How our perception changes as we grow more mature is fascinating. When I was 10 I thought that 40 was close to death, now I'm pretty sure it's 90.

Outfit:

Camisole: I've been wanting to wear this for a while, but just never got around to it. I found it at Goodwill. I decided to pair it with black, so that it is not overly sweet. I feel like this is an homage to The Pink Ladies. Grease was one of my favorite films when I was younger. I still love it to this day!

Tank: (Underneath) Old Navy.

Black Crop Cardigan: Clothing swap. Gap.

Jeans: I got these from a Big Sunday fundraiser. Bu from Malibu.

Shoes: Airwalk.

This outfit HaHa is wearing was put together by Richard. It is all handed down clothing. When I came home she greeted me at the door in this and I thought she looked so adorable!

Polling!

I realize that I never addressed the poll results of my "Did You Vote?" question. The total number of votes was quite low, especially in comparison with the last poll. I can't say that I am surprised. It is actually quite apropos.

When I saw the number of votes on the June 8th elections, I was shocked. In a city of millions, the votes were in the thousands. To be more precise, out of 1.6 million registered Los Angeles voters, 290,000 of them actually managed to vote on June 8th. That's fairly discouraging considering you have the opportunity to cast your vote by mail. You don't even have to get to the polls anymore...

I must say, I am not surprised, but it is a bit disappointing. How do we take our right to vote for granted? How do we not vote when the city and state is in such crisis? What happened to the overcrowded polling places of November 2008? Where did the hope go?...

I guess the hope, like everything else in politics, is going down the crapper. And why wouldn't it? Almost two years into the Obama era, and everything feels pretty much the same as before. The hope that was palpable that November eve feels lost and empty. Afghanistan. BP. Health Care. Bail outs. Our further estrangement with our "allies", Guantanamo Bay, Don't Ask, Don't Tell...

I'm not asking, but I'm telling you, something's rotten in Denmark.  

Outfit:

Thai Skirt: I decided to wrap this and wear it as a shirt while I was fooling around with what to wear today. This was one of the first gifts Richard gave to me. He got it while he was touring South East Asia.

Sweater: Hand me down from cousin. Merona.

Jeans: Hand me down from friend.

Shoes: zoe & zac.

I've included a family "portrait" that shows what I have in store for me when parenting HaHa.  She is crying because I am holding on to her while she is perched on the four- foot slanted wall. She wanted me to let go...




 

Up The H!ill

Today we spent the day at the park. There was tree climbing, riding downhill without helmets, snacking, walking through a swarm of bees, playing, climbing up a huge, huge hill, and a lot of merriment.

One of the most hysterical things was HaHa pushing me away and saying "No, mama", as I tried to spot her during her tree climbing. She is so stubborn and fearless that it is quite scary. People on the playground were watching her and shaking their heads in disbelief as she climbed a 6 foot ladder and launched herself down slides without any hesitation. They were also surprised by her heckling of much older children. "No! No!" she exclaimed as she tried to dominate the equipment. She is really something. Her desire to be like her big brothers overshadows everything. Whatever they are doing, she is doing. She is like the chihuahua who thinks it's a pit-bull. She is cray-cray.








Outfit:

Grey Tank: Urban Outfitters. I got this a million years ago and it is starting to die. I will definitely get another one of these in heather gray in the future.

Silk Dress: Goodwill. I got this to wear under things. But I thought I'd wear it as a top layer today. I wore it backwards for "ba-ba" purposes.

Print wrap skirt: Goodwill. I always love anything sparkly!

Under skirt: Thrift store. Also a million years old.

Shoes: Fit Flops. I would have worn better shoes, but I knew I was going to be doing a lot of walking today. 

Here are some moments from the day. You can see HaHa's antics as she tries to prove she can hang with the big boys. By the way, the equipment HaHA was climbing with abandon was designed for 5-12 year-olds, according to the sign...