I'm Browner than My Sister!

Sweet! Goal accomplished!

Thanks in part to 2 circumstances.
1. We didn't travel in June so I had many more opportunities to go to the Y pool.
2. Susie had foot surgery in April so she's been housebound basically for 2 months ... out of the hot hot Arizona sun for those 8 weeks. She also does not have easy access to a pool like we do.

It is great ... while it lasts.
When I visit her in October during Fall Break, I'll be back to my pale self.
Oh, well, it is what it is! : )
Of course, both girls are much browner than I am.
Ironically Jacqueline has spent 1/2 the time as Julia & I at the pool - she's just darker.

That reminds me of a "funny"story that has happened twice recently.
"Your children are darker than you are" ... uh, yeah, duh!
My husband is darker than I am ... plus I'm biracial so I'm paler than an "all black" person.
Whatever. Actually that reminds of another funny story about color & race.

Julia calls me white.
Everyone else she calls brown, except my mom whom she correctly says is white.
Even Susie she says is brown. My twin sister basically the same as me ... brown, but I'm white.
OK -what? We're not sure what that is about, but never boring at our house.

Sorry, Susie for your pain & recovery.
Glad you are up & on your feet & doing so well! : )

Wimbledon 2013

WOO HOO! It started yesterday & what a day of tennis play!
Nadal lost in the first round ... difficult for the French Open champion to transition from clay to grass .
Day 2 - Sharapova & Federer lose ... what is going on?!

Serena did not lose thank goodness! : )
She has some cool custom shoes.
W on the back heel of course + orange swoosh + 5 years she's won above it.
2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012

If she wins this year that would be 3 times Serena has won back to back.
Serena's got style with all the orange accents.
There are orange shorts underneath the white dress which I like and hair band too.

I have concerns about Serena's eyebrows.
What is up with that? They look odd.
They are hugely drawn - why would you do that?

I'm staying home alone to watch tennis and rest.
Julia is at PDO, Jai & Jac went to some park in Madison.
I love being alone in my house & it's BONUS to be able to watch live tennis! : )

Friday Night Lights

I don't think I've written anything about our latest obsession.
Yeah, yeah, I know we're like 7 years behind the curve!
I saw the movie many years ago & actually enjoyed it. I like Billy Bob Thorton!
I'm not sure what happened when TV series started in 2006 & why I didn't watch it.
It's not like we have crazy awesome Friday night plans usually!
Probably related to my dislike of football.

However, we kept hearing how good it is so I finally requested the first season from NPL.
We totally are binge-ing on it - we probably started watching 2 weeks ago!
Now we're at season 3 - finally last night!
Disc 1 of season 3 had a HOLD so we had to wait 3 days since we finished season 2.

It's bad having an obsession like this, especially at whim of NPL system.
I wait with anticipation for the DVD to arrive ... "in transit" my account says.
I check my account very day, sometimes twice a day in hopes that it will say "ready for pick up."
I'm a serious addict! I drop everything, say "let's go kids, we're headed to the library."
I even contemplated rejoining Netflix (we're planning to soon anyway, but seriously!) so I could get it faster.
However, there is no guarantee as sometimes there is a wait for NF items.

Alright, I gotta get off the blog & make breakfast for kids before church.
I'm looking forward to watching the last 2 episodes on disc 1 tonight.
I have some self control, especially as disc 2 has a HOLD and Wimbledon starts tomorrow! : )

Mad Men

Season 6 finale airs tonight ... description on DVR says "Don has a problem."
Hmmm ... when does Don not have a problem?
Don is the poster child for problems.
Jai & I laughed when we saw that as the "preview."

HA! That's like watching the trailer for "next week's episode."
WTF is our usual response. Usually we have no clue what any of it means!
Actually we look at each other during an episode, quite often, like what is going on?!

For example, this season, what is the deal with Bob Benson?
He seems so helpful, quite a charmer, yet some people don't like him.
Ironically he always is around to help solve a problem!
He's a busy guy at SCCC or whatever the agency's name is these days! : )

Really? Seriously?
Don has a problem. Peggy has a problem. Pete has a problem.
Who doesn't have a problem. They all have problems!
It's called "stop drinking & be faithful to your spouse!"

We look forward to seeing WHICH problem is displayed tonight. : )

organically grown

The rubber band from veggies says this.
Julia has been wearing like a bracelet! : )
For the most part, my girls are organically grown, definitely for the first year of their life, even when they started eating solid foods.
That is one reason they are so healthy.
Plus they know what their food is because it is real, not packaged junk.

Girl Who Doesn't Follow Directions

That is Julia's Native American name.

Later at dinner table this happened.
Tara: "Girl who doesn't follow directions" ... (before I had a chance to say anything else!)
Julia: "doesn't get dessert"

Awesome! She connects the dots ... sometimes her behavior corresponds! : )

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Today we celebrated 8 years of marriage. WOW!
It also is the same holiday for 2 others friends, married 2 & 3 years, who now also have young children. 
Hopefully they got out for some alone time to celebrate a great day!: )

I've been sick since Sunday, didn't go to church either. Poor Jai got no break for Father's Day.

I thought I was better on Monday ... I even went out with girls to infant/toddler story time at Inglewood NPL.

However, then I went home & crashed!

This morning I woke up with pink eye in addition to cough, sore throat, congestion crud.

Made for an awesome anniversary!

I stayed in bed most of day, hoping to feel well enough to go out for dinner - we have a sitter!

Thank goodness Julia was at PDO so Jai only had Jac to watch.

Our friend from church came over at 5:30pm & watched girls so we made it to dinner. YEAH!!

It was fun, I felt better after putting on a dress and being there; I was tired when we got home.

We then had to get the girls to bed at 8pm which isn't that different from evening routine actually these days!

Dinner was at Suzy Wong's House of Yum- a place we haven't been yet as is tradition. 
It was good; we took some great photos of food & funny self-portraits as is also tradition.

We each had a drink (beer for Jai, yummy mocktail for me), 2 appetizers & 2 entrees. 
We got so much food - we'd both not had lunch so our eyes were BIG! : )

Anniversary present
8 years is BRONZE ... OK - what does that mean?
You know we don't really do gifts for most occasions.
However, we needed a new bed spread/quilt because the one we've had for 8 years is "peeling" at the edges.
Jacqueline really enjoys pulling on it, making strips. : )
So I found a great deal on a coverlet at Gaiam & it arrived last week.
I'd washed it, but hadn't had a chance to change the sheets & remake the bed.
This morning was great opportunity as I wanted to wash everything with HOT water once I woke up with the pink eye.
I love clean sheets, but it was extra special to have the new BEAUTIFUL coverlet on our bed.
We were not sure if it would be warm enough, but it is nice & heavy & thick so plenty warm.
YEAH! You know I like function and beauty! : )

I'm staying home again tomorrow; Jai is taking Julia to $1 movie at Opry Mills.

UGH! I hate summer colds! 
Maybe I'll feel better by Friday so I can be at Y pool for some catch up color before Susie arrives next Tuesday! 

We're also hoping she'll watch the girls so we can go out for DATE NIGHT without being sick. : )

Sight Reading

I went out to an adult activity in the evening this week! : )
It was a book reading at Parnassus Books bookstore in Green Hills - very glamorous & exciting.
I love books though so it was perfect, especially I try to read more in the summer.

Daphne Kalotay has a new book entitled Sight Reading; she was in Nashville for a conference.
Daphne is the childhood pal of one of my Wellesley College friends.
Thank goodness Elizabeth emailed Jai on FB who forwarded it to me & I didn't have another engagement.
It was fun even though I haven't read the book or her first novel, Russian Winter.
However, I'm intrigued by the description so look forward to getting it from NPL soon.
One of the reviews said if you liked Bel Canto by Anne Patchett, then you'll like this book.
I really enjoyed BC - Anne P also co-owns Parnassus Books.

Thanks good friend for great suggestion! : )

"I didn't realize" and "actually"

These are some of Julia's current favorite phrases as she begins to explain or express herself.
I realize that I say those words frequently.
It's really interesting how much kids copy us.

This is why I am careful about not dropping the F bomb when I'm around her.
Though I have said it a few times while at the pool in the past 2 weeks, usually hanging with my pal Niki.
There are a ton of kids at the pool too.
I'd hate to annoy some parent as I don't want Julia or Jacqueline hearing it from me, definitely not from someone else.

So far so good with minimal public embarrassment of my children's verbal expressions.
Luckily we have rare temper tantrums or meltdowns while we are out - they save it for home!
They're still considered cute for most of their behavior ... in public, sometimes in private.
Thank goodness! : )