Will You Be My Valentine?

Part of the fun of having a preschooler actually IN SCHOOL is experiencing all the neat holiday stuff.  Bean celebrated Valentine’s Day this week at his preschool and I got to take my kid to the store to pick out his very first box of Valentines.  The teacher said they could include a piece of candy or a sticker with their Valentine card.  The first thing I noticed was that most of the cards came with candy or sticker included.  Wow, that is SO 2010.  I’m sure it was also SO 2009 and SO 2008, but I have never done this before.  Those Hallmark people really make it easy for you. 

Bean picked out these cute “Toy Story” cards that included a Disney lollipop with the letter “D” on it.  (Get it?  “D” for Daniel. Cute, right?)  So we sat down over the weekend and picked out cards for the 12 kids in his class while he wrote his name on each one in red or pink crayon.  He only ate two lollipops, I think.   It was fun.

Well, today was the best day ever because Daniel brought home an entire bag of Valentines from school.  He was THRILLED.  Yep, it BLEW HIS MIND.

One friend gave him pretzels (Healthy!)  One friend gave him a long fruit roll-up tape dispenser (Interesting!) Lots of friends gave him candy and lollipops (Holy Grail!)  He even got a magnet photo frame from his teacher.  It was a blast to experience this all for the first time with my son.  

I remember when I was in fourth grade and I got my very first “secret” Valentine.  That’s when we decorated empty cereal boxes with construction paper, glue and glitter to create our Valentine’s mailbox.  Maybe it’s a LITTLE embarrassing, but I’ve actually kept that ”secret” Valentine card in a memory box all these years. 

I love the homemade pink construction paper heart.  I love that it actually says from “?”

I think I told him “Yes.”  Actually, I don’t remember.  But isn’t this the sweetest thing ever?  It still makes me smile.  The innocence of it all makes me smile.   It’s just a fun memory that makes me realize that my kiddies will have so many of these fun memories in their future.  And I get to experience it all again. 

Being a Mom is pretty fantastic.

John Mayer

Here’s the thing. I don’t get out much anymore.  I used to go to bars and parties and movie premieres and concerts.  I used to go to A LOT of concerts.  But since I became a Mom, I’ve definitely fallen into the cliché (that’s actually NOT a cliché) of staying home and enjoying a Netflix movie and a bottle of wine with my hubbie on a Saturday night.  This is my NEW fun.  And it really is fun. 

But I went to the John Mayer concert last night. I was really excited because I’ve always liked John Mayer’s music.  Plus, he’s really good looking.  Yeah, I know he’s been a tabloid fixture lately with his personal life dating sagas. Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Aniston and MAYBE Taylor Swift, although I sincerely doubt that last one.  I just appreciate an artist who is a TRUE artist.  He writes all his songs.  He plays the guitar.  Man, he REALLY plays that guitar. 

I really prepared for this concert too.  I wanted to make sure I knew ALL the John Mayer songs and not just the John Mayer songs I’ve heard on the radio.  Santa gave me the Continuum and Battle Studies CDs in my Christmas stocking this year.  I’ve been listening to both CDs since Christmas morning.  I truly fell in love with all the music. I started to forget about all that other John Mayer “stuff” and really listen to the songs he wrote.  “Gravity” is so beautiful.   “Edge of Desire” is sexy and sad.  “Do You Know Me” is haunting.  And “Half of my Heart” constantly thumps around in my head. 

Half of my heart is a shot gun wedding

To a bride with a paper ring

And half of my heart is the part of a man 

Who’s never truly loved anything.

I really like this line because I want to believe that is the real John Mayer.  The guy who SEEMS misunderstood when it comes to love, but really, he gets who he is.  And he is such a talented performer.  The concert was so much fun.  I was really inspired.  He played tons of songs from Battle Studies and I loved that he kicked it off with “Crossroads.”  He also had great favorites mixed in like “Say” and “Waiting on the World To Change” and, of course, “Why, Georgia,” an amazing live song.  He sounded great and he looked great and he wailed on the guitar like he was having the time of his life.  And he said “Thank You.”  A LOT. 

No, THANK YOU, John.  It was an awesome night.  And thank you for being SO COOL in person.  Even though our meeting was short and sweet, I’ll never forget it.  You’ve got another life long fan.  (O.M.G.  I met John Mayer!!)

Everything Comes in Threes

The past THREE days have consisted of THREE things that I’ve been SO wanting to write about:

A. Our big MOVE
B. The 2010 GRAMMY’s and
C. My BIRTHDAY

Because of THE MOVE, I have not been able to FIND my laptop amdist the sea of boxes and dirty laundry and Sesame Street paper plates.  But now I’m back to a semi-normal state in our brand new digs, so here’s a QUICK update.  (The final season premiere of LOST is tonight, okay?)

THE MOVE:

Our landlady kicked us out so we had to find a new place to live and FAST.  This all happened right after our Christmas vacation (Happy New Year! Yeah, right).  But it’s actually been a great blessing in disguise.  I personally don’t really mind moving because I’ve done it A LOT and it also gets me a chance to dig into my inner Hoarders fantasy of tossing out all this random stuff.  I get such a sweet satisfaction when I throw out bags of old junk and garage pilings.   Not that my house looked like an episode of Hoarders, mind you.  Quite the opposite.  It’s the OCD side of me.  Just ask my husband.

We found a bigger, nicer, and CHEAPER place to live that is close to Bean’s preschool and the mall.  What more could I want?  It was a little sad to move out of the house where Bean grew up and Annabel was born, but we’re excited for our brand new “home sweet home.”

THE 2010 GRAMMY’S:

The 2010 Grammy Awards were really great this year.  Lady Gaga opening the show with Elton John.  Pink continuing to swing around in the air and SING at the SAME TIME.  Taylor Swift looking cute while winning a bunch of gold awards.  But I really want to point out Beyoncé.  She is super talented and classy. I love that she is amazingly successful and married to the also amazingly successful Jay-Z. Yet they have no DRAMA.  No paparazzi scandal photos.  No stories in the entertainment gossip magazines.  They are just a  talented couple.  And Beyoncé had a really strong performance Sunday night.  You go, girl.

MY BIRTHDAY:

I hate surprises and I was totally surprised, BIG TIME, on my birthday.  In a GOOD way.  My hubbie took the day off work and did not tell me.  I woke up at 5:30 AM SCREAMING at him to “Wake UP!  You are SO LATE!  AHHHHHH!” and he just rolled over and said “SURPRISE!”  That was GOOD.  He made an awesome French Toast with Berries breakfast. He took care of the kiddies ALL DAY LONG. He sent me to the spa for a massage and facial. Oh, and he gave me THIS!

Yes, it’s a RECORD PLAYER.  AWESOME.  I have saved all of my albums and 45’s since the 1980’s and it’s been so much fun to unpack all day long while listening to these great songs on a RECORD PLAYER.  Maybe it’s just me, but I love it so.  Oh, and the grand finale to my birthday?  I’m seeing John Mayer in concert Saturday night.  Yep, it was a pretty darn good birthday this year.

Work Hard. Be Kind.

I’ve been so busy packing boxes for our move to a new house this weekend that I forgot to comment about Conan O’Brien’s final broadcast of “The Tonight Show.”  When I lived in New York City over 15 years ago, I saw a taping of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”  I went alone because, at the time, Conan’s show had only been on the air for a year and he had a much smaller following. No one in my circle of friends was interested in showing up early to get a ticket to a 4 PM taping. But I was able to leave work early to do just that.  It wasn’t hard to get a ticket but the theater did fill up with loyal fans.  I don’t even remember who the guests were that day because I just remember Conan being, well, awesome.  He was vibrant and funny and really, really tall. He was dancing around the room and in the aisles before the show.  He would dance with everyone who asked.  This was all before Ellen made it popular.  I had fun and I felt like I was a part of something cool.  It didn’t matter that I went alone.  I wasn’t alone in that room.  It was a blast.

It really stinks that Conan only held the reins of the lengedary ”Tonight Show” for a short seven months.  He stepped down last Friday, January 22nd. I almost thought he wouldn’t step down after the amazing amount of support everyone was showing him on blogs, on Facebook, on Twitter, and even in an impromptu Los Angeles rally. 

What I really love about Conan is epitomized in his final words.  He was sincere and honest.  He was so passionate about his job.  And he left us all with a great message.  “If you work really hard and you’re kind…amazing things will happen.”  Work Hard.  Be Kind.  I’m adding that to my list of inspirational mantras.  Thanks, Conan.  See you soon.

Sandra Bullock: One Step Closer to Oscar

I just LOVE this acceptance speech by Sandra Bullock. It was the highlight of the 2010 SAG Awards.

Lefty

Annabel is left handed. 

I never really thought about it.  And I think about EVERYTHING when it comes to my kiddies.  Then, one day I found myself wondering, “Wait a minute.  Is that her LEFT hand she’s using to press those buttons on the really loud and obnoxious Elmo pop-up toy over and over and over again?  Why, YES IT IS!” 

Then, I would always put the fork in her RIGHT hand only to watch her switch it to her LEFT hand.  Hmmm.  When we visited my sister at Christmas (note: Sis is a lefty), she SCREAMED with delight when she saw Annabel use her left hand to pick up a crayon and color on a piece of paper.  I still was not 100% convinced. 

“I think she still uses BOTH hands,” I said.

“NOPE.” said Sis. “She is a lefty!  DEFINITLY.  WOO HOO!”

Now that it’s been almost a month later, I will concede.  My daughter is a lefty.  (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)  She joins an exclusive club filled with many other super cool left handed peeps including:  Her godmother (my sister), President Obama, President Bush, Oprah, Bill Gates, Bob Dylan, Sting, Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie, Robert DeNiro, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Willis, Justin Bieber, Rocky, and Kermit the Frog.  

In other “unique trait” news, check out what my SON can do.  I’m so proud.

Golden Globes 2010

A few things on my mind after watching the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards last night…the first awards ceremony of the year!

1. Yay Glee! (Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical)

2. I NEVER wanted to see Avatar - until now.  I was not interested in a long, science fiction movie with blue people.  But after James Cameron was a guest on The Oprah Show on Friday, he changed my mind.  Well, okay, OPRAH changed my mind.  She went nuts over the film.  And now that it just won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama, I’m making plans to see it. 

3. How cute are Drew Barrymore and Justin Long?  At first it seemed like such a weird match to have one of Hollywood’s power players dating Warren Cheswick from Ed. But now it seems…nice.  Drew looked AMAZING in her champagne colored Versace gown and I was so happy she won the Golden Globe for Grey Gardens.  I remember watching the HBO movie one lazy, rainy afternoon while the kiddies were napping.  The 2 hours just flew by.  I was mesmerized by the film and Drew’s performance.

4. How cute are Sandra Bullock and Jesse James?  Again, they seem like an unlikely couple that just works.  She has really paid her dues in Hollywood so it was great to see her win Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama.  I need to see The Blind Side now too.

5. The Hangover won for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical.  This movie has received SO MUCH HYPE.  I couldn’t even get Netflix to send it to me because of the “very long wait.”  Hubbie and I had to buy it on pay-per-view last week so I could finally see it.  CONFESSION: It was just…alright.

6.  Meryl Streep = Great Actress and Class Act.

There were many movies and TV shows that won last night that I have not seen.  I consider myself pretty darn savvy when it comes to TV shows and movies, but every time I watch these award shows I once again realize there is so much that I DON’T watch.  I did see The Good Wife and thought  Julianna Margulies was really great, but then I just gave up.  I love The Office, Hung, Cougar Town.  All were nominated, but none of them won. I have seen 30 Rock. I know I’m in the minority here, but I just don’t get it.

Finally, on a fun note, I hope the rumors are true.  They would make a super hot couple.

Favorite Things

It’s 2010 and here’s a quick list of some things I’m loving as we start this brand new year (and brand new decade!):

1. American Idol is back!  I know that means Glee is gone, but it’s so great to settle back into a Tuesday/Wednesday, and soon to be Thursday, American Idol schedule filled with all the cool and crazy singers.  One of my favorites so far? The cute country girl who is going to ride on an “aeroplane” for the very first time.  That’s what the show is all about.  I love it. One thing I DON’T love: no Paula Abdul. 

2. Oprah is back too!  I’ve already seen a pair of black jeans I need to buy.  I’ve already sat with tissues crying.  I’ve already grooved to Lady Gaga.  Thanks Oprah.

3. Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew on VH1 and Jersey Shore on MTV. I. CAN’T. LOOK. AWAY.

4. I know Kate Gosselin SAYS she hates her new $7,000 hair extensions, but I think they look super cute.

5. And finally, TEAM CONAN.

First Day of Preschool

My baby boy started school today. 

It was his very first day of a three-year-old preschool program. In other words, he left me to spend the morning with a woman I barely know.  I’ve been preparing for this day since September. Back then, I decided to wait a semester since he is a “late” three (August birthday) and I wanted him to be completely comfortable with the potty training. I don’t think I give my kid enough credit.  He was probably ready to go to school back in September.  But, let’s face it, I wasn’t.  His official first day was supposed to be last Tuesday.  But he woke up with a nasty cold, so we delayed a week. 

Today was the BIG DAY.

He woke up a little earlier than usual today.  He was excited.  He had banana bread (his favorite) with a side of bananas (one slice, maybe) and blueberries (three) and a big glass of milk.  He got dressed and watched me put his lunchbox into his backpack and then I think his nerves started to set in.  The difference with Bean now, compared to when he started the Sports Class in the summer,  is that he can really express his feelings so much better.  He can say that he’s nervous.  He told me he might cry, but “just a little bit.”  He wanted to go, but he might want me to stay too. He needed a sip of water so he would feel better. 

We arrived at school a little early so I could show him where to hang his brand new fire truck backpack. He loved when he saw his name above the small hook on the wall.  He saw some Thomas trains to play with so that was awesome.  He tried out the bathroom and hated the loud fan and the big boy seat (no kiddie insert like at home.)  That made ME nervous, but it was time for Mama to leave.  I kissed his cheek, said I loved him, and he sat down at a tiny table.  The teacher tried to distract him with crayons so I could scoot out, but I could hear his small cry and call for me as I turned the corner.  I didn’t cry. I just listened to make sure he stopped crying.  He did.   I peeked one more time  to see him coloring and smiling, so I left.  My baby boy was now at school.  Okay, maybe I cried a little just then.

When I picked him up FOUR HOURS LATER, I got the biggest hug and peanut butter faced smile. Yes, he ate his sandwich.  But nothing else.  He wanted to eat the rest at home.  The teacher said he did GREAT.  Sure, there were some nerves here and there, but overall, just great.  Now Bean is giving up the monumental first day of school information in frustrating bits and pieces.  There’s some fun clean-up song he’s been trying to sing.   He told us he said “Amen” at chapel time.   He sat on big letters on the floor.  There was some type of guitar in music class.  He forgot the name of a friend he made. 

The hardest part is not knowing exactly what he was doing all day at school.  It’s hard knowing that my son was doing things, learning things, seeing things, experiencing things and I wasn’t there.  I may never really know what he loved best, what made him nervous, what made him laugh.  He’s letting go of my hand, one finger at a time.  I hate it.  I love it.   This is what it’s all about.  The first independent step out into the big world.  He did it.   I’m so proud of my little man.

People’s Choice Awards 2010

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