sleeping beauty.

Lots of love.
Went to the ballet this weekend.
Sleeping beauty to be exact.
Didn't start until 8pm.
Girls bedtime is equal to or less than the above time.
Ballet was long and beautiful.
I will wait a couple more years to bring the girls back.(enough said)
At least memories were made.

The thing about it, is that it is all about expectations. I am learning to not have them when it comes to many things in life. Having numerous children in an instant has helped me to learn how to roll with the punches and let go of so many of my control issues (which I didn't even know I had until I had kids). Funny... 

For example there was no way little midget man was going to wear the hot pink crocs to church. He was so ticked. I had to put his shoes back on three times before we made it to the car.

I.AM.IN.CONTROL (That's what I said right before the ultra-sound tech announced 3 heart beats)

Next time he can wear the stinking pink crocs to church. Who really cares anyway.

I thought about these pictures at the ballet because there really was a big bed with a crown above it on the stage. Pretty fancy smancy.

{images via Martha Stewart Living}

{learn me a lesson, fig tree}

One of my all time favorite movies has to be Parent Trap (the old school one). Well the other day I took the boys on an IKEA date. Lunchtime was quickly approaching so we headed upstairs to dine on such delicacies as shrimp sandwiches. I sweat bullets as I tried to push the "train" and balance all of our food on a tray....all while the boys screamed very loudly for their jute boxes (juice boxes). By now I am completely unphased by all of the on-lookers but am very focused on the fact that I just want some zippers to apply to 3 little mouths. We pay and then look for the most inconspicuous spot to bang forks & stuff.  Lucky me, there is a dining section completely in isolation (I really savor eating in isolation when I am out with the kids). As we ate all I could think about was the movie Parent Trap and how the sisters dined with a  sign placed on the table letting everybody know they were in isolation. I felt that I too need a special sign that read, "multiple toddlers in training".

Fast forward to today when I observed my fig tree had become naked. "Those darn kids, who gave them the power to rip all the leaves off", I thought. Later that afternoon as we drove up the road and passed the "tire swing house", I took a double take as I observed the very mature fig tree with NADA leaves.  That's right not a one leaf existed on any part of the bark.

I quickly scratched out the Toddler in training sign in my head and replaced it with the words, "MOTHER (who has a narrow mind and jumps to conclusions) IN TRAINING". My kids learn me a lesson or two these days. Time to broaden my horizons and open up some learning space in my brain.

So on that note, what about an indoor fig tree, you know to serve as a constant reminder on how it is probably a novel concept to not jump to conclusions and the importance of giving people the benefit of the doubt....even if they happen to be smaller than I:-)

And if the fig tree doesn't work out I can always fall back on Parent Trap for inspiration.  Have you happened to noticed how cool that house in Monterey, CA is?  These days I would probably opt for a really cool house up the road close to Carmel by the sea though.

Fig trees indoors...PRETTY!

{photo courtesy of Grant Gibson's super star house}

{french therapy} La Tartine

Sometimes the best therapy is to get into a car and just drive.  Kids gone wild (not to be confused with Girls Gone Wild), well how about a drive.  Since I was the only one manning the fort this weekend and felt the need to adhere from going insane, I decided to listen to whisperings of the universe telling me to find a French Boulangerie.  Good thing the closest Boulangerie that I fancy was a bit of a drive and not just around the corner because I needed this double dose of therapy.  I packed up the lunches with high hopes to have a perfect day frolicking in the sun with 5 perfectly behaved children.  Not so much...15 minutes @ the park was enough to do me in and when the fountain erupted so did I.  In fact I was strung so tight that it wasn't until I got home, put the kids down that I was finally able to find the comfort that I needed.  That comfort was found in a chocolate filled croissant on a blanket in the back yard.  I have said it before and I will say it again but you have never had a croissant until you've had a croissant from La Tartine.  Must be due to the fact that the owners immigrated straight from France. Now you know who I pay for good therapy & now you know why I had egg pancakes the next morning.

Want to see what else is good therapy but also makes me need therapy all at the same time...

Funny how that works.

Don't let the little dude with the tie an his shirt fool you for one second...he's KRAZY with a capital K.  He sure is CUTE though and that's not with a capital K.

  

Tonight though the real therapy comes from a little picture that has "Frenchness written all over it" Give me those little plants, a baguette and a modern chair paired with an antique settee and we'll call it good.

Tartine:

16650 E. Palisades, #103
Fountain Hills, AZ
(480-816-4222).

A cool, clean & calm home

 

Usually for the holidays I crave a warm, textural, layered, chunkier space but I was going through some of my old magazines and was reminded that somewhere in my split personality I really think this cool, elegant, uncluttered home is beautiful too.  Come Feb. or March I will really crave a very light & clean home.  I'm not trying to get ahead of myself too much here because I can't tell you how excited I am for the holidays.  

Is setting up the tree this weekend too early? 

Anyway want to go inside and tour the beautiful above home located in sunny L.A.......here we go starting in the entrance.

{above photos via Homes & Gardens)

Speaking of a cool, clean & calm home...sometimes not a one of those three qualities exists in my home.  Somebody was asking how I managed my home and I sort of laughed because this is how I manage sometimes...

Want to see?

Imagine 5 kids getting into everything as my wheels just spin in place, trying to problem solve for all of these chitlings who must know we are trying to get out of the house in a timely fashion.  It's past time time of even making it to our destination on time but nonetheless somebody feels the need and even insists on going back to fetch an old zoo hat that is clearly too small and some mittens because 70 degrees is freezing.  I do what any desperate Mom would do and say, "That's it, everybody go line up and sit by the door and don't move until Momma is ready to go".  It sort of worked (at least for 4 of them...the 5th is always attached to my pant leg).  Pls. observe.