PARTY! PARTY!

On Dani's actual birthday we had crowns! Crowns!Daddy bought her a tiara for her party, which was fun! Lots of friends, family, food and presents!

The girls wore their party dresses!

And flashed their blue frosting smiles!

Spring Fling!

We took a little trek to Spring Fling downtown today with my friend BrendaLee. We saw tons of people we know, ate lots of tasty snacks and enjoyed the sights!
Dani decided that she should wear BrendaLee's hat; once it was on, she was ready for her closeup!

Tori enjoying the sights from the wagon:
Even with the intermittent rain, it was a fun time!

Kids say the darndest things.

Dani is talking up a storm. She runs through the house naming objects, and parrots back most everything we say. It is absolutely adorable, but there are some things, I don't quite know how to address.

She refers to all men as "daddy". This means that when we are at the grocery store, or anywhere, she points to people and calls out "daddy". Kind of makes for some awkward moments.

Today, at breakfast, Dani was using her fork, pretty successfully. She was managing to poke her eggs and sausage and get it to her mouth on most attempts. She was waving the fork in the air triumphantly after every bite and saying "f*ck". We know she meant fork, but it sure sounded like she was throwing f-bombs at the table. This should make for interesting glances from strangers in the event we take her out to eat.

To keep with the awkward theme, here's a shot taken at dinnertime last night. Dani's less than thrilled about the baby on her lap.

Sadly, I'm missing a party that friends are having as I type--a big one--30th, 50th birthdays and a MSW graduation! After multiple unsuccessful attempts, Dani has still not taken a nap, and she would be a train wreck if I tried to take her anywhere until she does. I'm not letting her out of her crib again until she sleeps--which should be for a few hours when she finally gives in. She still hasn't taken a bath today, so by the time she gets up, gets clean and dressed for going out, and eats something, it will be dinnertime or later--factor in a 30 minute drive and we're almost at bedtime.... Sorry Tom and Ali--wishing you all the best on your big day!

Playdate!

Dani and I went to visit Alicia and her little ones Jacqueline and Alexandra. Dani was thrilled to be around another baby!

Dani was happy to play with someone else's toys!

She will pull herself up on anything and everything.....walking will be very soon!So much fun!

50 years ago.

Fifty years ago today, my friend Dario became a citizen. I met Dario in 1997 when I started working for then-Assemblyman Tonko in his Amsterdam office. Dario owned a tailor shop next door. He and I became friends, and he became kind of like my Grandpa. I would visit him every morning, and stayed in touch when I moved on. I stop by his shop or his home with Dani every few weeks, and try to pick him Italian things he likes from his favorite out of town stores like bread and anchovies. He adores Dani.

He had a nice little party in his backyard today with drinks and Italian pastry.

Dani had fun! (so did I).

During the happier time earlier in the week...

(Dani trying a pickling cuke. She gnawed on it for about a minute, then chucked it on the floor.)

It's been a long week. The fun parts have involved a visit from one of my best pals, Tara. She came over to visit, and then we went out to dinner. Dani had a great time with her!

Some local craziness going on, where suffice to say, the entire city I live in, well perhaps I exaggerate, at least those those who read certain local political blogs have been directed to my facebook page, and an old blog of mine, and my silly local paper is going to run a cover story on anonymous bloggers and attempts to out them, in which many disparaging comments will be made about me. Only in my town is that actually news. Most interestingly, the faux outrage stems from a glib comment allegedly made by me which stated, essentially, that neighborhood opponents of a certain project shared one little brain, and that one local restaurant was not fine dining. Oh, the horrors! Those comments have apparently lead to a weeks (or perhaps months) long hunt for the anonymous blogger, with multiple blogs previewing that the blogger's identity would be announced live on local radio today.

I actually learned about most of this (that the blogs that had my pictures and links to my personal info) when I got a call from the newspaper this afternoon. Fun times. I thought I got out of the fishbowl when I didn't run for re-election!

Just a working mom, enjoying my marriage and baby. Nothing to see here.

B and Chang's Excellent Adventure.

I went to Lincoln Park yesterday with Big Man and Dani to see Chang. After a brief visit, Big Man and Dani left me at Chang's for the day.

It was so great to see him--he's one of my closest friends, and it had been way too long--almost 2 years! One of those friends that when you see them, it is like no time has elapsed since you saw them last. Chang rules.

We went out to lunch, and to the Lincoln Park zoo, which is right across the street from his place, then out for super yummy Thai food for dinner. Let's just say it was an interesting day at the zoo. The lions were a little frisky:

Yep. Bounp-chicka-boump-boum.

Actual conversation that occurred after the aforementioned lion romp. Little boy was about 5 years old.

Kid: Mommy, why did the lion do that?

Mother: Because he's a naughty boy.

Fun times at the zoo.

Fun weekend!

Had a fun weekend all the way around! Jackie came over to visit on Saturday afternoon. Then Tara came over to hang out with Dani, and with lots of baby goodies! Then Tara and I went out for dinner and cosmos. My first cosmo since March '08! Was a great time. And, Big Man had last night off. Dani was very smiley for Jackie!
Dani and Tara, just having some girl time.

Ode to Bean.

Not beans. Bean. One of my best pals, from way back...whose birthday is Monday. (Bean, didn't get a card yet, so please accept this in lieu!)

The story of Bean. (as best as I recall)

I was a snotty kid from suburban Connecticut. My parents had an idea one day...to move from Fairfield County to upstate New York. Fun! Get out of the rat race! So they packed up the family, and in the summer of '83 or so, we moved to Fonda, New York, population: more cows than people. It was summer, there was a pony farm next door, and we had our own street and a bitchin' inground pool. But, alas, poor B was all alone, and the kids next door were all at least 4 years older than me. At ten, I would have been happy to play with them, but they were teenagers, and I was a nuisance no doubt. (Although in later years, one of them would become one of my other bestest friends.) So, I asked one of the neighbor girls where I could find another kid my age to play with...after all, school was a month away! They told me that there was a kid named Bean nearby. (*not her real name, but a nickname I use to this day.)

I think I rode my bike to Bean's house, introduced myself and asked her if she would like to be my friend. Bean, at that time, was a cool kid, with an older sister, and a dad who was the school's athletic director and football coach, and who undoubtedly did not need to make friends with wayward strangers. Perhaps I stalked her. Perhaps she liked my pool. In any event, Bean decided that I wasn't so bad and she became my first friend. We were in the same grade, and our birthdays were two days apart! How cool!

Over the years, Bean probably spent more time at my house than at her own, particulary in the summertime when she and my mom would compete for the best tan while I swam in the pool until my blond hair turned green. We had sleepovers, passed notes, played soccer and softball together, talked about boys and nearly everything that girls do.

We had big hair. It was the 80s. This was us in the earlier days, the days of perms and hairspray (but Bean's hair was natural curls):

We hung out a lot. We joined clubs, went to football games, faked our IDs to get into bars, shopped a lot, and then we graduated, and headed to college. HS Graduation 1991:

I headed to Chicago, and Bean to Oneonta, NY. Bean married Doug, her high school sweetheart, and they have three awesome kids. I still try to see her whenever she comes to town.

It's been (gasp) 25 years since Bean and I became friends. I love her like a sis. Happy Birthday Bean!

farewell to a friend

I just read an obituary for a friend. Dick Healy, my earliest political supporter and advisor passed away. Over the years, I have had the good fortune of getting to know him and his family. His constant and unwavering support and friendship have helped me tremendously during my years on the Board of Supervisors. He was a heart transplant survivor, and only 68. He will be missed.