The sponsors who really should be at BlogHer

I have no doubt that there are going to be some awesome sponsors at BlogHer this year - both official and unofficial. But there are a few who I'm sure won't be present and would make a killing if they were.

1) Pfizers - makers of Xanax
Bloggers are introverts by nature. The sheer thought of 2000+ women in one hotel is enough to make many people hide in their room for three days. Any of those would be thrilled to cozy up to a Pfizer rep or two. Maybe they could create a ZenHer cocktail and hand deliver it when people tweet the words "overwhelmed" "anxious" or "Hiding!"

2) Space Bags! 
You spend weeks agonizing about the perfect outfits, the cute shoes, the ideal LBD. You pack your suitcase carefully, filling it with your nicest clothes. Then on the day you have to go home... there's no room in your bags for any of the swag you've collected. That's when you'd gladly chuck all the clothes to make room for the shoe horn and cocktail shaker you got from that party.
Solution? The Travel Space Bag! Who cares if it all comes home wrinkly! Suck all that air out and you double the space in your suitcase! You're on your own for the overweight luggage fee.

3) Alka Seltzer
Conference food + no sleep + too many cocktails = really unhappy BlogHers. A little Alka Seltzer goes a long long way. People would be fighting at this booth.Oh, maybe there's another cocktail in the making here...

4) Starbucks!
Heck, these guys don't even have to be sponsors. If you'd pay almost $4 for a cup of coffee on a regular day, think what you'd pay early on a conference morning after a long night of partying!

5) Isotoner Slippers
Come on. Be honest. Those cute shoes are only comfortable for about 4 minutes. After that you'd ransack the Isotoner booth to get your hands on cushy slippers. No? I'm the only one? Well, I'll be the only one not hobbling around come Sunday.


I know I'm missing a ton. I know I'll be wishing they were there come Thursday, but I'll probably be too dazzled and overwhelmed by everyone who is there to really notice. Wait, maybe there's a cloning company somewhere who could come... I could use another one or two of me to make sure I get to everything I want to attend!

Let round two of the potty wars begin

"EWWWW you stink!" The chorus started up one afternoon when all the cousins were playing in the room they were all sharing at the beach last week. One after another they took up the chant until Little L left the room. She didn't say anything as she came to me, but hurt and confusion were written across her face.

She didn't stink really, it was more what was in her diaper that stunk. One quick diaper change and she was back in the thick of the fun.

But she didn't forget the moment and at 3am I was awoken to hysterical cries.

"I need to go potty! I need to go potty right now!"

I calmed her down and got her back to sleep, but a few hours later, after the sun had gotten up, she and her daddy woke me up again, this time with the jubilant announcement that Little L had peed in the potty.

And so started a week of fruitless trips to the bathroom where she'd sit on the potty, sing me a song or ten, and then jump off without having done anything. It was followed by a brief success - one brief success - with my sister on the last day everyone was in town, and then more, well, nothing.

In a moment of weakness I allowed M and one of the daycare assistants to sway me into believing that Little L was ready for really potty training. Really as in no diapers, just undies.

That went as well as you can imagine. 20 minutes after I got her dressed she was standing in a puddle, looking at me with big confused eyes, saying "Mommy, that underwear, it has a hole in it!" But because I don't learn, I put her in clean clothes... and a clean pair of underwear.

And that's how I took her to daycare.

The day actually went better than I had hoped. She had a mini accident, but was able to stop it in its tracks and finish in the potty. She asked to be put in a diaper after that though and the daycare director and I decided that we'd wait a couple days until we could spend a leisurely weekend trying again.

Despite that, tonight, before putting her in her pajamas, M asked her if she wanted to go potty. She jumped at the chance, always one for playing around in there. But instead of squirming around and jumping off the toilet after a second, she stayed put. And five minutes later, when M helped her down, she quietly said "I had a poopy."

And for the first time ever, she wasn't kidding. The potty training game is really on.

I hesitated, wanting to grab my camera to capture the moment. Then reason set in and I flushed the evidence away. C didn't share my compunction. She chose to immortalize the moment in art.

Little L's poop. With a smiley face, arms, and legs.

It's like the rebirth of Mr. Hankey.

Future Marine Biologists? Maybe, maybe not.

The dolphins swim lazily by, appearing out of the water with a nonchalance that can be felt all the way inside the house. They own this bay. It's theirs and they seem to be reminding us that even though they get to chose when to make an appearance, it's still a privilege to be able to see them.

The dolphins never acknowledge the humans, but the sea-lions are fascinated by us. They pop their heads out of the water when we glide by in the kayaks, eyes following us along, nothing malicious or guarded, just dark orbs filled with curiosity and a hint of mischief.

We worry about the sea-lions jumping into the boats; they look like they think it might be fun, but the dolphins swim on by as though we were never there.

The pelicans are the ones I love to watch the most despite my aversion to birds and my childhood love for dolphins. They're so gangly and prehistoric looking as they glide through the air - like something right out of Jurassic Park, then they drop, swooping down for a closer look at the water. A quick ascent followed by an even faster dive - straight like an arrow into the water. A precision strike. As engaging as the hunt might be, we never have the satisfaction of knowing if they got the fish. You see nothing in their beaks when they as they pop back out of the water. And yet I never tire of watching them.

These are the things we see every weekend from the comfort of my wonderful inlaws' beach house. We are surrounded by the marvels that fill the Monterey Bay. The sea-kelp that grows 17 inches a day, building lush forests for the sea-otters to live in. The other birds that flock to the bay to feed. Even the jellyfish that make sporadic appearances.

It's a magical world that so few ever get to experience and I watch my girls, running up the beach, collecting broken shells and cool rocks. Will all of this turn them into future marine biologists, hell bent on preserving what they grew up loving, or will they take it forever for granted - just the backdrop to their lazy weekends at the beach?

A string of cousins

My mother brought with her four little dresses - really little dresses with leggings - one for each of her granddaughters. The concept was cute; four identical cousins for one happy picture. In practice though I thought we might run into some issues.

Four cousins. raging from 3 to 8, all wearing the same dress? I couldn't quite see it happening.

And yet, on the last evening we all spent at the beach,we did make it happen. It might be the last time they all wear their dresses at the same time. It might even be the last time the oldest ever wears her dress, but it was really cute for the five minutes it lasted.

Even though it was cold.

Really, really cold.

So cold we eventually went indoors.

Tips and tricks to get kids to read?

C is at that awesome age when she's just on the verge of figuring out how to read. She can sound out some words and recognize others and she's starting to see letters everywhere and is itching to finally know what they say.

It's so exciting for me, as an avid reader, to watch this happen. It's almost like watching her get ready to take her first steps, but even better, because I know the world that is about to open up to her and I can't wait to welcome her into it. (Learning to walk is pretty cool, but it caused a ton more work for me, this is just causing me joy.)

She may be excited at the prospect of learning to read, but she is after all my daughter, so she's not exactly champing at the bit to practice her reading. That I have to sneak in.

We get all cozy on the couch together and I pull out a favorite book or two. I start reading, letting her fill in the blanks from memory as we always do, and then, completely nonchalant, I pause in an unexpected place.

"What's that word start with?" I prompt, then wait while she starts to sound off the word.

Before she even realizes it she's read the word and I'm off again with the story.


It's another giveaway! 

At the beginning of last week we discussed where we like to read. Then we gave some thought to who we like to read with. Now let's chat for a minute about those who don't particularly like to read and how we can help them.

VTech and I would like to give away another V.Reader and book cartridge to one of you lucky readers. (Scroll down to see the winner of last week's giveaway.) All you have to do is leave a comment sharing your best tips and tricks for getting your kids to read (this summer or any time!).

I'll be picking a winner on Friday, July 23rd. On that day I'll also be picking my favorite 5 comments and submitting them for consideration for "The Ultimate Tip List for Encouraging Our Kids to Read!" VTech will select 20 tips from those submitted by all the campaign bloggers to include in the list. The writer of one of the tips selected will win a Grand Prize - one V.Reader and three animated storybook cartridges.

So get creating and get commenting! What do you do to get your kids to read?

The winner of last week's giveaway is... Number 43! Congratulations Chisum's Crew!

Two cousins happily VReading.

(Full disclaimer. I am being compensated and have received a V.Reader for this campaign. Nevertheless, all thoughts and opinions contained in this post and all other VTech V.Reader posts are and will be my own.)

Updated to add:
Congratulations to Scarlette10 (#24) for winning the V.Reader! Thank you to everyone else who entered! Stay tuned to see whose Tips&Tricks get submitted for the grand prize!

And then they were gone

Almost a month ago I was anticipating the arrival of a number of visitors - friends and family members - who were going to descend upon us in a seemingly unending wave of couch surfers. I was a bit overwhelmed at the thought of juggling the fun of having people visit and the stress of work that couldn't be set aside during this time.

Tonight I'm on my couch, the kids are in their own beds, and I can hear M snoring softly through the wall. There is no inflatable mattress on the floor, no one waiting for me to be done working so they can turn off the light and sleep their jetlag away.

They're all gone. I put the last of the visitors on the plane this morning and walked back to my car, exhausted and a bit bereft.

There are no sheets to be washed before the next visitor arrives. There are no special groceries to be bought for fancy dinners. There are no excursions to be planned. I'm not answering questions about appropriate Northern California wear or asking what anyone likes for breakfast.

I know what my family has for breakfast and by now they know to bring along a sweater because it gets cold at night.

It was lovely to sit on my very own couch tonight and catch up on my neglected Tivo lineup. I was able to work without worrying about the fact that I was ignoring guests who had traveled far to see me. But I'm sad anyway. It's too quiet here and tomorrow is going to dawn very normal, with no cousins, sisters, mother, friends to join me sleepily in the kitchen as I rush around getting the kids ready for daycare.

I'm going to be lonely while I drink my tea.

Family Reading Night?

I didn't marry a reader. I married a musician. I married a man who loves to travel. I married a man who, in facts, loves many, many things, but reading is not high on that list. My girls on the other hand are turning into voracious readers like me.

I've always done my best to model good reading behavior by reading around them when I can. At least that's what I tell myself when I steal a moment with a book.

Thanks to the VTech V.Reader campaign I'm going to take that a step further (and I don't just mean by letting go of any existing guilt I feel when I read when my girls are around.) by instigating a Family Reading Night. One night in the next week or so, after dinner, we're all going to gather in the living room, each with our own books, and we're going to read.

Sure, it's not going to be the easiest thing to organize, what with the husband who doesn't really read and the children who are still too young to read, but with two V.Readers and a few magazines I think we can make it work. I doubt we'll last longer than 10 minutes on our first night, but maybe, just maybe, with a little perseverance and practice, we'll become one of those families that sit together and read in companionable silence. After all, as two people commented on my last post, it's all about the company you read with, not really where or what you read.

I love to read. It's a huge part of my life and nothing would make me happier than transmitting that love to my girls. Especially if I can do it while indulging myself a little at the same time!

But wait! There's more! There's a giveaway!
I only very rarely do this on this blog (In fact, this might be a first!), but VTech and I would like to offer one of you lucky readers a V.Reader of your very own. (Well, you might have to share with your children... but that's up to you!) To enter just leave a comment below telling us if your family ever reads together, if you would like this to be the case, if you'll maybe try to establish a Family Reading Night of your own. I'll pick a winner at random on Monday, July 19th. (That's this Monday!)

Thank you to all who entered! The winner has been chosen and a second V.Reader giveaway has been posted! 

Ending the day lost in a book

At the end of a long day - no matter how long - I always climb into bed with a book in hand. I dim the lights down low and scootch down into my bed. I pull up the pillow and the blankets so that I'm covered by plush and softness on all sides. Then I crack open my book and read until my eyes drift closed.

Ending the day lost in a book is my favorite way to fall asleep. Even after an insane day spent running around tending to a million responsibilities this quiet moment is a pearl that I treasure.

Neither of my girls are old enough to read themselves to sleep, but they are old enough to also treasure a cozy reading spot. In fact, their favorite is the corner of the couch, where they often find me working away on my computer.

They'll grab a book, anything handy, and climb up besides me.

"Read it!" They beg, pushing the laptop away, and when time permits I'm more than happy to comply. I put the computer down and get cozy, deep into the overstuffed couch cushions. I pull the child close to me, tucking her under my arm, and I open the book. There, together, we dive into the book and travel into the world created by the author.

This post has been sponsored by VTech in honor of the launch of the awesome V.Reader. (Review coming soon on The Lemonade Stand.) The theme of the week was "Favorite Reading Spots." It wasn't hard for me to come up with ours, but I'd love to know about yours! Where do you and your children like to read? Is it conventional like me, or a bit more out of the ordinary?

Stay tuned for more VTech and V.Reader inspired posts over the next few weeks! And join the VTech Summer Reading Pledge! You could win a V.Reader of your own!


(Full disclaimer. I am being compensated and have received a V.Reader for this campaign. Nevertheless, all thoughts and opinions contained in this post and all other VTech V.Reader posts are and will be my own.)

Two guys and a boat

Despite the less than awesome weather here at the beach (thank you endless fog!) M did manage to convince my brother-in-law to head out in the kayak.

It was...

Well, see for yourself.

It all started out great. 

Smiles all around.

They walked to the water with a spring in their step.

The frigid temperatures barely slowed them down.

There they sat. Waiting for a wave to carry them away.

And come it did.

Way harder than expected.

Oops.

But have no fear, they did eventually make it out to sea.

Where they stayed for all of 10 minutes before one of them decided that he was just too wet and cold to continue. Luckily we're here for a few more days and M has a few more victims family members to initiate. Lucky for them, the weather is due to start improving any day now. Any day...

Maybe Lindsay Lohan isn't entirely to blame here

I'm not saying she's not at fault. I'm not saying she shouldn't be punished. And I'm definitely not saying I'm not glad a judge finally threw the book at her.

I'm just saying that maybe, just maybe, the blame shouldn't be placed squarely on Lindsay Lohan's shoulders.

Imagine you're a child who's always been taught that "right" is everything you want and "wrong" is everything you don't want. How skewed would your vision of right and wrong be?

Imagine you're a very impressionable young girl who gets exposed to a lot of things a kid shouldn't be exposed to - drugs, alcohol, sex, entitled behavior, unjustifiable rudeness - and no one is there to say "Hey, let's not do this. You're too young to go to that party." or  "Wait a minute. This isn't a place for kids. We're leaving." or my personal favorite "That's not how we behave! Apologize right now!"

You know what happens? Well, you end up 24 years old without a clue about what's right or wrong or that you're supposed to be responsible for yourself or your actions. You're a kid in an adult body and you don't know how to follow the rules.

Ironic for a girl who played that very role in a movie.

Everyone is outraged that she never showed up to court appointed meetings. But, duh, why would she? Experience has taught her that she can do what she wants and someone will fix the rest.

What I want to know is this. Where were the parents in all this? What were they doing when they should have been teaching her right from wrong, personal responsibility, and accountability? Oh, right, they were busy enjoying the celebrity lifestyle.

I'm glad that someone is finally putting their foot down and standing up to Lohan. I'm glad someone is going to teach her that she doesn't live outside the laws, that she's not a child who gets away with whatever she wants. I'm secretly hoping that this whole ordeal might make Lindsay grow up a bit, might make her learn what no one has taken the time to teach her before. Funny it took a judge to start acting like a parent.

And yes, I could be completely off base about this whole thing. I didn't spend hours researching Lindsay Lohan's life nor did I interview anyone in her close surroundings. But I'm a mom - a strict one at that - and to me this whole thing smacks of parenting gone terribly awry, and of a world that allows child actors to never grow up.

And that my friends is not just a crying shame, it's a terrible, terrible waste.

Doesn't she look just like a confused child?

Babes on the 4th of July

The picture I took of Little L last 4th of July sits on my desk at work. I can't get enough of her blue eyes and the hint of baby that still framed her little face. This year I tried to snap a similar shot and failed miserably. I got the eyes, but the baby was all wiped from her frame. (Unlike the chocolate which was everywhere.)

That was the only sad note all evening. The girls and I had a blast dancing to the big band featured by the country club where my in laws invited us to celebrate the holiday. The music was awesome and we danced and sang until it was time to head home.That is, when we weren't posing with our balloons.

My plan was to let M and his old college roommate go watch the fireworks while I tucked the girls into bed. Instead I let M talk me into taking the girls to their very first fireworks display.

I was concerned about the whole late hour aspect of the event, but C, in all her 5-year-old wisdom, came up with the perfect solution - pajamas and brushed teeth before going to find the fireworks. We dashed home and changed everyone then dashed back out pajama clad and loveys in hand arms.

An hour later, after much hunting for a parking space and finally abandoning the car in a no-parking zone, we made our way through the throngs of people waiting to watch the fireworks. Every time a firecracker popped Little L squealed "I saw one! I saw one!"

We finally found a spot that was deemed acceptable by everyone (Read: I said, enough is enough, we're sitting here.) and we spread our blanket out and waited. And waited. And waited. Luckily we spotted a few isolated fireworks in the far distance and I got to watch Little L's eyes light up in utter amazement. 

By the time the real show started I realized I had been overly hasty in my spot choosing. Everyone around me had a great view, for me all the fireworks were exploding behind a leafy tree branch. It didn't really matter though, the real show was taking place in my lap and next to me.

C, to my left, kept murmuring "This is so awesome I can't even close my ears!" and Little L, on my lap, was gazing upwards, jaw dropped, my hands clasped tightly to her ears.

Halfway through the show Little L decided she had had enough and turned away from the lights and the noise. She buried herself in my neck, cuddling her lovey hard. I don't know if she found the fireworks overwhelming or if she was just tired after a very long weekend. All I know is that, in that moment, holding her tightly to my chest, I recognized the baby I couldn't find in my viewfinder at the start of the evening.

The Path I Did Take

If I hadn't gone to medical school I would never have met my first boyfriend.

If I hadn't hated medical school I would never have gone to law school.

If I had never gone to law school I would never have met the second boyfriend.

If I hadn't gone to NY for a summer internship he wouldn't have broken up with me over the phone.

If he hadn't broken up with me over the phone I would never have gone to Boston.

If I had never gone to Boston I would never have gone to that party.

If I hadn't gone to the party I would never have met M.

If I had never met M I would never have moved to Boston.

If I had never moved to Boston M would never have followed me back to Paris.

If M had never followed me back to Paris we probably would have never moved back to California.

The linchpin was the internship orchestrated by my father. Without that one summer job I would most likely still be living in Paris. I would have gotten my degree a year earlier and I would either be teaching or working in advertising. My children - presuming I have some - would undoubtedly be French and look French. They'd wear patent leather mary-janes and thick button down wool coats with velvet collars.They would go to French schools where they'd be taught to stand when the teacher enters the room and they'd sit in little desks in neat little rows facing the blackboard. For their afternoon snack - the gouter - they would eat pain-au-lait with slabs of chocolate shoved in the middle and at night I don't know what they would have, but it wouldn't be mac&cheese or chicken nuggets.


I can see these children clearly, and yet I can't picture myself as a Parisian any more. I was one for years and yet it's so far from my current reality that I can't place the me I am now in the world I used to call home.

I wear flip-flops to work. We eat mac&cheese and make pizza at home. We go to the beach on the weekend and watch sea lions play in the Bay. I know what to do in case of an earthquake and when people ask me where I'm from I no longer hesitate.

I'm from California. It's my home and the home of my little Californian babies. It's where my path has taken me.

(Want more details on the circuitous route that brought me to CA? You can read the whole story here.)