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Special shout out to Valeen, Ari's art teacher from Private Picassos, for making this project come to life.

I love Magna-Tiles. Yes, I'm 33 years-old and I love them as much as a four year-old does. I love them more than blocks and more than Legos. No disrespect to either building toy.Ari loves Magna-Tiles just as much as I do.His Pre-K teacher told me that she's never seen a four year-old create the structures that Ari has created with Magna-Tiles.The Magna-Tile people don't know that I'm writing this. Here are some of Ari's Magna-Tile creations: Replicating the model on the box The Egyptian Pyramids A Skateboard Ramp The trophy for winning the race off of the Skateboard ramp race Oh Magna-Tiles, you're so awesome!Does your kid love Magna-Tiles? What are some of the things that he/she has created with them?

My friend, Zachary Pryor is an amazing handmade jewelry designer. Here he is pictured with the lovely Dara Finkel! You may remember him from this Vintage Key Necklace giveaway I did on my blog a few months ago.When Zachary asked if I wanted to host a jewelry party for him, I said:"Sure!"Then I panicked and thought, how am I going to organize this? What kind of food should I buy? What will people drink?I consulted the amazing Dara Finkel who coached me through what I needed to do:"The most important thing is that people have somewhere to sit. Oh, and make sure you cover the couches with something because they have stains."Chairs? Check!Sheets to cover the couches? Got that!I decided that it would be fun and "adult" of me to throw a "wine and cheese party." Even though I don't really drink, I do like cheese.So I went to Trader Joe's and bought out the cheese section along with 23423234 types of crackers. After which,  I went to the Trader Joe's Wine Store and bought 72349800982340 kinds of wine.The morning of the party, I cleaned my house! The kids even helped set up! Then my babysitter came and took the kids [...]

Last night I had the opportunity, thanks to the lovely Holly Rosen Fink of Culture Mom Media, to see ANN at Lincoln Center. My cousin was in town visiting a graduate school she got into, so I decided treat her to a Broadway experience.Did you know that Lincoln Center is considered Broadway? ANN is a one woman show starring the fabulous Holland Taylor. Taylor wrote and stars in this piece, which chronicles the life and accomplishments of the one and only Ann Richards, democratic governor of Texas.The play takes place at an imaginary university. Ann speaks candidly to the audience telling her life story.She talks about her childhood growing up as a daddy's girl. Her father told her that she was smart and could do anything.We hear about how Ann met her husband on the debate team in high school, a foreshadowing moment that she would later be involved in politics.She combines humor with brutal honesty. At one point she tells the audience that she thinks she may have offended people when she went to a costume party dressed as a tampon. At another point she tells a dirty joke involving a great dane.One of the most colorful parts of [...]

I made a grocery list. I never make lists. But this time, I made one.Ari and Samara held hands when we walked down the street on the way to Trader Joe's, because I bribed them with cookies. But still, they did it. When we got home, I asked Ari to help me put the groceries away to which he replied: But then I said, if he helped me, after he ate lunch he could have MORE cookies. So he put 50 percent of the groceries away. After we ate lunch he washed all the dishes (with assistance from me)  in the hopes of getting more cookies. Samara got up on chair and splashed hot soapy water all over his shirt and mine in an attempt to "help." It turns out, she had consumed enough cookies and it was time for her to nap. She screamed in protest all the 12 feet from the kitchen to her crib "I want that!"I just ate three Trader Joe's Oreo imitation cookies. They were really good. I would do the dishes for them.

I'm used to having strange ailments, but this one belongs at the top of the list of "Weird things that have happened to me." Yesterday the kids had already eaten dinner, so I made myself an exotic dinner consisting of catfish and mushrooms with soy sauce, canola oil and garlic. I thought I was so creative. Later that evening, I noticed a strange rash on my stomach. A while later, the rash spread to my neck.  I ignored the rash, thinking it was just a reaction to a new laundry detergent.  However, the next day the rash had spread to my legs and back.  Naturally, I did what you should NOT do under any circumstances; I consulted the internet. The internet thought it might be scabies, or perhaps shingles. Either way, it wasn't looking good for me. I even had my soul sister Donna researching what on earth this rash could be. I was texting her pictures like this one: I thought I'd better make an appointment to see my dermatologist.  Today, I went to the dermatologist. My mom came along for moral support. The medical assistant asked me a series of questions. One of them was:  Did you eat [...]

I woke up today, and I realized that there were several things that I hadn't done. 1. The dishes 2. Apply Ari for Kindergarten 3. Return "The Life of Pi" to Helen, a teacher that leant it to me two years ago. I looked at the dishes with dread. It looked like there were five thousand of them sitting there glaring at me.  But then I stopped.  I'll just wash one plate.  This isn't so bad... I'm going to wash another plate. Okay, not terrible.  I'm going to wash all the knives.  Okay done with that.  There's only three cups in here. I can take them!  Fuck it, I'm going to do all the dishes.  All of them. I don't want them looking at me anymore.  So... I did them. I did all of the dishes. And when I looked at the empty sink, I felt so much better. I wasn't anxious anymore! I looked at "The Life of Pi." Helen, a fellow teacher, leant it to me two years ago. She's been asking for it back for months. I have to return it, I thought. I shrugged those thoughts away. I grabbed Samara, plonked her in her car-seat and [...]

One day when I was watching my friend Cori's kids, (who are 3 and 1) she gave me a box. It wasn't an ordinary box. It was from Citrus Lane.  "Here," She said "We get a box every month from this company, and there's always something fun in it." I opened the box not knowing what I would find. We were presented with a "make your own fruit" project. There were all different fabric fruits including an apple, a pear, and an eggplant. The kids got to decorate their own fruits. They loved the project.  I decided to write to Citrus Lane and see what kind of box they would send me for review.  I received a reply from the lovely Jason, over at C.L. He sent me an awesome box which included animal castanets! Traditionally castanets come in pairs. But I thought it was only fair that each of my kids got their own toy, because I'm fair like that, yo! The box also came with this super awesome recycled tupperware and bowls, and organic pureed fruit.  I think the idea of getting a box with surprise toys and fun things every month is exciting, and that's what Citrus [...]

Samara turned two on January 22nd. We visited my parents in Florida to celebrate and then Wil's family in Texas. Samara and I have been fighting a lot lately. She wants to run in the street and I tell her she can't. She wants to stick her hand in the electrical socket and I inform her sternly that that's a terrible idea.But I realized something about my girl on this trip. Despite her predilection for danger, she just wants to explore and have adventures. She wants to have fun. She shows me every day that the most mundane things can be made into a fun time. For example, climbing on an airport baggage ramp can be exciting... Until it starts moving. Then it's time to get to find something else to do.  I've given up the idea that I can "tame" her wild side. Of course, I have to shield her from danger, but Samara is an adventurer.  That's just her. She loves to explore, learn, try, and do. And I embrace that.  I will learn from her fearless nature.

I signed Ari up to take the Gifted & Talented test for Kindergarten. The day came for him to take the test. No matter what the results are, I know my son is a bright kid. There's no harm in taking the test to see if he gets into the program. I didn't prep him beforehand. We didn't go over any study materials. If he gets in, he gets in. *Please excuse the recycling boxes that need to go outside in this picture.The day before the test I told him:"Tomorrow you're going to go to a new school where you'll show the people there all the shapes you know!""I don't want to do that." Ari replied."Well, afterwards you get ice cream." I said on a whim."Okay!" He exclaimed.The morning of the test it occurred to me that we would need his birth certificate. I asked Wil to open the safe to get it."Uh, babe...it's not in here.""No. That's not possible!" I exclaimed."Didn't you take it with you when you registered him for school?" He asked."Oh that's right. But I'm sure I put it back in the safe."But it wasn't in the safe. I was panicking. I decided to take his [...]