laying it on

I called Ava from work last night to say a quick goodnight, not anticipating what I was in for. The biggest guilt trip she's laid on me to date. I first talked to Joan who told me about the great day they had together and how they had just gotten in from outside so she was having a late dinner. They played all day long. She passed the phone to drama queen.
Me: "Hi Babe!! How are you?"
Ava: (in very sad voice) "I miss you SO much, Mama!"
Me: "I miss you, too, honey."
Ava: (in pitifully sad voice) "I will dream about you tonight, Mama!"
Me: "Aw, honey... I love you so much!"
Ava: (in mournfully sad voice) "I will hug you in my dreams, Mama!"
Me: "When I come home, I'll give you so many kisses and hugs."
Ava: "But you're not home now. I'm so sad." (She passes phone back to Joan)

Skip, (my technical director): "How old is she now?"
Me: "Three and a half."
Skip: "You're in for trouble ahead."

I sure am.

pictures from Spain

Moorish tiles at the Alcazar in Seville


more from the Alcazar


"How close can I get without getting soaked?" at the Plaza de Espana


Ava hard at work at her desk in Madrid


teaching the finer points of juggling: "Up, up... catch, catch!" (only had two balls to juggle with)


our final night's sunset at the Hacienda


taking Cinderella to the ball


loving her flamenco dress


Aunt Amy & Uncle Andy leaving the fair in Jerez-de-la-Frontera


the Macks at dinner


Aunt Amy and Ava (perfecting the art of the half-smile)


the whole kit and caboodle


matador numero uno


Ava playing with the filthy water in the public fountain, and her mama doing nothing about it except capturing the moment


grumpy faced family (it was the only way we could subsequently get Ava to smile)


Ava undoubtedly singing something to her fans in Ronda


walking the edge of our pool at the Hacienda


Ava, Eli and Bruno


more from the fair in Jerez


Mimi, Ava and me


GranTed reading "Why Mommy Is A Democrat" to Ava and Eli


Aunt Jen, Eli and Ken lambin' it up (inside joke for those there)

Viva Espana

Awesome, awesome trip. It only could have been more awesome if I didn't have to cradle my burgeoning belly while climbing uphill in Ronda. I think I did a good job of handling all of the activity that everyone else was enjoying, but I was exhausted!
We came to Spain to celebrate my mother-in-law's 70th birthday and it was spectacular. We spent the first seven days at Hacienda de San Rafael about 40 minutes south of Seville (www.haciendadesanrafael.com). We had our own private pool and dining area and ate most of our meals under the cover of blooming purple wisteria. Ava and Eli fell asleep on the two daybeds that were adjacent to the table and we would carry them to our rooms each night. They barely had to adjust when we came home because we often didn't eat before 10:30. From our hacienda we would do day trips to places like Ronda, Cadiz, Jerez-de-la-Frontera and Seville.
We went to a fair in Jerez that was amazing! Beautiful horses, lights, flamenco dresses... truly special. Happens only once a year.
I saw my first (and last) bullfight and chalked up the roaring crowd to just simply a major cultural difference. There was beauty in it on the one hand in the sense that the matadors moved like dancers, yes, but mostly it was cruel and barbaric because the bull never had a chance. I left and wandered around the outskirts of Seville with Amy after the first kill.
Moved up to Seville for a night so that we could experience that city before taking the train up to Madrid, which I adored. Spent a rainy day in a museum and when the sun came out we bus toured all over the city. Each neighborhood more beautiful than the next. I loved Madrid. Then again, I loved Milan. And I love New York. There is a lot of similarity between the three cities in terms of their crowded nature, and I felt very much at home there. I loved their parks and playgrounds and loved watching Ava have so much fun.
It's so easy to just stay at home and let life move at it's pace, but for me, it is so very important to change your scenery every now and then. I am so appreciative.

completely surprised!

Totally shocked! Utterly stunned!
I thought I was having dinner with Alicia and Annette tonight at Bacio and walked in to a SURPRISE!! I had absolutely NO idea. Never even crossed my mind. Never expected it for a second. It was such a great time!!! Pictures to follow. Also have to write about Spain, which was fantastic!
I was also totally shocked and utterly stunned when the sonogram technician surprised us with a 4D sonogram, showing us the picture of our baby before we actually meet it. Still don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but we know what it looks like! A little strange, if you ask me.

little married couple

They're like a little married couple... today they were playing and bickering and through tears after a particularly frustrating exchange, Michael said, "I love you, Ava." Ava replied, "I love you too, Michael."

Ken's 40th Birthday

It's jarring when your husband turns the age that you can remember your parents turning and thinking this was ANCIENT when you were a kid. Ken turned 40 this past weekend which was the culmination of a month-long "Celebration of Ken". As his mother said, "his wings are clipped". Exactly. We had a houseful of guests, which makes me so, so happy. Ava loves that, too, especially when it involves her cousin Eli.


We had a great weekend, celebrating with a party on Saturday night that was fantastic. It's amazing to think that we have such good friends in a community that we only moved to three and a half years ago. We feel so blessed to have ended up here.

I am completely exhausted, wondering how the heck I'm going to prepare for a two-week vacation that we are leaving for on Thursday, when I barely have the energy to get out of bed in the morning. I am really looking forward to going to Spain, it's just the getting ready to do so that I'm not looking forward to. We'll be staying about 45 minutes outside of Seville at Hacienda de San Rafael, which thankfully looks like a lovely place to lounge poolside, which is probably about all that I can handle being that I'm nearly eight months pregnant. I'm heading to the doctor on Wednesday just to make sure I can still travel.

I'm sure there will be much to add at the end of our trip!

"YOU'RE unacceptable!"

We're driving into the city. I'm driving, Judy's in the passenger seat (so I have a witness) and Ava's in her car seat in the back. She says something that is just plain wrong for a three year old to be saying.
Me: "Ava! That is UNACCEPTABLE!!"
Ava: "YOU'RE unacceptable!!" (said in perfect adult tone intended to drive the point home).