Big Day

So I just woke up from a dream about a big purple fat man sitting in my bath tub that no one could see except me.

I think I can trace that back to Avatar winning Best Picture at the Golden Globes.

Whatevs.

It's our anniversary today in addition to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day which means laundry, no mail service and a sincere moment of gratitude for an amazing eighteen years.

Oh yes, and how to make the traditional gift of porcelain sexy.

The beginning of the end

Well that was fun. Celebrated a friend's birthday last night by mopping up the dance floor with some little 20-somethings' bad hair extensions. Apparently, this particular group of shebeasts were as immature as their livers and credit scores and thought they could take over our parquet. Ha! Don't mess with us on a milestone birthday celebration in which babysitters are being paid and there is cake involved. We will eat you alive, beyotches.

*I needed to get that lame attempt at being a hipster out of the way, because this is the week I fall back into full-throttle Mommy mode as the last full week before school starts. There are supplies and uniforms to procure. There are lunchboxes to get. There are doctors and dentists and shoes. Lots and lots of shoes. We haven't worn shoes or socks since May.

And it is also the week that I turn into the raving Nighttime witch as I try and fail to get them all regulated on some sort of bedtime/wake up ritual which is just so hard to do in the middle of August when it's 96 degrees outside and all summer long I've allowed them to go to sleep when it's dark and wake up when it's light.

How are we doing so far? It's 11:40 and we're having a sleepover and everyone is still awake. I'd better go cackle them a lullaby.

It was my birthday, but I'm giving you a gift

You know all of those wonderful cards you all sent me for my birthday revolving around drinking and sparkles? Well, right back atcha!

Hallmark is providing two of you lucky readers with some beautiful greeting card gift packs. These include those wonderful recordable cards for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and some of their redesigned 99 cent everyday cards.

I have to tell you, I sent my Grandpa a recordable card of the kids for Valentine’s Day, and when we came up to visit he pulled it out from the drawer he keeps by his chair. He loved it and listened to his great-grandchildrens' voices over and over.

So leave a comment here or Divamail me by Wednesday, May 6th, and we’ll have a drawing for the winners just in time to get you hooked up for Mother’s Day.

Ready, set...Comment! (I even included a picture of my birthday cake to inspire you. Jerks.)

No words, but pictures!

I am still searching for the right words to adequately describe this weekend. All of the ones that I thought would apply--wonderful, awesome, fun-filled--seem inadequate now. Our Hebrew National "Picnic with a Purpose" to benefit Attention Home was indeed all of those things, but so much more.

So while I look for more awe-inspiring appropriate superlatives, I'll give you pictures.

Our Valentine's Day

Last night we braved the 72 degree elements and Sean's aching mouth from oral surgery and headed downtown (Safety Harbor) to the Italian Festival.

Usually I love these Safety Harbor outings--it's a party-loving little town we live in, it seems we Safety Harborites loves us festivals for any occasion.

However I don't think this was 100% authentic Italian. Sure, there were green, red and white Mardi Gras beads as you walked in, but by the time we got down to the zeppoli booth, they were out. Of zeppoli, cannoli and wine.

I've never been to any establishment of Italian descent that ran out of food. Or wine.(?!)

Somehow the gyros and french fries that were aplenty just didn't seem as appetizing.

17 years ago today....

I think I read somewhere that the traditional gift for the 17th wedding anniversary is taking the kids to the mall so the husband can work on home improvements and then returning during football for a nice homecooked dinner and a rousing game of Blokus.

I'm nothing if not a traditionalist.

Happy Anniversary, honey.

Top 10 signs it was a good party

1) When you get all of your ridiculously complicated party food assembled and placed in chafing dishes before the first guests arrive.


2)The weather is the perfect temperature that all of the doors in the house are open to allow the party to spill in and out and back again.



3) Your dog looks like this thoroughout the evening.



4) You have plenty of adult beverages.



5) No one eats this because of what you served above.



6) You have no idea who the people are in this picture.



7) You know these guests very well, and are so glad they came and celebrated this wonderful evening with you.



8) Your wine cellar is stocked to the brim, yet no one left thirsty.



9) No one was arrested, ended up in the pool, or threw up in my bushes.



10) 150 people doesn't seem like too many people to have in your house at once.



We are exhausted, but pleasantly so. This was one of those special evenings in which you are surrounded by so many wonderful friends, you can feel nothing but blessed. (and just a little buzzed.)

Thanks to all--we'll never forget it.

Processing your order....

So I haven't been doing a whole lot of personal blogging lately because honestly, all I've been doing is writing, cleaning and partying and how many times can you write the words, "I've had so much filet mignon and red wine in the last 2 weeks that I'm posting in au jus ink?"

Yeah, not more than once.

So that's what's new: crazy. (Actually, there's nothing new there after all.) But this is Sean's last week of work and so there are many bittersweet celebrations and we haven't even got to next Saturday yet. And there's that whole Christmas thing to do do for 4 kids+intern which is a plethora of baking, shopping, wrapping, and preening. But you're doing the same thing right now and are only reading this while your last minute Amazon order processes, I get it.

And now mine is completed as well so I'll catch you later.

A New Day

First off, let me just express how happy I am today. With the total absence of smugness, and only with genuine and sincere happiness and pride, I feel a big wave of good Karma spreading. I haven't felt that in many years, and I know I'm not alone in that feeling no matter who you voted for. Time to unite and fix our country together.

And on a more personal front, we begin a new chapter around here today as well. Sean has officially announced his resignation from the Lightning effective next month.

We don't know where that next opportunity will be yet, but I know it will be the right thing for our family. I am so proud of what he's done here, so only good things come after something this special. He is going to take Christmas off, and then drive me crazy for a week before he gets tired of changing light bulbs and diapers and considers our next adventure. He jokes that Suburban Diva will be the new breadwinner, but for the $4.05 I bring in monthly, it's going to be pretty crappy bread.

Send him an email if you want. You know he's going to want to hear from someone other than me yelling for him to refill my martini glass all day long...

Happy Birthday, Stevie!

It's official--I am old. Because I am now a mother to a bona-fide teenager. Stevie turned 13 today, and I must tell you, this isn't an easy one.

I don't know exactly why this one's just a little harder than most, but it is. He's such a young man now, and I wonder, how did that happen? Wasn't I just giving him a bottle yesterday or taking him to his first day of preschool? Oy, I know this makes me sound like one of those crazy mothers that I swore I would never become--the ones who fail to rejoice the lives of their children because they are too busy mourning the past milestones and ordinary passage of time--but I can't help it today.

I'm so very proud of him already, but also for the person he will become.

Bah, enough. I am tired--there were 7 of those newly-minted teens here last night who didn't sleep or let us, and I've picked up that nasty cold that everyone's been sharing so generously, so I must be extra mushy today.

But here's a picture of my two older men...

Halloween Make-Up Tips from Disney

Thinking I may have to incorporate this advice from Disney when making A-Dog's costume this year...

We didn't have too much going ont his weekend...

So I've been absent from the blogosphere for a few days because I was busy planning/executing Sean's surprise party on Saturday and Amy's 5th Birthday party on Sunday...

I didn't announce this prior to the weekend because I knew my friends would then have to plan an intervention when they heard that I had invited 52 of A's closest friends along with a petting zoo of 4 rabbits, 3 goats, a turtle and a sheep and 1 large pig in the backyard for preschool birthday celebrations and I didn't have time to study for the Rorschach test and fill 50 goody bags.






But we did it, and she had a great time and it was nice to see her with kids her own age, talking.

So now onto the next round of preparations: Halloween and a 13 year-old birthday.

Someone wake me in January.

Cascade Wedding

If you were wondering how we fared, I’d say beautifully. (Not abundantly photogenic, but the sign of a good party is its lack of pictures, I always say, or wish.)



They were great. They made it down the aisle, with just a little help which was to be expected.






The wedding was beautiful, and everyone had a great time.



And they were like Cascade dishwashing liquid--virtually spot free until the very end.

Memorial Day Blog Love

I cannot tell you how happy I am that a 3 day weekend is staring me in the face. If I don't sleep in within the next 15 hours, I will go absolutely mad.

I worked hard this week. I ran around like a lunatic carting kids to various lessons and activities, I filmed stuff, and I even went to the dentist--something that I HATE. I wrote a column. I cooked, cleaned, and went to Baby Yoga. I got in in every last assignment on behalf of my kids, and planned the summer for at least the first month. Yay me. I need a vacation.

So I'll probably be grilling, chilling, drinking, sleeping, drinking, swimming, writing, drinking and more drinking this weekend, so blogging somehow doesn't make it on the list. But I thought I would leave you with some blog love to read over if you have the inclination and find yourself looking for new material since this will most likely be it for me for a few days.

Okay, here's some fun folks to check out:

One of my bff's ( Backwash friend forever) BlueEyedPhoenix, just landed his first full feature in Travel+Leisure magazine. I'm insanely jealous, but happy to have known him when he was a mere caricature.

My friend Zen--also of Backwash fame--has started a new blog on addiction here. (Disregard half of my weekend activity if you must before reading.)

My Disney Mom gal pals have been quite busy. There are like tons of contest and prizes they're giving away. For instance, wanna Wii Fit? Check out Cooper's site, Been There, for a chance to win.

And my friend Gabrielle from Design Mom as well as the site formerly known as Skirt, has just changed names and domains to Kirtsy.com. It is like digg.com for women...you have got to check it out!

More Disney Mom shout outs to Bostonmamas.com cuz Christine deserves mad blog love this week. And don't forget my girl Kris at Cleverparents--I miss her adorable cleverness. And Lori of Just Pure Lovely has some educational books to giveaway on her new educational blog Freely Educate.

I know I'm missing a lot more love, a lot more blogosphere news, so I'll catch those next week. Maybe we can establish a Friday tradition of just sharing fun from our cyber friends.

Happy looonnnngggg weekend, ya'll.

Holy Weekend

I thought I'd share with you some photos from Matty's First Communion last weekend. I will limit my scathing commentary to a few captions.




How can you not trust this face?



It's like herding cats to get them all together and smiling in a photo



Dad and Mary Anne came up to celebrate. Check out Amy's choice in footwear.


Matty's restaurant choice was a Japanese Steakhouse. It cost $400 for him to watch the chef and eat a bowl of miso soup.



Jess thinks the dog dish is her personal bird bath.




We think this sign clearly means, "No Dancing."

Blowing out my candles

Halfway through the birthday and all is well!

I just had my hair done so as not to look as though I've had that many birthdays already, and then another gal lunch with an old friend. The weather is gorgeous--as well as my hair--so the day is going well.

In addition to some Red Velvet cake body gel and a Barnes and Noble gift certificate, I did get another pretty funky gift today. Check this out:




I think that means I have the 59th most influential parenting blog. Or 59th most idiotic. Or 59th most ridiculous. Or, do at least 59 things differently than me if you want functional children. Or the number of drinks I've had during my birthday week. And it's only Wednesday afternoon.

Whatever 59 refers to, I think it's pretty cool.

And I also think the world needs serious, serious, help.

Birthday Eve

So, whatcha think? I think the color goes well with my eyes (usually a bloodshot red) and is quite slimming through the hips...

How cool is this??? Careful, the paint is still wet in a couple of places and I'm still putting things away in the drawers of my sidebar, but I'm really liking the new digs. Thanks to my friend Jo-Lynne, the Vern Yip of the blogosphere for the makeover.

*awkward segue*

Yesterday, I went out with the gals for one of my 8 birthday lunches. I told you I was celebrating all week. It was nice. Nothing like a 2 Sangria lunch with friends to say Happy Birthday. 2 days early.

And speaking of birthdays, here's a shot from a party we went to on Sunday. Please note it's what all the little 4 year old girls have as party favors in Florida.

Oh what fun, Jessie is one

Woo hoo!! Jessica is one and we got a raise! Read about that here....

But we spent our first week's formula savings on this party last night. The theme was pink. It was awesome.



Jessica appreciated it.



As did her siblings



Birthday dress



And me and my girl (fierce do)



All I want for my birthday is my two bottom teeth. (Good thing)

Easter 2008

They all lay exhausted on the couch with jelly beans stuck in their hair.

But I don't care, we had a nice Easter weekend. We sort of took it in two days since Sean had to work so much. So yesterday we had out brunch with the Easter Bunny and egg hunt. Gotta tell you- a bit disappointed with this event. It cost a fortune for a plate full of runny scrambled eggs and a cheesy Easter mascot than the Big Bunny himself.


But no matter, we went on a putting green and fought little children for piles of plastic eggs nonetheless.



We found lots of choking hazards in those eggs.



But that's half the fun. Here's my baby and my baby.




And my Amy


And Matty, Amy and Jess


They make me laugh. Happy Easter, all.

Ode to my blog

What a fatabulous day--all thanks to blogging.

And how often will I say that particular sentence in my lifetime?

So, first big news. Guess who is going to Disney World? I'll give you hint: she's recently brunette, frazzled, and insane...

Good guess! It's me! I know, I know, why is this different than every weekend of my Florida life? Because of blogging, and columning, that's why.

Yep, the folks at WDW have invited moi to their house for a weekend of Mouse blogging I s'pose. Not really sure exactly, but heck, I'm game!

And then, just when you thought that would be the biggest blog windfall of the month, that beautiful, intelligent, and insightful reporter from The St. Pete Times calls and says, "We need more Diva!" (Actually, she probably said we're having trouble filling space on the bottom of the garage sale page and thought of you.) So, if the editor is sleeping on the day she passes him my story, I am soon to be mentioned there again!

Can I hear a blog wOOt?