Reach for your dreams!

or in this case, the top of our 14 foot Christmas tree.

Elise's favorite Christmas song is the Little Drummer Boy.  I'm sure I have shared this information before.  She aspires to play this role in a play, pageant, Hollywood reproduction- someday.  She's pretty good too.  She knows she has some big shoes to fill and considers it a great challenge-her very own mother executed a tear worthy performance of the Little Drummer Boy in the second grade.  The awkward boyish haircut and her great enthusiasm for diversity led her to the role.

So, eat your heart out Viola.  Gwyneth P has got nothing on me.  St. Anna's came WAY before that film.

Sisters

1978

1983

quite a difference 5-6 years make!

and yes, please poke fun as you see fit.  and yes, I look challenged in the latter.  

I think this would at least qualify for semi-awkard family photos?!

Go Team Go!

It was cold, it was early, it was a great game.  Tailgating at 8am is still just as fun as in the old days...dance music,  beer pong tournaments and grilled meat.  And no kids for the day!! Hoorah!

GO HAWKEYES!

out of touch

While I have put forth my best effort (no fingers crossed) to keep the blog alive,  it continues to die a slow death. I myself prefer the slow, drawn out process rather than the abrupt head on the guillotine so it has served me well so far.  Truth is, since Elise started Kindergarten I have taken on the role as "kid activity transporter".  Between school, Daisy scouts, gymnastics, Tae Kwon Do, an impending foreign language class (she has not decided on French or Spanish-go french!) and various play dates, I barely have time to play with Max.  He is currently in a low brow but stimulating music class and that's as sophisticated as it's going to get.  Besides, we have wonderful and fantastically awesome neighbor friends with kids our age so he gets plenty of socialization.  

I'm not sure if it's the Midwest, drop in temperature, move to a small town or the looming "35" in December, but I continue to spazz out on a daily basis.  My mind has become more and more forgetful as time passes. Faucets are left running,  wallets/keys are forgotten and children are mixed up on what seems to be a daily basis.  My wonderful husband  is giving me a luxurious trip to the Caribbean for my birthday so I can look forward to some relaxation. December 16th can't come soon enough!  We did pop into Chicago recently and I had my shopping fix so I'm not completely out of the loop.  C'mon,,,it's Holly we're talking about.  Even if the crazy does settle in I can still look good. 

Halloween is fast approaching and it's my biased opinion that Elise and Max will be the cutest Little Red Riding Hood and Little Bad Wolf in Iowa!  We are also looking forward to Auntie Michele and cousin Monique's visit for that weekend. Our kitchen is 50% completed.  We have beautiful new granite counters,  an awesome Viking range top and new chandelier.  We still have to replace the double wall ovens, put in the wine refrigerator and paint the walls but we are on our way!  Lots of cooking going on here.  

I guess that's all folks..til we meet again, or not

A Halloween preview

Little Red and Little Wolf

goldie locks

It really kills my mom when I get a haircut.  She hates to part with my beautiful blonde locks.  I think she secretly likes being mistaken for the nanny, since it seems impossible she could be half responsible for me and my sister.  I keep telling her I need to maintain my masculinity.  So we compromise..there will be no buzz cuts. Ever.

My Sister

Educator, historian, health nut, founder of "crazy brown block eyes"  and local hero.

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/local/ci_18745925

Who's that guy?

Not Max-but sure looks like him (without the platinum hair) and something he'd do because he's gross.

swine flu: be careful

Bittersweet

Off she goes.  Elise started Kindergarten today.  She was excited.  I was distressed.  She will go everyday from 8:30 until 3:00.  What will we do without her?

Her school is darling (and right around the corner from us).

This is her saying: "Mom, I know what I'm doing. Hello Kitty is cool."

I didn't picture her first day of real school having a Hello Kitty theme but I suppose I am ok with it.  It was too warm to wear the "perfect" attire mom picked out...

Curbed

Sadly, Max and I did not make a visual appearance on Curb Your Enthusiasm, episode "Vow of Silence".  However, we were lurking in the background while they filmed the Pinkberry scene.   So I guess that counts for something? No?

beautiful

OK, I get it

We moved from LA and now we have wildlife.  Honestly, I just wasn't expecting this much.  We live on a little over an acre with a pond behind us.  It is a subdivision but we are at the very end on a cul de sac with just a few other homes.  You can see from pictures I have posted how verdant it is and it does provide a perfect habitat for these animals.  We have an iron fence around the perimeter so most four legged creatures can't get in but anything with wings can set up shop here.  I've already mentioned the bat and we have a bird's nest under our deck which already contained eggs when we moved in so we are waiting it out.  The chicks have hatched and they peer down at me as I spray away their poop everyday.  I see the smug look on their little faces.  They lost one of their siblings in a "God is angry"  thunderstorm the other night.  It was a most unfortunate discovery by Elise the following morning.
Anyway,  here is what we see on a daily basis:  about 100 different kinds of birds which I do not know the names of any except hawks (there is reason this is the hawk-eye state. jeez Louise there are tons), eagles, owls (there is an awesome owl that flies up to our roof every night around the same time-9pm.  I'm silly over owls..I love them so),  wild turkeys (ugly, annoying and stupid),  ducks, geese, storks,  great blue herons, cranes.  
Deer, raccoons, beavers, possums, Elise, Max, turtles, otters and foxes

Old MacDonald had a tractor

Because, I mean, we couldn't move to Iowa and not get them this:

vertically challenged

Elise has recently developed a strong interest in midgets.  I'm not sure how happy I am about the fascination as she makes no attempt to hide the question in public.   At Target:  "Is that one? What about that one?  Oh Look! Over there-I bet that's one!"
No, there is not a disproportionate number of dwarfs in Iowa City; children get her label as well.  I explained as best I could that a little person is someone who is born with a condition where they never grow to be as large as other people and stay small even when they are adults.  She responded by saying "Oh mommy, are you one?"
This may be a reasonable claim since, in general, the average BMI of the population has gone up substantially since leaving California. (greater Iowa City area excluded)

Happy Independence Day

or "the day that no one tells us what to do" as Elise pointed out.  Our backyard is a firework lighting paradise and Mike brought out some ridiculous ones this year.  You know you live in a great neighborhood when your (Holly's) fear of lighting off illegal pyrotechnics is squelched by the professional level show the neighbors put on.
It's hard to not be in love with our backyard..thousands of fireflies,  croaking frogs and cute bats that come out at dusk.  I love bats..I feel they are severely misunderstood.  They are good for the earth! They eat all the yucky bugs.  Though I would not be so welcoming to one indoors.  It appears we have just one roosting under our deck. I'm considering building a bat box near the pond outside our fence.  It's so pleasant watching them fly around at night.
After tonight's light show I'm not sure any will stick around.  I think we scared them all away.

Summer is hotter here

in the Midwest.  There's all kinds of different here.  Mike maintains that because he grew up in western New York he has a tie to Midwestern roots.  I will vouch that the accent in Iowa is more Rochester than say, northern Minnesota (darn it!).  I do not have any prior association with the Midwest so I am a stranger in a strange land. Humoring the dramatic Holly...I do love our neighborhood and home.  I was in the local co-op buying cheese.  I think there were more selections than when I was in France.  No shortage of farms here.  Although I applaud it, the recycling here in Iowa City/Coralville is more confusing and elaborate than in California.
Elise's new "climbing tree"

Our house is the one to the left.  Lots of space.

words

Thanks to Erik and Mel I am now addicted to Words With Friends.  It's like online Scrabble, I mean, it IS online Scrabble.  I like the leisurely aspect of it..you can go a few days, make a play, then go back when you have the time.  And you can have simultaneous games going at once.
I guess I'm a dork.  You can play me; my handle is beetlover.

Big house on the Prairie

Last night we had an almighty thunder and lightening storm which looked spectacular through our picture window in the great room.  This part of Iowa is actually less prairie and more rolling hills.  And very green.  I am in full organization mode and I was standing in my huge walk in closet with the hope that I would finally be able to store all of my clothing sensibly.  Sadly, I still just have way too many clothes.

I am still in awe of the new house.  It's the nicest and largest home I have ever stepped foot in, much less owned and lived in.  The size of the kitchen alone makes me appear to be a miniature figure in an over sized dollhouse.  Butler's pantry but no butler.  Two sinks. Regular sink, vegetable sink.  It's like a cooking show.  I keep pinching myself but then I remember I do live in Iowa now...sort of evens things out a bit.

Fun and stuff

Before we all reunited in Iowa I took the kids to Auntie Jess' house in Georgia to visit with their cousins for a week.  They spent the week in the pool and had tons of fun...

Grandma recently moved down the street from them so we got to see her too! Jess and Marc were gracious enough to look after Max and Elise for a few days while I headed up to Asheville to visit Erik, Mel and their kids.  It was a beautiful drive, followed by a fun weekend.  As Erik pointed out, "I haven't laughed that hard in awhile."  I couldn't agree more...

Sara and Julian fell hard for my iPad and my camera.  I can understand the iPad fascination but my craptastic camera? Nonetheless Sara demanded I pose.

note the beautiful stone masonry behind the counter!

Julian likes to cuddle almost as much as me:

It was great to see everyone; the detour was worth the agonizing flights with sir Maxwell.

Iowa

We finally made it to Iowa today.  Our house is just beautiful...and ginormous.  Our backyard is verdant and teeming with birds.  And a deer just trotted by as if it were on cue.  I am very, very tired. Traveling alone with those two blonde children proved to be a nearly impossible task but we did have a great time visiting cousins in Georgia and I even got to make a solo trip to Asheville to visit dear friends.  All in all, it was worth it.  Now it will take me about two years to furnish this home but I get to bust out my decorating skillz;-)  Cheers!

So long, LA

on to (literally) greener pastures...

like mother, like daughter

Holly after ballet class with favorite raspberry tart doll circa 1982:

Elise before bedtime with same doll in 2011:

You don't see a resemblance? Well, that's because there isn't one.

coyote

We drove up in the canyons of Malibu yesterday evening and met this coyote in the road.  I have decided the only reason for me to switch to an iPhone or a droid is to get better pictures when i don't take my camera with me.  I love my blackberry and have it within reach 24/7 (I know, that's a sad truth) but it takes horrible pictures.  Anyway,  Coyote Blurry

It was a beautiful evening!

All Good Things

must come to an end.  It only took 15 years but Mike has finally crossed the finish line.  Which really just means he'll actually get compensated for all the hours of work he puts in.

CONGRATULATIONS! Neuroendovascular surgeon and part time FDA bad-ass

I fell and I really couldn't get up

Remember those commercials "I've fallen and I can't get up!"? Of course you do, we all do.  I never suspected I would be the target audience at the ripe old age of 34 but today was the other time my life flashed before my eyes.  The first was the accident I got into in college where I wrapped my car around a tree.  I'm fairly certain a lifeline device has been ordered and has shipped for me.

Thankfully a bottle of shampoo and Mike's surprisingly early arrival from work saved me from what I can only imagine would have been at the very least a serious concussion and/or spine injury.  This is a good thing because my flashing life had way too many holes in it.

And now I soldier on and out to dinner under the influence of pain relievers for my back.

New House

A few pictures of our new home...

We'll be moved in June 21..We're doing a few things to upgrade it once we're there including replacing the kitchen appliances with Stainless Viking and Subzero and also the counter tops with "St. Cecilia Brown" granite-it's really pretty! And we'll have to do something to spiff up that sad little tree in the front yard.

It's a big place (almost 6000 sq feet)  so we would love to have many visitors.  The last picture is our downstairs bar area which Fran has so graciously named for us:  The Gritty Clam.

I'll send out our new contact info via email in the next week or so, cheers!

Future All Star

It has become abundantly clear that Maxwell has no chance of escaping the New England sports strong arm from the maternal side.  At present, I believe it is my sister Donna's sole mission for her nephew. As reported to me this evening "please tell Max the Bruins are going for the Stanley Cup.  I know in his heart he is a true Boston fan."  She leaves these messages for him on my facebook wall regularly,  showers him with Red Sox paraphernalia,  Patriots jerseys with Number 12 on them,  regular Celtics updates, etc. etc. etc.  Since there is no hope for him I wonder what sport will he play?  So far, he has an obsession with baseballs and an arm to go with it.  He also enjoys cars, eating dirt (and anything disgusting he can find on the ground)  and screaming at near window shattering decibels when he doesn't get his way.  He may be moving to Iowa, but he has Boston in his heart (and a team of relatives who will make sure it stays there).

Happy 13 Months my darling boy

The countdown begins

Holly's bucket list.  Less than 3 weeks until we depart Los Angeles (mom and kids, anyway) so naturally I feel compelled to fulfill my list.  Cooking class last night was fruitful indeed-the theme was Springtime in Paris. It was springtime in LA tres magnifique!
haricot vert. haricot vert. haricot vert.  Just keep saying it.  It's fun.
I *somehow* landed the role of the brown noser, annoying star student and class clown.  Who knew you could take on so many roles in a cooking class?  I used my rad knife skills to woo the crowd: C'mon, show me the safe release-I dare you.

This evening we met our friends Matt and May in Thai Town Hollywood for some of the best Thai food we've had-my apologies to Erik, the Num Tuk and Panang were, in fact, better than Esan.

But before, we ducked into the infamous Chateau Marmont to have a drink in the garden...this was the best hipster-I'm-too-cool-for-you look I could muster

Mostly it just looks like I'm a bitch, though I'm not sure the two are mutually exclusive...

To bangs? Or not to bangs?

that is the question.  This is my hair now.  (In a semi glamour shots pose)

It is getting long..so what to do?  I get antsy. Do I cut bangs? I can't cut it too short-we know after the 1999-2000 hair debacle what Mike thinks of short hair.  (His Medusa stare after the cut nearly reduced me to stone)
So, short layers? (yikes-my hair IS usually curly, after all.)  Or if it ain't broke, don't fix it?

aside:

Elise: "Dad, what are you doing?"
Mike: "nunya."
Elise: "what?"
Mike: "nunya. none of ya business."
Elise: "Dad, that's not funny at all. You know, mom is WAY funnier."

Yes. That's right Elise. That is the truth.

Wilde

I have been posting a lot of rubbish lately as I know when we depart for the Midwest next month I will be out of commission for awhile. That is, if "The Rapture" doesn't take us all in few days. I'm taking the kids to Atlanta to see their cousins for a week or so in June while Mike finishes up business in LA and drives to Iowa.  I'm also going to use it as a (great!) opportunity to drive up to Asheville and see some of my most nearest and dearest friends Erik and Mel and of course my godchildren Sara and Julian.  How many godchildren can one see on a trip? For Holly the answer is five.  Anyway, so much fun!

*I have been reading a lot of Oscar Wilde and decided that if you are bored, lonely, sad, overjoyed or just downright psychotically happy, at the very least read all of his quotes.  It's an unnecessary yet fine medicine.

*Also, I realize I'm a little late to the party with this one but Florence + The Machine.  It's a really, really good idea.  I can't pull myself away.

Joy Ride

Accelerating in this car is really fun...

Only in LA

I just spent $134.86 at CVS.  How does that even happen?

Oh wait, it's because they sell everything here.  I am surprised they have not started a line of designer jeans and cashmere sweaters because as far as I can see they have every hair product I could ever want.  I haven't seen anything like it anywhere else.  It makes sense in LA- buy buy buy!! And on our side of town, people have the money to do it.

We have been thinking a lot about our transition to Iowa City.  I suppose I have spent more hours thinking about it.  Like most males, Mike's opinion is relatively indifferent.  He is pleased with his new job and very excited about our new house.  I believe it will be a fairly smooth transition for him.  I spend more time comparing the two cities and their merits as well as shortcomings.  The contrasts are stark moving from an enormous metropolis (is that redundant?) with the shiny backdrop of Hollywood and all the glitz that goes along with it to a small college town with it roots planted firmly in academia and dare I say, intellectual snobbery.  The wine cellars at some these homes rival the vineyards we saw in Burgundy, France. Well, maybe not but it certainly took me by surprise.

Elise is most excited about the "change of seasons" which translates to "snow".

oh dear...

Thank you Maria for sharing this worthwhile craft and helping me to fulfill a dream I've had since early adulthood.

http://thehairpin.com/2011/05/how-to-make-a-doll-into-a-wine-glass-in-23-quick-steps

Stella Blue

It is the name of my favorite Dead song (and, in my opinion, one of the greatest songs..those haunting lyrics), it is also the name of our first pet who died one week after we got her (we don't have so much luck in the pet department so I don't believe the name is a jinx) and it is my proposed name for our new bar.
Yes, we have a bar at our new house.  Not just any bar, it is THE bar..a ridiculously big lower level kitchen and bar with a pool table next to it.  The only missing component is the Dogs Playing Poker picture on the wall. But have no fear..we shall acquire that.

I think Stella Blue is pretty good, if overused.  We need other suggestions...what should we name our bar?

A car dream, realized

Mike is finally reaping the fruits of his labor.  He came home with this on Saturday night.  

That my friends is a brand new BMW M3 convertible...with a hard top.  He has wanted one for a very long time and I call it his "I've arrived" car.  He seems to love it which is good because I almost dropped dead when I saw the price tag.

Where's mine?

Happy Mother's Day

It was a pretty eventful Mother's Day weekend.  Always a good thing for me to keep busy on this holiday, as memories of my mom are quite bittersweet around this time.  I try my best to stay positive and 

and of course, be thankful for the two blond children who reside with me.  

We had a small BBQ on Saturday to officially celebrate Max's first birthday (which was April 28th).  Some of our friends came over with their babies and ate yummy food.  I didn't get too many pictures as I was busy keeping track of Max and entertaining guests.  On his real birthday he had a cupcake with a candle and all of the singing that goes along with that.  

On Sunday I got to sleep late and woke up to three bouquets of flowers..can you guess who they were from?  We then headed off to brunch which was lovely, followed by a "Sunday drive" to Malibu.  All in all, a nice way to spend the day.

This is what Max does about 30% of the time and it's usually the moment I put him down to go do something. He does not enjoy being left alone, especially by mom..sigh

But he sure is cute even with no teeth

Here he is trying to impress a his girlfriend Shiri "these are my sweet trucks"

Elise is protective and also probably wants his cookie

Yay! I have my own wheels!

how could you be mad if he pulled you over?

on a side note, the police car prompted a particularly funny conversation with Elise about going to jail.  I humored her and we then pretended to play cops.  She was arrested for speeding and got thrown in the slammer for not having her license.  She was allowed one phone call and a bail set at 10k.  She chose to call mom and said "mom! I'm in jail, can you come bail me out?"

It was then I realized, I better never get that phone call...