Oh Danny Boy

Yeah, so after watching last night's performances, I'd say Danny definitely deserves to win. I love Sabra too. Either way, it's cool that they will all be touring. I just wish that Hok had made it in to the Top 10! They should still hire him for the tour.

This week, along with reading Lauren her favorite books, playing ring around the rosy, blowing bubbles, vowing never to buy toys made in China, still allowing a tiny bit of Baby Einstein DVD viewing, and trying to get her to warm up to my little bro (who looks like a chubbier, scarier, red-headed Jesus), I've been watching tv after the little one is in bed (shocking)...

...finale of Hell's Kitchen (yay Rock), new season of Design Star, snippets of The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch and, my fave, So You Think You Can Dance. It's American Idol for dancers. The finalists are really amazing and many of the routines are breathtaking (yes, I might even buy a ticket for the tour). I am rooting for Neil, he does some crazy good jumps - and he's very cute (though so is Danny). The finale is tomorrow night and I will likely be voting for Neil. You should too.

Here are two of my favorite dance routines:

Neil & Sabra dance Jazz to Annie Lennox



Neil & Sara Disco (Sara was amazing too, especially since she was a B-girl - which means her dance style was a street, hip-hop type of dance)

Green Little Elephants

Have I blogged about these Little Animals Tees before? They are so adorable and, even though I KNOW Lauren will be mistaken for a boy (grow hair, grow), I must get her the Elephant tee (the Elephant is her favorite animal... not that she realizes this yet, but someday she will).

Aside from being insanely adorable, they are green (as in environmentally conscious) - 100% organic unbleached cotton, made in the US (ie, design is not made with lead paint), and the packaging is made from corn, so it's biodegradable.

Slowly but surely Lauren's wardrobe is morphing from neon to natural... but with my Mother-in-Law buying a closet full of clothes every couple months, this is no small challenge! The Grandparents still think GREEN just means the color of their perfectly manicured, pesticide laced lawn.

Can you believe that the retirement village they live in - The Villages in FL - does NOT recycle!! Way to give a crap about the state you leave the planet in, old folks! (Note that my in-laws would recycle if their community supported it, but apparently they don't feel strongly enough to take any action to make that happen.)

Was over in Emeryville today visiting Kodak Gallery. Had dinner at Skates on the Bay - it was a great view and the food was great too. I had Lobster Mac & Cheese - YUM - and Judy shared one of her scallops. I'd never had scallops before - I am a convert - it was excellent.

I talked to my little bro on the phone earlier today (little only as in younger - 28). He had been living in Vegas (he was born there and lived there until he was 11, then moved to NY, then back to Vegas a couple years ago) - he was working as a cab driver (which I think is just the coolest thing - to meet all walks of Vegas life) - but alas, he is young and stupid and irresponsible and therefore broke, so he is moving back home to NY to live with his Mom (my StepMom).

He was calling from the road - driving from Vegas - and was about 100 miles outside of Rochester. He didn't know I was in California, but I hope to see him on Friday.

I am sure Lauren will look at him like, "who the hell are you and what is that THING growing out of your face?" And Adam will look at her like, "she's cute, but I'm not touching her." I'm sure at some point she will become comfortable with him as her Uncle and he will become comfortable with her as a tiny person who goes to the bathroom in her pants.

After the hell that was Sat and Sun morning, I felt well enough to go on my business trip to San Fran Monday morning (Lauren & Daddy are doing much better too). On the plane, watched Spidey 3 (ok) and Blades of Glory - was laughing out loud. Totally stupid hilarious humor. Some real genius lines, like, "I see you have learned to work the Google on the internet machine."

The trip is going very well so far, though chilly, which I am finding to be a refreshing change from the near 90 and very humid weather back home. Took a few pics with my cam phone, when I went to review them, they are not there, not sure what happened. So gone is the picture of the R2D2 mailbox along with a couple others.

Great food so far too. Last night Judy (my boss) and I ate at Cafe Claude, an adorable little French place. I had Coq au Vin for the first time, along with Gratin Dauphinois (Au Gratin potatoes - Betty Crocker, hang your head in shame). DELISH!!! I highly recommend it.

This morning we had breakfast at Cafe de la Presse - again (by coincidence - we were just happening by) - a French cafe type place. Cappuccino was perfect. I got Eggs Benedict and Judy got Vanilla French Toast and we swapped half of each (this is what Jenny and I love to do - and I was so happy that Judy likes to share food too!!) and both were heavenly. Again, highly recommend it.

Both are near Union Square.

And tonight, after a very long day of watching focus groups, Judy and I hopped the trolley to Fisherman's Wharf to eat In-N-Out Burger.

I can go home happy now.

Let me start by saying that Little L has been sick since Wednesday evening, when she promptly barfed up all her dinner. This was followed the next morning by finding her in her crib covered by what was, at one point, peanut butter and jelly. Since then, she's also added a green-snotty nose. She is not eating or drinking much at all. The Dr. said it was a virus and just to keep trying to give her liquids.

I stayed home with her Thursday (watching coverage of the bridge collapse in horror), Daddy stayed home with her Friday, this morning he felt "off" and I went off for my manicure. As I was finishing up, I started to feel queasy. Headed home to find Daddy balled up on the floor, Lauren was in bed. Then things went like this:

L woke up crying hard,
try to feed her, get her to drink...
alert Daddy to open eyes and watch L,
run to bathroom,
barf up all contents of my stomache...
brush teeth and regroup...
put L for nap, put me for a nap...
hear L crying, get up (Daddy MIA - hugging the bowl)...
put L on changing table...
horrible feeling of nausea sweeps over me...
put L on the floor, yell for Daddy, close her door...
run to bathroom and barf up even more stuff...
brush teeth and regroup...
try to feed L (Daddy is even more incapacitated than me)...
let Baby Einstein DVD distract L for awhile...
try to get her to drink...
count down the minutes until her bedtime...
finally she's asleep after much crying...
break out into a fever...
start to blog (when I should be sleeping)

There should be some emergency babysitting response unit or something for when two parents are so ill they can barely move, yet the baby needs care and you don't want your family or friends to catch this horrible bug that floored you all in the first place. This was a bad situation that I wouldn't wish on anyone.

When Lauren's Grandma (Chuck's Mom) was here last, she brought a couple "kits" to put Lauren's handprints on t-shirts - one for Daddy and one for Papa.

Needless to say, Lauren wore more of the paint than made it on to the shirt. I love her expressions.