Returned safely.

We have returned from our trip to New York City and to our family's comfortable routine. The trip was everything we hoped it would be. The weather ideal, the sights picturesque, the food ambrosial, the city electric, and the time together renewing. My plan is to provide a synopsis of each day over the next few days. In the meantime I'll share a peek with a view of the sunset from the Empire State Building. Did I mention picturesque?

A third-grader in waiting

I want to take a moment to acknowledge all those people that warned me that life would go by faster as you get older...you were so incredibly right. And those that said…wait until you have kids…then it really goes fast. You were doubly right. And now I’m adding an extra level to that…once those kids are in school…you better put on a crash helmet and a 5-point harness because we’re talking sound barrier speed.

It doesn’t seem like that long ago that I was writing about Em’s first day of second grade. And here we are, just 42 weeks later, and Em is a third grader in waiting. 42 weeks. Sounds like a long time…but man it flew by. And the crazy thing about it? I start thinking about all the things we have planned for the summer - Y Camp, VBS, our annual Father’s Day weekend outing, the 4th, some camping, a trip or two to Cali – and before you know it we’re starting another school year in August. August brings a busy back to school schedule and then it’s Halloween. The year-end holidays follow that in the blink of a Christmas light and it’s a new year. The cycle just keeps going…just faster and faster. Especially once we add Megan to the school year mix in 2010.

May be it’s that the school year has a beginning and end and each new school year brings a measurable level of maturity to your children. But when you are a kid you have school years and it didn’t go that fast. In most cases it just dragged on. I suppose it is that one year is now only 1/40th of my life versus the 1/8th that it is was in second grade. 2.5% of a lifetime versus 12.5%. Just a blip. And those blips continue to get smaller and smaller.

At any rate, it’s been a great school year. Emily’s second grade teacher was marvelous. The school year brought many new things learned…multiplication, creative writing, the democratic process of an election year and so much more. It also brought some new front teeth and a couple inches in height. So tonight we begin the celebration of summer vacation. She’s already negotiating a later bedtime.

An evening spent with parrotheads

We spent last night with old friends enjoying the music of another old friend, Jimmy Buffett. We were grateful he made Arizona an early stop in his SummerZcool tour. It allowed us to enjoy the show on what was practically a balmy night.

It was a typical evening with Jimmy...lots of shark fins, sons of sailors, forty year old pirates, cheeseburgers grilling and volcanos blowing. Definitely a great way to kick off the summer.

Me and my "old lady" shoes

I fall into that category of women that admittedly loves shoes. I don’t buy a pair in every available color, Imelda Marco’s like, but I do enjoy shopping for and finding the perfect pair. My latest search has been for a black wedge sandal that’s comfortable enough to walk around NYC in. Earlier this week I was at Macy’s and decided to look around. I was gravitating toward the “comfort” brands of shoes. The young gentleman that was helping me kindly retrieved my size in a couple pairs. I tried on a particular pair of Aerosoles and he says with a surprised tone, “Oh, those are actually nice.” He goes on to say that when the comfort sandals arrived he and his colleagues were surprised that the shoes were not more “old lady like.” After rolling my eyes, I graciously pointed out to the sweet young man that I had reached a pinnacle age that I actually desire a comfortable shoe…but still want it to be stylish. So based on his thoughtful comments I assumed I had found the perfect pair and reluctantly gave the young whipper-snapper some sales credit. Let me know what you think…

Prince charming

Last night Megan announced that Wyatt, a boy from school, is her boyfriend. That is because he is her friend and he is a boy. So he is a boyfriend (logical). And because he plays with her. And dances (definitely a plus). But she also informed me that she is going to marry Wyatt when they are bigger. And how does she know he's the one? Apparently it is because he's taller than her (a criteria I am afraid I cannot argue with) and because she'll get $5 (I'll need to coach her on the finer skills of negotiating).

I really can't make this stuff up.

Showers in the forecast

It's warmed up in AZ, but the pool water is still a little cold for this particular Desert Doer. The fair-headed one braved the pool but since the curly-headed one needs an adult to swim with her and it isn't going to be me, we opted for a run through the sprinkler instead.

Here is a short clip of the girls having some giggles and fun.

That do that you do

As the mother of two girls I'm pretty inept at doing hair. Some of it certainly has to do with my level of patience. It may also be because I haven't had much opportunity to practice. Em didn't really have any hair to work with until she was about 2 years old. Then when she finally had some it was fine and thin so I'd be lucky to get it pulled into a couple of blond horns growing out of the top of her head. Now that she's older and has a head full of beautiful blond hair, she doesn't want me fussing over it. Also, she has the same texture of hair that I had when I was her age. It's silky smooth and super straight so it falls out of most dos.

Megan has lovely hair. She was born with a head full of wavy dark curls. (Do you know the old wives tale about heartburn during pregnancy means a head full of hair on the baby? Well it proved to be true in the case of my pregnancies.) What Megan was not born with was a disposition to sit still and have her hair done. Despite this, I've kept her hair long for fear of cutting off the curls. Because of the length, the curly texture and my decision to not fight that particular battle, Meg spent most of her third and fourth years with an unruly "mop top".

But now she's in her fifth year and she's mellowing. With this mellowing has come a willingness to sit still long enough to have her hair done (and to look flabulous). Sometimes I can even convince her to sit for braids, as she did yesterday. Check out the results.