News for Now

How I have missed blogging! I updated my site with a new look and have not had time to enjoy it!









I have been buried all week creating Eric's 40th birthday gifts. In one case I had to find a designer to create one of the gifts and in the other case my dear friend, Carrie, assisted me in creating a gift of my own for him. The orders have been placed and I can't wait to present them to him. It has been a tiresome yet wonderful journey chronicling 40 years of Eric. What a beautiful baby, darling boy, cutie pie teen, and handsome man. I am so lucky! I felt drawn back in time as I looked at pictures of his childhood. Some of them showed pure joy and yet others I know were taken during times of pain that he experienced on many levels. I am so proud of the person he has become.









I have slacked a bit at work this week. Well, more than a bit. For that I feel guilty but not too much so. All will be well and it will get done. The world of PR definitely ebbs and flows...after 17 years in the world of media I am finally learning to roll with it.









Last weekend the girls and I visited a local farm where they make artisan cheeses. One of my restaurant clients has partnered with the owners as we're featuring their cheeses during the months of April and May. They have hundreds of goats, yaks, cows, and even a water buffalo. And it is breeding season. So much so that upon entering the barn the owner said, "Look, there--two new babies arriving!" Here was one of them.

I got to hold it mere minutes after birth. Sheer magic.

The two new goats were girls so I jokingly told Julie (the owner) that Olivia & Audrey would be perfect names- just like my girls.

So Wednesday morning when I met my client and Julie at the local NBC affiliate to do a TV segment there was Julie & baby girl goat, "Olivia!"

Speaking of Olivias, my Liv has had what she might dub some of the best news of her young life thus far. She was "invited" to go to pre-team at Cascade Elite Gymnastics Academy. After her league meet last week the team coach asked Eric and me if we'd consider sending Olivia to pre-team. We were clueless as to what that meant and frankly, why she would ask. While Olivia has lovely form and great strength she is certainly not the most focused, nor is she the most competitive but she certainly has passion for the sport. The coach explained that they seek kids who have innate talents and skills (precision, clean moves, strength that generally exceeds their age expectations, etc.) While we were excited for her, we were still a bit perplexed that she was invited at this stage (she will be the youngest in the next pre-team class). We wondered, "Was it a money maker for them?", "Are the other classes too full so they simply move kids up?", "Do all kids eventually get invited and only some make it?" I contacted three coaches, I spoke to a 16 year old on team and a 21 year old who was on team from ages 8-18. I even cornered a mom at Target who has a daughter on team. Finally one of the coaches put it to me like this, "We have 320+ kids in our league and rec sessions right now and only 8 of them have been invited to go to pre-team. It's a real honor for the kids." I got it. "I can't believe I've been asked to go to pre-team, Mama!" Olivia must say this two dozen times a day (at least). I can only equate her joy with what I felt when I was pregnant with her. Each morning I woke up with a renewed lease on life knowing I was carrying a baby. It was thrilling and a great journey. I can't wait to watch hers unfold. I am so proud of her.







Her behavior has also been fabulous--we hit the one month mark of being tantrum free and learning how to hold it together better. Her reward was black Converse sneakers. How my baby girl who once wore matching bloomers and baby doll tops has grown...





Audrey has been reveling in "Earth Day" all week. Her teacher asked for flowers to plant in their school garden- Audrey brought in one for the garden and one for indoors. For "show & tell" she needed to bring something made out of wood so she chose an antique doll cradle my mom had bought the girls and prepared her baby dolls for nature camp. Here they are all tucked in underneath my baby blanket--nearly 40 years old!





I must run now--sun is shining, birds are singing, girls are awake and it's Saturday--much to do.