Four Decades of Me

Celebrating my 40th birthday was a month long party. I reveled in each moment.

The festivities started back in October--in Los Angeles.

Four Seasons Westlake Village, October 2010

The prince surprised me with a trip to the Four Seasons Westlake Village--a combo 12th wedding anniversary (10/11/97) and a magical birthday treat. We relaxed poolside, soaked in the sunshine, drank fruity cocktails, missed the girls, appreciated our dear friends, Carrie & Darren, for caring for our babies, counted our blessings and I managed to convince Eric to let me have a third dog. More about Bella later.

The morning of the official birthdate my three loves presented me with a handmade book, "Forty ways to Love Your Mother" complete with pictures of me over the years and captions that the girls crafted. To say I was moved to tears is an understatement.

The girls headed off to school, the prince to work and I loaded up the mama minivan for a slumber party with some of my besties.

The LaConner Channel Lodge less than two hours north of Wilkinson Manor along the waterfront was the quintessential setting to chat endlessly, giggle late night, swap silly stories and our deepest secrets. We vowed it to be an annual gig.

The all too short excursion ended on a fabulous note as I was welcomed home to a houseful of love and another fab party next door @ Carrie & Darren's! 

Yes, that is ME on her shirt! They pulled out all the stops and coordinated quite a fete! Carrie and the prince designed t-shirts for us all! Check out my fave fans!

Yummy food, tasty drinks, warm hearts, and Eric on the guitar. Another surprise gift that left me speechless. Together with the girls he wrote a song to accompany the darling book they made, "Forty Ways to Love Your Mother". Silly, sweet, pure Eric--the vocals alone will keep me smitten for life.

Here is a shot of Audrey and me looking on...in matching tiaras, of course!

The gifts that were given were so well received. My heart was touched with each ring of the doorbell for weeks and weeks. Personalized M & M's in pink and green (darling!), a dozen microbrews from around the country, peppermint cocoa and cocktail mixes, vintage shot glasses, funky pint glasses, a copy of my blog over the year, jewelry, soy candles, autographed books, a leather journal, Starbucks cards, bouquets, and more!

And then-- another soiree was held in my honor!

This time at the swanky Arctic Club in downtown Seattle. Some of God's greatest people were there to celebrate ME. I had the time of my life. I was the one in the flashy shirt acting at if I was 21. Here are some snapshots of the night.

Words cannot explain how blessed I am. I have never been happier.

To four more decades..and beyond!

Dear Diary

What a day it's been and it's just noon.

For starters, I lost a client. We started pitching them on August 26 and here it is September 25 and they are not pleased with how well their HOLIDAY event publicity campaign is going thus far. Last I checked the holidays were not for some time. To gauge the success of a PR campaign in one month's time is absurd.

Here's what I would tell a publicist who just lost this account, "It's not worth the stress. Clearly they do not understand the PR cycle and frankly you don't need to spend your time convincing them of the benefit and value of PR only to have them micromanage you day in and day out."

BUT, here's how I feel. Defeated. Like a total failure. And truth be told- incredibly pissed. And thankful (for the 60 day clause I have in all our contracts that means they need to pay us for another 60 days--God willing they do so). Above all I do feel relieved.

So moments after that bomb exploded in my inbox I got a fabulous email from a woman I did a story with a couple of years ago for the Wall Street Journal.

Terrified that the Republicans may win office again she and 12 women got together and what started as a house party for maybe 150 women mushroomed into a full-blown event called Women for Obama Band Together. They are hosting more than 23 parties in cities around the country --all women, all vying for Obama. They are so inundated with postive responses--phonecalls, emails, letters, and media requests they need PR help.

A paragraph from the email
Katie, I don't know your politics, but I do know that we need a highly skilled PR professional to help us navigate this situation and you were the first person who came to mind!

Barack and roll, sister! My ego was surely boosted. I have 14 events between now and November 1 so not an ounce of time to assist but sign me up.

And diary, last night was one I never want to forget. Dear Eric (the sweet guy who called just now to see if I was off the ceiling after my a.m. upset--he was here when the break-up email came in) and then came home just moments ago between a story to check in (bless him!) took me to see Neil Diamond in concert! It was a Mother's Day gift from last year. The last thing he wanted to do was to sit through the concert but he did for me knowing that reliving my college days crooning Forever in Blue Jeans and Sweet Caroline makes my heart smile. So, to Eric, in the words of Neil Diamond, "And each time I stop to think, What it is I really need, Here's what I conclude, All I really need is you..."

Happy Birthday: Take Two

We finally celebrated Eric's 40th...4 weeks late (a prior post mentions the delay).

We enjoyed a close group of fabulous friends

tasty bites courtesy of Whole Foods

and plenty of beverages (delicious keg of Diamond Knot ESB thanks to Lizzie & Doug, homemade sangria and much more!)

The night was fun, relaxing, and most of all--uneventful. Bliss!

Self Preservation

Eric turned 40 this week. For the most part his birthday was a usual Wednesday at Wilkinson Manor--school, work, tap class, piano lessons, & dinner. We did manage to squeeze in evening fun for presents, banana splits, and a wonderful visit from our dear neighbors bearing gifts, spirits, and much love. Eric received loads of calls, emails, and text messages and truly had a banner day. I had a poster created for him depicting our family. I found a great artist in Maine who did a fabulous job. You'll see below ~ Eric decked out in Red Sox gear and a Michigan State "crown". He's complete with his requisite shorts, Converse, iPod, and Utica Club beer mug from his home state of NY--Olivia hula hooping in her Cascade Elite Gymnastics leotard while eating an ice cream cone (complete with sprinkles!)--Audrey sporting her, " I Heart the Needies" t-shirt, Mary Jane crocs, along with her usual layered attire of a skirt and leggings and holding the conch shells which Eric uses to call them in for dinner--I am adorned in a replica of my Jessie Steele brown & pink polka dot apron and Alice the dog wears a matching bow. All the while Frib sits nearby looking like the goof that he is. We also gave Eric various home made cards, tickets to the Dad's Day beerfest, assorted goodies, a photo album reflecting the first 40 years of his life and a gift certificate for a 1.5 hour togetherness massage we were slated to cash in on yesterday. The day was to be spent at the spa before we checked in to the deluxe suite at The Westin Seattle where we were hosting a party for many of our wonderful friends. We had some great fun planned and everyone was doing their part to make it a personal, memorable evening. But, alas, we succumbed to the perils of parenthood. It was a particularly rough morning for Olivia. After a long winded meltdown, late arrival to school, & phone call from the principal--Eric called the whole deal off. I was crushed. For him. For our guests. For me. And someday I assume I will be for Olivia. It is still too fresh and too upsetting to elaborate further and not necessary either. I am still processing.

Today was a new day. It was very fulfilling and a welcome respite. One of Audrey's dear classmates had a birthday party and the four of us attended. The family is lovely, welcoming, and being with them is easy. Thank you, Mara, for a great day. You outdid your self again.

Tomorrow is Mom's Day (although Eric said we're celebrating next week since he works tomorrow). We usually celebrate the Saturday before Mom's Day since it falls on a Sunday and he works on Sundays. But a long time ago we'd planned to celebrate next weekend since today was to be spent sleeping in late at the hotel and then returning home refreshed from a night out with friends. But it did not come to pass. Thank Heavens today went smoothly. After hours in the bounce house, enjoying cake, ice cream, lollipops, & friends, Audrey fell asleep in the car at 6:30 and is alseep for the night. Liv came home and built a fort in the family room. I got lost in the book, The Glass Castle, and Alice & I joined Olivia underneath the blankets. At day's end I was very content and happy to be their mama. The tireless adventurer and sleeping beauty.

The stress and disappointment of yesterday after weeks of preparation coupled with some draining client and personal relations lately have left me feeling deflated. This week in particular I found myself avoiding addressing certain issues and not wanting to return phonecalls and emails. I told my girlfriend, Carrie, that I felt like I was avoiding confrontation and tackling issues. I am not passive aggressive in the least. I try to meet confrontation head on and I sincerely attempt to take it on with tact and respect and thinking about how the other person will interpret my actions. But this week it was a struggle for me. I felt like a coward--afraid of the bullies. Carrie said she did not think I was a coward at all but that it was about self preservation. I thought that was brilliant.

Eric is fast asleep next to me (yep, laptop made it back into bed), Alice is tucked in by his side, Frib has taken to his bed in the closest, Olivia & her buddy (also named Olivia) have settled into their sleepover, and thankfully Audrey remains asleep. As for me, I am going to close up shop, count my blessings and continue to self preserve. How freeing to give myself permission to not have to always explain, apologize, or attempt to fix everything all the time.

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.