What's New?

1. Emerson has officially transitioned to his big-boy bed and he loves it. Makes for great story time because we can both get under the covers "Cover MOMMY!" and read. A big milestone that makes me feel proud, happy and a bit nostalgic for my little baby Emerson.
2. My Harvey's Seatbelt bag, made from real seatbelt material and lined with actual flight suit material. It's in a great neutral dark brown and will be my cool bag for Fall.
3. My love of my newly discovered Wailin' Jennys 40 Days cd. Really beautiful, like a more folksy, less poppy Corrs.
4. My OPI Japanese Rose Garden polished little piggies. They look perfectly pink and summerrific.
5. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, which I will be cracking open today. I hunkered down and finished A Confederacy of Dunces. A literary summer it is turning out to be.
6. Another blogger hits the web. Let's give a warm welcome to Tristin! Her blog can be accessed from my Links section on your right.

So, what's new with you? (and if you are a fellow blogger, you are actually reading this as "Tag, You're It!"

What I Know for Sure

Claudia's post on musings reminds me a lot of Oprah's What I Know for Sure. So, since I have been officially 'tagged' by her blog, here are my musings, or What I Know for Sure...

1. Relationships are about the most important thing in life.
2. Self care may be THE most important thing.
2. A child's laughter can turn your world around.
3. I couldn't get through the world without my son, music, laughter and the other good people in my life.
4. Life is too short for crappy books and crappy people.
5. When you have more, do more; when you know better, do better.
6. Sleep can be a hobby.
7. Mexicans make the best food.
8. Italians make the second best.
9. We are all really connected.
10. There is beauty in everything.

I am sure there are more. But this was at first blush...

What I am Not Loving Right Now, a List

1. That the weekend is already over.
2. Emerson's tantrums.
3. The uncertainty of certain things.
4. How freaking hot it is.
5. A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole.
6. The Jeff Buckley songs that Claudia uploaded to my iTunes. I am just not digging him.
7. My lifelong craving of bad-for-me food.
8. My messy room.
9. How slow as sap my computer is. Maybe I will buy Claudia's iMac...
10. That Emerson has to get his ears re-tubed.

What I am Loving Right Now, a List

1. The start of my summer tan (and summer's only halfway over).
2. Emerson's burgeoning (and often repetitive) vocabulary.
3. Snow Patrol - Great lyrics and sound. Chocolate and Chasing Cars are two fabulous singles.
4. My anticipation of Studio60. Finally a network is recognizing that while Sorkin's a drug addict, he's a brilliant tv writing sniffer.
5. That Alix is coming to town in a few weeks.
6. My new MAC eyeshadows - Satin Taupe and Naked Lunch. With names like that, how could you not like them?
7. The wicked-cool team-building day my boss and I have planned for our team.
8. So You Think You Can Dance? Uhm, yeah, the 12 finalists can kick up them heels!
9. Emerson joining me in the mornings for some best-way-to-start-my-day snuggles.
10. It's the weekend, baby!

Oooooh Mexico

By the numbers:

4
Roadtrippers - Claudia, Cynthia, Judy and Moi

80
Songs across three road trip mixes

1
Kick-ass condo

3
Flat screen tvs in said kick-ass condo

108
Cards comprising a deck of Uno – the only game at the condo

6
Banana Boat rides

4
Members of an annoying family that yelled to communicate

1.5
Political discussions

5
Sun burned body parts

2
Unsavory meals for Judy

40
Dollars for tequila that makes the BEST margaritas

100s
Pages read

0
Regrets

Chasing the Sun

This weekend three of my friends and I are taking a girls' weekend to head south of the border for some good food, good company, good sun and good times. It's 11:40 the night before we leave and par for the course I am still doing laundry. BUT, my road trip mix has been made. I have really tried to focus on the important things.

Having the Fourth of July holiday on a Tuesday just really threw me off and I thought I had more time to prepare - like a whole day more. Oh well. It won't really matter when I am sittin' on the beach with a 'rita, a good book and my shiny new toe ring that I just bought, now will it?

It will be one of the longest times I am away from Emerson, but he will get some good daddy-bonding time. I can't wait to see how excited he will be when I return. Selfish, I know. But I need to treasure this time that he squeals in delight at the sight of his mother.

My suitcase is calling me, in muffled spurts, "pack me up woman...take me somewhere exotic..."

Tiene un semana muy fantastica! (or have a fantastic weekend)

Lara's July Must List

Read

1. All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg - a fantastic memoir
2. Girl's Poker Night - by Jill A. Davis - great summer read by a former Letterman show staff writer.

Watch

1. Nip Tuck - Disc 1 - on DVD
2. A Prarie Home Companion on Screen
3. Nothing on TV

Listen

1. A Prairie Home Companion Motion Picture Soundtrack

Sunday Morning

Tenis Anyone? Everyone?

That's not what you think. Nope, not at all. While you may find other typos in my blog, tenis is not one of them. Tenis, pron. tee-niss, rhymes with penis. Emerson knows he has one; and very likely he thinks you do too.

So how does he know this? See, all of those people that say things - They - say that you should always encourage your child to refer to their privates by their actual names and not embarassing cute names that will forever haunt them (like my brother's 'carrot' or my friend's college roommate who had a 'cookie').

Believe it or not, my not-even-two-and-a-half-year-old son has been coached to follow They, the experts.

He recently became SUPER aware of his penis to the point of always holding it at diaper changes and often while in the tub. So, following the wisdom of They, I started saying things like, "Honey, let go of your penis, mommy needs to clean you up and put on your new diaper." or "You can play with your penis once mommy leaves the room." (Really, why ignore the inevitable?).

So this morning, while experiencing the VERY BEGINNINGS of potty training, Emerson took off his diaper to sit on his potty. After nothing happened, he walked around for a while proclaiming to all who would listen that the potty was "My Potty!" I assured him it was indeed, his potty. Shortly thereafter, the possession changed to his 'tenis'. "My Tenis! My Tenis, Mommy!" Proud as only a mother can be, I again assured him. "Very good honey, that IS your penis."

And then, the tables turned.

"Mommy tenis?" as he pointed to my lap?

It took everything in me not to laugh.

"No, mommy doesn't have a penis."

"Mommy tenis?"

"No, honey. Mommy doesn't have a penis."

"Gamma tenis?"

"No, honey. Gamma doesn't have a penis."

"Tia tenis?"

"No, honey. Tia doesn't have a penis either. Only you and Daddy have a penis. (and here's where, if only for a split second, I contemplated full disclosure and decided to go for it) Mommy, Tia and I each have a vagina."

He stared at me, not quite sure what to say. After looking around the room, he marched away from me and shouted, "MY TENIS!" and sat down on his potty.