More billboard fun

This billboard says "Trust - it's like me, but a bank."

You can bet Trust will protect your assets. Trust will even hide out in your office building to shoot the terrorists holding your ex-wife hostage.  Trust doesn't mess around.

Merry Christmas

It has been an interesting year. Moving eight time zones, having a new baby, starting a new job. Actually ... maybe it's a typical year for us. This Christmas, we are thankful for our wonderful life. We hope you, too, take the opportunity to enjoy your loved ones this holiday season. Have a very Merry Christmas and may 2011 be even better!

Billboard fun

This one cracks me up because the model is performing a maneuver similar to that employed by breastfeeding mothers to stop a spontaneous milk let-down.

This one is just puzzling. 

"This perfune smells so good I just want to lick it off my knee?"
"If you wear this perfume, you'll be struck with an inexplicable urge to bathe yourself like a cat?"

Necessity is a mother

This morning, driven more by the need to get out of the house, than by the need for cabbage, I decided to take the babies on a walk to the Ramstore about a mile away. Natasha and I made this trip at least twice a week in the summer, and it looks like we're on track to do the same this winter. My getting-everyone-bundled-up system is still being ironed out, so I should not have been surprised when, about five minutes after leaving the Embassy, I noticed that Natasha was not wearing boots. Just her snowpants, her down parka, a hat, mittens and little pink cotton socks. I had decided to put on her boots after putting her in the stroller, and then forgot completely. It's a miracle I made it as far as I did without being flogged by a babushka for exposing her to the elements like that.

I looked in the basket for the pink fleece blanket I usually keep there. Empty. I had taken the blanket for Zoia's swing when she spit up on the other two warm ones we keep in the house. Nothing in the cupholder, or in my pockets for that matter. I tried to pull down her snowpants to cover her feet, but they actually fit her properly so that didn't work.

So I had a decision to make. Walk another 10 minutes to Ramstore, spend 10 minutes in the store, and then walk 15 minute back home? It was about 20 F . Downright balmy after last week.

No, I couldn't do that. Natasha would be fine, but the babushki would have my head. Reluctantly, I turned around, kicking myself for wasting 20 minutes' getting-everybody-ready-time for a mere five minutes outside.

And then inspiration struck.


Those would be my red-velvet-and-Thinsulate gloves on her feet. I bought them at Marshalls to wear on the just-warm-enough-to-be-somewhat-fashionable days. Turns out they are actually warm enough to wear on it's-so-cold-that-I-don't-care-if-I-look-like-a-giant-brown-caterpillar days! And warm enough to serve as boots, should the need arise. Natasha's feet were toasty when we got home.

The little things

Last night about 9:30, we decided to catch up on this week's episode of Glee.  Zoia was sleeping in her swing, but Natasha was awake - part of our plan to keep her up a bit longer in hopes of beating this horrible jet lag. 

Toward the end of the episode, the glee club's competitors sang a catchy song that I don't know the name of because I am officially old and out of touch with pop culture.  Jeremy started dancing.  Natasha and I followed suit.  We danced to every song for the rest of the episode and had a great time.  It was a moment I want to remember for the rest of my life.

And later that night, when Natasha woke up crying for the third time and I stumbled blearily down the hall to tend to her, I thought about our Glee dance party and smiled.

It's definitely the little things that are going to get us through the next few months.

(Also, I am happy to report that last night's episode of Glee was the third good one in a row.  After a very disappointing start to the season, things are picking up!)