In case you’re wondering about my invective, go watch MoveOn.org’s latest ad. It’s pretty freaking powerful.
Archive for Léa
More gratuitous cuteness
Mother’s Day, 2008 (I know, it’s a bit past that, I’ve been a bit preoccupied). Léa and my mother at the brunch table upstairs at the Greenwich Ginger Man.
Walking down Greenwich Avenue toward the park:
Can you pick out the little dimples on the back of her hand and elbow? Too delicious!
The most beautiful child ever born (biased much?)
My niece, Léa Madeline (it’s pronounced LAY-ah, just like the Princess), who will be three this September, has finally started to really talk, in both French and English. My sister-in-law, Priscille, speaks to her almost exclusively in French, while my brother, Sam, uses only English (well, very little French, and with a really horrendous accent). You can ask her, “Quest-ce va tu desire pour dessert?” and she will answer unabashedly, “Glace!” “Vanille ou chocolat?” “Chocolat!” Right answer, every time (that’s chocolate ice cream to those who don’t parlez). She can count, “One, two, threefourfive!” and then, “Un, deux, troisquatrecinq!” She is simply enchanting, I cannot stop drinking her in. My mother says that this is what it was like when I was her age. I positively fawn over her. I ask her, “Bisou?” and she plants one right on my lips. I cannot believe how amazing she is, and I’m not even her mother. She does high-fives, and says “Ta-da!” when she’s done something particularly cool, and throws her hands up over her head and exclaims, “Cowboys!” (my brother is a HUGE fan, don’t even start with me.) So here are two pictures of her, and her mother and father (you can totally see from where she gets her looks), and the two birthday cards she drew for me. Can you see the face on each? Priscille helped with the letters, but otherwise, it was all Léa.
We went for dinner at Hanada Hibachi in Mohegan Lake to celebrate my birthday. It was Léa’s first hibachi dinner, and she was appropriately impressed with the chef’s antics. He completely played to her.
Today is Elisa’s (twelfth? thirteenth? I don’t remember which, I’m a bad aunt) birthday. We got her a nice pair of 5mm pearl earrings from Whitehall. She loved them.
No news yet
on the Apple front. G says I’ll hear from them on Monday. We hopes.
We went to my mom’s tonight for Chanukah (yeah, I spelled it like that. You spell it whatever way you want.) to spend some time with her and her boyfriend B, my brother and his wife, and their gorgeous daughter, Léa. I had my camera with me but forgot to take it out, she was that captivating. We had a tea party, and she kept feeding me chips with a spoon (”mo’ tsips”). If you asked her for a “bisou” she’d come and plant the tiniest kiss on your cheek. G noticed that she’d say something in English and then repeat it in French. “Two” then “deux.” She had trouble with “ice cream” but none at all with “glace.”
For dinner we had my mother’s famous noodle kugel (ohmygoditwasfuckingdelicious) for which I need the recipe. We had the ubiquitous latkes, and flank steak, and then this dish that one of her residents suggested; asparagus with heavy cream, cheddar, and ham. Really fucking good. She gave each of us couples a 400-piece jigsaw puzzle “made especially for you featuring an extract from the US Geological Survey map base centered on your home. The jigsaw covers an area of 4 miles north-to-south and 6 miles east-to-west.” Your home is at the center, and the centerpiece is shaped like a house. Wicked cool, and I wish I could link to it, but the website returns an error. There are two email addresses on the back of the box, hopefully one will work for those of you interested: In the UK, sales@mapmarketing.com. In the US, orders@historicnewspaper.com. Visits to both of those sites led nowhere useful; perhaps email will. I don’t know how my mother found it, probably a catalog. I’ll take a picture of the puzzle one it’s finished.
Happy Thanksgiving!
First, let’s get the adorable kin pictures out of the way. Here’s Léa, manhandling her apple pie á la mode:
And little Zeke, slurping on his daddy’s head:
Both youngsters were delightedly well-behaved. Léa even had some of G’s delicious Cheddar Soup (almost everyone else had seconds). We got home around 7 pm to re-watch the parade, since I missed seeing Hello Kitty Supercute and my sister informed me that she was definitely there. Meredith Viera even commented on her appearance, wrongly pointing out “her signature right-side bow.” If you’re looking at her it’s on the right, but it’s on Kitty’s left. Idiot wasn’t even paying attention. Oh well, she’s in the parade, that’s all that counts. I got all stupid and choked up watching the Rockettes and the marching bands. Why do I do that? A good day, all in all.
A few things to be thankful for:
My snoring husband, because this means that he is at home with me, lying next to me in our king-size bed with kitties akimbo, and is slumbering sweetly and peacefully.
The internet, for bringing friends to my virtual door.
My family, without whom I wouldn’t be as fucked up as I am, making life much more interesting.
Blogs, which a lot of the time, feel like group therapy, which in real life, I CANNOT STAND, but online, feel much less creepy.
My expensive medication, which is a lot less expensive than it used to be thanks to my new job and a fabulous pdoc who gifts me with samples, and allows me to live something like a semi-normal life. I’m striving for normal. I’ll get there someday.
My new job, which aggravates the shit out of me because they want me to be manic. But I have a job to aggravate me, and therefore, a steady paycheck with benefits.
Espresso. ‘Nuff said.
Tigger, who wakes me up at 5:30 am to pee by smacking my face, without whom I would not be here.
Pye and Harry, who have the awesome power to simply be and that is enough to make me smile.
Life is hard. Wear comfortable shoes.
—–
On this day: Thanksgiving morning 2005
Léa Madeline at 2
my delicious niece, had her second birthday party today. She is, quite possibly, the most beautiful child on the planet. Don’t believe me? Judge for yourself!
She didn’t seem to recognize her Tata Lysa and Oncle Gary at first, but then warmed right up to us, leading me into her playroom to show me her stereo and cds and toys (my goodness, the toys!). We all had a wonderful time, devouring a buttercream-and-chocolate-mousse gateau with three tiny blue candles on it. She actually blew out the last candle and was taken aback when we all applauded (”bravo!”). She was particularly interested in the Play-Doh she received as a gift, going back to it again and again until we snuck it away from her so she could open more cadeaux. My mother and father were there (Grand-mere et Pop-Pop), as well as her French babysitter, Marie-Laurence. She’s saying more and more things, (”eat” and “cake”, although not together) and it’s just a matter of time until we won’t be able to keep up with her. As a bilingual child, she’s somewhat slower to put words together, but when she finally does, it’ll be a torrent. In two languages.
We had a nice time talking with Sam and Priscille after Mademoiselle went up for her nap, and stopped for dinner in Pound Ridge at an Italian restaurant called DiNardo’s. Spent more than we normally would, even on sushi, but the meal was a good one, and we won’t be doing it again soon.
New blog! Gary and I have a new photo journal called Cats, Sheep, & Penguins, that will catalog more of our lives together. Check it out!
Eeeeeuuuuwwww…
This was in my basement the other day. How did it end up on some leaves, you ask? Well, when spotted, it was conveniently on a box bottom, so I covered it (just barely) with an empty cat food can, and brought it outside, where I released it into the wild, with firm instructions to never darken my doorstep again. It’s frickin’ HUGE! Luckily, it didn’t move when I was covering it or photographing it, otherwise anyone reading this would have heard the scream. Wherever you are. I didn’t have the presence of mind to put a quarter next to it for scale. I wouldn’t have wanted to get that close. I *hate* bugs, especially fast ones. They creep me out and I can’t help but think about where they might have been. Like on my face.
These are some pictures of my cousin, Shabtai, his wife, Michal, and their two beautiful sons, Dan and Eitan. They’re here visiting from Israel. Eitan is in Michal’s arms. We were at my cousin Marian’s house in Greenwich celebrating her daughter Chelsea’s graduation from high school. She’s going to St. Andrews next year. La di da! We ate burgers and dogs and lovely potato salad and played with the boys and Léa, who popped by a little later with Sam and Priscille. We had Dan saying “Yummy,” when he was eating cake (We were all saying it, he was aping us. He speaks no English. It was funny.) and “Go away,” to the Willsabeest when Wills was begging for food.
More pictures of the family, including Wills:
Baby shower
Carolynn 05/05/07 Here’s my prego sister looking très fashionable in an Old Navy dress. I don’t know why it won’t let me show the thumbnail picture. PITA. They all oohed and ahhed over the booties and blanket; I hope she really does like it. Here is the cutest, most delicious baby on the face of the earth: Léa 05/05/07 My niece, Léa and her daddy, Sam.
Today I got a birthday present from my friend, Penny. I had admired the crocheted cupcakes on her site (are they on Etsy, too?) and she sent me one! 
Complete with sprinkles. Oh yum! Also Rock Candy Bath Ordnance in Orange Cream scent. 
Sooo yummy. Last but not least, a wee cellphone charm with a fairy and a cherry blosom bead. So sweet! Thank you so much, Penny!
