things I'm concerned about

1. the green stuff coming out of Mary Claire's nose
2. the gunk running out of Lillie's right eye
3. the soreness in the back of my throat
4. how to fit the Littlest Pet Shop Cozy Care Adoption Center in my suitcase
5. whether or not we'll make our connection in O'Hare
6. the fact we have to leave for the airport in less than 23 hours and I haven't packed a stitch of clothing for myself (yes Mother, I realize I've known we were leaving for more than a month)

Reasons I'm glad Scott is home

1. Chicken fajitas, guacamole, and refried beans
2. homemade chocolate chip banana bread
3. five little words..."No, no, no Mary Claire"
4. homework - since when did you need a graduate degree to get your kid through second grade?
5. "Honey, can you wipe Mary Claire's nose?"

Mary Claire's Symptoms

1. runny nose
2. hacking cough
3. fever
4. loss of appetite
5. cranky
6. lethargic
7. raspy breathing
8. loose stools

What the girls and I had for dinner while Scott was in Europe

1. Cheesy Chicken and salad at the Kirkpatricks
2. Mac n' Cheese, canned corn, bread sticks
3. Take-out from Simply Thai
4. a Lean Cuisine for me and T.V. dinners for the girls

Sunday "Sites" - Volume 1

Because every girl should dream...

1. I can't help thinking I might sleep a lit bit sounder in these sassy little bottoms from Anthropologie.

2. One of my favorite bloggers, The Nester, had a Red Letter Day on Friday and I fell in love with this. And yes Nester, if it were hanging in my house, I would leave it up year round.

3. I bought these slippers for Juliet last summer more for the fact they were so stinkin' cute than for their practicality. Imagine my delight to see she has nearly worn a hole in the bottom of one of them from wearing them so much this Fall. I can't wait to see which pair Santa brings me this Christmas (hint, hint.)

4. My full-time housekeeper Xue Fung (yes let's just get it out there, I have both a full-time and a part-time housekeeper and a husband who cooks - I would probably hate me too). Anyway, she's a big fan of these all-purpose kitchen towels, but I nearly flipped when I saw these! One word...precious.

5. Who cares what you're wearing when you've got this little number slung over your arm.

6. My girls love the many advent calendars we do each year at Christmas so kudos to Pottery Barn Kids for coming up with this delightful Thanksgiving Countdown Calendar.

And on that note, I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say I'm so thankful this post is done!

things I need to tell the part-time housekeeper

1. I realize I'm no duster (that is in fact why we hired you.) But should you feel inclined to do so, might I suggest actually picking up the knickknacks and tchotchkes, instead of merely dusting around them.

2. If you see my husband's empty coffee cup sitting on the bathroom counter, please feel free to take it to the kitchen and place it in the dishwasher. Ditto when it comes to replenishing the empty toilet tissue holder.

3. Please stop unplugging the power strip and converters in my bathroom. They're all tucked away neatly in a drawer anyway and at 6:45 AM, it only results in me silently screaming obscenities at you.

4. We can agree that Estee Lauder Pleasures is a delightful scent. Hence the reason my darling husband picked me up a bottle the last time he passed through duty free. What we don't seem to agree on is that it smells twice as nice on me as it does on you. Please try to keep in mind there is no "Sephora" sign above my bathroom door.

5. Thank you for noticing my recent weight loss. However, I haven't fit into a 4T pantie in nearly three decades.

what I bought today

1. 4 pairs of tights and 2 sweaters for Juliet
2. a new coat and a pair of leggings for Lillie
3. 2 things of toilet bowl cleaner
4. 3 dresses from the Gymboree "outlet"
5. 4 packages of bread sticks
6. 1 bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos
7. 2 boxes of S'mores pop tarts
8. a set of three pastry brushes
9. 2 packages of juicy fruit
10. a tall Vanilla Frap from Starbucks

to do in the next two days

1. make our reservations for Thanksgiving dinner
2. bake for the bazaar on Saturday
3. decide what the girls will wear on Saturday for their pictures with Santa
4. book a room at the Hyatt for the Friday after Thanksgiving
5. find four vegetable bouillon cubes
6. order the girls Christmas dresses
7. go to the fabric market...have a new winter coat made...cashmere?

things I did before 9AM

1. packed the girls lunches because I forgot last night
2. cleaned out the kitty litter
3. blow dried Juliet and Lillie's hair
4. called Mother
5. booked our flights to KC in December
6. bathed myself and Mary Claire after the eruption from her bottom
7. disinfected the high chair as a result of said eruption
8. started a load of laundry
9. went to the market

thoughts about Mary Claire at 14 months‏

1. Your pigtails and kinky, curly hair make me smile every time I look at you.

2. I love that you're as fascinated with the dollhouse as your big sister was when we bought it for her five years ago.

3. The way you blow me kisses with noise whenever I leave melts my heart.

4. The pretend snoring sounds you make when you lay down crack...us...up!

5. We love that you yell "No" in Chinese to Nolan whenever you see him on the table or counter.

6. May you someday love the real piano as much as the toy one.

7. Thank you for always putting your safety first and closing the baby gate all by yourself if one accidentally gets left open.

15 Things

This blog will be a series of lists and the lists will be about anything and everything...thoughts, dreams, memories, "to dos" or simply the fourteen things I need to buy at Carrefour this week.

Why lists you ask? The answer is simple. Who doesn't love a list? They're orderly, typically concise, help us to organize our daily lives, etc., etc. And let's face it, lists are just plain intriguing and fun. How many of us have stayed up way longer than we needed just to watch Dave's Top 10 List? Or admit it, posted "15 Random Things About Me" on Facebook.

Speaking of which, I have yet to publish my list of 15 things. So we'll kick this blog off with 15 random (or maybe not so random) things about me...

1. My very first memory is of flying kites with my Daddy.

2. I only own one pair of jeans.

3. I've been pregnant six times in my life and given birth once.

4. The electric blanket is one of my favorite inventions.

5. I loathe cooking.

6. I will always choose a white cake with white butter cream icing. And I always want the corner.

7. I've had four broken bones, but never any stitches.

8. The first concert I ever went to was Neil Diamond. I was nine.

10. I love Lucky Charms, but I'll only eat them dry...never with milk; the marshmallows get too soggy.

11. My 30th birthday was one of the worst days of my life. But it had nothing to do with turning 30.

12. As a child, I used to pick all the lima beans out of the mixed vegetables and save them 'til the end because I loved them so much...ok, I'll admit it, I still do.

13. I was named after Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII. My parents went to see Anne of the Thousand Days before my older brother was born and decided on the name then.

14. At 12, all I wanted to do when I grew up was perform on Broadway and be the PTA President.

15. There are three things I am adamant about: meat should not come in a loaf; any game that requires you to stretch in the middle of it, is too long; and anything that has been stuffed up a turkey's bottom is not fit for human consumption.