The Cheeks Swims !!

Today was a big day in the life of Eliza; she went swimming for the first time, in her grandma's pool!

I debated publishing this video because a). I look like bouncing jackknife in part of it, b). I'm making ridiculous sounds and saying daft things and c). I still haven't lost the 10 pounds I've been complaining about for 6 months now but hey in the end, YouTube was less effort than writing a full post.

Check out my very cute, very serious little girl as she umi-zoomis all over the pool, with a little help from her momma. I had to edit the video for reasons I will not disclose and unfortunately, her giggles were left on the cutting room floor, along with a few choice words muttered by my husband...

Purge

Today begins my whole house purge. I want everything in order for our "embrace our space" campaign, which kicks off next Thursday when Robert Jenny from Robert Jenny Designs comes to evaluate our needs. I'm really excited to see what he comes up with and hope that we can afford it... I'm pushing to blow out that back of our flat to extend our living area into the patio area but according to Matt, that will happen when hell freezes over.

Today is the start of another transformation that I am calling my "farewell to fat" campaign.  Although I put forth a lot of effort to lose the baby weight in the beginning, in the past month or so, the only progression I've made is moving further up the scale.  I'm not bothered, however: the three hour tapas and wine lunch I had on my last day in London (which I swear put three pounds on me) was totally worth it because it was spent with the best of friends who truly have their priorities straight: babies, friendship, food, and wine!  So, today starts a month of counting calories, except on the weekend when I'll allow myself two meals out, which will hopefully do the trick.  We'll see...

Ok, time to get back to work; stay cool - this weather blows!

Taking a Bite Out of It All

Hi, remember me?

I know, it's been a long time since I last posted and I apologize, particularly to my number one reader, Cort, who has been nudging me gently toward the keyboard with her Facebook inquiries. I've made a pact with myself to post at least twice a week and I intend to keep it.

My friend K*, who blogs here, warned me of the difficulties of juggling my momma self and my writing self and while I listened, I had no clue how it would play out. Obviously, I didn't foresee the wall I would hit until it was too late and here I am, six months later, just getting back into the swing of things.

In the past six months, I've done little more than tend to E, stare into space, watch trash TV, troll Hoboken Moms and Craigslist and eat. I've gained weight and lost brain cells but after a week spent on the River Thames with my Walking Girls, I feel refreshed and ready to return to a better version of my former self.

I'm looking forward to writing, running, working out, traveling, exploring, and organizing. I'm going to stop biting my nails (and fingers, knuckles, thumbs...) and start taking more satisfying bites out of life.

Matty and I have decided to fully embrace small space living; he's generously given me the green light to consult interior designers who specialize in urban spaces so hopefully by September, our flat will be transformed and each member of our family will have a room of one's own.

The sale of Ash Street fell through, so if you know anyone interested in a single family home in Watsontown, let me know. It needs more than just a little TLC but that house has great bones and could be a fine family home. And the price is just ba-na-nas - cheaper than a fully loaded Tahoe or Yukon...

Now that I'm pack on this side of the pond, I'm going to spend this week systematically going from one end of our flat to the other purging at least 50% of its contents; if you want to benefit from that purge, be at 413 Elm Street in the 17777 on Yard Sale Day at the end of September. Everything. Must. Go. We're morphing our style from shabby-chic/Country Living (think magazine, not Boyd's Bears) to Mid-Century Modern-meets-Fabulous Beekman Boys-meets baby friendly decor, so I'm embracing mimimalism.

I'll keep you posted!

* Ashley and Celine, you'll want to check out her blog - she's a true superhero: when she's not posing as mom to adorable twins, she's making huge strides as a professor of teacher education, specializing in literacy and the importance of infusing writing and 21st Century practices across curriculum at all levels. She's one of my professional role models.