That's so nice.

Every year on their birthdays, my kids get me flowers.

I know what you're saying: That's so nice. You might even draw out the nice, like niiiiiiiiiiice. Now you're saying: Whatever, shut up.

In fact, I go and get the flowers myself and put them on the table and give the birthday boy a big hug and say: Thank you for the flowers. It was so sweet of you to remember that this day is as important to me as it is to you (possibly more so, and certainly more memorable because of the "natural childbirth" and all) (I don't say that part out loud).

Hopefully they'll take the hint, eventually. But they're boys, so what are the chances?

This is my heart.

This beautiful genius, this mercurial, obstinate salted-caramel bon bon, this glorious king of everything - this is my heart. This amazing being showed up nine years ago today and started calling me Mama. This boy - my firstborn lunatic - showed me the bottomless Sea of Love. And parked an Aircraft Carrier of Worry on it.

Global Thermonuclear War.

I rented WarGames to watch with the kids on Saturday night. Of course they lost interest as soon as the M&Ms ran out, but my handsome husband and I watched it all the way through. So good.

Letter from Kazakhstan:

Today and tomorrow we are celebrating Nauryz, Kazakh New Year and the first days of spring. We will be offered a variety of horse meat, horse sausage, horse intestine sausage and greasy rice. I'm bringing brownies.

Love,

Em

Vintage horsey figurines for sale at Golden Days Antiques.

Baby, it's (still) cold outside....

Okay, maybe it's not That cold. This is the kind of weather that makes me want to sit on the porch after dinner with a blanket and a library book. You too? I thought so. I made you some springtime garden blankets and sweet pillows to go with them. They're in the shop waiting for you.

Buy some damn art.

Isn't that beautiful? I want to buy it but I don't have $300. Maybe you have $300 and you want to buy this beautiful little painting. And if you didn't like it very much, you could give it to me. Just sayin. Kate Lewis made it and it's available here.

Happy Vernal Equinox, Sweet Peas!

If it works for Lambert....

then it will work for me. When Lambert doesn't know what to post, he treats us to a picture of his pretty face. I don't know what to post today. And I don't have a picture of Lambert's pretty face.

Erin go bragh.

First of all, Slainte. And then, Irish Soda Bread.

3 cups flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, half tsp. salt and 1/3 cup sugar.
Half stick of cold, unsalted butter, cut into chunks and rubbed into the flour until it disappears.
1 cup of currants.
1 cup of buttermilk and 1 egg. You can use a spoon if you don't like touching things (Seamus) but you're going to end up mixing it with your hands anyway, so I just dive right in.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until it's brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
We made one with chopped fresh rosemary too.

This is what it will look like.

For about 40 seconds, and then it will be gone.

Whatever, Ben Franklin.

I love you, but we're breaking up. I know you invented pretty much Everything, and this whole Daylight Savings brainchild of yours was born out of the best possible intentions - kids don't have to ride their bikes home in the dark after lacrosse practice and we all save on candles and stuff.... but really. This whole spring-ahead thing has my knickers in a twist.

Just when I was starting to wake up to a hint of light outside my window, just when I started to feel like I could go for a run at 6AM without being eaten by zombie skunks, just when I started to hope that summer would come again..... I am mercilessly plunged into darkness!

It's been, what? Almost a week now? And it's actually getting Harder to get up every day, Not Easier. So I hope you're happy, Ben - Have fun saving candles.

Awesome magnetic paper doll set by MellyMo.

By dew bess fren.

Ughsh. I woke up yesterday feeling yucky and now have a full blown cold. I usually don't have the opportunity to slow down for a germy sniffle, but Julie told me: If you were a man, you'd just lie down and moan. So I decided to man up and lie down on the couch with a blanket and three hours of Firefly on TV. It's not a super good show but now I'm addicted. Also, I still don't feel good.

pretty pretty picture by Ottilie Simpson.

Color!

So tempted to spray-paint the silverware right now. Who wouldn't be? I found this bright and fabulous and making-my-morning image on poppies & posies.

Opening Day.

It's Opening Day for Little League around here. Seamus is on the Dodgers. One friend suggested I put an orange t-shirt on him under his jersey, so it doesn't burn his skin. I can't rise to that level of Giants fan-dom though - it's too strenuous. I did my volunteer time in the snack shack today, cooking burgers for the hordes. The grill may have caught on fire under my watch, and while I'm not 100% sure it was my fault, I'm 100% sure they won't ask me back. So, I win!

Dodgers also won (6 to 1). Seamus got hit by a pitch and has a sweeeet bruise to show for it.

Apple + Colin = Love!

Yosemite HD from Project Yosemite on Vimeo.

Okay, have you seen this video? It's been making the rounds.... So - my adorable (that's so diminishing, isn't it? He's a manly grown-up. But also adorable) cousin Colin made it! Yea! And they used it in the new iPad video. Totally. I know we should all be mad about intellectual property and the man and stuff, but. iPad!

Don't take my word for it. http://www.apple.com/ipad/ - it's at about 00:58.

Baby, what's better than this?

Mikhael Paskalev - I spy from André Chocron on Vimeo.

Warning: tighty whities and houseplant violence.

Also, thank you dooce for this and so so so many other things.

Bunbun.

Fin has been asking for a rabbit since I made this one and then cruelly gave it to Gilly for her birthday. How could I have been so mean? I've redeemed myself with Bunbun. He's wearing a bathing suit.

Around here....

In like a what? It's March 5th and 70 degrees. The weekend was gorgeous and I was an overeager gardener so now my whole body hurts and there are newly planted hydrangeas and a blueberry bush that will certainly be killed as soon as California remembers that it's still winter.

This is made by hand.

Another crazy beautiful movie from Made by Hand. Without the f-bomb this time, Nicole. Heee!

Death Valley Double.

Today my handsome husband is off riding the Death Valley Double - a two-hundred mile extravaganza of insanity and pain (in the desert). Because 100 miles would not produce nearly enough suffering! Cyclists are weird! I couldn't be more proud!

Above please witness a rare blog sighting of my handsome husband riding up Mount Diablo. Doesn't he look like he's having fun? Also, please note:

1. Above the clouds.

2. 1:27:56 is okay, but you have to be under 1:00:00 to get the cool t-shirt. So, I'm not supposed to be bragging about him.

This is what I'm thinking about.....

1. being my most creative self.

2. kisses.

3. what's for dinner?

Not on the list: my taxes, the laundry.