Wordless Wednesday: Boys Spring Haircuts - 2013 Edition

Before haircuts - obviously

As promised: photographic evidence from the boys spring haircuts a couple of weeks ago, before and after. And then even some fun together afterwards: goofing around on the Riverside Park cannonballs, a thing that never seems to get old, even if Ethan has long outgrown the playground.

First: Shaggy!

During: Ethan in the chair, Jake checking out his new 'do in the mirror.

And after: Shorn!

Cannonballs!

Happy Spring everyone!

November Round-Up: What I Loved on OTHER People's Blogs

Old Door, Los Angeles by Neil Kramer

Welcome to the November edition of my monthly "What I Loved on OTHER People's Blogs" feature. The place where I share what has caught my eye (and brain, and heart) on the internet over the past month. As usual, there's some really great reading here.

Also, as usual, I am also featuring the work of my friend and amazing intstagram photographer Neil Kramer - of the blog  Citizen of the Month. He's been in LA all this month, so if you're in the cold dreary East like me, you can enjoy the La La Land sunshine vicariously through his photos.

Parking by Neil Kramer

So now, without further ado, may I offer you some awesome stuff to read & view:

Grace, via jump rope by Mir of Woulda Coulda Shoulda 

The Advantages Of Being Never Not Broken. by Eden of Edenland

Airplane, California by Neil Kramer

When Does Different Become Dysfunctional? by Bec of Snagglebox

The other shoe by Jessica of Four plus an angel

Reflection in laptop by Neil Kramer

The Only People Who Should Be Called Nazis Are Nazis by Ali from Cheaper than Therapy

The Differences Will Make All The Difference by Jenni of Mommy Nani Booboo

Shades of Gray by Tracy of Sellabit Mum

Back, Los Angeles by Neil Kramer

Scent of cardinals by Kris of Pretty All True

Untitled by Anna of An Inch of Gray

Morning Rush, Los Angeles by Neil Kramer

An Open Letter by Heather of The Extraordinary Ordinary

An Open Letter by Vikki of Up Popped a Fox

What America Means To Me by Neil Kramer

Ways to make your next IEP awesome by Lexi of Mostly True Stuff

How Facebook Reconnected Me To My Ex-BoyFriend’s Wonky Groove by Renée of renée a. schuls-jacobson's blog 

Windows by Neil Kramer

Hope you found something new and interesting to read. Or re-discovered an old "friend" of a blog that fell of your reading list.

And if you come across anything in the course of your reading that you think "This is a fantastic thing that is just up Varda's alley, she should read this and feature it in her monthly round-up post!"? Let me know about it via Twitter - @SquashedMom.

Photos by Neil Kramer

October Round-Up: What I Loved on OTHER People's Blogs

Bench, Georgia Photo Walk by Neil Kramer

Welcome to the October edition of my monthly "What I Loved on OTHER People's  Blogs" feature. The place where I share what has caught my eye (and brain, and heart) on the internet over the past month.

As usual, I hope you will find old friends here as well as wonderful new reads.  

Also, as usual, I am featuring many photos from my friend and amazing intstagram photographer  Neil Kramer - of the blog  Citizen of the Month. October was a traveling month for Neil, so besides NYC we get his wonderful and unique view of Georgia as well as LA, his other home.

Enjoy!

Watching the World, LA by Neil Kramer

Bits and pieces by Veronica (V-Grrrl) of Compost Studios

Freedom of Speech by Spectrummy Mummy of Spectrummy Mummy

I talked to a bunch of third graders... and I liked it. by Lizbeth of Four Sea Stars

Out of Business - Queens, NYC by Neil Kramer

Are We Allowed To Talk About The Rampant Objectification And Sexualised Violence Towards Women? by Eden of Edenland

Dear Rep. Joe Walsh: I DO EXIST by Cecily of Uppercase Woman at Babble Voices

Shadow by Neil Kramer

Because "love" should be a verb and "retard" should never be a noun. by Kimberly (Grady Doctor) of Reflections of a Grady Doctor

An Open Letter to Ann Coulter by guest John Franklin Stephens at The World of Special Olympics

Wall, LA by Neil Kramer

To Friends by Jennie of Anybody Want a Peanut?

The healing quality of the dance party. by Jo-Ann of Punky Mama

Bittersweet Amazingness. (The ghost of PPD) by Jenni of Mommy Nani Booboo

Sunset, LA by Neil Kramer

Married with Children… Special Children by Jim of Just a Lil' Blog at ChildsWork's ChildsPlay Blog

bob dylan’s brain by Meredith (camerashymomma) of the~spirit~of~the~river

Three Stories by Neil of Citizen of the Month

The Valley, LA by Neil Kramer

Hope you found something new and interesting to read. Or re-discovered an old "friend" of a blog that fell of your reading list.

And if you come across anything in the course of your reading that you think "This is a fantastic thing that is just up Varda's alley, she should read this and feature it in her monthly round-up post!"? Let me know about it via Twitter - @SquashedMom.

Rockefeller Center, NYC by Neil Kramer

(And finally three more wonderful Neil photos, just because...)

Photos by Neil Kramer

Wordless Wednesday: Cheerful Things

Ethan has taken up Soccer!

I fully realize yesterday's post while lyrical, was also quite melancholic. And though that's just the way I've been rolling lately, I don't want to constantly be bringing you all down with me.

So in an effort to lighten things up around here... may I offer a few pictures of some cheerful things from the past week or so:

I saw THIS while passing the Guggenheim on the 5th Avenue bus. Cool.

Jake went to a birthday party and got a balloon

My latest pedicure: electric metallic blue!

Ethan's soccer shoes: electric metallic blue!

Finally: Ethan playing basketball 1 on 1 with a Globetrotter!

And THIS right here? Much more news tomorrow. The Harlem Globetrotters are AWESOME and you can find out for yourself on October 7th! (Come back tomorrow to hear all about it, or scroll down to the bottom of THIS POST if you just can't wait.)

Counting up to TEN!

Double digits?

Yep, we got 'em!

Ten years ago today at exactly this time, 10:12 in the morning, you came into this world, my sons.

(Jake I know your birth certificate says 10:13 but that's just a formality because your head was out and you were screaming your lungs out in protest while it was still 10:12. Believe me, even drugged up on the c-section happy juice, I remember that.)

I have already told the story here (twice!) of how amazing that day was: last year when you turned nine, and the year before that when you became eight. So no need to rehash.

Let me just say, I am so excited as you stand here, on the cusp of your official "tweendom," headed soon into teenagehood and so much more beyond that.

Being an older mom (and feeling more and more ancient each day) can be very useful, sometimes. It means I have friends with much older (even adult) children, helps me to have some perspective on this whole growing-up-process thingie.

I know that the transformations to come will surprise and astound all of us. I look ahead three short years and see you already have a Bar Mitzvah date (October 10, 2015 if you're into long range planning).

Ethan, this is your last year of elementary school, and middle school awaits (and getting you into a good one, the bane of NYC public school existence, is my nearly full time job for the next few months). There is so much you have been looking forward to about this, your "senior" year, most of all when you will dominate the basketball court as a 5th grader.

Jacob, you have finished your two years as a "Level Two" student at your wonderful school, and are moving up to "Level Three" with new teachers in a new building. I hope the transition goes smoothly for you, and that this year's teachers will love you as much as your last. I'm thinking with how lovable you are, they certainly will, and promise I will be by your side to make sure you feel safe secure and happy as you negotiate the changes.

And, as much as I am looking forwards, birthdays always make me look backwards, too. So here it is, counting up to ten:

ZERO (1 day old)

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN! (and impossible to get them in one photo together)

Happy Birthday again, my wonderful sons, the adventure continues...