happiest place...anywhere!

oh, man! is there anything better than taking your newly-turned-5-year-old-little-guy to disneyland? (lish got to have his own very special adventure at ceecee and "opi's".)

it was wy's second visit, and it was so cool seeing how much his interests (and scary factor tolerance) has grown since last summer! I mean, the kid went on splash mountain this time for crying out loud! he's a big/little guy now! however, i'm happy to say, small world was still in his top three rides. 

warms my heart! what a day! 

thanks, p & wy, for another precious memory!

the dad department.

i must say, in the dad department, i've done very well for myself, and so have my Littles. of course, there is my dad-one of the hardest working, most motivated, and funniest of the funny people that i know. and then there is my husband-the backbone of our family-my rock.

these two men are a big source of love in my life!

happy father's day, you two!
thank you for surrounding your family with love & laughter!

it's friday.

Grab a cup of coffee/tea and listen to this while you look at this.

Happy Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the day!

it's time!

is it true? oh Time. do you really have to pass so quickly? seems like just yesterday i was swaddling this little package up tightly in the wee hours of the night-just me and my Bubby. 

happy happy birthday, my buddy! number 5! what a day! you had a blast with your buddies: you jumped, you hot dogged, you freed those presents from their paper, you s'mored. and to top off the fun tank with a little more extra special sauce, you learned how to "train your dragon" once the sun was done.

it was a good day!//


and i love you!***

the very thing this world needed.

My Wy & Plum,

thank you for being the fun-loving, sweet little characters that you are. you bring so much love to our lives. wy you are so full of curiousity and observation, it's inspiring. you truly are a gentle and loving soul. Li Plum, your sweet little voice is one of my favorite sounds. you're my little funny fireball!

 and oh-watching you two together, well it may just be the meaning of life.

you two are my very favorites! and i am happier beyond words that you are here. you are the very thing this world needed.

i hope that i bring as much happiness and love into your lives as you have to mine. 

 i am so proud and honored to be your Mama.

xoxo, Mama

Napa...

...according to me.

Solage, French Laundry, Bottega, Nickel&Nickel, Cakebread, Market, and Twomey-you did not disappoint. it was the most decadent of all decadent weekends!

 p & k, what can i say? you two have my heart! this is a memory that is going down with the "bestest"of them!

it's a good life! xoxoxo

A Night at the Laundry

if ever i questioned if food could be art, i was shown the answer at the French Laundry.

this was a night that goes down as one of the best. i'm not one to obsess about food. for those of you who know me well, you know my recipe reportoire does not venture too far past pasta dishes, but a night at the Laundry, and man oh man, i have been baptized a "foodie". 

To sum up, let me just say at one point our server appeared with an assistant-that's right, an assistant, who held a humidor which contained the largest (and only) black truffle i have ever seen. he then proceeded to grate an obscene amount onto my english pea ravioli. 

darn you, French Laundry! you have jedi-mind-tricked my taste buds forever!