First I have to say that this Lip Service was the best one ever.  I don’t know why really.  Just felt great.

And we raised $1,274 for Haiti by passing the hat.  Thank you Lip Service!

Here’s my story.  Let me know what you think. Thanks for watching.

Today while Tashi and I were walking home from Sophie’s house, because Tashi had a sleepover, she told me she watched Peter Pan, the real movie, which meant it had actors instead of animation. I asked which she liked better, cartoons or real people and she said, “That’s a hard one.”

She told me Peter Pan was very sad. I asked why and she stopped walking. She said, “Peter came to the window and Wendy was having a party.” Her face got squished up and then she put her hands over your eyes and cried, real tears. She said, “Peter couldn’t go in.”

I watched her in pain and started to cry too. Then we both laughed.

We talked about how movies that make you cry are really good, even though they make you cry.

She asked me if Peter Pan was real and I said no. She asked if Mama Mia was real and I said no. Then she asked about the Sound of Music and I said, yes. I think that’s a true story.

She was wearing hot pink, glittery disco pants, a pinkish-purple, Puma T-shirt and hot-pink high tops. Mima took her shopping yesterday for your birthday.

She is a mix of super hip and cool and so sensitive and sweet. If I were her age, I’d definitely want to be friends with her.

Sebastian took a step yesterday. To the side. He stood with his hands out, not holding on. He stepped to the left with his left foot. His right foot followed. Then he sat down. He is 11 months and 13 days old. He’s a big boy.

Dear Posterity,

I realize I’ve been writing post-it notes about the fun or cool or noteworthy things that have been going on lately and not writing them down anywhere, except on post-it notes.  So right now, on the day after Christmas, while my family is at a kid’s birthday party and I am home alone because Victoria took the kids and gave me a pass, I will write them down.

1.  Tashi gave away all her Princess possessions.  The princess phase is OVER.  On the day before her 6th birthday, we cleaned out her closet and her toy chest (which is actually  her whole room) to make way for new toys.  We do this every once in a while.  I talk about how she has so much and how there are many children who don’t have very much at all.  I think she understands this concept because two years ago Tashi and I went to a small town in Guatemala and stayed in a little bungalow and the  woman in charge of the bungalow we stayed in lived in another bungalow right next to it.  She had a daughter named Luna, who was a year or so older than Tashi.  The two girls played together on hammocks outside our bungalows.  Luna and Tashi were playing inside our bungalow one night with two Brats that Tashi brought with her.  They were Teen Brats, not the slinky, sexy, hoochie-mama adult Brats.  Luna loved these Brats. I mean, LOVED.  She talked about how bella they were and once she discovered them, that was it for swinging on hammocks.  Before we left, I asked Tashi if she wanted to give Luna one of her Brats.  Tashi did.  I don’t remember how that went down, maybe Tashi was struck by how little Luna had. Luna had one doll to her name.  But I doubt it.  I probably made a deal with Tashi, which I do often.  ”You give Luna one of your Brats and I’ll let you eat dinner tonight. Deal?”

Deals worked so well for so long.  But now that Tashi’s six, she’s constantly trying to strike a deal with me.  ”I’ll have one cookie and you can have one cookie.  Deal?”

However it happened, Tashi gave Luna a Brat and I was so proud of my sweet, generous girl.  The next year I went back to Guatemala alone and brought Luna another Brat.  A gift from Tashi.

My point about Luna is that we talk about Luna whenever we clean out her toy chest.  So I think she understands that some people don’t have as much stuff as she has.  I worry a lot about this concept and don’t know how to actually teach my children to appreciate all they have.  I’m working on it.  I wanted to donate toys to needy children this year for Xmas, but didn’t figure out how to do that in time. I will next year.  I hope.  I want to.

So the day before Tashi turned six, she was really cool about clearing out and giving away her old things.  Not cool about everything.  She clung to a Barbie head that looks demented, in my opinion.  Not only because it’s just a head, but because it has blue lipstick, which is probably nail polish or maybe permanent marker, and other “make-up” and the hair…I just don’t like that thing.  But I didn’t make any deals about it because Tashi gave away four princess costumes, two sets of wings, two magic wands, three crowns, her Ariel backpack, a Sleeping Beauty bag, plastic glass slippers, and more.  I couldn’t believe it.  My girl is growing up.

There’s more, but I’m tired.

Love,

Andrea

My Miserable, Lonely,Pregnancy got on someone’s top 10 list for 2009!   I’m there with Dave Eggers and some guy who won the Booker Prize!!!  See below or go to ShelfAWARENESS.  My Mis would make a great stocking stuffer!

Not as exciting sounding as THE IMPROV, but that’s where I’m gonna be telling stories and raising funds tonight.  Don’t miss it.  Wachovia Bank, 2555 Ponce, Coral Gables.  6:30 pm. $35 for the Women’s Fund.  Includes booze and food.

This was my last show, performing with William “Rock the House” Lewis.  Here he is wrapping his belly with raffle tickets for Lauren’s Light.  Twice around William’s belly for $100.  What a deal!

I just logged onto to the back pages of this thing and saw that I had three pending comments. I pretend I don’t give a shit who reads my blog or if anyone reads it at all, but when I saw those three comments sitting there waiting to be approved, I’ll admit, my heart started pacing. Then I read the first comment: “I stumbled across your blog while searching online for debt relief…” I marked it as spam. I read the second comment: “I stumbled across your blog while searching for yeast infection relief.”

Ohhh. My heartbeat slowed. No one reads my blog. Not even my mom.

My mom’s thinking about having a New Year’s Eve party. She asked me if I would come. I made a face that meant, “Maybe, if nothing better comes up.”
She said, “Oh, I get it. If one of your lezzie friends has a party, we’re out.”
She was right.
Now I’m wondering: is this progress, my mom saying lezzie?