My Girl Marion, or, Who Saw That One Coming?

Everyone said Julie Christie was going to win Best Actress. I figured, sure. She's won before, she's in the twilight of her career, she is wholly authentic, and Oscar loves diversity in leading ladies (thank you, Jessica Tandy). I have learned never to bet on Supporting Actress--you just never know whose name is going to be called. But last night, when Marion Cotillard won for La Vie en Rose, I almost jumped out of the couch. I love me some Edith Piaf, but Marion took her to place even I didn't think the great Le Mome could have gone. She was sublime. Félicitation, ma fille chérie. Vous êtes vraiment le petit moineau.

Shoes! Shoes! Or, Kiss that $50 Goodbye

Emma was in need of shoes with soles, so off to the big N. we went. She has these tiny feet, so narrow, but I found Stride Rite Mary Jane's with just a hit of metallic pizzazz. How much? $49.51 with tax. The thing is, I'm neither horrified nor surprised. I had the opposite problem as a child; my feet were a triple E width until I was about 10. There was one store on the West Side that sold shoes for kids with odd sizes, and my mother spent at least $50 a pair on shoes for me--and wer're talking 1979 here. Did it pay off? Well, my feet are perfectly formed and pain-free, despite their continuing state of pudge. I will gladly buy put garage sale playclothes on the kids, I will buy them $4 outfits at Target with glee, but I will not, will not, will not put cheap shoes on my girls. If there was ever a get what you pay for scenario, my children having healthy little piggies is it.

Recent News, or, Stuff I Always Mean To Mention, But So Often Forget

1. Emma decided to talk on 2-2-08 and promptly announced six words to the world. Toes, Mama, Daddy, cup, shoe, milk. More have appeared every day since, which tells me they were always in there but she wasn't interested in having to do the work. I get where she's coming from. Talking is sometimes overrated.

2. The demolition for our family room is tentatively scheduled for March 29. Depending on if Bill gets a new job before then (very likely) that date may move up, since he'll burn all his vacation time first and then quit.

3. The new furniture for said room is here. http://www.potterybarnkids.com/room/rom/romply/romplycmw/index.cfm

4. My trip to Ikea with Betsy Sellers is next week and I cannot wait. http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/IkeaNearYouView?storeId=12&catalogId=11001&langId=-1&StoreName=pittsburgh

I just want to get out of Cleveland and breathe some other state's air, even if it is Pittsburgh.

5. My 92-year old grandmother voted for Barack Obama in the California primary. http://www.barackobama.com/index.php She said that '08 is likely to be her last Presidential election, and she wants her vote to make a real difference in this country, because she's tired of the "birdbrains" running the show.

6. Helen knows all her letters by sight and can count 1-5. She's not yet 18 months old.

7. I finally won a game of International Rummy with the Grobles. It only took a wheel of baked brie, two pots of coffee, and some damn good chocolate cake, but I pulled it off. http://alpha.fdu.edu/~knapp/intrummy.html It was the same night Obama spanked Clinton in three states and the Virgin Islands. Coincidence? I don't think so.

8. My friend Sally Z. says her New Year's resolution was "follow through" and that after a month and a half of making it a consistent habit she thinks she's got it licked. After a month and a half, I still don't have a New Year's resolution. Lazy? Or realistic? I'm just not sure.

Crazy Hair, or, Helen's First Sally Experience

Helen has been having herself some crazy hair. As Twin A, she seemed to do everything a little bigger, faster, and louder than Ittle, but Pudge's hair was really a point of departure for them. While Emma still has a natural Nascar mullet, Helen's hair would appear each morning in her eyes, sticking straight up, around her ears, with a little curl dangling precariously down her back and into her shirt collar. What's a girl to do? So I schlepped her off to Sally (http://www.luciasthesalon.com/) for her first real haircut. I know other women who try the home kitchen cut that first time. Not me. I know my limitations and while I can clip a kid's nails while reading War and Peace and making a mean hollandaise, approaching one of my children with scissors is not something I feel the need to try. Helen was not an enthralled with the mirrors in the place as Ellie is, but she sure did like being the center of attention for once, and with just a little pinwheel in hand, was a super trooper the entire time. N.B.--bring your kid's own booster seat to the barber! Helen had no trouble sitting in her own seat, safely strapped in, happy as a clam.

Look at that punim. How can you not be totally in love with the Pudge?