Julia's magic drawer

A few weeks ago I got out the 6-9 months clothes for Julia to start wearing. It seemed like a rather heavy load of clothes and I was very excited to see how cute she looked in all of them. Well here I am almost 3 weeks later and I have to admit that she still has not worn anything twice. It's amazing. I think her little drawer just keeps producing clothes in that size because just when I think she has gone throgh them all I find something else. It's like magic. Now if only my closet would do that. I feel like she is my very own live doll. Having a girl is so much fun. My sewing room is full of dresses in various sizes and stages of completion. When I go to the fabric district in downtown LA or to the local fabric store everything just seems to be calling her name.
My friend smocked and sewed that sweet little dress above. I love to be matchy matchy with her. But friends, don't get too anxious to see a garter belt type bow in her hair because it just ain't gonna happen.

On a Serious Note

Allow me a social worker moment. I am absolutely SICK over the possible closure of the King-Harbor Hospital in the Watts area. For those of you who don't live in Southern California, King- Harbor(formerly King-Drew) is a much plagued hospital that seems to have a knack for killing rather than saving its patients' lives. (one of its monikers is "killer king") After the watts riots of 1965 this blighted community received news that it would be home to a top of the line hospital. Hope emerged. And now 40 years later, in all likelihood this hospital will be closed down because they are out of compliance and the State is threatening to yank it's license. I wish I could describe how this makes me feel. Isn't it bad enough that the community has to deal with crime, gangs, blight, and chronic unemployment. Is it really too much to ask that they have a decent hospital? I am angry and sad and wish there was something I could do. I spent 4 years working in that community, and met some of the most inspirational and amazing people. I've been in their homes, I've worked with their children, I've shopped in their markets, and I have loved them. Where will they go now? To some other overcrowded, understaffed hospital where they will sit in the waiting room for hours and hours. We have failed them. Will this place just sit empty and desolate, a constant reminder to them that the world has largely forgotten about them. A few miles from the hospital, there is a street leading into Nickerson Gardens Housing Project called Success. Every time I passed that street I was incredulous that someone would have the audacity to name a street in one of the most crime ridden areas "Success". And we wonder why "they" riot?

Mommy's Little Helper

Today Blake and I made strawberry jam. He was actually a pretty good helper. Do you like his apron? Mike went someplace with Blake once and some random lady who makes and sells aprons thought Blake was so cute that she just gave him one. Thanks random lady, I'll take a free snoopy apron anytime.

Our LIttle Merman

We went swimming the other evening and when we opened Blake's swim diapers, we realized much to our amusement, that they were "Little Mermaid" style. (how we didn't notice that when we purchased them is amazing.) Good thing Blake was clueless that he was strutting around in Little Mermaid attire. Thank goodness for swim trunks to cover them. :)

Then, the next day, Blake was playing at his "girlfriend's" house and I forgot to supply my friend with a clean diaper. When I picked him up he was wearing....... you guessed it, a Little Mermaid pullup.

Little Red Hen- Part 2

The other day, Mike picked the first 2 zucchini from our garden. I was so excited that the garden actually produced. Isn't it amazing if you really think about it? I made some yummy zucchini bread with it. If anyone has any good recipes for zucchini send them my way, because I think we are about to get inundated with tons of it.

Saturday Adventures

After reading all the hype about Pinkberry Mike and I decided we needed to try it and see for ourselves if it really was that good. We were already down in West LA yesterday so after a great lunch at one of our favorite little places, we hopped over to Pinkberry in West Hollywood. I was under the impression that this was the only shop they had but much to my happy surprise later learned that there are several others, including one right by Mom's house. It really IS THAT GOOD. They have been targeted lately for advertising their product as "frozen yogurt" when they apparently don't meet the state's requirements for "frozen yogurt". Anyway, I don't really care for yogurt and I find frozen yogurt kind of a boring treat that looses its flavor after the first bite but this was good, really good. It is tart and I love tart things. So good. So good in fact that we had to go back for seconds. And of course, being that we went to the W. Hollywood location, there was a plethora of men wearing no shirts and/or tank tops holding hands. In fact the 2 guys caressing each other in line in front of me were both sporting wife beaters and multiple tattoos.

And you gotta love the parking signs that take about 10 minutes to read. Oh, I miss living in LA. :) We just don't get those signs in the burbs. (or the parking tickets)

Life is a bowl of cherries-until you eat too many.

These yummy cherries were so beautiful that I just had to take a picture of them. (I'm sure you can relate Alyssa) I love this time of year when there are so many great tasting fruits to eat. I couldn't stop eating the cherries out of the bowl until I had eaten almost all of them by myself. Cherry overload. Don't worry, we have more where that came from. Happy Summer everyone.

NPR Guilt

First off, I really enjoy listening to NPR. I find their stories fascinating and it saves my brain from turning to mush considering the fact that I converse with a 2 year old and a 4 month old all day long. I even had Mike install a radio under my kitchen cabinets a few months back so I could enrich my brain while doing dishes and other mundande kitchen duties. That being said, I have severe guilt over the fact that even though I listen to NPR everyday as much as possible, I always turn it off during the pledge drives because I don't want to give them money. Once again it is pledge drive time and I have sworn off NPR for the next few days because the guilt is too much. I know I should just give them some money but alas my cheapness prevents me. How rude of me.