so
much
rain

RAIN 

RAIN 

EVERYWHERE

Brett had two daddy/daughter dates this weekend.

Sydney Daddy Daughter:

Hollywood. Walk of Stars. Kodak Theatre.

Ali/Sydney Daddy Daughter:

Beverly Hills for a trolley ride with Santa and Mrs. Claus to see the Old Hollywood homes of Julie Andrews, Bing Crosby. 

Rodeo Drive

 We all went to the NEWPORT BOAT PARADE on Balboa Island Sunday night. This will definitely become a new tradition. It was so much fun. We ate dinner with Mark and Julianne and then drove across to Balboa Island, parked right up on the little beach and watched as the yachts decked their boats out with lights and paraded past us. 

Gingerbread houses with Spencer. Spencer's home!

Kate came over and watched for a bit. 

Our first time with a yearly friend tradition to go to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles followed by lights and then a dessert party. A big piece of fried chicken with a waffle on the side. It was so fun being packed in like sardines and eating, chatting.

Under these covers are all of the kids watching Sing Off downstairs. 

Gotta go. Kate is dumping my colored paper all over the floor...

What do you think about this concept?

I Go Back To The House For A Book

I turn around on the gravel and go back to the house for a book, something to read at the doctor's office, and while I am inside, running the finger of inquisition along a shelf, another me that did not bother to go back to the house for a book heads out on his own, rolls down the driveway, and swings left toward town, a ghost in his ghost car, another knot in the string of time, a good three minutes ahead of me — a spacing that will now continue for the rest of my life.

Billy Collins

This is what I deal with every day. It's pretty serious.

Is that Kate? Wait, how did she get on the table and do that in 3 seconds?

"KAAAAATE! NO NOOO."

Research on Dec. 17

Is it possible to have too much mint during the holidays? I've done a lot of research on this topic. A lot. It has taken concentration and frankly..much time, effort, and sacrifice.

The conclusive evidence all points to the answer NO. Never, ever can you have too much mint. Ever. :) :) :)

GREATEST ALL-TIME TV SHOW ON PLANET EARTH

Are you ready to see what it is? It must be pretty amazing to be the greatest all-time show. Here it is...

SESAME STREET

I am falling in love all over again with Sesame Street along with my little babe, Kate. Seriously, it is the best.

Examples: Today the word on the street was HEALTHY. The veggies were on strike yelling things like "What do we want?! Appreciation! When do we want it?! NOW!"

Then Anderson Cucumber from VNN (vegetable news network), complete with the gray cool hair came to report on the strike. Classic lines during this sketch "Hey! Don't get yourselves in a stew over this!"

Just as the veggies yell into their megaphone, "That's the last straw! I say we leave Sesame Street!," the whole cast sings a song from Bye Bye Birdie called "We love you Vegetables oh yes we do" to try to convince them to stay. In the end, Zoe finally tries her broccoli, realizing she loves it and she and the broccoli do a song and dance number...

Example from Yesterday: A cow comes out of the beauty parlor complete with bouffant blonde hairdo and a pedicure. She can't seem to get down the stairs and is crying. Of course, Super Grover flies in, crashes and asks her what is wrong. He says, "Why are you crying? You wanted brunette instead of blonde? Highlights too expensive?" Sniff Sniff. " No Supah Grovah, (she is from the south) I cayn't seem to get down!" Sniff sniff. He finally figures out how to put up a ramp and the pedicured cow gets down.

Kate is obsessed with Elmo right now. She wakes up singing the Elmo song and points to my TV. I don't know how to explain to her that it isn't always on. It makes me so happy that I'm entertained as much as she is while we watch.

More about today's show: Now there is a capital letter T singing "Hey There Delilah" singing about being a letter T. "Hey there I'm Tommy..." complete with a soul patch, playing a guitar and wearing a black band t-shirt with a capital T on it.

Ellen Pompeo from Grey's Anatomy is the guest actor talking about being healthy. Here is a cute one with Jason Bateman.

Or how about this one with Feist?

I'm glad we had this conversation so now you know about the greatest all-time tv show. Better than MASH, better than Brady Bunch. Better than Modern Family or Castle, or Law and Order, SVU, CPA, LLC, etc. Better than Bewitched and better than Magnum P.I. For sure better than Solid Gold and Starsky and Hutch. Ok I'll stop now. e