Living With Kids: Thea Rattner-Pietig
Today’s home tour features Thea, a mom of 2 living in Connecticut. Thea’s story is a reminder that life doesn’t always work out the way we expect it to, but may work out the way it should. It reads a little bit like a romantic comedy — Thea’s best friend’s little brother, who she teased as a kid, and then dated for a bit in her early 20s, is the person she ended up with after her first marriage ended. Thea’s home is classic and elegant, and feels so livable. You’re really going to love it. Welcome, Thea!
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? It was a fun education-focused week at the Blair House. Monday was the first day of school in Oakland, Ralph registered for classes for this semester — they start this coming Monday. And Maude arrives home from New York this evening. Her classes start Monday after next. (That’s Olive above, pictured on her first day of Senior Year — she gets to attend high school for two weeks before she heads to the South of France where she’ll be an Au Pair this year.)
This weekend, our big event is Oscar’s Eagle Project. He’s building a Little Free Library that will live near his middle school, and he has recruited members of his troop, and other friends and carpentry-tool-owning grownups to help. : ) We’ll also be helping Maude go through her things, so she can move into her near-campus apartment next week.
How about you? Has back to school season hit yet? Or are you still enjoying summer break? Either way, I’ve got some terrific links for you this weekend. Here are a few things I’ve wanted to share:
…What Were You Almost Named As A Baby?
Last week, someone on Twitter posed the question: What were you almost named as a baby? It got me reminiscing. Both Ben Blair and I had almost-names as babies. I was almost named Shoshana — in fact, I swear there’s some document in my baby book that lists the name Shoshana, written before my parents settled on Gabrielle. (I should go find my baby book and remember what it is! Also, I know it’s not a baby picture, but that’s me above. I think I’m age 3 or 4 in this image.)
Here are the names of me and my siblings: Jake, Rachel, Sara, Joshua, Gabrielle, Jared, Jordan, Salem. Do you think Shoshana would be a better fit in that grouping?
…Living With Kids: Ann Farnsworth
Note from Design Mom: This is a home tour from October 2015 that you may have missed. It’s full of wisdom on parenting and aging and loss. I needed a dose of Ann’s perspective today, so I’m republishing it.
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Ann is so great. I read her words, and they fill me with such warmth. I love when people have dreams and add them to their daily to-do lists.
If you’re a young parent or just dreaming about kids, I hope you find Ann’s words to be a sort of manual. (I don’t want to spoil the ending, but it’s all going to work out as it should. And you’re going to be great at this.) If you’ve been parenting a while or even grand-parenting, you’re going to love this, too. Ann’s words are like a giant hug and a pinch of inspiration.
Please jump right in to hear about this big family and how their well-worn house helped grow them all. Welcome, Ann!
…Cruelty for Cruelty’s Sake
Perhaps you missed this story if you’re not much of a news watcher, but last week, on the first day of school in Mississippi, ICE raided a poultry processing factory and rounded up 680 immigrants. Even though the raid was planned well in advance, there was no warning for the affected families. Which means their kids came home from the first day of school to find the house locked and their parents gone without a word.
You may have seen heart-breaking footage of these children, who are American citizens, crying and begging for their parents back.
Please note: The raid was planned in advance. But the planners did not call Child Protective Services so that they could prepare to receive these suddenly orphaned children.
This is cruelty for cruelty’s sake.
It may remind you of this passage in Anne Frank’s journal:
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? How was your week? I’m writing this from somewhere above 10,000 feet, headed back to Oakland from New York City. We had a fabulous time! What a treat to watch my kids get reacquainted with the city, and to see Maude confidently navigating her way around. You can see all my stories from our trip here.)
This feels like an important weekend. School starts on Monday so this is the official end of Summer Vacation. We were able to get Oscar’s class schedule before we left, but registration for Betty and June happened while we were in New York, so Monday could be a bit stressful as we sort things out.
One happy thing for Monday, while we were in New York, I took the kids on one-on-one back to school dates so they could pick an outfit out for the first day. So even if there’s some red tape to scramble through, they’ll be feeling confident. : )
Ready for your weekend links? The two biggest stories I was following this week were about the El Paso and Dayton mass shootings, and about the ICE raid in Mississippi where 680 immigrants were rounded up. I have separate posts drafted on both of those stories, so watch for those. In the meantime, here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share:
…Living With Kids: Jaclyn DiMaggio
Isn’t it great to meet people from all over the country and learn about how their lives are so similar to your own, but also different in their own way? I can’t wait for you to meet Jaclyn today. She and her family live in Baltimore, Maryland.
Baltimore has had some ugly things said about it in the news lately, but hearing Jaclyn talk about it it sounds amazing — urban, but family friendly, full of museums and restaurants and parks. Jaclyn is getting towards the tail end of “toddlerhood” with her kids, and speaks really lovingly about that fun and crazy phase of life. Welcome, Jaclyn!
…New York City!!
I’m writing this from SFO. I’m sitting with Ben Blair, Olive, Oscar, Betty and June. And we are about to board a flight to New York City!!!! This is our official summer trip and we’re super excited about it.
In April 2009, after living there for eight years, we said goodbye to New York, and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge one last time. It’s almost unbelievable to me, but in that whole decade, I’m the only one who has traveled back to New York. I end up going for work once or twice a year, but no one else in the family has had any reason to go back. So strange to think about. I mean, three of our kids were born there!
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? Did you have a good week? Happily, my mini-high school reunion stretched a bit and we ended up getting a third day together. So yesterday (Friday), we drove to Muir Woods National Monument (pictured above) so we could see some gorgeous redwood trees. I hadn’t been there in a couple of years and loved being back. It feels like a sacred spot to me.
Ben Blair flew to Utah very early yesterday morning — he’s speaking at the Sunstone Summer Symposium in Salt Lake City today. And Olive took care of everything during the overlap and beyond. Turns out I did not get enough sleep during the mini-reunion and was a bit wiped out when I got home. Hah! And Olive made sure the younger three made it to swim team practice, ordered pizza for dinner, and gathered them to watch a movie after dinner. Everyone stepped up and were such good sports. Gosh we have wonderful kids. I appreciate them so much.
I didn’t get much time online this week, but I was still able to gather some excellent links for you. Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share:
…Living With Kids: Cortissa Scheiderich
Every family can be busy and hectic in their own way, but I was struck by how many complicated moving parts Cortissa and her husband are managing. They have 5 kids. Cortissa homeschools them. They produce, run, and star in a home design YouTube channel. And one of their kids lives in another state to attend intensive dance training.
But they seem to manage it all with grace and dignity. Cortissa’s home is a lovely and you’ll really enjoy getting to hear about their unique and fun family. Welcome, Cortissa!
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? How was your week? I just landed from a 24 hour trip to Utah for a wedding. It was lovely — the bride’s family is English-speaking, and the groom’s family is Spanish-speaking, and the whole ceremony, and the toasts, and all of it were done bi-lingual. Just delightful — the event was full of love and so inclusive.
We’re looking forward to a summery weekend. We have another wedding reception on Saturday (this one is local), a swim meet, a scouting event, and a few other odds and ends. How about you? Any plans for the weekend?
Ready for your link list? Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share:
…Living With Kids: Karen Walrond
I couldn’t be more impressed with Karen Walrond. Karen is a life coach, a podcaster, a photographer, a corporate trainer, a lawyer, and an author. As I scrolled through her podcast episodes I downloaded at least eight that I knew I needed to listen to immediately.
But it’s not just her work that’s impressive, it’s also Karen’s compelling story, including this major plotline: her family’s home was completely destroyed in 2017 by Hurricane Harvey. It was horribly devastating and they lost almost everything. Yet Karen’s life is full of joy and hope and light.
I think you’ll love getting to know her as much as I did and taking a peek at her amazing home — the one they built after Harvey. Welcome, Karen!
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? I had a really lovely trip to North Carolina this week. Ben Blair and I spent a few days in The Triangle (the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area). It’s SO GREEN. And the food is SO GOOD. The shot above was taken at West Point at the Eno River.
We’re home now and I’ve got lots of Alt Summit deadlines happening. For example: 1) A fresh new website launched this week. 2) Tickets for the 2020 conference go on sale on Tuesday. And 3) I’ve got a site visit to Palm Springs early next week to go over venue spaces.
What’s on your plate these days? Anything you’re excited about? Has the heat wave hit your area? How do you handle it? Ready for the link list? Here are a few things I’ve wanted to share:
…Living With Kids – Richlie Fikes
Richlie and her husband are house flippers and DIYers and have some of the most unique and interesting ideas for repurposing I’ve ever seen! Their family has lived in Coloma, Michigan for 7 generations, so they flip homes because they love it (and it’s a great business for them), but also because they feel a sense of connection to the past as they bring these old homes back to life. Welcome, Richlie!
…Recipe: Lemon Chiffon Cake with Berries
Hello, Friends! I’m traveling today, so I asked Lindsey if she’d be up for sharing one of her favorite recipes. Happily she said yes — but I had no idea it would be a gorgeous recipe. I mean look at that cake! Plus, as you may or may not know, I’m a total fan girl of any lemon dessert. I can’t wait to try this.
Here’s what Lindsey says:
Today, I’m sharing one of my family’s very favorite cake recipes — Lemon Chiffon Cake with Berries. I can’t claim the credit on this one; I first made it when I was part of a baking group in the early days of blogging. It’s from a book called Sky High Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne. But I have tweaked it a bit here and there, and added the berry decoration (and sometimes I even place sliced berries between the lemon curd-filled layers).
This is a top-notch cake that isn’t as complicated to make as it seems.
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? How was your week? Last night our kids got back from Cousins Week 2019 — the 10 year anniversary of that tradition! It was started by my sister Sara, and it has done remarkable job of keeping the cousins connected, even though my siblings and I often live far apart.
This year, my brother Salem organized it. It seemed like it was going to be a smaller group this year, but the plans were so enticing, that more and more people wanted to come — and then everybody wanted to come because it felt like everybody else was going to be there. FOMO is such a strong pull. Hah! Salem did an amazing job. Our kids are exhausted, but happy.
No big plans for us this weekend, but Ben Blair and I have a short trip to North Carolina next week, and we’re heading out on a red-eye Sunday night. Ralph also has a trip starting Sunday — he’s traveling to France for a few weeks, and really excited to spend time with friends there.
How about you? How is your summer going? Ready to dive into weekend links? Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share:
…Living With Kids: Kimberly Knowle-Zeller
Please say hello to Kimberly Knowle-Zeller. She and her husband are both pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran church and live in the incredibly charming sounding town of Cole Camp, Missouri. They currently live in a parsonage, a home that is owned by the church where Stephen, Kimberly’s husband, currently works. It is a little like renting — except your community are essentially your landlords, and there is a lot of history in the home. Welcome, Kimberly!
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. Happy Independence Day! How are you? I know lots of people are feeling conflicted about celebrating today. And I totally get it. Here’s some of what I’m seeing and hearing out there.
1- This man is one of several people who have explained they feel like they can’t celebrate freedom when we have so many asylum seekers in cages (many of them children!), and so many citizens sitting in jail cells for things like being too poor to pay $500 of bail, or for marijuana charges — a drug that’s now legal in many states. They are celebrating the idea or concept of freedom instead.
2- Several people I follow have said if you read one thing on the 4th of July, it should be this painful, necessary, infuriating read in the Atlantic titled “The Detention Camps at the Border Are a Crime.”
3- Poets.org helps us remember that America doesn’t always act as inclusively as we should.
4- This woman is reminding people that wherever you live in America, you are on land that was taken from native tribes and communities. She includes a link where you can look up the original peoples of your land. According the map, I’m living on land that belonged to the Chochenyo tribes.
5- George Takei, who knows what it means to be in an American concentration camp, wrote this today about cherishing the promise of America:
6- This essay by Frederik Douglass, titled “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” comes highly recommended as the best thing ever written about this holiday.
7- This man used to work overseas in counterterrorism, but now works in his hometown as a local cop. His focus today is on FDRs Four Freedoms.
8- You can find the Close The Camps patriotic pie here.
How are you feeling today? We watched fireworks last night, and then slept in this morning. We were originally planning to go to a local parade, but didn’t end up making it. (Oops!) No big plans for the rest of our day beyond watermelon and popsicles. : )
Before I sign off for the long weekend, here are a few things I’ve wanted to share:
…Living With Kids – Judit Fortelny
Today I’d like to introduce you to Judit Fortelny. When Judit and her husband were younger, an opportunity came up to move into a small (700 sq ft) flat in the heart of downtown Vienna, Austria. They moved in, unsure of how long they planned on staying, and are still there many years and two kids later. They have done a few renovations to make separate spaces for kids and adults, but have found a lot of happiness living an urban, cozy and minimalist lifestyle. Welcome, Judit!
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? Did you have a good week? I felt like the news this week was emotionally hard. Lots more details are coming out about the detention/concentration camps and it’s hard to comprehend. But I did find the first debates for the democratic presidential nominee really hopeful. It was wonderful to hear all these intelligent people talking about real issues, and real solutions.
Our weekend plans include the first swim meet of the year, and a big planning session to figure out the rest of the summer. : ) How about you?
Ready to jump into the link list? Here are a few things I’ve wanted to share:
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