Pittsburgh-Some Kind of Magic

My kind of town, Pittsburgh is....
If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere....yup, I'm talking about Pittsburgh again.

Pittsburgh, PA.
Steel City U.S.A.
Steeler Nation.


Pittsburgh is where I got my first real grown up job.   It's where I got my first real grown up apartment.  It's where I fell in love with my husband and father of my four children.  Pittsburgh is home base for my extended family.  


Pittsburgh means a whole hell of a lot to me.  
And people, Pittsburgh is totally f&#*ing cooler than you think.


It is a small town with a big city attitude.  Great restaurants, neighborhood bars, amazing museums, a mini subway and transit system.  Sports teams that don't suck.  A skyline that will kick any big city's ass.  An accent that no one has ever heard of and few can mimic, right yinzers?


Everyone knows someone from Pittsburgh.  Think about it. Sure that means that there has been a mass exodus (including me) over the years, but we come back or we follow the Steelers at the local Steeler bar or we wear our black and gold or we talk about the three rivers or at the very least we mention the Michael Chabon book "Mysteries of Pittsburgh," or even "Wonder Boys."


Pittsburgh is the coolest city in the midwest.  Chicago has nothing on the Burgh.  For real.
And again, I am totally biased because I am personally invested.


Last night, my date night in Pittsburgh was magical.  

My husband and I strolled along South Side remembering the bars we used to go to a million years ago when we were dating.  We had an amazing dinner at a place we never could've afforded a million years ago (and still couldn't if it weren't for my brother's generosity in covering the bill as a Christmas gift).  Then we stopped at Starbucks for a mid-evening coffee so we could stay awake to go home and put our four children to bed.  Four kids--that's something else we never could've dreamed of a million years ago.  

A million years ago, we were young dreamers (and heavy drinkers) who spent nights out talking about the places we would go and the things we would do.  Last night, we were older dreamers (who can't handle their alcohol) talking about what we wanted our kids to have and the places we wanted to take them and show them.  


The skyline was still picture perfect and we're still dreaming.  Sure Jay Z and Alicia Keys haven't sung a song about it, but Pittsburgh is some kind of magic.

This year has been pretty crazy.  One of my top moments is creating this blog.  Sharing my parenting journey.  My crazy mother.  Sharing my reality.  
And shit, it has been so fun writing, drinking wine and dancing in front of my computer every night.  It is a time I look forward to all day.
Thank you for reading and making writing this blog one of my top moments of 2011.


Me and the blog...this is a random blog,wine,dance night from this past summer.

Silly Things (and a Top Moment of 2011)

It's been quite a year...
Looking back through pictures  I can tell you a few things for sure:
My family loves eye black.

I am not afraid to get real.
Here are a few of the not-so-top moments of 2011 too.

My Nick Nolte moment.

This one happened last week when JT said "stand together with your arms at your sides so I can take a picture."  We are good listeners, but it's really not the most flattering picture.

Life is FUNNY.

Life is silly too.  And we need to do silly things.  

My sister isn't known for being silly.  She is the serious big sister caretaker, get it done kind of gal.  My whole life I have looked to her for approval, love and what to do to get things done.  This past summer she turned 40 and we celebrated with a trip to Hilton Head together, with the rest of our families.  Our kids enjoyed the beach, the ocean (minus the damn jellyfish attacks), the fancy house, the great food....but when I asked Lucy what her favorite part of the trip was, she said it was "when you and Aunt Dana jumped in the pool with your clothes on."  Okay? Really?  Cuz that was free.  But it wasn't just free, it was silly.  

Silly and free and fun.

And unexpected.  Me jumping in the pool, silly, but maybe they all saw it coming (I am not known as the serious sister, shocking I know).  But my big sister Dana jumping in fully clothed and at night?  That shit is crazy.  And simply fun and wonderful.  

That is why it is a top moment for me from 2011.

The Fun Parent (and a Top Moment of 2011)

Another rainy day in Pittsburgh  

The kind of day you want to drink coffee, read a newspaper and stay inside looking cool in a cool looking hat.  But the only person doing that was my brother. 

Another day of vacation with my kids.  


There was a lot more Wii, floor hockey, wrestling, drawing, a game of charades, eating, playing cars, more eating, talking and more eating.  Normal holiday family stuff.

Wade's Toy Story obsession is still in full force.

But one bonus that I fully took advantage of...was hanging out with my kids.  Which sounds crazy, aren't I always with my kids?  Yes, but I am also always cleaning the house, running around like a crazy lady and the like.  But here, while I am still a crazy lady, I am relaxing a bit.  


I was one of the floor hockey players with my boys and I sat down to draw with Lucy.


Usually, I am the stereotype serious planner, cleaner up mom.  While my husband is the funny, relaxed playmate great dad.  And most of the time I am very grateful to be married to someone who is such a great dad. But there are moments.  Moments of annoyance that he finds it so easy to relax and play.  Moments of jealousy that he loves to play pretend and the kids love him for it.


But today it felt good to have my own moment of playful abandon. For just a little while I was the fun parent. Thank you Grandpa and Carrie and Uncle Jeff.  Thank you vacation.  Thank you rainy day in Pittsburgh.


One of my top moments of 2011 for my family was a summer afternoon that epitomizes what a fun, playful dad my husband is.  And what lengths he will go to for a game of pretend.....even donning a Halloween 80s wig and looking like a creepy guy to be a customer at my kids' yard sale (that was severely lacking in customers and sales).


For another look back and to read more about how I suck at pretend play, click here.

And on another note, I love pop music!  And this look back is fun.

Keep Telling the Stories

So I am sitting in Pittsburgh looking out over the South Side at the lights of the city.  

More impressive pictures of Pittsburgh to come, I promise.

I am feeling very Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the City.  Except I am typing in the dark so the lights don't wake up my four kids, Pittsburgh is cool, but it ain't New York City and I am not smoking.


I swore I would go to bed early tonight, but here it is almost 1 a.m.  and I am still up.  And I will be up in four or five hours with all those kids.  Ugh.


But all those kids were really good today. 

They were good on the road.

And they acted like the games and candy at the rest area were DisneyWorld. 

And we are here to visit with Grandpa and Carrie and the uncles. 

Tonight we had a great time playing games, Christmas-ing, eating and talking.  We talked with the kids, we talked about the kids after they went to bed.  We grown-ups talked about how important it is to tell the stories.  The stories of what it was like when we were little.  The stories of what it was like when the kids were even littler.  Funny stories.  Sad stories.  They matter.

So, keep telling the stories.  Even when the kids are sick of hearing them.  It's their story.  And they matter.


This week, we will be taking a look back at some of the top stories of 2011....at least in my house.


We like to dance in our house, but some of us like to dance anywhere.  And it's no joke.  This top story took place on the way to the beach....a trip that took two days and lots and lots of time in the van.