Cannes, France

Guess what? I'm about to unload this huge sense of not living up to expectations! Starting today!

I've neglected this wonderful blog, this somewhat concrete evidence of the path of our lives, for months now. Sorry about that.

And thank you to whoever is still bothering to read this... for sticking around. :)

I have a plan. Starting today (February 4), I'm going to try to post an entry every few days until I catch up. I'll backdate the entries though so that in 20 years they'll still make sense. Here's what is missing:

1. France
2. The US and Oprah
3. Thanksgiving
4. Pre-Christmas Preparations
5. Steen's 40th birthday
6. Christmas at home
7. Christmas abroad
8. Everyday life

So, true to form, I'll start with France.

My dear husband travels a great deal because of his job. He is always attending one conference or another, or going to meetings with doctors or working with hospitals, or hanging out at some kick-off or year-end wrap-up with his colleagues.

My role in that regard (when he's travelling) is to stay home and handle all of the usual domestic duties -- the kids, the laundry, the shopping, etc. And to keep making money, of course. :)

In October Steen was scheduled to attend a conference in Cannes. Three days before he was set to leave, we had the following conversation at the dinner table:

Steen: Oh, by the way, you need to plan to serve three extra people for dinner on Wednesday.

Me: What? Who? And wait a minute -- you won't be home Wednesday! You'll be in France!

Steen: I'm not telling you who. Just please make sure you have enough food to serve three extra people.

It must be said here that Steen is being very friendly while I'm getting kind of riled.

Me (jumping to conclusions): Why would you invite colleagues or customers over for dinner on Wednesday when you're not going to be here? How am I going to entertain them on my own?

Steen: Also, you need to be at the airport at 6 Thursday morning.

Me (I admit that I am slow to catch on): I can't go to the airport at 6 in the morning! I have to take the kids to school by 8!

Steen (looks at me seriously and takes a deep breath): Tina, it's ok. There'll be someone else to take the kids to school and to watch them for a few days.

And then I get it.

My guy has arranged for for his parents and little brother to stay here with the kids, and for me to meet him in Cannes.

Which I do.

I leave the snow and freezing temperatures of our current home to arrive in 20-degree (celcius) sunny Nice, rent a car and drive to Cannes, and spend 1.5 days working while Steen finishes up his conference (well, I didn't work the entire time -- at one point, I wandered down to the waterfront, had myself a cappuccino, a baguette and a crepe, sat on the beach and watched the sun set).

And then we spend several amazing days together exploring the French Riviera, with our base camp set up at a lovely B&B situated at the top of one of the many hills overlooking the sea. Isn't it just gorgeous?

While Cannes itself is glamorous, interesting, incredibly expensive and beautiful, we really enjoyed visiting the small villages that line the coast and crawl up the mountainsides. Small streets, fun shops and amazing food.


Thank you to my great in-laws for taking on the daunting task of our three boys that weekend. And a special thanks to my sweet husband for bringing me with him.

Meet one amazing woman

There is a woman in my life whom I'm proud to call my friend.

A few weeks ago, she had a birthday... I had planned to post this then, but life took over and, as you can see, I haven't posted anything at all in weeks.

A few weeks ago, I met this woman again for the gazillionth time. She took me to see Oprah. Together we dressed up, spent a day downtown and enjoyed each other's company. It's a day I'll never forget... For me, it was a dream come true.

But that's not why I'm writing this today. I'm writing this today to share the list I wrote for why I love this woman -- my mom. I wrote it at the same time that I wrote my dad's a few years ago (which I posted earlier this year...). I've just tweeked it a bit today.

So here you go. 50 reasons I love my mom... and these are only the beginning.

Mom, I love you.
1. For delivering me into the world (no, that's not me she's holding... it's Nick... if you thought it was me, you're 30+ years off. :) )
2. For going to get my bike, which was always blocks away when I fell off it and came home without it
3. For reading Nancy Drew to me on rainy summer days
4. For supporting me in my dream to be an exchange student
5. For sacrificing so much so that I could attend the college of my choice
6. For attending every single swim meet and cheering me on as I swam lap after lap
7. For telling me to get in my very first car, a stick-shift that I couldn’t drive, and saying “just take it out yourself – you’ll learn it right away!”
8. For helping me move from GW to the University of Chicago, even though I had only packed one box when you arrived
9. For packing up our entire house in Denmark when I couldn’t find the emotional strength to do it myself
10. For coffee breaks in comfy Starbucks chairs
11. For offering your shoulder when I broke up with my first boyfriend (and every break-up thereafter)
12. For calling me right away when you can see from an email that I might need some cheering up
13. For taking us on an amazing road-trip vacation to New Mexico in third grade
14. For being a Brownie and Girl Scout leader

15. For finishing your Associates Degree, thereby showing me (in one of a million ways) that if someone puts their mind to it, anything is possible
16. For quitting your job at MDM after they skipped you over for a promotion (go mom!!!!)
17. For being right there, holding my hand, when Lucas was born
18. For going through 6 weeks of missing dad in order to spend them with me at the end of my pregnancy with Lucas
19. For going on the Carribbean cruise with me
20. For being unable to say “Mitsubishi”
21. For being Rotary President and Rotarian of the Year
22. For allowing me to make meals as a little girl from my Mickey Mouse cookbook
23. For coming to me on endless nights when I couldn’t sleep
24. For being there when I got bit by the dog and remaining so calm throughout the entire event

25. For letting go so many thousands of times when you must have wanted to hang on
26. For always believing in me
27. For being an amazing grandmother
28. For having squirt gun fights with the boys
29. For making manicotti and pot roast on request
30. For endless hours spent in my school classrooms going through spelling tests and helping out whenever necessary
31. For my beautiful, unforgettable wedding

32. For teaching me how to shave my legs
33. For making my first period not so embarrassing
34. For attending every band concert and allowing me to play the instrument of my choice (I don’t think I’ve ever actually paid you back for it)
35. For the amazing trips to Disney World, both when I was a child and when I had children of my own
36. For beautiful Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas memories
37. For your creative spirit
38. For laughter and your sense of humour
39. For showing me the beauty of a marriage
40. For introducing me to faith and God

41. For sharing stories of your family and your childhood
42. For never saying a word as I move around the world
43. For never letting me doubt, even for a moment, how much I am loved
44. For your “Have a great day, Honey” day after day all the way through high school, spoken through a rolled-down window every single morning as I slammed the door
45. For your tears after you dropped me off at GWU
46. For taking the time to teach me how to knit, cross-stich and crochet
47. For trusting me, especially when I was a teenager
48. For choosing dad as your lifelong partner
49. For loving Steen as if he was your own son
50. For sewing endless clothes for me, and in particular, my senior prom dress and my 8th grade graduation dress.