To help us cope with the aftermath of insecurities since being burgled (at least they gave us a funny word to use!), Jake and I have created a little game called “Things the burglar took/didn’t take”. Basically we don’t look for anything anymore. If it isn’t in our vision the second we need it, it was burgled.

“The burglar took our cereal bowls!”

“The burglar didn’t replace the toilet paper roll!”

“The burglar took my lace skirt!”

And then other times we’ll find things that are so valuable that we just can’t believe anyone in their right mind would pass them up.

“Jake, the burglar didn’t take my VHS of The Little Mermaid. He must not have known it’s a Disney Classic!”

“The burglar forgot to take our coasters, Reags!”

Here are a few other things he didn’t take.

My beloved wooden duck in a rain slicker, bonnet and galoshes. Thanks for looking over this one, stupid! You clearly don’t know the value of a good fake animal in rain gear. Once I realized we had had a break-in, I looked up to the top of my bookcase in a panic to see him standing there, proud and strong.

I know this book doesn’t look like much….

..but when you open it there are bushels of treasures inside. My coffee talk glasses, a polaroid of me and pip snuggling, TWO kinds of tea, and 10$ for an emergency sushi delivery. Mr. Big Tough Burglar thought it was just a plain boring book about words! Stupid!

Unfortunately, the jokes end here. I’m afraid I now have to list some things that weren’t so lucky.

The cord to my iPhone plug. Sniffles.

My other striped sock.

Another thing I’ve been doing, is saging the apartment. You light some sage and walk through your home letting the smoke get rid of all the bad energy. I don’t know if it’s real, but it’s a really nice thought!

So I’ve been saging the place any time I start to feel bad. The other night I saged while Jake was at work. When it was done, I put it in a little glass bowl to cool off. I didn’t see that there was one tiny ember still going strong. A few hours later I was practically choking from the brush fire smoke in my apartment. I went in the kitchen and half the bunch had burned down! It is still extremely smoky smelling and all our clothes stink.

Back fire!

My favorite part of my Pip visits is the moment I first walk in. I usually kind of sneak in quietly to see what Piperjane is up to before she knows she’s being watched. I often find her in funny positions, playing with her figures or climbing things that aren’t meant to be climbed. It cracks me up that she can feel my eyes on her, because she always knows I’m there after just a few seconds…and this is the best part…she turns around and gives me the grinniest evil smile I’ve ever seen since the last time.

Long intro.

So, the other morning, I walked in and Pip was sitting like this in her kiddie cart. I have never seen her do this in my life! I was a little surprised for a minute, and wondered who put her like that, but then she did a quick little shimmy and her legs swept out from under her hiney just like that! I sat there laughing which  made her realize she must have done something hilarious and then she started laughing and it was a chain reaction that lasted nearly 20 minutes.

Or, I guess way longer, because I’m laughing right now 4 days later.

It’s been 5 years since Jake and I ran off to Vegas for a wild (it wasn’t that wild) and wonderful semi-elopement.

In 5 years there hasn’t been a dull (good dull and bad dull) moment, and I’m proud that we still love each other so much. Even though there is some seriously hard crap going on all the time it seems like. In fact, just when I feel like I’m going to flip over a table because I stepped in dog poop or because our apt got burgled or because I’m sad about pip, or because I have a suspicious freckle or my identity got stolen or I’m lost driving in Queens…Jake sends me a stupid youtube video, or a photo of a baby chicken running, or maybe he does my taxes or shampoos my hair (figuratively), or it could be that he just laughs at the dumb stuff I say. Sometimes I can’t believe that there is just this guy who understands me so well, adores my quirks, forgives me of my faults, and he’s even hot.

WTF, right?

Anyway, I’m not trying to get all bragsville..I’m just really proud of 5 years. BTW being married for 5 years makes me sound like I’m at least 40 in NYC.

Well, I better go! That Jake’s not going to snuggle himself!

(I love posting old photos. sometimes I just spend hours looking at old photos of pip and me/jake when we were younglings.)

Almost a year ago, I got an email from the cool people behind See Kai Run saying they wanted to name a pair of shoes after my Piper Jane! They noticed that the majority of Pip’s shoedrobe is from See Kai Run, and that’s what you do for your VIP clients…you name a shoe or a bag after them once in a while. (like Air Jordan kind of or Jane Berkin perhaps)

“A shoe almost as sweet as she”  is how they’re described and I’d wager that’s quite true. These shoes are adorable and I can’t wait to see my Pip in them!

I’m imagining crazy tap dancing. I hope I’m right.

Don’t be jeal!

(I’m kind of making Uncle Jesse eyes by accident in this snap!)

February is the worst month in the union, so if my birthday wasn’t in Feb, I would have nothing to do with it.

So, yeah! It’s my birthday tomorrow! Hooray! Have a good weekend.

The other night I didn’t go to bed because I was going with a friend to wait in line at Target for the launch of the Jason Wu line. I was awake for like 30 hours straight, which was a first, but I got almost all of my favorite pieces in the line.

Needless to say, I’ve been sleepy every since. That is the last time I ever do that! I have averaged two naps a day since then and I don’t feel like working or talking or washing my hair. All I want to do is hang out with a little Piperbird sitting perched on my shoulders (pictured). And watch The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills (reunion).

Also, last night Jake and I went to *Sleep No More. I had to buy tickets clear back in November because they were sold out for so long. It was insane!!! I don’t know what to think, but that’s ok because we are going again next month.

Who knew Jake would like that kind of thing?

*Sleep no more is a theatre type show in a huge old hotel. It’s floors and floors of intricate sets/rooms. You wear masks and follow the characters you’re most interested in. I went with Jake and two friends, but we split up at the beginning and had our own very different experiences, seeing totally different things. It’s very strange and not for everyone, but so so cool if that’s your bag.

Here are a few little pics from my birthday night. I had 4 girlfriends over and got dressed up. I actually posted about it twice on a Hairdresser on Fire so I’m kind of bored of writing about it. Also, if you read both blogs, then you’re probably bored of reading about it!

Also, Jake made a movie!

Reagan turns 28 from Jacob Breinholt on Vimeo.

Ok, well, see you around!

Lately, Pip is all about her suede loafers. It might have something to do with the fact that her feet have recently had a major growth spurt, and these are her only shoes that currently fit*…but who’s to say she wouldn’t be wearing them anyway? She especially loves to pair them with her tall striped boy socks. That pip, so hip….so darn hip.

The other day I was yawning and not covering my mouth like an ill-mannered vulture, and by pure accident, I gleaked on Piper’s arm. We were watching the Backyardigans and she was totally glued like she usually is when the tele is on, but she noticed! I snort laughed when she looked at her arm and wiped it off. I’m sorry that this story is a little gross, and that I’m admitting to being such a cretin, but every time I picture her pausing from her show to curiously look at her arm, I start to laugh. You know that laugh that turns into a 15 minute smile? That’s the one I get from this memory.

I love blogging for this reason. I get to remember these weird, silly and kinda gross stories that make me smile so big.

*New stash of shoes has finally arrived! We’ll do a runway show slowly but surely.

Do you celebrate? It’s ok if you don’t.

Now that that’s out of the way (“that” being my above encouragement for all you non celebrators) I’ll fill you in on what we’re doing! Nothing, actually. Valentine’s is at the tail-end of our anniversary/Groundhog’s/my birthday and we are all partied (partied=tired, cold, hungry and broke) out. We never really do much to celebrate Vday, but I like to pretend we do. We hug and say “Happy Valentine’s day, love!”. And then smack each other on the rear and maybe eat something heart shaped…And call it a holiday.

I guess you can say we did more to celebrate this year, because we made tutorial for Hairdresser On Fire yesterday. I was laying in bed like a bump on a log and this Sweetheart Braid just came to me. Like a romantic flash of lightening. Lucky me! I love hair inventions. Or “hairventions”.

No? Sorry.

Anyway, I think this is our cutest video yet! Please go to Hairdresser On Fire to check it out!

Hairray!

*fact: Jake and I shared our first “date”ish on Valentine’s day 7 years ago! We had just met 3 days before and it was mostly a timing thing rather than seeking out a V-tine…but cute! 7 years later and we’re still cute-ing around together!

When Jake and I didn’t go to Atlanta for Christmas, I missed my family more than ever. Then I realized that we hadn’t been to Atlanta since December of 2008! So, we went to Atlanta. With it being Presidents’ Day weekend, my sister Erin’s bday it just seemed like a good time! (Spoiler alert, it was. Yay.)

My nieces are awesome and so so smart. We were pretty busy playing and having a blast. I brought them presents because when you’re little, the best part about relatives visiting is getting presents. Even if that’s not true, I’m not going to risk it. I’m campaigning for favorite aunt here.

Meg got busy making a list of things to do while we were in town. It’s a strange but exciting list that deserves to be posted.

Unfortunately, we never got around to #14, but we did do some climbing. Well, they did some climbing, I did some being climbed.

More things that happened…

This is just me stuck in the doggie door. Proof that I’d literally do anything to make my nieces laugh.

Shrimp and grits were consumed.

And we celebrated my sister’s birthday!

It’s hard living away from family. We decided we’re going to go to Atlanta more. It’s so close! I’ll be posting more soon.

Good times.

Living in NYC is definitely different from living in any other city in the US. Tiny tiny apartments, walking everywhere, laundromats, expensive groceries, public transportation every day, no yard…etc.

When we leave town, I sometimes imagine leaving the city. Seeing how easy life is in other places sometimes gives me this fever of having that. I want to go shopping and have good customer service, I want to go to a grocery store and have it be a REAL grocery store-instead of a corner bodega, I want to work normal hours instead of 11+ a day. Sometimes I even want a house…a nice small pretty house with a small yard and a place to put our car. Hearing that a nice beautiful house with a garage and 4 bedrooms costs the same to buy as a 1 bedroom apartment in a scary neighborhood here in the city sometimes makes me just plain annoyed.

I love the city so much, and I’m certainly not ready to leave yet. Jake and I have always been here together, and we have careers, friends..and not to mention Piper Jane’s doctors. They are amazing-world famous doctors that I trust so much. The city is exciting and adventurous and dazzling. There is so much going on all the time, I don’t even have to be creative to have fun. In NYC, the fun is presented to you.

Also, people want to come see you. Two of my best guy friends and their wives are coming to the city in March at different times. My family and friends are always popping in, either for work or vacation or just to see us!

So this might have been a ramble. It might be the winter blues causing spring-moving-house owning fever, but I’m still a city girl.

Do you ever think about moving?

(below, two photos from our trip because the others would upload. Karaoke for Erin’s bday, and brunch with my Jessica)

But if I can’t find good shrimp and grits in the city soon I might change my mind.

(I’ve been trying for 20 minutes to upload the cutest picture of my toothless niece, but no luck. I’ll try again tomorrow.)

When I was little, we had a bunch of cassette tapes with uplifting kids songs. We would listen to them and sing along about cleaning up, telling the truth, saying thank you, the value of work..etc. There was even a song about growing up to be a mother. That one is my favorite now, because remembering it makes me realize it was a little on the brainwashy side! It says “When I grow up, I want to be a mooooTHER, and raise a fam-il-y, 4 little 5 little 6 little babies of my own!”

6 BABIES?!??!? That kids song was trying to brainwash me into birthing 6 babies?! hahahahahaha. It makes me laugh so hard to think about little Reagan singing it with a smile on her face thinking 6 babies would be doable. No offense to any of you with a lot of babies, it just seems like more babies than I can keep my patience on. And that is my number one parenting rule, only as many babies as I can keep my cool with.

Sidetracked.

So, there were these tapes called The Safety Kids, and they had all kinds of songs about being safe. One was a song about remembering your phone number and I’ll never forget my phone number in Arlington, VA the rest of my life because of it. Prove it? 237-7383. The area code wasn’t part of the song, so you got me there.

Sidetracked again!! Blast!

Anyway, The Safety Kids had a tape about saying no to drugs. They had a song called Go For A Natural High. It talked about all the fun things you can do to get you high instead of drugs, like go on a roller coaster, work up a sweat, play ball…Unlike the song telling me to grow up and have 6 kids* this one has an awesome message. I will remember it sometimes and sing it when I’m being active or when I’m experiencing serous happiness.

“if you like dancing go out on the floor, and dance dance dance til you can’t anymore!”

So, here is Reagan going for a natural high on a trampoline in Atlanta. This is how I do a backflip! I mean, for me a backflip is something you do sideways, and you land on your head and have a sore neck the next day. For Jake, a backflip is something you do gracefully even though you are 7 feet tall. Even though we prefer different forms, we both get a natural high.

Here is how Piperjane gets a natural high. Actually, here is how Piperjane gives everyone else a natural high. By getting daddy swings. Look at this picture! Her little smile peeking through Jake’s arms, her little legs so happy they have to tangle themselves up into each other, her little hedgehog critter being tightly grasped in her little Pip-hand. Piper Jane, the natural doobie.

And if anyone is curious, I found a youtube of The Safety Kids! (song starts at 1 minute)

*I have a serious problem with a song telling everyone to have 6 babies. What if that song got into the wrong hands? What if I don’t have a job or what if I my mental stability is questionable or what if I didn’t have health insurance or I lived off of orange soda and cheetos? What would I do with all those babies then?

Cutest toothless little girl I know.

(ps being a cute toothless person is absolutely one of those things that expires with age. for instance, i would officially not be cute toothless.)

This weekend was full of perfect Pip visits. Jake and I were able to be civil to each other, but we agreed we could have easily fought over Pip’s affection the whole weekend. Tooth and nail I tell you. She was a pure delight to be around. Smiley, charming and silly.

When Piperjane moved rooms recently, they really didn’t want us bringing a lot of stuff with us. Clothes and toys only. So we’ve tried to be good about it, but we finally caved and decided to bring Pip’s chair with us on Saturday. Jake kept mentioning that Pippy would sit on the ground when playing with her toys and since that’s kind of gross in a hospital, we decided it would be ok to stretch the rules.

Piper has always liked this chair that Jake made for her, but this is different. It’s like she suddenly understands it’s function, and that it’s just for her. She laughed when I sat in it, she laughed when her pink blanket “sat” in it and she entertained herself the whole day simply getting in and out of the chair. Sitting down, smiling, standing back up, looking quite pleased with herself, making sure we noticed her grand accomplishment, then repeating. It was hysterical. On Sunday she did the same thing, but added sitting in our laps to the rotation. She had us in stitches. This is seriously great material for a 4 year old.

When it was time to settle down and get ready to go home, we had some snuggle time in her bed. I started feeling the first signs of a cold (you know that little tingle in your nose/throat/ears?) on Sunday and I’m sad to say it’s full force today (monday).  I couldn’t go up to visit her, so I’m extra happy to see these pictures and remember that the visits we had were perfect down to the last minute. I’m also happy after realizing she shares my huge love for Alice In Wonderland since she carried Alice around with her everywhere. Piper Jane’s love for little figurines will never falter.

I’ve really been having an extra amped up love for Piperjane lately. Like we have a new bond since she’s been more little girl instead of baby-girl. I’ve always had this fear that the older she gets, the harder this whole thing will be. It’s true in some ways, but it’s not true in others. For one, we still have her, and she is blossoming more beautifully than I ever imagined. She is smart and funny in her own right. She gets things that I never thought her little mind could put make sense of. She’s really a special little thing, my Pip. Excuse me while I go cry in my sick bed.

I needed to see her today.

Piper Jane has a huge toothy grin. I love it so much. We’ve been told be a dentist friend that her teeth are a little bigger than her mouth/face proportionally. Nothing to worry about (I was like that too!), she’ll grow into it and it makes for the hugest, toothiest smile in the world. It is awesome. I mean, if you’ve ever seen Pippygirl smile (especially in real life), you know what I’m talking about. It creates an instant smile on everyone in the room. Or planet.

Anyway, sometimes Jake and I do our Pipersmile when we miss her most. It’s not nearly as good as hers, but it makes for a chuckle and reminds us to get excited for the weekend. So, the other day, I was playing Angry Birds on the subway and I laughed so hard when these pigs smiled. They are doing the Piper! haha.

Not bad, huh? That’s what happens when your kid is so cute that she is cartoon cute.

This is my first post from my brand new laptop. My old Mac broke about a month or two ago, and I’ve been working from Jake’s lappie ever since.

I saved up, took the subway to the apple store, and bought myself a new Macbook Pro with my own money. It was one of those times that I realized I’m a grown up. I remember when saving up 200$ was hard and took all the will power I had. As I get older, I have the same vices, but I’m able to control them a little more by seeing further into the future. That’s the funny thing about being young (like 17-18-19)…I was only able to see until the end of the week. My parents were constantly trying to teach me the value of working hard and earning for myself, and then spending wisely (or investing/saving) but ultimately, it was something I wouldn’t understand until I grew up. I was always that young 20 year old living off of crumbs until my next paycheck, because I took that paycheck straight to the mall.

Anyway, I’m feeling pretty grown up right now!

First webcam photo. Proud!

(for how grown up I’m feeling, this picture says otherwise…poor Jake lays next to a girl in kid pajamas)

“No Carb” diets. Anything that tells me I can’t eat fresh whole grain bread, but I can eat all the bacon I want…I don’t want any part of. (remember sandwiches are my favorite food of all time!)

March. March is freezing. I hear it’s going to be 65 on Thursday. I’ll believe it when I see it, March.

McDonalds. I’m still bitter because their “Fresh Fruit” smoothies are made out of a mystery slime that comes from a gigantic silver bag they’ve poured into a smoothie machine.

And that’s what I don’t believe in on this Monday night.

This blob has seen better days. It’s because I’m completely unable to figure out how to manage my time (lack of) properly.  I had a meltdown tonight when Jake got home from work. It went something like this..

..Jake walks in and I’m folding laundry..

J: Hey is everything ok?

R: Yes. No. I’m sad.

J: What’s wrong?

R: I don’t have enough time and I can never catch up on anything that I have committed to and I can’t keep the apartment clean and I put on my workout clothes but I didn’t have time to work out today and I didn’t sleep enough over the weekend and I wanted a nap today, but I couldn’t because I had to be 20 places at once and now I’m going to be tired all week and I’ve been folding laundry for two hours and I still have xyz to do tonight.

I vented for 15 minutes while Jake stood there in the doorway with his jacket still on..blinking at me slowly and carefully as to not upset me more. You know, no sudden movement type stuff. I’m not above admitting that sometimes he has to do that.

The truth is, I feel totally tapped out. Welcome to being a woman, right? Is that what you are all thinking? Is this normal life? I’ve lived my whole adult life thinking that eventually I wont work so much, and eventually my apartment wont be so small, and eventually I’ll be able to see Pip every day, and eventually I’ll be able to keep my home clean and balance all there is to be balanced without neglecting anyone or anything.

But really, when I think about it, life is zipping by and it’s just getting crazier. Work is starting to take over more and more weekends slowly but surely, and I’m finding myself swallowed by obligations. I’m excited for each weekend, only to realize when it arrives that there is almost more to get done than during the week.

I know these are silly problems, and I’m ultimately complaining about a pretty comfortable life full of great opportunities, but sometimes I just want it to be only about family again. The Breinholts-Jake, Reagan and Piper. No commuting, no bills, no alternate side parking rules to tend to, no money to make and spend, no errands to run, no people to please…

I work constantly. I have a hundred things to do every day. Am I the busiest person ever, or is everyone like this but they just do it more efficiently/gracefully than I can?

Do you have tips for me?

If so, please be nice to me. Seriously, please.

Oh yeah, I mention the blob’s better days because it is a major sufferer. I seem unable to keep up two blogs, a writing job, a full time job, a husband, a PiperJane in Westchester, a car in the city (you don’t want to know what that includes), an apartment, a social life..etc. Sometimes I just feel like I’m barely getting by.

The See Kai Run Piper Jane shoes have arrived so we spent the weekend testing them out. They are good for jumping, snuggling, swinging, climbing, dancing, walking, wabbling, perching, splits-ing and all around PiperJaning.

Jealous? Me too. They only come in kids’ sizes.

(Also, how is that for a sweet time in the picture? Pippy sharing an incredibly adorable moment with her little monkey friend. He is so matted and smelly and gross. She could not love him more. They are BFF4E.)

(Nothing like your favorite book to brighten your day. By the way this pic looks like I have mangled feet, partly because I don’t like pedicures…and I am so looking my age these days. I remember when having no boobs meant everyone thought I was a permanent 15 year old. Before long I’ll be a wrinkled-boobless old bag.)

First item of good news. I got tons of supportive comments on this post. I got great advice. It’s time to make a list of my priorities ranking from most important to least important. Also, telling people “no”.  I seriously feel so relieved already. Those seem like obvious solutions, but I really just felt totally swamped and needed to be told that it’s ok to not check everything off the list.

Also I hired a housekeeper. She came and mopped and scrubbed and dusted and it was awesome. She is probably going to come every other week and it is going to change everything.

Also I’m taking a vacation in a few weeks with my mom and sister. I haven’t taken any real time off since I went to London in October. I know that doesn’t seem very long ago, but when Christmas came around and I was working more than normal while everyone else was with their families I sort of freaked out. Even when we went to Atlanta a few weeks ago, I only took 2 hours off. This time I’m taking off a week from work and I’m going to Buenos Aires. Have you been and what do you think? What should I see?

Also, my friends Jon and Kat are coming into town tomorrow. We love them.

I’ve eaten breakfast for almost every meal in the last two weeks. I love egg sandwiches. If my birthday was tomorrow I’d want an egg sandwich with 28 candles in it.

Also, after two years I’m finally reading Catching Fire. I loved The Hunger Games so much and when I finished it I didn’t know there was another book (I don’t think the third was out yet)! A yearish later and I heard about these books everywhere I went. I love it so far. I’m about 100 pages in.

I saw “Death of a Salesman” on Broadway this weekend. Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield are the stars of it. It was so heartbreaking and powerful. I love the theater. I wish I was an actress.

I’m not sleeping well and I’m going to start meditating. A friend of mine who is a yoga instructor is going to teach me how to do it.

I have been feeling bluer than blue, but it’s all looking up.

PS, Is it weird to read a blog of someone who is sad? I’m not like desperately sad, but I’ve been “off” for a little bit now. Is this a downer to read? I’m trying to cheer up and be happy and glorious again. I’d say I’m still pretty happy on the average day, I just have a lot on my mind.

Hooray. Love you.