Life Lately in Photos and Captions

^^ We've been hoppin' lately! Sometimes I feel like we're juggling too much, but most of the time I am quite happy to be in this beautifully intense stage of life! Sintayehu continues to be a happy helper who currently loves to "read books" and "play ponies." She recently got a unicorn Halloween costume and often puts it on, insisting we call her Zuri (which happens to be our cat's name). Oliver is loving his Junior Theatre acting class and recently dyed his hair blue. He finally got the new Rick Riordin book, which has been on pre-order since May! Eli, who opted for a green streak in his hair, is officially a student of karate. As you already know and as the pictures attest, one of my favorite activities is cooking with the kids. ^^

^^This is the time of year I refer to as Water Season. We're in the midst of planning our 6th Water Party and are SOOO excited!! We have some amazing new partners this year and I'm convinced this is going to be the best event yet!! We're raising money for The Adventure Project's initiative to help lift families out of poverty by providing jobs that lead to better living conditions for everyone. We'll be aiming to hire well mechanics who will get clean water flowing once again in communities with broken down wells. (1/3 of all wells built in Africa are currently broken, something that Jake and the kids will attest to after visiting Tanzania this summer.) It's an intense and wonderful time of year. If you haven't gotten tickets, please do so here! You can also follow the link to bid on a fabulous Jason Wu clutch or simply make a donation! (100% of your donation goes directly to fresh-water solutions through The Adventure Project!)^^

^^Oliver got a new app on his iPod and asked me to pose like this for a photo yesterday. It's my power pose, he says. I maybe need this outward pose because things are weird right now in my work life. I recently lost a huge copy editing client, which makes me really sad. However, my agent just sent my book to six interested editors. (When I say interested, I mean they've agreed to read it. This is good, but offers no guarantee, so my fingers are still crossed.) So, I'm in this strange time right now. Do I continue to look for more freelance work? Do I sacrifice the income to start a new writing project? (I have a new book idea I'm dying to dive into!) Do I switch gears all together?^^

Ophelia: We know what we are, but know not what we may be...