It looked as if we’d spent the day at home practicing. “No, again! Now, once more, what will you tell Santa when he asks you what you’d like for Christmas?” Because no kid, unless he’s a film character named Travis or Tiny Tim, sits in deep contemplation before answering Saint Nicholas’s time-honored question, especially to answer the way our Kind Sir did last night.

Lucas did not ask Santa for a Dinosaur. Not a pony. This wasn’t anything we’d ever talked about, not directly. There was neither prompting nor practice. Sir Luke sat on Santa’s knee and told him in lieu of any gifts, here’s what he’d really like:

How is there no “Mr. America” Pageant? This kid has “world peace” but the short ‘n’ curlies.

Jim Henson’s Dinosaur Train Movie – One Hour Special
Dinosaur Big City premieres August 22 on PBS KIDS (check local listings)

My sweet Texan Lucas and Abigail are new to the Florida Market of Friendship and haven’t quite bonded with a set of friends, best or otherwise. Though, at this age (4 yrs.), so much of friendship comes down to proximity and… yo’ mama. Because it’s up to Mama to set up the one-on-one after-school alliances, so for now it’s less to do with the kid you actually like and more to do with which mom your mama can tolerate, or in her condemnatory words, “dare to even stomach.”

At this rate, I’m afraid, my sweet children will never have friends… because as far as mom on mom action, I’m experiencing a particularly parched season (you can write the word ‘dry’ on my skin).

But, alas, there’s hope: Dinosaur Train, the Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup of children’s programming. Marry an all-time obsession with Dinosaurs—Lucas can’t seem to learn enough about what each one eats, how many feet tall, how they kill their plant or prey—to an all-out train fetish—he can differentiate between a hopper car, boxcar, and Lorry (yes, that’s right fellow braggarts)—and you have the happily-ever-after couple of all couples. Or, as I like to say, “TV Crack without the formication.” Also, Abigail, my ruched tutu of a girl is quite the Dinosaur Train enthusiast. And by enthusiast, I mean fiend.

So, when asked if I’d like an advanced screening copy of the upcoming PBS KIDS Season 2 kickoff premiere of the Dinosaur Train movie, “Dinosaur Big City,” I resisted the urge to respond, “Does a Baryonyx eat sushi?”—because next I’d have to draft my suicide note—and replied simply:

“Oh, hell yes.”

Know why? Because this was their in. Yes, obviously kids make friends just by being themselves, blah blah, blah blah blah. But this was a “Give friend” opportunity! Common ground, something to talk about. Okay, maybe, just maybe, this was my in, an opportunity to invite total strangers into our home and hearts… with a very specific end-time.

Oreo’s and McDangerous tend to bring people together. So, why not offer up a Dinosaur Train screening party to the neighborhood kids, as a “we have this in common” bribe token of friendship? You know I love me a theme party, and any excuse to cut tea sandwiches in the shapes of theropods and locomotives, and this mom-nerd is all in. Now, may I tempt you to a platter of dino claw clippings (break out the Bugles)? As for the cupcakes? Perhaps the marketing go-to of the day will be “Dino Dung” (with marbled frosting, of course).

Also, as a total aside, I love that the series is anchored in actual fact, bringing real history alive. What I want to know is, how is there no modern 90210 version of the Great Depression or WWII for “adults?” Greek Tragedy anyone?

Dinosaur Big City airs this coming Monday, August 22.

Yesterday I took the sprouts to their first Floridian play date. One of the camp mothers in their class had invited us to their home to splash at their community “sprayground,” to swim, then off to their house. It was a twenty-minute drive up to their home in Boynton Beach, and on our way to “Eavie’s” house (whose name I later learned was actually Evie, as in “every day,” but without the “r”), Lucas asked me, what I like to call, a “sponge question.”

“So, mama,” he asked, “so, what’s this girl’s story?”

Unprepared for such an adult turn of phrase, I choked back a laugh as if soda took a wrong turn down a pipe, coughing out a, “what do you mean ‘what’s her story’?”

“You know. What’s the story with this one?”

“Uh, what’s your story, Lucas?”

“You know. We moved from Texas to Florida, where I can play with trains in a garage playroom.” How much do I love this kid?

“That’s right, that is part of your story. So, you’ll have to ask Evie what her story is when we get there, okay?”

“Well, are we there yet?”

And so it goes.
 

We are officially moving July 6. The trucks arrive THIS WEEKEND. We are not taking the kids’ bedding, so I need Florida replacements. No, wait. That sounds negative. What we need, they need, is to arrive at their new, shared, living quarters with the bedroom made up purdy and organized. I need to get on this, stat. At one point, I hit up Target and purchased an onslaught of Shabby Chic bedding, which when all was said and done and I was left to live with it for a few days, I decided it was Shabby Weak. Returned. So, help a girl and her interior design loves out.

Lucas, by the way, is in LOVE with his American flag pillow, sleeps with it every night and is concerned, insistent, that said throw pillow is coming with us. It is. Each night the loves sing with me: Fifty Nifty United States. So, they’re learning the 50 states in alphabetical order, and as we learn a new state each night, I pull up a map, then some tourism videos on the state. Just a bit of bedding background if you will… plus, you know I’m a preppy/ nautical junkie. So, there’s that. As for Phil, he’d rather not be bothered. YAY!

Also, I’m not suggesting white for a duvet. In fact, likely there will be no duvet and just the quilt and sheets, as it’s balls to the inner thigh hot. So where you see a white throw or duvet, it’s really a stand in for “nothing belongs here.” Help!

The walls in the room are PALE BLUE not RED

My to-do list looks like a last wish list, with an assortment of personal delights, most of which will remain on the list, untouchable in every way. There will be no blowout, manicure, or pedicure. There are clumps of dog hair in corners of my home that may, or may not, be dealt with.

Tonight I am hosting a Sip & See at my home. Twenty women (and one baby) will arrive at 7pm. You can only imagine the cleaning, the organizing, the planning and coordination. But, oh, how I love it. And guess what?

Tomorrow morning guests arrive from across the country, guests that have never been to my home (or Austin? I’m not sure). Which means people had better be staying late to help me clean. For real.

Ned Vizzini (author of It’s Kind of a Funny Story – now a major motion picture) and my manager in from LA, will both arrive tomorrow. Each will need his own bed/room, so there are beds to be made, linens to be cleaned, and general overall “fluffing,” whatever that means. Do we even need to discuss the state of affairs in my fridge? What does it need for midnight sxsw snackers? Add “Buy Bottled Water” to the list (because you should always offer water to guests in their rooms, so if they don’t feel like leaving their rooms, they don’t have to).

Then, come Sunday, sweet Dulce arrives! I want so much to get our good one-on-one time, kid time, but I also want to introduce her to some friends because she is my love and they are my new loves, and I just want everyone loving up on one another.

All this, plus I just caught Abigail’s GODDAMN COLD and I am a snot factory outlet. AND, I haven’t even begun to tackle my SXSW schedule. I’ve RSVP’d to more parties than humanly possible to attend, even in a twelve month stretch. Haven’t even looked at the film screening times or any of the panels. Today I head to the convention center to pick up my badge… that is, after I shower. And after my CONFERENCE CALL with the producers of the unscripted relationship series on which I’ve been working.

Not to mention that I WEIGH IN TOMORROW (overall, I think I’m down 17-19 pounds)!

I also, you know, kind of have a kickass panel to plan (please come if you have an interactive badge):

TELL & SELL YOUR STORY (follow along on twitter with hashtag: #TellSell)
This Saturday, March 12
12:30 pm
Sheraton – Creekside (701 East 11th Street)

So, all that said, I might just post some totally random things (and photos) in the coming days. Just a warning.