Montecito Mama

The news couldn't have been better: well developed spine and brain, strong heartbeat, ten fingers and toes. At 18+ weeks, Wagner baby #3 is thriving; kicking up a storm with long, thin legs and wide Wagner feet. Gender remains a surprise, although Grayson thinks it must be a boy since it is bald. Lucie has picked out names: "Pink Baby" or "Purple One."

After meeting friends downtown for dinner, the family headed home last night for baths and bed. We were caught completely off-guard as we rounded the curve on the US-101 and saw a wall of flames so low on the ridge that it appeared to be in our own neighborhood. Not wanting to frighten the children, Rob and I just stared at each other. "This is not good," he said and stepped on the gas. The world got progressively darker as we got closer to home, even as the view in the rear view mirror remained blue and sunny. We made it off the freeway minutes ahead of the road closures, following code three engines from Pasadena, Long Beach and Glendale. The view from our driveway was Armageddon; no electricity at all, pitch black skies, smoke so thick it burned your eyes and throat, and a nearly solid wall of ashes sticking to our eyelashes and airways. Radio coverage told us that 250 houses 1/4-mile north of us were being evacuated, and their cars soon lined our street in exodus. To ward...

Most residents of Santa Barbara would say they live here as a "lifestyle choice." The options for outdoor activities are limitless and accessible all year long: hiking trails, bike paths, lawn bowling clubs, polo fields, sailing, Frisbee golf and, of course, the beach. Rare is the weekend that some community-wide event isn't being celebrated: Fiesta, Summer Solstice, Dog Parade, Whale Festival, sand castle contests, Parade of Lights, art shows, museum exhibits, Night Moves .... There is a price to pay for all of this peace, though. Earthquakes and floods (we were evacuated shortly after buying our home) have done their part to add to the excitement, and now the 2,000 acre Gap Fire burning in Goleta is keeping us on alert. Evacuation warnings aren't in place for our neighborhood, but we spent 6-hours without electricity last night (which also means there was an anxious 6-year-old wriggling in my bed all night long) and the athletic club was closed due to the thick laye...

It is a rare occasion when the entire Wagner clan assembles, with more great-grandchildren being added to the photo opp at each gathering. I'm certainly doing my part to perpetuate the lineage!

Lucie and I were dressed in our heels and long beaded necklaces for an afternoon tea party, when Grayson and his green army men decided to join us. "I hope you don't mind, Mom," he said. "But there may be a little bit of blood on the napkins." What would Miss Manners say about AK-47s at the table?

A former English professor of mine has designed a wonderful collection of postcards called things like "Why We Read" or "Why Coffee is Important," and a colleague gave me this one today: WHAT BABIES BRING Late-night entertainment A new array of aromas Their own agendas A stuffed animal stampede A fresh look at family An excuse for earthiness Terrifying responsibility Gloating grandparents Smiles from strangers Suspicious siblings Large piles of small pajamas An ongoing reality check A reminder of mystery

"The most exclusive clubs only have a couple members and they're very hard to find." - Carrie Bradshaw, Sex & the City