Here is a brief look at Kara's fast-lane life over the past four days.

On Thursday, she boarded the swanky high-speed Acela train, which brought her to New York, and specifically, to Scholastic. There, she met many of her fabulous new colleagues, attended a lovely welcome reception in her honor, and made several failed attempts at not getting lost between her office and the ladies' room.

On Friday, Kara attended Scholastic's Spring 2007 launch, which was akin to the Academy Awards, complete with heartwarming video montages (though with far, far more brevity). Later Friday morning, she bought a bus ticket for Nashua, New Hampshire, where she was participating in the SCBWI New England annual conference. Little did she know that the bus route was not a direct one, meaning she had to change buses — not once, but twice — in Hartford and in Worcester. Kara left New York at 12:15 and arrived in Nashua at 7:15. It was an arduous journey, not helped by the fact that she was not allowed to use her cell phone while riding the bus; an early attempt to call someone was quickly squashed by a particularly grumpy bus driver, who yelled at Kara to "get off the phone!" because she was "annoying the other passengers!" and would not be able to hear "important announcements!" such as where the bathroom was located.

When Kara finally arrived in Nashua after this seven-hour ordeal, she hoped to get a cab to the hotel. Unfortunately, the bus terminal was closed, though there was a rickety shuttle bus standing by. She asked if the shuttle bus made a stop anywhere near the hotel, and the driver said yes. Kara should have been a bit more specific than "anywhere near," as the stop left her in front of a supermarket about a quarter of a mile from the hotel. By the time she'd gotten herself, her pullman, and her carry-on to the hotel (in the dark, no less), she'd missed the big SCBWI dinner, though she did manage to make the cocktail party. Kara is glad she did, for two reasons:

1. She reunited with several former Candlewick colleagues, as well as authors from the Vermont writers' retreat she attended last month, and she met some very nice new publishing friends.

2. The cocktail party had a costume theme — Come As Your Favorite Children's Book Character. As you might imagine, this was tremendously entertaining. Because as Kara knows from personal experience, writers want nothing more than an excuse to procrastinate and NOT write, and what better excuse than to have to put together a really good costume? You'd better believe there were some doozies there, including Harriet the Spy, the Paper-Bag Princess, Olivia, and even a very impressive (and ever-so-slightly creepy) Edward Tulane.

On Saturday, Kara had an amazing time giving a presentation about the editor-author experience with the lovely and brilliant Jennifer Jacobson. She then gave several critiques of young-adult novels. The highlight of the day was hearing Linda Sue Park talk about the Three Gifts authors should give themselves (Kara won't give away the nature of the gifts, though she will say she was very happy to hear Linda Sue refer to revision as "play." Nice way to spin it.) In addition, someone even approached her with a copy of Rocko and Spanky Go to a Party to sign!

Today, Sunday, Kara is very happy to have had a good night's sleep and a lavish breakfast of blueberry pancakes and coffee made for her by her very thoughtful husband. In addition, she is looking forward to taking a break from mass transportation for a while. Vegging out is highly underrated (and by vegging out, Kara means wearing her pajamas while eating M & Ms-with-almonds and shopping for shoes on Zappos.com). You should give it a try.

Meanwhile, Jenna is still chained to her desk, finishing the next Rocko and Spanky.

Kara and Jenna have had headaches for almost a week now. This is not your ordinary, run of the mill, take-two-wimpy-ibuprofen-and-you're-fine headache. This is the kind that feels as if small fists are reaching behind your eyes and punching your optical nerves. It is the kind that feels as if you are wearing a helmet — and not even the stylish kind Kara normally wears. It is like a very, very tight, unflattering helmet with spikes on the inside. It is the kind of headache that radiates pain all the way down your body. This is a headache you feel in your feet. In a word, Owwowwowwowiwantmymommymakeitstop.

The LaReau Sisters suspect that these full-body headaches are due to a combination of air pressure and allergies, given that they have enjoyed lifelong careers as human barometers. In any case, they would like their fans to know that they are not curled up in the fetal position, incapacitated. Noooo. They are working through the agony. They are dedicated to their craft. And like the true arteests they are, they make the PAIN work for THEM.

Fame costs, and right here is where they start payin', in nausea.

The LaReau Sisters are pleased to present their latest modeling protegé...Owen!

As you can see, Owen is stylin' and beguilin' in our Toddler Tee. And check that fly bucket hat. It's nice to see a boy who knows how to accessorize. (Not to mention how perfectly he's matched his cheeks with Thug Monkey's lips. Now that's talent.)

Many thanks to Owen and his parents for sharing this photo with us. Feel free to send along pics of your own little ones in LaReau Sisters fashions — we'd love to post 'em!

All this time, the LaReau Sisters didn't think anyone was commenting on their blog entries. They didn't think anyone was even reading their blog entries.

Boo hoo! they cried into their pillows each night.

And then, today, lo and behold, a treasure trove of lost blog comments was retrieved! THREE MONTHS WORTH!

Thanks, friends. Thanks for visiting our blog, and for letting us know you care. We've gone back and responded to all your past comments. And of course, we've fixed the problem, so all your new comments will show up now. Hope we'll hear from you soon...even if it's to tell us how stoopid we are!

P.S. There will always be a slight delay in the comments posting, as we do review incoming comments first. Though our site is open to all, it's supposed to be kid-friendly, so we like to be super-careful.

Tanti auguri per il vostro sessantacinquesimo anniversario!

Kara and Jenna would like to wish a Happy 65th Anniversary to Ralph and Louise Rizzo (aka Papa and Gram), their grandparents.

Traditional anniversary gift lists don't go beyond the 60th year, where the gift is "diamonds," so the LaReau Sisters have instituted a more palatable tradition for the 65-year milestone: chocolate (and internet real estate — this is their first online appearance...ain't they sweet?). The happy couple will be sharing their treats and secrets of marital longevity with their rowdy gang of snowbirds in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

This is their song.

Kara and Jenna are VERY excited for the upcoming Easter holiday, as it showcases two of their favorite things: candy and baby animals. Kara even found a way to combine the two, as she purchased a candy bowl from Target that is shaped like a baby chick head. Trust us, it's cute. If you still need proof, you can see the bunny-head version, above. (Sorry, folks. The chick-head bowl is already sold out.) Clearly, baskets are sooooo passé. And there is nothing more festive or satisfying than a head full o' candy.

So far, Kara and Jenna have filled the bowl with mini Reese's peanut butter cups and malted robin eggs, many of which they have already consumed. What other kinds of candy do you think they should consider? As always, the LaReau Sisters are open to suggestions.

Happy Easter! Happy Passover! Happy Spring!

Kara has a new job! As of Monday, April 17, she will be an Executive Editor at Scholastic. This means she will get to work from home. It means she will have more uninterrupted one-on-one time with her brilliant author peeps. And it means she will be visiting NYC and making lots of new friends.

It also means that she will be spending more time wearing sweatpants and less time brushing her hair.

It does not necessarily mean that her house will be cleaner, much as we all hope it might.

Here are some questions we haven't been asked lately. Enjoy!

Q. Hey, LaReau Sisters! I think your website is super-cool, and I especially like reading your blog. Unfortunately, I've been too shy to drop you an "e" or respond to your blog entries. How can I let you know I care?

A. Hey, Shy Friend! Thanks for liking our stuff. No need to be bashful — we'd love to hear from our peeps! It would be great to know that someone's visiting our site and reading our blog, so feel free to let us know you're out there by commenting on an entry directly or emailing us at blog@lareausisters.com.


Q. I feel terrible admitting this, but I have trouble telling the LaReau Sisters apart. Any suggestions?

A. You are not alone. Many people think we look alike. Some people even assume we're twins. In fact, one New York cabbie once asked if we were twins, and when we said no, he asked if we were triplets. We're still trying to get our heads around that one. Though there are many other ways to tell us apart, here's the quickest — Kara is shorter (despite her towering stature in the not-quite-current photo of us on our site, taken 25 years ago, before Jenna had a growth spurt).


Q. Rocko and Spanky have a sweet ride. Do the LaReau Sisters also have a scooter?

A. We LaReau Sisters are great admirers of scooters and the hep cats who ride them. Unfortunately, we do not have one of our own, like Rocko and Spanky do (their sweet ride is called "Sweet Banana," by the way). Are you offering to buy us one? If so, Jenna would prefer one in yellow. Kara would rather have her own (in vintage green, please), as she does not share Spanky's penchant for riding in a sidecar.


Q. When ARE you going to have a more current photo of you two on your website? I can only look at you in those saddle shoes for so long.

A. We think you might be harboring a bit of jealousy, given how stunning we look in that photo. And not everyone can rock saddle shoes...or perhaps you've already learned that the hard way? In any case, we're working on a new pic, but it's tough coming up with something better than what we have now.


Q. What's the LaReau Sisters' position on Easter candy?

A. Marshmallow Peeps - yes. Jelly beans - no. Cadbury Creme Eggs - yes, but only one per year. Chocolate peanut butter eggs - yes. Chocolate coconut eggs - yes. Hollow chocolate bunnies - cheap-o. Solid chocolate bunnies - sweet. White chocolate bunnies, hollow or solid - no and NO.


Q. These questions are obviously made up. What if people have REAL things to ask?

A. Well, if they did, we wouldn't have to make 'em up, silly. Ask away!