This is fall.

Nap time for Christopher has gotten shorter, and of course, Colin's needs cut into that time now. Today, however, on our coldest day thus far (low 30s! it's hat weather!), I was able to mix and bake and chop and roast between the end of lunchtime and the end of nap time. I love turning off the heat in the house for a few hours and keeping things warm by turning on the oven.

Pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips, and roasted red potatoes and broccoli. Snacks and the beginning of dinner. Yum. These colors and these smells represent late fall in our family.

I'm looking forward to an extra set of parent hands in the house later next week over the Thanksgiving holiday. Then I can *really* do some damage in the kitchen! A pumpkin pie, stuffing, lots of roasted vegetables, and maybe even some bread baking. Mike is going to barbecue the turkey again this year. Please cross your fingers for him and hope that it doesn't snow!

Hearsay

Wednesday, October 26 @ 8:30am
Toddler sits in living room with "The Origin of Species" propped open on his lap. He slowly drags his left(!) pointer finger across a page full of 10 point font lettering while narrating:
"Strawberries, apples and coffee. Now I need to cook together the next things..."
I think he was reading a recipe. :)

Saturday, October 29 @ 7:42am
Two adults and toddler at the breakfast table enjoying piping hot pumpkin pancakes. Infant in bouncy chair on floor. Father says to toddler:
"Christopher, I don't want you to put your head in your syrup, please."
Doesn't everyone start off their weekend like that?

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes - please try these.
They combine the best of fall + buttermilk pancake deliciousness.
My mods: instead of fiddling with all of the different spices, I add 2 teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice (Trader Joe's makes a good one). And try to use cake flour. It makes them... well... cakier.

What's your soundtrack?

Here's what we're listening to these days:

Car rides
Christopher demands "a happy song" every time we get in the car and his two current favorites are Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison (or "the sha-la-la-la song") and Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder (or "the I wonder song").

Hang out time at home
Songs for Wiggleworms (album) - especially "I've Been Working on the Railroad" (or "the railroad song")

Getting dinner ready
My daily opportunity for a dose of adult news while Mike and Christopher tear it up at the park: NPR (WBEZ 91.5 here in Chicagoland). I *heart* NPR.

Friday afternoon/dinnertime
Sara Bareilles (you all know she was in my UCLA a cappella group Awaken, right?!) or Alison Krauss and Union Station usually hit the spot when we're celebrating the end of the week with some playtime and a glass of vino. (Alison Krauss' voice amazes me, by the way. Effortless, agile, emotive, and perfectly on pitch ALL TIMES - just check out her live performances. Someday we'll see her in concert...)

After the toddler is in bed
Glenn Gould's recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations. It makes me feel like my brain gets a realignment and shifts into adult-mode. Ahhh.

Saturday morning pancake hour
Jack Johnson's In Between Dreams (Better Together and Banana Pancakes are two of Mike's favorites).

Sunday morning
While we feast on Saturday's pancakes and get over the disappointment that the end of the weekend really IS approaching, the Garden State Soundtrack, Sigur Ros (this is the song Takk - which means "thank you") and a big cup of Irish Breakfast tea never disappoint.