Baking bread at least once a week. We find it to be much tastier than the store bought loaves (though there are a few delicious options on the shelf!), and it makes the BEST toast. This might be due to the fact that it is not presliced... which leads to yummy thick toast with honey or homemade jam. It's just so so good.
My favorite recipe is from the Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer booklet: Honey Oatmeal Bread! Of course, it's never quite the same since I never seem to have enough oatmeal or whole wheat flour or butter or honey... but the results always seem to disappear without much complaint. An excellent recipe that can stand a lot of tweaking.
Yum. Three hours to heaven and with maybe 15 minutes of hands-on time.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Keeping it real.
I usually only write about the days and the moments that are lovely and loving and challenging-yet-sweet. But, in the interest of keeping it real... today I was That Mom with That Kid. SIGH. At least it was at the library's kiddie story time. (I imagine/hope that 99% of the other parents were silently empathizing.)
One librarian remarked, "Oh! He doesn't want to leave?" And really, I think that in many (but not all) of these instances, he doesn't know What he wants - all he knows is that he wants to choose It in its entirety. Such a bummer when It can't be an option for whatever reason... thereby paving the road to frustration.
Christopher is edging on 16 months old and while he uses as much sign language as he possibly can, he clearly has desires and interests that go way beyond More, All Done, Thank You, Down, and Nurse. And clapping only achieves so much, you know?
So, we went out in a blaze of glory this morning at the library story hour. It was one of those mornings when I thought that it would be good for both of us to get out, see other kids and moms, play a bit, interact... Sometimes this is exactly what we need. Other times it is exactly what we did not need. Sadly, this is never evident beforehand, but only in retrospect.
Apparently, what we did need this morning was a brisk exit from the library and a swift jaunt over to the yarn shop's new location for a little perusing. And then lunch. And a nap/tea. Better.
One librarian remarked, "Oh! He doesn't want to leave?" And really, I think that in many (but not all) of these instances, he doesn't know What he wants - all he knows is that he wants to choose It in its entirety. Such a bummer when It can't be an option for whatever reason... thereby paving the road to frustration.
Christopher is edging on 16 months old and while he uses as much sign language as he possibly can, he clearly has desires and interests that go way beyond More, All Done, Thank You, Down, and Nurse. And clapping only achieves so much, you know?
So, we went out in a blaze of glory this morning at the library story hour. It was one of those mornings when I thought that it would be good for both of us to get out, see other kids and moms, play a bit, interact... Sometimes this is exactly what we need. Other times it is exactly what we did not need. Sadly, this is never evident beforehand, but only in retrospect.
Apparently, what we did need this morning was a brisk exit from the library and a swift jaunt over to the yarn shop's new location for a little perusing. And then lunch. And a nap/tea. Better.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Cranberries
Fresh Picks packed a pint of fresh cranberries in our delivery this past Tuesday, giving me no excuse to pick up a can of the jellied stuff at Dominick's. So, on Wednesday night I stood in the kitchen looking at them, remembering all of the different ways Mom had made cranberry sauce over the years (with orange rind, with different spices, etc.) and wondered if I had a recipe on my shelf somewhere. My go-to book, The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters, lacked a cranberry sauce recipe (surprisingly), but sitting next to it was an old worn book that I'd never turned to for actual cooking guidance.
This was a cookbook given to my grandmother by her friends in the Navy just before she left to marry my grandfather on Christmas Eve 1944 after knowing him for 7 weeks (!). (I can still hear the way she would say, "It was wartime!") The inscriptions inside are the best part:
"No scorched biscuits! No scorched pans! And always watch out for those lily white hands!"
"Here's to better toasted cheese sandwiches."
"Don't forget the Baked Alaska! Lots of happiness and Good Luck."
"Don't let this book stand in the way of your happiness - make tea."
"The best of everything to you - you are really swell."
And the cranberry sauce? It was perfect! And, to be honest, the only part of the meal that Christopher was actually interested in (other than the pie filling, but of course)!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanks
The air smells like pumpkin pie right now. I'm cozied up on the couch with my darling (aka. my MacBook :), and I have a cup of black tea with milk at my side. We may see a teeny bit of snow later on. The sky is a wintery gray with lots of spindly, bare tree branches clouding my view. The boys are sleeping because a) that's what the littler one does everyday at this time, and b) the bigger one has the stomach flu.
And so... our Thanksgiving dinner will come tomorrow, and that's okay. I'm grateful that we're not travelling when one of us is feeling so Icky. And relieved that we're not bringing the Ick to someone else's table.
Earlier this month we spent time in California; all of us in Southern California for a big birthday celebration and then C and I in Northern California where Mike was missed (again!). All of the friends and family we visited are fresh in our minds today. Though we miss our friends and family, the wonders of Skype will allow us to say hello and see the faces that we might have chatted with had we flown elsewhere.
This is my most favorite holiday because it centers around people and food. Not stuff. (Just stuffing!) It's a time to think about the little things and the big things. A time to openly proclaim one's gratitude for the comforts of a home, the stability of a job, the rosy cheeks of a baby and the warm arms of a beloved relative. The only material competition might be something along the lines of "whose turkey is the juiciest?" or "to have whipped cream or ice cream or that frozen-marshmallow-stuff with my pie?" These are serious considerations made sweeter when I think of how lucky I am to even be considering them.
On our table (tomorrow night):
- Turkey. Mike is going to BBQ it, Mike Beltran-style. Hey, it's only going to be 31 degrees out there, not like it's single digits or anything. And! This is the first time we will have cooked meat since early August. We're a 99% veggie household these days. It's nice.
- Cornbread stuffing. Let's see... this year it has cornbread (duh), onions, celery, a little Italian sausage (again with the veggie thing flying right out of the window in the name of Thanksgiving), mushrooms, apples, veg broth, parsley, rosemary. Should have added that fennel in the bottom of the fridge. Maybe to beef up the leftovers. Pun intended.
- Cranberry sauce. Details tomorrow.
- Roasted brussels sprouts, carrots, and parsnips. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast. Easy.
- Garlic mashed potatoes. Mike would be very vocal about his disappointment if I didn't make these.
- Pumpkin pie. Williams Sonoma Pie & Tart book recipe (a go-to source given to me by Auntie Jenny at my bridal shower), with a slight mod (but, of course). I added a dash of cardamom (there's your kardemumma, Kate)! Let's see if we even notice. This recipe is a favorite because it is a real custard pie made from cream and eggs with cinnamon, ginger, cloves and freshly ground nutmeg.
Here's the cheesy part: I hope that what is most prevalent on our table is Gratitude and Love. And, why not? That's what the holidays should be about, I think. To wit: my mom recently told me a story about a Thanksgiving dinner we had growing up that sounded straight out of a Chevy Chase National Lampoon movie. My addition to the evening was to tell everyone that we should all be thankful for the dinner we had because there were people out there who didn't have anything to eat for dinner (in so many words, or less). I was what - 8? Despite the irreverence and cynicism for which I am so well-known, it turns out that this very basic level of Gratitude has been there from the beginning.
So, go forth and in between bites of turkey and pie... feel all that Gratitude wash over you. It's pretty awesome.
Happy Thanksgiving from our corner of the world to you and yours!
xo,
MM&C
And so... our Thanksgiving dinner will come tomorrow, and that's okay. I'm grateful that we're not travelling when one of us is feeling so Icky. And relieved that we're not bringing the Ick to someone else's table.
Earlier this month we spent time in California; all of us in Southern California for a big birthday celebration and then C and I in Northern California where Mike was missed (again!). All of the friends and family we visited are fresh in our minds today. Though we miss our friends and family, the wonders of Skype will allow us to say hello and see the faces that we might have chatted with had we flown elsewhere.
This is my most favorite holiday because it centers around people and food. Not stuff. (Just stuffing!) It's a time to think about the little things and the big things. A time to openly proclaim one's gratitude for the comforts of a home, the stability of a job, the rosy cheeks of a baby and the warm arms of a beloved relative. The only material competition might be something along the lines of "whose turkey is the juiciest?" or "to have whipped cream or ice cream or that frozen-marshmallow-stuff with my pie?" These are serious considerations made sweeter when I think of how lucky I am to even be considering them.
On our table (tomorrow night):
- Turkey. Mike is going to BBQ it, Mike Beltran-style. Hey, it's only going to be 31 degrees out there, not like it's single digits or anything. And! This is the first time we will have cooked meat since early August. We're a 99% veggie household these days. It's nice.
- Cornbread stuffing. Let's see... this year it has cornbread (duh), onions, celery, a little Italian sausage (again with the veggie thing flying right out of the window in the name of Thanksgiving), mushrooms, apples, veg broth, parsley, rosemary. Should have added that fennel in the bottom of the fridge. Maybe to beef up the leftovers. Pun intended.
- Cranberry sauce. Details tomorrow.
- Roasted brussels sprouts, carrots, and parsnips. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast. Easy.
- Garlic mashed potatoes. Mike would be very vocal about his disappointment if I didn't make these.
- Pumpkin pie. Williams Sonoma Pie & Tart book recipe (a go-to source given to me by Auntie Jenny at my bridal shower), with a slight mod (but, of course). I added a dash of cardamom (there's your kardemumma, Kate)! Let's see if we even notice. This recipe is a favorite because it is a real custard pie made from cream and eggs with cinnamon, ginger, cloves and freshly ground nutmeg.
Here's the cheesy part: I hope that what is most prevalent on our table is Gratitude and Love. And, why not? That's what the holidays should be about, I think. To wit: my mom recently told me a story about a Thanksgiving dinner we had growing up that sounded straight out of a Chevy Chase National Lampoon movie. My addition to the evening was to tell everyone that we should all be thankful for the dinner we had because there were people out there who didn't have anything to eat for dinner (in so many words, or less). I was what - 8? Despite the irreverence and cynicism for which I am so well-known, it turns out that this very basic level of Gratitude has been there from the beginning.
So, go forth and in between bites of turkey and pie... feel all that Gratitude wash over you. It's pretty awesome.
Happy Thanksgiving from our corner of the world to you and yours!
xo,
MM&C
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Rabbit noggin
Funny how the addition of a third biped in the house can so drastically cut down on my blogging time... and naps are still in transition (regretfully, I understand that the 2-to-1 thing can take months, as it is around here), so my double opportunity for laundry, phone calls, home office stuff, etc. is often narrowed down to the afternoon. But hey! He still naps!
Oh, did I mention we decided to paint the interior of our house? Yes! Out with the severe reds and blues and in with the cooler, subtler puttys and greens. Being unable to resist saving a buck (or a couple thousand), we took on the project ourselves. Christopher is *not* helping, which means a single room is usually a 3-4 night ordeal. From 7:30pm-11:30pm we prep and tape (trim touch ups will come later), the next night we prime (replacing dark colors with light requires extra diligence here), and then we paint (cut in, roll, repeat). We are lucky to have a few built ins and some interesting lines in our main living spaces. As painters, we are not grateful for this.
Halloween was fun with several perfectly young-toddler-appropriate celebrations. On October 23rd, my parents' group - The Parent Circle - threw a party replete with a toilet paper roll station (yep, a whole corner filled with rolls of tp for the unrolling), cupcake decorating, toys, and obnoxious kiddie music. Christopher was interested for about 15 minutes and then decided he'd rather stretch his legs outside, so Mike joined several other dads (of 12-18 month olds!) and their wee ghosts and goblins for an autumnal stroll (chase?) outside. Yay for adult drinks and mama-visiting-time!
Christopher wore his costume to the following week's Wiggleworms class, and then again to our weekly Thursday playgroup, and finally on Halloween itself. Instead of trick-or-treating - he has many years of that ahead of him! - we joined favorite friends Rosie and Scott and their 1-year-old Finn for s'mores and hot chocolate over their little firepit in their backyard. We were home and warmed up again by 5:45pm. Perfect. When was the last time you had a s'more? I recommend Hershey's Dark. It's deeee-licious.
All this to say, we've been so busy that I realized yesterday afternoon as C and I rode out the side gate for a few errands via bike that I still haven't told Mike about the decapitated rabbit head that's on the parking strip alongside our house. Gross, man. I think it's been there for about 5 days now. And I'll bet Mike's been coming in and out of the gate on his way to/from work at such a lightning speed that HE hasn't noticed it, either.
Oh, did I mention we decided to paint the interior of our house? Yes! Out with the severe reds and blues and in with the cooler, subtler puttys and greens. Being unable to resist saving a buck (or a couple thousand), we took on the project ourselves. Christopher is *not* helping, which means a single room is usually a 3-4 night ordeal. From 7:30pm-11:30pm we prep and tape (trim touch ups will come later), the next night we prime (replacing dark colors with light requires extra diligence here), and then we paint (cut in, roll, repeat). We are lucky to have a few built ins and some interesting lines in our main living spaces. As painters, we are not grateful for this.
Halloween was fun with several perfectly young-toddler-appropriate celebrations. On October 23rd, my parents' group - The Parent Circle - threw a party replete with a toilet paper roll station (yep, a whole corner filled with rolls of tp for the unrolling), cupcake decorating, toys, and obnoxious kiddie music. Christopher was interested for about 15 minutes and then decided he'd rather stretch his legs outside, so Mike joined several other dads (of 12-18 month olds!) and their wee ghosts and goblins for an autumnal stroll (chase?) outside. Yay for adult drinks and mama-visiting-time!
Christopher wore his costume to the following week's Wiggleworms class, and then again to our weekly Thursday playgroup, and finally on Halloween itself. Instead of trick-or-treating - he has many years of that ahead of him! - we joined favorite friends Rosie and Scott and their 1-year-old Finn for s'mores and hot chocolate over their little firepit in their backyard. We were home and warmed up again by 5:45pm. Perfect. When was the last time you had a s'more? I recommend Hershey's Dark. It's deeee-licious.
All this to say, we've been so busy that I realized yesterday afternoon as C and I rode out the side gate for a few errands via bike that I still haven't told Mike about the decapitated rabbit head that's on the parking strip alongside our house. Gross, man. I think it's been there for about 5 days now. And I'll bet Mike's been coming in and out of the gate on his way to/from work at such a lightning speed that HE hasn't noticed it, either.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Fall work
This past weekend we spent most of our time in the front, back and side yards. It felt perfectly fall-ish with the contrast of cool air requiring an extra layer in the shade while warm sun streamed down from above leaving our faces and backs sweaty from the heat and hard work.
All three of us were out there contributing in our own ways and it was wonderful. Christopher's new mode of transport -- walking*, of course, with frequent quasi-sprints to train for speed -- makes yard work (in an enclosed area!) fun and much easier. He's not getting his hands dirty while going from here to there, and he's much more satisfied with exploring on his own as he can carry objects of interest - rocks, leaves, twigs - and re-appropriate them to places he sees fit. It seems we have made a few errors in our placement of various backyard items. Basil plants should be out of their pots and sitting on the lawn, rocks along the house belong in free form piles on the patio, leaves go in the top of the AC unit... and so on.
Mike distributed heavy bags of top soil around the yard while I played with my new gardening tool/workout machine: the Action Hoe. Christopher dragged small handfuls of leaves over to our bigger raked piles and occasionally drove his Radio Flyer through the mounds of crackling, red leaves. We even put him in the yard bin to try and tamp down the leaves to make more room - we thought it was funnier than he did.
We over-seeded and fertilized the lawn by hand, paying attention to spots that had been preyed upon by squirrels and bunnies trying to fatten up for winter and by the harsh heat of July and August. We dug in new soil around the bazillion hostas on the edge of our yard and weeded out the abundant native prairie weeds which had freely and generously reseeded themselves over random areas of the perimeter. We pulled out the sweet potato vines that had grown out of the veggie bed and clear through to the other side of the fence (!) and pulled up 4 beautiful specimens, 5 scrawny ones and many teeny tiny ones. Note To Self: next spring, don't over crowd in your excitement to grow everything that you will put on table, and only plant TWO sweet potato vines at the most!**
Though we were sore and stupid-tired by Sunday night from all of the physical labor, our yard looked, for a day, well-loved and well-kept. Monday morning brought wind and this morning we've had thunderstorms, all of which has sent more leaves and twigs tumbling to the ground. I guess that means we'll have something to keep us busy this upcoming weekend. :)
*C has some new shoes that are the perfect marriage between Robeez and hard soled shoes. I felt it was a little early for hard soles since he's still working out some balance issues (but really, not many - he can stumble and catch himself without falling, which is pretty impressive). They're called Pedipeds and have just the right amount of cushion and insulation for being outside on fall pavement and exploring park grounds but they also have a lot of "give" and allow his foot to roll and his piggies to grip. He loves them so much! If you ask him to go get his shoes and socks and he goes to dig his shoes out of the shoe bin and brings them in a hurry to get them on his feet! and get outside!
**I have several Evanston-mom friends who also enjoy getting dirt under their fingernails in the name of produce, fun, and warm weather. I'm hoping to corral them into a seed & start co-op of sorts. Eg. I'll do the tomato starts from seeds in the workshop, someone else can get a flat of bunny-deterring marigolds, another can get the sweet potato starts which come in packages of 6... and we'll split them all up for more diverse gardens!
All three of us were out there contributing in our own ways and it was wonderful. Christopher's new mode of transport -- walking*, of course, with frequent quasi-sprints to train for speed -- makes yard work (in an enclosed area!) fun and much easier. He's not getting his hands dirty while going from here to there, and he's much more satisfied with exploring on his own as he can carry objects of interest - rocks, leaves, twigs - and re-appropriate them to places he sees fit. It seems we have made a few errors in our placement of various backyard items. Basil plants should be out of their pots and sitting on the lawn, rocks along the house belong in free form piles on the patio, leaves go in the top of the AC unit... and so on.
Mike distributed heavy bags of top soil around the yard while I played with my new gardening tool/workout machine: the Action Hoe. Christopher dragged small handfuls of leaves over to our bigger raked piles and occasionally drove his Radio Flyer through the mounds of crackling, red leaves. We even put him in the yard bin to try and tamp down the leaves to make more room - we thought it was funnier than he did.
We over-seeded and fertilized the lawn by hand, paying attention to spots that had been preyed upon by squirrels and bunnies trying to fatten up for winter and by the harsh heat of July and August. We dug in new soil around the bazillion hostas on the edge of our yard and weeded out the abundant native prairie weeds which had freely and generously reseeded themselves over random areas of the perimeter. We pulled out the sweet potato vines that had grown out of the veggie bed and clear through to the other side of the fence (!) and pulled up 4 beautiful specimens, 5 scrawny ones and many teeny tiny ones. Note To Self: next spring, don't over crowd in your excitement to grow everything that you will put on table, and only plant TWO sweet potato vines at the most!**
Though we were sore and stupid-tired by Sunday night from all of the physical labor, our yard looked, for a day, well-loved and well-kept. Monday morning brought wind and this morning we've had thunderstorms, all of which has sent more leaves and twigs tumbling to the ground. I guess that means we'll have something to keep us busy this upcoming weekend. :)
*C has some new shoes that are the perfect marriage between Robeez and hard soled shoes. I felt it was a little early for hard soles since he's still working out some balance issues (but really, not many - he can stumble and catch himself without falling, which is pretty impressive). They're called Pedipeds and have just the right amount of cushion and insulation for being outside on fall pavement and exploring park grounds but they also have a lot of "give" and allow his foot to roll and his piggies to grip. He loves them so much! If you ask him to go get his shoes and socks and he goes to dig his shoes out of the shoe bin and brings them in a hurry to get them on his feet! and get outside!
**I have several Evanston-mom friends who also enjoy getting dirt under their fingernails in the name of produce, fun, and warm weather. I'm hoping to corral them into a seed & start co-op of sorts. Eg. I'll do the tomato starts from seeds in the workshop, someone else can get a flat of bunny-deterring marigolds, another can get the sweet potato starts which come in packages of 6... and we'll split them all up for more diverse gardens!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Fall leaves
Turns out that the tree outside of our sunroom is a bonafide Maple. And she has been working hard to impress us with each passing day, turning her leaves from light green to light yellow to gold to deep, rich amber. It's particularly stunning today with the bright sun and clear blue sky helping to define each leaf.
If you've read the blog for the past few years, perhaps you remember how I love to admire fall leaves? From Copenhagen to Cambridge to Evanston, every year I get out the camera and turn the lens up toward the sky to try and soak in the magnificence of Fall Colors.
This year should be no exception - I'll get out there with the Canon within the next day or two before the leaves fall.
If you've read the blog for the past few years, perhaps you remember how I love to admire fall leaves? From Copenhagen to Cambridge to Evanston, every year I get out the camera and turn the lens up toward the sky to try and soak in the magnificence of Fall Colors.
This year should be no exception - I'll get out there with the Canon within the next day or two before the leaves fall.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Assorted things of note.
1. I thought that the blowouts created by a 100% breastmilk diet were behind us (pun intended) now that we're all into a nice mix of solids. Apparently not as there are still costume changes required throughout the day. BUMMER. If only I could convince Christopher that a diet including something other than fruit and vegetables might be worth considering.
1a. What will we do when pears are out of season? Let's not even think about it.
2. Christopher and a little almost-1 year old girl kissed at playgroup the other day. What?!?! I know. A younger woman! It was cute and then surprising and then a little shocking as my mind raced forward 14 (13? 12?) years. Wait! Let's not go there.
3. After two weeks of practice, he is now 95% bi-ped. Way too grown up for that crawling thing now that he's 13 months old.
4. I love this blog and THIS POST at Jennifer Rivera's fabulous site. Judging by a 7-degrees-of-separation kind of measurement, I'd say that she and I are about 2 degrees away from knowing each other. Fact is, the entire opera world goes in about 2 degree increments. It's tiny. I love this post because, if she's on *that* side of the glass, then I'm on *this* side of the glass. Does that make sense? It's never easy.
5. Mike's group moved into their lab! The steady path to world domination via ribosomal machinations may now proceed with full steam.
6. We bought gourds at the Farmer's Market this morning and a flat of tomatoes so that I can make some sauce. Mmmm. Our tomato plants in the backyard are going bonkers, too.
7. By the time we left the market, C had crumbles of pumpkin scone lodged all the way down to his bellybutton on the inside of his overalls and only one half sock on his right foot. And he was exceedingly happy with himself.
8. Thursday we had the entire playgroup over for what seemed to be summer's last hurrah. 10 babies between 4-15 months old and their mamas with push toys and a water table. We enjoyed the 89 degree weather and today... it's 55 degrees.
9. Number 9, number 9, number 9... the foam square that is C's favorite.
10. Time for a shower so that I can wake him up from that nap I insisted that he take... ahh, the brink of another napping transition.
1a. What will we do when pears are out of season? Let's not even think about it.
2. Christopher and a little almost-1 year old girl kissed at playgroup the other day. What?!?! I know. A younger woman! It was cute and then surprising and then a little shocking as my mind raced forward 14 (13? 12?) years. Wait! Let's not go there.
3. After two weeks of practice, he is now 95% bi-ped. Way too grown up for that crawling thing now that he's 13 months old.
4. I love this blog and THIS POST at Jennifer Rivera's fabulous site. Judging by a 7-degrees-of-separation kind of measurement, I'd say that she and I are about 2 degrees away from knowing each other. Fact is, the entire opera world goes in about 2 degree increments. It's tiny. I love this post because, if she's on *that* side of the glass, then I'm on *this* side of the glass. Does that make sense? It's never easy.
5. Mike's group moved into their lab! The steady path to world domination via ribosomal machinations may now proceed with full steam.
6. We bought gourds at the Farmer's Market this morning and a flat of tomatoes so that I can make some sauce. Mmmm. Our tomato plants in the backyard are going bonkers, too.
7. By the time we left the market, C had crumbles of pumpkin scone lodged all the way down to his bellybutton on the inside of his overalls and only one half sock on his right foot. And he was exceedingly happy with himself.
8. Thursday we had the entire playgroup over for what seemed to be summer's last hurrah. 10 babies between 4-15 months old and their mamas with push toys and a water table. We enjoyed the 89 degree weather and today... it's 55 degrees.
9. Number 9, number 9, number 9... the foam square that is C's favorite.
10. Time for a shower so that I can wake him up from that nap I insisted that he take... ahh, the brink of another napping transition.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
To be or what to be...
The most important question of the month:
What should Christopher be for Halloween???
This is an urgent matter. Please email me if you have an idea that I need to consider.
Thank you.
What should Christopher be for Halloween???
This is an urgent matter. Please email me if you have an idea that I need to consider.
Thank you.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Worldly palate
As we came rushing in from our morning outing, I plopped Christopher in his highchair and gave him a few cubes of cheese and a handful of Cheerios to keep his hunger sated while I could pull together something more well-rounded.
I tried offering perfectly-ripe organic nectarines (delicious), freshly cut cantaloupe (also out of this world), and some banana. The whole time he was eying my plate of leftovers.
Well, duh. What comes off of Mama and Daddy's plate is *always* better than what he's been offered (disclosure: 9 times of out 10, we're eating the exact same thing, though slightly less mangled since we have full sets of teeth).
Okay, so last night was the final evening of our Staycation* and we ordered Thai food. Truly decadent by our standards. In fact - why didn't we do this for the whole "Staycation"? Seriously - why was I cooking dinner and lunch and breakfast??? Mom - I now understand. It's not vacation when you're still cooking and cleaning up after dinner...
So I gave him some of my Pad Thai and he proceeded to gobble it up and beg off more from my plate until we had just about shared what was left.
Next time I'm going to pretend to have PB&J and wait until he's asleep so that I don't have to share. Hmph.
*By definition: what 30-somethings do when they've just bought a house and have young children, thereby leaving them without the discretionary funds they once possessed for indulgent trips to explore other continents.
I tried offering perfectly-ripe organic nectarines (delicious), freshly cut cantaloupe (also out of this world), and some banana. The whole time he was eying my plate of leftovers.
Well, duh. What comes off of Mama and Daddy's plate is *always* better than what he's been offered (disclosure: 9 times of out 10, we're eating the exact same thing, though slightly less mangled since we have full sets of teeth).
Okay, so last night was the final evening of our Staycation* and we ordered Thai food. Truly decadent by our standards. In fact - why didn't we do this for the whole "Staycation"? Seriously - why was I cooking dinner and lunch and breakfast??? Mom - I now understand. It's not vacation when you're still cooking and cleaning up after dinner...
So I gave him some of my Pad Thai and he proceeded to gobble it up and beg off more from my plate until we had just about shared what was left.
Next time I'm going to pretend to have PB&J and wait until he's asleep so that I don't have to share. Hmph.
*By definition: what 30-somethings do when they've just bought a house and have young children, thereby leaving them without the discretionary funds they once possessed for indulgent trips to explore other continents.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Back to school outfit.
School started back up this past week, so I thought the blog would get into it with a new outfit for the first Monday back at school.
Last week the weather changed to a gorgeous mid-70s with zippo in the way of humidity and even - believe it - a slight chill in the air in the mornings. I had to wear slippers around the house! That tease of fall weather was perfectly timed with the beginning of school.
We live down the street from a super-dooper elementary school (one of the Top 10 in the state, if we may be so bold as to point out), and the electricity in the air last week was downright palpable. Kids and parents and dogs were out in full force: dropping off, picking up, catching up, waving, hugging, clutching bundles of papers outlining directions and guidelines, laughing (I'm sure a little crying, too!), and just general *living*. It's great.
Christopher and I walked by on our way to the park in the afternoon just after 4pm and the number of kids and strollers and bikes and parents milling around made it look as though the final bell had rung moments before, not a full hour prior. C couldn't take his eyes off of all the big kids. I know he's taking notes and admiring them. They must seem huge and so very mature to him at this point.
So, we're all spruced up here at the blog as a welcome to a new year. I know, I know, it's the academic year, but in case it hasn't become totally clear - Mike and I will be "in school" until we're dead and gone, so September is the month that marks OUR new year. It's going to be a good one... our second in our new city, our second as parents, and our first full one in our new abode.
Last week the weather changed to a gorgeous mid-70s with zippo in the way of humidity and even - believe it - a slight chill in the air in the mornings. I had to wear slippers around the house! That tease of fall weather was perfectly timed with the beginning of school.
We live down the street from a super-dooper elementary school (one of the Top 10 in the state, if we may be so bold as to point out), and the electricity in the air last week was downright palpable. Kids and parents and dogs were out in full force: dropping off, picking up, catching up, waving, hugging, clutching bundles of papers outlining directions and guidelines, laughing (I'm sure a little crying, too!), and just general *living*. It's great.
Christopher and I walked by on our way to the park in the afternoon just after 4pm and the number of kids and strollers and bikes and parents milling around made it look as though the final bell had rung moments before, not a full hour prior. C couldn't take his eyes off of all the big kids. I know he's taking notes and admiring them. They must seem huge and so very mature to him at this point.
So, we're all spruced up here at the blog as a welcome to a new year. I know, I know, it's the academic year, but in case it hasn't become totally clear - Mike and I will be "in school" until we're dead and gone, so September is the month that marks OUR new year. It's going to be a good one... our second in our new city, our second as parents, and our first full one in our new abode.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
7 and 7
Last Monday, Mike and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary with a little bike ride up to the Wilmette town center for dinner. It was a cool summer evening and I was reminded of our evenings out in Copenhagen and how it felt to be out at night riding home from fun with friends or fun simply with each other.
We have a loose no-gifts rule for occasions such as anniversaries and holidays like Mother's/Father's Day, Easter, etc... but we usually give each other cards. And Mike does bring me flowers on these days more often than not. Those gorgeous roses are still going strong over a week later! Decadent.
Anyhoo. While writing a little note to him this year, I realized that this year marks not only our 7th wedding anniversary, but also the 14th year that we have known (and been enamored with, dare I say) each other.
Seven and seven.
xxxxxxx
ooooooo
Friday, August 20, 2010
one
I keep waiting for the right words to come to me so that I can properly commemorate Christopher's first birthday here on ye olde blogge. However, the longer I wait for those wise words to careen over and smack me in the forehead... the more unlikely it seems this will happen.So, our baby is ONE. There was cake, there were playgroup friends and their parents, there were more than a few presents sent from many different places, and then... he was one!
For those measuring by metrics, he's 31.5 inches tall now (90th percentile) and 22.4 pounds (50th percentile), which means he may very well end up with a physique like that of his tall, svelte dad. He has tired of pulling up and now frequently just STANDS UP from wherever he is on the floor, though he has only once tried to put a foot out in an effort to go anywhere. He claps, he points to his belly when asked where it is (with a sly smile as if to say, "did you think I'd lost it or something?"), converses in a near-constant babble, gives high-fives, and waves bye-bye to anything and everything... even the occasional inanimate object (eg. bye-bye trees!).
For those interested in the qualitative analysis, he's still smooshable and ticklish. And his giggle turns into a cackle if things get funny enough. His baby hair has grown into little curls at the nape of his neck which perfectly match the twinkle in his eye when he realizes that he's engaged you in a Game. His favorite games: peek-a-boo from behind the couch, hide-and-seek (very closely resembling peek-a-boo, also behind the couch), crawling after/dribbling wooden balls throughout the house, slalom tag in the sunroom playhuts and doing laps around the backyard with the Radio Flyer.
He loves peaches and Heart to Heart cereal (mmmm, Kashi), squash from the garden, mom's chocolate cake, toast with strawberry jam (still!), spinach spinach spinach, blueberry pancakes, cheese and mangoes. Much to my relief, he mastered the skill of the sippy cup just as our ridiculous record-breaking heatwave continued into August (45+ days of 85+ degrees with humidity) and now chugs water like mama and dad. He no longer needs the baby tub (he was too long for it!) and now gets into the big bath to splash around.
He plays incredibly well by himself and retreats to his room when he's getting close to naptime to flip through his books and listen to his tunes. He snuggles up for stories and nursing before going to sleep and greets us with a huge grin when he wakes up feeling refreshed and recharged. The book of the month is Hug by Jez Alborough. He's spoiled with 6:30am runs with dad to the swings and around the neighborhood at least 3-4 days a week, rides on the back of mom's bike at least twice a week to the swings or the store and plays with other little ones regularly.
He's inquisitive and cautious, loving and joyful. It's cliche, but we really can't imagine our lives without him. Yay for Christopher! We love you, Bug.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Happy WBW!
It's World Breastfeeding Week, so we are observing in the best way we know how... enthusiastic participation! :)
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Mwah!
This week Christopher started giving "kisses." It is, without question, the cutest (and sloppiest) thing in the world.
While there's not a noticeable smooch - or even a puckering for that matter - they're definitely kisses and he's doling them out like it's going out of style (I'm not complaining).
If I lay down on the floor and call his name, he'll giggle as he crawls over to plant a few big ones on my forehead or my eyelid or my shoulder - whatever happens to fall within the reach of his gaping little mouth.
Of course, I laugh and match his kisses 10-to-1, so it's something of a game and I hope it continues for a while.
While there's not a noticeable smooch - or even a puckering for that matter - they're definitely kisses and he's doling them out like it's going out of style (I'm not complaining).
If I lay down on the floor and call his name, he'll giggle as he crawls over to plant a few big ones on my forehead or my eyelid or my shoulder - whatever happens to fall within the reach of his gaping little mouth.
Of course, I laugh and match his kisses 10-to-1, so it's something of a game and I hope it continues for a while.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Dude, it's hot.
Hot enough to make me invent dinners that require no stove or oven use. Why not BBQ? Because sometimes, the idea of standing over hot coals in the aforementioned heat sounds just as icky.
So... I wanted to share last night's main with you in case you're experiencing the same stickiness.
Couscous Salad with stuff from the garden (all measurements approximate, of course)
1C whole wheat couscous - Pour boiling water over couscous from electric kettle (no stove required!) until just covered, cover bowl with plate or plastic wrap and let sit while you...
Halve one pint of grape tomatoes
Cut up one English cucumber into 1/2" pieces (de-seed and peel if you want, or be lazy like me!)
Rinse one can of garbanzo beans
Fluff the couscous with a fork (which is likely done by now) and dump the tomatoes, cucumber and garbanzo beans on top. Fold everything together.
Crumble a good handful of feta on top.
Go outside and pinch off all of the basil tips that are threatening to flower, plus a few of those big old leaves from underneath. Hack off a few sprigs of mint. Wash it up, chop it up, and dump into salad... mix and finally...
Dress lightly with olive oil, red wine vinegar, Salt-N-Pepa. Dance and eat.
Serve with big chunks of cantaloupe or whatever fruit/veg is taking over your refrigerator this week.
So... I wanted to share last night's main with you in case you're experiencing the same stickiness.
Couscous Salad with stuff from the garden (all measurements approximate, of course)
1C whole wheat couscous - Pour boiling water over couscous from electric kettle (no stove required!) until just covered, cover bowl with plate or plastic wrap and let sit while you...
Halve one pint of grape tomatoes
Cut up one English cucumber into 1/2" pieces (de-seed and peel if you want, or be lazy like me!)
Rinse one can of garbanzo beans
Fluff the couscous with a fork (which is likely done by now) and dump the tomatoes, cucumber and garbanzo beans on top. Fold everything together.
Crumble a good handful of feta on top.
Go outside and pinch off all of the basil tips that are threatening to flower, plus a few of those big old leaves from underneath. Hack off a few sprigs of mint. Wash it up, chop it up, and dump into salad... mix and finally...
Dress lightly with olive oil, red wine vinegar, Salt-N-Pepa. Dance and eat.
Serve with big chunks of cantaloupe or whatever fruit/veg is taking over your refrigerator this week.
Monday, July 19, 2010
For the love of jam.
The baby loves a little bread with jam. Who doesn't? The Von Trapp kids sang about it ("Ti/Tea, a drink with jam and bread), Frances loved her bread and jam, and when it's homemade with berries from the farmer's market... well. Hard to argue.
However, this love combined with the exploration of gravity leaves me looking like Cinderella on a daily basis. Scrubbing spots of strawberry stickiness from the floor on my hands and knees.
And I thought a rug would be nice under the dining room table. Ha ha ha.
I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my own personal Fairy Godmother.
However, this love combined with the exploration of gravity leaves me looking like Cinderella on a daily basis. Scrubbing spots of strawberry stickiness from the floor on my hands and knees.
And I thought a rug would be nice under the dining room table. Ha ha ha.
I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my own personal Fairy Godmother.
Friday, July 9, 2010
This week...
A wrap up of what's been going on around here, because I love lists.
listening ::
Mike - The Pursuit, Jamie Cullum
Megan - Declaration of Dependence, Kings of Convenience
Christopher - Here Comes Science, They Might Be Giants
*we are all enjoying the track Cells, in particular... see the video below :)
reading ::
Mike - At the Helm, Kathy Barker
Megan - The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin; MS Living Magazine (July 2010), Mothering Magazine (July - August 2010)
Christopher - Five Little Ladybugs, Melanie Gerth; Trucks, Byron Barton
tasting ::
Mike & Megan & Christopher - fruit smoothies with veggie odds and ends, hummus and pitas, blueberry pie with homemade peach ice cream, grilling cheese and fish with fresh dill, anything and everything that arrives in the Fresh Picks box!
doing ::
Mike - planning experiments, writing proposals, biking to work and jogging with C in the mornings
Megan - devising ways to make dinner without turning on the stove, sewing roman shades, subbing for church jobs
Christopher - dancing (bobbing), experimenting with standing and cruising, training for speed and distance, enjoying his new water table, looking forward to seeing Grandma & Grandpa!!!
Happy Weekend!
listening ::
Mike - The Pursuit, Jamie Cullum
Megan - Declaration of Dependence, Kings of Convenience
Christopher - Here Comes Science, They Might Be Giants
*we are all enjoying the track Cells, in particular... see the video below :)
reading ::
Mike - At the Helm, Kathy Barker
Megan - The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin; MS Living Magazine (July 2010), Mothering Magazine (July - August 2010)
Christopher - Five Little Ladybugs, Melanie Gerth; Trucks, Byron Barton
tasting ::
Mike & Megan & Christopher - fruit smoothies with veggie odds and ends, hummus and pitas, blueberry pie with homemade peach ice cream, grilling cheese and fish with fresh dill, anything and everything that arrives in the Fresh Picks box!
doing ::
Mike - planning experiments, writing proposals, biking to work and jogging with C in the mornings
Megan - devising ways to make dinner without turning on the stove, sewing roman shades, subbing for church jobs
Christopher - dancing (bobbing), experimenting with standing and cruising, training for speed and distance, enjoying his new water table, looking forward to seeing Grandma & Grandpa!!!
Happy Weekend!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Pins and needles
I was jogging on the treadmill at the gym today while Paraguay and Japan battled for victory in today's World Cup Match.
There were audible gasps and whoops with each passing minute of overtime play, followed by even louder cheers and jeers as each team took their turn in the final shoot out.
As the teams gathered themselves pre-shoot out, I found myself running faster with the excitement of the event. If only a goal-less World Cup match were on each time I went to the gym... I'd be in excellent shape by now! In any case, I thought, "I need to pick someone to root for!" (A spectator should always have a team, don't you think? It adds to the thrill.)
So I picked Paraguay.
Why? Because they are an unbelievably hot team. (Roque Santa Cruz, I'm looking at you.) In the heat of the moment, I needed to pick a team and seeing as how I lacked the proper background on each team and their players... I could go by one thing alone: Hotness Factor.
And Paraguay won! So exciting. The way they shot their penalty kicks was so cool and assured, graceful and spot-on. Almost every shooter seemed to visibly wait for the goalkeeper to make his move before they chose where to direct the ball. And this after 120 minutes of grueling, dedicated play. Very impressive.
Apparently, victory by Hotness Factor is a very viable outcome. Let's call it a theory for now, though. Yes, who is to say which team is hotter than another... but let us revisit this strategic theory on July 11th when the final match is played!
There were audible gasps and whoops with each passing minute of overtime play, followed by even louder cheers and jeers as each team took their turn in the final shoot out.
As the teams gathered themselves pre-shoot out, I found myself running faster with the excitement of the event. If only a goal-less World Cup match were on each time I went to the gym... I'd be in excellent shape by now! In any case, I thought, "I need to pick someone to root for!" (A spectator should always have a team, don't you think? It adds to the thrill.)
So I picked Paraguay.
Why? Because they are an unbelievably hot team. (Roque Santa Cruz, I'm looking at you.) In the heat of the moment, I needed to pick a team and seeing as how I lacked the proper background on each team and their players... I could go by one thing alone: Hotness Factor.
And Paraguay won! So exciting. The way they shot their penalty kicks was so cool and assured, graceful and spot-on. Almost every shooter seemed to visibly wait for the goalkeeper to make his move before they chose where to direct the ball. And this after 120 minutes of grueling, dedicated play. Very impressive.
Apparently, victory by Hotness Factor is a very viable outcome. Let's call it a theory for now, though. Yes, who is to say which team is hotter than another... but let us revisit this strategic theory on July 11th when the final match is played!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Industry
1 : diligence in an employment or pursuit; especially : steady or habitual effort
(JS Bach also said, "Bring me a bowl of coffee before I turn into a goat." If you catch me at 6:15am on any given morning, I will wholeheartedly agree with that second quote... that Johann was a smart cookie.)
The "systematic labor" going on around here includes staining an old table, containment-sewing (dirty diapers, plastic bags, beach gear), weeding of the garden, putting up/putting by/preserving strawberries in the form of freezer jam (yum!), using the sun's awesome bleaching and de-fragrancing powers, and in times of inactive-industry: reading a book that suddenly appeals and inspires.
Make Do and Mend. The UK Board of Trade started this campaign in the 1940s to encourage people to use what they had in the name of conservation and frugality. I love this. And I love the posters I've found out there... wonder if I could find one somewhere to hang in my house?!
And how can you not love this? It's a bit of guidance for the homemaker who sews from Singer (the maker of sewing machines) ca. 1949. I don't know about you, but I *never* sit down to sew anything before making the beds and cleaning the dishes and putting on a little lipstick.
My first sewing machine was the very one this lady is holding. In fact, I still use it. Love that Singer Featherweight (though featherweight it certainly is not.)!
2 a : systematic labor especially for some useful purpose or the creation of something of value b : a department or branch of a craft, art, business, or manufacture; especially : one that employs a large personnel and capital especially in manufacturing c : a distinct group of productive or profit-making enterprises
3 : work devoted to the study of a particular subject or author
(JS Bach also said, "Bring me a bowl of coffee before I turn into a goat." If you catch me at 6:15am on any given morning, I will wholeheartedly agree with that second quote... that Johann was a smart cookie.)
The "systematic labor" going on around here includes staining an old table, containment-sewing (dirty diapers, plastic bags, beach gear), weeding of the garden, putting up/putting by/preserving strawberries in the form of freezer jam (yum!), using the sun's awesome bleaching and de-fragrancing powers, and in times of inactive-industry: reading a book that suddenly appeals and inspires.
Make Do and Mend. The UK Board of Trade started this campaign in the 1940s to encourage people to use what they had in the name of conservation and frugality. I love this. And I love the posters I've found out there... wonder if I could find one somewhere to hang in my house?!
And how can you not love this? It's a bit of guidance for the homemaker who sews from Singer (the maker of sewing machines) ca. 1949. I don't know about you, but I *never* sit down to sew anything before making the beds and cleaning the dishes and putting on a little lipstick.
My first sewing machine was the very one this lady is holding. In fact, I still use it. Love that Singer Featherweight (though featherweight it certainly is not.)!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
A list.
Not as in "The A List" but merely... a list. Because when I'm out with the kiddo thinking of all the fabulous things I want to blog about, I come home and those thoughts have left me and so... here, cobbled together for your enjoyment (in no particular order), I give you...
A list.
1) Graham crackers are GOOD! We were out errand-ing today and needed a quick munchie. When was the last time I had one of these suckers? And can we be honest and call them what they are? Graham COOKIES.
Wonder if I can successfully make any of those graham cracker recipes I see out there online.
2) We are now cloth diapering. It's good for many reasons: I have the time, I have the washer (yeehaw!), it's good for the earth and it's good for my wallet since I'm no longer using quarters for laundry. Yip yip! I tried a few different kinds of pocket diapers, and my favorite brand is FuzziBunz. Mike had a hard time remembering the name for the first week so we heard many variations including FunnyBunnies, FunnyBunz, FuzzyBunnies, etc etc.
3) I miss being walking distance to downtown Evanston. But I love our backyard and our neighborhood. *sigh* Darn car. Maybe we'll hook up the child bike seat this weekend...
4) Christopher crawls like a little bulldozing grizzly bear. A kissable, bulldozing grizzly with sticky banana fingers and cheeks glazed with shreds of pureed spinach and bread crumbs. A 9.5 month old in June is a wonderful thing.
5) We have a baby gate. We'll need to get another one soon. Does this make us old?
6) Fair season and farmer's market season has returned. Excellent!
7) Mike has been jogging with C in BOB a couple of mornings each week. They come back sweaty and happy (there's usually a park-swing break in there, from what I understand), and while they've been out playing with BOB, I've been savoring Joe.
8) Monthly date nights have been initiated in a swap with friends who have a little boy 6 weeks older than Christopher. It's a great set up. Our first evening out was for my birthday last week.. we saw Sex and the City 2. (Hey, it was my birthday, not Mike's.) Mike got major husband points for viewing 2-1/2 hours of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte in lots of faaaab clothes.
9) Our garden is springing up! The only question is: will it produce anything before the season is over?
10) Hartigan's. It's an 8 minute walk from our front door. Yum.
A list.
1) Graham crackers are GOOD! We were out errand-ing today and needed a quick munchie. When was the last time I had one of these suckers? And can we be honest and call them what they are? Graham COOKIES.
Wonder if I can successfully make any of those graham cracker recipes I see out there online.
2) We are now cloth diapering. It's good for many reasons: I have the time, I have the washer (yeehaw!), it's good for the earth and it's good for my wallet since I'm no longer using quarters for laundry. Yip yip! I tried a few different kinds of pocket diapers, and my favorite brand is FuzziBunz. Mike had a hard time remembering the name for the first week so we heard many variations including FunnyBunnies, FunnyBunz, FuzzyBunnies, etc etc.
3) I miss being walking distance to downtown Evanston. But I love our backyard and our neighborhood. *sigh* Darn car. Maybe we'll hook up the child bike seat this weekend...
4) Christopher crawls like a little bulldozing grizzly bear. A kissable, bulldozing grizzly with sticky banana fingers and cheeks glazed with shreds of pureed spinach and bread crumbs. A 9.5 month old in June is a wonderful thing.
5) We have a baby gate. We'll need to get another one soon. Does this make us old?
6) Fair season and farmer's market season has returned. Excellent!
7) Mike has been jogging with C in BOB a couple of mornings each week. They come back sweaty and happy (there's usually a park-swing break in there, from what I understand), and while they've been out playing with BOB, I've been savoring Joe.
8) Monthly date nights have been initiated in a swap with friends who have a little boy 6 weeks older than Christopher. It's a great set up. Our first evening out was for my birthday last week.. we saw Sex and the City 2. (Hey, it was my birthday, not Mike's.) Mike got major husband points for viewing 2-1/2 hours of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte in lots of faaaab clothes.
9) Our garden is springing up! The only question is: will it produce anything before the season is over?
10) Hartigan's. It's an 8 minute walk from our front door. Yum.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Mike to WiFi-connected laptop:
"You complete me."
Me: "I thought you were supposed to say those things to me."
Mike: "I thought so, too. But really, it's the internet that completes me."
Hmm. We had our internet connection in place last night after Three Whole Days without it. How ever did we make it?!
So, we're going on Day 4 in the new house and so far only a few hiccups (fridge door handle snapped off... but, hey! insta-childproofing!) and now we're just ironing out the never-ending details. Like - get some darn curtains up in the bedrooms to save us from the lovely sunlight at 5:30am. And, get that fencepost fixed. And, figure out a better way to ventilate the upstairs, even out the temperature of the main level, and utilize the frigidity of the basement - we must have a span of 50 degrees between our three floors!
In between the have-to's, we're also enjoying the fun parts of having a house. Last night we were out watering the front and back yards after a very warm day. And we discovered that - hey! - we've got a lot of yard. Lots of potential there.
I've done laundry whenever I darn well please and today our sheets are swaying in the breeze on a makeshift line of yellow rope between the back deck and one of our trees. Sayonara to the trek down 3 flights of stairs into the basement only to discover that... a) I forgot quarters, or b) someone else had gotten to the machines first.
Yesterday, Christopher took a nap outside in his stroller (felt very Danish) while I sat under a tree and flipped through a few books I'd just picked up at the local branch library... very Pleasantville. :)
This weekend we'll get out there and get dirty in the yard. In fact, I've already gardened. All of you who know me well can stop laughing - I really did! I tied back the green foliage of the daffodil and tulip bulbs in our sideyard. Although, now that I'm reading up online, perhaps I shouldn't have done that... hmmm. So much to learn!
Me: "I thought you were supposed to say those things to me."
Mike: "I thought so, too. But really, it's the internet that completes me."
Hmm. We had our internet connection in place last night after Three Whole Days without it. How ever did we make it?!
So, we're going on Day 4 in the new house and so far only a few hiccups (fridge door handle snapped off... but, hey! insta-childproofing!) and now we're just ironing out the never-ending details. Like - get some darn curtains up in the bedrooms to save us from the lovely sunlight at 5:30am. And, get that fencepost fixed. And, figure out a better way to ventilate the upstairs, even out the temperature of the main level, and utilize the frigidity of the basement - we must have a span of 50 degrees between our three floors!
In between the have-to's, we're also enjoying the fun parts of having a house. Last night we were out watering the front and back yards after a very warm day. And we discovered that - hey! - we've got a lot of yard. Lots of potential there.
I've done laundry whenever I darn well please and today our sheets are swaying in the breeze on a makeshift line of yellow rope between the back deck and one of our trees. Sayonara to the trek down 3 flights of stairs into the basement only to discover that... a) I forgot quarters, or b) someone else had gotten to the machines first.
Yesterday, Christopher took a nap outside in his stroller (felt very Danish) while I sat under a tree and flipped through a few books I'd just picked up at the local branch library... very Pleasantville. :)
This weekend we'll get out there and get dirty in the yard. In fact, I've already gardened. All of you who know me well can stop laughing - I really did! I tied back the green foliage of the daffodil and tulip bulbs in our sideyard. Although, now that I'm reading up online, perhaps I shouldn't have done that... hmmm. So much to learn!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Trying to be mindful.
We lucked out two-fold on our transatlantic flight home from Rome.
1) The plane was about 2/3rds full. This meant we swapped around seats with a lovely woman traveling solo and managed to get our own middle row of 3 seats across. This made nursing, sleeping and playing much, much easier.
2) Someone had left behind a Time magazine in our seat pocket! We haven't subscribed to Newsweek in ages, but were happy to have the chance to read while taking turns with the baby or while he slept. Grown up reading! (Not that we don't love "Five Little Ladybugs", but... well, you know.)
Cancer, Cancer Everywhere
I clipped the above article which affirmed my organic choices. Sometimes I start to feel like the organic thing is just an expensive choice, not a necessary one for us. Reading things like this helps boost my resolve!
And the article inspired me to get rid of as much plastic as possible when we land in our new place. I'd like to get a set of glass containers so that I can reheat in the microwave and store leftovers without thinking about the plastic issue... even if they're BPA-free...
I'm thinking of these glass bowls with lids from Crate & Barrel.
Or maybe I should just scoot down to Goodwill and see what they have there?
1) The plane was about 2/3rds full. This meant we swapped around seats with a lovely woman traveling solo and managed to get our own middle row of 3 seats across. This made nursing, sleeping and playing much, much easier.
2) Someone had left behind a Time magazine in our seat pocket! We haven't subscribed to Newsweek in ages, but were happy to have the chance to read while taking turns with the baby or while he slept. Grown up reading! (Not that we don't love "Five Little Ladybugs", but... well, you know.)
Cancer, Cancer Everywhere
I clipped the above article which affirmed my organic choices. Sometimes I start to feel like the organic thing is just an expensive choice, not a necessary one for us. Reading things like this helps boost my resolve!
And the article inspired me to get rid of as much plastic as possible when we land in our new place. I'd like to get a set of glass containers so that I can reheat in the microwave and store leftovers without thinking about the plastic issue... even if they're BPA-free...
I'm thinking of these glass bowls with lids from Crate & Barrel.
Or maybe I should just scoot down to Goodwill and see what they have there?
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Nine in, nine out.
Our baby has now been "out" as long as he was "in" - which is hard to believe considering how big and curious and wonderful he is at a mere 9 months.
He was a trooper as we traveled to Italy for 2 weeks earlier this month. He made friends at every turn and weathered multiple forms of transportation without becoming a holy terror. (He was more resilient than we were on several occasions.) He's now got a stamp in his passport and has ridden in trains, planes, automobiles and funiculars.
Aside from taking in the majesty of Florence's Duomo and the historic sites in Rome (he was there, though I doubt he really "took it in")... he discovered the joys of solid food eating in Italy (doesn't everyone?!)! Gelato, Tuscan bread with olive oil, homemade pasta, pecorino cheese, bufala mozzarella - it all went down the hatch and was quickly followed by a gaping mouth asking for More Please! And his hand-to-mouth accuracy has greatly improved as a result. He's now trying to figure out the capacity of his mouth... how many handfuls can get shoved in there at once?
Exciting times around here.
Oh, and we're moving into our first house this weekend. But that's not nearly as exciting as cinnamon-spiced applesauce and finger foods!
He was a trooper as we traveled to Italy for 2 weeks earlier this month. He made friends at every turn and weathered multiple forms of transportation without becoming a holy terror. (He was more resilient than we were on several occasions.) He's now got a stamp in his passport and has ridden in trains, planes, automobiles and funiculars.
Aside from taking in the majesty of Florence's Duomo and the historic sites in Rome (he was there, though I doubt he really "took it in")... he discovered the joys of solid food eating in Italy (doesn't everyone?!)! Gelato, Tuscan bread with olive oil, homemade pasta, pecorino cheese, bufala mozzarella - it all went down the hatch and was quickly followed by a gaping mouth asking for More Please! And his hand-to-mouth accuracy has greatly improved as a result. He's now trying to figure out the capacity of his mouth... how many handfuls can get shoved in there at once?
Exciting times around here.
Oh, and we're moving into our first house this weekend. But that's not nearly as exciting as cinnamon-spiced applesauce and finger foods!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
April visitors
We've had a wonderful month of visitors from all corners of the continent... and globe! We shared meals and playtime (and adult conversation during naptimes) with both friends and family over the course of the last four weeks.
Karen came up from Gainesville, FL to take a break from her grueling PhD program and our highlight of the weekend was a trip to the Field Museum where we saw the brand new Mammoths & Mastadons exhibit. The Pecan Sticky Buns on Easter morning were also noteworthy, if I do say so myself...
Then Mike's parents joined us for a weekend and we went down to the Magnificent Mile for a so-clear-you-could-see-forever view from the Hancock Observatory and a short tour of some shops along the strip.
Earlier this week we welcomed Keith, Kate and Elijah and introduced them to Evanston. The highlight for me was watching the babies interact and have a full blown squawk-fest over lunch with each other. I really think they hit it off. :)
And, we just bid our dear friend Vince (C's godfather) goodbye after a weekend that included a trip to Wrigley Field and Wicker Park for a little architecture exploration on foot and a lot of Evanston-based catching up, beer sipping and baby-adoring.
We loved seeing you, friends! And we miss you already.
Karen came up from Gainesville, FL to take a break from her grueling PhD program and our highlight of the weekend was a trip to the Field Museum where we saw the brand new Mammoths & Mastadons exhibit. The Pecan Sticky Buns on Easter morning were also noteworthy, if I do say so myself...
Then Mike's parents joined us for a weekend and we went down to the Magnificent Mile for a so-clear-you-could-see-forever view from the Hancock Observatory and a short tour of some shops along the strip.
Earlier this week we welcomed Keith, Kate and Elijah and introduced them to Evanston. The highlight for me was watching the babies interact and have a full blown squawk-fest over lunch with each other. I really think they hit it off. :)
And, we just bid our dear friend Vince (C's godfather) goodbye after a weekend that included a trip to Wrigley Field and Wicker Park for a little architecture exploration on foot and a lot of Evanston-based catching up, beer sipping and baby-adoring.
We loved seeing you, friends! And we miss you already.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Two things
1) I made yogurt! No really, I made it last night from a quart of lowfat milk and a scoop of Stoneyfield Farms Plain that we had in the fridge. We go through yogurt like crazy, so I thought I'd try it... and it worked! For once, I'm the one playing with bacteria instead of Mike.
First, I scolded the milk (bad Milk!). Ha! No, actually, I scalded it and then I cooled it off and then added the other yogurt and then left it all wrapped up in towels on the back of the stove for a long time so that it could think about WHY I'd scolded it in the first place... and lo, there was yogurt. And it is good!
2) There are spring things out there! Spring means crocuses and there are scads of them blooming right now. Gorgeous.
2a) It is 38 degrees out there right now... but I have toasted homemade bread with honey on it. So everything is OK.
First, I scolded the milk (bad Milk!). Ha! No, actually, I scalded it and then I cooled it off and then added the other yogurt and then left it all wrapped up in towels on the back of the stove for a long time so that it could think about WHY I'd scolded it in the first place... and lo, there was yogurt. And it is good!
2) There are spring things out there! Spring means crocuses and there are scads of them blooming right now. Gorgeous.
2a) It is 38 degrees out there right now... but I have toasted homemade bread with honey on it. So everything is OK.
Monday, April 5, 2010
EWG's Shopping Guide
I'm posting a link to The Environmental Working Group's "The Shopper's Guide to Pesticides" because I'm finding it to be very helpful.
CLICK HERE to download the iPhone app or a printable PDF for your wallet.
I'm trying to plan meals at the beginning of each week in an effort to waste less, to present a more well-rounded diet to the fam, and to make sure I get to cook a little bit of everything as the days fly by (it's cathartic for me... like knitting).
We love good food in this household. From homemade ice cream to roasted Brussels sprouts, from spiced-up black beans with cornbread to a good Thai green curry with tofu (yes, we all like tofu) we'll pretty much devour it all... and I wish we could afford to put an entirely organic spread on the table every night, but Whole Foods (aka Whole Paycheck) is just beyond our means.
However, I'm making a few choices that I hope will impact our family's health and well-being.
1) I buy fruit and veggies weekly through a business called Fresh Picks. It works like a CSA, but I have the option of not buying into an entire season and can order week-to-week. And they deliver it to my front door. (For you lucky folks in CA, visit Local Harvest and hook up with a CSA that can serve you local, organic produce year-round.)
2) The baby eats entirely organic foods. This is pretty easy for now since I make 99% of his solid foods (and 100% of his beverages). I cook down/puree/freeze some of the fruit and veg that come from Fresh Picks and whatever is priced well at Whole Foods. I'd like to continue this through his first year. It feels good to spoon homemade applesauce into his little rosebud mouth and see him enjoy it so much that he bounces in anticipation of the next bite.
3) I'm using the cheat sheet mentioned above so that Mike and I can eat as organically as possible. And, we don't eat much meat which encourages us to look for plant-based sources of iron and protein. This doesn't necessarily mean faux-meat.
4) Farmer's Market! Our local market opens on May 8th. We can't wait. Evanston's Sunday market is great: groups of musicians amongst throngs of eager shoppers, a nice variety of vendors and fair prices on locally grown items.
5) Mix up the options and plan so that I'm not wasting food. While an organic roasting chicken isn't a cheap item, consider the following: one night's roasted chicken becomes the following day's sandwich becomes chicken stock becomes soup or risotto base or a richer liquid for cooking plain old rice! Maybe this point should be: cook like your grandmother. :)
6) Don't get too crazy. We love Lou's pizza around the corner, a Five Guys burger makes me salivate and there's an old style pancake house up the way called Walker's and their German apple pancakes are To Die For. And I don't think they're baking with organic apples.
So! This was supposed to be a short post. I just wanted to share the link to that cheat sheet, but I got carried away talking about one of my favorite subjects. FOOD! Mmm... dig in!
CLICK HERE to download the iPhone app or a printable PDF for your wallet.
I'm trying to plan meals at the beginning of each week in an effort to waste less, to present a more well-rounded diet to the fam, and to make sure I get to cook a little bit of everything as the days fly by (it's cathartic for me... like knitting).
We love good food in this household. From homemade ice cream to roasted Brussels sprouts, from spiced-up black beans with cornbread to a good Thai green curry with tofu (yes, we all like tofu) we'll pretty much devour it all... and I wish we could afford to put an entirely organic spread on the table every night, but Whole Foods (aka Whole Paycheck) is just beyond our means.
However, I'm making a few choices that I hope will impact our family's health and well-being.
1) I buy fruit and veggies weekly through a business called Fresh Picks. It works like a CSA, but I have the option of not buying into an entire season and can order week-to-week. And they deliver it to my front door. (For you lucky folks in CA, visit Local Harvest and hook up with a CSA that can serve you local, organic produce year-round.)
2) The baby eats entirely organic foods. This is pretty easy for now since I make 99% of his solid foods (and 100% of his beverages). I cook down/puree/freeze some of the fruit and veg that come from Fresh Picks and whatever is priced well at Whole Foods. I'd like to continue this through his first year. It feels good to spoon homemade applesauce into his little rosebud mouth and see him enjoy it so much that he bounces in anticipation of the next bite.
3) I'm using the cheat sheet mentioned above so that Mike and I can eat as organically as possible. And, we don't eat much meat which encourages us to look for plant-based sources of iron and protein. This doesn't necessarily mean faux-meat.
4) Farmer's Market! Our local market opens on May 8th. We can't wait. Evanston's Sunday market is great: groups of musicians amongst throngs of eager shoppers, a nice variety of vendors and fair prices on locally grown items.
5) Mix up the options and plan so that I'm not wasting food. While an organic roasting chicken isn't a cheap item, consider the following: one night's roasted chicken becomes the following day's sandwich becomes chicken stock becomes soup or risotto base or a richer liquid for cooking plain old rice! Maybe this point should be: cook like your grandmother. :)
6) Don't get too crazy. We love Lou's pizza around the corner, a Five Guys burger makes me salivate and there's an old style pancake house up the way called Walker's and their German apple pancakes are To Die For. And I don't think they're baking with organic apples.
So! This was supposed to be a short post. I just wanted to share the link to that cheat sheet, but I got carried away talking about one of my favorite subjects. FOOD! Mmm... dig in!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Three more...
Teeth, that is. In one week our little guy cut his two big front teeth plus one more up top. He's been pretty impressive through all of it with an unwavering sunny disposition (minus one night that took 2 hours to go to sleep, but that seems like ages ago now...).
Every so often I catch him nibbling on his bottom lip with the new pearly whites. And the maple teething ring is getting a workout again. Sophie the Giraffe seems to be left out on this go around. Maybe she'll see more action when the next flurry of teeth arrive?
The students came back from Spring Break yesterday and the sound level outside went up due to more car traffic, skateboards, giggling friends and exuberant one-sided cellphone conversations.
And it feels like spring. The last quarter before summer, the grass is getting greener, crocuses and daffodils are *almost* opening up and the birds are out singing every morning. The sunlight lingers later with each evening and every afternoon seems like a good opportunity for the park. I love spring and fall. I love transitions!
Every so often I catch him nibbling on his bottom lip with the new pearly whites. And the maple teething ring is getting a workout again. Sophie the Giraffe seems to be left out on this go around. Maybe she'll see more action when the next flurry of teeth arrive?
The students came back from Spring Break yesterday and the sound level outside went up due to more car traffic, skateboards, giggling friends and exuberant one-sided cellphone conversations.
And it feels like spring. The last quarter before summer, the grass is getting greener, crocuses and daffodils are *almost* opening up and the birds are out singing every morning. The sunlight lingers later with each evening and every afternoon seems like a good opportunity for the park. I love spring and fall. I love transitions!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Photo permissions
In my last post I mentioned that I'd be messing around with permissions for photos and blog entries so that our lives aren't quite so open to the whole world (ie. internet).
I realize that this may be a whole lot of navel-gazing... there really aren't scores and scores of strangers out there waiting impatiently for new blog posts or photos (just the Grandmas, I'm afraid). Just the same, this is my little attempt at privacy while utilizing the easiest way to share news with friends and family.
I've decided that my main concern is the visual portion of all this cyber-sharing. I'll keep posting here on Blogger so that any readers who stop through on an irregular basis can get a verbal account of what's going down around here. My Flickr account will become available only to those who are my Friend/Family contacts. If you'd like to keep seeing our photos over there, just join up, add me as a contact, and I'll confirm so that you can take a peek in on our lives every so often.
Copacetic? Sweet.
I realize that this may be a whole lot of navel-gazing... there really aren't scores and scores of strangers out there waiting impatiently for new blog posts or photos (just the Grandmas, I'm afraid). Just the same, this is my little attempt at privacy while utilizing the easiest way to share news with friends and family.
I've decided that my main concern is the visual portion of all this cyber-sharing. I'll keep posting here on Blogger so that any readers who stop through on an irregular basis can get a verbal account of what's going down around here. My Flickr account will become available only to those who are my Friend/Family contacts. If you'd like to keep seeing our photos over there, just join up, add me as a contact, and I'll confirm so that you can take a peek in on our lives every so often.
Copacetic? Sweet.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Spring Tease
We headed out to California for 10 days earlier this month and enjoyed temps in the 50s... then we returned to Chicago only to be greeted by delightful spring weather! So, the fact that it's snowing today is kind of a bummer.
While we trudge around in a very light coating of the white stuff, I'll remind myself that I did see crocuses peeking out and that I did leave the down coat behind for almost 2 full weeks. And, that spring will come... eventually. (Actually, it's not bad at all, but for most of our California readers, it seems to be a large topic of conversation, so I may as well play it up - can you hear the violin strings whining in the background?!)
Our August-born babe got his first taste of The Park! and The Swings! while in California and this trend continued this week as we met friends at the park for more Swinging! and Kid Watching! This is all capped and exclamation-pointed because that's what Christopher looks like when he's out there enjoying the motion and the commotion.
Password may be required soon! I'm debating putting all Flickr sets (past and future) on a password-required basis. Same goes for this here blog. I'll let you know when I get things set up by posting with instructions for gaining access to our web content.
While we trudge around in a very light coating of the white stuff, I'll remind myself that I did see crocuses peeking out and that I did leave the down coat behind for almost 2 full weeks. And, that spring will come... eventually. (Actually, it's not bad at all, but for most of our California readers, it seems to be a large topic of conversation, so I may as well play it up - can you hear the violin strings whining in the background?!)
Our August-born babe got his first taste of The Park! and The Swings! while in California and this trend continued this week as we met friends at the park for more Swinging! and Kid Watching! This is all capped and exclamation-pointed because that's what Christopher looks like when he's out there enjoying the motion and the commotion.
Password may be required soon! I'm debating putting all Flickr sets (past and future) on a password-required basis. Same goes for this here blog. I'll let you know when I get things set up by posting with instructions for gaining access to our web content.
Monday, March 15, 2010
February Grandparent Weekend
Catching up with some photos here. These are from one month ago when Mike's parents came to visit Christopher (let's be honest about who they were coming to see, shall we?!). :)
I love this photo - a particularly animated Goodnight Moon!
I love this photo - a particularly animated Goodnight Moon!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
babyGap should be paying me.
Until verrrry recently, the thought of taking the baby to a Kinderphoto or PicturePeople or another of those get-em-in, get-em-out kiddie photo places made my skin crawl. They do a hard sell* of pictures, they ooh and ahh (unconvincingly) about how adorable your kid is in high-pitched voices while trying to get you to frame poster-sized prints for hanging above your fireplace, your parents' fireplaces, and even... the babysitter's fireplace.
My thing is: we have a great camera. It's just as good as the cameras these places use. But, their lighting set up is much better than anything I can do at home. So, I thought I'd give it a try and here's an example of what we got as a result:
Not bad, right? I wish I'd taken a moment to consider the wash-out of a white backdrop behind a baby in a white onesie, but overall, not bad. In fact, I'm thinking of trying to sell this to babyGap. Think they'd go for it? Can't you see it on the inside cover of the next issue of Martha Stewart Living? Surely every parent thinks their kid is the cutest thing on earth, but I think I now have hard evidence of this fact. :)
*I walked out of there about $40 poorer. I thought that was pretty good considering the first "package" they attempted to sell me was upwards of $500. I think I may have snickered when she showed me that... and then politely tried to advise the salesgirl to not waste her time on me. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
My thing is: we have a great camera. It's just as good as the cameras these places use. But, their lighting set up is much better than anything I can do at home. So, I thought I'd give it a try and here's an example of what we got as a result:
Not bad, right? I wish I'd taken a moment to consider the wash-out of a white backdrop behind a baby in a white onesie, but overall, not bad. In fact, I'm thinking of trying to sell this to babyGap. Think they'd go for it? Can't you see it on the inside cover of the next issue of Martha Stewart Living? Surely every parent thinks their kid is the cutest thing on earth, but I think I now have hard evidence of this fact. :)
*I walked out of there about $40 poorer. I thought that was pretty good considering the first "package" they attempted to sell me was upwards of $500. I think I may have snickered when she showed me that... and then politely tried to advise the salesgirl to not waste her time on me. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Mike rocks the Dean’s Centennial Seminar Series
Mike and colleague Josh Leonard will be presenting a high-profile lecture next week at Northwestern. If you're unable to make it (!), watch this video to get a layman's glimpse of what Mike is doing at NU.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Food, glorious food!
Christopher's 6 month birthday was yesterday! The past month has been the most eventful of his little life, thus far.
As you can see from the latest photo set, he's now dabbling in the art of eating solid foods, he rolled over, he just recently perfected the art of sitting up, he's using a pincer grip with his thumb and pointer finger (right hand preferred, thank you!), he had RSV (ick!), babbles with lots of intention, grew a little more hair to cover that sweet head of his, and giggles - nay - cackles when tickled!
Happy 1/2 year Birthday, sweet baby.
As you can see from the latest photo set, he's now dabbling in the art of eating solid foods, he rolled over, he just recently perfected the art of sitting up, he's using a pincer grip with his thumb and pointer finger (right hand preferred, thank you!), he had RSV (ick!), babbles with lots of intention, grew a little more hair to cover that sweet head of his, and giggles - nay - cackles when tickled!
Happy 1/2 year Birthday, sweet baby.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Snippets
A peek at life around here in the last few weeks...
A new crib, cooking, playing, and staying warm in the dead of winter.
Though these images show a pretty happy kid, he's got one heck of a cold at the moment. We're doing our best to cheer on his immune system, as well as keep ourselves in operating condition.
A new crib, cooking, playing, and staying warm in the dead of winter.
Though these images show a pretty happy kid, he's got one heck of a cold at the moment. We're doing our best to cheer on his immune system, as well as keep ourselves in operating condition.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
A visit from Auntie Molly
Ingredients for the Ultimate Auntie
- She arrives with a suitcase full of off-white clothing (what better to wear when donning spit up?)
- She gets down on the floor and does tummy time with the best of them
- And she's not afraid of a poopy diaper
Thanks for coming out to hang with us Auntie Molly!
We love you!
- She arrives with a suitcase full of off-white clothing (what better to wear when donning spit up?)
- She gets down on the floor and does tummy time with the best of them
- And she's not afraid of a poopy diaper
Thanks for coming out to hang with us Auntie Molly!
We love you!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Oh yes, he did.
Here he is, just minutes after rolling over this morning for the first time - unassisted and unprompted. It's a blurry photo because I took it on my phone. But do you see the look of glee on that child's face??? Do you see the glimmer of roughishness? (Did I just make up a word?)
So now it's a race... can we outguess what he'll try to grab/touch/pull/poke/kick/lick before he gets there? Perhaps we should just go the safe route: pad the walls and invest in a straight jacket.
And our favorite song these days:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Catching up... Christmas photos
Just upgraded to a "pro" account over at Flickr (yeah, they got me)... so now I have more photos to share.
The latest set is from Christmas. I'm only one month after-the-fact. Not bad! We had a great visit with Grandpa Mike and Grandma Mary. It snowed on cue so that we had a White Christmas and we even got a few blue-sky days in between the snow-globe days.
Click on the photo to see the rest of the set.
More to come soon!
The latest set is from Christmas. I'm only one month after-the-fact. Not bad! We had a great visit with Grandpa Mike and Grandma Mary. It snowed on cue so that we had a White Christmas and we even got a few blue-sky days in between the snow-globe days.
Click on the photo to see the rest of the set.
More to come soon!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
2009 in Photos
Combine the fun we've had with our new camera and the genius that is iPhoto + iMovie and we present you with a movie showing some of our family's highlights from 2009 (or something that should be titled "I-love-my-MacBook").
The soundtrack is my latest listening binge. We all hear Coldplay's Viva la Vida at least 15 times a day in these parts... and I bought it off iTunes just yesterday. Yes, I've been living under a rock for the last two years.
As you can see, there are only a couple of photos from our pre-baby trips last spring to Europe and around the US. There will be more ancient ruins explored, more gelato tasted and further escapades in the City of Light in years to come. It just seemed like the most wonderful thing about 2009 was Christopher's birth. Enjoy!
The soundtrack is my latest listening binge. We all hear Coldplay's Viva la Vida at least 15 times a day in these parts... and I bought it off iTunes just yesterday. Yes, I've been living under a rock for the last two years.
As you can see, there are only a couple of photos from our pre-baby trips last spring to Europe and around the US. There will be more ancient ruins explored, more gelato tasted and further escapades in the City of Light in years to come. It just seemed like the most wonderful thing about 2009 was Christopher's birth. Enjoy!
Friday, January 1, 2010
In the spirit of holiday bowl games...
I give you the two cutest Bruins on the planet (in my humble opinion)...
*Thanks to the Panos family for Christopher's UCLA duds!
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