2011 in Review: The World

Here are the news stories I managed to actually read (or hear on the radio) in between all the kid stuff.  Sadly, it was not a very happy year over all, but at least we're mostly still standing.  Hopefully the next year will be a bit on the brighter side.  Top Ten News Events of the Year (in no particular order) 

10. Gold Boom
9.  Death of Kim Jong Il
8.  Famine in East Africa and North Korea
7.  Osama Bin Laden Killed
6.  European Economic Crisis
5.  Arab Spring
4.  Occupy Wallstreet
3.  American Economic Crisis
2.  Nuclear damage in Japan
1.  Earthquake in Japan

Pantry Month

A friend of mine used to say that if she lived near a Whole Foods it would be terrible because she would be so very poor and fat.  I have to say that is how I am feeling right now and with no help from Whole Foods at all.  The holidays have done a number on both our budget and our waistline, and there will have to be some form of intervention.  Thus my family will be experiencing Pantry Month for the next several weeks.  Having employed it before, I'm confident that Pantry Month will cut both dollars and pounds in short order.

How does it work?  Simple.  When we go to the store for groceries, the only things we will be buying are perishable items.  That means milk, eggs, bread, veggies, fruit, etc. are fine.  What is not fine is prepackaged processed "pantry" food.  If it can stay on the shelf for weeks, months, or even years, we do not want it!  Why?  Because the pantry foods are the ones that usually cost the most and are often worth the least.  Chips, cookies, and candy all live in the pantry, and look at what they will do for you!

Of course there are some good things to be found in the pantry, and you should feel free to work through your supply of those.  Dried beans, peas, pasta, rice, and other staples are almost always hidden in my pantry, but I don't often use them because I have more convenient foods to use instead.  Let's get back to cooking more from scratch and less from a can or bottle.

I know this works because last year I saved quite a bit of money.  A normal grocery shopping trip costs between $70 and $80 (plus whatever my husband spends on "luxury" items).  When we buy only perishable items, the total is more like $25-$30.  That means by the end of the month we will have saved $150-$200!  That will certainly help to offset our Christmas splurges. 

The plan: buy only fresh items for the next month, use up all the extras in your pantry, and cook healthier meals from scratch.  The benefits: save money, have a tidier pantry, and maybe even lose a holiday pound or two.  Give it a try!  You'd be surprised at how easy it can be.

Christmas '11 Review

A slow great time was had by all. For the first time in many years, it was just a few of us on the big day, and I think that actually worked out really well for Delphinium. She took her time with each phase of events, and I'm pretty sure that allowed her to enjoy things rather than having her get overwhelmed. As far as I can remember she didn't even cry once.

We got up when she did, eat some breakfast, and did stockings once Daddy woke up. That alone was exciting since there were so many little goodies in there! The look on her face was unforgettable as she pulled out wind-up babies, kaleidoscopes, animals, and even a chocolate coin. She would have cheerfully stuck with that for the rest of the day, but no, no there were bigger things in store. The stockings were hung in our family room near the fireplace. However, in our living room lived the tree and the presents.

We'd been working hard all morning to keep her out of the living room, so she wouldn’t see the major, unwrapped gifts from Santa. Once breakfast and stockings were accomplished, we could finally turn her loose. Speaking of expressions, the one she made for the bouncy cow was particulary interesting. "Cooooooow! Moooooo!" and then bouncybouncybouncybouncybouncy as she figured out its use.

The cow was eventually displaced by the glory of a tray of wooden food which could be "cut" by a wooden knife (think Velcro). A new baby doll came next "New baby! New baby!" which was very much loved and petted until it was literally thrown aside for a train booster pack (more track and goodies for her beloved wooden train). Things continued in this vein for some time, and that is why, at about noon, we had a break for lunch and naps. This meant leaving a good portion of the presents still wrapped under the tree, but what's the point in rushing?

A pesimist would say that this is proof of the crass commercialism of our age. A kid gets so many gifts that she can't even open them all, and when she does they just get thrown aside in an instant when the next thing appears. I have to disagree. Each of her new presents will be rediscovered in the weeks ahead as she takes the time to really appreciate what she has. Some things, like the baby doll and the trains, are already fixtures. Other items will take more time to make an impression.

On the whole I'm really happy with our Christmas experience. Of course it would have been nice to have our uncles, aunties, cousins, and grandparents there for the holiday, but since they couldn't come, it was good to find the silver lining in a small holiday. Who knows what next year might bring.

Merry Christmas!

"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home! "

~Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, 1836

The Night Circus Reviewed

Ooo! Ooo!  I really love this book!  Ok, ok I know that is not a descriptive opening, and I would have marked my students down for such sentiments, but I just can't help myself.  Let me try that again.  The Night Circus is highly enjoyable because it is a very successful fantasy story.  It captures that glamorous, ethereal quality that really good magical realism does so well, but manages to maintain an originality that is quite unusual. 

Marco and Celia have been bound since childhood to compete in a game of chaos versus order.  The venue is a fantastical circus whose creator, performers, and attendees have no idea what is really going on.  The medium is magic.  Each competes by manipulating the circus into ever more extraordinary directions, and the result is a dreamscape of different tents.  Parallels I noticed were with The Tempest (which is often quoted) and Romeo and Juliette.  If you're not a fantasy person, the quality of this book might well be lost on you.  However, the fact that this is a first novel does make it all the more impressive.

Super Quick Curry Pumpkin Soup

Okay let me first say that I enjoy cooking.  I love the sights, the smells, and of course the tastes of whipping up a real meal from real ingrediants.  However that doesn't mean there aren't nights when I'm struggling to something, anything remotely healthy, on the table.  Sometimes I rely on frozen goodies from Trader Joe's, but this is another option:

Quick Curry Pumpkin Soup

1 bottle curry sauce (we like TJ's simmer sauce)
1 can light coconut milk
2 cans pumpkin
Optional: veggies such as onion, carrot, potato, etc.

Method: Dice and saute veggies (if using).  Pour pumpkin and curry sauce in a large pan with veggies.  Cook for ten minutes to blend flavors.  Blend in coconut milk, and finish with salt if needed.  Serve with crusty bread and/or salad.

Baby Loves Advent House

Goodness, gracious we are so lucky to have our fabulous advent house!  Auntie C. gave it to us a few years ago (B.B. or Before Baby) and we always liked it and appreciated it as holiday decor.  However there is no way M or I could possibly enjoy the house as much as Delphinium does.  Now that she understands the idea behind it we are inundated with requests for "house?! house?!" every day.  We lift, we show the correct drawer, and then the baby does the rest by herself.  She pulls the tiny knob, peaks inside, and then uses her little hand to pull out the prize.  Sometimes it is a sticker (which is pretty good) sometimes it is a tiny animal (which is quite good) and sometimes it is a chocolate coin in a gold wrapper (which is REALLY REALLY good).   Thanks Auntie C!

Still Teething

Yesterday Delphinium was a bit fussy but nothing too serious. Little did I know what was lurking around the nighttime bend! She went down to sleep without any trouble, but after about an hour and a half, she was up and crying. I couldn't see anything wrong, so I rocked her back to sleep. Then she did it again ninety minutes later. That was the pattern for the WHOLE NIGHT! Only this morning could I see the swelling around one K-9. Poor baby.

"Snow" Day

Here's a cute idea for entertaining your kids while they're home from school. An elementary teacher friend of mine always gives her kids cans of old-school shaving cream on the last day before winter vacation. They get to bring in little plastic people, animals, trees, cars, etc, and use the shaving cream to create a snow scene right on their desks. They even have a competition and take pictures of the best wintery tableau. The side benefit? She gets her desks all scrubbed down in time for the holiday. Now that is some clever thinking.

Christmas Trees with Toddlers Update

I'm happy to report that we have a Christmas tree in our living room.  Not only that, but it's been standing there for several days, and Delphinium has not pulled it over even once!  Even better, she actually leaves the ornaments in place as well.  She has actually been better about it than the cat who has tried more than once to make low-hanging ornaments into toys.  A few times every day, the baby toddles to the living room, announces "tree!" and does a little giggle of appreciation. 

The process of getting the tree was quite exciting too.  Grandma and MD piled in the car with us, and we all set out for a lot near our house.  Last year we went out to a farm in the country, and walked up and down the rows, but this year we were much more in a lot frame of mind.  Delphinium did not mind at all.  She played peek-a-boo around the trees, and then watched in awe as they wrapped our tree and put it on the roof of the car.  Perhaps the most exciting part was going inside to pay because they had a selection of ornaments, and do you know what kind they had?  Butterflies!  Ever since the incident at the science center, Delphinium is obsessed with them, so we picked out a red "hop hop" to take home. 

These days I can tell which activities mean the most to the baby because she wants to talk about them at bedtime.  The tale of butterflies on her head is a near constant favorite.  However, the tale of the Christmas tree is running a close second.  Who knows what might happen when there are actual presents under that tree!  What fun.

Waterbabies Update

And then the gods said "ha!"  Shortly after I posted my satisfaction with waterbabies classes, a computer error cheated us out of our place in line to sign up for next session.  We lost out by about seven minutes (these things fill up in minutes) so we're waitlisted.  I don't forsee much chance of getting in given that there are only eight spaces in each class.  Waterbabies instruction might be good, but their management and computer system really bites.

Waterbabies

This morning Delphinium is crying because of swim class.  No, no not because she dislikes it, but rather because it isn't time to go yet.  Swim class is one of those things that causes the baby to make her "Christmas face" of extreme excitement.  I've tried explaining that her teacher isn't at the pool yet, but all she can think of is how much she wants to be in that water. 

Waterbabies is a program that puts very young kids in the water from the age of six months.  Many people feel this is too young, but we started around that time.  Parents go in the water with the babies, so there's never much risk to the child.  The waterbabies program includes clever ways to get babies to practice swimming skills in the guise of playing, singing, and goofing around.  Of course there are a few kids, from time to time, who don't seem to be enjoying themselves, but that usually passes by the next lesson, and they're back to splashing their friends.

Of course our girl has learned many useful skills (swimming underwater, holding on the the side of the pool, jumping from the edge) but the main thing I like about the class is her enthusiasm.  Some kids, when introduced to water at the age of two or three, are too afraid to enjoy themselves.  It can take a long time to become comfortable. Whenever Delphinium gets the chance to play in water, she is immediately comfortable enough to enjoy the experience.

Seven Minute Housecleaning

It happened again.  I got caught out on my housekeeping (or lack thereof) by surprise guests.  This time it was the husband saying "oh yes come on back to our house!" to a large group of friends.  I had literally a seven minute head start before everyone arrived.  I freaked out on the drive home, and then I made a plan to minimize the damage to my housewifely reputation.  I focused entirely on the "common" rooms that everyone was going to see:

Minute #1: First grab and toss anything trash.  Next, use an empty laundry basket to clear up anything "loose" such as clothes, toys, books, magazines, etc.  Hide the basket.

Minute #2: Clear the dishes.  This means hiding them in the oven if there's no room in the dishwasher.

Minute #3: Sweep but stick to the worst spots and don't go over sixty seconds.

Minute #4: Vacuum same rules as sweeping.

Minute #5: Spot clean the floors, and wipe down the counters and sink.

Minute #6: Wipe down the bathroom and scrub the toilet if needed.

Minute #7: Light a scented candle, look around, and find the biggest remaining eyesore.  Work on that until people arrive.

The key to making all this work is to KEEP MOVING.  If you stop or you spend too much time on any one thing you are dead.  Perfectionists may not be able to handle this method of tidying, but I say so what you have to do in case of crisis.  Actually, this experience has made me look at housekeeping in a new way.  If you really work HARD for a few minutes it's truly amazing what you can accomplish.   

Holiday Shopping Part 2

Good news people!  Online shopping may just save my vegetarian bacon this year!  Since my last pathetic post, I have successfully crossed eight (yes eight!) more gifts off my list.  Not only that, but I have a cunning plan to cross off several more in short order.  How can such miracles be accomplished you might ask?  Step into my parlor and I'll share my secrets.  If you happen to know (or be) my friends or family, please don't let on that you know.

Stop #1 was, of course, Amazon.com.  The lightening deals are not all great this year, but some things you can find, and the baby scored a bouncy cow for a mere 46% of the price it sells for on other sites.  Add to that a couple of discounted books, a calendar for $4.99, and a few stocking stuffers, and we're well on our way.  I will continue to consider their deals as the month goes on.  That's the beauty of their prime shipping program; you don't have to worry about bundling your orders to get free shipping. 

The next site I visited was threadless.  They offer original art in t-shirt form, and you can find some seriously cool and different things there if you're will to take the time to look.  Some art is a little avant garde, but don't let that distract you from the good stuff.  I scored four (!) different gifts on this site, and one of them was for my completely impossible-to-shop-for brother, so go me.  This site often runs sales through email, so think about signing up for their updates.

Thus I am sitting much prettier than before, but that's not all.  Thanks to my old buddy Chow, I have a means for making that list almost completely gone.  They have a library of goodies to make at home, and most of the recipes actually look like an average person in an average kitchen could actually accomplish them.  I'm picking three from the list (I won't say which to preserve some secrecy) to make a sort of gift basket for several of our friends.  There, now I've said it in text, so I can't weasel out due to laziness.

The Terror or Joy of Butterflies

While the husband was on vacation, we had the chance to take Baby to many special activities.  Given that she's a pretty outgoing, curious sort of girl, she generally loved them.  However, one or two seem to have greater prominence in her memory than others.  The visit to The Experience Music Project, for example, has never been mentioned again.  The trip to the Pacific Science Center, on the other hand, gets mentioned at least daily. 

It was our second attempt to visit the science center since we learned the hard way that they are closed on Tuesdays.  Finally, though, we were in.  Being short on time, we skirted the children's play area since we figured those are available in many places.  Instead we headed over to see the snakes and naked mole rats.  The rats were not such a big hit (maybe they are too far away or maybe because they're just so darn ugly) but the snakes and amphibians were very popular.  Another big hit was a large suspended globe with the continents and weather patters projected on its surface.  The baby loved watching the clouds swirl.

Next up was the butterfly room.  We waited our turn, got a lecture about not walking on butterflies, and then entered the "airlock."  It felt a bit like walking into the bathroom when somebody's just had a hot shower which is a very nice feeling on a cold day.  The butterflies immediately came over to see what was up, and two huge brown ones flutttered all around us.  One landed on Daddy's head, and the baby was amazed.  Then one landed on her head, and it was just a bit much.  She started to cry, and I had this weird moment of trying to shoo a butterfly off her head without touching.  It was strangely reluctant to leave!  Once the "monster" was gone, the baby's spirits returned very quickly, and we were able to enjoy the rest of the garden.

The funny thing about all this is her memory of it.  She "tells" that story all the time (with help from me once I know what she's getting at) as if it was a funny thing that happened to her.  She makes her sign for butterfly, says "hop hop" (go figure), and then pats her head, and laughs and laughs.  I don't know if she's remembering it differently than it happened, or she thinks it's funny that it scared her.  Either way, the visit to the butterfly house is one that will be remembered for a long time to come.

Holiday Shopping

Why am I having such a hard time with my Christmas shopping this year?  It used to be that I really enjoyed spending the month of December finding all the perfect gifts for everyone.  Now that we have the baby, however, going shopping is not such an easy task.  Keeping her occupied and preventing her from pulling everything off the shelves means it's less of a pleasure to go at all.  Besides now that she's around I would much rather spend my holiday season doing fun activities with her.  That's why I'd promised myself that I would get it all done before the crowded chaos that is December set in.  Do you think I managed it?  Har! 

It's nearly the end of the first week of the month, and I'm maybe half way done.  I keep trying to get out to the mall, craft fairs, anything that might help me cross off one or two more people, but something always manages to get in the way.  If it isn't nap time or music class it's traffic and fun with auto mechanics.  Maybe a trip through some online stores will do the trick.  I know, I know I shouldn't whine so much.  I'm lucky to have the time and the funds to do any Christmas shopping at all.  There really are many people this year who are not in such happy shape, and I will do my utmost keep that in mind. 

Facing It

For the last two and a half weeks we've been on one long bender.  No, no there hasn't actually been any drinking involved (well not much anyway), but we have been ignoring our normal obligations and just having fun.  Daddy has been on vacation that whole time, and we have slept late, enjoyed leisurely meals, sometimes not showered before noon, and generally run amok.  The baby is completely mad for having both parents home all the time, and we've taken her to all sorts of kid entertainments.  I think her favorite part has been all the undivided attention and playtime with Daddy.  They play trains, read stories, and color at her little table for hours on end.  It's been nothing short of glorious.

Unfortunately, the piper is about to come calling.  On Monday, in the wee sma's, M is heading back to work.  I have not told the girl yet, but I have the feeling it is not going to go over very well.  We will have to think of some special activities to keep ourselves busy on that day, so we don't spend too much time with the missing.

Monday also means the start of our experiment with having Daddy work much further from home.  His commute will go from about 15-20 minutes to 60-90 minutes at some times of day.  Will he be able to use the bus (much cheaper and he can work on the way) or is a car the only viable option (possibly much faster)?  We won't really know until he's tried out a few different combinations.  Most importantly, will we ever see him again?  Given the extra time on the road, he may not be around much during the baby's waking hours.  Fingers crossed that it all sorts itself out in a favorable way.

Din Tai Fung Restaurant Review

I think I forgot to mention that I finally made it into Din Tai Fung, the new dumpling house in Bellevue.  Some people were very excited when this place opened because I guess it is part of a famous restaurant dynasty.  Given how jam packed it is most of the time, I don't think it's all just hype.  Finally, after about six misses, I managed to get in on a recent girls' night out.  We were most definitely not disappointed. 

From the cocktails to the appetizers and the salads to the main dishes, it was a very tasty experience.  There were many vegetarian options, and the other veggie girl and I happily shared several dishes.  The cucumber salad and spicy noodles were especially memorable.  The best part, by far, was the dumplings.  Taste and texture were beyond reproach (nothing doughy or greasy here), and I think I could have eaten about three or four dozen of them on my own. 

We had the chance to return just a few weeks later for another outstanding meal, and this time we had the baby along.  She was treated kindly by the staff, and we saw other children of all ages, so it seems like a decent family spot as well.  Prices were also fairly reasonable given the location.  We will certainly be back whenever we get the chance. 

Decorating with a Toddler in Mind

We are just about to embark on that annual tradition (for some anyway) of finding and decorating our Christmas tree!  I am completely in love with this activity because of all the good memories I have from childhood.  My mom always made us wait until after her birthday (in early December) to get our tree because I think we were begging for one the moment Halloween was over.  It has to be a real tree, it has to be full-sized (as big as your room will allow) and it has to be a fir.  Now as a big, old grown-up I still get such a thrill from seeing the tree go up in the living room and slowly turn into a sparkling confection. 

This year, however, we have a toddler.  All my thrill is turned to trepidation.  What might she do?  Will she try to climb it?  Pull it over?  Shake the branches off?  Steal all the ornaments?  Do we have to anchor it to the wall?  Should we put it up on a table, hid it behind couches, or maybe tie it to the ceiling?  I just don't know what to expect.  I'll have to do some research.  Any advice from parents of older children would certainly be welcome. 

No Red Snowflakes!

May I just take a moment to be completely inane?  I hate, hate, hate holiday decorating that includes red snowflakes.  I mean let's stop and think about this for a moment - red snowflakes?!  How, pray tell, did they get to be red?  I know red  and snowflakes are both considered festive, but how would snow actually get red?  Red algae tide?  chemical additives?  blood?  None of these are appetizing options in my book.  How about white, silver, or even blue flakes which look much more natural and do not make me think of horror movies?  Leave the red for the candy canes and Santa's suit.

Nap-Free Fun with Trains

Well we are back from our big trip to visit the Oregon family.  We had a wonderful time visiting with everyone and enjoying the charms of small towns.  The one tough spot was napping.  In five hours down and six hours back (we hit traffic on the way home) the baby did not sleep one skinny wink.  Several times we saw her start to nod and rub her eyes, and then she would actually begin pinching and slapping herself to stay awake!  I absolutely could not believe my eyes!  I guess she really, really did not want to miss one single moment.

Nevertheless, she was a superb travelling companion in every other way.  She really seemed to enjoy seeing everybody, and all the new places were clearly very interesting.  Perhaps her favorite part was being able to see the train station out the tenth floor window of our hotel.  She watched the "choo-choos" with great enthusiasm and would run to pull the curtains back whenever she heard the whistle blow. I even heard her falling asleep one night saying "choo choo choo choo" in the tiniest, sleepiest, limpest little voice imaginable.  Luckily we found a wooden train engine at the holiday market to help commemorate our trip.   

Changes

The big news out of our house, aside from Delphinium's ever-increasing cuteness, is that M has himself a brand new job!  His old one was still good (not a lay-off or anything like that) but he wanted to try out something new.  He's been with Goliath Corp. for more than a decade, and it sounded interesting to try a whole different company entirely.  I'm excited that he's excited by the new challenge. 

The only down-side to all this newness is that his future job will be a chunk further away from home than the one he has now.  He will be experimenting with different routes, departure times, and modes of transportation until he finds the best combination.  Even so, we may have to move to facilitate a more manageable commute.  This too is exciting because it means we will get to explore a new area and possibly be closer to lots of the people and activities that we enjoy. 

Anyway, the upshot of all this is that we are all in a state of upheaval.  Everything seems exhilarating, daunting, fresh, and also uncertain.  Time will answer many of our questions about what our new life might look like.  However, I suspect that there are many things about which we will actively need to make choices.  A small (and wimpy) part of me says "but it was just so comfy the way it was!"  Then again, who wants to live in the same house, have the same job, and go the same places for their entire adult life?  Not me.

Combatting Holiday Bulge

Cue ominous music.  It's coming.  You know it's coming and there's nothing you can do to stop it.  Holiday eating!  Plates of cream puffs and cookies are wending their way to your house.  There may even be a few peppermint martinis out there as well.  Who can resist Grandma's turkey or a pile of rich chocolate coins?  You can't hide, and your rear end is going to pay the price.

According to several sources, the average person gains one to two pounds between Halloween and New Year.  For many people this is the only extra weight they gain all year.  It doesn't sound like much, but if you never get that weight off, and you gain a little more every year, it really adds up.  Might this be the real source of the dreaded "middle-aged spread?"

We can and should try to limit our indulgences, but it can be REALLY tough to say "no" to a meal or a cookie made by loved ones.  Heck it can be hard to say "no" to a sleeve of bad grocery store cookies at this time of year!  Thus we must plan to push the exercise to help make up for the extra calories.  Two pounds is 7000 calories.  We must make it our firm goal to burn at least this much during the months of November and December.

Half an hour of brisk (or better yet, uphill) walking burns about 130-160 calories.   This means we need about fifty walks to burn our extra load.  That may sound like a lot, but when you consider that there are sixty-one days in this season, it's really not so hard.  Of course you can replace some daily walks with gym workouts or hikes, but the point is to count it out.

Some would laugh and/or groan at this level of calorie counting, but I think it makes us mindful of what we are actually doing.  Instead of mindlessly eating mashed potatoes all day, we can stop to think of how much time in the gym they equal.  Moderation in all things leads to happy holidays and skinnier waistlines!

Ode to Bad Cranberry Sauce

Har! Har! I love this article from Chow. I have always enjoyed the nasty canned cranberry sauce of my childhood, and no amount of persuading from my foodie husband can dislodge me from this position. I KNOW it's awful red goo, but it conjurs some great memories.  This author does a wonderful job of outlining "our" position.

Thanksgiving Cornmeal Pudding Recipe

1/4 C butter
3/4 C brown sugar
6 C milk
2/3 C cornmeal
2 eggs
2/3 C molasses
1 Tsp vanilla
Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to taste
1/2 C raisins

Simmer five cups of milk, butter, and sugar to a simmer for five minutes.  In another bowl stir together the remaining milk with the cornmeal.  Stir vigorously while pouring the cornmeal into the heated milk mixture.  Turn the pot to medium heat.  Keep stirring often for the next twenty minutes of cooking.  Mix the eggs, molasses, vanilla, and spices, and carefully mix into the cornmeal so as not to allow the eggs to scramble.   Transfer to a buttered baking dish and bake at 325F for about 90 minutes or until the middle no longer jiggles.  Serve and enjoy!

11/11/11

Today is 11/11/11. I know last year contained a 10/10/10 and next year will have 12/12/12, but there is something extra special about today. My baby brother, The Professor, always used to get all excited when 11:11 would appear on the clock. He used to say that you had to stop, close your eyes, and make a wish. This used to irritate me no end since it was nothing but superstitious nonsense. Now that I am so much older and wiser, I leave room for all kinds of possibilities. Today on 11/11/11 at 11:11 (both?) be sure to make an extra good (big?) wish. If nothing else it will make you smile just to think of the object of your desire. Good luck!

Thanksgiving Kitchen Prep

This week I'm making sure to clean out my fridge and freezer. It's an ugly job which I don't enjoy, so of course it gets pushed to the end of the list. However, it wouldn't be so ugly if I would do it more often. Besides, my whole Thanksgiving prep experience will be 1000 times better with a shiny clean (and emptier) refrigerator. I am rolling up my sleeves, gritting my teeth, and getting it done.

Who knows, maybe I'll get really inspired and do the whole kitchen. Talk about making an impact on holiday planning! I know I would just feel so much better if things were more organized and tidier. I think I need to make myself a special pre-holiday to-do list just for these sorts of tasks. Maybe I should make my goal for this year's holidays to be less stress through greater prep. Hmmm I will mull this and return to the topic later.

Kindle Books from the Library

You read that correctly!  The largest downside to the Kindle, high prices on books, has now been eliminated!  Anyone can now go online, borrow ebooks from the library, and then download them to their personal device without ever leaving the house or paying a cent.  That is pretty much the best news since "it's a healthy girl" in my book. 

In our neck of the woods, you just visit this part of the King County Library System and follow a few simple steps.  It took me a few tries before I was quick at the process, but it really is not very difficult to understand.  First you put the book in your digital "bag" go through "check out" and then log in to Amazon to push the book to your Kindle.  You get to keep it for three weeks which is more than enough time to read the average novel. 

As if that were not enough, you can actually check out up to twenty books at a time.  That may sound crazy, but if you are using your Kindle on a long trip, twenty might be a reasonable number.  Think about that; a whole stack of books will take up almost no space at all.  One last bit of icing on the cake is that there are children's picture books available too.  That way, when you aren't busy reading Proust or Huxley or The Naughty Duke, your child can enjoy some Go Dogs Go.

Vegetarian Thanksgiving

I love The New York Times!  They always have interesting food articles (not to mention the current events, science, education, etc.) and I often find myself posting or forwarding something from them.  Today is no different.  I'm always excited to see any positive mention of vegetarians (instead of the usual nasty jokes) in a piece about Thanksgiving.  You know, some small mention of what a host might provide for their meatless guests other than mashed potatoes and dinner rolls.  The times devoted an entire article!  It veers fairly far from the traditional, but it does offer a fabulous array of choices, and a cook could you parts of the menu even if they weren't up to producing the whole.  I will certainly be giving some of these recipes a try before the big day.

First Sentences

Our kid is one of those little people (are they all this way?) who prefers to work on one single skill at a time.  When she was learning to walk, nearly all talking was put on hold.  Now that she has walking (and jumping and running and wiggling) down to a science, verbal skills are really ramping up.  New words are appearing at a rapid pace, and I'm doing my best to keep up and decipher all that talking.

The very first sign language sentence the baby put together was "more fruit."  This is not surprising given that "more" and "fruit" are two of her favorite concepts.  She's used these words, alone and together, for some time now.  Then, just a few days ago, she said her first sentence using words.  This time it was "more peas." She prefers them left frozen thank you very much.

In other language news, the words of the week are "apple" and "car" and "happy."  The first two are used in the most obvious way as in when she wants the first or sees the second.  The third one gets used like this happyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappy!     

Halloween 2011 Review

Holidays have taken on a whole new cast since we had the baby.  It's just such a thrill to watch her experience things with fresh eyes.  Okay so she didn't love everything.  The costume was pretty much a bust since she would only wear the whole thing for about five minutes.  The base layer was a white onesie and purple dotted leggings, and that was all fine with her because it was normal clothing.  However, the green tulle tiara, green, purple, and blue tutu, and purple sparkly wings were just not something she wanted to endure.  For those five minutes though, she was adorable (thanks Grandma!).

We met up with our younger cousin (the elder is too grown up for this sort of thing) and her friend in the afternoon, and then we trick or treated at Daddy's work.  Who can resist warm, dry, indoor candy fest where each bowl of booty is mere feet from the next?  The magnitude of the haul was quite shocking, but that doesn't matter since the baby doesn't realize that any of it is actually edible.  Maybe it's wrong of me, but I've been keeping her in the dark on that score.  Nonetheless, she thoroughly enjoyed the "game" of gathering candy, saying thank you (she can't manage "trick or treat" quite yet) and dropping the goodies in her bucket.

Next we headed home, enjoyed Dad's homemade pumpkin soup, and went "real" trick or treating in the neighborhood.  There were lots of kids out in our area, and it really gave the whole experience a carnival kind of feel.  Many houses decorate in our area, so we kept coming across new and unusual scenes.  After about the first five minutes, our girl refused to be carried.  So what if it was late!  So what if she'd already walked all over the office building!  If the other people could walk than so could she!  I will never forget her tiny form, hand in hand with Daddy, swathed in purple fleece coat and purple sparkle wings (the only part of the costume she would still wear at that point) marching along the dark sidewalks.

Halloween and Sugar

I just sat next to a woman at the park who was telling her friend all about the evils of Halloween sugar.  Did you know that the average piece of Halloween candy has up to 200 calories!  Did you know that it also has an average of one teaspoon of sugar?!  A kid could easily eat a cup of sugar and thousands of calories in just one small bag!  I have no idea if her numbers were correct (they sound reasonable to me) but the part that makes this funny is not her outrage.  In fact I completely agree with her concerns.  What I found funny (and kind of sad) is that she was feeding her child a "fruit" yogurt and "froot" leather at that exact moment she was going off about sugar. I couldn't help myself.  I checked.  The yogurt alone has as much sugar as a can of coke.  Hmmm how many cups of sugar would that be if you eat 365 of them per year?

Quotable Camus

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."


-Camus

Baby Stays Awake

October 15th was the very first time in her whole life that Delphinium did not sleep during the day.  Not even five minutes.  She was teething, it's true, but she didn't seem uncomfortable at the time.  In fact, she didn't cry at all during her not nap.  Instead she sat up in her crib and read stories to herself and to her babies.  After about 90 minutes of this, I just couldn't stand it any more, and I had to go pick her up.  I don't want her to feel as if I've abandoned her in the corner, but usually when I leave her in the crib at naptime, she falls asleep!  Not this day. 

Oddly enough, she wasn't particularly difficult the rest of the day.  By evening she was certainly tired, but she did not become the tantrum monster or the whiner I thought we might encounter.  Luckily she went back to sleeping the next day.  This is a very good thing since I don't think either one of us is ready for the naps to end just yet.

Halloween 2011

Happy Halloween!  May your little ducks, firefighters, and princesses have a safe and fabulous time, and may they avoid the worst of the sugar high.  May the rain hold off, the wind stay away, and all the cars keep to the other side of the street.  With any luck you'll be able to put your feet up long before midnight. 

Halloween Eve

Twas the night before Halloween, when all through the house
All the creatures were stirring, especially the mouse.
The spiders were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that trick or treaters soon would be there.


The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of goblins danced in their heads.
And mamma in her costume, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains on an autumn trap.


When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.


The moon on the shadows did seem to glow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a yard full of ghosts were suddenly near.

Ten Things I'm Obsessed With Now

1. Flannel (sheets and shirts)
2. Halloween (costumes, pumpkins, fake spiders and all)
3. Squash, root veggies, kale, and other fall produce
4. Hot spiced cider
5. Library books for my Kindle (more on this later)
6. The Paris Wife: A Novel by Paula McLain
7. All things Beekman 1802 (TV show and books at least)
8. 5k races (okay so I mostly walk, but still!)
9. Hunting for autumn colors
10.My fabulous little girl

Pumpkin Oatmeal with Autumn Spices

Warm, creamy, and oh-so-fall, this recipe is a must on the first really frosty morning.  Even if you have to get up early to prepare things, it will be worthwhile once you're cupping that fragrant bowl in your hands.  I hear the recipe also works with cream of wheat, but I have yet to try it myself.  Maybe tomorrow morning...

1 and 1/2 Cups pumpkin puree
4 cups water or milk
2 tablespoons raisins
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 Tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom
2 cups oatmeal (not instant)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (optional)

Pumpkins at Jubilee Farm

Our friends recently invited us to meet up for a pumpkin hunting mission, and they're chosen destination was Jubilee Farm in Carnation.  We were most surprised to find a farmstead full of activities tucked away down a rural road.  The girls enjoyed the hayride (some are even pulled by great big horses!) and the pumpkin hunting almost as much as we did, but I think they're favorite parts were the pony rides and the chance to shell beans.  The Christmas beans they had on the shelling table were a beautiful mottled purple, and I was amazed at their patience in shelling one long bean after another.  We came away with a monster of a pumpkin and a real desire to go back again soon.

Babies and TV

Oh dear.  Here are two articles about children and screen time that dovetail in a disturbing way.  The first is about the renewed plea by the American Academy of Pediatrics to limit screen time among children and especially among babies younger than two.  Speech delays, cognitive delays, etc, etc, etc.  The second is about all the extra tech time kids are getting, and the forms it's begun to take.  It seems that poorer kids are much more likely to have a TV in their bedrooms where they often watch as much as they like.  The richer kids, by comparison, tend to use computers and handheld devices at much higher rates.  There is great debate about the pros and cons of each form of entertainment, but one thing is certain: kids are spending lots of time in front of screens.

18 Months!

Please inform the town crier; Delphinium is eighteen months old! She's the sweetest little "wobbler" (though she doesn't wobble much anymore. now we're more about running as fast as possible) that there could ever be. She loves baby dolls (especially Bess) and stuffed animals and books, books, books! She also loves to play in the backyard, go for walks, visit the park and the library, and play with her friends. She especially loves when Dada comes home at night, and when her cousins and grandparents come around.


She gives the best snuggles and knee hugs you can possibly imagine. Most of the time she's very sweet and easy-going, but she does have opinions about things, and does her best to let you know what she needs. In the hour before bedtime she often becomes the silliest little person. I'm celebrating Thanksgiving a little early this year.

Get Yourself a Pumpkin

Do it right now today.  Trader Joe's is selling them for $3, so trot yourself down there (or some other grocery place) to buy one.  Why?  Because it will make you think of fall even if it's not very autumnal where you are.  Don't say "I'm not a kid" or "My kids are grown" or anything like that.  You don't even have to carve it if you don't want, but just buy a small sugar pie pumpkin, put it on your porch or your dining table, and enjoy it for a couple of weeks.  They keep very well as long as the shell is washed clean and not allowed to get wet thereafter.  When November 1st rolls around, you can chop it up for soup or pie, and it will still be sweet and delicious.  Halloween is not just for kids and costumes (though those are nice traditions) everybody deserves to have a taste.

School Search Part 4

Well this will certainly not be a very long post. Schools number six and seven were nothing to write home about. Okay nothing GOOD to write home about. The first was an old place with an ancient director, and I'm sure it was lovely once upon a time. Like perhaps in 1987 when it was last updated. It was tired, grubby, and outdated, and the people who worked there looked like they were completely uninspired. The oddest part about it all was the price. This was the most expensive school we've seen so far.


The last school of the day was also the best deal of the whole week. For only $1000 (har!) they will watch your child for ten hours per day (as limited by law) five days per week. They will feed your child three meals and three snacks, put him or her down for naps, change diapers, arrange hair cuts, and in every other way take over the job of parenting for you. In fact, you only need be responsible for getting them there in the morning, and putting them into bed at night. Some people actually want that situation, but most are probably forced into it by circumstance. Either way, it's pretty sad for the kid.

The facility was open, airy, and even clean, but I still do not want to send my girl to a place that specializes in warehousing kids. Also the teacher yelled across the room at one child, and that was when she knew we were there listening. Can you imagin what she would be like when there was no one around but the kids? Thus far we are not overly impressed with the schools on offer. Only one seems like a real prospect to me. It shouldn't be this hard to find quality care.

Baby Sings

As I've mentioned before, our baby is quite a fan of her Kindermusik classes.  She's been bopping along to the tunes and dances since she was only seven months old, and now she's really able to participate.  One of the songs they've been using a lot lately is "Ring Around the Rosie."  She loves the way you hold hands, dance in a circle, and then all fall down. 

She demands that we sing and dance with her (and at least one babydoll) several times a day.  Then I noticed that she was actually singing along!  She can't make the actual words yet, but she is definitely setting her babble to the tune.  I know, I know, one day I'm going to wish she would just sit down and be quiet but not yet. 

Halloween Prep

Most years, October 1st means a shift into Halloween mode. I love the holiday, and I'm so excited to decorate (a little at a time starting with autumn things) consider costumes, and sometimes plan a party. The last two years however, were not so festive. Two years ago I was greenly pregnant at this time, and not feeling up to doing much. Last year I had a little baby and was newly returned from a major trip, so that was a wash as well. This year, finally, I get to indulge my pumpkin passions once again!

I know, I know Martha and her ilk have already been working on this holiday for weeks if not months. While I love to look at the ideas from those over-achievers, I am not that organized. Two weeks before the holiday is all I can manage. Besides, My Dear Husband (MDH) would not be pleased with me if I filled the house with velvet bats and black tulle in late September. Thus I have a big job to do in a short space of time.

My secret weapon is Grandma. My mom is an amazing gardener and seamstress, so the costumes and pumpkins are fiat accompli (if you know what I mean). In fact, she brought us not only six regular orange pumpkins, but also one massive knobbly green monster.  I think all these beauties will have to grace the front of the house because they will stay so much fresher that way.  That means decorating the front door area is practically half done already.  Add our friendly scarecrow, a spooky "welcome" sign, and a string of lights in the window and you're all set. 

The trend these days (in our neighborhood) seems to be these very elaborate outdoor scenes of graveyards or dungeons or other scary things.  While I applaud the enthusiasm, I can't get behind such over-the-top displays.  Not only are they expensive and time-consuming, but they are also often very scary for the small fry.  I prefer to keep my house looking fun and halloweeny, but still warm and welcoming as well.  I guess maybe this is partly dependant on how old your kids are at the moment. 

Now that outside is pretty much done, I will turn my attention to indoors and also party planning.  I have some things I can use from past years, but I will need to either make or buy other items.  As I mentioned before, Martha is a great inspiration, so I'll certainly be perusing her site.  Another one I like is this blog; which is a complete resource for Halloween party planning.  I love the way it has suggestions for the whole party and not just one or two items.  Hopefully I'll come up with a theme and some activity ideas within the next few days.  I'll keep you posted. 

New Baby!

Say it with me now AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!  Yes it's true a brand new baby girl has joined our circle of friends.  She is, of course, as precious as can be.  This is a good thing given the time she's about to give her parents.  Having a baby kicks your butt harder than anything else I've ever encountered. The struggle not only makes you stronger, but it also helps you to appreciate what you have all the more.  Welcome to the world little one.

Back from The Far East

Whew!  We're back again from our big adventure.  We took two plane rides there and two back, and the baby was a trouper the whole way.  She did not cry or run screaming down the aisle even once!  We had a lovely visit with Uncle and Auntie, and we even got to see a little of New York City!  The baby loved Central Park and The Metropolitan Museum of Art the best.  Now we're back to real life and tons of laundry.   

Banned Books Week

I know, I know I'm being very bad on the housewife front these days.  I promise to get back to homemaking quite soon, but I just had to mention one of my great passions: books.  Or to be more specific banned books.  Last week was National Banned Books week; the time when we remember that not all ideas are free.  Many people are shocked to learn that books are regularly banned in the United States today.  Most of the time this has to do with parents complaining about books being too much for their child, so they want to strip the book out of a whole classroom, library, school, or even district. 

I do not understand the logic at all.  I absolutely do not want my little girl to read Slaughterhouse Five because she is too young to understand or cope with the very adult themes.  However, that does not mean I want the book removed from the library.  It turns out that my niece, who is much older than my daughter, would benefit very much from reading that book.  Why would I want to remove it from a situation when it can be appropriate and beneficial to so many readers?  It boggles my mind that anyone should be so self-centered that they would try to ban a book just because it doesn't suit them.  You don't see me trying to ban all the sports books or westerns from the library!

Anyway, this is banned books week, as I said, and these are the top ten most challenged books according to the accounting of the American Library Association.

The 10 most challenged titles of 2010 were:




And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language, racism, religious viewpoint, sex education, sexually explicit, violence, unsuited to age group

Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit

Crank, by Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit

The Hunger Games (series), by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: sexually explicit, violence, unsuited to age group

Lush, by Natasha Friend
Reasons: drugs, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group

What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich
Reasons: drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint

Revolutionary Voices edited by Amy Sonnie
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit

Twilight (series), by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence, unsuited to age group

School Search Part 3

I am very happy to report that school #5 DIDN'T SUCK! Yay! Not only that, but it does not require kids to be potty-trained either. It's greatest downside seems to be that it doesn't open until 7:30am which is too late for me to take her and then get to work on time. This is not a problem as long as M can take her. I don't exactly know what we would do for those few days a year when he was sick or away. With some careful planning, it has the potential to work.


The classrooms were mostly bright and cheerful even for the littlest kids (why do some schools think that babies won't notice if their surroundings are grim?) and I actually saw baby dolls, books, and even a picture of a bunny! They are big on napping (not all schools are), and the kids eat lunches provided by their parents (easier to ensure the vegetarian thing and avoid Ritz crackers). The biggest, most wonderful part is the play yard. All the classrooms open out onto a really fabulous play yard. It's huge, it's full of trees and other mature plants, it has all sorts of great play equipment (some schools have none), and it just makes you feel like you would want to run around and play. When we arrived, we even saw one teacher playing running games with some of the kids. This is the first place we visited where I could picture our girl being happy there.

Mark Bittman's New Book

I’m working my way through another Mark Bittman book, The Food Matters Cookbook, and it is just as good, if not better, than his previous ones. In the past, “foodies” and “greenies” were never found in the same place, and when they were, fighting ensued. It was taken as read that a person who really cared about delicious food couldn’t possibly be interested limiting or altering food consumption. After all, if this hand-made salami tastes SOOO good why would I ever consider NOT eating it?

This is where Bittman is a genius. He has the foodie credentials, but he also has a passion for re-thinking our patterns of consumption. He advocates a reduction in meat-eating because the average American eats more than 200 pounds of meat per year which is an unsustainable level for our country and our planet. He also considers processed foods to be an evil that is causing obesity and illness in much of the population. Of course none of this is news, but he’s pulled together a very sensible and delicious answer to the current food problem.

Did you know that if the average person ate just three fewer servings of meat per week it would be the carbon equivalent of taking all the SUV’s in America off the road? Pretty amazing stuff if you ask me. Besides, if we all swapped our burger and fries for something better, imagine all the weight we might lose as well. It’s a win-win situation to say the least. His book includes 500 recipes that will surely help to steer us in the right direction.

School Search Part 2

School #4 was frightening. I wanted not only to clutch my child and run, but also to grab up all those other poor children who actually had to attend. People often say that they didn't like the "feel" of a place, and I used to think that was such a painfully non-specific way to describe things. Now I understand. Waves of depressing were practically rolling out the door. For starters, this school is housed in strip mall right next to a Chinese restaurant. This means that the whole place smells of eau de frying mixed with old pee. Add to that the poorly groomed teachers, their poor English skills (native speakers all), the huge tvs in every room, and the general air of disorder and grubbiness, and it was just not a pretty picture.


I should have known from the very first since the lobby attendant called ahead in the classroom to let the teacher know we were coming (no other school did this). The teacher then had a chance to get the children together and give the most impressive activity she could muster. It was listening to a book on tape. At the end of the book, one child tried to sing along to the final song and was told by the teacher to be quiet. Did I mention the menu? Ritz crackers and "froot" juice constituted most of the snacks. I could go on for hours. This is what is wrong with America.

School Search Part 1

Daycare center #1 was housed on the grounds of a Catholic church. I carefully inquired before we went as to the religious content of the school and was reassured that it was secular in every way. What we did not expect was the level of orthodoxy, not in religion, but in the Montessori method. Now there are many ways of interpreting the teaching of Maria Montessori, but in this school it meant no toys (only “work”), no cuddling (“we want them to be independent so they won’t grow up to be drug addicts, criminals, or obese”) and no color on the walls or furnishings. While it wasn’t dirty or scary or creepy, it was not the kind of place I wanted to leave my little girl. The expensive car (vanity plate “school”) in director’s parking spot also didn’t help.


Daycare centers #2, #3, and #4 were quite a wide range of experiences. We saw them all on the same day, so it was quite easy to see the differences. #2 was not bad at all. In fact, I think it’s my top pick so far. It is a strict Montessori, but very clean, bright, and even elegant. It also had the benefit of being extremely close to my work which would make me feel so much better about leaving her if I know we are very near each other. The downside of this school is mainly potty training. They require it, and our girl will not even be two and half by the time she has to start. Dicey to say the least.

Daycare #3 was fine. Pretty much everything about it was fine but not wonderful. The littlest kids were housed in a smallish room with a reasonable number of activities sprinkled around. The teachers were friendly, and all the teachers had been with the school for many years (the best feature in my opinion). It was a little shabby, a little drab, and the outdoor play area was downright sad. Aside from that, the biggest downside is that this school runs on a school year schedule, but not the same schedule as my school. This means that there could be whole weeks where her school was on vacation while mine was still in session.

A Fashionable Moment

Congratulate me! For once in my life I am fashionable! A few months ago I happened across a really attractive pair of red pants. While I do love bright colors, I normally save them for the top and leave the bottoms in some neutral shade (black, denim, khaki, more denim, etc.). These pants were so cute (and so cheap!) that I just couldn’t resist. I am not disappointed. They look great with a black or white t-shirt, and I can even dress them up with a cute top and wear them out. I even had sneaking thoughts about using them as the base for a casual holiday outfit with a dressy sweater or blouse. In short, I’m happy with my little purchase.


Then I read on MSN that red pants are one of the major fashion trends this year. Of course they featured a pair that cost roughly the annual budget of a small African nation. I thought they looked a heck of a lot like my inexpensive pair. Then, just today, I was reading Redbook, and what do you think I saw? You guessed it, a piece on the top five trends of the season, and there were red pants. Ahhh yes, I may be the least fashion savvy person on the planet, but even I get it right every once in a while.

Playing Pretend

Imagination is the word of the month at our house.  The little big girl is learning about how you can pretend things that aren't really happening.  This is a pretty significant step for a little brain, and she is taking to it like the proverbial duck to water.  It all started with me pretending to feed her dolls (whom she loves with a passion) and took off from there.  Now her favorite game is called "night night."

For some reason it's a game that can only be played with Daddy in attendance.  She sits in the middle of the living room floor, and pats the carpet while saying our "names" (Dada and Mimi).  We have to sit on the floor until she comes up to each of us and "pushes" us over.  Then we have say "night night" and pretend that we are asleep.  Sometimes babydolls, stuffed animals, or toys join us, and the baby herself goes down to sleep too.  After a minute or two, she sits up again, and we are all allowed to yawn and stretch and say "good morning!"  She will play this game as long as you are willing to continue, and her dad is especially kind about this.  If only bedtimes and naptimes could be so easy!

First Day of Autumn

The official change of seasons always takes me by surprise.  Around our neck of the woods, the "first day of autumn" was sunny and 80 degrees.  That just doesn't make much of an impression on your mood.  I had absolutely no desire to break out the sweaters and go buy some pumpkins.  However, just yesterday things suddenly turned.  In the morning we had my favorite soft blanket of fog, and the temps were down accordingly.  Sure we got some sun in the later afternoon, but we were still wearing our long sleeves in comfort. 

Today it is rainy and cool, and I'm must confess to being relieved to see the sun gone.  I love summer, but the glare and the heat do tend to get to a person after a while.   It was nice to be able to take the baby out for a mid-afternoon walk without worrying about her over-heating.  Then there's the food.

When cool weather arrives I feel like the real cooking can begin.  Sure, summer produce is glorious, but who wants to actually turn on the oven or the stove when it's hot out?  Now we can get stuck into soups and stews, casseroles, pot pies, mashed potatoes and gravy, and the occasional perfect pan of mac and cheese.  Warm, comforting, and homey are the words and feelings of the day.

As if on cue, my mom came over with a collection of beautiful pumpkins and other squash.  She grew these specially for the baby, who adores them, and we were not disappointed.  The first meal of steamed delicata was met with much "oooing" and lip-smacking.  Served with baked beans and sautéed chard, it was the perfect fall meal for a toddler.  It was gone in about five minutes flat.  For dessert we had absolutely perfect pears from the farmers' market.  What more could you ask for on the "real" first day of autumn?

Quotable Pine

"What we do for ourselves dies with us.  What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal."

Albert Pine

No-Fail Quiche Recipe

My favorite go-to breakfast or bunch item has to be quiche.  Most everyone seems to like it, it can be served hot or cold, and it can be made using whatever you happen to have on hand.  Did you find great tomatoes and mushrooms at the farmers market?  Perfect!  Did you pick peppers and zucchinni from your garden?  That's wonderful too.  Even if all you have is frozen spinach and onion, a delicious hot meal is close at hand.  There are a million and one ways to prepare this dish, but here's my favorite version:

Spinach, Onion and Cheddar Quiche


-1 pie crust (uncooked and preferably the frozen whole wheat one from Whole Foods)
-1/4 pound cheese that melts well and tastes good (swiss, gruyere, cheddar?)
-About 1 and 1/2 cups filling of your choice (mushrooms, spinach, olives, etc.)
-3 eggs, beaten (add an extra if you have lots of filling)
-1 cup milk
-1/2 tsp. dry mustard
-1/4 tsp. nutmeg
-Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Heat olive oil or butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the veggies and saute until softened, add the mustard, the nutmeg, and some salt and pepper and stir to combine.  Whisk the eggs well and then add the milk. Arrange the cheese evenly on the bottom of the uncooked pie crust. This ensures that the crust stays flaky and crisp, so make it a point to do the cheese first. After the cheese goes the filling you've prepared. Pour over the egg and milk mixture as evenly as you can. Place it in the oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until nearly firm. Cool on the counter for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Discrimination Against Atheists

Forgive me for being less than housewifely, but this is a matter of great import for many of us.

Harpers Index reports that nearly 60% of the U.S. population claims they would consider a well-qualified homosexual candidate for president. However, only about 25% would consider a well-qualified atheist for the same job. I'm delighted to hear the first number, but dismayed by the second. One would think that a more open-minded populous would try gauge candidates based on their merits rather than some arbitrary moral standard.


There seems to be an assumption that one cannot be an ethical person unless one subscribes to some sort of faith. Thus atheists who wish to participate in politics will need to hide their true feeling behind a facade of religion. Intolerance is intolerance plain and simple, and it is such a same that people who are otherwise liberal and inclusive should still subscribe to this particular brand.

Daycare!

Goodness gracious!  I can hardly stand to write it out there in bold black text, but we are visiting our first school tomorrow!  We have to get on the waiting list a year in advance for some schools, so I thought it best just to visit several in one fell swoop.  Daddy is taking the day off and we're tromping through a whole list of schools nearby. 

The thought of sending her somewhere without me makes me feel dizzy and a little sick.  However, there are so many good reasons to do school next year that I just can't find enough reasons not to.  I want her to be strong and independent, I want her to have the social fun with her peers, and I want her to get the experiences and education she can find at school.  I know all this is true, but it still feels really strange all the same.

Annoying Restaurant Trends 2011

I'm certainly not getting out to new restaurants like I used to before the baby, but we do still get to visit our favorites upon occasion.  Some of the new and notable "trends" in the hipper places are downright irritating.  The communal table is one of my personal pet peeves.  One thing I hate is making small talk with total strangers, and that is exactly what a communal table often forces you into.  Communal tables and nine other bad ideas are listed here by Zagat.

Super Sweet 100 Tomato

As summer comes to a close, I just have to take a moment and sing the praises of my favorite variety of tomato. I know this may seem weird, but we do love our garden, and this tomato plant is our shining glory. Why should we care so much about a stupid plant? Because we're not supposed to be able to grow tomatoes in our yard. I visited a "master" gardener at the farmers market, described our situation to him, and he said that we could not have tomatoes in our yard at all! I could not believe it. "Not enough strong sun!" he declared with great surety. Well I simply could not accept this!


We took a little trip to our favorite nursery, Molbaks (my friend CH once recommended it by saying "it's expensive, but the plants mostly live." where we found several varieties of cherry, beefsteak, and heirloom tomato plants. We bought four different plants, and took them home with our fingers crossed. Even though the year was not overly warm, we got cherry tomatoes within just a few weeks. That season the Supersweet 100 did the best, but a few of the other varieties produced as well.

This year the difference is even more pronounced. The Supersweet started producing first, the fruit are zingy and flavorful, and now, in the middle of September, we're still getting about a pint per day. I cannot say enough about the variety, and we will be planting only these next year. Take that Mr. "Master" gardener!  I should invite him over to sample some of my produce.

Hello My Name is Mimi

For reasons known only to her, the baby has suddenly decided to call me "Mimi".  It's always been "Mama" since before she really knew what she was saying, but for some reason it's changed.  I first started noticing when she looks at my driver's license photo (which she does a lot because it keeps her from fussing when we have to wait for things) but now she says it all the time.  One person suggested it might be her transition from saying "Mama" to the more grown up "Mommy" and she's just a bit stuck.  Whatever her reason, I find it irresistible, and she can keep using the nickname until she leaves for college if she likes.

Bento Lunchboxes

The baby is getting older and acquiring more teeth at an astonishing rate.  As a result, we are doing less and less toddler finger food and more grown up menu choices.  This means that when I pack things up to for an outing, I'm doing something with multiple parts and often several courses.  After all, We're still eating every two hours (either a meal or a snack) so you have to be prepared!  I'm getting so tired of all the little tubs I could scream.  This morning our little meal pack for the morning included six different tubs and a water cup.  This is why I'm excited about bento boxes.

I know, I know it is the trendy yuppie mom thing to do, but they are just so darn practical!  Two, four, or six little compartments for all sorts of tasty tidbits, and the good ones have tight enough lids to keep everything separated and fresh.  Some require an elastic band to hold them together, but many are self-locking.  Hello tasty lunches and goodbye diaper bag filled with peas that escaped their inadequate container. 

Besides the practicality, they're just so darn cute!  This one features dragonflies.  While this one is actually shaped like a frog.  I'm not sure why the band makes the frog look like he's crying, so we'll probably skip that one.  This one features a very strange English phrase on the top that is either meant to be nonsense or a very poor translation.  I think it says "Around the year when we would like to stand on tiptoe."  That's bound get more than a few head scratches.  I know our girl would be tickled by several of these little boxes, but I refuse to pay more than about $15 for mine.  I haven't quite decided on which one we should have, but I'll keep you posted.

NW Trek

Over the weekend, we got the chance to visit a local wildlife park called NW Trek. It's a wonderful place set on 500 acres of forest and meadow land, and it is home to many native Washington animals. The carnivores and smaller animals are kept in more traditional zoo-like enclosures, but the larger herbivores get to roam "free" in one huge area. The people cue for a chance to ride the tram and try to spot the animals. The baby, having recently ridden another little train, was very excited to go.

First we saw huge bison, and then the sweetest little bison baby, which made quite an impression on our girl. She kept making the sign for "baby" after that one. Next were some bighorn sheep. A large group of them were on the trail as the tram came up, and the scatter right along side, so we could get a really clear look at them. Again the baby was excited, but this time she started making a different sign. For some reason she made the sign for elephant over and over. I have no idea why, but at least she was happy.

The Science of Napping

Napping is a topic up for much discussion in our house.  We LOVE naptime (those who actually sleep and those who just enjoy the quiet) but it can be a tough thing to achieve.  It seems like some weeks daytime sleep is not a problem at all, while other weeks it's achingly difficult.  In the short term, it's quite clear what happens when a nap is missed or shortened, but I often wonder about the long range effects.  This article, in the New York Times, gets into the science of toddler sleep.  It doesn't offer many clear answers, but it's quite interesting nevertheless.

Ride Tricycle Awards

I don't think I've ever mentioned the website, Red Tricycle, before, but it is a great resource.  They include all sorts of info for parents about things to do for kids.  They are the first place I look when I want to find out about upcoming events, and you can also look at reviews of classes and services for kids too.  Once a year they have their awards too, and I always enjoy reading the results.  This year I've actually taken the time to vote and you can too.  The results will be announced in October. 

Camano Island Camping

In pursuit of one more dose of summer, we made our way up to Camano Island. It is stunningly beautiful, like most all the islands up here, but it has the added benefit of no ferry ride to contend with. Now don't get me wrong, I love to ride the ferries as much as any Pacific Norwesterner, but during tourist season they can be a bear. We've waited in ferry lines that were four hours long! Especially with a toddler, this is not a happy prospect. Thus we love the "drive on in" quality of Camano.


When you first see Stanwood, your heart sinks a little. At least mine did because it's such the classic depressed agricultural town. I grew up near one in Oregon, and I do not care to revisit that culture. Perhaps I'm being overly judgmental here, but there it is. However, once you pass through Stanwood things change fast. The "island" itself is beautiful, but when you get to one of those viewpoints where you can look out over the water, it beautiful becomes stunning.

The state park is pretty much what you'd expect as far as amenities. The sites are drive-in, they have easy access to water, toilets, and garbage, and they all boast reasonable fire pits. None of the sites are right on the water, but many of them have very impressive views. One downside is that many of the best view sites are also right along the road that leads down to the boat ramp. Still, the traffic is not too bad, and most people are moving very slowly.

The baby did pretty well on this trip. She really enjoyed the company and the novelty of it all. She sat in her own fox-themed camp chair, ate normally forbidden snacks, and went hiking and strollering with the group. One of our favorite parts was going down to the rocky beach and throwing stones in the water. Some of us (not me) are very good at skipping the flat pebbles. The baby was just concentrating on trying to throw them far enough to actually have them land in the water. Her first few dozen "throws" really consisted of her dropping them next to her own feet. The image of her standing next to her daddy, in her little blue fish dress, throwing stones is one I will not soon forget.

In short, Camano Island is glorious, the campground is decent (but not so good if you really want to "get away" from people, noise, and cars), and I would certainly go back. How else can we practice our skipping?

80 Breakfasts Blog

I've discovered the most delectable food blog!  80 Breakfasts is written by a girl in the Philippines who simply loves breakfast.  While she does get on to other food topics and recipes too, breakfast is certainly the closest to her heart.  She makes plain old oatmeal look anything but, and her recipe for eggs and avocado looks tasty too.  Let's break out of the cold cereal rut, and embrace some of these 80 breakfasts!

Pony Rides!

To celebrate the continued existence of summer sun, we made a pilgrimage to a local institution, Remlinger Farms. This is a wonderful place where you can visit with farm animals, ride a choo choo train (with steam and whistle!), and float along in a little canoe (if you weigh less than about thirty pounds). You can also have A PONY RIDE! On A REAL LIVE PONY! Oh yes, and they also have lovely flowers and fruit and veggies and a big trike track and a hay maze, but did I mention THE PONY?!

It was very hot on the day we were there, but that did not dampen our enthusiasm for the task. We waited in the shade of a Conestoga wagon cover as the other children got called back for their rides. The girls doing the leading would pick the next child based on their size so that small ponies would have small riders and so on. Being a very small person, Delphinium got to go to her pony very quickly. Her tiny blond pigtails were bobbing like mad when she first saw the horses.

His name was Spice, and he was brown with a cream mane and tail. Once we got up close to him I asked Delphinium if she was sure she wanted to get on his back. Lots of nodding and happy chirps dispelled my concern, and she was up on his back in no time. Grinning and holding on for dear life, the pony turned, and we headed down the little path. Spice must have been the world's calmest little horse because he did not so much as turn an ear to anything. A few minutes of chattering and waving later, we were back at the "barn" and it was time to get off. Luckily, Grandma was there, so it wasn't too sad to leave the pony. I do believe that's an experience we'll have to have again.

Off Your Desk

One of the things I most hate in regular life is dealing with paperwork and bureaucracy.  Filling out a form is one thing, but when you have to refer to Appendix A for a description of qualifying conditions or divide box 3f by 27r I start to lose my mind.  It's all so ridiculous, but all so important at the same time.  Once a year I can face these things for the purpose of doing taxes, but any more than that and I start to get positively gloomy.  That is why any service that offers to take care of such things is of great interest to me.

Off Your Desk is a website that offers to help manage healthcare claims.  For a flat fee (I think it's $200), they will deal with your paperwork, and get you more money back, on average, then a person working on their own.  When the baby was born I had to argue more than one claim, and in most cases they had simply been miss-processed. Each one was an ugly uphill battle.  Now I've never actually used this site, so this is not a recommendation.  I just think it sounds like an interesting, and possibly great, idea.  Has anyone out there actually used the site?  If so, what did you think?

Reading for Beads

I recently heard the cutest idea for young readers, and I just had to share it here.  A friend's child has a teacher who buys hundreds of beads at the start of the school year (at her own expense if I know teachers).  She also chooses long lengths of cord (satin?) which, when combined with the beads, makes a great bookmark.  Every time a child reads a chapter book, he or she is allowed to choose a bead as a reward.  Some choose beads that represent the book, such as a dog or a rocket ship, while others choose letters for their name.  Over time, the tail on their bookmark gets longer and longer, and the child gets a physical reminder of their reading success.  I would have been SO thrilled by this idea when I was a young child.  I will certainly be trying this lovely little scheme with the baby when she gets to be a few years older. 

Lunchbox Saftey

In all the furor over getting back in the lunch packing groove, many of us forget about the possible dangers lurking in poorly prepared or stored foods.  This New York Times article has a fairly comprehensive set of tips to help protect your child from getting sick.  Some of it seems fairly obvious, don't keep tuna at room temp for hours, but other things are less clear.  Are you in the habit of washing your melons with soap and hot water before cutting them?  I didn't think so.

Potty Business: Update

Ugh!  As I mentioned recently, I have been on the hunt for the perfect potty.  I don't think we need anything fancy, just a simple, uncomplicated, ahem, chair (if you know what I mean).  However, those who design children's products do not agree with me.  No, no they want everything to be super extra special in every way.  Even the potty.

The first one I found on Amazon has a smiley face where the action takes place, and IT SINGS A STUPID SONG!  Yes, when it detects, urm, motion, it plays one of three uber-happy victory songs.  This is supposed to induce your child to go all the time because they will be so enchanted by the lovely music.  Or they will literally have the pee scared out of them when the things suddenly starts to play.

As if that were not bad enough, the second horror potty is actually Disney princess-themed.  No, no it doesn't have a picture of Snow White perched on another kind of throne (though maybe if it did I'd be more inclined to buy it just for the shock value).  It has a grouping of standing princess clustered together on the lid, but that is not it's real draw.  No, this potty's special magic comes from, you guessed it, magic potty sounds!  As if the victory song were not strange enough, this potty will go "bibitty bobbetty boo" for you when you go.  What kinds of freakish associations might these two terrible potties create in some young minds?

Rock Collecting

Yesterday we were playing in the backyard doing our best to enjoy every last rain-free day. Delphinium was enjoying a tub of warm water filled with toys, when her attention was drawn by a pile of rocks in the corner of the yard. She took her little red bucket out of the water, wandered over to the rocks, and then methodically began to sort through them. She put about one out of every five in her bucket, and I could not tell what her logic was for choosing some and rejecting others, but it looked like she was doing the most serious task of all time.


After the bucket was about one quarter full, she took it over to the tub of warm water, and dumped in all her treasures. A few minutes of swishing, and she popped them back in the bucket one by one. Without a second glance at the water and the other toys, she marched her bucket'o'rocks up the steps and into the house. She plunked the bucket down next to her little table and let out a sigh as if she was saying "well that's done at least."
I know this sounds like a boring blow by blow of a kid playing, but I've never seen her do anything so complicated before. She made a plan, worked through the steps, and did not become distracted along the way. I have no idea why, but I suppose that really isn't the point. Does this mean she'll grow up to be brilliant, focused, and dedicated, or just somebody who really likes rocks?

Back To School: Last Minute Tips

Around here schools starts in just a few short days.  When we were at Trader Joes earlier today, it looked like Friday rush-hour with all the moms and kids doing last minute lunch shopping.  Granola bars, cheese sticks, and little packets of hummus were promenently displayed, and I saw more than one child trying to negotiate their own version of a tasty lunch.  How ever you decide to meet this challenge, here are a few last tips for making the transition from summer to school a huge success:

- Lay EVERYTHING out the night before (clothes, hair and teeth items, lunch supplies, keys, etc)
-No screens (that means no tv, computers, phones, or music players they only waste time)
-Shower the night before (I know this is hard, but showering is such a massive time sink)
-Go to sleep a little earlier every day for a week (you too Mom and Dad!)
-Practice the route (drive or walk to school and/or the bus stop so you know timing)
-Remind kids that school is a welcoming place full of exciting opportunities

Potty Business

The Baby is getting to an age when we are starting to think about considering talking about the possibility of going potty.  I DO NOT want to make the same mistake as my aunt who made such a fuss over the whole thing that her son stopped going altogether rather than deal with the pressure.  I want it to be easy and low-stress at all times.  I've watched one brother, three cousins, two niecs, and six nanny charges learn to use the bathroom, so I know what a challenge it can be.  I'm hoping we can get things to go off smoothly for our little girl.

Dr. Spock started writing about potty business in the 1930's!  At that time he was countering the militaristic approach where children were strapped to potties at a very early age, and then smacked if they had an accident.  He said that children should, instead, be allowed to play with a potty for several weeks before you even introduce the idea that it can have another function.  Then, he recommends just casually mentioning that potties are places where we can do our business too.  I know he's old school now, but it just seems like common sense to me.  The no pressure approach may well backfire on me, but I'm going to give it a shot. 

Vegetarian Back-to-School Lunches

I know, I know, you're starting to sweat.  Your kid is due to head back to class in only a few short days and that means lunches.  Lots and lots of lunches.  If your kid complains that they can't look another PBJ in the face again, then you have come to the right place.  Having worked as a teacher for a decade, I know a thing or two about what to pack and how to keep things healthy and interesting.  When you are a vegetarian (or have one as a son or daughter), there usually aren't that many choices in the lunchroom (who wants their kid to eat that stuff anyway?), so you might as well get to be friends with the good old lunchbox.  First, the basics.  These are the pantry items you might want to consider.  Of course you must read labels to determine which ones are healthy and which ones are schlock:

Category #1: Grains (mostly anyway)

-whole grain crackers
-graham crackers
-pretzel sticks
-muffins
-rice cakes
-rice balls
-cooked grains such as quinoa or barley
-tortillas
-pasta salad
-granola bars
-banana bread, zucchini bread, or pumpkin bread
-bagel chips
-dry cereal
-bagels
-pita bread

Category #2: Proteins (though to be fair, many of the above have protein too)
-cheese (Babybell and stringcheese are great, but be creative!)
-vegetarian deli slices (I like the ones from Turtle Island Foods)
-beans (so many kinds and so many ways to prepare them)
-nut butters (almond, sunflower, cashew)
-tofu (baked, broiled, fried!)
-eggs
-yogurt
-cottage cheese
-cream cheese
-hummus
-avocado

Category #3: Veggies
-peas (in shell or out)
-carrots
-celery
-cucumbers
-bell peppers
-tomatoes (I know, technically a fruit!)
-broccoli (steamed?)
-cauliflower (steamed?)
-greenbeans (steamed?)
-corn

Category #4: Fruit
-berries (mmmm!)
-cherries
-grapes
-oranges (get easy to peel for little kids)
-melons
-pineapple
-apples (only when other things aren't in season)
-applesauce (I use the tubs as an emergency back-up item)

Of course you are not going to buy all of these items at one time, but it does give a person ideas.  Just mix and match these ingredients to keep things fresh and interesting.  You do not have to make a four course dinner to satisfy your hungry child, just give them good quality items, and be sure to take their tastes into account as well.  Getting their input and participation will dramatically increase the percentage of lunches actually consumed.  Do not fear the box!