The good kind of tired. The kind when your ankles and knees ring from running after little ones. The very same kind that overfills your heart after spending an afternoon with family and friends. We hosted Eliza’s first birthday. Nothing major, just some sandwiches, pizza, a vegetable tray, fruit and cake (of course).
We were pleased with the cake I designed inspired by my mother-in-law’s suggestion of something with ducks. We wanted something playful and fun, without being too girly yet dainty enough. The owner of Sweet Elizabeth’s Cakes helped put together a cohesive design that included ducks, a pond, a park bench, balloons, a carousel, and a dog (Eliza’s favorite!). The pinks and purples in the balloons were a nod to the fact that the cake was for a little girl.
And so our little Eliza is finally ONE. For whatever reason, this feels like a huge milestone for me. It is as if I’ve been waiting with bated breath for her to get a little older. Perhaps this is true and I have been restless waiting for her first smile, first laugh, and first tentative steps. Really, I’ve waiting for her to become a little girl, and with that, a little friend for Sophia.
And of course, big sister Sophia was on hand to help get the party started!
Last, but not least, a special thank you to my brother-in-law for capturing the memories.
This space has been decidedly sparse this past week because we went on a beach getaway with my family. As they say, the early bird gets the worm and this year, my parents got the worm by inviting all of us on vacation. Better still, my sister and I chose the destination, the date, and all else. Baba and Deda babysat, my sister and I caught up on … on everything and the kids did what kids do best—played and bonded. There was also, plenty of peace, quiet, and relaxation for Evan and me.
It just so happened that our vacation marked a few firsts; Sophia’s first voluntary and mostly enthusiastic venture into the ocean, her first time actually swimming (ice cream scoops) in the pool, first time having sushi (raw fish and all), and Eliza’s first birthday.
We chose Fort Lauderdale, Florida as our destination because we wanted to vacation early in the summer, enjoy a warm, azure ocean, and see palm trees without leaving the country. We could have, and did indeed consider the gulf (of Mexico) with Destin being a particular favorite but did not want to drive three hours after a three hour flight with young kids. In any event, after settling on Fort Lauderdale, we rented a spacious house with a pool on the beach.
The house worked out extremely well and we enjoyed lazy morning swims in the sea, afternoon pool time, and leisurely evening dinners followed by even more leisurely post-child-bedtime relaxation. Evan and I accepted my parents’ and sister’s offers for help with the girls and had plenty of time to enjoy the sea together, relax and unwind.
I have amazing memories of vacationing with my parents and grandparents as a young girl and would like to create the opportunity for my children to form similar bonds and memories. I want them to cherish spending time with family and to know that, while you don’t choose your family, you do choose to make time to be with them.
The weekend flew by and we are all faced with the case of the Mondays. It was, by all accounts, a very busy two and a half days. This Friday was First Friday and we visited the galleries to recharge our inner artist and introduce this tradition to the kids.
These were taken at the Clay Studio which is one of my most favorite galleries. United by Blue was celebrating their 5 year anniversary with good eats, desserts from a Frangelli’s, a spirits tasting, and a live band. Eliza loves music and it was neat to watch her take in a live act. Have you ever heard of a franolli? I hadn’t till Friday and was not entirely surprised that someone managed to marry a fresh donut to a cannoli.
We made a last minute decision to visit Saint-Gobain’s Future Sensations exhibit right in front of the Art Museum. We hopped on a bus and made our way down the parkway pointing out all of the flags to Sophia as we went. The exhibition was very, very cool and the kids were in total awe. For those who haven’t heard of Saint-Gobain, the company is responsible for the mirrors in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles among many other amazing works.
The oppressive heat and the kids’ love of all things green forced us to stop by the Rodin Museum and its beautiful garden on the way back.The Rodin Museum is free though donations are appreciated which makes an excursion with kids a low-risk, low-cost affair. Everything about this spontaneous excursion was an adventure for the kids.
Alas, our Saturday wasn’t complete without an outing to the ballpark. My company gets season tickets to the Camden Riversharks and so I took my in-laws and the girls to the kids’ first baseball game. I absolutely love Campbell’s Field because it is small, very clean, has a great atmosphere, is ten minutes from our home, and provides amazing views.
Shoes, strictly optional 🙂
You can’t beat that view. I can literally see our house from the ballpark.These “firsts” are a big deal to us. We want to expose the girls to a variety of activities and events and sharing their experiences with family and friends makes every first that much more special.
Having had a busy Friday and Saturday, we stuck to more low-key activities on Sunday. Evan and I ran out to Sunday School while the kids played with Baba and Deda. Sophia LOVES dinosaurs and was thrilled when my mom brought a few of Alex’s old ones.
Hooray for spring, for summer, for weekends, and for family.
Picture a thirteen hundred square foot apartment filled to the brim with toys, furniture and inhabitants both big and small. Imagine a toddler immersed in art, imaginative play, and cartoons. Projects big and small, tutus, tiaras abound, and everything on display. Add to the chaos a fearless, almost-toddler who just discovered the freedom of walking. Nothing and no-one can stop her from independent exploration to satisfy her immense curiosity.
Throw in the mix a daddy who commuted to D.C., three days last week, which is especially aggressive since it was a four day workweek, and you have yourself a solid picture of my week with the kids. The days Evan commutes to D.C., he leaves before the kids are up and gets home long after they’ve gone to bed at 9 PM; It is not unusual for him to catch a ~5 am train. Those days, parenting falls solely and heavily on my shoulders. There is no break or recuperation time between work and parenting in the evenings.
Just a few months ago, I would have been terrified of the prospect of taking care of the kids on my own, and would have begged my parents or mother-in-law for help. This time, however, I decided to man the ship myself. Each evening the kids ate a home-cooked dinner. We played, went on walks, and laid out on the grass at Independence National Historical Park. I took the kids on a treasure hunt to spice up an otherwise typical walk and treated them to gelato.
Someone, who isn’t a parent, once asked me how-come I can’t make time to hit the gym in the morning. Everyone, myself included, would benefit from a stronger core, and a few lost pounds, so I won’t make excuses. But I do know that running after two young ones can be a bit of a workout. That’s my fitbit output from one of those days.
Needless to say I didn’t feel guilty indulging in ice cream after the kids went to bed.
Not particularly different from any other days other than the fact that Evan and I actually captured our culinary output on camera while running after the kids, enjoying Philadelphia, and much-deserved time with my parents. Cookbooks, blogs, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter are full of single shots of delicious eats but they don’t often give us a glimpse into a full day in the kitchen. I am going further and sharing a weekend. The farmer’s markets brimming with strawberries and vegetables have inspired me in the kitchen. Our local HeadHouse Square farmer’s market looked like an explosion of bright red and green. Had we not been limited by the one tote we brought with us, I would have bought every radish and green in sight.
So here goes… two days in our culinary life:
Tomatoes aren’t really in season yet but parsley, young red onions, and garlic are bountiful. I roasted the tomatoes in the oven until they were bursting with sweet-sour flavor and dressed in an herbaceous vinaigrette. It was sunny bright.
Earthy and flavorful is this deep-roasted broccoli with oven-fried garlic. Some florets are verdant green while others are crispy-baked. A perfect side served room temperature and just as good cold in the evening. Healthy, too.
Speaking of healthy but more importantly, absolutely delicious. This is the one dish I did not cook. My mom made this gorgeous, chilled borscht topped with sour cream, grated egg, scallion, cucumber and dill. Mouthwateringly delicious and perfect on a hot summer’s day.
Some go goo-goo for pasta salads but I find them to be too rich, too heavy and laden with cheese and unbalanced vegetables. Instead, I opt for a quinoa salad. Same principle… herbs, veggies if you’d like, and a light olive oil vinaigrette. This one has lightly pickled onions, garlic, and some herbs. These easy oven-baked chicken thighs have made regular appearances at our dinner table the last few weeks and for good reason, too. They are so very delicious, a synch to make, and fill the house with the most beautiful aroma.
Corn chowder, to me, is a summer affair. This one is a very light version of Corn Chowder sans bacon and with part-skim milk. Light and refreshing it pleased even the tiniest of taste buds.
Eggplant is such a favorite at our house. Baked, sautéed, stewed, stuffed and even steamed, we eat it year-round and I cook it in the Italian, Turkish, Japanese, Indian and Azeri styles. Every which way it is unforgettable. This is pan-fried eggplant topped with a dill and garlic crema. It is my most favorite preparation because that’s how I grew up eating it.
And since hot weather, margaritas, happy hours, and siestas are upon us, we make guacamole. Simple. Avocados, red onions, and limes. A favorite snack for everyone … even Eliza.
And if you know me, you know that I am someone who does not like to make dessert optional. The rhubarb season is brief and it is one of the earliest spring plants. Rhubarb is best friends with strawberries but I thought it is special enough to be the star of a sweet ending. Here’s a rhubarb snacking cake. Yum.
Maybe I shouldn’t tell you that completing this culinary line-up are homemade strawberry-creme-fresh and chocolate ice creams. Well, the least I could do is not taunt with pictures. They are mind-blowing.
Whew. That was quite a lineup, wasn’t it. Well, all that cooking didn’t preclude us from enjoying our weekend outside the kitchen. We visited a farmer’s market, the Three Bears Park, and partook in the happenings of Old City. We also went to Spruce Street Harbor Park which has been open for a week, and Sophia has her eyes set on the skating rink at Blue Cross Summerfest. Sophia may be eyeing skating, but I am eyeing those hammocks and beer at Spruce Street Park.
Quality time with Baba and Deda were huge hits for us and the girls. Played out and fed with all sorts of delicious, the girls played with Legos together. Future engineers? I can only hope.
Said Pablo Picasso and such is the case where I work. We dream up pie in the sky ideas and work hard to make them real. Every day is different, every project unique, and every achievement immensely satisfying. Computer science is one of the most exciting and dynamic fields today. It is at the epicenter of our economic output since everything and everyone uses computers. Chemists, biologists, physicists and even quantitate financial analysts need to know computer science. The hour of code is a hugely successful effort to bring computer science and programming to tens of millions of school aged children.
The United States is not able to produce enough computer scientists to satisfy its growing demand and it is everyone’s duty to inspire children to choose professions in one of the many STEM fields. In doing my part, and also because I am always excited to share an experience with my nephew, I took Alex to my company’s take your child to work day. The event, dubbed a Tech Expo was geared toward children aged 10 and up. The bring your child to work day did not include shadow time. Instead, children were whisked upstairs to a series of cool demos and talks about what the current state of the art is that we (myself and the people I work with) are working on, and what lies in the frontier. Demos included 3-D printing technologies, programming with raspberry pi, the bleeding edge in electromagnetic research, and renewable energy. The sessions were hands on and the children had a chance to try all of the technologies for themselves.
I am a firm believer that learning does not always take place inside a classroom while reading a textbook. My nephew missed a day of school but I am certain that he learned much more that morning at the Tech Expo. He learned that research and failure go hand in hand, that you can dream big, work hard, and persevere. He wasn’t the only one learning. I learned that there are few greater pleasures in life than seeing young minds churning with creative ideas and thoughts. I couldn’t have asked for a better day and a better companion. Oh, and of course, he had time with his cousins as well… and some ice cream. It is summer, after all.
A reason to celebrate. This Sunday, we tossed aside our tanks, shorts and flip flops in favor of something a little more fancy. Evan’s cousin married a beautiful bride in a stunning dusk ceremony in downtown Philadelphia.
I do wonder what it is with Evan’s family—everyone they marry is Russian. True, Evan started the trend, but his sister and now his cousin have continued carrying this torch. It must be that they realized how close-knit and fun-loving Russians are. Whatever the reason, we’re only too happy to celebrate especially when the celebrating involves an elegant black tie gala.
As I sat back and took in the beautiful ambiance at the reception, I couldn’t help but look back to almost SEVEN years ago when Evan and I got married. It is hard to believe that it was that long ago when we said our vows to one another under our magical chuppah. Perhaps seven is not long, not when we look at our parents and grandparents, but it has been a busy, eventful seven. A Ph.D., a house, a daughter, another daughter a move, and more. Travel, laughter, tears of sadness and unbelievable joy. Low lows, indescribable highs and everything in between, everything together.
I didn’t circle Evan at our own wedding ceremony because, to me, it signified that my world revolved around my husband. I know now that it does and that’s how I like it.
Mother’s day is not just a celebration of the mothers in our life but of all the people who help care for our children. This year, I wanted to show our sincere gratitude to someone who helps us very much. In thinking of what would be the most appropriate gift, I realized that taking care of kids is a labor of love and the only way to show our gratitude is to gift something that is also a labor of love. And so, the idea for a textured shawl was born. Hours, hours and endless hours of work went into this piece and I am very pleased with how it came out. The yarn was beautiful and lent an unbelievable texture and color.
Sometimes, the best gifts are from the heart, the ones that are made with your very own hands.
However it happened, it did. And while I could regale you with detailed descriptions of all the happenings, I will just say that I am quite certain Sophia is plotting to move into my sister’s house permanently what with being served not one, not two, but four desserts (two birthday cakes and two home-made ice creams).
The weekending post is abridged this week in honor of the upcoming Mother’s Day. I asked a circle of mothers, who are in different stages of their roles as mothers, to share their Mothering Perspectives. We’re kicking off with an essay from a very dear great-grandmother. There’s no better way to describe this mother of three, grandmother of four and great-grandmother of two other than an effortlessly chic and classy lady. So enjoy and check back tomorrow and thereafter for more motherhood perspectives.
Ever since I was a little girl, playing with dolls, I always wanted to be a “mom”. I was very fortunate to have had a devoted and caring Mother. She was always “there” for me. She always prepared foods that I liked and was home to greet me after school. There was only one problem….she was overly protective. I feel that the anxiety she felt for her family was passed on to me. When it is embedded as a child, it is most difficult to change.
Being a mother was a full time job for me. It was filled with responsibilities as I knew it would be. I think it’s more difficult to raise children today. Every generation has its problems, but with exposure to so many technical changes, I believe children learn more and grow up too quickly. It is also harder for the working mom to balance her time.
My children were very easy as infants. They slept through the night at six weeks and had sweet dispositions. The teenage years had its problems but, as a family, we worked through them. Watching them grow into adulthood, succeed in what they wanted to do and most of all to be fine individuals, has been a great joy for me.
It’s wonderful being a grandmother and having great-grandchildren is an extra bonus; I can just relax and enjoy them. Being able to be part of the next generation with my family is a blessing. They are my greatest joy. My advice to future Mothers is enjoy your family and don’t sweat the small stuff! The years pass too quickly. The love that is given to you will be unconditional and precious.
This blog, these posts have in recent weeks and months become, for a lack of a better word, predictable. I don’t aspire to predictability in this aspect of my life. This is a creative outlet where I endeavor to stretch myself, and practice a craft in which I do not, in my biased opinion, possess a great talent. And so, rigidity and mundaneness are undesired suggesting a lack of spark that often hooks readers. I pledge (mostly to myself) to do better starting with this.
Mother’s Day is upon us and I am saddened not to spend the day truly and wholly with my girls doing whatever I want or nothing at all. Before I know it, Sophia and Eliza will not be able to (much like me this year) spend the very same holiday with their mom.
I have, since becoming a mom, had painfully little time to spend with my own mom just the two of us. Our relationship has evolved from all about us to all about the kids. Thinking on this while chauffeuring Sophia to her bowling party this past weekend, I hatched a plan to work on our “just us” relationship.
My mom is an amazing and inspiring woman. She is selfless, loving, caring and very driven. I always learn something about her from even the most routine and casual conversations. We have a very honest and open relationship but the one thing she does not let me do is whine and complain. I used to resent that, but I completely understand now. While complaints are not welcome, support is plentiful and bountiful.
And so on a warm and sun-kissed Sunday, while Eliza napped and my dad minded the baby monitor, I took my mom and Sophia out on a little date in Old City. It wasn’t anything fancy, but we sat outdoors talking and enjoying a few snacks. While it wasn’t just the two of us, our little third wheel was most welcome and very pleasant company munching on her favorites and watching the passers by. Carpe Diem!
