I’ve been watching The Great British Baking Show. As a result, I’ve been in a bit of a baking craze and made these cinnamon buns and now the carrot cupcakes with maple cream cheese buttercream. I had great helpers.
Both Eliza and Sophia were great pipers much to my surprise. I like baking with the girls as it provides a welcome reprieve from their typical play. They get to be creative and we learn about science (e.g., what does baking soda do in a batter and what is the difference between baking soda and baking powder). Besides that, we visited Bartram’s Garden which was just lovely. The weather was beautiful and the girls enjoyed exploring. It is difficult to believe that such peace and solitude can be found in the city.
Just three days ago I was sitting under a 300-year old nispero tree in a former Carmelite monastery on a hot and starry night. Dreaming. The former monastery is now a beautiful hotel saved from the wrecking ball in the nick of time and thoughtfully restored with antiques sourced from Spain. This was our ground base for a week as we toured Puerto Rico over Sophia’s spring break.
This was our second time in Puerto Rico and we were so very enchanted by the first, albeit brief, visit that we vowed to come back as soon as possible. In this case, as soon as possible meant three and a half years (and another baby) later. For many, Puerto Rico is a springboard for more exotic destinations or cruises. However, the island, which happens to be a U.S. territory, deserves quite a bit of attention. Besides having glorious weather, it is also architecturally striking and has just about the friendliest locals. I am forever impressed how much of its own language, culture, and customs this sizable island has retained.
Although San Juan was our base, we spent a bit of time exploring the rest of the island including Arecibo and Luquillo.
The girls, much to the delight of my sister and brother-in-law, are huge history enthusiasts; Sophia and Eliza couldn’t get enough of El Morro, San Cristobal, all the scenery, and kite flying.
The local cuisine was delicious and, I am happy to admit, sampled by everyone in our family. Mofongo was a surprising favorite and the local guava flavors are going to be difficult to get out of my mind.
… and this …
Here is some nitty gritty about our trip: Flights by this and this hotel, here for a day at the beach, a little lighthouse, and delicious eats here, here, here, here, and here.
Everything including the Sisters Forever necklaces was just so for our evening outing on Easter Sunday. We, and what seemed like a thousand other people, thought ourselves none-the-wiser in venturing out to Franklin Square for a carousel ride. The place was packed which, admittedly, did not diminish our enjoyment though we did retire to a quiet oasis of a park nearer our house and played tag. Something about spring, the blooms, and the warmer weather makes everyone restless and excited to stretch their limbs on the green grass.
The blog has been quiet inversely reflecting the freneticism of our daily lives and, still, there is not much to write about despite the busyness. Instead, I’ll share some recent verbal bloopers which had us in fits of giggles.
Eliza: “Mama, does this ipress (impress) you?”
Sophia: “If you don’t give me this, you and I won’t be besties ever again!”
Eliza: “I am so glad our family is back together again!”
Sophia: “Mama, were you a princess for Papa at your wedding?”
There is an article in the newspaper discussing why America’s parents are among the least happiest in the world (at least among the first world countries) and that the issue is of most import to everyone, not just fellow parents. Moreover, the best help is always support that combats stressors (childcare, household chores). Our own household has been rocked recently due to the sudden and drastic unavailability of childcare due to a family emergency. Thankfully, my mom was able to step in and play Baba The Great Caregiver for a week. Her helping hands were entirely welcome and so, so appreciated. She topped off her week with us in the most lovely of ways — with a trip the Please Touch Museum on a torrentially rainy Friday. The girls, of course, loved their time and more surprisingly, to me, so did Baba. Experiences just like this one highlight that, deep inside, we’re all kids.
The weekend couldn’t come fast enough and, with it, it brought a slew of spring cleaning and household organization activities. We finally started to organizes our little patios and make them spaces where we could spend time in the glorious spring weather. I am pleased with the progress and excited albeit nervous about getting some greenery and planters to further spruce up the space. For anyone who knows me, I am the antithesis of a gardner having successfully failed at keeping plants alive for well over a decade. Alas, for the good of the patios and aesthetically pleasing spaces, I am diving in once more into gardening or patio gardening. And this one picture? Just a papa decorating bracelets with some stick-on jewels. Spark-tacular.
This past Saturday Sophia “dressed“ in her work clothes, put her car keys into her purse, and packed her lunch bag. She declared that she’s getting her cardigan and going to work. I noted that Sophia accessorized for the occasion with her purple Cinderella necklace. It was very sweet and I was surprised to see how much detail she had committed about our weekday life.
Evan and I took her out to dinner on Friday in South Philly to a place of her choosing. It was a real treat for her and us alike. For us, it is the beginning of the phase where dinner out does not include toys, figures, dolls, or crayons. For her, dinner out means an opportunity to dress up a little bit, choose her own meal, partake in conversation, and participate in all the other rituals of dining out.
Individual attention, I feel, is crucial. It is often difficult to devote time and listening ears to everyone especially if they’re trying to talk at the same time. Whether it is with Eliza or Sophia, those rare occasions when my attention to them is undivided, are the absolute best and lead to happier, more emotionally-sated children. Friday evening, after dinner, as she was getting ready for bed, Sophia says “Mama, do you think that the sky is a big blue puzzle and that the night comes after all the puzzle pieces fall down?” Moments like this remind me that their innocence and openness to all possibilities is electrifying.
Mere minutes until bath and bed time and these two are hard at work on a new coloring book. They had both decided that the fish on the left is Dory and insisted on looking up the picture of the promo poster so that they could color it just so. That was Saturday and followed a busy morning where we made dough for Punitions and attended The Little Red Riding hood.
Baba and Dedushka invited the girls over on Sunday as they do most every weekend and who, pray tell, would turn down an invitation from the grandparents for a day of fun? Both Eliza and Sophia told me they didn’t want to leave and this is all good news come summer and a temporary relief from school before the start of camp season. I would say the last weekend of Winter 2017 was well-spent.
