Growing Up Savvy Posts

 

 

Talk about a gift dilemma; I couldn’t think of anything Sophia could gift her grandfathers this year for Father’s Day. After much thought and a sudden realization that they both like sweets and especially chocolate, I made them funny money good for a baked confection. Funny money is very popular these days — just look at bitcoins. If you can make it as a result of solving cryptographic problems, then you can make it out of lavender construction paper and use it for delicious morsels. I just hope the grandfathers realize that unlike real money or even bitcoins, our funny money is only good until the next Father’s Day.  Funny Money

Crafts Funny Life

It took a while to understand, but I finally realized that he has his own way. It is a reserved sort of love. He almost never praises aloud, but knowing, satisfied glances tell me and Sophia everything we need to know.

Papa1

 

He is a father who offers endless love. Night and day, his care keeps on coming. Nothing makes me appreciate him more than seeing how he loves my baby.

Papa3I know she and my nephew are everything to him. His love knows no fatigue.

Papa2

Sophia and I are incredibly fortunate to share our lives’ path with these special fathers. Today is a day I write it here on this blog, but I think it every day and I will  make sure she grows up with the same appreciation for them.

 

 

Moments

It has been hot, humid and raining cats and dogs here. The risk of yet another derecho has kept my mind busy with worries. The weather has been quite good for our little garden which has had to fare on its own and is rather overrun by weeds. Who can possibly weed in 90*F weather when the humidity is also 100%? I thought you might like to see what’s going on there after all that rain.

TomatoesFlowering tomato plants. Let us start chanting the “don’t eat my tomatoes” mantra.

PeppersThe peppers are about to flower. I forgot what kind we bought — I like plant surprises.

PeasMy peas gave up on me helping them grow vertically and literally now hold one another up as they climb a loose trellis.

Garden5The herb garden looks delectable and like I need to use that parsley a little bit more. Maybe a chimichurry sauce for this weekend.

SaladeThat’s all arugula and mesclun greens. Help! They’re overgrowing and something is also eating them with vigor.

HomegrownSaladThat’s why the arugula had to become this salad. The Chinese chives are also running wild and rampant in our garden right along the mint. I am pretty sure there is a plant war going on there and the mint maybe winning. Time to help the chives and make a few mojitos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cookery Flavors Gardening

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Moments

Cookery

We’ve been rocking children’s Tylenol and Benadryl to combat post-nasal drip and a mean case of teething since Saturday. Sophia’s been easier to get to bed since Benadryl is drowsy, sort of. At first, she gets a huge energy boost from it and then crashes. Yesterday evening was probably the first time where she wanted to lay down on her floor pillow with her real pillow and a blanket and just fall asleep.

I have to be honest; I have never seen this before (her wanting to go to bed… we’ve been rocking to bed since… well … forever) and credit it to the post-high Benadryl crash effect. This happened of course after we read four books of her choosing and I managed to convince her that the light and the books all have to go to bed. As I sat there making sure I didn’t breathe too loud and praying that she’d go to sleep easily and effortlessly, I realized that this is how it must be for some parents whose kids happily climb into their beds and just turn over and fall asleep. Lucky them and their kids who don’t wake up every 1-2 hrs even at 20 months of age.

Life

… falling off the wagon. Do you remember the Seinfeld episode where Elaine’s boyfriend accidentally fell off the wagon? I have no weaknesses when it comes to liquor, but chocolates and nuts are a different story. A little over a week ago, my mother-in-law introduced little Sophia to Graham crackers or Grammie crackers as she called them. Who doesn’t like graham crackers? Rich with vanilla and cinnamon notes (can you believe I just said notes?), they are delicious. They are simply sublime with a little bit of peanut butter and if you really want to splurge, top with a thin slice of a banana.

I remembered what I had been missing all these years after sitting down little Sophia for an afternoon snack and a spot of mint tea. Really, who do you know, who loves sweets as much as I do, would be able to sit and watch such deliciousness devoured and not try a little bit? Besides, her latest schtick  is to share her delicious morsels with those around her. She eats and then decides to offer for a taste loudly declaring “Maaamaaa, maaamaaa, eat”. Sophia then promptly deposits a little piece of whatever edible item (sometimes once she licks it… making sure it is good for you to eat) on the edge of her tray and says “‘Dere [there] you go!”

You can’t say no to that… and you can’t say no to peanut butter, graham crackers and bananas — on their own or together in a perfect little tapa. Now… if only I couldn’t say no to a 5 am wakeup and a trip to the gym. Alas… I don’t have a weakness for exercise equipment.

Here’s what happens after we share Grammie crackers with peanut butter, banana and a cup of tea…

Togetherness

Flavors Funny

Life just keeps getting more and more exciting. Friday was nocte horribilis filled with 20 minutes of sleep every 20 minutes as Sophia battled teething and what appears to be a cold. All that partying (not that I ever did that much of it, Mom :)) and recuperation didn’t teach me a single thing about recovering from a sleepless night and a cranky child. But life goes and we make do with the lemons handed to us.

Hubby and I got a chance to get away for a quiet meal (or so we thought) for our 5th anniversary. Little did we know, we were driving into the District of Columbia as it was rocking its gay pride parade. The city and its residents were out in full force making a statement for human rights. Good for humanity, bad for parking and traffic. After parking, we decided to make the  most of it… a drink atop the W hotel right next door to the White House. The views were sublime … I imagine especially so for the snipers parked on the roof [of the White House]. The snipers have binoculars and therefore must have spectacular views of all the beautiful bodies at the rooftop bar at the W hotel.

rooftopThe rest of the weekend wasn’t terribly exciting. Thankfully, we ordered take-in from a small mom and pop place we know in Delaware (aka my parents). I think I baked banana nut muffins on Saturday morning, but I don’t really remember. That must be the case because I found one this morning and had it for breakfast. I do remember that instead of cooking Chinese dumplings for lunch before my parents headed out, I laid out a spanish/italian farmer’s lunch complete with burrata, jamon Iberico, baguette, basil and baby tomatoes. It was basic, easy, and perfect. We realized that Sophia is a fan of burrata and baguette.

I believe in human rights — equality for all people and the choice to live your life as you see fit with the partner of your choosing and the right to sleep at least 6 hours without interruption. The End.

 

Life

Admittedly, we are spoiled with modern technologies and the conveniences that they afford us. We take our washing machines, fridges, tv, internet, cars and air conditioning (and heating) for granted. We don’t even think twice about what we have and feel as if it is our birthright.

As you can imagine, loosing any single one of these conveniences is a sudden and unpleasant shock. Three weeks ago, we lost our fridge and let me tell you… it was a real inconvenience. If we did not have a child, we’d just probably suck it up and get take-out. However, milk needs refrigeration as do all those little soups and kashas. So we made do while waiting for spare parts and technician availability.

At last, and I am afraid to jinx myself saying this, we’ve caught up with 20th century and have a working refrigerator and freezer. Equipped with two new cookbooks, I can’t seem to narrow down the weekend menu.

Now… if only I could get an appointment with Mother Nature and get a technician to fix the water that keeps dripping from the sky (rain) :-). Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day (preferably, a workday).

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Moments