tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19911825527881763752024-03-13T16:26:21.361-04:00Living In The WoodsCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.comBlogger587125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-3545330643618321242013-04-11T13:46:00.001-04:002013-04-11T13:46:32.485-04:00Returning From Another PlanetMy excuse for all but giving up on blogging? Well, it's multifold. <br />
* Life got too hectic.<br />
* Nobody's reading blogs these days anyway.<br />
* I say the little stuff on Facebook instead<br />
* I rarely have the necessary 30 minutes alone and uninterrupted with my laptop to write a proper post.<br />
* When I have 30 minutes to be alone and uninterrupted, I usually fall asleep. Or respond to work emails.<br />
* Sometimes, things I have to say are a little too private to talk about on a blog. <br />
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But sometimes, I really miss this little blog. So I'm paying it a visit to get some stuff down for posterity. <br />
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E-baby is 6 (and in Kindergarten). She's doing fabulously well and has taken to reading and writing like a fish to water. She reads everything -- bedtime books, newpaper comics, tabloid covers in the line at the grocery store, job recruiting ads in trade publications, you name it. <br />
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Jambuca is 4, and let's just say he's a handful. Everyone tells me it's because he's a boy, but if that's true, then why aren't all the boys his age getting into so much trouble with the teachers? So we've been testing some hypotheses about environmental causes of inattention, irritability, and restlessness. So far taking out FD&C food colors from his diet is promising. It isn't the only thing, but it's the only one so far that's unusual (we've also identified sleepiness and hunger as prime causes, but that's true of all kids). I have an unconfirmed suspicion about honey as well.<br />
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I'm getting creative with recipes to replace some of his favorite Red#40 foods. This morning, I lucked out on one that would be beneficial to any parent, regardless of whether they are avoiding food coloring.<br />
<br />
Jambuca loves hot cocoa. Specifically, he loves marshmallows in his hot cocoa. Well, marshmallows have artificial color in them (Seriously! Go look. Blue.). I found some at Whole Foods without food color, but I also don't like him to eat so much sugar. So this morning, I wanted to fix him a hot cocoa using the Whole Foods cocoa mix (without marshmallows) and use milk instead of water for the extra protein. Well, being lazy, I decided to try hot water from my teakettle mixed with nonfat powdered milk instead of heating up a glass of milk. Here's the recipe:<br />
<br />
1/3 cup instant nonfat milk powder<br />
2 T hot cocoa mix<br />
8oz boling water<br />
<br />
When I mixed it all up, the milk powder went lumpy. I stirred and stirred and stirred. The best I could get was little fine-gravel-sized lumps of milk powder. I thought, "Dang, now I have to strain it!" but then I decided to taste one of the milky lumps. Well I'll be darned, it tasted exactly like those weird little freeze-dried mini marshmallows they put in Swiss Miss. Not crunchy, of course, but chewy-gooey, just like mini marshamallows that have been stirred around in hot cocoa. The white lumps mix with little brown lumps from the cocoa powder that didn't dissolve completely. Eventually, they melt into a velvety smooth foam, just like mini marshmallows.<br />
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And he loved it. LOVED it. Drank 3 (demitasse) cups.<br />
Sometimes it takes a lazy shortcut to make a major discovery.<br />
<span id="goog_730291690"></span><span id="goog_730291691"></span>Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-1744622129925575192012-04-27T17:04:00.002-04:002012-04-27T17:11:51.339-04:00Ireland Trip 2012 Post 6This was our last full day in Ireland before we spend tomorrow morning in some last-minute souvenir shopping and head off to London. SNG and I took the Connemara tour that the grandmothers took yesterday. We had the same tour guide, Joe, who usually works for Lally tours doing school runs and ferry shuttle. He told us that he had been getting his bearings as a proper tour guide, but I thought he was fantastic. He remembered our moms ("They were darling! Was your mum the little one? She's a lady who's full o' beans, that one. Very fit and energetic. I loved them both, the dears.") and had that classic self-deprecating humor that you can't help but like. <br />
I took some notes along the way, so this post will be more disjointed than most because I'm pretty much putting those notes here for posterity. <br />
We drove through mountains which I remembered, from some book I once read, that people used to have all sorts of odd theories about how the large granite rocks had moved and how the terrain became so bare. The strangest theory was that they had floated there in a huge flood, a la Noah and the Ark. Then someone realized that it was actually a (relatively recent) ice age that had caused about a mile-thick glacier to form there, and as the ice receded, it pushed along the landscape relocating boulders and scraping away the landscape leaving an environment suited only to growing peat. The peat has been forming there for about 12,000 years, at a rate of about a foot of thickness per millennium. 80% of the world's peat comes from Ireland as it happens, although Connemara peat is not as thick as the peat further inland. <br />
As we drove along, a couple in a silver sedan kept showing up nearby, always on the wrong side of the road. The driver joked that they were either American or French (all the passengers on the tour were American or French). I just wondered how they could end up on the wrong side of the road so often. Had they not noticed the other cars?<br />
Our first stop was at the Quiet Man Bridge, where I got some pictures for the Lands End saleslady at the mall in Cary, who once quoted about 1/3 of the film to me as I tried stuff on. She really loves that film. And there were the elderly couple in the silver sedan. American accents.<br />
The next stop was at a pub in Leenane. We met a pair of older than dirt dirt farmers with 3 teeth between them who were curious about us and spoke unintelligably but were unmistakably flirting with all the women from the tour. We also met the older couple in the silver sedan. They were on vacation from Oregon, and were just the most adorable, sweet people ever. I told them that Joe was talking smack about them, and Joe was delighted to learn the expression "talking smack." The dirt farmers were definitely putting the moves on the old lady from Oregon. Her husband was a longboard surfer from SoCal in his younger days, which raised his status to totally cool in our estimation. Everyone on the tour decided they were a-OK, even if they didn't drive too well.<br />
Next stop was at the fjord, where we saw blue mussel nets being anchored by cement-filled DeLoreans and a fairy tree (or wishing tree) grew along the bank. It was tied with scraps of children's clothes and tiny shoes, each a wish for a child's health. <br />
We spent most of our time at Kylemore Abbey, which wasn't a lot to write home about except that it is set in such a gorgeous setting. We decided to hike instead of visit the abbey, and frolicked with adorable black-faced and black-legged hairy clouds of sheep before I got ankle-deep in the bog and we decided to stick to the roads after that. <br />
We had such a good time. This vacation has been long, but I could stay in Galway another week and still find things to do. This group of traveling companions have been perfect, and I hope the kids made some good memories. The last night here, our neighbors to the left seem to be having a bachelor party and to the right a hen party (or an all-girl birthday party?). Bad techno music blasting through all the walls. I hope it won't get me down, because I have felt so good this entire trip that I'd hate to have it all ruined by rude neighbors. <br />
Tomorrow we fly to London, and then Sunday we fly home. But I'm not done with you, Ireland. Not by a long shot.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-18968139702001703002012-04-26T10:00:00.001-04:002012-04-27T17:29:04.461-04:00Ireland Trip 2012, Post 5On Tuesday, Tuti and Granny took the bus to the ferry to the tour of Inishmoor (the larger of the Aran Islands), while SNG and I had the kids on one of the best wether days we've had on this trip. Actually, THE best weather day of the trip so far. I might not have said it, but we've had rain every single day and it's always high around 50, and usually windy. Tuesday was a high around 55 or 60, with mostly cloudy skies and no rain. <br />
We had a Sincere Talk with the kids about riding in strollers for a long, long walk. Amazingly, they both complied perfectly and we walked to Salthill again. Jambuca was so excited about the possibility of petting a fish that he was willing to do anything. E-baby never complains about riding in a stroller, because she is old enough to appreciate a break from walking. <br />
We arrived at the aquarium 15 minutes before opening time, and instead of the BIG FANCY PLAYGROUND next door, Jambuca wanted to stand by the door and wait for them to open the aquarium. We convinced them to look around the gift shop instead, but didn't buy anything. They are learning to be very good at delaying gratification. When they finally opened, the kids were the happiest in County Galway. The Atlantaquarium is the national aquarium of Ireland, and is almost entirely comprised of local fish. We saw trout, sea stars, rays, tiny sharks, skates, octopus, trout, salmon, etc. I pet a number of rays before e-baby touched one and Jambuca never quite got up the nerve. It was a terrific aquarium and I'd recommend it to others with kids.<br />
Next we got some tiny souvenirs at the gift shop and played at the playground awhile. E-baby had a shadow most of the time - a girl about 18-20 months old who decided e-baby was the best girl ever. After playground it was lunch in Salthill at the Gourmet Tart Co. (yes, we ate real food!) and then the long walk back to Galway City. On the way back it was low tide, so we let the kids go down to the shore and walk "on the sea floor" to collect some shells. The high-low tide difference right now is about 4 meters, so you can walk a LONG way out during low tide. <br />
The kids decompressed after our long trip on some Gaelic cartoons. It was weird to watch them watch the shows because it was exactly like watching them watch shows in English. I guess cartoons are mindless enough that it doesn't matter whether you can understand the words. SNG and I took turns walking around town a bit. When it was my turn to go, Jambuca insisted on coming with me. He was a very good boy and walked at his usual two speeds: 1) standstill posing as a superhero and 2) running like a superhero. He was on the hunt for Secret Passageways and found a few in the form of manhole covers, small metal panels on walls, and the trim moulding underneath a shop window display. <br />
It was a wonderful day with the kids.<br />
Wednesday was one of the worst weather days we have had so far on the trip. It was cold and super-windy with afternoon rain in the forecast. It was also our day to tour the Aran Islands, so we had the bus to the ferry to Inishmoor. We had planned on taking a minibus tour, but when we got there changed our minds and rented bikes. I know that sounds unwise, but it is definitely the best way to see the island. We tootled at our own pace and stopped anywhere we felt like it. I got some scary pictures hanging over the edge of the ring fort Dun Aengus. I could see two sea mammals in the water below that were either dolphins, porpoises, or whales. In some sections of our ride there were no people or houses visible at all, and we felt like the only people on Inishmoor. The last stop on our self-guided tour was the world's smallest church, on a hilltop in the strongest wind I have ever stood up in. <br />
Riding crappy rented bikes in 60 mph wind and cold rain, seeing some of Ireland's oldest monastic sites... it was the best day ever.<br />
Today we have the kids to ourselves while the moms are taking a day tour of Connemara. Most of the tour looks like a revisitation of places in the film The Quiet Man. I have tried to see this movie, but it is very hard to get hold of a copy without either buying it or paying for a months of Netflix mail order DVDs.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-89598074316257930222012-04-23T16:45:00.001-04:002012-04-23T16:56:47.611-04:00Ireland Trip 2012, Post 4<br />
Our final day in Dublin was the perfect end to that part of the trip. The kids played in Merrion Square, all six of us walked all over town, we bought some music and a few tchotchkes, and we had lunch at the Queen of Tarts. Lunch consisted of (for 4 grown ups and 2 kiddos):<br />
2 slices of chocolate fudge layer cake<br />
1 slice rhubarb crumble<br />
2 pancakes (somewhere between a crepe and a crumpet) with strawberries and bananas <br />
1 raspberry cheesecake tart<br />
(all above with a dollop of freshly whipped thick cream)<br />
1 cafe au lait<br />
1 cappucino<br />
1 hot chocolate<br />
1 espresso<br />
2 waters (poor kiddos)<br />
The day before, e-baby and Granny visited Dublinia, which was (so far) one of the highlights of e-baby's trip. They skipped the Black Death part of the exhibit. Jambuca has been such a super-cuddly guy. He is in a mommy-love phase right now, which is, of course, heaven for me. Whenever SNG and I return from an outing, he says, "I missed oo, my mommy. I'm so glad oo came back!" He's hamming it up, though because he is perfectly happy having the complete attention of at least one grandmother at all times. Frankly, both the kids are going to be sorely disappointed when we go home and they are back to boring old mommy and daddy all the time. <br />
The trip to Galway was certainly easy enough, with a bus to a train, and then a long wait in the station. On the bus to the station, Jambuca had an acrobatic flip off of the seat on the top of the double decker bus (we were inside, no risk of falling out!). The lady across the aisle caught him by the ankle in mid-cartwheel and held him so I could get him upright again. We were all shocked and worried until Jambuca came up and said "Woo! That was COOL!" heh. The train ride across Ireland was just beautiful. Prettiest scenery so far on the trip.<br />
My first impression of Galway after two years and one big honking recession is that it has become grungier. There's more graffiti. There is an Occupy Galway shantytown in Eyre Square. Even the playground in Eyre square is in poor shape. I hoped there would still be some of the magical charm I fell in love with when we were here before.<br />
We are staying in the same place we stayed last time (The Western apartments and hotel) and I still recommend it. But like everything else we've come across on this trip, there are so many things that aren't quite right. That is a separate blog post, though. We're on a different side of the building but our view, like the last time, is amazing. We share a balcomy with the unit next door that overlooks Galway Bay and across to the mountains of County Clare in the distance. <br />
Today was a free day for SNG and me, with the grandmothers taking care of the kids. We walked through city center to the Claddagh to see old fishing boats and swans (you know the symbol of a crowned heart with two hands? Called a Claddagh, after the little (former) village across the River Corrib from Galway). Then we walked out the jogging paths along the waterfront to Salt Hill, about 2 miles away. We dampened our appetites at a tart shop (a big raspberry meringue for me, a chocolate almond croissant for SNG) before walking back to Galway, where we wandered in and out of nearly every single shop in the city center. Lunch at a pub (The Front Door) where the starter of seafood chowder and brown soda bread should have been lunch, but we made the mistake of also ordering main courses. Way too much food. I think tomorrow is a soup and salad day for me. Except for one more stop at the tart shop with the kids.<br />
Tonight, a huge, bright rainbow stretched across the bay with a perfect view of the whole arc from our balcony. We got the kids out of bed for it. It lasted well over an hour, like our own private gallery of faerie art. There is still plenty of magic in this place after all.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-67847795820746235962012-04-20T12:12:00.002-04:002012-04-20T12:12:17.042-04:00Ireland Trip 2012, Post 3So, the trip to Newgrange didn't work out quite as planned, but we did go eventually. On Wednesday, we got up early, left the kids with the grandmas, and walked across town to the bus station. When we got there, we learned that there is no day tour on Wednesdays. So we went back to the hotel and found everyone about to head out the door, and all 6 of us went on the hop on-hop off bus. It circles the city giving tour information and has 20+ stops at various places of interest. SNG and his mom hopped off at the Guinness brewery, and my mom, the kids and I hopped off at Phoenix park and the Dublin Zoo. It was windy and cold, but worth the visit to see the penguins and seals at feeding time. <br />
The siberian tigers were right up at the near edge of the enclosure up against the thick glass window, and I was surprised how scared e-baby was of them. Jambuca thought they were wonderful and got nose-to-ear with one of them through the glass. Later, e-baby found some tiny black macaques that were more her speed, and they were at least as interested in her as she was in them. <br />
After the zoo, all 6 of us got back together and went back to the hotel. SNG and I went to dinnr at a local brewpub that has small craft beers from all over the world but no Guinness (on purpose). I didn't care for the food and the service was pretty poor, but it was a cool pub. <br />
The original plan for Newgrange had been that SNG and I would go alone Wed, and the moms would go along on Thur. The revised plan was to combine and all 6 go on Thursday instead: the day tour runs on Thursdays. I wasn't excited about taking the kids on an all-day bus tour of an stone age archeological site, but you just roll with these things and hope for the best.<br />
We got up early, and walked across town (2 littles in tow) only to find that the tour was cancelled. Not enough people. The ticket agent recommended we check at the tourist office, so we hoofed it over to the tourist office (2 littles in tow) and luckily, there was another private tour coach going to Newgrange in half and hour, picking up at the tourist office! Tickets in hand, we got on the bus. The guide, Mary Gibbons, has her own access to the arheological sites in County Meath apparently owing to her brother being "one of the foremost archeologists in Ireland." I would guess she has some strong history credentials as well; she knows everything that is Ireland's history. The only problem is that she talks nonstop and has a strict no-sound-while-I'm-talking policy. That's hard when Jambuca starts to softly hun to himself as his head rests in SNG's lap. She didn't like that at all. But she adored e-baby because e-baby stayed quiet. I wouldn't really recommend the tour for anyone with kids, though. <br />
Newgrange and the Hill of Tara were the stops on the tour. Newgrange is a 5200 year old tomb/temple. That makes it older than the pyramids or Stonehenge, and it is in surprisingly good condition. The Hill of Tara has one of the loveliest green countrside views in Ireland, and we had clear weather. The only real downer was when e-baby went hunting for fairies under a tree and landed in a bed of stinging nettles. At least we know how to spot them now, but poor kid was in horrible pain. <br />
Last night after we got home, Jambuca started feeling badly - bad belly, a little runny. At 2am, he woke up with explosive diarrhea, and then again at 2:30. At 3, he vomited all over his bed. Since we have no spare sheets and there is no one at reception until 8am, he spent the rest of the night sleeping on towels. Fortunately, there were no more disasters, but he has had diarrhea all day today. <br />
This morning, SNG and I took a walk all around town and had lunch at The Farm. My mom took Jambuca to the playground until he had to get back and go to the bathroom. Granny took e-baby to Dublinia, the Viking museum. Now I'm spending the afternoon with the kids while the others have a walk. We only have one more full day in Dublin, and I've pretty much checked everything off my todo list, so it will probably be parks and playgrounds tomorrow, since I mostly want the kids to have some find memories before we go on to Galway Sunday. <br />
In spite of the several setbacks, we are having such a wonderful time. This is a fantastic group of traveling companions. I am already thinking about the next vacation the six of us will be taking together...Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-22509805646831236622012-04-17T17:01:00.002-04:002012-04-27T17:20:01.726-04:00Ireland Trip 2012, Post 2Our first 2 full days in Dublin have been cold, windy, and alternately rainy and sunny. Monday, SNG and I got to roam free while the grandmothers took the kids to a playground at St Stephen's Green. <br />
In the morning, we did the <a href="http://www.historicalinsights.ie/" target="_blank">historical walking tour</a>. This is a tour that is led by historians from Trinity College, and gives you, in about 2 hours, the history of people in Ireland. I had done this tour 3 years ago, and it was easily the best tour I've ever been on, and the second time around was just as good. Different historian this time, and so the stories, perspectives, and analysis were different. Our tour guide, BTW, got his doctorate at Trinity, then was on faculty at Notre Dame (in Indiana), and decided he wanted to come back home so he's back in Dublin. I'm sure he'd prefer something more lucrative and stable than leading history tours, but it was to our benefit to have such a knowledgeable guide, and his thoughtful discussion of the factors leading to what we see in Ireland today was something you don't just find Googling Dublin. <br />
After the tour, we visited the book of Kells (meh) and the Trinity College library <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=trinity+college+library+long+room&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=2daNT_jLLNS0hAfO-JiMCw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBIQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=661" target="_blank">Long Room</a>. Oh. Wow. What a library. It is breathtaking. <br />
Today, we had the kids while the grandmothers went on the history tour, etc. We took the kids to the playground again (they can never get too much of a good playground. I can. But, that's why we switch off days!), and Jambuca was tired and grumpy before lunchtime. We went to Bewley's for lunch, and I have to give the kids credit. They've been away from home for 5 days, been to 3 different cities in that time, endured a 5-hour time change, weird food that they don't like very much, and some pretty crazy travel/sleep arrangements. You'd never know it to look at them. I am so proud. They sometimes get a little noisy in restaurants, but I think they are doing better than I expected under the circumstances. <br />
By afternoon, they were ready for some down time, so we came back to the apartment and they played with their toys, while SNG and I took turns either napping on the couch or going out to walk around town alone. Each of us visited Merrion Square gardens and the Oscar Wilde memorial. Merrion Square is prettier than St Stephen's Green, and less crowded. Their playground is kind of sad, though. For my own time, I'd prefer Merrion Square. With the kids, it's definitely Stephen's Green. <br />
We've been cooking dinner in the apartment each night, and the kids get to watch the bedtime BBC show, on their Ceebebees channel, which is called "In the Night Garden." It is Just. Plain. Horrible. I can't begin to describe how inane this show is, people. But my kids are completely entranced. I do not get it. Apparently, I'm not meant to. <br />
Tomorrow, SNG and I are heading out of Dublin for a bus ride to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newgrange" target="_blank">Newgrange</a>, in the Bru Na Boine (Boyne valley). Newgrange is a UNESCO World Heritage site that is older than Stonehenge or the pyramid at Giza. I'll let you know how it goes!Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-59391518753965553052012-04-15T15:02:00.000-04:002012-04-27T17:17:05.620-04:00Ireland Trip 2012, Post 1I haven't blogged much lately, but we are on vacation and this is the best time to keep up with blogging! Besides, this way, I'll have a record of the whole trip. <br />
We left Raleigh Thursday the 12th on the nonstop flight from Raleigh to London. It was SNG, his mom (Granny), e-baby, Jambuca and me. My mom (Tuti) flew in separately from TX. <br />
Just as we were boarding, we learned that Tuti's flight was delayed, and she might not make our 11:10 train in London. We are overflowing with resourcefulness, however, and figured we'd find each other somewhere in Great Britain within the next 3 days. <br />
The flight over was uneventful, but sleepless. The cabin lights weren't dimmed until halfway through the flight, and by then, the kids were crazy with sleepiness. When the lights finally went down, so did the kiddos-- right on the floor in front of the seats. They got about 3 hours sleep each. Each of the adults slept less than an hour. <br />
When we arrived in London, we made our way to Euston station via 2 underground trains. I picked up our tickets for the Holyhead train, but Tuti wasn't there yet. Her global phone was turned off. I couldn't figure out whether she hadn't landed yet, or whether the phone was just not working. <br />
Since our tickets had all been reserved and purchased on the same itinerary, I had to get all of them, including my mom's. I left her ticket with the station agent, since she could use it on any train, and hoped she would know to ask about it. <br />
We boarded the train (without my mom) and found our seats. The train pulled out of the station. And then, like some kind of Harry Potter style witch on a muggle train, my mom comes trundling down the aisle of our car loaded with her luggage. She had run into the station at 11:08, located the platform, smiled big at anyone official-looking, and jumped onto the train as it started to pull away. She didn't have a ticket, but worked her magic on the ticket taker as he passed through the train. He was so mystified by her charms that he even called ahead to the next station to be sure that the connecting train would let her on as well. My mom is a force of nature.<br />
So, we were all on the train together, headed for the largest town in N. Wales. <br />
We were flat-out exhausted: ate some pub food (Welsh breakfast for dinner!) and were asleep by 6pm. Slept until 7:30 the next morning. Ahhh.<br />
We had one full day in Holyhead, Saturday. Holyhead is a quaint coastal town where everyone knows each other and they don't seem very crazy about tourists. Maybe they are aware of being a waypoint between London and Dublin, and know that mist people would rather be somewhere else. It was very cold and a little rainy, but we still had a good time. It would have been more fun with a rental car and warmer weather, but I found rural Wales to be a good place to recover from jet lag. Their kids are worse behaved than ours, which is really what you need to feel good about any situation. I learned that JRR Tolkein's made-up language for middle earth was actually Welsh. I also now understand why so many people have the mistaken belief that W is sometimes a vowel. <br />
There was an all-night rave the second night near the B&B, which our B&B owner was at. He was pretty hungover in the morning, but the breakfast was... well, it was like all the other food we ate in Wales. I'll just say that I'm so glad to be in Ireland today where there are fresh fruits and vegetables everywhere.<br />
This morning, we caught a ferry to Dublin, the Stena Explorer. We rode in steerage class but it was so much nicer than the first class cabin of most trains and airlines.<br />
And now, we're in Dublin, at the Preimier Suites hotel at Stephens Hall, just off the corner of St Stephen's Green. It is heavenly here. Late lunch at an organic/vegetarian friendly restaurant called The Farm, and I just cooked up a soup of turnips, carrots, zucchini, celery, green beans, garlic and chicken for dinner. Best boring-old-grandma's chicken soup ever.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-75910362719163866752011-12-12T15:46:00.002-05:002011-12-12T15:50:28.056-05:00Beavers Working Hard<em>Before you ask, this post is completely safe for work, except for the part about electric donkey bottoms. </em><br />
<br />
Since June I've been doing most of my daily workouts in the wee hours before SNG and the kids get up for the day. In the summer, I'd start out after sunrise and get back as it started to get hot. In the fall, I'd leave right at or just before sunrise and get home in full morning light. Now that it's December, I leave in pitch darkness, run in pitch darkness, and usually get home in pitch darkness, or maybe just as the first light starts to show and I can sort-of be seen by passing cars. My hat has lights all over it and I carry a flashlight. It's kind of monotonous. Sometimes I slip on roadkill, which is exciting, but not fun. But the sounds of the woods at that time of day are spooky and intoxicating. Next month the days will get a little longer, and I look forward to it.<br />
<br />
If I feel like staying on pavement (a good plan when it's pitch dark), I can take a route from my house down to a small lake surrounded by woods. On the way I always pass the same four neighbors (two with dogs, one running without dogs, one waiting for the high school bus) and one guy who rides a bike lit up like an electric donkey bottom. <br />
<br />
In the lake live at least five beavers. I know there are at least five, because that is the most I've ever seen at one time. They are elusive -- you have to show up before sunrise and be very, very quiet. Usually I see them swim around in little circles, passing one another and SPLOOSHING a tail in the water on the way by (a beaver handshake, or a beaver prank?). Sometimes I see them just sitting on the shore listening to frogs. This morning I couldn't see them (it was really dark) but I could hear one<em> slap-slap-slap-slap</em> mud onto the dam with its tail, then <em><span style="font-size: xx-small;">splash-splash</span></em> to gather more mud? dig? and then<em> slap-slap-slap-slap</em>. The sound really made me smile as I imagined the beaver making finishing touches on the winter hideaway.<br />
<br />
e-baby has asked me to take a picture, but there's no way it would look like anything but a black screen. So I try to paint a vivid picture of the beaver lake before sunrise, chatting over breakfast every day. Some of the great joys of life are found in the tiniest corners.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-5594834421254526782011-12-03T22:27:00.001-05:002011-12-03T22:38:29.747-05:00A Room of One's Own<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This weekend, SNG and I are spending a weekend on our own,
with Granny and Grampy taking care of the kids. We almost never get to do this –
in fact, we’ve only had one other night away from the kids ever, so it’s a real
treat. Since having kids, there’s always some kind of stress: whining, crying,
poop on the floor, people to be fed, a mess to be cleaned, teeth to be brushed,
laundry to wash, and on and on. We spend a lot of time putting out fires and by
the time kids are in bed, we have very little energy left to just shoot the
breeze. Conversation centers around the practical: did you remember to brush
her hair? Did he potty one last time? What time do you need to get up tomorrow?
Are you picking them up from school? I’ll switch the laundry if you’ll go fill
the dishwasher. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spending a day together, with no responsibilities, makes it
easy to remember how much we just really like being together. Which is a lot. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We left this morning (Saturday) and drove to Morrow Mountain
State Park, which is in the Uwharrie National Forest (alongside it? Anyway, on
the map it looks like one green blob). On the way, we had lunch at a Thai place
in Albemarle that was quite good (Thai Spice on Main St, in case you go – sushi’s
good there, too). At the park, we hiked about 6 miles of beautiful wooded trail
up to the top of Morrow Mtn and back. They have cabins to rent for a good
price, all year round. The kids would love it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After that we drove into Charlotte to go to Ikea. That was
part 1. Tomorrow, the plan is to hike at Latta Planation Nature Preserve in the
morning and then hit Ikea, part 2 around lunchtime. We’re getting Jambuca a new
bed. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Speaking of Jambuca, I have a story that is disgusting and
heart-warming and too funny not to share.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He has been potty training since August, with limited
success. At first we had him sleep in a Pull-Up, but at some point, he got it
into his head that Pull-Ups are for babies, and he’d take them off and now refuses
to wear one. So, he sleeps in underwear. To make it easier for him, I put a kid
potty in his room, with a towel underneath in case of “spills.” He rarely uses
it, and he wets the bed at least a couple times a week. Usually, I hear him get
up and run upstairs to usher him to the toilet before an accident occurs. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today, I went upstairs to check on him and he was already
up. As I opened the door I could smell that something was amiss. And there was
Jambuca, in a t-shirt and no pants, standing in front of the little potty seat.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“I put some poop in da potty, mommy!”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Good boy! Mommy is so proud of you"<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(I noticed, then, that he had smears of poop on his shirt,
arm, leg, foot, and hands. There was poop smeared on the side of the potty
chair and I spotted a big, poopy handprint on the towel that is under the potty
where it looked like he had carefully tried to wipe off his hands.) <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“I pooped in my unnawear. I put it in da potty. I wipe my
bottom!”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Sure enough, lots of poop and Kleenex in the potty)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Where did you get paper, honey?”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“I ‘tood on the chair to get the keenex from my dresser! I
BiiiiiiG!”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“yes, you are big. Good job. Thank you for putting the poop
in the potty. Let’s go clean up.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(and there, on the towel, carefully folded up, is the
offending pair of underpants. He put the poop in the potty. Not the pants.)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Mommy, I wipe my hands riiiight HERE!” (indicating the poopy
handprint mentioned above)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Repulsive as it was, I admit I was impressed that he had
managed to solve such a problem on his own, using what he had at his
disposal. </span>Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-76110266061017783842011-11-28T21:59:00.001-05:002011-11-28T22:12:13.834-05:00Good Old-Fashioned Music<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qY7XELUKcS4?rel=0" width="480"></iframe>Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-88071378202188807562011-11-26T08:13:00.003-05:002011-11-26T08:58:31.068-05:00Tarte Tatin and ThanksgivingWe had SNG's family here for Thanksgiving, and between the wonderful food, the wonderful company, and the wonderful weather, it was definitely a highlight of the season. <br />
<br />
The day started with a running race, of course. E-baby and I participated in the Inside Out Sports Turkey Trot 8K and kids' 100 M dash. There was also a one-mile fun-run, which really we should have entered SNG in, but there was no one to chase him, so I doubt he'd have crossed the starting line. I was happy with my time -- 5 miles in 48 minutes -- and e-baby made lots of new friends at the kids' run. <br />
<br />
Her race was exciting. There were probably 80 kids lined up at the start, and most of them were bigger than e-baby. They took off like a shot. She ran her tiny legs as hard as they'd go. Like her mommy, she isn't the fastest in the field. And I think she was surprised to find that, just short of the finish line, her legs were hurting. I held her hand and we crossed the finish line together, and she got a red ribbon for finishing. This mommy couldn't have been more proud if e-baby had finished a marathon.<br />
<br />
Back at the house, SNG, Dianaverse, my mother-in-law and I contributed dishes to the Thanksgiving meal, which consisted of:<br />
Turkey<br />
Gravy<br />
Two kinds of stuffing<br />
Garlic mashed potatoes<br />
Fresh cranberry sauce<br />
Bacon-hazelnet brussels sprouts<br />
Steamed broccoli<br />
Sauteed shiitake mushrooms (from Dianaverse's mushroom farm)<br />
Apple pie<br />
Blueberry pie<br />
Sweet potato pie<br />
Key lime pie<br />
Walnut pie (Oh.My.Gosh.)<br />
Watermelon cream pie<br />
Cranberry-orange bread<br />
Chocolate-blueberry bread<br />
Coffee<br />
<br />
And because six pies and two dessert breads weren't enough, I made something sweet on Friday. It started with a recipe for Pear, Apple, and Cranberry Tarte Tatin at delish.com, but I modified it substantially for healthier tastes (and, it was killing me to try to resist all the leftover pie). It's kind of interesting because you make it upside-down, and cook the fruit on the stovetop before putting the crumble crust on top and baking it. Then you turn it out onto a plate and it is all sweet and tart and the flavors have integrated but the top is still crispy and comforting. <br />
<br />
It was tasty as a dessert, yet still good enough for you to be a high-fiber, low-glycemic breakfast.<br />
<br />
<strong>Cumble crust:</strong><br />
1/2 c wheat germ<br />
1/2 c Ezekiel cereal<br />
1/2 c old fashioned oats<br />
2 T granulated Truvia<br />
3 T butter, cubed into little tiny pieces<br />
3 T cold water<br />
<br />
<strong>Fruity part: </strong><br />
2 ripe, peeled pears, thinly sliced (double this if you prefer)<br />
1 large cooking apple (honeycrisp, jazz, fuji, granny smith), peeled and thinly sliced (double this if you prefer)<br />
4 T Truvia*<br />
1 T molasses*<br />
1 T agave nectar*<br />
2 T butter<br />
1 t cinnamon<br />
1/2 t ginger<br />
1 c fresh cranberries (double this if you prefer)<br />
<br />
<strong>To make crumble crust:</strong><br />
Combine crust ingredients except for water in a bowl and mash with a fork until the butter and grains are close to the consistency of breadcrumbs. Set aside.<br />
<br />
<strong>Cook fruit:</strong><br />
Put butter, sweeteners, cinnamon and ginger in a 10" skillet over medium-low heat. Thoroughly melt butter and stir until well combined, but not sizzling. Remove from heat.<br />
Starting in center, arrange apple and pear slices in concentric rings, overlapping a little with each slice. Make as many layers as you need to (I had 2 layers with 2 pears and 1 apple). Sprinkle cranberries on top.<br />
Return pan to stove at med-low heat and cook until the sauce simmers. Turn heat to low and cover. Simer for 5 minutes. Remove cover and swirl fruit around to mix with sauce a bit. Continue cooking, uncovered, 7-11 more minutes or until sauce has thickened to a runny caramel consistency. Remove from heat.<br />
<br />
<strong>Crust!</strong><br />
Add 3 T cold water to crust crumble mix and knead with hands. Mash dough in hands to make little "pancakes" and lay them on the tart, placing them so that they touch until the entire tart is completely covered.<br />
<br />
<strong>Bake:</strong><br />
Put in 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. <br />
Remove tart from the oven and let it rest at least 20 minutes. Put a plate over the pan and carefully turn it over. Jiggle the pan a little to be sure it all falls into place before lifting the pan. Serve warm. If you are of a sinful persuasion, serve with whipped cream or ice cream. <br />
<br />
* this is to replace 1/2 c brown sugar. I have found this combination to be the best balance of taste and sugar content, but you could use whatever you want here.<br />
<br />
Football played on the TV all day. The Cowboys won and the Longhorns won. We forgot all about war, economic downturns, political corruption, and petty concerns for the day. I hope your Thanksgiving was full of as many reasons to be thankful for this wonderful life as mine was.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-43663553802135309402011-11-13T16:13:00.000-05:002011-11-13T16:13:04.028-05:00A dozen lessons from a half-dozen triathlonsI received an email in May about the Ramblin Rose Women-only Triathlon. The tag line: <strong>YOU CAN DO THIS</strong>. I had not done a triathlon in <em>six years</em>. Two weeks later, as prophesied, I did it. My swimming was abonimable, but it was great fun. Afterwards, I resolved to do one triathlon a month until the season ended. <br />
<strong>May</strong>: Ramblin Rose Raleigh<br />
<strong>June</strong>: The Smile Train<br />
<strong>July</strong>: Triangle Triathlon<br />
<strong>August</strong>: Rex Wellness Triathlon<br />
<strong>September</strong>: Dash for Divas<br />
<strong>October</strong>: Sportsplex Triathlon<br />
In the spirit of progress, here are things I learned throughout the season... some of which I learned the hard way.<br />
1. WARM UP, YOU GOOF! It may be fine to workout without a warmup, but on race day, warming up puts your mind in the right place. <br />
2. Make friends with neighbors in the transition area and in swim start. It reduces nerves, and gives you someone to look for along the course. <br />
3. Check the bike for mechanicals before the race. Chains fall off and brakes get disconnected. <br />
4. Transition times can cost you several places on overall rankings. If you aren’t going to win anyway, it probably doesn’t matter.<br />
5. The only people who passed me on the bike this year were guys sporting $12K worth of triathlon gear and 30lb of extra gut. That stuff must really work.<br />
6. There are a lot of men with $12K worth of gear and 30lb of extra gut. <br />
7. There are a lot of women with department store bikes and 30lb of extra gut. <br />
8. There of no women with $12K gear and a gut, and no men with department store bikes and a gut. Also, for the record I never saw a woman with a TT helmet. TT helmets are a little bit silly for a sprint triathlon.<br />
9. For me, swimming is best treated as a slow, zen-like process. It will end. I will not drown. I will not beat anybody. In the meantime, I'm weightless. Enjoy the feeling. <br />
10. Triathlon is a solitary sport. Open your eyes and enjoy the scenery. Open your ears and enjoy the rhythmic sound of your own breath. <br />
11. The Music. Really. Really. Sucks. Really. A lot. At women-only races, it is even worse. <br />
12. The best feeling in a race: when somebody cheers for you by name (even a stranger). If that somebody is your husband, or your parents, it’s extra motivating, If it’s your own kids, it’s a dose of heaven.<br />
I hope to resume the one-tri-a-month schedule next Spring, and in the meantime I am planning for one running event a month. We will see how that goes.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-24829354547148804002011-11-06T17:13:00.002-05:002011-11-06T17:15:56.230-05:00Guy Fawkes Day 2011Last night we celebrated our annual Guy Fawkes Day bonfire and effigy roast. I can't recall which years we have missed, but this year was different in two respects. <br />
<br />
1. It was the first year that nearly everyone had kids.<br />
2. We didn't have our effigies made in advance.<br />
<br />
I can't help but think these facts are somehow related. <br />
<br />
Like other years, it was a night to remember, and a reminder of how much I love having parties at my house. Yes, even with a dozen kids under 6 running around breaking stuff. Even with all that, I was in hog heaven.<br />
<br />
Some highlights, starting with injuries, because they're the most fun to talk about:<br />
* Right before the party, I sliced my thumb open. If not for the party, I would have gone for stitches. Let's hope double-wrapped bandage and triple antibiotic heal it up well enough.<br />
* E-baby had her lip busted by a swat from a kid who was mad that she told him to quiet down. She probably didn't say it very quietly herself...<br />
* Jambuca cut his chin falling in the yard. <br />
* We burned effigies of Guy, Parliament, cancer, mosquitos, roaches, a pop star from the 80s, a wicked kitty cat, the Morrisville town council, a drumstick, and I can't remember what else. If any of this sounds offensive, then you weren't there. <br />
* For the first time, someone got snippy with me about throwing junk onto the bonfire (like candy wrappers and messed-up marshmallows from s'mores). Good thing he wasn't around the year we almost blew up my coworker with a 2-liter bottle. <br />
* We used all of my plastic plates. Not sure that has ever happened before. None of them ended up on the fire. Also a first. <br />
* As the party wound down to the last 5 or 6 guests, we pulled out the digeridoos and the ukulele for a live performance by e-baby and jambuca around the campfire. They serenaded us with Frere Jacques, Mr Golden Sun, Twinkle Twinkle, some homespun stories, and a lengthy jam-session ode to nature. Quite a show. <br />
<br />
Upon reflection, it is a lot harder to throw a big party when there are a dozen little tykes letting the good times roll, but it's still worth it to spend some no-manners-necessary time with good friends. I hope other people had a good time, too.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-36828012594874492262011-10-24T20:26:00.001-04:002011-10-24T20:29:05.808-04:00Call them chores, call them contributions, call them child labor, I call them little victories.I want to document this for when Jambuca is older.<br />
Now that my e-baby is 5, she is ready and able to take on some new responsibilities. SHe is also really keen on getting to fill out her responsibilities on a chart. I've been thinking that she is about old enough for an allowance, as well. What better way to introduce chores and an allowance than to have them tied together. <br />
I let her decide what her daily chores would be. We settled on: scrape plate/put it in the dishwasher, pick up all the toys before bathtime, and brush teeth. Each day that she does these things, she puts a sticker on that day's square of the weekly sticker chart, and I write the date. As a bonus, she can draw a picture on the square. For each completed 7-day chart, she is entitled to $1 of her allowance. She also has weekly chores, which again she helped set: sweep up crumbs under the dinner chairs 3 times a week, and put away her own laundry. For this, she gets a bonus sticker on the weekly chart, and earns another $1 of her allowance. She has the option of spending her allowance right away, or of saving up sticker charts for a larger sum, for example if she wants a $5 toy (which, right now, she does). <br />
As she gets older and the allowance goes up, so will the responsibilities. And when Jambuca turns 5, he will have the option of earning an allowance as well. Right now, though, he is doing pretty well with putting things away (one or two toys before he gets distracted by something else in the toybox), brushing his teeth, and scraping his plate. He still needs a lot of help, though, and money means nothing to him yet. <br />
Toilets also mean nothing to him. We were all sick last week with strep, and ever since, he has reverted to never using the toilet. We had a good two-week run there, but now it's one backslide after another. Hopefully this will pass along with the illness.<br />
And speaking of illness, I have got to get over this nonstop fever/headache I've been having. It finally got bad enough today that I went to the doctor. They have no idea, but it's probably viral, and I probably need rest. I agree.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-43552197972656650952011-08-29T12:30:00.002-04:002011-08-29T12:31:59.327-04:00Huck Finn's got NOTHIN' on meI've had nutritionists tell me that kids eat the same variety of foods as grown-ups, but they just do it in jags: they eat all of one food at a time, then change to something else. I'm not really sure this is quite true, since Jambuca has eaten cornbread ("yellow bread") with nearly every meal since that fateful day he first tried it probably about a year ago and sometimes it's the only food he eats. But I continue to offer healthy things on the plates, with a fruit and a vegetable, some kind of protein, dairy, and starch. Breakfast we usually skip the veggies but there's always the fruit (which does usually get eaten). And I have to credit e-baby: she has grown into a great eater. She still doesn't eat much, but she will try anything and regularly eats raw vegetables. Jambuca, not so much. <br />
<br />
This morning, e-baby was painfully constipated. I told her it was because she hasn't had enough fibrous vegetables or water recently, and she asked for some carrots. I told her I was out of carrots but that what she really needed was celery, bell pepper, sugar snap peas (the very things I had just finished cutting up to take for my own snack to work, as it happens). I made her a baggie of raw vegetables to eat in the car on the way to school. Her brother got jealous and started to screech, "MY WANT BAGGIE OF RAW VEGABLES TOO!!!!" So I told him that if he was a good boy and put on his shoes, I'd make him a baggie of raw vegetables as well. He was DELIGHTED. <br />
<br />
In the car on the way to school, the only sound was the crunch-crunch-crunch of little teeth making short work of red bell peppers and celery. <br />
<br />
Sometimes, you're the worst parent in the world. But sometimes, you get it right. Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-29317153835853812432011-07-09T17:02:00.001-04:002011-07-09T21:43:00.626-04:00New Year's Resolutions: A Half-Year UpdateThis is a diet-and-exercise posting, in case you find that kind of thing boring...just be on your way and I'll see you back here next week. <br />
<br />
I only kind of half-mentioned it on my blog because I'm superstitious about these things, but in January, I made a New Year's Resolution. Since the year is halfway over, I'll spill the beans publicly here. <br />
<br />
Before we had children, I had to fight a bit to keep my weight within about 10-pounds of where I wanted to be. It was a bit frustrating, but nothing too bad, since I also typically got 6-10 hours of exercise a week. I could put away a lot of calories before they'd catch up. <br />
<br />
In 2006 I got pregnant with e-baby. I was already about 10 pounds over where I wanted to be, but I gained the recommended amount of weight during the pregnancy (about 25 pounds) so it was no big deal. It was easy enough to keep some exercise going, but I knew that the days of 2-hour workouts were shelved for at least a couple of years. <br />
<br />
A year after she was born, I was 15-20 pounds above where I wanted to be. It was hard to drop any weight, but my priorities had changed, so I wasn't really concerned.<br />
<br />
Then I got pregnant with Jambuca. And let me tell you, that pregnancy was miserable. I was so tired, all the time, and unable to ever take naps (between e-baby and work, who can nap????). I gained 30 pounds on that pregnancy, and started out heavier to begin with. A few months after he was born, I got down to within 5 pounds of my pre-Jambuca weight, but couldn't move it any lower. <br />
Then life got away from me. <br />
<br />
2010 was also a very tough year at work. We lost a few team members to other departments, some high profile projects came our way, and everyone was doing the work of 2-3 people each. I did no exercise, no diet management. Just worked, slept, ate, and managed my home life as best I could. Every few months I'd realize that nothing in the closet fit anymore, and go buy new stuff. I tried starting diets over and over again, but they never stuck. <br />
<br />
Then in August, my dad had a massive heart attack (and a miracluous recovery)and well, who gives a crap about diet and exercise when you're worried about your dad staying alive? I gained about 10 pounds in the next 2 months after that. <br />
<br />
By the end of the year, my bank account was feeling thin and I was feeling fat. I was 35 pounds overweight. I had trouble going up the stairs. My knees hurt. My hips hurt. My back hurt. I had developed sleep apnea, reflux, and carpal tunnel syndrome all related to being overweight. I was seeing a chiropractor, a massage therapist, a physical therapist, and and ENT on a regular basis. Every office visit with every specialist was a $20 co-pay. In 2011, it would be going up to $30 co-pay. My boss probably wondered why I was always at some appointment. And none of my clothes fit (again). <br />
<br />
On New Year's Day I made a resolution: No New Clothes in 2011. I wasn't sure how I'd make good on this resolution, so mom and I talked at length about what works, what doesn't, what I can live with and what I can't, how much I'm willing to suffer, etc. <br />
<br />
By Jan 4, the revised goal was to lose 30 pounds in 30 weeks (and hopefully another 5 pounds by the end of the year). That 30 week goal roughly corresponds to when I'd have to be in a swimsuit next -- vacation in Marquette the first 2 weeks of August. <br />
<br />
The diet is a 4/3 hybrid of 2 different diets. Four days a week, (M-Th) it's lean protein, low fat cheese, a little nuts, fruits, and vegetables but no starches, breads, sugars, potatoes, rice, fried foods, cream, butter. Then three days a week (F-Su) it's lean protein and vegetables only (no fruit) except for one meal a day, which is a "Reward Meal" in which I can have some sort of starchy/sweet/fried treat, about 200-300 calories. This makes it easy to go to a party or dinner with friends and not feel like "the freak who won't eat anything normal." It also means that if I am DYING for a buttermilk biscuit, I just plan accordingly. Every day, everything that I eat is written in a journal, along with my morning weight and any exercise. Notice no mention of calorie counting or restrictions-- anything I'd have to really keep track of like that would be destined for failure. <br />
<br />
Part two of this plan had to include exercise because, well, I'm grumpy without good exercise. Every day the plan was to shoot for at least 20 minutes of SOMETHING, but never let 48 hours pass between workouts. Twenty minutes is really a bare minimum, with a goal of about 4-6 hours a week of real exercise activity. <br />
<br />
At first, everything was difficult. Stepping for 20 minutes was hard. Running 2 miles was hard. Avoiding sweets and breads was hard. But I started losing weight, so I kept it up. As I lost weight, the exercise because easier. As I got used to the diet, the eating part got easier. Then the exercise got a lot easier, and my aches and pains dropped away one by one. By Easter I had lost 20 pounds, I no longer needed the chiropractor or the physical therapist. Around that time, my weight loss slowed way down, which you can expect. <br />
<br />
<br />
But the universe had a plan for me... in May, I got an email from a triathlon series I had participated in back in 2005 that there were only 60 spaces left in their upcoming women-only triathlon, the <a href="http://www.endurancemag.com/raleigh-home">Ramblin' Rose</a>. It's a super-sprint, which means really, really short-- 250M swim, 9 mi bike, 2 mi run. Their tagline: "YOU CAN DO THIS." Holly carp, there it was, right in front of me. You can do this. Like they were speaking directly TO ME. Backstory: In 2005 I quit my part-time job teaching aerobics to devote more time to triathlon training, did 3 races, and the next winter got pregnant. It was 6 years since my first and last triathlon season. I had loved it. I have wanted to get back into it ever since. I could do this. Two weeks from the date of the race, I registered. Not enough time to lose my nerve.<br />
<br />
Now, um, up to this point, my exercise was still pretty basic stuff. I wasn't even sure I could still swim 250 m. So those two weeks I spent a lot of time at the pool making sure I could swim 250 without stopping. I could. Do this. <br />
<br />
Race day was gorgeous. My parents were in town, the sky was blue, it was a cool morning. Waiting around for my start time, my BFF sent me a text message that she was going to register for a triathlon in Raleigh in August, and that I should, too. I was STOKED at the idea. Then I hit the cold water and it took my breath away. After a panicked dog-paddle the first 2 laps, I was able to finally do a poor excuse for breast stroke to finish out the distance. The bike was better - I passed every single person I could see until the finish line. The run was good - I was pacing a 10 minute mile, which is fine. I CAN DO THIS! It was a good enough way to start the season. I'd have to work on getting rid of those race-day jitters, though, if I didn't want to drown. <br />
I decided the next day that I wanted to try to do one triathlon a month until October. <br />
<br />
In June, a friend and I participated in a longer (sprint) triathlon, the <a href="http://www.fsseries.com/index.php?action=event&event_id=42">Smile Train</a>. It was AWESOME! I was smarter about the water and warmed up before the start, which was a great idea because the swim was super smooth. I'm super slow in the water, but I can actually swim pretty well, as long as I don't get myself freaked out. This race, by the way, had really, really great officiating. But that's a story for another day.<br />
<br />
Fast-forward to today. It's only three weeks until the Marquette trip and the 30-week goal date. I've lost 29 pounds. And tomorrow is the Triangle Triathlon, which will be my first open-water triathlon since 2005, and 3rd race this year. I'm excited, feeling great, and just hopeful that this is something I can do for my whole life, not just this year.<br />
<br />
Oh, for the record, although I tried Olympic distance triathlon in 2005, there will be no such shenanigans this year. Sprints are long enough to be challenging, but short enough to be a lot of fun. Super-sprints are even more fun because it's over before your body really realizes what you're trying to make it do. And it better be fun if I'm waking up at 5am to do it.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-74409624561541925912011-07-04T15:46:00.000-04:002011-07-04T15:46:02.067-04:00I Just Need a New Computer...and About 2 More Hours a DayI haven't blogged in an elephant's age because my computer is crap. I'm so sick of waiting for every mouse click, and rebooting every now and then when the whole thing freezes up. I seem to have a bad graphics device, and it's a netbook, so it costs more to repair it than it would to replace the whole thing. I'm in the market for a new computer. <br />
The other reason I haven't blooged much (or read anyone else's blogs, or kept up with twitter feeds, or much of anything else) is because of my New Year's resolution. I found myself 35 pounds overweight at Christmas, and resolved to lose at least 30 of it by the end of July. So far, I've lost 29, so that's on track. I also resolved to get at least 20 minutes of exercise a day, but preferably 5-6 hours a week, with no more than 48 hours between workouts. And there's the pinch: all it takes is 45 minutes once a week to keep up a weekly blog post. And about 15 minutes a day to keep up with twitter feeds and a few friends' blogs. And those minutes have now been earmarked to get exercise. I get home from work, make dinner for the kids, make myself dinner, SNG gets home and eats while I keep the kids entertained until they go into the bathtub, then I put one into bed and while SNG puts the other into bed, I go for a workout, get back in time to shower and put myself into bed. Mornings aren't any easier, but recently I've started setting a 5:45 alarm to go running before anyone gets up. I've got to go to bed before 10 to make this work, and there's always cleaning up, laundry, last-minute work stuff, etc. This is how it is when I'm in town, which lately, hasn't been very much. <br />
I have no idea how anyone has kids, a full time job, an exercise regimen, and stays connected. The easiest one to give up is the computer time. I'm having lots of fun without it.<br />
Eh, we'll see what happens.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-20503965577954239852011-04-15T09:47:00.002-04:002011-04-15T09:47:25.338-04:00The Driveway Bike RideI love that he knocks at the neighbor's yard. <br />
My Jambuca is so much fun. <br />
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/442JQ5VnYKE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-43818339553834264912011-04-12T22:12:00.000-04:002011-04-12T22:12:30.436-04:00Let the Lunch Begin!I took Jambuca to lunch with me at work today for the first time. I've been waiting for this forever. <br />
<br />
We talked about it this morning, before school. <br />
"Sweetheart, I'm going to take you to school, and then at lunchtime, I'll come get you and take you to the cafe for lunch. Is that OK?"<br />
"YEAH!"<br />
"After that, I'll take you back to school for nap. OK?"<br />
(silence)<br />
"Say, OK, mommy"<br />
"OK mommy"<br />
<br />
His teachers also talked to him about the plan, that mommy would be bringing him back for nap. <br />
<br />
When I arrived to pick him up, he started to cry that panicked cry that unmistakeably means "You'd better be here to take me with you because if I see you and you leave again I just won't be able to liiiiiiiiiive!" I told him that he needed to calm down before we could go to lunch, and so, he did. Poof. Back to happy. <br />
<br />
We walked to the cafe, and he loved the piano player. The pianist played him a round of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and for the rest of lunch, Jambuca would occasionally point to the piano and sing the song, as if to remind me how cool that was. He had a chicken finger, steamed carrots (and discovered the salt shaker, yum), and some pineapples and strawberres. He had perfect manners, and afterwards, we walked back having a great time. When we passed the preschool, he said "There goes Lelly! Bye-bye Lelly!"<br />
<br />
He was perfect, until we walked into the daycare building. He cried. I felt bad. <br />
<br />
As I walked into my office 3 minutes later, the phoe was ringing. Jambuca's teacher, calling to tell me that he was perfectly happy once again, playing out in the playground. <br />
<br />
Well be doing that again! Lunch with your kids at the cafeteria at work is possibly the best, and least-publicized, benefit of my job.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-1990697399241606082011-04-03T21:41:00.001-04:002011-04-04T15:00:21.214-04:00Breaking a Sweat on the WeekendThis is a long update, with some fun stories closer to the bottom. Impatient readers can scoll to the string of ***** below. <br />
We had such a good weekend, on the heels of a not-so-great week. Last Tuesday morning, e-baby threw up at breakfast time, but it was pretty much just a gag reflex from coughing very hard. Still, rules are rules so she stayed home from preschool. It was probably good to have a day to let her cold recover anyway. <br />
Wednesday at lunchtime, e-baby's teacher called -- she had pink eye. Persona non grata until Friday. Well, a kid with pink eye (that's being treated) can actually be a lot of fun to stay home with, and we went on a bike ride (she rode, I ran), wewent to a museum, we went to lunch with SNG, and we even went to my office for several hours so I could try to catch up on at least a little of that work. <br />
Friday was normal. <br />
Saturday morning was Peace and Fuzzy's daughter's 2nd birthday pary, so we celebrated and had a blast catching up with friends. It wore Jambuca out again, and as he tried to take a nap on their living room floor while other kids climbed over him, I remembered <a href="http://alphagal.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-think-my-heart-seized-bit-as-well.html">the last time </a>we wore him out and decided it was time to go. He got a good nap at home. <br />
While Jambuca slept, e-baby and I picked up the NEW COUNTERTOP for our kitchen island! YAY! <br />
Backstory-- we have a big kitchen island, 3'x6', with overhang for seating along one edge. It comfortably seats 2. We also have a little counterspace for seating near the sink. It also seats 2. But all 4 of the chairs usually surround the island. Clearly, it's everyone's favorite place to sit. We have 4 stools, but aren't really happy with them because they're hard to clean, easy to smoosh a finger with, and not really our style. So we decided to get a new countertop that's a foot longer, and new stools to match. The newer, longer countertop holds 3 seats comfortably along the long edge plus a 4th seat on one short edge. BONUS-- you can actually fit one more stool on the long end if you want, making it seating for 5 (nice when one of those is a clip-on highchair). <br />
We looked online for new stools, but the ones we liked best were available for internet order only from Target. <br />
SNG installed the new countertop just in time for Jambuca to wake up so we could all go to Target to look at other stools in stock. It must be all that clean living, but There They Were!! Four new chairs, the ones we liked, in the store on clearance! Someone must have bought and returned them. We grabbed all four and headed for home. They are PERFECT! Best of all, they adjust in height so that kids can be up higher. They also go low enough to double as child seating at my dining room table. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, that'll be so nice. <br />
Sunday morning, I made some broccoli cheese soup and SNG puttered in the yard with the kids. It was gorgeous weather. He took a mountain bike ride in the morning, and after lunch, I took e-baby for a bike ride. She likes to ride her bike to the state park and down to the lake, about 5 miles round trip in some hilly terrain. I run alongside her, and help her negotiate traffic, joggers, dogs, potholes, whatever. I also usually give her a push most of the way up the mile-long climb out of the park. She's such a good sport, though, and never whines or complains. She just loves to ride. <br />
And she gets faster every time we do that ride. <br />
And my push becomes shorter and shorter. <br />
And I seriously need to become a faster runner! :-) <br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
This evening SNG had the idea to see whether e-baby could read Hop On Pop. If you've never read it, each page has 2 or 3 words that rhyme, a short sentence or phrase using the words, and a picture. Like, <br />
<br />
MOUSE<br />
HOUSE <br />
Mouse on house.<br />
<br />
or <br />
<br />
PAT <br />
CAT<br />
Pat sat on a cat.<br />
<br />
She was so excited to try. We agreed that she could do the uppercase words a the top, and SNG and I would read the sentences at the bottom.<br />
<br />
She certainly needed some help (NIGHT and FIGHT don't work phonetically), but really did very well, getting most words in the book. Still, it was hard work, and by the end she was flagging. She's pronouce N's as T's, confuse W and M, and other mix-ups. I could tell she get frustrated a few times. But she didn't want to give up and finished it. <br />
Then she climbed into bed, and I sang her a song. As I ran my fingers in her hair and on her forehead (a magical sleepy-touch that makes children and some adults drift instantly to sleep), I realized that her forehead was sweaty. Now that is some effort. <br />
It gave me new respect for the task of learning to read.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-45541142398509366342011-03-31T21:12:00.000-04:002011-03-31T21:12:20.819-04:00A Mommy Has to Keep Track of These ThingsJambuca has finally started calling e-baby by a name!! Well, it isn't her name, but it's definitely her favorite girl's name (or almost so). He calls her Lily. Well, almost. He calls her LELLLLY! As in:<br />
LEH-LLY! LEH-LLY! LEH-LLY! LEH-LLY! LEH-LLY! LEH-LLY!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
When he tried to say "I love you, e-baby" it came out:<br />
I Luh Lelly! I Luh Lelly!<br />
<br />
So, OK, for the record he clearly got none of that early vocabulary and clear diction that his sister had in spades, but he gets his point across. And now that he's in the two-year-old class at daycare, he is growing and learning so fast that when I left town for 3 days and came back, I could really tell a substanital difference in him. <br />
<br />
Jambuca loves having his teeth brushed. He always remembers it before I do, and after his bath he reaches up to the sink and goes "TSH-TSH-TSH!" I can't remember, but this might have been the age when e-baby started tolerating tooth brushing as well. I only had to force him against his will for a few weeks, and then it was like a switch went on, and he decided it was fun. And, he likes to brush his teeth cradled in a parent's arms like a baby. I'll tell you, his morning breath is much nicer now that he brushes nightly. :-)<br />
<br />
That's all, just a Jambuca update. E-baby has been home from school for 2 days with pink eye. She goes back tomorrow. It's been terrific fun to stay home with her, but I'm glad I have work to go back to eventually. I can only do empty pickle jar crafts for so long before I want to eat my own hand. If I stayed home full time, my kids would probably watch a lot more TV.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-54013854955251024152011-03-26T20:23:00.000-04:002011-03-26T20:23:46.142-04:00But Really, Does *Anyone* Eat Normal Food?Taste is a funny thing. My own taste, for example, has shifted so that things like waffles and Jelly Bellies are not nearly as tasty as they used to be, and things like garlic-roated kale and diet soda are much better. When I was a waitress at The Kettle in San Marcos, we used kale to decorate the edges of the salad bar, and that was the only way I had ever seen kale used in my whole life. A few years later, I also saw it used as a garden ornament, and even grew some ornamental kale of my own. But to eat it? Uuuuuuh, no, and I won't eat parsley sprigs either. <br />
<br />
But tastes change, and now I like nothing so much as fresh baby kale leaves roasted in the oven tossed with olive oil, salt, and fresh garlic. <br />
<br />
Some things never change, though. When I was a kid, I loved liverwurst. You can never eat more than a small piece at a time before your mouth goes from "YUM GIVE ME MORE" to your stomach saying "OK, that was tasty, but if you give me any more I'll stop talking to you." Some favorites never change. Except when they do. Rewind to February (or was it March?), 2006. Me, a little-bit-pregnant. In the midst of a world tour of puking performances across Spain and France, I'd managed to puke my way into Germany. The land of liverwurst. They even serve it for breakfast. And being in the same room with any liver-related product (even the really expensive foie gras in France) could turn me green. It was so unfair. I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to eat liverwurst again.<br />
<br />
With my 2nd pregnancy, I had the same reaction to onions-- even to shallots, which you'd think I could never hate. I'm still not too hot on onions but I got over the shallot thing. <br />
<br />
Well, I'm over the liverwurst thing as well, and I bought a tube of it today. I doubt it's the best thing for my diet, but when the liverwurst calls, I am powerless to resist. Dinner tonight was roasted garlic kale, liverwurst, turkey lil smokies in BBQ sauce and Cholula, and a bit of e-baby's latest recipe creation:<br />
<br />
1/2 chopped apple<br />
handful of strawberries, hulled<br />
splop-spoonful of strawberry preserves<br />
about 2 T Cheerios<br />
Mix well and microwave for 15 seconds. Mix again. Serve warm.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xLKbiG3SAOMnQqaya7Y86l3EC2BrEFrOTDApQa8Z0zxxUmiJs6d6whCPucW6LqE-LxovHo_bDKk_g-3cEPJC0DI2jA8kHmcwkVP_8tblkBj2jGK6BJ9FmrESLqi3QDx9qAFB3byAe5NA/s1600/IMG_0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xLKbiG3SAOMnQqaya7Y86l3EC2BrEFrOTDApQa8Z0zxxUmiJs6d6whCPucW6LqE-LxovHo_bDKk_g-3cEPJC0DI2jA8kHmcwkVP_8tblkBj2jGK6BJ9FmrESLqi3QDx9qAFB3byAe5NA/s320/IMG_0136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-68970120167246621772011-03-23T15:37:00.003-04:002011-03-23T15:49:22.584-04:00Weird Brownies and a Yogurt Blast From the PastYesterday I made two recipes that I'm posting here for posteriority. <br />
<br />
The first is based on a recipe for fudgy brownie bars from <a href="http://www.womensrunning.com/index.php">Women's Running magazine</a>. When I first saw the ingredients list, I thought "EEW!" but I had seen something kind of similar on my cousin's blog awhile back, so I decided to give it a try. (I'd link to the recipe, but I can't find it online)<br />
<br />
First time, I made it exactly as directed. It wasn't sweet enough. I also didn't drain the beans well enough. <br />
Second time, I made it with stevia instead of agave. It was the wrong texture-- too dry, and perhaps overcooked as well. <br />
Third time, I changed the sweeteners and added pecans, and it was perfect.<br />
I can't emphasize too much the importance of rinsing the back beans several times. Insufficiently rinsed beans make a chocolatey bean-blob. Eew.<br />
<br />
Here's the third version of the recipe, slightly modified from the original, attributable to Women's Running magazine, 2011:<br />
Spray an 8" square pan with nonstick cooking spray, and preheat the oven to 350F<br />
<br />
With an immersion blender, puree until smooth:<br />
15oz can black beans, <strong>rinsed </strong>and <strong>drained</strong><br />
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
1 tsp instant espresso powder<br />
3/4 c liquid egg substitute<br />
3 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1/2 c agave nectar<br />
3/4 c Splenda granular measure<br />
1 Tbsp melted butter<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
<br />
then, fold in 1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts and pour the batter into the baking pan. <br />
<br />
Cook at 350 for 20 minutes, turning once half-way through<br />
Reduce temperature to 300 and cook 5 more minutes.<br />
<br />
An inserted toothpick should come out slightly batter-coated. If it comes out clean, you've overcooked it. <br />
Let it cool completely. (I like them still slightly warm, but the author likes them better chilled). My kids like them no matter what. <br />
<br />
And, if you've never read Women's Running, it's a really nice magazine. I like Runner's World a lot, but their audience are more than half men, so their articles aren't always relevant. Women's Running has articles featuring some great women. I don't get any kickbacks from WR for telling you this. :-) <br />
<br />
The 2nd recipe I wanted to write about is a response to something that has haunted me since I was 6 years old. Long, long ago, Dannon used to have a strawberry-walnut (or was it strawberry-pecan) yogurt. The fruit-on-the-bottom kind. It was my hands-down favorite as a kid. I don't know why it was discontinued, but like Brick cheese, I have never forgotten it. Unlike brick cheese, I can't even find it in Wisconsin.<br />
<br />
Here is my no-sugar-added variation on the old Dannon favorite, even better than the original.<br />
1 QT fat-free plain Greek Yogurt<br />
3 cups good strawberries (thawed from frozen OK, if they're good frozen berries)<br />
6 Tbsp granular-measure Truvia<br />
1/2 c pecans<br />
<br />
Puree everything with an immersion blender. The nuts will pulverize to tiny bits. That's a good thing. <br />
Mmmmmmm now I'm hungry.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-700728780077558492011-03-20T21:40:00.001-04:002011-03-21T06:59:54.321-04:00I Think My Heart Seized a Bit as Well...I can write about the last few weeks and how I've had a few nice trips and how last weekend Jambuca was sick with a stomach bug and how SNG had it Monday night right before I left for New York and what a nice anniversary dinner we had last night, but today was a little more newsworthy than those things.<br />
This morning, e-baby went to church with her Granny and Grampy, so SNG and I took Jambuca to the grocery store. He was sleepy, but cheerful enough. After that, we went to Durham for a birthday party for a friend of e's. When we got there, I noticed that Jambuca felt a little warm, but SNG thought he felt fine. A few hours later, he stil hadn't had a nap, and it was showing. He had a thousand-yard stare, but being as he is, he doesn't sleep in a stroller, so he just gazed around until time to leave. He just looked dazed and tired, and not real interested in anything. <br />
In the car, we were certain he'd fall asleep right away, so I looked back to see if he had even made it the few blocks from the parking lot of the life and science museum. <br />
His eyes were rolling around and his body was tremoring, drool coming from the side of his mouth.<br />
"OH-SHIT he's having a seizure PULL OVER I'm calling 911" (yes, I hollered the s-word with e-baby in the car. I just hope she didn't add it to her vocabulary.)<br />
SNG ran a red light to turn, pulled over, put on the blinkers, and took Jambuca out of the car. He held him up, put his face up to Jambuca's, talking and trying like mad to get him to respond. Jambuca's body was stiff, back arched, facing up to the sky, totally unresponsive. 911 dispacher telling me it looks worse than it is. Eight minutes later EMS arrived. By this time, Jambuca was catatonic, flopped against SNG's chest, staring at nothing. His temp was 103, skin was cold and clammy. EMS said it was for sure a seizure, probably brought on my a sudden onset of fever. <br />
They put him on a gurney and I rode in the ambulance. They stuck his finger to test his blood sugar, and he didn't even register that it had happened. His O2 sat wasn't great, so he had an oxygen mask. He was shaking like crazy from chills. I could see SNG following behind us like his car was on a bungee cord. <br />
It wasn't until we were in the ER at Duke for about 10 minutes that Jambuca fussed or cried or made any noise (when he threw up all over the place). <br />
Jambuca slept in the car going home from Durham, and drank apple juice when we got home. He was in bed asleep by 6:30, and didn't even want a book. His eyes were closed before I finished th 2nd verse of his lullaby.<br />
<br />
Bottom line is that he's fine. One in 25 kids under 5 get febral seizures, and it doesn't really mean anything. If he had a lot more, they'd start doing additional testing. But I'll tell you, watching your 2-year-old have a seizure and not knowing what to do is terrifying. <br />
E-baby stayed calm, patient, and charming the whole time. She made friends with the staff but didn't get in the way of the work being done. She tried so hard to make her baby brother smile (it didn't work). But I'm sure that after he's had a good rest, he'll have a good laugh with her over some goldfish crackers.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991182552788176375.post-31674455914816250452011-03-03T17:01:00.002-05:002011-03-03T17:02:39.160-05:00A True Future Fairy TaleScene: My car, on the way to daycare drop-off<br />
<br />
e-baby: <em>Mommy, I am going to tell you a true story. It's a true story, about a real girl. OK?</em><br />
me: <em>OK, babylamb. Let's hear it.</em><br />
e-baby:<br />
<em>Once upon a time, there was a little girl named (e-baby) <e-baby>. She had a beautiful medal, and it had her name on it. She loved her medal and wore it every day. One day, she was playing outside and dropped it on the ground. She left it outside when she finished playing. That night, there was a GREAT STOOOOORM. The wind BLEEEEEW and BLEEEEW and lifted the medal off the ground, and threw it in the river. </em><br />
<em>So she grew up without the medal. And when she became a teenager, she cried, "Noooooo Faaaaaair! Nooooooo Faaaaaair!" </em><br />
<em>When she grew up, she became an animal rescuer. All her friends who worked at the rescue center had soooo muuuuuch fuuuuun, and one day someone said, "We have to rescue an animal in the river!" So <e-baby>(e-baby) put on her scuba gear and went in the river to rescue the animal. When she was there, she found her medal. She was so HAPPY!</em><br />
<br />
I enjoyed that story so much I had to write it down for posterity. <br />
<br />
In other news, Jambuca can count to 2, and makes us more aware of all paired things in his world (2 cars! 2 birds! 2 books!). I love this life.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06416028487884124866noreply@blogger.com1