Dabbling Dilettante

A Tuesday in January

2009-01-27T11:00:00.003-05:00

It's telling that I almost didn't remember the password to Blogger and first I put in the wrong email address.

Here's what I've been doing...

read all 4 Twilight books in one month
Christmas, Holidays, etc.
bemoaning the lack of snow in Central Virginia
working on my recipe project wherein I rip up five years of back issues of Cooking Light and Bon Appetit in order to make my own cookbook and recycle millions of magazines that have been sitting in a big bin and clogging up my kitchen
now I'm reading The Historian because Twilight set me off on a mini-vampire kick (nowhere near the extent of my Anne Rice forays of the 90s)
agonizing over the Kindergarten Decision (boy, summer birthday, September cut-off, etc.)
agonizing over moving, the timing of, work on the house, etc.
laundry
gaining ten pounds over December
thinking about learning scrapbooking
doing braids, pigtails, ponytails and barrettes in my almost two-year-old's growing long hair
cleaning out the house and making many trips to Goodwill--fun!! I think I'm the only one in the house without the packrat gene.

We're Still Here

2008-12-03T14:07:00.004-05:00

setting up stuffed animals on the couch cushions

taking walks

and some of us have been spending a little too much time on Facebook--!

2008-12-03T14:07:00.001-05:00

Hi! I'm gonna write on my blog later. I think. Won't that be fun.

My Favorite Color is Blue

2008-10-22T10:14:00.002-05:00

Obama is here today.

If I hold my breath, will Virginia turn blue with me?

Ha ha...that's my clever/dorky thought of the day.

All I Want

2008-10-06T15:49:00.000-05:00

is to lay on the couch and watch Food Network or something for one hour.

I don't think I've had that luxury in a year and a half.

What's Been Goin' On

2008-09-29T08:08:00.005-05:00

This is the cake I just made for a friend's 4th birthday. That was a fun one.

Before that, we had our first soccer game. Ever.

Before that, we were in California for my brother's wedding. Elvis officiated. He called me his Priscilla. Although he was an orangey hue, he was a lovely Elvis and my twelve-year-old crush was renewed.

Before that, we went to the beach, where, in true child-form, Zen didn't sleep the whole night in the hotel and, upon taking her to Patient First in the morning, it was discovered that she had a bacterial upper respiratory infection with fluid behind both ear drums. We were to fly out to California in two days.

Before that, we had the big fourth birthday party that went off perfectly and much fun was had by all.

The Omnivore's Hundred

2008-09-29T07:59:00.003-05:00

via Ilana Stephens via Itchy Bits

"Here’s a chance for a little interactivity for all the bloggers out there. Below is a list of 100 things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results."

Venison
Nettle tea
Huevos rancheros
~~Steak tartare~~
Crocodile
~~Black pudding~~
Cheese fondue
Carp
Borscht
Baba ghanoush
Calamari
Pho
~~PB&J sandwich~~
Aloo gobi
Hot dog from a street cart
Epoisses
Black truffle
Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
Steamed pork buns
Pistachio ice cream
Heirloom tomatoes
Fresh wild berries
Foie gras
Rice and beans
~~Brawn, or head cheese~~
~~Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper~~
Dulce de leche
Oysters
Baklava
Bagna cauda
Wasabi peas
Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
Salted lassi
Sauerkraut
Root beer float
~~Cognac with a fat cigar~~
Clotted cream tea
Vodka jelly/Jell-O
Gumbo
Oxtail
Curried goat
~~Whole insects~~
~~Phaal~~
Goat's milk
Malt whiskey from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
~~Fugu~~
Chicken tikka masala
Eel
Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
Sea urchin
Prickly pear
Umeboshi
Abalone
Paneer
McDonald's Big Mac Meal
Spaetzle
Dirty gin martini
Beer above 8% ABV ? don't know probably not
Poutine
Carob chips
S'mores
Sweetbreads
Kaolin
Currywurst
Durian
Frogs' legs
Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
~~Haggis~~
Fried plantain
~~Chitterlings, or andouillette~~
Gazpacho
Caviar and blini
Louche absinthe
Gjetost, or brunost
~~Roadkill~~
Baijiu
Hostess Fruit Pie
Snail
Lapsang souchong
Bellini
Tom yum
Eggs Benedict
Pocky
Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
Kobe beef
Hare
Goulash
Flowers
~~Horse~~
Criollo chocolate
Spam
Soft shell crab
Rose harissa
Catfish
Mole poblano
Bagel and lox
Lobster Thermidor
Polenta
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
~~Snake~~

Saturday Morning Something

2008-08-02T06:48:00.002-05:00

Friday Fiver

1. Last party you went to?
the 2nd birthday party of the son of a new friend of mine

2. Do you pee in the shower?
no, I certainly do not

3. Have you ever fired a gun?
actually, yes, strange as that is

4. Where do you call home?
Richmond, VA, but Union, NJ, is always in my heart

5. What's your favorite board game?
Quelf and Trivial Pursuit

First Pigtails!

2008-07-30T06:49:00.002-05:00

She walks, she talks (sentences! well, like, "Here you go, Mommy," and "Let go!" and Go get!") and she has huge feet. I just got her size 6 sandals yesterday. And she's two pounds heavier than Little Guy was at her age. M. says definitely a basketball net is in order when we move to a new house. :)

Pokemon Cake

2008-06-27T08:55:00.003-05:00

After Scrubbing the Kitchen Garbage Can at 7:30 am...Friday's Feast

2008-06-27T07:03:00.002-05:00

Feast 195

Appetizer

What is the weather like today where you live?
78° and sunny right now; with a high of 94° and PM thunderstorms expected

Soup

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you?
Considering I gave up my career to stay home with kids, I guess that puts me very low on the scale. But I will go back, probably not until Zen is in first grade, though. At that time, I feel like I'll be more interested in excelling at my career than I ever have at any other job in the past.

Salad

What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.?
Blinds and curtains on most windows; blinds and valances in the kitchen; only blinds in playroom because when we took the dining room curtains down to paint and then converted it into a playroom, I never put curtains back up.

Main Course

Name something that instantly cheers you up.
the prospect of a vacation/trip on the horizon and planned

Dessert

How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning?
I used to hit it maybe twice and sometimes not at all...now I have either yells from the crib or someone climbing around my bed begging me to get up and come downstairs...both hard to ignore.

Husband's Cousin's Shower Cake

2008-06-19T06:09:00.000-05:00

The June Post!

2008-06-19T05:55:00.002-05:00

Apparently the 19th is my day to write a blog post.

Hi! 6:56 am reporting for duty. Why does an almost four-year-old wake up at 6:30 more than he wakes up at 8, when he's not falling asleep at night earlier than 8 or 9? He used to get up at 8 consistently. Now, 6:30, 6:45, 7:00. Early. And today Zen got up crying at 5:30 so I thought she was up for the day. I took her downstairs, but before I could even change her diaper, she fell right to sleep while I was holding her. So I put her back in bed and she slept for an hour, until 6:30 when The Boy turned off the fan we use for white noise (our upstairs is really little so we hear every little thing.)

Anyway, here we are. Rising and shining. Now the question is: how do I fill a 15-hour summer day with an almost-four and a 15-monther? We've already gone to the Children's Museum (it's not that good there and I, for one, am bored with it since we are members). Playgrounds are a staple of every day when it't not too hot. We have a big baby pool on the deck that's been good, but for only so long each day. There's a really historic pretty park with a petting zoo but, well, been there done that and also went to a birthday party there in late May. Maybe we'll take a picnic there today. I'm thinking about going the state park near here but I don't have a double jog stroller. I really want one of those sid-by-side ones for walks.

Well, today I know we'll go food shopping because we were so low yesterday, I was able to wash down the whole refrigerator. And I have to start nephew's Pokemon birthday cake for this weekend. I hope Zen's not sick. Maybe we'll go the teacher store and get tempera paints and big paper. Or finger paints.

Hmm, the June post leaves a little something to be desired, no? I'm just too tired.

The May Post

2008-05-19T20:53:00.002-05:00

Hi! Still here! Still plugging along. Just hanging around here playing with Matchbox cars. And hospital. And UPS man. You get the idea.

Spanish is going well. Friday is the last day of preschool. (!)

We went on a trip to Pennsylvania, in the mountains near Scranton, to visit my best friend from kindergarten and her husband and to meet their new baby. They actually live outside Boston but her parents live in PA and it seemed like a good place to meet in the middle. It was a really nice visit and it made me relax about our upcoming flight to California in August. We took six hours to get there and eight getting back (because we stopped at a Bob Evans in Maryland with s....l....o....w service.) The kids were FABULOUS. Amazing. I couldn't believe it. We barely even had any car toys. Just one big Magna Doodle between them (I forgot their mini ones), a toy stethoscope, the little DVD player which was used surprisingly little, and a big snack bag. The trip and car ride were so fun, it made me want to start scrapbooking about family trips (and I never thought I would say "want" and "scrapbook" in the same sentence.)

In PA, Little Guy got to fulfill a lifelong dream and climb the Coolest.Tree.Ever.

And Daredevil Second Child went down the slide alone for the first time. With sippy cup in hand.

She is days away from walking. Or weeks. All she wants to do is hold someone's fingers and do laps around the house. She attempts a few steps toward someone every now and then but ends up lunging herself at us because she thinks it's funny.

What am I going to do this summer? We don't have a pool (just a baby pool which is better than nothing.) And we don't belong to a pool. I'm thinking about making a schedule like a preschool, i.e., 8-9 TV, 9-9:30 Reading Time, 9:30-10:30 Playground 10:45-11:15 Craft Time. Like that. My fear is that it will turn in Sprout/Noggin marathons. More post about that later. Perhaps I shall post again in May!

And also...

2008-04-07T21:57:00.002-05:00

I hired a Spanish teacher! She is a lovely Argentinian woman who comes to my house and sits at my kitchen table with me and teaches me Spanish while the baby takes her morning nap and the boy is in preschool. I've been trying to become fluent in Spanish since sixth grade when I first took a language and have been self-teaching for years and years. I know I should have gone to a Spanish-speaking country for immersion but that never quite happened.

And also...

Shout out to Funky Smith! I hope you are feeling better this week.

Oh look, a review! On a blog? How strange.

2008-04-07T21:35:00.003-05:00

I just ate half a pint of Haagen Dasz cherry vanilla ice cream and watched Must Love Dogs. I'm having alone time. It's damn fun.

1. I wish I were as beautiful, graceful, skinny, and lovely as Diane Lane.

2. Did they make this movie to catch all the fans of Say Anything who are now in their thirties and early forties? Because the Lloyd Doblerness was evident--down to the long trenchcoat. And it still works.

3. Almost every scene ended with a quirky little one-liner. Didn't always work.

4. The acting felt very forced in many scenes.

5. Some parts were really stupid--the crew boat, Sarah jumping in the water, the Partridge Family song

6. Some part were genuinely funny--mostly John Cusack, once by Diane Lane

7. Overkill on the Dr. Zhivago

Overall, pretty good for a silly romantic comedy.

The Cake

2008-03-10T22:20:00.001-05:00

Momentous Occasions

2008-03-07T10:13:00.002-05:00

1. Little Guy is, right now, on a field trip, like some kind of big boy...WITHOUT ME. Yes. They went to the Children's Museum where he is comfortable because we've been there ourselves quite a few times already. And the teacher made sure he was riding with his best friend EVER, a little Cambodian girl. Actually they're both riding with another little white girl and her mom. They have a big ole minivan. I'm sure he's having fun. I couldn't go because Zen needs her morning nap or she emits blood-curdling screams until she is put in her crib or until the car is driving steadily. And on top of that, she has her one-year check-up at 2:00 today and no way will she be able to make it to that time without a nap. She needs to be in a well-rested, sunny mood in order to give her shots in her baby thigh!

2. For the first time ever, I'm not annoyed by Kelly Ripa. I think she may have just won me over. Just a little bit.

3. Wait 'til you see the cake I'm making for Zen. I don't know why I undertake these things. There are tiers involved. And fondant baby buggies. And one tier has three layers. And a fondant snail. It may turn out like shit. It will be fine.

Friday Fill-In

2008-03-07T07:19:00.004-05:00

1. Ahhhh, it's so nice to smell spring in the air and open the windows everyday.
2. One of my favorite things on my desk or bureau is the portrait of my grandmother from the 40s.
3. Japanese Cherry Blossoms can probably be found here.
4. Bed, the deck, or the kitchen table, or the couch are my favorite places to sit and read.
5. Ritz crackers and cream cheese is delicious!
6. I love to watch a musical montage in movies.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to working on Zen's birthday cake, tomorrow my plans include Zen's birthday party and Sunday, I want to hang out at home!

Happy Birthday To Zen Baby!!

2008-03-05T08:21:00.007-05:00

From this:

To this:

In ONE YEAR. Always an amazing concept.

Sleep, Great!

2008-03-03T22:54:00.002-05:00

The sticker chart has been AMAZING! As well as the threat to put one of his toys outside on the deck overnight. He has this idea that it rains every night and he's terrified for his toys to be out in the rain. I really have no idea where he got this night rain theory. Anyway, the last time he tried running out of bed, I had reached my last straw, grabbed his little bucket of dominoes and put them outside the back door. He was in bed faster than he could snatch a toy out of Little Zen's hand. There are definitely benefits to dealing with a three-year-old...you could never get away with that with older kids--(BettyBetty-I'm thinking of you here).

I can't say too much more about sleep because I believe in jinxing. It happens. And it's happened here.

In other news, I'm thinking about shutting down operations here for awhile. No really good reason why. Then again, maybe I won't. Or will.

The Ubiquitous Sleep Issue

2008-02-20T23:51:00.003-05:00

My brain is fried and blank.

Little Guy has overcome so many transitions since March 2007 and he's done a great job. Have I listed them a thousand times already on here? Oh, well.

1. new baby sister (March 2007)
2. big boy bed (August-turned 3)
3. started nursery school (September)
4. stopped using pacifiers (October)
5. potty training--(started first week of September-finished two weeks ago)

And the final hurdle before we can leave him alone? Falling asleep in bed BY HIMSELF. I know there are a lot of advocates for co-sleeping and for "parenting" kids to sleep by staying with them in their rooms or beds, but that's not for me. And I know that for sure because I've been doing it for a year.

Little Guy has always had a few sleep issues. Starting with his eczema at 3 months due to food allergies, to standing up in his bed at a year old and yelling, to throwing his pillow and "Baby" out of the crib at 18 mo., to begging for endless songs at two. And there have been the amazing, fabulous, wonderful times where, after books and songs, he would lay in his crib, talk and sing to himself and go to sleep.

Alas, when Zen Baby was born and I was still in the hospital, I made the mistake of sending M. home to be with Little Guy. To that now, I say, "Why?" I clearly needed him with me, post C-section; Little Guy was two-and-a-half and staying at our house with grandparents and everything was fine. But I got all hormonal and crazy and missed him incredibly and imagined him wondering where we were, when in reality, he was watching Curious George with Mema and eating potato chips every day. But when M. showed up, it threw a wrench in the works and got Little Guy all clingy and nervous that something was going on and I wasn't there, too. Enter--laying with him to help him go to sleep. It started out with M. doing it all the time but somehow shifted to me and now it HAS to be me. Some nights it's fine if he falls right to sleep after books. Some nights, like tonight, he took two-and-a-half hours to fall asleep. And that's excruciating. And it takes away the only free time I have.

And I know it's not only about me. I think he's to the point now that he wants to try to do it on his own because sometimes he kicks me out of his room but then calls me back in. Also, I hate that he thinks he needs me in there when really he doesn't. So, I would never just make him quit this cold turkey, but eventually he's got to let it go. And then there's the new and great phenomenon in which he kicks me out of his room and then gets out of bed, goes downstairs, or runs out his door and runs around upstairs and then runs back in bed when he sees me. So we started a sticker chart this week. He gets a sticker in the morning if he stayed in bed. It's working well so far. Last night he stayed in bed and went right to sleep. Tonight he took so long to fall asleep probably because he fell asleep on the couch at 2:30 today and I let him sleep for an hour. I knew better but I did it anyway. But the good part is, he stayed in bed all that time because he wanted his sticker. (Stickers never worked for potty training. Hm.)

So for now, I'm happy with overcoming the stay-in-bed obstacle. Once that's sorted out, we'll see what happens with staying with him. (I have graduated to sitting on the floor at the foot of his bed, though, instead of actually lying on the bed with him.)

And that's why my brain is fried and blank.

And We Have Lift-Off

2008-02-16T15:48:00.000-05:00

Retro Valentine

2008-02-14T14:26:00.002-05:00

February 1983. I was 7 and my sister just turned 4.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T08:17:00.002-05:00

These are the cupcakes I made for my first class party--Little Guy's Valentine party at preschool.