Glow

In those few days of Spring-like weather that we were teased with last week the clean-up and planting began at our house. We picked up sticks, trimmed up bushes and removed the remaining bits of Christmas that decorated our bushes out front. We couldn't resist the draw of the seed packets at the store and with the promises of many yummy meals to come, we planted and planted some more. At Christmas, we received an AeroGarden from my sister and bro-in-law. Their heart and minds were in the right place. They offered us a way to grow herbs all year long so we could have that 'fresh from the garden' taste even in the middle of winter. We would drive away the pesky cabin fever feeling that is only magnified by flavors that have become ho-hum with repetition. Too bad we only started the garden a week ago.

As I prepared dinner, Kris and Giada planted. They started some seeds in a regular small tray and got the AeroGarden set up. It seemed like such a process for all of this but Giada was having a blast with Kris and she loves watching the plants grow so everyone wins in this activity. The AeroGarden has a timed light that simulates sunlight to encourage rapid growth. The bottom of the plant is submerged in the water that we added nutrients to. Once it was set up, they turned on the light and it was supposed to stay on for 17 hours on round one. I don't know how long it stays on now but I do know that our home looks like a laboratory every night. There is a glow that radiates from the kitchen into every corner of the house. This is one of my fears with the CFL bulbs everyone is switching to. I am not a fan of fluorescent light and this ones scares the crap outta me! Kris was turning off the lights the other night and said to me, "I keep thinking I missed a light because it's so bright downstairs and then I realize it's that thing". Really. No nightlight needed in our home right now. As for the efficiency of growing the plants, it's neck and neck with the herbs we have in the window without the added light and water so who knows....?

creepy laboratory light and a bug that found it's way

We recently spent an afternoon at Nana & Ampa's house. Their "puppies" (they are hound-lab mix and are easily 30" tall) are finally getting used to Giada and give her a bit more of a break these days. I think it's partially due to her having a bit more tolerance for them as well. It was a bit cool out but the skies were blue and the sun was shining so it was a must that we get out and play with them for a bit.

bottom right...one of my newest faves

This past weekend was a bit of a whirlwind but oh, so worth it! Out came the sparkly eye shadow and extra perfume. We even dug out the iron, which gets little use here, and excitedly got ready for a night out. As you saw in my earlier post, I had the opportunity to write a restaurant review. We got to share that experience with some good friends of ours and it was a night not to be forgotten! Thanks to our amazing babysitter, the kids had a great night as well so we could relax and be adults without worry.

The following night, I got to accompany Kris to a local farm dinner. he got to go last month and really enjoyed himself so we decided to try it again. I think you're supposed to chat with the people at your table and enjoy the atmosphere while appreciating local produce. The chef prepares everything in front of you so there a bit of an instructional side to the dinner but not so much that you feel like you're in a class. He reminds you to support local farms and if you have fun and a learn a bit, that's a bonus. If we weren't so intent on having a good evening, it could have gone south very quickly. It was certainly a test of our patience as one group that sat at our table was so into themselves that they neglected to pass things our way and ignored their nine year old as he scarfed down every middle part of his bread slices with a pat of butter each and littered the table with the uneaten crusts.....and that is only the tip of the iceberg. Fortunately, the food was great and how could I complain about a few hours alone with my husband? Outside of spending that time with him, I love that he just 'gets it' when I give him a look and I am at ease knowing that I'm not the only one that notices how rude some people can be.

dear friends @ dinner

This week is one of catching up on neglected chores and continuing the re-organization of our home as we brace ourselves for the snowstorm that threatens our area toward the end of the week. Yes, it is March 30th and I said snow..... ugh!

G being scary in the glow of the lab

hudson valley restaurant week 2011

Wow, wow, wow! I have kept it under wraps on here but now I get to tell everyone that I was chosen to serve as a Guest Blogger for Hudson Valley Restaurant Week. I got to go to an amazing restaurant and write a review of the experience to share with the Blog's Readers. If you want to check it out, here's the link:

Hudson Valley Restaurant Review

rail trail

I started writing again because I wanted to share my life and experiences with my friends and anyone else that wanted to read. I thought that starting with a new blog versus continuing under the old one would give me a clean start. I could tell you about me. About the things I do and how I see them. I wouldn't do as many blogs about Giada, I would focus on me. Tonight, I realized that I can't make a separation between me and being a mother. This is who I am now and although I can't wait to share the happenings of my life that occur without a 3 year old attached to me, tonight is all about her.

It's Monday and she knows I go to Zumba. I get her dinner ready and maybe slip her into pj's before I leave her in the very capable hands of Kristopher. Then I am off to an hour of exercise and no thoughts of anyone but me (and trying to not trip over my own feet). Tonight, I talked her out of the tears on the way home. She said she didn't want me to go. She wanted me. I explained why I need to go and that it's so cool that she gets to hang with Daddy all by herself. This pacified her until we got home. Then the tears started again. She even gave up dinner in favor of bed, she was so distraught over my leaving. These aren't temper tantrum tears, they are the tears that well up inside and prevent her from speaking. She gasps for breath and you can't understand what she's saying because it's just sound, no real words, that come out. All she wants is a hug.

So, a hug it was. A big one where you just try to squeeze your love into the other person. When we were done, she started getting ready for bed and once again, on the the verge of those salty streams, she looked at me, chin trembling, and said, "I'm gonna miss you in my heart". This is what we say when we talk about our feelings. When she says she misses us during the day, I tell her that she can miss us but we're always in her heart and she is always in ours.

Sigh.....

Rewind to Friday where we were blessed with amazing weather. I had full-on Spring Fever and the only cure was spending as much time outside as humanly possible. I picked Giada up early from school and called my girlfriend to see if she and her little ones would like to meet us at the park. I always hear how moms just meet up for a bit and I always say, "call me whenever you want to..." This was reality....it actually worked out and I was amazed. Springtime, here we come! The girls played and my friend and I chatted. I was a perfect way to break up the afternoon and hopefully she is reading this so she knows how much I enjoyed our last minute play date/ mommies get a little break to be adults time.



My friend had an appointment and Kris texted to say he was close to home so we wrapped up the play date and my thoughts immediately shifted to packing a small bag of snacks and loading up the fam for more outside time. We planned to go hiking but the trails we wanted to hit were closing early so we checked out a path that we're always saying we should try. It's a paved path over an old railroad bed that is closed to cars but open to walkers, runners, families and dogs. You do not need to worry about traffic lights or cars coming and you can just let go. No panic attacks necessary when your little angel lets go of your hand and runs 20 yards ahead of you. She still isn't completely independent and she will wait for you to catch up. If you take too long, she'll run back to get you.



We had a million things we could have been doing but nothing beats starting the weekend off a bit early, especially when the sun stayed around a little longer thanks to daylight savings. All winter, I have been obsessing over the beautiful shows the sky puts on in the morning and at night. Finally, I got to squint my eyes when I looked toward the sun and feel the warmth of the sun on my face without shivering.






It was like most days that we have as a family. A little silliness, a few tears from an injury caused by klutziness and lots of hugs and hand holding.

photo credit to the girl that was cycling by and offered to take a picky

finger boo-boo

the best way to enjoy the trail

photo credit to Kristopher on 3 of 4

Rejuvenation

Shaking off a touch of cabin fever this week. It started when I was given some pretty little flowers on Sunday. The story is that it was Giada's idea but it's not like she can get to the store on her own and I don't think she's hacked into her piggy bank yet so it's likely that she had some assistance with this brilliant idea of hers. I love that she chose tulips because we grow them and I always say I'm going to cut some to bring inside and then I don't do it because they add so much to the landscaping. This time, they are all mine without the sacrifice. Plus, when set on the kitchen window sill, the block the fact that there still is clean-up ahead. (yes...I'm still talking about this)


The melting snow left behind some snowman parts and lots of branches.


We went for a walk last night after work. It's not a ton of exercise but our usual route is about a mile and a half so it's not something to balk at either. Especially when the three year old walks it on her own. The recent rains have turned our drainage ditches into small streams and left reflecting pools along our street.





All of this is even more beautiful when you see the buds on the trees and you can wear sneakers instead of boots. Morgan loves that she has a million new smells to investigate. It's almost as if she is catching up on the neighborhood gossip.

We don't really live in a neighborhood like you see on television. More like a narrow country road with lots of houses. We don't know everyone but it's still good to get out and see the sights we call home and wave to the courteous drivers as they slow down to pass by. Fresh air has a way of cleansing your mind as if it were laundry on the clothes line.



"Look at the bee-yout-eh-ful sky, Mommy!" "What colors are there?" I hear this almost every morning. We wave to ice cream bear, we look at the sky and sometimes we sing, sometimes not but it makes the drive to work so much more bearable. The times when it is quiet and I don't have the radio cranked up....that is when my mind races. I have idea after idea of what I want to blog about, what I want to do, what I need to do and I try to just remember all of it until I find a scrap of paper where I can jot down key words to remind me at a later time what it was I wanted to share. Some of these notes will amount to nothing. A few words in and it will seem pointless and I will hit the delete key over and over until my mind and screen are clear and I can start again.

And since tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, you can be sure I will be having another one of these!

Sláinte!

whippersnapper

My friends have been dealing with a lot of adult things this past week and I got thinking about the days before all of the responsibility. We long so badly to reach those milestones in life and as much as people warn us, we never stop wanting what we don't have. Why does it take time to appreciate what we have in front of us? If you have a minute, listen to this song. I have loved it from the first time I heard it but it is a great reminder to slow down and soak up the lusciousness of the small things.

In honour of my sweet friends, I'm doing the soaking up on their behalf. Kris and I brought Giada to the Ringling Bros. Circus this weekend. When we told her about it, she was a bit confused. She's never been to a live production before so she thought we were going to a movie. She asked over and over if they would wait until we got there to play the show. You don't realize the tricks our language can play until you have to explain it.

little known fact.....Elephants love marshmallows!

I spent Saturday cleaning inside while Kris cleaned the yard up a bit now that the snow is melted. I love the promise of Spring but I do not love the mess it unveils nor the hours of gardening and assorted chores it brings with it. Thankfully this is easy to forget when you can remind yourself of the get togethers and outings that we are on the verge of.


As I was refreshing the house and folding the laundry, Giada was loving every minute of being her creative self. There were no time limits today and no mater how much work we did, there would still be a list of to-do's so why not delight in the moment? I couldn't help but be drawn in.




She makes me remember to be silly. She makes faces that can bring you to tears. Simple phrases are 10x better when coming out of her mouth. She makes me laugh those laughs that start in your toes and just get bigger as they move to your mouth.



And with every bit of increased independence, she also reminds me every day that she is a day older and a day closer to responsibility.

in like a lion....

She wakes up smiling every day like she's lit with sunshine from within. As I'm getting ready, she asks to put the music on so she can dance before we have to leave. I suppose I'm not the grumpiest person in the morning but I sure love a good nestle under the covers for a few extra minutes, hours or whatever I can grab. I have always wanted the Jetson's system of waking up. Remember how they tip the bed and do all the disrobing, cleaning and prettying up for you? In the matter of what I assume would be no more than ten minutes, you're ready to take on the day. I would love to say that would make me more productive but I really think that would mean I would just sleep longer.


I arrived at daycare Monday to find a sad little girl waiting for me. She was putting hand cream on her hands and Neosporin on her face to combat her 'chappers'. Even so, she still wasn't right and her teacher assured me that Giada would fill me in on the talk they had just had. We've been having quite a few talks these days so I asked for more details. It seems that she wasn't playing very nicely with her babies (dolls) and when the teacher heard her yelling and saw her hit the babies (again...these are dolls, not real...and it looks like she isn't the only one that has treated them this way, still....) the teacher sat her down and had a little talk. I feel bad for this kid because it seems like it's part of her routine these days. Eat breakfast, read a book, snack, paint, lunch, nap, play, talk, snack.... She's so over it yet the talks continue because every day, there's a new theme.

We get in the car and have a talk about the talk. It went well and there were few, if any, "I don't know" responses. Round and round it went, from 'why did you do it' to 'what happens when you do' onto the 'I better not hear about this happening again' and concluding with 'you need to tell Daddy about this when we get home'. Like most three year olds, she is quick to get over it and move on. The thirty five year old driving the car, is not. I kept wondering what could have made her do this? Ok, she's three and she's going to do things that I don't have answers for and things that will embarrass the hell out of me but, hitting? yelling? Who IS this child? Didn't her parents teach her better?....ohhh, s#*%!...that's me. sigh.

She wanted to stay outside and help Daddy so I gave Daddy the 411 on the down low and went inside to get dinner together. They came in a bit later and Giada proudly announced that she told Daddy about the babies. I assumed that this was the end of it.

Then, Giada announced that she 'pinky sweared' with Ms. X at school the other day. Really? Pinky Swore? She knows what that is? Enlighten me, dear. What did you pinky swear about?...... "I said I wouldn't spit anymore" Now what?!? She yells, hits and spits?! Oh Sweet Jesus! Apparently, my little sunshine thought it was appropriate to spit on the carpet.....but rest assured she pinky swore her way out of it!

Is it bad that I told her that I don't want her to be the kid that can't play with others because she might hit or yell? How do you get that through the thoughts of a three year old? All I could come up with is that yelling hurts people's feelings and hitting can hurt their bodies. Spitting, (and I had to throw this in too) picking her nose were just gross.



Last day of ice skating. She wanted me to take pictures of her being a rockstar. I tried but the lighting inside an Ice Skating Rink is less than desirable so here's what was salvageable from the 80 or so I took.

so proud of herself that she left the orange cone behind and passed her first class (we're proud too)

How do you know it's spring? The ice cream stands remove the boards from their windows and open up those windows to promises of little league teams, first dates, after dinner walkers and warmer days ahead. The glow of their lights and the sight of the first customers of the season are just as good as any sunset after a long winter.

heaven, minutes from our doorstep

Longing now, for the days full of sun and warmth.

chocolate cake

Giada needs me to turn on the light so she can change her baby. The floor is littered with toys. There are things all over the kitchen counter ready to be thrown together for Sunday dinner. Although I know it will be up to me to make sure it is all tidy before hittin' the hay tonight, right this second, I don't care. We've made it to the muddy season. Any other time of the year, I would sigh and recall how many times I had to clean the floor and take extra care to wipe the dog's paws extra good but today, I am thankful for the soft ground and rainy skies.

We celebrated Kristopher's birthday yesterday by going to our favorite restaurant. We went for lunch so Giada could come with us too. Yummy doesn't begin to describe our food. When it was time for dessert, I asked Giada what she'd like and she said, "Chocolate cake!" You'd think that she ate it all the time the way her eyes lit up. I told her she could have it if she could find it on the menu. What a little smarty...without missing a beat, she points to the Tortino di Cioccolato.

Today stared slowly and we headed to the market to get some fresh goodies for the upcoming week. I absolutely love a fridge full of fresh food and the promise of some amazing meals to come. We had to fight our way to freshness today when we discovered as we pulled in, that there was a garden show going on. Lightly, this translates to a million more people than a normally busy day would bring. It took us some time but we made a decision on what we'd be having for dinner tonight and in the coming days. After a good hour and a half we headed back home. As Giada rested for a bit, Kris and I wrapped ourselves up in a little rainy day tradition of ours, wine and cheese in the middle of the day. Some pecorino romano, some Ouray from Sprout Creek Farms, and some Camembert from Old Chatham. Add in some olive tapanade and Cline's Four Whites and you've got one heck of an afternoon snack.

As I mentioned, Giada is enjoying her toys and I'm wrapping up this short post so I can fully immerse myself in Jack Johnson playing on Palladia and enjoy the lobster ravioli with arugula and fava beans Kris is cooking for dinner. Enjoy the evening, friends!

Those Days

More and more I have been saying, "Ehh, it's one of those days (or weeks)" It's not that I have been having bad times, just that it never seems there is time for everything. Making it seem that way is just one of my many jobs. I tell Kris that I feel like I am running at top speed from the moment I get up until my head hits the pillow. I know I'm not alone but there isn't much solace in that when you know you have three million things to do in two days and you still need to perform the regular duties. My mind is always racing. From things I want to do, to things I need to do and then all of the things that come up in the middle of all of it. I do okay at managing a lot of things but it comes with a price. The first is that I sometimes take on a bit too much. I, of course, do not realize this until I'm waist high in the weeds. The second thing is that I get frustrated by those I perceive to be lazy. "Hey...you, over there...If I can do it while xxxx, how is it that you can't just simply xxxx?" I have to make myself remember that we are all wired differently and each person has different priorities. (it sounds great written, now to just remember!)

I preface this post with the above because yesterday was a day where I had to practice a lot of restraint. I'm still confused and frustrated. Let me get to the nitty gritty. I was at Giada's ice skating lesson. This is a beginner, I barely know how to remain upright, class. Seven weeks in, most of the kids are at least standing and can follow simple directions. In come the "demolition brothers". I continue to hear their mother have e x a c t l y the same conversation with them each week. As they completely ignore her, she makes threats and yells and they continue to ignore. Once again, yesterday they were informed that they will not have their DS this weekend. Frankly, they don't seem to give a shit and based on my observation, they probably will get the dang toy back for the weekend if they would just do mommy this little favor.........where I'm going with this is that I want to know where you draw the line? The kids don't listen to the instructor any better than their own mother and she spends the 30 min. lesson lounging in the bleachers. I don't know if I should be angry with her for having no control over them, angry still because her wild children are inches from hurting other kids in the class and she just watches or do I just feel sorry for her? Kris pointed out that maybe this is the only break she ever gets from them.... I just don't know. I tend to lean in the direction of wanting to shake her, especially after her reaction after class was, in a sing-song voice, "I've noticed that you are having a bad listening day" Roar.

It was only 6:10pm and I had a lot I planned to accomplish last night. No, I didn't get to it all but I made a dent. I grabbed the mail on the way in and got a happy surprise....which as I'm now writing is kind of eerie. My Facebook post yesterday afternoon was, "share some Happy with me". Anyhow, I got another piece of real mail. The kind that makes you want to cozy up in your favorite chair and take in every bit of delight it has to offer. Pretty lined envelope, real handwriting, added adornment...you just knew it was something that was intended for you to appreciate. Those of you that know me, know that this is pure heaven in my world. I don't need to delve into the details but simply put, it added some sunshine to my day.

Somewhat recharged from my few minutes of escape to the land of personal correspondence, I still had to get dinner made, take the dog out, get some laundry in the wash, read a story and kiss my little one good night.....before I edited pictures, folded and put away other laundry and got lunches started for the morning....