Holiday bubbly

Thought I'd pass along a few comments about champagne (technically, sparkling wine) for this time of year.

The ultimate bubbly to me is not a cheap one. Oh, but it's so worth it: Veuve Clicquot. If you shop around, you may be able to find it on sale for $35/bottle (if your state allows discounts on alcohol, that is).

Otherwise, if you don't want to spring for the VERY good stuff, here are some decently good ones that are also economical:
Freixenet ($11/bottle) -- dry, basic flavor and of course good bubbles
Segura Viudas ($13/bottle) -- semi-dry and a good mouth feel. May be a stronger flavor than you're accustomed to, which can be a plus or minus.
Korbel Brut Rose red sparkling wine ($ ) -- for something really different. This would be lovely served with food at dinner or with appetizers.

If you have a favorite or discover a new one, let me know. Cheers!

Another one bites the dust

I spoke too soon about our collective improving health. L and I were up in the night with both kids at different times. In a cruel twist of fate, Peanut appears to be teething -- and right when all her crud is clearing up.

Jellybean, on the other hand, apparently has some new crud of her own with a fever and cough. Because we're leaving this Sunday to fly to the grandparents, I squeezed her in to see the doctor today. She saw a different doctor than Peanut, but same result: some sort of bacterial infection so antibiotics are in order.

So now, in addition to the 95 million things we're carrying on the plane, we must somehow incorporate a cooler to keep our liquid antibiotics chilled the whole time (and get them through security, God willing).

L and I were already scrambling around like mad people this week: he, trying to get exams graded, and I, trying to handle Christmas and travel chores so he could grade said exams. We should be enjoying the snowfall and a lovely bottle of red wine in the evenings. Instead, our interactions this week have consisted of conversations about coughing and snot at 4 a.m. Isn't marriage romantic?

Loud entertainment

If you don't like someone, you should make sure and buy their kids obnoxiously loud toys, right? At least that's what I used to think was the message with those gifts. But this year, I'm changing my tune (so to speak). The Christmas items I thought would be the most irritating because they play music have actually proven quite the opposite. I am no longer cursing those well-intentioned relatives from previous Christmases.

The musical spinning snowman, dancing mouse and blaring musical cards actually enthrall my children so much that I can get things done around the house. By myself. Without anyone tugging on my pant leg. Or even being in the same room. And the best part is that the noise is the equivalent of GPS: I know exactly where they are in the house.

So, hit those Christmas decoration sales and stock up on a couple noisy decorations for next year. You'll thank yourself come December 2009.

What will I do when we have to put away our Christmas decorations? Back to never getting anything done...

On the up and up

I'm happy to report that Peanut is feeling much better. After looking and acting much worse than she had even when I posted previously, I called the doctor's office and took her in. She was diagnosed with a sinus infection and prescribed (gasp!) antibiotics. The medicine must have been exactly what she needed, because after a couple doses, she was back to being herself again, and she continues to improve.

And in case you're wondering how we're doing without Kleenexes, the answer is: surprisingly well. I have been diligent with the handkerchief for the kids, even through this pretty heavy-duty cold. Their noses haven't gotten sore, and they are still more than willing to have me wipe their noses. L and I haven't had a full-blown (pun intended) cold yet, so the jury is still out on our conversion to the hanky cloth.

We finally had Jellybean's much-anticipated preschool Christmas concert. It was fabulous! Despite the fact that it took place close to and overlapping her bedtime, she sang her little heart out for every single song. They were all so cute. The first line of each song was SO LOUD and then it gradually tapered off the further into the song they got. I loved it.

Hopefully we will all stay reasonably healthy and not contract Peanut's ailment, as we are going to fly the friendly skies this weekend to visit our families for almost three weeks. I even found an airport transportation service that has car seats and will take us door to door. It should be lots of fun. Already, L and I are grumbling to each other than next year will be the year we make everyone come to us. You heard it here first.

Holding onto the baby

Peanut is getting to that stage where she's starting to shed some of her baby-ness in favor of little girl-ness. Not completely, mind you, but there are definitely shades of a more mature girl coming through all the baby sweetness these days. We won't be having any more kids, so I am feeling a bit wistful about nearing the end of my baby parenting days. There are definitely things I won't miss, but there are things I will.

So now that Peanut has come down with a pretty major cold this week, she's much more a baby than a little girl. Poor thing, she's a thumb sucker, and her little nose is so stuffy that she can't even get herself to sleep with her thumb because she can't breathe through her nose. So, L and I have spent a lot of time in her rocking chair soothing her and calming her down before bedtime and naptimes the past couple days. I hate that she's feeling crummy, but a small part of me has savored that quiet cuddle time. I know it won't be long before she'll be too old to be held at all, and she'll be back to her regular bedtime routine (which involves her declaring, "I want bed!" before any lengthy snuggling can occur) very soon once she's over this cold.

Because of Peanut's cold, she had to miss out on my playgroup's holiday party last night. L stayed home and cared for her. Although this is the giving season, we decided it would be best not to share her cold virus with all her friends. Jellybean and I went and had a really fun time, including the chance to make reindeer food, which was very cute. She and I came home at 6:45 to a quiet house and L relaxing on the couch. He had taken such perfect care of sick Peanut -- he gave her an early bath, knowing she was probably extra tired, and he put her down easily at 6:30. It's no wonder I love him so!

We are leaving this weekend for the holidays -- flying this year instead of our forever long energy-sapping drive. Hopefully this cold will have finished its inevitable rounds by then.

For holiday baking

I mentioned this pie crust a while back, so I thought I'd share the recipe. I have baked quite a few pies in my time, and never have I had such an easy time with the crust as I did with this recipe.

We're talking no desire to throw it against the wall and not a single cuss word. The vodka (in the pie crust, ahem) makes it much easier to work with.

Foolproof Pie Dough

- makes one 9-inch double-crust pie -

The trick to this pie crust is the inclusion of vodka. Eighty-proof vodka, which is 60 percent water and 40 percent alcohol, adds moistness to the dough without aiding in gluten formation since gluten doesn't form in ethanol. Although the recipe includes 8 tablespoons of liquid, the alcohol vaporizes during baking, resulting in a tender crust that only contains 6 1/2 tablespoons of water. Because of the extra liquid, the dough will be moister than most standard pie doughs and will require up to 1/4 cup more flour.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup cold vodka
1/4 cup cold water

Procedure

1. Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

This is from Cook's Illustrated magazine. Enjoy!

A different kind of holiday season

We have been as busy as ever since Thanksgiving. This Christmas season is different than previous years for several reasons, and I feel like sharing them.

First of all, the kids are getting old enough to really understand all the Christmas stuff. Peanut is still a bit young, but she knows who Santa is, loves to "sing" Jingle Bells and has had fun looking at Christmas lights. Jellybean is completely into it this year; in fact, L and I really have to mind our p's and q's about Santa -- we have to keep our story completely straight. That will present some challenges when we're out of town for Christmas, but we'll cross that bridge.

Also this year, now that Jellybean is in preschool, we are being engulfed in all the holiday goings-on, which is fun. In a couple weeks, she will participate in the Christmas program, in which the preschoolers perform songs for all of us. She has been singing and singing around the house -- "Away in a Manger" is her favorite -- and has loved singing Christmas carols every day she's at preschool. I'm interested to see how her penchant for performing at home might transform once she's in front of a crowd. She is much less shy and reserved than she used to be, but as we all know, stage fright is a different animal entirely.

The other thing that is different for this year is the Christmas between L and me. We have seen too many people beset by difficult circumstances in this economy, Michigan being one of the biggest stages, unfortunately. There is nothing much I really need -- and L neither -- so we have decided to allocate our Christmas budget to sponsor some kids. The shopping and wrapping efforts have been intense (I'm not as efficient shopping for boys!), but those are nothing compared to the struggles these kids and their parents are facing. The idea that a child doesn't have warm enough clothes for the Michigan winter breaks my heart and my spirit more than I can express.

I was thoroughly touched today when Jellybean was in her own little world pretending and I realized she was pretending to be helping people. She has more comprehension of the Christmas spirit than she knows.

Festive fun

I was ready to kick the holiday stuff into gear for the kids, and then we got snow, and I'm feeling even more that way.

I thought I'd share a couple fun holiday things we've discovered this year with hopes that maybe you'll share some of yours (I show you mine, you show me yours).

Books:
Brave Santa, by Nancy Poydar. A fun twist on kids being afraid to sit on Santa's lap (potentially an issue for Jellybean this year, hopefully eclipsed with this book).

A Christmas Party, poem by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey with Cyndy Szekeres. This is an oldie I found at the library. A really cute story about forest animals celebrating Christmas.

Holidays on Ice, by David Sedaris. NOT a children's book, definitely not. A grown-up book that will have you laughing like a kid, though.

Music:
Brian Setzer Boogie Woogie Christmas. This is the "Stray Cat Strut" guy and his big band sound. The songs are energetic takes on some of the carols -- replete with a decent Elvis imitation on "Blue Christmas." It has kept our toes tapping.

Our evenings just got hotter

Just in time for Thanksgiving, we made the final (for now) improvement to our previously outdated kitchen. We replaced our dishwasher and refrigerator this summer, and my plan was to have a new oven by Thanksgiving. That happened -- barely!

Our old oven was very old and it was the cursed drop-in kind that are very hard to find now, and when you do find them, they're ugly. (A funny aside: our first house had a drop-in oven too and we also had to replace it.) We wanted to really make the kitchen look updated, so we did a bunch of legwork to find the right way to do it. Regular ovens are 30" wide; ours was 27", so that would have meant cutting cabinets and losing the use of drawers just to put in a "normal" oven. One handyman made a great suggestion of replacing the current drop-in oven with a wall oven and a separate cooktop. Because of that brilliant idea, we rewarded him with the job of making it work.

And, he did! He finished up on Wednesday, a couple hours before I had to bake my pies (and I tried a new crust recipe with vodka that was fabulous, by the way). Now we have an oven that doesn't burn everything you put in and burners that take much less than 20 minutes to boil water.

No-fail turkey

We are hosting Thanksgiving at our house for the sixth consecutive year. This will be the first year since 2003 that I will not be pregnant or nursing, so it may even seem a bit easier.

I love having an occasion to really cut loose and make a production out of cooking. I'm a bit afraid to curse this by writing it, but I have a perfect record on my turkeys. No disasters, not even close.

So I thought I'd share my turkey method in case you are seeking one. I promise you there is no way to screw it up.

1. Prepare your turkey as usual -- get out the innards and take care of the neck.
2. Get a stick of butter and dice it into cubes. Shove the butter, and preferably fresh herbs, underneath the skin. Also rub butter on the outside of the skin.
3. Roughly chop some carrots, onions, celery and garlic and scatter them in the roasting pan. Situate the turkey on top of those.
4. Put the turkey in the oven at 500 degrees (!) for about 30 minutes. This browns the skin beautifully and seals in the juices. (Watch it after 20 minutes to make sure it doesn't char)
5. Take the turkey out and cover the breast only with a piece of foil that you've cut to fit. Make sure it sits on there snugly.
6. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Bake the turkey for the required time using the per-pound calculations as a guide. Use a thermometer to test doneness -- take it out of the oven once the thermometer reads 161 degrees in the breast.
7. Let the turkey sit at least 10-15 minutes before carving so you don't lose the juice.

Snot-free landfills?

We try to live as "green" as we can, and because of that we have some rules to help prevent waste in our house. One of those rules is no paper towels. We have lived without paper towels for about 3 1/2 years, and I'm pretty proud of that (dish towels do the same job, as it turns out!). Paper waste, including household paper towels, is the largest contributor to landfill waste by residences.

To that end, I've been saying for a while now that we need to find a way to stop using Kleenexes (or facial tissues or whatever your term of choice is). They are every bit as wasteful as paper towels, and there are logical non-disposable replacements: handkerchiefs. Until this year, I've been all talk and no action.

But now, we're changing! Jellybean has a runny nose this week, and I have brought in our handkerchiefs: old burp cloths from when they were babies. Jellybean much prefers them to Kleenexes because they're softer, and in fact she has voluntarily wiped her own nose more times than I can count. This from the kid who used to run away at the suggestion of wiping her nose.

So far, so good. I hope we can keep it up when we all have colds, so that remains to be seen. But my resolve will be strong on this. (I do have one box of Kleenex for guests so they don't have to submit to our reusable method unless they'd like to, which would be lovely.)

On the nose

These days, it's pretty easy to take both girls with me on most of my errands. Yesterday, I had to take a book and a DVD back to the little library branch by our house, so I took both girls in tow. Jellybean has become a reliable helper to do little jobs for me and assist me. As we were going to the garage, I gave her the library book to carry with her.

I got the girls situated in the car and buckled in. We headed for the library, found a parking spot and I got out of the car to start unbuckling them. That's when I realized I hadn't seen nor heard mention of the library book since we got in the car.

Me: "Where's the book?"

Jellybean: "I put it on the nose."

Me: "What nose?"

Jellybean: "The car's nose."

Me (I couldn't help but think how cute and innocent that was): "Well it's not there now, so we're going to go look for it."

So I re-start the car and re-trace our route. The whole way home I was looking in the street for an abandoned library book. I was a bit worried -- I had better ways in mind to spend the $20 or so to replace that book -- but I wasn't stressed. I couldn't conjure how it could be much farther than our driveway when I backed out to turn around. It was about 4:50 p.m., though, so I wanted to get to our house before people started coming home from work -- and running over the book!

I turned up our street, and I could see the glossy book jacket shimmering in the fading sun. I was relieved as I pointed it out to the girls. Peanut said, "I see book, Mama!" It was down the hill in front of our next-door neighbor's house. I got out and retrieved it, and we were back on our way to the library. Crisis averted.

The darker side of motherhood

I was brutally honest with a total stranger yesterday, and she thanked me. She was expecting her second child, who will be 18 months younger than her first, and I told her that it won't be easy for a while. In fact, I told her she may feel like she made a gigantic mistake at times, especially early on, but she'll get through it.

Why did I do that, besides impulsiveness? No one told me these things when I was pregnant with Peanut. My girls are 22 months apart. I just wanted someone -- anyone -- to give me insights on what it is like to have two very little kids. I wanted to know good, bad or ugly. But no one really opened up to me. I'm an only child, so my parents weren't much help. L's brother is six years younger, so my in-laws were out. I would go places with Jellybean while bursting at the seams with Peanut, and hardly anyone even mentioned what it's like with two kids. So I went into dual motherhood quite blindly -- luckily, with lots of support.

The first five months or so with my girls were very tough. Don't get me wrong: There were some wonderful times amidst the struggle. Every time Jellybean kissed Peanut or Peanut giggled at Jellybean, it made my day (or my week!). But between sleep deprivation, breastfeeding hormones and chasing a mischievous 2-year-old, I was pretty worn out physically and mentally. L was fantastic and very involved. Unfortunately, he had to teach night classes that school year, so I was on my own for dinner and bedtime with two babies a couple nights a week. That didn't help.

Pretty soon, though, when Peanut could sit up and play, things started to get easier. I could put her down and she could entertain herself while I, say, took Jellybean to the bathroom. When Peanut hit nine months and she could move herself to where she wanted to be, it actually started being fun! We could play and have a good time, and there was a whole lot less crying (from all of us!).

I told the stranger lady most of this yesterday. Don't worry, I didn't just walk up to her and say, "Oh, you're pregnant. Wow, that's gonna be rough." She started fishing for how far apart my girls were, and I could just tell she needed someone to tell her things -- just like I had secretly wished. After we chatted for ten minutes or so, she looked me in the eye and thanked me for being so honest. She said everyone around her expects everything to be so beautiful and.... I stopped her there and said that there will be beautiful moments. Just use those to get you through everything else, and you'll be fine.

Why is it socially unacceptable for a mother to admit that being a mother is a hard job?

A "beef" with American food

About a year ago, I made a pretty significant change in my habits that also helped me lose weight and keep it off. No, it's not the new diet magic bullet, but it certainly wouldn't hurt you in that department: I stopped drinking pop every day. The best part is that I didn't give up my lunchtime caffeine bump. Instead, I switched to bottled sweetened iced tea -- this brand, to be exact.

I stopped with the pop (regular Coke had been my drink of choice) mostly to avoid the high-fructose corn syrup that pervades our food system. I also had heard anecdotal evidence that Coke and the like can cause you to crave sweets and actually eat and drink more than you would otherwise. So, I substituted the tea -- with real sugar, mind you -- and not only did I enjoy something more natural, but I lost weight! About 12 pounds. Let me repeat that: I consumed a decent amount of sugar on a regular basis and still managed to lose and keep off weight. I think that's a testament to how insidious high-fructose corn syrup is to the American diet. (The only downfall to all of this is that the tea may have been an accomplice to my problems at my recent dentist visit)

Speaking of the American diet, a while back I read the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It is a non-fiction story of how her family vowed to eat locally for an entire year -- winter and all. The book is wonderfully written and engaging, and it also changed my perspective on our food system and habits. I have consciously made an effort to eat more locally and in season so as to support local farmers and conserve fossil fuels used to deliver our food nationwide. Our local farmer's market, grocery stores and even many restaurants also have responded to this call and offer a big array of locally grown foods.

Also as a result of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (and an excellent episode of Morgan Spurlock's 30 Days), I have decided to eat only beef that has been grass fed. Cattle were not made to eat corn and all the other by-products we feed them. Ever hear people joke about cows' flatulence? That's mostly due to their inability to digest the corn feed -- we just feed that to them because it's cheap. They were designed to eat grass, and the nutrients in grass affect the composition of the meat and actually make it healthier for us. Grass-fed beef contains significantly less saturated fat than traditional beef, as well as significantly more omega-3 fatty acids. Not to mention the cattle are raised more humanely than mass-fed cattle on the factory farms.

Locally raised grass-fed beef is available in our local grocery stores, so it is easy for me to find for all my cooking needs. I don't plan to eat the other kind of beef because as a consumer I want to send the message that factory-produced corn-fed cattle are unacceptable for my family and me. I hope to be a part of changing our agricultural system for the better, and I'm voting with my dollars.

(By the way, I now have ranted against high-fructose CORN syrup and CORN-fed beef. I don't have anything against CORN per se -- I just wish we could limit its uses as a substitute for better ingredients.)

Not-so-little girl

At 3 1/2, Jellybean is maturing so much lately in her speech and actions. As much as I love to watch her blossom, it is bittersweet at times. Yesterday was much more sweet than bitter, though, as she said some just priceless things that I thought I'd share.

I was reading the newspaper in the morning, as I do every morning while the girls and I eat breakfast. For the first time in a few days, for obvious reasons, the paper did not feature a photo of Barack Obama on the front page. Jellybean asked astutely, "Where are Barack Obama and John McCain?"

I replied, "They're back at work after the election. They'll be in Washington, D.C., soon."

Jellybean announced, "I think they're coming to our house for Thanksgiving." I'll make sure and get a bigger turkey at the store.

A bit later in the meal, Jellybean was asking me questions about Obama's daughters. I explained that the girls will move with their parents into The White House, and I made a point to mention that their mom, Michelle, also has a job and is a lawyer like Dad. I said, "Isn't that neat? Their dad is president and their mom is a lawyer. Wouldn't that be neat if Mama or Dad were president?"

Her reply: "I'M going to be president!" You go, girl!


This anecdote is not so presidential. Later in the day, after preschool, I was quizzing her about what she did at school. She happens to go to a Lutheran preschool (our favorite choice although neither L nor I is particularly religious at the moment). I asked her what her story was about, and she told me, "The animals pooped on the Ark. Animals don't use the toilet, so they pooped on the Ark." I'm sure her preschool teacher would be thrilled to know that that was her take-away from the religious lesson today. A little too much like her dad.

Although I do love her comments and insights, I also love the things that remind me she's still a little girl: how she bounds enthusiastically toward the park each time we go, the way she cuddles her teddy bear close when she's tired, her chubby little wrists and hands, her sweet voice singing along almost in time with the music. I'll take all these things while I can get them too.

Cheating winter

I haven't blogged in a while -- sorry if you missed me (as if...). We have been busy playing outside. Yes, outside in late October/early November. Not only outside but outside without jackets and sometimes even in short sleeves! It is completely WRONG for there to be weather this warm in Michigan at this time of year, but we have been loving it.

I can't help but think -- with my typical Michigan weather cynicism -- that we will pay dearly for these warm days. It won't come in the form of a humongous winter snowstorm. No, the worst way we could pay (are you listening, Mother Nature?) would be to have freezing weather and snow in May. The springtime winter weather makes me particularly crazy, having grown up where winters were only three months long.

I have tried to put those negative thoughts out of my head, though, as the girls and I have enjoyed our last hurrah of swinging in the backyard, blowing bubbles, coloring with chalk and leisurely walking around the block. I list those things specifically so I can look back and read this in February, when I have completely forgotten what it's like to play outside in warm weather.

I am resolving right here not to dread the length of winter this year. I will let it happen as it may. You see these words. If you feel I violate my resolution anytime in the months to come, please call me out on it.

Feeling a bit old-school

I'm not that old, really I'm not. But sometimes I feel like I'm older than the crusty old man that has possession of my husband's body (I swear, L is 75 at heart -- most people are young at heart; he's old at heart).

I was perusing a toy catalog the other day because it was there, and I was really annoyed about the toys in it. Matchbox cars and race track have always held great appeal for me; I had tons of the cars when I was little, but my parents always denied me the race track. I was checking out the latest in car tracks for kids, and I noticed a trend apparent in seemingly all toys: sound effects. The new tracks come with 20 sound effects. Huh? Most of the fun is creating your own car revving noises and crashing explosion sounds. But 20 of them?! Built in? I can no more come up with 20 appropriate built-in sounds for a race track than I can do a Sarah Palin imitation. Where is the imagination?

I mentioned this to a friend of mine, and he told me that his kids have a Sit'n'Spin. (Oh, how I coveted that back in the day too) And the Sit'n'Spin has sound effects! He said he was floored by that when he realized it. What is a Sit'n'Spin doing with sound effects?

My skepticism of the need for sound effects was brought to light yesterday when we went to a local open gym. There were four or five different toddler bikes to ride, and Peanut jumped on them right away. One had Sesame Street characters pictured on it, so she went straight to it. Unfortunately, Peanut didn't put any miles on the bike. Instead, she sat there transfixed by the -- you guessed it -- sound effects that happen when you push buttons. No wonder our kids are obese! They never even get the bikes out of the garage. Why should they, when all their entertainment is supplied by just sitting on the thing?

Kidless night

Before we came to visit my parents, L's mom, who lives in the same area, asked me if she could have the kids stay with her on their own one night. I thought that sounded like fun -- for them and her -- and they're old enough now that they can handle being with a grandparent without L and me.


Tonight was that such night. I had told Jellybean that we would be visiting Grandma and staying overnight, but I left out the part that I wouldn't be there with her. She gets anxious sometimes when we have babysitters, and since we weren't going to Grandma's until dinner time, I wanted her to be able to have an enjoyable day without stewing about her evening. I feel bad for having to fool her, but I truly believe it saved her some stress.


I took the girls over to Grandma's house with promises of a good time, which I know they'll have. When we got there, I saw a sign on the front door: "Welcome Jellybean and Peanut to Favorites Night!" Grandma has spent a week or more preparing this extravaganza to have all their favorite activities, foods, colors, etc. I can't believe all the thought she put into their visit -- when I left, she had covered the dining room table in big-roll paper, and the girls were coloring and painting all over it.


When I told Jellybean I was leaving, her bottom lip popped out and she whined, "No!" But by the time I was walking out the front door -- less than five minutes later -- she yelled dismissively, "Bye, Mama!" I called a while later, and Grandma said that Peanut hardly noticed that I left. This, from the child who spent entire evenings crying with babysitters when we went out for the evening.


As I got in the car to drive away, it hit me that I missed them already. I'm eager for a full night's sleep without waking up at 6 a.m. (must be the time change, ugh), but I've missed their little faces and voices this evening. I'll be glad to see them in the morning -- maybe even happier to see them than they will be to see me!

Safe travels

I haven't posted for a while because of a busy week last week and a trip at the end of the week. The girls and I are now at my parents' house for about 10 days. L will join us later this week to make it a family affair.

This past weekend was my first time flying with both girls by myself -- and also Peanut's first time on a plane. I was anticipating it but not thoroughly dreading it. The two-hour flight is so much shorter than the 12+-hour car trip it usually takes to visit my parents.

The only worry in the back of my mind was getting through security, with all the shoe removal and bag juggling. I did a bit of research on the TSA website and actually found it quite helpful. One tip I capitalized on was that many kids resist putting their shoes and possessions on the X-ray conveyor (read: complete meltdown tantrums in the security line) because they think they'll never get their stuff back. TSA recommends discussing the security procedures with your children before you get to the airport so they'll know what to expect. I know that really helped with Jellybean.

I was pleasantly surprised with how helpful and supportive the TSA and airline employees were all down the line. For example, when I went to grab our stuff off the airport security conveyor, one of the TSA employees already had set up my stroller and had it ready for me to put Peanut in. I thanked them for being so kind. The girls got genuinely friendly attention from the flight attendants on the plane, and the pilot gave them a "trading card" with a picture of our plane on it, which they both loved.

The flight itself went very smoothly for the girls. We spent most of the time coloring, as soon as we could put our tray tables down. They got restless about the last 15-20 minutes, but luckily I had spare snacks, so I plied them with those until we landed.

They were so happy to see Grandma and Grandpa outside our gate that they took off running up the jetway. Jellybean really has been looking forward to the trip, and it's been interesting to me how much Peanut can comprehend now. She seemed to get it too, that we were flying on an airplane to see Grandma and Grandpa.

Update on the dentist: Jellybean did very well at the dentist last week. She didn't want anything to do with the suction tool (does anyone like that thing?), so the hygienist just skipped that and made do. No cavities and no worries, and they let her pick from a basket of toys when we left, which she thought was way cool. I "forgot" to bring that bouncy ball to Grandma and Grandpa's house...

Open wide

You may or may not know this about me: I have very healthy teeth and have never had a cavity. I needed a check-up, so I made my appointment and scheduled L to be with the kids.

Jellybean is 3 now, and that's the recommended age for a first dentist visit (according to our more lenient pediatrician; some say age 1, which I think is insane). So I thought this would be a good time to talk to her about the dentist and how easy it is, to get her primed for her first visit.

I explained that a dentist is a doctor for your teeth and told her how my appointment would go. I'd go in and open my mouth, and the dentist and the "nurse" would look in my mouth and see all my teeth. Then the dentist would tell me, "Your teeth look great! See you next time."

Except (and you may have figured this out by now) that's not how it went for me at the actual visit. Yes, I had a cavity. A tiny one, but it still counts. In all my efforts to care for my toddler and newborn in the past 18 months, I had neglected my dental hygiene a wee bit too much. And now I was going to pay for it -- literally, because we don't have the best dental insurance.

So I had to schedule my filling visit, which I did. Then I had to figure out how to handle this with Jellybean. I have a feeling that her first dental appointment will fill her with a great deal of anxiety -- a new place, people sticking fingers in her mouth. I don't want her to think that she'll have to come back the following week like I did and then, on top of it, have a numb weird mouth for a few hours like I did. So we did what we thought we had to do: We lied. When I was gone last week to get my filling, we told her I was running errands. I don't like covering up things like this, but it's for her own good -- and all the rest of us too.

Jellybean's appointment is in a few days. I told her about it today, thinking she would be excited because she had been so interested in the dental topic. For a second she smiled, then she got a worried look and whimpered, "Mama..."

All I can do is hope for the best. And maybe a little bribery. I don't ever resort to that, but I think a dentist visit is the ideal such occasion.

Wine favorites

I've had a really big response to my entries about wine here and here, so I thought I'd post some of our old stand-bys that we have on hand most frequently. Most of these are $10-$12 per bottle and are easy to find.

Whites:
Bonny Doon Pacific Rim dry riesling -- don't be scared away by riesling. Just try this one.
Oregon pinot gris, specifically Willamette Valley Pinot Gris and King Estate Pinot Gris -- these may be a bit pricier, but they won't disappoint.

Reds:
Ravenswood Zinfandel -- a great restaurant wine, goes perfectly with any meal.
Guenoc Petite Syrah -- fruity and jammy and a good complement to a substantial meal.
Echelon Pinot Noir -- versatile as any pinot and fabulous texture.

One thing I should note for full disclosure: I am not a fan of chardonnay or merlot particularly. (In fact, the line in "Sideways" when Paul Giamatti says, "I am NOT drinking merlot," could have and should have been written by me. L jabbed me with his elbow in the movie theater.) You won't see me recommend those types of wines in general. If I do, we can all be surprised together.

Boy plans

It is a fact that men make social plans differently than women. I'm not man-bashing; it's just true. My husband has told me, and he has proven it many times over.

Take last week, for instance. Our neighbor invited L to play guitar one night. So, that was the extent of my knowledge. "Fine, you're going to play guitar. That should be fun!"

Just making conversation, I asked, "Where are you going? Like a studio or someone's house?"

L: "Don't know. Boy plans."

Me: "Is it a big group or small group?"

L: "Don't know. Boy plans."

You get the idea. So the next day, L told me it was even bad by boy plan standards. They were going to a guy's house, and they didn't have directions or his phone number, and they only barely knew where he lived.

I bring up boy plans right now because I'm living in the midst of yet another set of boy plans tonight. L's buddy from law school, John, is in town for the night because he has some business here tomorrow. I didn't know for sure until this afternoon that he was coming (it had been a possibility for a couple weeks), and I (we) didn't know any details of his visit.

L and John are out on the town now after John had dinner with us. The only question remaining is whether John is staying the night here. L invited him to do so a couple weeks ago when we found out about the potential visit. L has not asked him since then if he is actually staying. That must violate some tenet of the boy planning.

So I guess I will find out in the morning if we have a houseguest or not. I'll make sure to wear my long pajamas tonight just in case.

Gym time

No, I'm not going to the gym for my own exercise regimen. I'll divulge the secret to my slight weight loss another day.

It was rainy this morning, so I knew I had to find something fun and active for the girls and me. Per the recommendation of a neighbor, we went to a local gymnastics gym playtime. Man, was it fun! The girls were completely exhausted from all the trampolining (or attempted trampolining, in Peanut's case), balancing and swinging -- and I moved quite a bit too, trying to keep track of both of them.

I have wondered since the Olympics how watching gymnastics affected them. Besides learning to "sell" their landings when they fall or jump, I was curious if any of the fanfare and (hopefully) athleticism would stick with them. As it turns out, the fanfare stuck with Jellybean.

On the way to the gym this morning, Jellybean asks me, "Will the audience clap for us at the gym?"

Me: "Um, well, there might not be an audience there today. But I'll clap for you when you do things."

Jellybean: "No, I don't want YOU to clap for me. I want the audience to clap."

Me: "Oh, okay."

My new career

I am pleased to announce that I am realizing my lifelong dream: to perform regularly for an audience. Yes, it's true! My performances consist of singing and dancing, and so far my reviews have been very good.

My repertoire is very large at this point -- some day I hope to narrow it down so it's not so taxing on my brain, body and voice. But for now, I will have to incorporate lots of variety to keep it interesting and a bit less predictable.

My most requested song today was "Row, row, row your boat." That was from Peanut. Oh, did I mention she's in my audience? And so is Jellybean. Well, actually they ARE my audience.

You didn't think I actually had a big paying gig going with hoardes of people showing up. Not yet anyway.

Switching seasons

Every weekend for the past three or four weeks, I've wondered if THAT week would be the week the climate forced us into the long-sleeved wardrobe. Both girls' fall clothes were biding their time in the basement until the weather changed.

Thankfully, this past weekend I stayed on top of the weather forecast for the week, and I retrieved those clothes on Sunday. We are officially in the throes of fall here.

In past years -- this stint of living here and the last time we lived here -- fall was merely the gateway to winter and all it has to offer (she says sarcastically). But this year, for some reason, I am embracing fall and appreciating it as its own unique season (duh, I know). I really am feeling this way, not forcing myself to do so. This feeling happened on its own; I assume it must be a rite of passage for all Michiganders at some point.

Jellybean keeps saying that she loves winter and winter is her favorite season. Part of me says to myself, "Ha! Wait until it's 30 degrees and cloudy in March." But another part of me realizes that winter can be fun, especially if I see it through a child's eyes: sledding, snowmen, hot chocolate. I felt that way about the beach this summer with the kids. I've been to beaches before and enjoyed myself, but you really LIVE the beach when you're there with a kid. I think playing outside in the winter can be that way too.

This winter will be Peanut's first real experience with winter (she dabbled last year, but it's hard when you can't walk), so that will help me to live it with a fresh perspective.

In the meantime, both girls love their "new" fall clothes.

How 'bout them apples?

That's one of my favorite movie lines -- from "Good Will Hunting," in case you didn't know.

I really do want to talk about apples, which I think are one of the treasures of Michigan. They certainly have been a highlight for us each fall, and we have learned quite a bit about the types of apples available.

There is a cider mill about 20 minutes from our house that is one of our favorite getaways. It is quaint, the cider is amazing, and they have picnic tables next to the tree-lined river that make for a lovely scene. I haven't mentioned the cider donuts, which are not to be missed, and the caramel apples that are incomparable. (Prior to having these, I didn't even LIKE caramel apples, so that says something!)

The girls also love going to the cider mill. (Above, they're very seriously eating and drinking by the river) If you ask Jellybean what happens in the fall, before even mentioning leaves or trees, she will tell you that in the fall you go to the cider mill. That's just what you do. Today, as we were getting in the car to go to the cider mill for the second time this fall, Peanut was repeating, "Excited! Cider mill!" (sounded like "sided" "sigh miw")

We eat apples year-round in our house, and they happen to be one of the girls' favorite snacks. Jellybean loves to know what type of apple she's eating -- more on that in a second -- and she has preferred to eat a whole apple at a time since she was about 1 1/2 and could say "whole apple." Peanut also inhales all the peeled apple slices we give her and now that she has teeth, they're much easier for her to eat. I couldn't live without my apple cutter!

L and I go to the cider mill for cider and donuts. The girls, for some bizarre reason, don't love cider donuts. I gave Jellybean a choice today: donut or apple? She chose apple. We tried again to give Peanut some donut today, and she eschewed it in favor of bites of Jellybean's apple. They are gaga over the cider, though, and would drink the whole gallon if we let them. (I read recently that unpasteurized cider has tons of antioxidants, so that wouldn't be so bad)

As for apples, I have become very opinionated about the types I like. I also have learned that all my favorites are later-season apples, so now is the time for them. Yea! I have always liked the tart little Jonathans, but more recently I have discovered Macintoshes, Pink Ladies, Honey Crisps, and last year I think L's and my overall favorite was the Jonagold. They are all on the tart side and offer varying degrees of firmness, which I much prefer over mushy Red (not very) Delicious. We'll keep trying them this year, and I'll let you know if our favorites change.

With the later-season apples comes the best cider as well. Our cider mill always posts which apple types are in the cider each week. I always prefer the cider when it's mostly Jonathan with a little Macintosh and Honey Crisp in there. How's that for specific?

So now, I have to ask you: How 'bout them apples?

Trash day!

It's about time to recognize what has become a popular day at our house: trash day. I know, I know, but there's no more denying its appeal.

We have three different trash trucks that cruise our neighborhood every Thursday: landfill trash, recycling and yard waste. Both girls scramble for the nearest window at the faintest sound of the rumbling engine or the screeching brakes so that they can catch a glimpse of our faithful waste removers.

This morning, as I was approaching Peanut's door to get her out of her crib, I heard one such truck. I opened her door and as she heard the truck, she transformed from lounging toddler to a standing enthusiastic groupie, exclaiming, "Bash-uck! Bash-uck!" I snagged her out of the crib and whisked open the blinds so she could see the truck for herself.

Do other kids love trash trucks as much as mine do? The only part of the fascination that I can sort of relate to is that our landfill trash trucks are automated. When they pull up to the curb, a robotic arm lowers from the truck, grips the trash can and lifts it to tilt upside down and dump the trash into the truck (see pictures for my photojournalism at its finest). So, there's no need for the trash man (person?) to get out and lift it himself.

I guess if I work hard, I can start thinking it's neat and worth the excitement. I definitely encourage and participate in the trash day celebration regardless, because I love seeing them dash to the windows every Thursday.

Happy things

All right, enough of this grouching and grousing. I feel like all I've done on here is complain lately, and actually life is quite good right now, so that seems a mistake. It must be because I was feeling sick and then lying about it.

On to happier things!

The girls have both been so much fun lately, of course in their own ways. Jellybean has been making friends everywhere we go, and I just love watching her go up to other kids and say "hi" and ask them to play. She has always been much more reserved, and now at 3, she really seems to be coming out of her shell. I don't know if it's preschool or her age or both, but it's a joy to watch her personality unfold every day. We were at storytime at the library today, and she found some preschool and former music class buddies, and had a grand time.

My favorite thing lately with Jellybean are the mornings. I relish our special time together every morning (especially now that she's sleeping until a normal time!). Either she climbs into our bed or I snuggle into hers, and she asks me to tell her stories. I make up stories -- it helps that I'm not fully conscious yet and my head is still full of dream imagery -- and she lays there next to me and listens quietly. At the end of each story, she is silent for a moment then says, "Can you please tell me another story?" It's the sweetest thing and a wonderful start to the day.

Jellybean also got her hair cut yesterday (see before and after pictures), so we went to the salon together. She watched herself in the mirror the whole time and mugged and made faces to amuse herself. I loved it.

Peanut is talking and talking so much lately. It's like someone left the barn door open, and the words are just falling out of her mouth. She puts two words together regularly, and she's also started communicating in gibberish sentences as she pretends to play and read books to herself.

Peanut recognizes when you're asking a question, in particular a yes or no question. Her response is always a very confident "yeah," and I'll appreciate that for as long as I can because I know it will soon be "no." L and I like to have fun with the affirmative responses.

The practical: "Are you hungry?" "Yeah."
The mushy: "Will you be my sweet baby forever?" "Yeah."
The hypothetical: "Will Obama win the election?" "Yeah."

Peanut is very outgoing and always initiates talking to other kids and even adults. Today at library storytime, she kept going up to Jellybean and her buddies. She would pat Jellybean on the back and say (quite loudly), "Hi Jellybean!" It was clear she wanted to be one of the gang.

Her favorite two-word combination these days always involves the word "silly." There is "silly Daddy" and "silly Jellybean" and whatever else she deems to be such. (It does seem like she gets the meaning of silly.) Today, we all spent about 20 minutes watching a squirrel catwalk between our evergreen trees in the backyard and gather twigs for his nest. After a few minutes of watching him, Peanut inevitably popped out with "silly squirrel!"

Deceiving Grandma

My mother-in-law left this morning after a five-day visit. The girls really enjoyed their time with her, and although she wore me out the first couple of days, it was fun to have her here.

Because of choosing my battles, I decided to cooperate with L and not inform his mom that all four of us were getting over a cold. She's a nurse (now teaches nursing), and she tends to overreact to even the slightest sign of illness in L and sometimes the girls. I was feeling a bit guilty and deceptive until L came home from work on Thursday and was a bit hoarse from talking all day. Immediately, his mom grilled him: "Are you feeling okay?" "Maybe you're getting sick." "If it's not better tomorrow, you'll have to go to urgent care." All because of a tired voice. Yeah, that's what I mean.

So I was done feeling guilty about hiding our illness. She kept going on about how Jellybean must have bad allergies and I had better get that checked out -- because her nose was still runny from her cold. I just blew it all off, doing my best imitation of my husband's ability to dismiss most of what she says.

Until. Until. Yesterday, Grandma was clearly not feeling well. She was sneezing all day and low energy and just generally yucky. She kept blaming it on her allergies, and I cringed inside as I bit my tongue. I'm sure she caught our cold, and I'm sure it will turn into a sinus infection for her (that's what always happens to her). And she'll continue thinking it's her allergies until she gets home and feels the same way inside her house.

I can't tell her now. The deception has gone on too long for that to help. Will she figure out the truth?

Updates

Tying up a few loose ends on a Friday afternoon. In case you've been wondering about a few things...

First of all, Peanut's finger is just fine. Not even a scratch remains, and she's just fine. (I'm far more damaged than her about the incident at this point!)

The porch light saga continues, although intermittently. The night after I blogged about it, the light was off for the night. I thought maybe they saw my blog and got paranoid. Yeah, right. It has been on most nights, but it has also been off a few, including last night. It still seems a pointless waste of energy to me. If you leave exterior lights on at your house all night, why do you? Maybe that'll give me some insight.

We tried one of the new wine blends, the Blue Jean red. We liked it and I would recommend it. It's flavorful yet pretty smooth, and I would say similar tannin to a pinot noir. We'll probably buy it again. We also like the Rosso Classic by Coppola with garlicky Italian food, less than $10/bottle.

D'oh

As a parent, I always dread the times my children get hurt. I'm glad to be there to comfort them and care for them at least, and I have lots of empathy.

However, one thing I didn't anticipate when I became a parent were the times that I would inadvertently hurt them MYSELF. Don't worry, no need to call SRS. But I injured Peanut today.

It was lovely outside, and we were on the front porch chatting with one of our neighbors (if you haven't read about my neighborhood, you should) and her kids. I stepped inside to retrieve a Kleenex for the neighbor. As I came outside, I was greeted by Peanut chirping, "Hi, Mama!" only to stop mid-"mama" and start screaming in pain. I turned around and realized that her little ring finger was smashed and stuck in the front door right under the hinge.

Of course, I picked her up immediately and got a good look at the finger. It was a bit purple and had an abrasion on the fingertip. My neighbor reassured me that it was good that it was on the tip and not by a knuckle so the finger wouldn't be broken. Good point and great reassurance. Peanut finally stopped crying when I offered to retrieve her stuffed penguin, Rodrigo.

We bid the (mildly traumatized) neighbors goodbye and came inside to get ibuprofen and calm down. It was right before naptime -- which always happens when there's a worrisome injury, so I can't monitor it closely and see how things are, especially scary with head injuries. Anyway, I got her down for her nap, and she quieted down pretty quickly.

Thankfully her finger and fingernail seem all right. Her fingertip is swollen and a bit funky looking, but she is using the finger and lets me touch it. So, none the worse for wear. Phew.

This incident served as a good reminder to always look for little fingers near doors before I close them: closet doors, room doors, car doors, etc. I won't forget that anytime soon!

It's too early for this

Both girls and I have our first colds of the season. All the stupid rain forced us to be inside, and the humidity probably extra-conducted the germs for us.

This is odd to say, but I'd rather the three of us all be sick at the same time. That way, none of us feels like doing much, and it's easier just to hang out and be chill with everyone wanting the same low level of activity.

Last spring, I had a nasty cold that wiped me out. The girls were both fine, and I could hardly even sit up. I watched them play, feeling very bad I wasn't involved beyond commentary, but it was all I could do to stay awake. I vividly remember Jellybean admonishing me, "Don't go to sleep, Mama!" That wasn't my best day as a parent, certainly.

We spent today at home just playing with toys. You would think that isn't different than normal, except that usually, when everyone's healthy, at least one -- if not all -- of us gets antsy and wants a change of scenery. We rarely spend a morning in our playroom and living room exclusively. We at least venture out to the backyard and play on the swing set. And usually, we'll at least meander partly around the block.

I know I'm not feeling up to snuff if just stepping out the back door seems like it takes a lot of energy. I actually laid down on the couch during nap time today! That's unheard of for me; I always have a list a mile long of things to do. Well, the list is still there, it just won't have any check marks today.

Wet, wet, WET

"The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house all that cold, cold wet day..."
The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss

I can't help but channel Dr. Seuss. For the past three days, it has been cloudy and raining constantly. The temperature hovered constantly around 70 degrees, so there was no difference (or break!) between day and night.

I've felt like we've been living in a steam room. Everything in the house has absorbed the sticky humidity and feels wet to the touch. Towels haven't dried, glasses are sweating all over the tables and counters.

Now that the remnants of Hurricane Ike have drenched us after all the moisture we already had, I think it may be almost over. I wouldn't mind seeing the sun (and wearing dry clothes!).

Late-night storm

I'm a bit slow and my mind is foggy today from being awake with Jellybean in the night. At a little before 4 a.m, I woke up to the distant rumbles of thunder. I thought that I may as well stay awake -- I knew the flashing and banging would rouse Jellybean into a fit of tears soon enough.

It was only about 10 minutes later that I heard the pitiful cry and "Mama!" I went to her room and found her sitting up in bed clinging to Berkeley, her little white bear. Her fear and vulnerability tug so strongly at my heart. I laid down in bed with her and we both dozed a bit. There were only two more audible claps of thunder, each of which made Jellybean flinch and whimper and reach for me.

After about 40 minutes, I got up and whispered that the storm was over. As I was walking back to my room, I saw another flash and thought, "Oops." I continued back to bed and laid there for another 30 minutes while there were more flashes and far-away rumbles. I anticipated hearing Jellybean again any second, but she must have been crashed out. I got back to sleep about 5:30, only to be awakened for good by Peanut at 6:45.

Finally, I can give at least one concession for winter: Thunderstorms are rare. One less thing to wake all of us for a few months!

Why we don't eat out very often

Tonight when L got home, I was prepping dinner in the kitchen. He said, "Let's just go out to eat." After some hemming and hawing on my part, trying to figure out how to stopgap the meal and serve it tomorrow instead, I agreed.

We don't go out very often, as budget considerations don't allow. But the idea of not doing all the cooking and having dishes to wash suddenly released all the tension in my shoulders. The idea of having $2 off the best margarita in town at a restaurant nearby released all the tension in the rest of me.

We go to this place maybe once every three months, and the food is excellent. We sit down at the table, and our (very kid-friendly!) waiter comes to take our drink order. L gets a beer, I order my margarita and milks for the kids. The waiter walks away to retrieve the drinks while we start studying the food part of the menu.

Jellybean announces, rather loudly, "Mama, I know what you're having." And I said, "Oh really, what?" Then she practically yells, "A margarita!"

Like it doesn't look bad enough to be out to dinner with two very small children and having the stemmed glass towering in the middle of the table. The kid also has to advertise by word-of-mouth that her mom needs a strong drink. Awesome.

Little-girl playdate

This morning while Jellybean was at preschool, Peanut and I got to have a playdate of sorts. Our little neighbor S came over to play while her parents went to check out a potential preschool for her. S is about 8 months older than peanut and 14 months younger than Jellybean, so she's almost smack-dab between my two girls.

It was good to have a playmate for Peanut who is closer to her age than Jellybean -- and without Jellybean around. Peanut loved having S over to play and kept repeating "hi" and a mangled version of S's name, which was very cute. They spent a lot of time NOT sharing and NOT wanting to take turns with things like the rocking horse and the musical chair, so all in all I consider it a success!

I remembered today that two things happen at every playdate: 1. Something (usually a toy) gets broken, and 2. Kids adapt at least one bad habit from each other.

Something small did get messed up, but it was very trivial. The latter remains to be seen, but I'm guessing it'll either involve Peanut putting things in her mouth (she had gotten past this, but S still prefers to taste-test toys) or standing on chairs. Stay tuned.

Notes from Dad

As I've mentioned before, L's schedule this semester includes an early class that requires him to leave before the girls get up in the morning. He concocted the brilliant plan to leave notes for the girls each day so they'd hear from him as soon as they got up in the morning.

Jellybean can hardly wait to get downstairs for breakfast on the days that L is working. "Do you think he left me a note?" she wonders, all the way down the steps. I read her the note, and she memorizes it, then reads it out loud to herself a few times during the day. It's so sweet. Sometimes she reads Peanut her note too, which I also love.

Peanut gets the note thing totally. She points to the notes and says, "Note." or "Daddy!" (depending on her mood, I think).

I have to give props to L for a really good idea.

"Kids or dishes?"

Every night, after our family dinner, L and I divide and conquer. One of us clears the table and does all the dinner dishes. The other one corrals the children so the dishwasher can accomplish his/her task interruption-free.

Tonight, toward the end of dinner, Jellybean turned toward me with a mouthful and asked something indistinguishable. Once she swallowed her food, she repeated her question, "Kids or dishes, Mama?"

There you have it. L's and my nightly line repeated back to us before we could even say it to each other. We laughed, then I asked her who should have which job. She chose me for dishes so she could play her crazy airplane wrestling game with L (Peanut too, in a lighter version). That was fine with me.

When you have a child, you always know the phrases and words you overuse. Now we can add "Kids or dishes?" to that list.

Wine-ing

Wine drinking is something I missed while I was pregnant and nursing, and now that I've been "back in the game" almost a year, I'm finally making up some ground of trying new wines.

I've gravitated toward some interesting blends and even "table wines" recently, so I thought I'd share a bit about them.

In my opinion, the king (queen?) of all white table wines is Conundrum. If you haven't had this, you MUST. At the very least, find it and give it as a hostess or house-warming gift to a white-wine aficionado. It has one of the most complex lovely flavors that changes as it warms up, and it goes with absolutely everything to eat (or nothing to eat, as maybe we've done around here occasionally). They don't list the grape varietals, but who cares what it is if it's delicious? It runs about $25/bottle, so not an everyday wine, but the perfect special-occasion white wine.

A red blend I discovered very recently that I enjoy is Bliss Schoolhouse Red. Again labeled as a "table wine" -- I need to get that negative association out of my head -- this blends at least four grape varietals, and I think it could go with about any food. I've had it with pasta and meat, both of which went excellently. It's fruity, yet just glides down smoothly. Pricing for this is more moderate than Conundrum, more in the $15 range.

I have two new blends I just found that I want to try. One is Blue Jean California red wine, which looks to have an intriguing varietal combination. The other is Hare's Chase red blend Barossa Valley, which has to be at least partly wonderful because it includes shiraz from the Barossa Valley. If you haven't had Barossa shiraz of any type, you must try that sometime too -- blended or otherwise.

I'll update once we've tried the Blue Jean and Hare's Chase to let you know how they are. In the meantime, I'm open to any and all recommendations.

Like a good neighbor

I must take some time to discuss our neighborhood, because it really is fantastic. My mother-in-law calls this the "Beaver Cleaver" neighborhood. And many people I know are in awe of the people who live around us. We really are lucky (and luck is what's involved with neighbors and neighborhoods, don't you think?). Of course, the porch light across the street is annoying, but SO minor compared to what could be happening.

When we bought our house here two years ago, it was about 50-50 older people (original owners, many of them, as the houses were built in the 60s) and young families. Now, with the recent sale of several homes, the tide is turning and it's probably about 70-30 younger people to older. There are tons of kids, many in elementary school and several around Jellybean's age.

We have really enjoyed getting to know everyone here. And we really do know them. I could walk you around the block and point to almost every house and tell you who lives there and at least something about them -- if not a whole lot more.

We can't take a walk without people stopping us to chat or coming out of their houses to say hello and see how we're doing (like really how we're doing, not just the vapid "how are you?" we all recite anymore). Part of that comes with having little kids, but most if it is just how it is here.

When we returned from one of our vacations this summer, within 45 minutes, three different neighbors stopped by to welcome us home and find out about our trip. Within 2 hours, we had talked to almost everyone on our street and been invited over for drinks to our next-door neighbors.

When Peanut was born, we received everything from cards to homemade dinners to toys for both girls and even two handmade pillows with photos of the girls on them. And we had lived here less than a year. It was unreal.

This summer, we had a gate installed at the back edge of our fence we share with the behind-us neighbors so we can easily go back and forth to their house to play. Their girls are 2 and newborn, so it will get even more use as time goes by. (Not to say it hasn't had A LOT this summer!)

The other night, we went out for a post-dinner walk, and Mr. and Mrs. H next door, parents of teenagers, came out to say hello. Both girls greeted them and proceeded to be very entertaining. Mr. and Mrs. H sat down in their driveway for half an hour to interact with the girls and chat with us. So cool. Peanut rewarded them by repeatedly lifting her shirt to reveal her navel and saying "din-don" as she pressed her chubby finger into her belly button.

Yesterday morning, I was walking over to another neighbor's house to consult with her about marketing her business (the second such neighborhood "client" I've had). I ran into my neighbor Mrs. S walking her dog, and she turned around her walking route just to accompany me to chat on my way. We had a lively political discussion, particularly about Sarah Palin, and it was lovely.

The reason I'm choosing to describe my neighborhood today is that, first of all, it's great, and second of all, we're having our annual Block Party this afternoon. It's a gorgeous day, people will bring potluck food, the kids will play with water balloons and bust a pinata, and it will be a nice time as always.

I can't remember the last time I lived in a neighborhood that had regular block parties. I do recall some from my childhood, so we're probably talking 1985 since I've experienced that. I'm so glad my kids get to, and I think more people should hold them. I know everybody around me, and I would jump at the chance to help anyone if they needed it, and I know they'd do the same for us. In this age of Blackberries, video games and webcams, it's a welcome relief.

New routine

We've spent the past few days settling into what will be our routine. Because my parents were here last week and preschool didn't start until this week, we hadn't really adjusted to L's work schedule nor organized our lives properly.

L's teaching schedule this fall requires him to leave before the kids wake up in the morning. Jellybean goes to preschool three consecutive days per week this fall, so that's one more day than she's used to and different than her previous Tuesday and Friday routine. Peanut and I will start a music class next week one day a week too.

So I think I have it all worked out as to the timing of everything, obviously with some give and take here and there. Because of Peanut's afternoon nap schedule, I have to feed her lunch before we get Jellybean at preschool, but that's not a huge deal. (easier than when she still took a morning nap too)

I took Jellybean to preschool yesterday and got her settled in, only to have Peanut dying to get out of my arms so she could also play with the myriad toys surrounding us. One of the teachers made the comment that this will be a hard year to bring Jellybean to school, now that Peanut sees how much fun it is there. When I picked up Jellybean on the playground at the end of preschool, Peanut thought that looked fun too, and said, "I fing, I fing!" ("I swing! I swing!") It was cute, but I also felt a little bad for her. She's stuck at home playing with Mama while Jellybean has a blast with tons of kids and tons of toys. It's hard to be the baby.

Jellybean seems to be having some transition time to adjust to this routine -- L being gone all day plus the three days of preschool. She only napped for an hour yesterday (she's a very regular 2-hour napper), then proceeded to lay down on the floor and cry after her nap when I said she couldn't color right then. It was horrible and so out of character. Change is difficult to cope with for 3-year-olds, I'm seeing. In the meantime, Peanut was zooming through the house saying, "I nunning, I nunning" (running) and just exercised away her stress.

So let's hope today's nap goes better and she's more herself. She was a monster until L came home, and then it was like nothing was wrong. Not too much mystery there as to what her problem was!

Bright lights at night

The neighbors across the street have been keeping their porch light on all night lately. They don't have any kids, so no one is coming home in the middle of the night. I don't know why it's on.

The reason I'm aware of the light is that our bedroom is right across from their porch. We need the windows open at night to circulate air with our attic fan, so the light spills in on our bed all night. I tried to see yesterday if the light was on all day, like maybe they don't know it's on. But it looked like the light was off in the daytime.

It's a waste of energy, and it's bugging me. I would love to say something, but I'll see how long it keeps going on. It's been about 10 days so far. I hate to tick off a neighbor. I also hate to have light beaming over my bed at 3 a.m.!

What would you do?

Summer lovin'

I spent all day yesterday depressed because summer was over. I'm much more cheerful today, but that's because I worked hard to focus on all the good times we had this summer.

I was trying to figure out why this summer was so significant for me, and I realized that it was my first real summer in about 4 years: 2005 -- Jellybean was born; 2006 -- we moved our butts to Michigan; 2007 -- Peanut was born. I wasn't awake all night feeding a baby, and I wasn't unpacking everything we owned. A nice break!

Here are some of my favorite times this summer.

I'm probably cursing this, but...

I think we're making progress on the early wake-ups with Jellybean. It's been 7 a.m. or right before the past four mornings.

What's the difference? It's either a big coincidence or it's the new overnight Pull-Ups I got for her. Go figure, there are Pull-Ups specifically for bedtime. Duh.

My parents are heading back home tomorrow. I don't know when we'll see them again -- probably Thanksgiving. It's a bit sad, but it might be nice to have our house back to normal. We have been to the grocery store every freakin' day they've been here! We keep planning and cooking these elaborate meals, and inevitably we forget something(s) at the store on the big trips.

I'll miss the extra playmates for the girls, and so will they. My mom told me today that Jellybean has already gotten teary twice while telling my mom that she'll miss my parents when they're gone. Poor little thing. She goes back to preschool on Wednesday, though, so that will help distract her.

I have to be conscious of how much Peanut understands now too. I need to make sure and tell her that Grandma and Grandpa are leaving tomorrow and going back home. She really comprehends most things like that now and doesn't like being blindsided.

I plan to put my new Mac to use and upload some pics in the next few days.

Hearing voices

When he tells a story about me, why is it that my husband's imitation of my voice sounds like Oscar the Grouch?

What would you do with 2 hours?

As I've mentioned in my last couple entries, my parents are visiting this week. They always like to have one-on-one time with the girls and I like to arrange that for all of their benefit.

Yesterday morning, they decided spontaneously to take the girls for a walk to play at the park until lunch time. That gave me two hours. Alone. In my house. Do you know how many mornings I've wished for such a luxury?! And it fell in my lap.

I almost didn't know what to do. I had to finish a load of laundry and unload the dishwasher, along with a few other little tasks. Then I still had an hour and a half. I sat down to read a magazine -- something I always associate with leisure. But I couldn't sit still. I read a few pages, then got up and puttered around. It was like I was lost in my own house!

It just goes to show you should be careful what you wish for. I finally get time by myself, and then I realize I have a hard time filling it up with meaningful enough things. (Obviously, if I would have known ahead of time, I would have scheduled something like a hair cut or a massage or a dentist's appointment. Or at the very least, coffee with a friend or neighbor. I'm not a total loser.)

The irony is that the best part of the morning was when they all came back. I got the best hugs and kisses from the girls. Awww, it sounds trite, but it's true!

So, what would you do if someone took your kids out of the house RIGHT NOW for 2 hours?

Early-morning zzzzz wake-ups

Ugh, I think I dozed off while typing my heading. I am so tired lately, even with my parents here, which should energize me. Seasonal allergies aren't helping, but neither are my early wake-up calls lately. No, not from Peanut, who would seem the logical one. They're from Jellybean. Aren't you supposed to be over this when you're 3?

Every morning, I wake up to Jellybean standing next to my head. Sometimes, she's just staring at me and I get that freaky sense that someone's watching me, and I jolt awake. Sometimes I hear the pitter-patter of little feet approaching my bed. And yesterday morning, I awoke to someone grabbing my toe. Yeah, at 5:30 a.m. Try not peeing your pants from fear when someone does that to you.

At any rate, I have no idea what is prompting these wake-ups. Many of them have correlated with her having overfilled her Pull-Up and her bed is soaking wet. (Stripping pee-soaked sheets in my shell-shocked fatigued state is just a little more fun than eating rocks) But that hasn't consistently been the case, so I'm puzzled.

I refuse to allow her in our bed or to lie with her in hers, because that's exactly what she wants, and we have chosen not to co-sleep, so that's not what I want! I snuggle her back into her (dry) bed and tell her not to come back to our room until it's light outside. She follows that well, but of course I can't even begin to calm back down to go back to sleep after my rude awakening.

I went out today and got a bigger size and more absorbent package of Pull-Ups, so we'll see if that helps. I referred to The Sleep Lady, and although her advice is logical as always, none of her scenarios seem to directly apply here. I'm at a loss as to what to do.

Oh, one more thing I need to vent here. Why Jellybean feels the need to come to MY side of the bed and not L's is so aggravating. He sleeps right through it, sometimes even snoring the whole time as if to rub my nose in the fact that I'm not asleep anymore! It makes me want to sneak over and grab HIS toe to see what HE would do.

Visitors

My parents are here this week for a visit with the girls -- oh, and with us too (sometimes it's hard to tell that they might actually be here to see L and me too. I swear, he and I could run out the back door at 8 a.m. and they wouldn't notice until bedtime). They're from one of the square states in the middle, so they get up here a few times a year to visit, and we get back there a couple times a year as well.

The last time we saw them was May, so I had Peanut look at pictures and home movies from that last visit so she would be familiar with Grandma and Grandpa when they got here. She's in a separation anxiety phase right now, so she acts like any stranger in the house must be here to abscond with her mom and dad. She warmed up quickly, and now I love to hear her words for "meemaw" and "beepa."

Jellybean was counting the days until my parents arrived, so she is perpetually giddy the whole time they're here. It's a nice change for her, because she's been a bit more difficult the further into 3 she has gotten, with a bit more grumpiness mixed in to each day. I hope the happy, sweet girl will be back some day, but at least she's here temporarily while my parents are here.

The main thing that has struck me this week was how much I was looking forward to my parents' visit. It's not that I, as their only daughter, miss them terribly when I'm not with them (I miss them, but come on, does anyone look forward to spending a week 24/7 with their parents?!). I realized that I was anticipating their arrival because of the reciprocal joy that exists between the girls and them.

There is nothing I love more than seeing loving grandparents with their grandchildren and vice versa. Few things can match that love and happiness that grandparents and grandchildren have for one another, and I think it's one of the main rewards of being a parent. The only thing I can think of that comes close to that is seeing my husband and the girls together when they're really enjoying one another's company.

So, this week is full of going to parks and doing all the silly kid things so Grandma and Grandpa can be involved. (It's also full of my parents' quirks, but they're way secondary to the fun we're having!) It's L's first full week of teaching too, but we're too busy to notice.