A Week of Magical Celebration

You can feel it in the air - the holiday season is here. Hanukkah starts tonight, Christmas is only five days away. But this week is a very special week in my household because of two birthdays. Two years ago today, my youngest son entered the world in a whirlwind (five weeks, plus one day early and faster than one could imagine.) And on Friday, my husband will celebrate his birthday. So, yes the week before Christmas is a special one for our family. In fact, the birthdays tend to be more magical than the holidays everyone else is celebrating.

It's hard to believe my baby is two years old. He entered the world on his own terms, and has proven to us every day that he intends to keep it that way. (While he is always feisty, the last six months were incredibly spirited ... I can tell he's starting to calm down and am eternally grateful.)

During this week I reflect for all that I am so grateful to have in my life, two wonderful children, a good husband, a house over my head, food on my table. It was also special this week, that it was the day I deliver Meals on Wheels. We brought a new recruit with us on Monday (I always love bringing new people along and introducing them to the spirit.) I always have great partners helping me deliver, and this particular Monday, the folks were extra chatty - maybe it's the fact that the holidays are near (yet, the weather is deceptive, no snow, moderate temperatures). Whatever the reason, lots of small talk and great greetings. It only takes 90 minutes of my time a month, but I am so glad that I have the opportunity to give those 90 minutes.

I'm almost finished with all of our gift shopping, and we have baking to do on Friday, so here's to carrying out the rest of a magical week.

The Soothing Power of Red

Red wine that is. There is something poetic about sipping a smooth glass of red wine in the fall and winter. The way it glides down your throat and warms your belly. The delicate fruit that dances on your tongue. The very subtle calming effect it has after a rough week.

I treat my self to wine primarily on the weekends, and then it is typically at most one glass. I used to treat myself during the week ... but it actually made me tired the next day. So in my efforts to lessen my sugar intake, I also decided wine was a weekend-only treat (with exceptions for holidays and celebratory occasions.)

It actually makes the few glasses I enjoy even more special and scouring the wine list at restaurants is an adventure. I wish D enjoyed wine (I'd feel less guilty about knowing that I am only drinking half a bottle in a weekend ... and the other half usually meets the drain in the sink.) Alas, my lovely teetolling husband is who he is, and I embrace that, too.

So, as I sit here and sip a beautiful red blend from France, I hope that you are enjoying whatever pleases you most, too.

Seeking Gifts of Inspiration

The snow is falling, the air is bitterly cold (no longer the crisp chill of autumn) and we have had our inaugural fire of the season. I love this time of year (not as much as autumn,  mind you) because of the light hustle and bustle and energy. I enjoy searching for seasonal treats, baking (I made chocolate babka last weekend, it was definitely a great labor of love ... but the reward was worth it,) and spending time doing holiday activities with my boys.

Yesterday, we worked on a school project for K -- I am sort of surprised how much the school embraces "Christmas" without calling it Christmas. We decorated a "winter tree" with buttons, felt, ribbon and other odds and ends we could find. It was fun, and I could tell K enjoyed doing the creative activity.

I am also trying to find excellent Christmas gifts ... and I have to say, it's been a bit slow going. I don't know if it's because I am just finding the same ol' same ol' everywhere or what ... but I am having a hard time finding inspired gifts that make me think that people are going to love what they open and their eyes will brighten. Maybe I aspire to give perfection ... which would be an impossible task on its own anyway. I just want to put extra thought into what I select for people and surprise them.

At least D and I agreed to our edible gift creations this year ... but I fear we once again are picking things that should be left to culinary artists and pastry chefs  ... but if we didn't push ourselves, we wouldn't grow, right?

A Nod to Marital Bliss and a Fabulous Meal

It's hard to believe that eight years ago (almost) to this day, there was snow on the ground and I publicly declared my love and commitment to one person. I say almost to this day, because technically our wedding anniversary is not until Tuesday, but we decided since our anniversary falls in the middle of the week, we could kick-off celebrating it tonight and carry it through the week. (We'll see if we have the endurance to celebrate on the actual day and again next weekend.)

We started our special evening by exchanging gifts. For those who've read about previous anniversary celebrations, you know that D and I do try to follow the traditional gift list as closely as possible (with some loose interpretation when needed.) The eighth year presented us with the theme of bronze. For the last month, we've been teasing each other about bronze statues and whatnot. Of course, I was really beginning to fret, because I was at a loss. However, I found a great watch that could loosely qualify as being "bronze-like" and I was able to get it in time for tonight.

D, I must say, went the extra mile when it came to selecting my gift. (Granted, he may have more "free" time for researching gifts when O is taking a nap.) He found a jeweler that makes beautiful handcrafted pieces from vintage and antiques. And proceeds from any purchase going to fund cancer research. So, not only do you get an amazing piece of jewelry, you do some good. He did amazingly well when he select this cobalt and bronze bracelet for me:

We then continued our evening at Heartland Restaurant. We ate here for our fifth wedding anniversary, but it the restaurant had relocated to a fabulous new spot and D had been wanting to go again.

The evening started with a lovely special amuse bouche that was a wild rice pastry with marscapone cream with a strawberry preserve. It was just a hint of what was in store for us the rest of the evening ...

I followed this delight with a great first course of grass fed beef liver served on a challah toast with onions and chanterelles in a Marsala sauce. I just wanted to lick my plate the sauce was so good and the chanterelles was such a good balance with the liver. (Yes, I as an adult chose to eat liver ... and it was wonderful.)



 Next up was the main course. This plate you see of red meat (yes, I love my meat) was a lovely spiced elk roast on top of a parsnip-potato puree in a roasted apple glace. And while all of the above was excellent ... it's those beautiful baby brussel sprouts that were absolutely divine. Even D agreed when I gave him a few bites ... I could have eaten a whole bowl of just those brussel sprouts!

To finish off the meal, I had a chocolate pot de creme with three sauces: curry caramel, passion fruit curd and a cranberry compote. It was just sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth (and paired very well with my lovely French pressed coffee.



The also surprised us with complimentary flutes of Moscato to finish our meal with an anniversary toast. (I only wish they had it listed on their wine list online, because even D liked it ... and it's rare to find a wine he enjoys.) It was just the perfect amount of sweetness.

Throughout the evening we had amazing conversation and reconnected as it is always nice to do. We chatted about our beautiful boys and shared laughs and looks of affection. It was how I hope everyone's anniversary can be celebrated ... because it was just so special. And I like to think that the evening foretells how the next year of marriage will go. If that is the case, we shall have a very good year. (Of course, D has decided he's already going to start researching next year's gift -- which is pottery.)




Being Thankful

Today is the annual day where people publicly profess all that they are thankful for. Of course, you also get the philosophical waxings of those who say that wouldn't it be nice if we would act like this every day. And yes, I agree, it would be nice, if we did it every day, would this particularly day lose some of it's specialness?

Of course, as I reflect over the past year, I realize that I am unbelievable thankful for all that I have in my life (well, everything except the depreciating home values ... I will be extra thankful the year I finally see the market value of our home at least stabilize instead of decline.)

My boys have been healthy most of the year, and continue to grow like weeds (seriously, K will be taller than me any day now ...) I've embraced the idea that my oldest baby is now a school kid, and while it makes me feel incredibly older, I enjoy hearing him explain the adventures of his day and impressing me with his intellect on a regular basis. O makes me laugh, because he's such a ham and is well aware of it. It's hard to believe that two years ago he hadn't quite made his debut yet.

D has done an exception job at his ... well ... job, being the best dad in the world to my boys and a pretty darn good husband to me. (Granted, I have accepted that when it comes to dinner, I have to be happy that it's being made and that I am not married to a Top Chef contestant, so I may not get something exciting, but I get nourishment.

I am also thankful that this year allowed me to visit four new places that I hadn't experienced: Playa del Carmen, Toronto, Montreal and New York. Each trip was delightful for it's own reason, and I don't foresee that much travel in one year again in the near future, so I count myself very grateful. (And let's be honest, the hotels in New York and Montreal ...seriously felt like a very luck girl!)

And now ... it's time to dive into the holiday season. As always I am looking to be inspired ... hoping to find special gifts for those I love, something sweet and unexpected and specifically them. Sometimes I do well ... sometimes I take the easy route and just grab things off the list. I'll just have to hope that the special gift faeries are with me.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

A Day in Toronto

Today, I spent my hours learning about the city of Toronto and the culture of the Canadian consumer. It was a very enlightening trip, and I think it will really help me understand the things I need to to do my job better. It was a good day, full of lots of education, and I am completely grateful for the opportunity. But because this blog tends to be more focused on my general life experiences and food ... that's what I really want to talk about!

Lunch - it was really divine. We ate at Luma, a sophisticated lunch spot for downtown Toronto folks (or at least that was my new to Toronto impression.) Now, because this was a business trip, I didn't really feel like I could take out my phone and start taking pictures of my food, but I kind of wish I could have ... because it was really, really pretty. I had a seared albacore tuna w/green beans, on bib lettuce and chickpeas ... it was amazingly refreshing and light. I enjoyed every bite and wanted it to play on my tongue forever. There was this lovely citrus layer in each taste that danced on my tongue. The tuna was light and seared perfectly. I knew that if this was any indication of my day ... it was going to be a great day.

Then, after a long day of walking, learning and asking questions, we met up with our colleague who leaves in Toronto. She gave us a tour of our office buildings and advised me to work at the hotel if I can tomorrow (since there isn't really anything spectacular that I will gain from paying $70 for a taxi to bring me to the office space).

She then took us to a great restaurant called Pure Spirits. I appreciated a local taking us to a preferred restaurant. And while it was a seafood restaurant, I know my limits of seafood is one dish a day ... so I decided to try the pistachio-crusted pork tenderloin that came with a lovely port wine and morel mushroom jus and crispy truffled polenta "cakes." The polenta cakes were interesting, but I only ate one of the two (a little two crispy for me) but the pork was cooked perfectly ... and I could have eaten a plate full of the jus. To top off my meal, I enjoyed a Canadian wine - it was the 13th Street Winery Noirs. It was a delicate wine - not a lot of tannins or bit, so very smooth and the perfect accompaniment to my meal.

All in all, a very satisfying day of great company, excellent food and a fabulous experience that will help me better define and shape further decisions on our approach for providing the best service possible to our employees in Canada.

That Screaming Toddler - Yeah, He's Mine

Raising a spirited child takes a little extra patience. Raising a spirited child who is 22-months-old (because that is really when the terrible-two's occur) takes an act of God.

K is, and has always been, a relatively easy child. He listens, only occasionally has breakdowns, but they usually last two seconds, and he infuses the day with humor and smiles. O is a hilarious child, but he also has the fastest and most brutal temper I've ever seen. And right now he is very much in the "I'll scream until I get my way" phase. I don't know if this has something to do with making sure his voice is heard or what. The kid can turn his scream on and off, and he knows exactly what he's doing.

He knows that if he screams, he'll pretty much get what he wants because we try to stop the screaming terror. Take today's swimming lessons. He gets pretty bored by the fourth repetition of any activity, and so then he starts to scream. The teacher has gotten so accustom to this, that she prepares him by saying, "Just two more times, O." And, because I am pretty firm, and she follows my lead, we make him continue through the screams. Sometimes, I try to distract him, but sometimes it's not worth it, and by letting him know I am not going to let him get out of it, he'll stop on his own.

Swimming is one thing. The shoe store was another. I decided to give D a somewhat quiet house and take O with me to the shoe store (I am the kind of person that wears my shoes until I absolutely need to get a new pair ... and it was definitely that time ...) So, I plopped the stroller in the car, and took O with me. Leaving K to play at home. Now, granted, I realize that taking a toddler to a shoe store may have been asking for trouble (but K would go shopping with me all the time and was absolutely pleasant.)

The trip started out well, he was patient and chatting and just smiling. I was able to try on a few pairs of shoes. But after a bit, the meltdown came. The kid screamed (and I mean screamed at the top of his lungs) for a good five minutes. I just held him and let him get it out, asking him gently to please stop screaming. I took him to the window to distract him. I sang him a short song. Nothing worked ... until I gave up and took my purchase to the register ... then the bugger calmed down.

The cashier looked at me with pity. "Rough day?", I replied that he screams until he gets what he wants. She replied, "I guess he just wants to leave." Touche.

Lesson learned, I won't taking O on another shopping trip with me alone until he's at least three.

For the Love of Pumpkin

Those who know me well know that I love pumpkin ... absolutely everything pumpkin (pumpkin shakes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins ... the list goes on.) My love for pumpkin is not shared to the same degree by my husband or first-born son. They humor me and eat pumpkin pie once in a while, or surprise me with a pumpkin treat, acknowledging that they do know me well.

However, I finally have a pumpkin-loving fool soul mate in my house. O. When I answer to my weakness and order the pumpkin loaf at Starbucks ... he devours more than half (and let's be honest, it is probably much better that way, too.) I decided to try the pumpkin milk at the grocery store. Good thing I did not look at the ingredient list for ... hello, sugar! ... and when I poured the last of it today (vowing not to buy anymore even though it was absolutely delicious) the little bugger made sure he was able to enjoy half the glass with me.

Now, he's running around with an orange milk moustache, and all I can do is grin. Thank you for giving me at least one family member who enjoys the delicousness of fall to the same degree I do. Now, where is that pumpkin pie candy corn I just bought ...

Sushi and Gab

I can't believe I did it again ... I forgot to take pictures of wine club (aka restaurant club) last night. This month, we enjoyed the fine cuisine of Japan at Fuji Ya. It was not my first time dining at Fuji Ya, so I knew what to expect ... but did I know what to order?

Laying a sushi menu in front of me is like laying the Neiman Marcus catalog in front of Warren Buffett when it's time to pick out employee Christmas gifts ... so many choices! I just didn't know what to do. So I decided to leave it up to the chef ... and I ordered the house special bento box.

Thanks to the interweb ... I did find a photo of the bento box:

http://flic.kr/p/4F4bPc

The biggest learning ... panko-crusted anything is AMAZING! I had panko-crusted shrimp and a fish ... and it was perhaps my favorite part of the course. It was so crunchy and yummy. The sashimi was great - refreshing and delicate - as it should be. There was also a nice sauteed salmon that I sprinkled some lemon on. I decided to pair everything with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc (which I have to admit, it was hard to go back to white wine since I have entered red wine season ... but I didn't want their Pinot Noir with my bento box and the other reds looked fair to heavy to have with fish.)

Of course, the conversation was the best part of the meal, because you can never go wrong with great company. Next month, we are will be exploring African fare, so I cannot wait to see where we go. Of course, the holiday season is quickly approaching so the next two months might be harder for us all to get together, and it is already making the think about what do we want to do next year, because it will be our fifth year -- which I think is absolutely amazing -- if we continue it next year, this little club will have gone five years strong!

It's amazing to me what having a nice little social network that has a consistent gathering cadence can do for your mental health -- it's so good for me to know that once a month, I get to just hang with some girlfriends, chat about everything and nothing, laugh and eat good food and drink good wine. It's also why I have been desperately trying to attend a new books and martini club a friend of mine started, but my schedule hasn't meshed well with that schedule (one of the casualties I am learning of having a kid in school ... time is now really flying by.)

Here's to the power of girl groups!

Penguins and School Kids

Yesterday, we took the boys to the zoo. It was a little too windy (= cold) for us to want to explore most of the outside exhibits, so we wandered the aquarium, tropical and half in/half out Minnesota trail. (Which, D proclaimed are his favorite parts anyway ... K was a little disappointed that we didn't go out to the tiger, but once he got a bag of trio mix popcorn, he focused on that instead.)

This was the first time going to the zoo where O would call out some of the animal names (he clearly knows monkeys, and everything about them) so there was an added element of excitement. The only thing we didn't think to plan ahead for was ... school groups. Typically we go on the weekends, but because I decided to use some vacation this fall to take Fridays off when K doesn't have school ... we are quickly learning that Fridays are not Saturdays when it comes to family adventures. This meant we did have to do some navigating around the kids with their scavenger hunts, but all in all, it was fun. We got to check out the new penguin exhibit. This was definitely the highlight as both boys are major penguin fans. And it was extra special that one penguin wanted to stay near the glass where O was. He was particularly pleased with himself.

The biggest surprise was when we were leaving and D said thank you to me for thinking up the idea of going to the zoo. My husband is always super appreciative ... but I wasn't expecting a thank you. (Especially since we are members ... and we usually are pretty good about going ... but maybe he was thanking me for getting them all out of the house.)

In two weeks, we'll be back at the zoo for their members-only HallZOOween event. This is something we've gone to since K was two, it's a nice way to go trick-or-treating indoors and with a better range of treats than just your standard candy (which is better for mommy, too.) It's also nice, because the goal is to be family-friendly, so masks are not allowed (it does mean K is a little limited when he wants to be certain costumes) but it also means I don't have to worry about teenagers scary my little munchkins. I am curious to see how long this will be an acceptable Halloween venture for K, I think this year I need to take note of how old the oldest kids look ...

When Life Gets in the Way

I cannot believe that the first week of October has come and gone and I haven't posted once. I guess it's a testament to how much I love October and how I try to spend my time sucking all the possible joy I can out of this autumn that I haven't had a chance to write.

This truly has been a fantastic autumn so far ... the weather has been unbelievable. We made our first trip to the apple orchard last week, and I know we'll make at least one more (we went on a Friday ... and we now know that we need to go early Saturday, so we can participate in the fun weekend activities.) We've cheered our little man at many flag football games and we've enjoyed seeing both boys splash and perfect their swimming skills.

We've watched all the premieres of new shows this fall (some winners, some losers) and we've been able to get reacquainted with some of our old favorites. (And I am just personally getting acquainted with Mad Men, and yes, I realized I was a fool not to get on that bandwagon much sooner.)

I've transitioned from white wine to red ... and sipped the luxury of the season with a sweet smile. I've enjoyed coffee and philosophical chats with colleagues and had to suck it up and face my conflict avoidance fears and made terrifying phone calls (that in the end were nothing to be afraid of, really.)

I've also introduced myself to George R.R. Martin and Game of Thrones. Not normally a book I would read, but when one of my favorite writers (Jen Lancaster, if you'd like to know)  said that she loved the book, I though I should give it a spin. Again, why didn't I get on that bandwagon sooner? It's the kind of book that has me visualizing the whole time. It's the kind of book that makes me say ... okay ... maybe the fantasy section isn't just for D&D players or Magic geeks like my husband. It also makes me cheer for Mr. Martin because if you read his bio in the back of the book ... if you balanced his failures against his successes, it would probably tip to failures (based purely on works being published.) But, oh his successes! He probably laughs when he thinks about any of his rejections now.

Simply put, life has definitely gotten in the way the past few weeks. But I can't complain. A busy life is a full life is a rich life. (If only I could convert it to actually money, then life would be perfect.) I hope that everyone else's October is providing the fulfillment and joy I've had the pleasure of experiencing ... here's to sustaining a great autumn!

Finding Contentment

Thank goodness fall is here. I seriously think the season twists and turns my mood into a positive thing when I might otherwise not be in a good mood. I also think all the activity in the house is having a profoundly positive impact on what has been quite the sour mood lately. So, once again, I must say ... thank goodness fall is here.

Being busy is making me savor the snuggle moments that I get to have at home with my boys when we're not traipsing all over the place from the grocery store to football to swimming. I also think D has come to terms with the fact that our family is probably going to stay at the quaint even number of four. (By handing over lots of our infant stuff to a close family member today ... I think it was his way of saying "don't think we're going to use a pack n' play again.")

Tomorrow, we'll drop off bags (yes, bags) of clothing at the Goodwill. The one near us just opened (and the parking lot was packed today, not sure if that was because it just opened and they had celebrations or if it will become the hot new place in town.) It does mean, we no longer have to drive 15 minutes away for our annual donation of clothing - which makes me that much happier.

And this Friday, we'll be making our first trek to the apple orchard of the season! Nothing gets my spirits up like doing the corn maze, sipping hot apple cider, going on a hay ride and buying yummy local apples.

I can tell my spirits are lifting, it's red wine season, and my pinot noir last night was fantastic (granted, it was one that had been in my wine cabinet for a few years, but age clearly did it a favor.) Here's to the best time of year -- and, yes, sis, I'll say it for you ... I love all things autumnal!

The Mighty PTO

As K entered Kindergarten, I wanted to make a concerted effort to be involved. Granted as a parent who has a second full-time job in corporate America ... being involved can sometimes present some challenges, particularly of the scheduling variety.

However, one thing I figured I could commit to is attending the monthly Parent/Teacher Organization meetings. One hour a month, that shouldn't be too hard, right? So, tonight was the first one of the school year. I arrived about five minutes early (because I like to be prompt) and at first wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. It was a small group, and they all clearly knew each other and were deep in conversation. (You know introverted me, I'm not exactly going to break into dialogue.)

Fortunately, right before the meeting started a familiar face came into the room. So ... in a nutshell, the PTO meeting definitely had some pluses and minuses. On the plus side, wholly information! I am so glad I went to hear about the Talent Development program (often known as gifted and talented programs) and state testing and hearing directly from the principal her goals, and some of the things she is focused on for the year. It's also amazing what kind of power the PTO has ... the group has a budget, and they get to determine how it is spent. So ... on behalf of all parents, the group of people who elect to show up get to determine how the money will be spent. I was sort of amazed and shocked by this power. (And D and I agreed that one of us should always try to show up at the meeting.)

The only major minus was, when you're used to the efficiency of meetings in corporate America, meetings outside of CA can feel a bit disorganized. I just wasn't used to a group that wasn't trying to drive forward some major agenda and was a little more relaxed. Probably a good thing for me to see how the rest of the world operates.

Like Fish to Water

Yesterday saw the start of our annual round of swimming lessons. But this year is a milestone, because it's O's first lesson. Yes, that unfortunately means I get to don a swimming suite and be in the pool with him, but I chalk it up to some quality O and mommy time.

K's lesson starts 15 minutes before O's lesson. So, we get to sit and watch him for a bit. He loves swimming, and I was so glad, because let me tell you ... it didn't necessarily start out on the right foot at first with my older son. He would just scream when I would try to get him to do the back float.

O is a completely different story (no surprise) the kid loves the water and took to the lesson immediately. Granted, he is so strong that when he just wants to kick and swim on his own, I'm in for a bit of a challenge, but I love that he sits there smiling and singing and laughing. Who knows ... maybe I'll have two Olympic swimmers to cheer for in 15 years!

New Beginnings - First Week of Kindergarten

This week brought a major life milestone at the house. It was K's first week of school. I was able to work from home on Wednesday, his official first day. We took photos (and apparently not fast enough for him at times ...) and made a special big breakfast. Everything was ready the night before and I had more than enough time to pack his lunch (the day does not start until 9:15 a.m.)

The excitement was obvious. He could not wait to see what this new adventure was going to bring. He couldn't get to the building fast enough. When we entered the room (the first week is the only time you are allowed to walk with them to their room w/o getting a visitor pass.) he quickly went to his cubby to put his stuff away. I was at first overwhelmed by the activity. You had to take their school supplies (that we had to meticulously label the week before) and put them in piles. I am guessing it's because they have tables, not desks and this helps keep only the items they need at their desk.

He sat down at his spot and tackled the coloring sheet the teacher had smartly put out to keep the kids entertained. He was ready to be done with us and dive into school. I looked at D, he stayed near the back of the room and let me deal with the small bit of chaos. We hugged our young man before we said our goodbyes and walked out the door.

As we walked out I looked at D. We'd both kept our composure in the room, but he was silent (even though O was a wiggly worm.) "How are you feeling?" I asked him. He looked at me and said, "I'll admit, it was a bit emotional for me." I smiled. Not surprised, this is the man who cried throughout our entire wedding ceremony.

...

At the end of the day, we picked up our newly minted Kindergartner. He had a great day and was excited to share all that he had done. The first thing he told me was how he made a new friend, and that he'd seen some of his friends from this summer during lunchtime. Then he told us how they did math and got to visit the library. His enthusiasm permeated the car ride home.

Yeah ... I can only hope the enthusiasm lasts the whole year ... and that each day he tells me about another exciting adventure. Here's to kindergarten!

Getting into a New Routine

It's a big week for us. Our firstborn son will start kindergarten in two days. It's a major milestone that cannot be denied. So, like families across the state, it's time to settle into a routine. I took advantage of the long holiday weekend to do anything but stick to a routine. When I looked at our calendar and realized that from now until the end of October, we will have something scheduled on every weekend day ... I knew that I needed to monopolize on the ability to do nothing while I could.

But tonight kicks off the need for a routine to our routine. We've logged all our days on our calendar, the Fridays that we have school, the Mondays that we don't. Everything is labeled and packed in the backpack. I have the menu planned for his first lunch. We bought an organizer for his closet so that we could plan out his clothes for the week. (A brilliant idea I took from Parents magazine. Seriously ... I should probably do the same for myself except that most of my clothes I hang. But really, any parent out there, I encourage you to do this. It was nice to just take 15 minutes tonight and pick out his clothes for the whole week. It will make the getting ready for school routine so much easier for my husband.)

And now, I am sipping tea and realizing it's probably a good time to start some personal regular routines. Hop back on the yoga in the morning routine, the self reflection at night by blogging routine or just reading, or maybe getting my arse into writing my own novel! Seriously ... too many ideas right now to put pen to paper ... I think that's why I'm struggling, I don't know which one will be the most fun to explore.

Back to my original point ... When you send one kid off to school, it makes the snuggles with the baby even more precious, because in four years ... I'll be doing the same thing with him. Of course, K will be an old pro by then, and if we stay put, they'll be at the same elementary school for two years (I think) so I know that I'll be able to count on him to guide his little bro. So, happy 2011-2012 school season to all the parents out there. Tomorrow's a big day for most, and Wednesday's a big day for those of us who have M/W kindergartners!

Fall into Fall

It's here, the air is crisp, the sky has a slight haze of gray, and you can already see Halloween decor on display. It's amazing how quickly my favorite time of year can swoop in. I'm thrilled and yet, this fall will be a whirlwind of activity ... but before I get to that ...I have to reflect on the farewell to summer event.

We went to the state fair this week ... just us four. It's the first time just the four of us went (okay, that's not too hard to believe since O isn't even two!) We got up early to try to avoid the crowds in some of the more popular buildings. When we got to the fair, we decided to make our way to the animal buildings first. On our way to the cow building ... we walked by the milking demonstration and they called out for volunteers for butter carving. K was in the action at no time. During the contest, he concentrated very hard on his creation. Fortunately, the guy judging asked the six kids to explain what they had carved. The only child's who was probably recognizable without their description won first place. I have to say, I was pretty impressed that K with his alien truck got third place. And his very own state fair ribbon! It was really perhaps the best way to start the day.

We enjoyed a few nibbles of food and walked around. K tried out every fun house, and I took O down the junior big slide. (Yes, walking up the stairs is an unfair and grueling activity ... they really make you earn that ride going down.) It was a nice way to bid adieu to the summer and jump into my favorite time of year ...

Which leads me to the fair that I am not really going to know where this autumn is going to go ... in looking at my calendar between K's football games and both boys' swimming lessons ... I will not have a free day on the weekend until November - that is pure craziness. And later this week brings a major milestone known as that first day of Kindergarten ... my baby is growing up and I've got just five more days to prepare for him to truly become a big boy and enter school. How any parent can completely prepare for this is beyond me - but I guess all we can do is love them and prepare them to the best of our ability.

Autumn ... please don't go by too fast, please!

Afghani Food Treat

This weekend my restaurant/wine club ventured out to a place called Khyber Pass ... and I forgot to take pictures. However, the food was great. It's not the first time I've eaten at Khyber Pass, so I knew what I was getting into.

We started off with some aushak. Basically, they were this square ravioli dumplings that had leeks and beef in them. They were topped with a yogurt sauce that had a very strong and distinct mint flavor to them. It was not at all what I was expecting, but definitely was a good way to start the evening off. Refreshing and promising in about three bites.

For my main course, I selected the vegetarian special: kadoo borani. It basically was a lot of butternut squash love (and for those who know me ... that is a very good thing!) Thick chunks of squash were placed on a bed of basmati rice and then drizzled with a yogurt sauce. The spices on the dish were very flavorful ... and let's be honest, I ate more than I should. I have to take advantage of being able to order butternut squash ... because for some reason ... I am completely inept at cooking it on my own. I paired my entree with an Australian sauvignon blanc (they didn't appear to have any regionally appropriate wines on the menu, and I was just grateful for wine on the menu!)

So, knowing full well that I was full ... I did it anyway ... I ordered dessert. I ordered a milk custard treat called fimi. The menu explained that it was made with cardamom and rose water ... when I took my first bite ... let's just say I got a mouthful of rose. At first I wasn't sure if I would like it or not ... but two bites later, I decided a floral dessert is a great way to end the evening.

Khyber Pass is a nice quaint little restaurant that doesn't have a too overwhelming menu and provides good simple food and a really amazing price.Cheers!

It's Almost Here

Tomorrow is the first day of the annual Great Minnesota Get-Together! Yes, the state fair is upon us. Of course, like most folks, I wanted to get my tickets in advance (hey, saving seven bucks means one extra treat at the fair.) Well, of course, everyone else had the same idea yesterday ... so I actually had to wait in line - that was crazy.

My parents always go to the fair on the first day (we'll be making our yearly trek next week, and for the first time, it will be just me and my boys ... no other family members ... so we'll have to be our own cruise directors - it will definitely be interesting, because I think we kind of default to what other people want to do and now, one of us will need to take the lead. I have a feeling it will need to be me.

Now ... I love the state fair for all its people watching glory. Yes, the food is fun, and the music is lively, but when it comes down to it, it's all about the people. The state fair is a non-discriminating event ... every type of person imaginable shows up ... and what I love most is seeing how the people respond in a crowd. For some it brings out the best, they're more courteous, friendly and outgoing. For others, it brings out the worst (D kind of fits into this latter category ... which is while I am going to probably have to be the one who plans out the agenda.)

But let's put it all out there ... next to the people watching ... what I truly love about the state fair is what it signals: the end of summer and the beginning of FALL!!! Oh, my mouth waters in anticipation of all the great delights of fall - the crisp air, the sweater wearing, the pumpkin treats and trips to the apple orchard. If I could have only one season all year, it would be fall. I wax poetic each and every year about this time, because this is the season I am truly the happiest. I can already hardly contain my giddiness, because now every day, I'll hear on the radio them broadcasting at the fair and that means my time is almost hear!

Three cheers to autumnal experiences!

Stripe Attack

When it comes to painting my boys' rooms, I don't like to take the easy route, no I like to outline some crazy ambitious plan and make myself pay for it. So, when I decided to take a day off to paint a room, I think some folks were skeptical. "Does she really need three days to paint a room?" The simple answer: yes.

K's room was beige. And not a pretty Martha Stewart neutral palette beige ... but a dated, yellow, icky beige. We just hadn't gotten around to painting the room because life was a constant on the move thing ... and well, K is only in his room to sleep. (We're those crazy kind of parents who won't let our children have TVs in their room.)

So, I declared that we would in fact paint K's room before he started kindergarten. It was essential for my son to have a room that felt like his place, not some cast-off leftover of the previous owners (who took their realtor's advice to paint half the interior rooms with that horrible semi-gloss beige paint.)

Day 1 found us spackling, sanding, cleaning and taping walls. I was lucky enough to get a first coat of the base color on the walls before it was too late in the evening. The second day, I put on the second coat of base color and then after what felt like adequate drying time, I taped up the first layer of stripes. It looked something like this:

There is something very cathartic about meticulously measuring out stripes and then leveling them out to make sure they are straight, and applying the tape across. Of course, I also had to have a very specific pattern - so the darker stripe is half the width of the lighter stripe. I was crazy, I stayed up until 1 a.m. carefully applying the paint and making sure I got it "just so." Because I had the windows open, I was entertained by our neighbor's kid who was having her last hurrah before going off to college, as she sat there and reminisced with her friends. When I saw how late it was when I had finished the darker blue stripe ... I couldn't believe myself.

But doing just two colors wouldn't have been enough of a challenge. I like things in three. O has three colors on his wall, so I needed to give K the same type of balance. So, on the third day ... I applied the smaller stripe, a beautiful chocolate brown that broke up the two blues. After three long days ... this is what I had to show for it:

A view of the door way, which I also decided to accent by painting in the darker blue.

A view from the other side of the room, at an angle. Now we do need to look for new window treatments to go with the room.

At the end of the day, K says he loves it ... which is what matters most to me. However, I wonder if he really loves it, or if he loved the fact that he got to have a slumber part for four nights because he couldn't sleep in his room!

On a Mission for a Cake

I have been on a mission to make a perfect flourless chocolate cake. I have made many attempts at this mission but have yet to achieve success. Typically, my product tastes good, but doesn't look edible. This happened last holiday season when I found an easy basic recipe. It was the best tasting chocolate dessert I had ever made ... it did not see the light outside of my immediate family member because I clearly did not whip the egg whites enough and it deflated and looked like a very sad mess.

So, when I saw the flourless chocolate cake recipe in my Baked cookbook, I knew one day I would need to try and conquer my mission once again. I love the Baked books, there is something whimsical to their recipes -- just a special spin to take something familiar and give it an edge. They've yet to do me wrong. So, I braced myself and decided last weekend to dive in.

Let's face it ... you typically can't go wrong when your recipe starts with this:

Melted chocolate ready, I whipped my egg whites, mixed my yolks with my sugar and basically took my time. The resulting cake came out very lovely (I forgot to take a picture before the next step ...) Which leads me to the hidden secret of the beauty of this cake. There is a "hidden" layer of chocolate ganache on the top before you pour on the glaze. So if the cake wasn't fudgy or chocolatey enough for you ... this secret layer is surely to do the trick ...

After you let it sit in the freezer for five minutes to have the ganache set ... you then pour the rest of the glaze on the cake for a pretty chocolate masterpiece.

In the end, I was just happy to have finally made a flourless chocolate cake that both looked and tasted good. I think I could have baked it for a few more minutes, but I wanted to make sure I didn't burn it (they warn you about that in the recipe ... and goodness knows, I don't want to take chances.)

The true testament to the cake though came a few days later, when D told me a friend had stopped by, commented that the cake looked good, so then D offered him a slice. The response was that it tasted good, too. I can't pass up unsolicited praise, and am just glad that I may have a chocolate lovers' treat that I can whip up in a couple of hours!

Walls of Happiness

I consider myself amazingly lucky. I have two beautiful boys who are full of personality and energy and make every day enjoyable. I have a husband who knows me better than anyone else, who can get on my nerves faster than anyone else because of it, but can also make me laugh on a daily basis (as long as it's a good day.)

So, I try to repay my three great loves with doing things to try to make our house a home. This weekend that brought the task that I am currently taking a small break from. We are painting K's room ... and because we try to do it right, it means a whole day of prep work, from taping, spackling and sanding it to get it ready for the paint. I'll post some "after" photos, but I will say that I enjoy painting. It's probably partly because I love the mindless activity of it, but also you get some amazing instant gratificaton.

Here's to creating walls of happiness for my little man.

One Project Sorta' Done, A Million To Go

In our "dining room" we have a lovely wall that is a blank canvas. When we first moved in, I decided to make it a spot for a photo frame collage. I have to say, I loved it, it looked right out of the good barn o'pottery. Then, when we finally got to painting our kitchen (was that last summer ... I think it was) I took down all the pictures and spackled the wall, so we could paint it. It has taken me until this weekend to start to put back up the collage. Part of it was that I knew we needed to update our photos, so that there was more than just one picture of O. The other part, was with our new(ish) paint color, I wanted to make the wall a tad more artsy, which meant, I needed to go and print all the photos in black and white.

So, this weekend, I got about 50 percent of the wall back up. I know it's wrong to be proud of yourself, but I have to say, it's nice to get those photos back up there ... and it's fun to have both boys represented. And I was able to make the center photos two pictures of the boys that look very similar ... and it's kind of amazing how much they actually do look alike - my little yin and yang. Of course, I have many other projects that must be completed before the snow falls (which who knows when that will be, in this crazy state.)

One is painting K's room. He wants a superhero themed room ... which seems fine at five, but how long will it last? So, I want to go with a slightly more sophisticated superhero room. I found an idea I liked online, but clearly after searching for other ideas ... it tended to be the most replicated idea ... so I'm not sure if I still want to move forward with it, because we do want our boys to feel like they have their own unique space. (And, I also don't want to be repainting it in two years ...) So, that's next week's project. I took Friday off, so that we can get a head start.

In not so great news ... my check engine light came on again! Seriously, I think that is the second time this year. Granted, my car is eleven years-old, but we most definitely do not have the funds right now to get a new car (or even a very used new car) so I am not sure what we will do. Can we survive as a one-car family? (With only very old cars?) I need to become more frugal, so that I can make bigger dents in all our obligations so that we can buy a new car ASAP. I think I'll start a donation fund, if anyone would like to contribute ... just let me know.

Thank You, Mario

Okay, so it's time for full disclosure ... my goal to make one recipe out of every issue of Food & Wine finally hit a bump -- I missed out on July. Well ... I made half of a recipe, because, yes, it was that complicated and was a two-day affair. But then life got in the way. Well, at least it was all good things that got in the way. Time with family, taking our trip up to Duluth. It was an ambitious recipe for a crazy month. And before I knew it ... July was gone.

So, maybe that is why I made sure I made my August recipe now (of course, was it any surprise that the September issue was in my mailbox on Saturday??)

What did I take on? Zucchini-Ricotta Fritters from Mario Batali. I was thrilled when I found a zucchini recipe, because our little backyard garden has been quite fruitful when it comes to a few things: cucumber (more than I could ever ask for), cherry tomatoes (delish) and zucchini. We've been lucky to enjoy a few other items, like cabbage and a watermelon, but zukes and cukes have reigned supreme. So, when I found an intriguing recipe that would use up some of my harvest - I knew it would be my August choice (and since I do have a couple weekends left, who knows, maybe I'll tackle something else, too.)

K was very much about helping me create the fritters, which made me happy - because maybe then he would eat zucchini more enthusiastically. So, after coarsely grating the vegetables and mixing it all in, it was already a promising bowl of color:

The secret ingredient (which I'll explain why it's a secret a bit later) was lemon zest. This meant I got to teach K how to use my zesting tool ...

And then, my little sous chef went to mixing ...

He swore not to tell daddy that there was lemon zest, because D hates anything with citrus in his food. After carefully mixing everything up, and with K at a very safe distance from the stove, it was time to fry up some fritters:

Now, I am not a huge fan of eating a lot of fried food, but I have noticed in every recipe where I fry zucchini ... it always ends up with good results, and this zucchini had cheese in it ... how can you go wrong with fried cheese? Of course, I did set the fritters on paper towels to allow the extra oil to be absorbed.

In the end, I had a plate of more fritters than I was originally planning (and note, I had already eaten two of them ...)

(I really need to get white plates.) In the end, the result was a winner! Even D thought they were delicious -- which is monumental, because he doesn't like zucchini at all and he doesn't like citrus in his fruit (which I still haven't told him about at this point ...)

So, thank you, Mario Batali, I think I have finally found a way to get my men to eat zucchini and I no longer have to enjoy the delightful vegetable solo.

New Toys

Today is like Christmas for D. He received his new smart phone in the mail. Now, let me rewind ... when it comes to technology ... I'm a simple lady. I have a very basic, non-fussy phone. I don't even text ... (I know how, I just choose not to) yes, I know, hard to believe ... but I am starting to embrace social media does that balance it out?

Due to my job at work, I was provided smart phone... since that day, all I would ever hear from D is how badly he wanted ... no needed ... his own phone. Because, yes, every stay-at-home-dad is not complete without a smart phone. I, for some reason, just couldn't comprehend why he needed one. He could hop on the computer whenever he needed to access the Internet. He already is on the phone with his friends more than I am. Yeah ... for some crazy reason, I just didn't understand.

Well ... after months of trying to convince me, I finally just broke down because I couldn't deal with the pouting every time I would pull out my phone. (And yes, I still have my basic cell phone for my personal life, because I do like to keep them separate to a degree.) So, this week, he ordered his phone.

Last night, he told me he was having buyer's remorse. I asked him what he meant, and he confessed that maybe my suggestion that a table was more what he would want was right. (Because, honestly, I think it all comes down to him wanting to play on the Internet when he is watching TV ...) Alas, tonight when the phone arrived, I could tell the buyer's remorse had disappeared. He's like a kid on Christmas day ... and now I feel like I might have my own little teenager who is going to have a texting problem.

Sunshine, Sea and Nudity

This past weekend, we took a mini-vacation and went up to Duluth with some friends who also have two boys. K loves Duluth. It's full of rock-climbing, water-splashing adventure ... and you get to sleep in a hotel ... go out to eat every meal ... and frankly just live the life.

I enjoy Duluth, but as anyone who has been up there during the summer can attest to, it is a slightly overpriced tourism mecca. Alas, I cannot complain when I see the smiles on my boys faces (and frankly O is just about freedom, so any chance he had for a little freedom made him happy.)

We got lots of sun, and spent the first day touring an art fest. The best part was the scavenger hunt through the Depot ... it took hours (because we made sure to stop and appreciate everything) and entertained K like there was no tomorrow. O was particularly found of the location in the Children's Museum because he was able to climb over everything, bang blocks and scream ... and he fit right in with the rest of the crowd.

The next day, we went to Gooseberry Falls. It's a great  hiking adventure ... of course, the last time we were there I was pregnant with O, so hiking and being pregnant was oh, so fun. This time, we had two strollers, so we weren't able to take some of the more "challenging" hiking trails, so where we had hiked to last time, we drove to this time. After playing in the falls, K had exclaimed that at the lake he wanted to swim naked. At first, I didn't think he was serious ... but I was wrong. He was truly serious. We got to the lake, and there goes my little man, taking all his clothes off. Now, granted in the U.S. we aren't typically ones for extreme nudity ... but more importantly ... the water was unbelievably COLD. How he handled it, I don't know. But he jumped around, swam, played on the little islands, like a carefree boy of yonder before clothes were invented. He had not a care in the world (and I, of course, have pictures to prove it when he's sixteen and can be easily embarrassed.)

The innocence of childhood, those are the moments I want to savor forever. And, O was just a water baby like no one else. He was amazingly good at staying just on the edge and not going in where he'd get wet unless it was his choice. His toothy grin was definitely an added ray of sunshine to the events.
It was a great trip, and I'm happy to add those memories to our portfolio of memories for life.

And ... can you believe it's AUGUST?!!! I cannot ... while this summer has been great (garden, trips, farmers market and just fun lazy days) August means that my favorite time of year is just around the corner...

Already a Big Boy

O is a climber. A masterful artist of propelling himself upward and leveraging any device he can to explore new heights.

Exhibit A: When I was working in the garden this past weekend, he positioned himself on the wire fencing and quickly climbed halfway up in the matter of three seconds. (There went our theory that he could help me in the garden because I could close the gate behind me and he would be safe and blocked inside.)

Exhibit B: His crib. He had no problem slinging his leg to the top of his crib and then using his toddler upper body strength to pull the rest of himself up, only to fling himself over and crash land. This problem started about a week ago. D and I were completely unprepared. K never did anything of this sort. No desire to fling himself out of the crib. In fact, I think we just transitioned him to a toddler bed at the age of two because we thought he'd be more comfortable not being confined.

As a reminder O is only 19-months-old. He's still a little pumpkin and while by definition, he's a toddler ... he's my baby. In desperation, I put a call for help out on the discussion board we have for working moms at the big company. (Definitely a perk of working for a large company is the social networks that exist.) The advice came fiercely and quickly ... they all declared it might be time to transition him to a toddler bed. I was in shock ... he's still a baby ... there's no way he is ready...

Alas, I shared the advice with D and he decided we should take the plunge and see what happens. So we converted the crib to a toddler bed last night ... and it worked! Of course, at first you could see the smile and mischief in O's eyes when he realized he was no longer confined to his bed ... but after a quick scolding that it was bed time and he needed to lay down, he listened.

I cannot believe it worked ... and I cannot believe my tiny little baby is now in a toddler bed. I know that at the end of the day, the quick transition was harder for me than it was for him. And D said this morning he came running in our bedroom all exciting yelling daddy! daddy! My little baby cannot be growing up this fast ... but he is ... and his big brother starts kindergarten this fall. Time really is precious and now I must go in and sneak a peek at my sleeping babies.

Latin Fusion in my Tummy

I love my wine club ... but I have to say the one thing about having a monthly get-together is that it certainly does rush the passage of time. I feel like it was just a few weeks ago that we were getting together for French cuisine (and in reality, it was!) and just last night we were gathered again for July's venture. I never could have guessed how fitting the decision to have Latin American cuisine in July would have been.

Much like the rest of the country right now ... we are in a heat wave of disgusting proportions (seriously, I merely walk out on my deck and I break into a sweat. To quote D this afternoon when he stepped outside for a moment, "I think I just walked out on the sun." (Granted, I'm a huge fan of thunderstorms, so I have enjoyed those in the evening, since they go hand-in-hand with unbearable heat.) Unfortunately, the torrential rain on Friday had caused the major highway I was planning on using to get to the restaurant to flood. So thanks to my inner navigational system and the GPS, I was able to get to Cafe Ena just in time.

I am not sure if the sweet little restaurant had air conditioning (and I am amazed at the brave souls who chose to eat outside) because I felt the ambiance truly suited itself to feeling like we were in Latin America eating dinner. But it was a truly splendid dinner all in all. (I have to commend us ladies, we have been doing a good job picking out the monthly spots!) To guide me through dinner ... I had a lovely Torrontes ... in fact, I realized after I ordered it, that I actually had a bottle of the stuff at home. I am a huge Sauvignon Blanc fan, but I have to tell you Torrontes and Albarino have become my go-to whites in the summer heat!

First course, we decided to split two appetizers. My boss (who is a big fan of Cafe Ena told me that we just had to try the Chile En Nogada. The Chile En Nogada is a roasted Poblano pepper stuffed with grass fed ground beef, raisins, red onion, braised apples, in a apple walnut sauce, drizzled with a pomegranate glaze. The apple walnut sauce elevated this appetizer ... and it had subtle flavor of fall ... which was a little off in the sweltering heat, but it could definitely be some one's light meal if they wanted something that is so complex that the flavors meld together beautify.

Our second appetizer was Calamares (in other words, calamari). It was in a yellow corn crust and drizzled with a chimichuri sauce. It also came with aioli ... but the light, fresh, lemony calamari did not need any sauce. I think it was the best calamari I have ever had ... and I love calamari ... so I often try to enjoy it at restaurants. There was something ... maybe it was the chimichuri ... that made it so light and refreshing, it was truly a plate that no one wanted any to go to waste!

For my entree ... I of course asked the waiter once again for recommendations. He provided three ... sadly they were the three that I was already considering so it didn't help me narrow down my choices. (The menu is truly mouth-watering and narrowing it down is perhaps the most difficult. After much consideration ... I selected what was called Conchas. The menus description: Coriander-cardamom dusted sea scallops served over a coconut risotto, sauteed baby spinach, in a curry cream sauce, topped with a pineapple salsa.

Of course, I am on a huge coconut craze right now, for some reason, and I think it was the coconut risotto that made me select this in the end. I loved the risotto and the pineapple salsa was a bit of a surprise. The scallops were not the best scallops I've ever had ... but they were a delightful scallop nonetheless. They melted in your mouth and if you were careful about getting all the flavors on your fork, it was a very nice contrast of flavors on your tongue.

Dinner is not complete without dessert. Unlike at Meritage last month ... this time I devoured the whole dessert. Perhaps it is become the lemon pie came with ice cream ... and this summer I am all about ice cream (my children have been grateful for the fact that there have been two occasions - today included - where I have declared ice cream for lunch or dinner.) I also loved the lemon pie ... it was a little richer than what I was anticipating, but a great citrus cut to the evening. And the mango coulis on the plate ... amazing!!! I think it really did make the pie.

I would highly recommend Cafe Ena - it's reasonably priced for what you get and would definitely make a great date night, girls' night or just for someone looking to branch out. Nice job!

Suburban Farmer

I just returned from working in our little backyard garden. I decided to uproot the yellow squash plant. In our inaugural venture, I think we were a bit overzealous on the capacity of our sweet little garden ... and it just couldn't compete with the zucchini plant ... and if I had to choose which one was going to stay ... well it was z for sure.

I have to say, I never thought I would get so excited to see the little green tomatoes, all the great zucchini, the baby watermelons and our cabbage ... and I am anticipating a cucumber explosion in the next week or so (but was able to harvest four lovely cukes today!)

Even though I am the only one who is really working in the garden, I can tell that D is quite intrigued with the possibilities (and okay, he has watered it a few times when we've had a dry spell ... but I'm the one who has to go in there and plunk out the vegetables making sure my arms are covered so that I don't get all scratched up. It's crazy, fun, and definitely imparts a feeling of accomplishment knowing that I am doing my part to teach my boys about healthy, sustainable living.

And I cannot wait until those tomatoes ripen ... in fact, as I had to pick out some today at the grocer ... D smiled and said ... it won't be too much longer until you can just go out into the backyard and pick some at your leisure ... then I'll know I'm in heaven!

Social Media Blizzard

Alright ... so I am trying to get on this whole social media train. I figure it will help my game as the workforce is more naturally geared to it for me to understand this communication approach, right? So, I've created my Twitter account, I'm set up on Google+, I already am a huge advocate of LinkedIn (seriously, who doesn't love looking up where people land after they leave your company ... networking at it's finest) and, of course, I am a daily visitor to the land of Facebook. And my company has their own social media platform that they are testing, and of course, my team has to be one of the first testers ... it would be strange not to be.

So, we'll see how it goes ... how well my attention span can handle this flurry of activity (and trying to decide who to follow, which circles to put people ... and really, how do you determine what to put on twitter vs. facebook vs. google (okay, I know that there is the ability to put your tweet on facebook ... I just haven't gotten there yet.)

Odds Against Us

When it comes to odds ... D and I have a lot of them against us. This reality hit me like a soft snowball this weekend when my mom described a couple as "being about D's age." Not ... about you and your husband's age, but just his age. Yes, my husband is a hair over seven years older than me. (But, if you figure maturity ... we're probably close to the same age.)

I don't really think about our age difference that often ... but it is interesting how other people ponder it ... or are shocked by it. And yes, it's amazing how many people have no problem telling us that often couples with that type of age gap don't last. (Unfortunately, D had a cousin his age marry a woman my age ... and I dont' think the marriage lasted a year. D's dad responded, "that's not surprising considering their age difference." I later had to ask D if his dad realized their age difference was the same as ours.)

And of course, D and I come from very different socioeconomic backgrounds. We were raised very differently ... our families look at family differently ... oh, we're different ethnicities ... we have some very differing political viewpoints ... he's a homebody, and I like to go out and do things. He's a spender, I'm a saver. It's sort of amazing that we can make things work ... but I like to think it is because of the way we complement each other. Where our similarities build strength and where our differences balance each other out.

And hell ... we have two amazing kids and I think we both recognize the important roles we each played in their creation. While the odds may be against us ... and I'm not typically a gambler ... I'll place my best on this one.

Happiness ... is a smiling toddler

I don't know if I've ever known a person who is as happy as O. Seriously, this kid smiles about everything. He runs up to everyone he can and shouts hi to them, and repeats it until they respond. And it's hard to deny him a response, because the whole time he has the world's cheesiest grin on his face.

D and I have truly lucked out when it comes to well-tempered children. (Now, don't let me fool you, both of my sons are also very talented when it comes to throwing a temper tantrum - the flinging your whole body on the floor screaming variety.) However, for the most part, they are happy boys. Even our pediatrician commented that he was amazed at how good-natured O was at his 18-month check-up. He said, usually this one is the hardest one for kids ... but no, O just sat there grinning from ear to ear and babbled away.

I have to say, whenever I'm feeling even slightly askewed, I just have to think of the cheesy grin of O and the dimpled smirk of K and I am recentered on my purpose for living. My purpose is to help maintain their happiness, make sure that those smiles stay on their faces as much as possible. My heart breaks a little every time they get hurt or sad ... (of course, K is at the age where he knows how to totally capitalize on this ... )
Being a mom is the most rewarding, hard and painful job out there (next to being a dad, of course.)

Here's to fulfilling my purpose every day.

Oui, Vino

This weekend once again brought wine club ... our adventure took place at Meritage, a little French restaurant in St. Paul. The restaurant, owned and operated by the Chef Russell Klein and his wife is situated in a beautiful section of St. Paul. (Then again, I love St. Paul ... there's something about the city that makes me long to live there ... it's quiet, quaint and peaceful ... the roadway/street system needs some work, but that's okay, nobody's perfect.)

The ambiance was nice, the way the tables were situated, where we sat seemed intimate, as though we were transported to our own private restaurant. Our waiter was pleasant ... vaguely familiar feeling ... but attentive in a French way ... in no desire to rush our dining experience and leaving us alone for most of the evening. (In fact, the entire wait staff was truly excellent, explaining each dish as they brought it to our table with flourish.) I'm sort of a pain where I often ask my server recommendations, and the man who assisted us tonight was clearly up to the challenge.

I started my dinner with a lovely white asparagus soup topped with house made pancetta, asparagus salad and almonds. It was a very smooth soup that slid down my throat and warmed my stomach. It was welcoming to a dining experience and warning me to enjoy every bite. No need to gulp down my food. (And seriously topping soup with pancetta ... I think it would be hard to go wrong with such a delightful move.) The flavor of the asparagus was delicate ... not overpowering (probably because this was made from white asparagus ... but in this instance ... subtlety was good thing.

After a lovely foundation, I decided to sample the plat du jour. Which was a beautiful duck from the Wild Acres Farm. It was done to perfection (I hate to admit it, but I do like my meat with a little red juice coming from it.) It was accompanied by a lovely quinoa in duck jus and what I think the server said was a scallion puree. It all came together very nicely on my plate. The layer of flavors complementing each other elegantly, as if saying to each other that they could take turns taking center stage. There was no competition here ... everything melted in your mouth like a sweet symphony.

Evidence of the perfectly done-ness of the duck. The fat on the meat was done to such a perfect crispness. I don't know if I've actually had duck before tonight ... but if I have, I don't think it would have compared to this plate of divinity.

I ended the evening with a strawberry souffle glace which was atop a dark chocolate cookie with rhubarb marmalade and a hazelnut biscotti:

As you can see ... it was a very nice way to end the meal. It was like capturing the first days of summer in your spoon. Of course, the only bad thing was that I could only eat about half of it. Ever since I cut back on sugar, I've learned my tolerance is very low before I start to feel sick. So, while I envied my companions who enjoyed all of their desserts to the last bite ... I knew leaving half of mine still at the table was the best choice for me in the end. But it was the perfect bookend to the evening.

Once again, a new restaurant a new adventure. The company was amazing, the conversation always intriguing and I felt like I had a mini vacation for a few hours. I always enjoy these monthly ventures ... and I'm super excited for next month as we dip our toes at a Latin American restaurant.



Entering the Madness

Every summer for the last four years that we've lived here ... we've avoided it. The "it" I am referring to is the world's largest soccer tournament. It takes over the city for a number of days and makes what is typically a quick trip to Target a painful endeavor (that would be because Target just happens to be across from some of the main fields.) This also means that soccer teams who have downtime use the Target as a playground. In fact, last year, I decided to drive to the next down and do my grocery shopping there ... all to avoid what we fondly coined "soccer-crazy-madness."

This year ... we will be part of "soccer-crazy-madness." Yes, that is right, K has two soccer games and D is coaching them (I told him it wasn't going to be just one game he would coach this year when he agreed to be assistant coach.) So, we will be embracing the parking craziness only to fight crowds and try to make sure we show up at the right field. Oh, and because D will be busy coaching ... I will need to entertain O (and let's be honest, an 18-month-old is not too interested in the soccer game.

And the weather here has been a bit on the chilly side, so I think I'll need a thermos of coffee to help carry me through the day. I'm super excited that K gets to play a game that is not butting heads with his bedtime, and he's so excited that he is playing soccer. So, I'm going to embrace the madness gladly and cheer on my boys. Here's to fully immersing myself into soccer-mommy-hood.

Father's Day

Today is Father's Day. A day where many honor the dads in their life with well wishes and tokens of affection. I have a great dad. Granted, my dad is the kind of man who would have been more comfortable with sons ... instead he ended up with three daughters. Of course, we girls adapted ... we went hunting, fishing and camping. We were the best "sons" we could be (and I have now completely reverted into the girly girl that I was not raised to be ... and not quite a complete girly girl as I am trying to finesse aging into a sophisticated woman.)

So, his next hope was that we would marry men like him. The standard Midwestern hunting, fishing, watch sports on the telly-type of guys. Sorry dad. I think you're going to be 0 - 3 on that one. Well ... at least D fishes and while some sports he enjoys, he can pretty much watch any sport and go along as though he was a fan. So, I guess it's not completely 0 - 3. My sisters' significant others may fish (I'm not 100% sure) and M's boyfriend does enjoy sports. But when it comes to hunting ... that's where he struck out.

He did luck out with two grandsons (who are absolutely delightful if I say so myself.) But of course, me and D are raising them ... so I can sometimes see where he (and my mom) are confused with the way we raise them. Why did we let K choose soccer over baseball? (It's what he wanted ...) Of course, I've seen him warm up and come to accept me and D as the parents and that our choices are just that ... our choices ... for raising our boys. Which brings me to the other important father in my life. D.

D is an amazing dad. Sometimes he's a bit more militant when it comes to discipline, and I think I overcompensate and have become a super-softy. But, for the most part, I can tell K and O respect him. They listen to him. Better than they listen to me, actually. And even when K is upset with something D may have done, at the end of the day, he can't go to bed until daddy comes up and gives him a kiss goodnight. And O, well, daddy is his world. (It's one of the sad residuals of having a stay-at-home-husband ... the attachment that often is connected with babies and mommies shifts to babies and daddies.) D went to the movies with a friend on Saturday and O was devastated that he left. And today, D went out to grab lunch and once again, O was beside himself with sadness that daddy had left. The attachment can make me a bit jealous at times (and makes the snuggles I do get from O all that much more precious.) However, I wouldn't change it for the world. I am glad that my boys have such an amazing dad in their lives.

Here's to great dad's everywhere. Any man can father a child, but only truly amazing men can be great dads.

Exasperated

'Nuf said.

Future Athletes of America

The first half of my summer is peppered with soccer games and practices. K was given the choice between t-ball or soccer and he chose the latter. I would have been happy with either, but I will confess, soccer is a tiny bit more fun to watch (I prefer games with time limits as opposed to the opportunity to last for hours ...)

The first two games his team played, they won. In fact, the first game they played they stomped the competition (D would probably attribute it to his coaching as he stood in for the normal coach.) This week was a little different. The opposing team was like a bunch of 16-year-olds in 5-year-old bodies. They were fast, they were coordinated, they were focused. It definitely made our little team look a little like the Mighty Ducks  or Bad News Bears.

And ... clearly ... the parents couldn't handle it. (Now, let me just state for the record, as far as I can tell, no one keeps track of the score except for the parents ... oh, and did I mention ... they are 5?? The parents on the sidelines were yelling and coaching. And D was very much in the action. I had mixed emotions, yes, I want my son to learn the fundamentals of the sport and be able to feel confident about his playing ability ... but I also want him to have fun.

So, I guess it didn't bother me as he was running down the field with a huge grin on his face without a care in the world ... until he heard his dad yell "focus, K ... focus on the ball." It broke my heart a little. I loved that the pure pleasure of the moment was right on my son's face and I could vicariously experience his joy. Of course, when he was jerked out of his daydream he gave a tiny scowl and then got back in the game.

It created quite the dialogue between D and I later in the evening. Me defending the free spirit, he's just 5, let him have fun argument. D explaining that the reason we have him in sports is to learn focus, teamwork and hone his gross motor skills. We both were right ... and we acknowledged we were both right ... but how do you compromise? I'm just hoping maybe the focus on some of the foot control skills and kicking at practice ... I could use a less dramatic game next week.