February 2010
14 posts
A Little Peace
It’s been said that Sunday is the day of rest. Does this brilliant concept refer to those of us with kids? It most certainly does if we redefine the word rest.
For me Sundays are a day to reflect and recharge, so that I’m ready to face the week ahead. It’s by no means a “spa day” (although, man, I’d really love one of those!), but a day where I make it a...
January 2010
11 posts
Grace Under Fire
I guess it’s a right of passage for a child to stick a foreign object up their nose. When I was about 5 years old, I recall thinking that a piece of styrofoam ought to spend some time in my left nostril. When I couldn’t get it out using the end of a plastic comb, I told my mom, who promptly rushed me to the hospital.
Well, Maggie is proudly carrying on the family tradition. Today...
2 tags
Sunny Days
We like ritual around our house. I use the word ritual because “predictability” sounds so, well… predictable. But truthfully, after having Maggie, a big part of our life seems to revolve around food and sleep. As long as things happen on time and in the right succession, Maggie stays pretty even-tempered, which means that I get to maintain my sanity. Good things.
One of our...
Onward Kalamata!
Would you believe me if I told you that my daughter loves kalamata olives? I’m not lyin’! Maggie loves Greek olives so much that when we go out to eat she asks the waiter for a side of kalamatas with whatever she’s ordered for dinner. Strange behavior for a three year old? You betchya. But wait, I can top that: Maggie also loves… blue cheese—the stinkier the...
Tiny Dancer
Maggie goes to ballet class on Wednesdays. It’s my favorite time of the week. The intense concentration on her face as she brings her little feet into first position just makes me smile. Maggie is usually the first one running into class and the last to leave. Cute right?
I brought my camera with me today so I could capture a “poetic” (yep, that’s what I was going for)...
Starry Night
6:30 A.M. Today
Me: What should I blog about today, Maggie? Maggie: Ummm … the moon and the stars.
How to relate the moon and the stars to being a mom … I’m riffing here:
Maggie has been obsessed with the moon since she was ten months old. Her big afternoon outing when she was that age was a stroll around the yard. This began her pointing phase. She pointed at the...
Grin and Pear It
I’m not a fan of kids on sugar. Set aside for a moment the whole it’s bad for you thing. I just want to focus on what my child becomes after eating a cupcake:
a.) whirling-dirvish, b.) Taz-manian Devil, c.) Tigger, or d.) all of the above.
Yep … d.
I have no intention of keeping all sweets from my kid but I do have to make sure that I, as her caregiver and mama, can handle...
2 tags
The Evolution of the Hike
I hiked three miles the day I gave birth to my daughter. I’m not bragging, merely using it as an illustration of just how essential hiking is to my sanity. There is a good chance I hiked every day until my due date … and I know I hiked everyday after my due date because I was doing everything to try to convince the kid to be born.
My obsession with hiking began after I learned...
Dinner with Friends
Every month or so my friend, Elena, comes over to cook with me. Of course we can’t leave the three year old out of the preparations. So, Maggie puts on her apron grabs a bowl and spoon and gets to work in her little wooden kitchen while we work in the “big” kitchen. These are the nights when Maggie gets to eat her beloved mac and cheese (at least it’s organic!),...
1 tag
We've Got the Beet
My daughter, Maggie, and I have just returned from the market with some gorgeous beets, baby broccoli and … cupcake in hand.
Try as I might I can’t seem to get Maggie to embrace the beet, no matter how well I dress it up. Lately I’ve been making beets once a week because I’m so committed to convincing my three year old that she loves them. I’m not a huge fan of...
You've got to start somewhere
So I’ll start here:
It’s a gray, rainy day in Los Angeles. You just want to hunker down, wear slippers and eat a big bowl of chicken soup. I’m making Ina Garten’s (aka The Barefoot Contessa) version of chicken soup—simple and delicious. The aromas make the house feel cozy and warm, which I guess is why chicken soup is good for the soul.
Rainy days are so few and...