She Wouldn't Hold Still

Alanna has been letting me put pigtails and ponytails in her hair, which is a big step for her, since her usual hairdo is rather knotty and rat's-nesty. Several weeks ago she started putting her own clips in the front of her hair in order to keep some of it out of her face, and is usually found with half a dozen crammed in above her forehead. Which is adorable, of course. On this day, I really wanted to document the pigtails, but she ran away when I got out the camera. This photo was all I was able to snap. Cute, anyway...

Snow Shoes

We all got snow shoes for Christmas! We got out last weekend before the snow got so patchy around here. It was so much fun! We didn't  get very far because our kids + snow = hands on experience. Both kids spent as much time on their knees and butts as they did standing and snowshoeing. It tuckered little 3 1/2 year old Alanna out, too, but when we got back to the car she asked, "Can we go snowshoeing again tomorrow?" I think that summed it up for us. Come on, SNOW!

Yogurt Sundays

We ate yogurt sundaes this morning: Brown Cow Maple whole milk yogurt (a favorite) with choose-your-own toppings. This morning the toppings were apples pieces, fresh blueberries and walnuts. When I told the kids this dish was (around this house, anyway) known as a sundae, Rhys immediately remarked, "That's because it's Sunday!" Alanna ate two helpings, which is unusual for her and yogurt, and we all had a nice breakfast.

As we were eating, Rhys said, "Mommy, fruit is healthy for you, right?"

"Yep," I replied.

"And vegetables?"

"Even more healthy than fruit!"

"What about nuts?"

"They're healthy, too- they have something called omega-3s in them that are good for your brain." (I think.)

"Oh! Then I'm going to put more walnuts on my yogurt so I can have more brain power today!"

Have a lovely Sunday!

(As a note, I don't think Rhys ate enough walnuts, however, because his brain doesn't seem to be operating at maximum capacity- his choices are somewhat, um, lacking in thoughtfulness so far this morning. Maybe it takes a while for that brain power to be fully realized... hopefully before he's in his 20s!)

Tiny, Tiny Baby

The fit that just ensued was about chocolate. And by fit, of course, I mean FIT- yelling, screaming, tears of unhappiness. And now, we can count measured arguments* in our repertoire of angry fits, which is a new realm altogether.

Alanna: I want some chocolate, too!!

Me: Okay. (I break off a square of the Chocolove bar... you know how good chocolate– as well as some, ahem, less than edible chocolate– comes in a bar with pre-formed squares.) Here you go.

Alanna: No! I want a big piece!

Me: No, nobody gets big pieces of chocolate. They make the bar this way so everyone only gets one bite. That's how we eat good chocolate. (I, of course, neglect to mention that I often eat three squares– nearly always one at a time– when I help myself to the chocolate)

Alanna: NO!!!! I'M NOT A TINY BABY!!! I DON'T WANT A TINY PIECE! I WANT A BIG PIECE! I'M NOT A TINY, TINY BABY!!! I'M A BIG GIRL!!

Me: (ever the sympathetic parent) Okay. Daddy, you want this piece?

Alanna continues to pitch this fit, and we go through the conversation above, in various forms, for 5 minutes. She's VERY emphatic about NOT being a TINY, TINY BABY.

After I present the way the world works (at our house, anyways)– either she eats one square of chocolate or none at all– she sits and mopes for a while.

In a soft and sweet-girl voice, I soon hear at my elbow, "I'll have a little piece of chocolate now, Mommy."

And she goes on her merry, BIG GIRL way.



*As a three-and-a-half measures arguments, anyway. I'm sure this is a mere glimpse at what is to come.

"You're the bestest cook in the world, Mommy!"

We're having a favorite meal around here tonight: Broccoli Pasta.

The best part was when Alanna told me, "You're the bestest cook in the world, Mommy!" and Rhys followed with, "And even your Dad is, too, Mommy!" Rhys remembered that we first had Broccoli Pasta with Grammy and Grampy, and Grampy was the one who provided the recipe and tutorial. Now when I make it, we remember where it came from- and how delicious it is. Even cooler: I made it tonight using my new Christmas immersion blender!

Broccoli Pasta

Noodles
Boil spaghetti or linguine for 5 minutes (not until done)

Sauce
1 large head of broccoli, rough cut
3 cups of chicken stock
Simmer together in a deep pot for 10 minutes or until tender
Blend together in a blender, or, even better, with an immersion blender directly in the pot!

Add
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of grated peccorino or parmesan
Blend again

Add
2 egg yolks one at a time
Blend again

Add some olive oil (1 T)
Add partially cooked pasta
Simmer until pasta is done and sauce is thick

Serve with more cheese

Cheers

River of Lights

Last week, we met friends of Aaron's from college in Albuquerque and after dinner went to the River of Lights at the Botanical Gardens. Of course, photos with an iPhone are an inadequate representation of how cool all the displays were. And, this blog can in no way convey just how cold and frozen my feet were. But imagine being wowed by all the light displays at night, and be glad you have warm feet, and you can kind of get the feel for it.

The kids had a lot of fun too!

Walk in Time

Graphite, Micron pen and white pastel on a 1958 National Geographic

map of Eastern Europe, designating Communist and Non-Communist countries,

which is not necessary to the drawing, but is interesting to note anyway.

Completed December 30th, 2012.