Checking In

We're still here. We're actually all doing quite well. We're having a great summer, and we're quite busy. I'm not the type of person who likes to keep us running all day, so this busyness is a bit exhausting and disorienting to me. And it causes me to curl up in a ball and not blog. Or make phone calls. Or emails. But really, we're fine, I promise.

We had a great vacation to see BestestHusband's extended family. The girls had a blast with their cousins. And I had some quality time with my sister-in-law comparing notes and trying to navigate the world of being married to men from BestestHusband's family. (It's a pleasure and a conundrum, all at the same time.) And we ate a lot of good food. And drank a lot of beverages. And spent a lot of time on a lake. And it was grand.

Then we came home and I got a visit from an old college friend, and got to meet her two kids. There were 5 kids aged 5 and under in the house. It was pandemonium. And a cacophony. But fun. We even made a visit to the art museum, which was a fun adventure. I mean, where else should you take 5 young children? But my girls can't wait to go back. Well, maybe HeyMama can't wait. MeToo was upset that there was no toy room like the science museum. 

Then we took the older girls to Tanglewood. There's nothing more magical than listening to the Boston Symphony play music you grew up loving and playing, while sitting under the stars and drinking wine. Unless it's doing that while snuggling a cold bored 4 year old in your lap. (As an aside, when planning a fancy picnic, read all ingredients carefully. The "fancy lemon drink" I bought for the girls was a lemon shandy. I assumed it was like a lime ricky. Shandy, ricky, whatever. I did not learn until we opened them at the picnic that a shandy has alcohol in it. Trader Joe's did not do me any favors by featuring these bright yellow cans at the end of the aisle, away from the rest of the beer. Thanks a lot, TJ's.)

Then I hosted a few friends for an evening of facials while BestestHusband and the big girls watched the Lego Movie at our local park. Now the girls want to watch it again when our friends' housing association plays it again this week. I guess at least I'll get to watch it. With great skin.

Somewhere in all of that BestestHusband and I celebrated our 9th anniversary. One night in his hometown, we actually snuck out after kid bedtime, went to a bar on the waterfront, and enjoyed uninterrupted conversation while ordering cocktails that perplexed the bartender. (Unfortunately, it wasn't that difficult. Expectations for a great evening out change after 3 kids). We discussed the next year of our marriage. I'm greatly looking forward to all that it might hold. 

And then there's the daily grind. We go to the gym. We go to playgrounds. We go to the library. We meet up with friends. We wait for the baby to finish napping. We go to the farmer's market and have everyone ask to pet the dogs. And ask if all 3 girls are mine. And ask if we're trying for a boy next. (the answer's no!) And choose produce based on color. (We got purple carrots!) And then get cookie treats and face-painting.

And somehow the summer is racing by. Wow. I'm not sure how. There's so much we still need to do!!!

So forgive me if I've been a bit distant. My goal is to blog more often, even if the posts are shorter. 

See you soon!

Domesticated Daddy

I knew BestestHusband was a catch when I first met him. He's spent the last nearly 10 years proving me right.

I worked a short day today, trying to maximize my childcare-free income opportunities while I still have the energy and time to do so. I got a few interesting iMessages today from home, including "Can you pick up some brown sugar?" and "Never mind, I found some."

I was curious as to why we suddenly needed more brown sugar.

I came home to find my answer. 

BestestHusband made rhubarb cake with the fresh rhubarb from our garden. 

Yum.

Oh yeah, he's a catch.

Rhubarb cake, a la mode.

Happy Birthday to Me!

It's my birthday! It's not a big one, and we usually don't make a big deal out of my birthday, but this year I want to celebrate it. I'm having a small party on Saturday, but my biggest celebration is today. I'm not doing dishes.

I don't need a candlelight dinner. I don't need jewels. (BestestHusband did get me a large assortment of tulip bulbs from his trip to Amsterdam, which is a pretty fantastic gift.) But I would like to take a brief break from a significant source of tedium.

On days that we're at home, we eat up to 5 times a day. That's 3 meals + small snacks. Most of those happen at home. If they don't, they're eaten out of small containers that are later washed at home. We dirty and clean a dishwasher full of dishes every day. Plus a sinkfull of dishes that can't go into the dishwasher. This is no surprise to other moms, right? But that's a lot of time spent in the kitchen. And I want that time back today.

So this morning, we took care of a few household tasks, then took the dogs to the Arb. It was a lovely day for a walk, and the girls ran out a lot of energy. The dogs had a great time, too. Then we went to the Children's Museum to take advantage of our membership before it expires. We ate lunch at the Au Bon Pain on site. It was luxurious. I didn't pack a lunch. I didn't carry a diaper bag. I didn't clean a thing. I felt so free! It was $12 well-spent. Then we played at the Children's Museum for 3 hours. There's so much to see and do there. The time flew.

We came home, lounged a bit, then BestestHusband came home early. And took us out for dinner. We tried a new restaurant in the Square, which was fantastic. MeToo ate a huge portion of their Southern mac and cheese. And the sangria was tasty. (Jenny, you guys would love this place. It locally sources everything, and orders a whole pig every 2 weeks. They have an entry in the menu called "The Pig Project" that changes daily depending on what they need to use. The water was poured from Thatcher Farm milk bottles. I couldn't help but think of you.) We brought home 3 meals worth of leftovers. So I'll have more food that I didn't cook, sitting in containers that I don't have to wash. SCORE!

We put the girls to bed right after we got home. I'm getting ready to take a luxurious shower. And then spend some quality time with BestestHusband.

So all-in-all, I'd say it was a fantastic day. Happy Birthday to me!

Hope your day is full of small luxuries!

My birthday cards, including a much-anticipated family portrait from HeyMama.

Happy Birthday to You

I think the girls were way more excited about BestestHusband's birthday than he was.


When I asked him what he wanted to do today, he said "Mow the grass." He was serious. He changed his mind when he saw the thermometer. We talked about a trip to the lake to go swimming. That was the plan. But by the time the errands were run and the girls woke from a marathon nap, HeyMama didn't want to leave the house. So we spent the day cooking.


BestestHusband fire-roasted jalapeños from the garden to make hotsauce. It's still simmering right now. We made a Mexican feast. Pounded pork in sour orange marinade. Jicama salad with ancho chili powder. Rick Bayless' cookbook came alive in our kitchen. Over the course of hours, in a never ending parade of dirty dishes...


The girls were most excited about the cake. BestestHusband requested lemon cake with lavender frosting. I made lavender cream to go with it. Heavenly.


Birthdays change when you're older. We're still playing catchup from vacation. The garden bounty needs managing. The ToDo list doesn't get shorter just because it's your birthday.


The girls are in bed. The birthday scotch was tasted. The dishes still taunt, but the Olympics are on. The day has passed unremarkably, like most do. But it's worth pausing to note that 30+ years ago today, a very special person was born. And I'm the lucky gal who got to marry him.


Happy birthday to you, my love, happy birthday.

The result of hours of chopping, searing, marinating, etc.

Lemon cake with glaze. Yum.

Anniversary Gift Giving Etiquette

Wedding anniversaries are a wonderful chance to take a break from the whirlwind life that you've created together and reflect on your relationship and the life you've created together.


I'm thankful to say that BestestHusband and I were able to do this yesterday for the 7th time.


What a life we've created together, and what a whirlwind it's become!

7 years ago.

Now, every couple has their own traditions and preferences for gift-giving. Or not-giving. This is a good and appropriate thing. But there are always "experts" who give gift-giving advice. Oh, there's the list of traditional anniversary gifts that are fun to try to stick to, like giving copper or wool for the 7th anniversary. But I'm talking about the "experts" who might say things like, "Don't give your wife pots and pans for your anniversary, she wants lingerie and jewelry."


Don't listen to these experts, my friends. Especially if the pot in question is a heavy piece of French cookware that she has been drooling over for the greater part of the past year. And especially especially if your wife's had 2 kids and prefers more modest sleepwear when being awoken at 3am by munchkins with bad dreams.


When that is the case, get yourself down to the closest outlet mall and buy the aforementioned cookware in her favorite color. Go. Right now.


Ignore the "experts" and realize that, although your wife went to a private liberal arts school where gender studies were popular and the phrase "Biology is not our destiny!" was as well-known as the school's motto, she will not take it as an insult if you buy her something to enrich her current stay-at-home lifestyle. She will happily chant "Flavorful one-pot meals are my destiny!" and display her shiny new prize on top of the stove.


Trust me on this one.

My Preeesscciiiooouuuussssss

David Barnes took the lovely wedding photo. The glare-y pot photo is all mine.

Date Night

We have a date tonight. 

We have a sitter. 

We have tickets to a show. 

I got off work early. 

I bought the girls a rotisserie chicken. 

The broccoli is in the steamer. 

My hair is flat ironed. 

My dress is laid out. 

As are my shiny tights and fun shoes. 

I am ready.

Here are the tickets!
Nevermind that someone at the Wang can't spell "Pharmaceuticals". 

The tickets are the completion of the Valentine's gift that BestestHusband gave me. He always planned to give me something other than X-rated gummy candies. I mean, the gummies would have been enough. But the date night is pretty great. I'm not complaining. 

Have I mentioned that I'm excited?

Giving Thanks in Winter

I was going to do another entry on why I like winter, then realized that they're all reasons I like THIS winter, which is quite mild and quite the anomaly. So it wouldn't be fair. And then I realized that some of the things I like are actually ANTIDOTES to winter. So I'll just list them as things to be thankful for. We're told to give thanks in all situations, so here are a few things I'm thankful for:


1. Down comforters. There is nothing cozier at the end of a long cold day than crawling into a bed topped with a down comforter. Honestly, we could open the window in the dead of winter and still be warm. I wouldn't do it, but I'm happy to know I could.


2. Flannel sheets. Especially nice ones that BestestHusband gave me for Christmas. They're extremely soft. And warm up very quickly.


3. A BestestHusband to warm up the bed before I get into it. He's very good at this. And I'm extremely thankful for him.


4. Cashmere. It's extremely warm. And soft. And light on the skin. You can't have too much cashmere. And as I don't yet have much of it, I can't imagine ever wishing I had less.


5. A Job. Heat in the winter is not cheap. A snug and well-insulated home is not cheap. Adequate food and clothing is not cheap. Being adequately employed in this economy is not easy. For the paychecks we bring home, I'm extremely thankful.


6. Slush storms. I'm going to be wild and crazy and give thanks for today's snow/rain/slush storm. Because of it, I got to work 30 minutes early. (I had to leave earlier to catch the bus.) Good thing. I had back-to-back evals that I had to prep for and start at 8am. Then I had to travel to another work site. Because I took the bus, I didn't wear boots and pack shoes. This made my bag lighter. Which was helpful when schlepping around town for work.


7. The harpist at Government Center in the morning. The train doors open at the station for maybe 30 seconds on a normal day. This is long enough for harp music to float in and make me smile. I frequently hear people getting on the train humming the music that was playing. What a gift for morning commuters!


8.  Goals. I'm going to find 10 things to be thankful for. I might have to dig deep. But it's good to find joy and thankfulness in the small things.


9. Travel coffee mugs with good seals. Mine frequently upends itself in my work bag or diaper bag. But the coffee stays inside and the bag stays dry. Thank you Lord for good coffee mugs!


10.  Today, my pen fell onto the floor next to the toilet instead of IN the toilet. I carry a pen in my back pocket at work. Sometimes it falls out. Sometimes it falls in the toilet. That's not my favorite part of a day. But I do enjoy picking out new pens.


What are you thankful for today?

Valentine's Day Treats

So my darling BestestHusband went on a business trip to Germany a while back, and found a fun candy store there. He brought back cranberry-flavored gummy bears. And they were good!

He said that they had just about any type of gummy candy you could imagine. Well, they went way above and beyond my expectations. Way way beyond. How he managed to keep these a secret all this time is impressive to me. I think I would have had to show someone immediately:

(I should warn you, this candy might need some kind of rating like R or XX... clear the children from the room...)



HeyMama asked what they were.
I said, "Hearts and cupids."

HeyMama asked where their diapers were.
I said, "They're going bare-bummed." Because apparently Cupid is still working on potty-training.

She was fine with this concept.

Whew. Someday she'll be horrified that we had these in the house. Until then, she'll tell her preschool teachers that Daddy gave Mama heart and Cupid candies for Valentine's Day.

Um, yeah, they're anatomically correct.
(I still can't get pictures to rotate. Turn your head for full effect.)

They come in multiple poses and flavors!

Nothing says "Happy Valentine's Day" like red-hot hearts and gummies with genitalia.

Those crazy Germans.

The name of this one is obvious if you look closely...

Here are the hearts. 

"Flaming Hearts", if BestestHusband's German is correct...

I have to give BestestHusband credit for a memorable gift. 

The rest of the gift is an event planned for the future. What did I give him? "Pirate Booties" according to the girls. (I only buy BestestHusband snack foods as special treats. Poor guy...) The rest of the gift is backordered, and the opening will be an event in the future.

What was your most memorable Valentine's Day gift?

The Joy of Doting Daddies

Today was another classic day with the girls. It started out as Christmas in Late January (Jen, we got the box of clothes early this morning! You rock!!!), transitioned into a Trophy Wife late morning (good to run into you Lovey!), and devolved into a long-string-of-running-battles afternoon. (Jackie, the play date was a Godsend, but daycare Craft Night was cancelled because of lingering plumbing issues, and the girls really could have used that nap they didn't take.) Which led to an early evening of watching-the-clock-til-Daddy-comes-home, followed by a here-you-finish-the-bath-and-put-them-to-bed-early-while-I-run-screaming-out-of-the-house late evening.

Ok, so I didn't run out of the house screaming. But I did bolt out of that bathroom pretty quickly after BestestHusband came in. The dogs still desperately needed a walk, and I needed to return the Shaun the Sheep video to the library. How's that for multitasking? Brisk walk + walk the dogs + return stuff to the library = cross 2 things off my ToDo list without resorting to a glass of wine. I don't like walking in the cold, but the winter-that-hasn't-come-yet gave me a calm ice-free night. And I usually am thankful that I made the effort once I get out there.

So the dogs and I trotted down to the Square, a nice person ran the DVD into the library so I didn't have to get yelled at for bringing the dogs inside, and we headed back home. I love looking into the windows of houses in the evening. I'm usually just looking for decorating ideas or trying to see if the insides of homes look much like their outsides. (Frequently in Boston, they don't. The old housing stock here can frequently look shabbier on the outside than the inside. Surprises await when you cross thresholds.) But passing one house, I got a glimpse of people. I didn't stop and ogle. I didn't want to be a voyeur, I glimpsed enough to get the idea:  a father sat on the couch, reading a book to his two little girls. The girls looked maybe 6 and 8 years old, they were in their jammies and all three were draped over each other, definitely in full-on snuggle mode. It made me smile the rest of the way home.

There are few things sweeter than little girls with Doting Daddies. I have two such little girls whom I love very much. And they have a Doting Daddy whom I also love very much. Watching them adore each other is one of the great joys of my life.

I am blessed to be surrounded by Doting Daddies. Our church is full of them. They bounce and sway with babies. They fill their laps with clingy children. They do diaper duty. They herd antsy children to the nursery. They sit in the 2 year old class and do hand motions to "Jesus Loves Me". They fill plates for kids at potluck meals.

Our friends are Doting Daddies. They toss maniacally-laughing but slightly-too-heavy-for-this kids up in the air until their shoulders give out. They take kids out for Saturday brunch so moms can get together to finish projects. They take kids to soccer and swimming at the Y. They cook breakfast pancakes. They pack lunches. They try really hard to make morning hair into pony tails and find reasonable outfits that little girls want to wear (hah! good luck with that one!). They work very long days, then come home and do dinner and bedtime. They help brush teeth, then snuggle together to read books. Lots of books.

My own father is a Doting Daddy. As is my father-in-law. And brother-in-laws. We're surrounded by them. For us, they're the norm. But I know that they haven't always been, and aren't the norm for everyone.

So I'm thankful for that evening walk, and the briefly glimpsed Doting Daddy in my neighborhood. And especially thankful for all the Doting Daddies in my life.

Single Mom Day 3

So my handsome and wonderful BH is still in Germany, eating good pretzels and drinking odd German sodas. Oh, and working. If it's good for the resume, it's good for the family bank account. And it's definitely good for reminding me of how much BH does around the house. (not that I doubted it before, but sometimes it's good to be reminded.)


So yesterday was the first day since I started this blog that I didn't post. (hey, I posted 2 entries the day before!) Yesterday was a bit rough for me. My right pinkie is the same size as my thumb. I'm not sure why, but it certainly doesn't feel good. I was struck by a case of the Monthly Misery while at work. I got stuck at work and picked up the girls late. I had promised HM that we'd make a chicken recipe from her toddler cookbook (thanks again Aminah!!!), but was in NO mood to cook. She really wanted to make those chicken skewers. I was not in a good place. 


But parenting is about making limoncello out of lemons, right? The kids don't care why you're doing fun stuff. They just know it's fun. If I didn't stand up too tall or I didn't breathe too deeply, my midsection didn't hurt too much... And without another adult in the house, there were a lot of leftovers in the fridge. HM is generally ok with delaying something if I promise her something better...


So we had a leftover picnic on the living room floor while watching videos. This flies in the face of everything we do here. 
Eating in the living room?!?!?! 
Watching videos while eating?!?!?! 
Wait, food AND drink in the living room?!?!?! Wow!!!! 
Somehow they were ok with Daddy not joining us for dinner again. And they were ok with Mama lying on the couch (trying not to moan too much.)


So it snowed last night. The girls think this is awesome. We're going out to play in the snow!!!
(ahem, it's called shoveling. Just don't tell them that.)
So I'm off to help put on snow gear. With 1.5 functional hands. Wish me luck.