it's quite nice to not have to fuss and scream over this.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
daddy teaches evie about oral hygeine
in one of our many constant battles over constant battles, we've been working on making tooth brushing less of a struggle. this morning evie expressed an interest in brushing with mike, so he was kind enough to oblige.
it's quite nice to not have to fuss and scream over this.
it's quite nice to not have to fuss and scream over this.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
a day at the ballpark
we helped charli celebrate her second birthday with a tour of giants' stadium (at&t park), followed by playtime in the "fan lot".
it's hard to say who enjoyed it more, evie or daddy.
who am i kidding. it was mike. it was his first time on a major league ballfield. he even got to walk around the bases.
this could be the only two-year old's birthday party that he might ever enjoy. well, other than evie's of course.
it's hard to say who enjoyed it more, evie or daddy.
who am i kidding. it was mike. it was his first time on a major league ballfield. he even got to walk around the bases.
this could be the only two-year old's birthday party that he might ever enjoy. well, other than evie's of course.
Friday, September 12, 2008
pondering the deeper meaning of art
evie and i spent today at the bay area discovery museum with some of her friday friends. it's our second time going, and there's much more for her to do now, than the last time we went.
last time she wasn't quite one, so things were more for looking at. this time, she was all in. there was painting, and fishing, and blocks for stacking, and cave dwelling, and food. yes, some of her very favorite things.
last time she wasn't quite one, so things were more for looking at. this time, she was all in. there was painting, and fishing, and blocks for stacking, and cave dwelling, and food. yes, some of her very favorite things.
Monday, September 8, 2008
canning tomatoes
my laura ingalls wilder phase lives on. saturday i went to the farmer's market and picked up 60 lbs of tomatoes for canning. i'd never actually done this before, but my friend celeste was our guide. she, juniper, siobhann and i spent the afternoon blanching peeling and canning 30 lbs.
for the other 30 lbs we cleaned, cored and quartered them to make sauce. that's a lot of tomatoes. strangely it only makes about 12 pints of sauce! poor celeste and juniper ended up working until after midnight to finish the sauce, as i bailed after we filled the stockpot, so that i could spend a little time with my girl.
i'm looking forward to opening these cans in winter when all of the tomatoes in the grocery store are pink instead of red. a little taste of summer.
for the other 30 lbs we cleaned, cored and quartered them to make sauce. that's a lot of tomatoes. strangely it only makes about 12 pints of sauce! poor celeste and juniper ended up working until after midnight to finish the sauce, as i bailed after we filled the stockpot, so that i could spend a little time with my girl.
i'm looking forward to opening these cans in winter when all of the tomatoes in the grocery store are pink instead of red. a little taste of summer.
a new favorite place
evie's found a new favorite place, and, no, it's not urgent care. thank god.
we went down to the ferry building yesterday to pick something up at sur la table - not too exciting for ms. evie. so afterwards we went for a walk on the embarcadero.
as we were walking i noticed something i hadn't before - pier 14. it's a great long pier that got this fence that makes it safe for evie to walk on her own. there were birds, and boats, and agua, and the bridge and people. there were also there great metal chairs that spin around. we pretty much had to drag her away from the place.
we went down to the ferry building yesterday to pick something up at sur la table - not too exciting for ms. evie. so afterwards we went for a walk on the embarcadero.
as we were walking i noticed something i hadn't before - pier 14. it's a great long pier that got this fence that makes it safe for evie to walk on her own. there were birds, and boats, and agua, and the bridge and people. there were also there great metal chairs that spin around. we pretty much had to drag her away from the place.
Friday, September 5, 2008
"the incident"
well it finally happened. our first trip to urgent care. and it was on my watch.
evie and i had a nice friday morning together. breakfast, talk to grandpa, shopping, play, bottle, nap, lunch.
all the usual friday stuff. well except for lunch. see at lunch evie got up into her high chair and didn't want to clip the straps. lately she likes to clip them herself. but today, did not want them clipped. i thought, what can it hurt, she climbs up into the chair by herself now?
i think you know where this is going.
lunch was good. took the tray off her chair and was putting it in the sink when i heard the crash. heart sinks. turn. heart races. evie lying on the floor face down, screaming. the chair i had been sitting moved from the fall, pick her up. blood everywhere. screaming. crying. no interest in pressure or ice. call to tony. no answer. call to daddy, can you come home? a minute later, bleeding stops. crying stops soon after. lip swelling sets in. clean up blood. man face wounds bleed a lot. sit down and watch tv, eat some grapes. life is good. life is calm. do we need to go to the doctor? hmm. seems ok, but what if it isn't. call the doc. nurse says come in. go in. check her out. she's ok. go to golden gate park to play. life is ok. mom needs a drink...
evie and i had a nice friday morning together. breakfast, talk to grandpa, shopping, play, bottle, nap, lunch.
all the usual friday stuff. well except for lunch. see at lunch evie got up into her high chair and didn't want to clip the straps. lately she likes to clip them herself. but today, did not want them clipped. i thought, what can it hurt, she climbs up into the chair by herself now?
i think you know where this is going.
lunch was good. took the tray off her chair and was putting it in the sink when i heard the crash. heart sinks. turn. heart races. evie lying on the floor face down, screaming. the chair i had been sitting moved from the fall, pick her up. blood everywhere. screaming. crying. no interest in pressure or ice. call to tony. no answer. call to daddy, can you come home? a minute later, bleeding stops. crying stops soon after. lip swelling sets in. clean up blood. man face wounds bleed a lot. sit down and watch tv, eat some grapes. life is good. life is calm. do we need to go to the doctor? hmm. seems ok, but what if it isn't. call the doc. nurse says come in. go in. check her out. she's ok. go to golden gate park to play. life is ok. mom needs a drink...
my political barometer
so we normally don't turn the tv on at night until after goes to bed, but with the olympics and two political conventions, evie's gotten a little viewing time in.
during the dem's convention, it was interesting to see evie completely mesmerized during hillary's speech. she sat and watched wordlessly, occasionally clapping and smiling. she didn't pay much attention to the other speakers, then obama spoke. not quite the same response as with hillary, but she kept smiling, clapping and asking "who's that?". this week for the republicans, she barely even looked at the screen.
interesting.
hey, mom and dad, this video's for you. dad, this is from the daily show (where i said i get most of news). please watch and enjoy, and we can talk about it next week!
during the dem's convention, it was interesting to see evie completely mesmerized during hillary's speech. she sat and watched wordlessly, occasionally clapping and smiling. she didn't pay much attention to the other speakers, then obama spoke. not quite the same response as with hillary, but she kept smiling, clapping and asking "who's that?". this week for the republicans, she barely even looked at the screen.
interesting.
hey, mom and dad, this video's for you. dad, this is from the daily show (where i said i get most of news). please watch and enjoy, and we can talk about it next week!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
mmm. minty
evie got in a little spatula licking this weekend, as i made what i'm going to say is my best ice cream yet - mint chip, with fresh mint from the farmer's market.
as usual she expressed the proper enthusiasm to ensure that there will be more spatulas in her future.
as usual she expressed the proper enthusiasm to ensure that there will be more spatulas in her future.
best friends
we spent sunday up in marin at the home of paloma and her parents (david and dana). it will never stop warming my heart to see how much these two girls love each other. it's nothing but smiles and squeals when they see each other, and they play together so nicely.
here they are hanging out watching a little baby signing time together after a bath.
here they are hanging out watching a little baby signing time together after a bath.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
impress your friends
this is kind of a different post. i thought i'd share a little more of my little house on the prairie experience with you all. there was this great recipe for no knead bread in the new york times a couple of years ago, unbelievably easy and delicious. nice crumb. crispy crust. during the winter i made it most every weekend. i made a loaf last weekend and it was gone in about 24 hours, so i just whipped up another loaf tonight. easy enough to start one night and then finish the next after work.
below is the recipe along with some pics of how it all looks.
No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1 1/2 hours plus 14 to 20 hours' rising
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour*, more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18 (i've let it go for up to 24 hours), at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes. (I turn the dough out on a silpat mat covered with flour).
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 3 to 4 quart heavy covered pot** (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under silpat and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Yield: One 1 1/2-pound loaf.
*OTHER FLOURS Up to 30 percent whole-grain flour works consistently and well, and 50 percent whole-wheat is also excellent. At least one reader used 100 percent whole-wheat and reported “great crust but somewhat inferior crumb,” which sounds promising. I’ve kept rye, which is delicious but notoriously impossible to get to rise, to about 20 percent. There is room to experiment. -- (note the "i" in the previous section is mark bittman, i like this as all white flour, or 2 cups white, 1 cup whole wheat).
**THE POT Readers have reported success with just about every available material. Note that the lid handles on Le Creuset pots can only withstand temperatures up to 400 degrees. So avoid using them, or remove the handle first. (I use a 2.5 liter corning ware casserole dish).
FLAVORINGS The best time to add caraway seeds, chopped olives, onions, cheese, walnuts, raisins or whatever other traditional bread flavorings you like is after you’ve mixed the dough. But it’s not the only time; you can fold in ingredients before the second rising.
below is the recipe along with some pics of how it all looks.
No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1 1/2 hours plus 14 to 20 hours' rising
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour*, more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18 (i've let it go for up to 24 hours), at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes. (I turn the dough out on a silpat mat covered with flour).
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 3 to 4 quart heavy covered pot** (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under silpat and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Yield: One 1 1/2-pound loaf.
*OTHER FLOURS Up to 30 percent whole-grain flour works consistently and well, and 50 percent whole-wheat is also excellent. At least one reader used 100 percent whole-wheat and reported “great crust but somewhat inferior crumb,” which sounds promising. I’ve kept rye, which is delicious but notoriously impossible to get to rise, to about 20 percent. There is room to experiment. -- (note the "i" in the previous section is mark bittman, i like this as all white flour, or 2 cups white, 1 cup whole wheat).
**THE POT Readers have reported success with just about every available material. Note that the lid handles on Le Creuset pots can only withstand temperatures up to 400 degrees. So avoid using them, or remove the handle first. (I use a 2.5 liter corning ware casserole dish).
FLAVORINGS The best time to add caraway seeds, chopped olives, onions, cheese, walnuts, raisins or whatever other traditional bread flavorings you like is after you’ve mixed the dough. But it’s not the only time; you can fold in ingredients before the second rising.
Monday, August 25, 2008
channeling martha stewart
so evie took a four hour nap on saturday afternoon, which left me free to go wild in the kitchen. it had to be one of my most productive days ever.
i started with pickling a mix of radish, carrots, onions and garlic - a very tasty addition to a burger or sandwich.
next up, tomato jam. we had gone to the farmers market in the morning and picked up a couple of pounds of dry farmed early girls, so they were perfect for this task. as soon as i was ready to start it i realized that i didn't have any fresh ginger, but fortunately tony & kimberly did, so we did a ginger/pickle exchange (thank goodness i'd made two jars). i mixed everything up and let it simmer to two hours.
here's a picture of that bounty:
while the jam simmered, i made the batter for some chocolate, raspberry ice cream and the dough for a loaf of bread. then evie, against all odds was still sleeping, so i started up some 7 bean and barley soup in the pressure cooker for her dinner that night.
i baked the bread the next morning and we had blt's with tomato jam and goat cheese. life was pretty good.
i started with pickling a mix of radish, carrots, onions and garlic - a very tasty addition to a burger or sandwich.
next up, tomato jam. we had gone to the farmers market in the morning and picked up a couple of pounds of dry farmed early girls, so they were perfect for this task. as soon as i was ready to start it i realized that i didn't have any fresh ginger, but fortunately tony & kimberly did, so we did a ginger/pickle exchange (thank goodness i'd made two jars). i mixed everything up and let it simmer to two hours.
here's a picture of that bounty:
while the jam simmered, i made the batter for some chocolate, raspberry ice cream and the dough for a loaf of bread. then evie, against all odds was still sleeping, so i started up some 7 bean and barley soup in the pressure cooker for her dinner that night.
i baked the bread the next morning and we had blt's with tomato jam and goat cheese. life was pretty good.
just horsing around
we were downtown running errands yesterday and stopped by yerba buena gardens to burn off a little energy. evie had a blast in the play circle, then we decided to give the carousel a go.
evie dug the horsies, or "nay nays" as she calls them. i should say she enjoyed them when they weren't moving. she wasn't nearly as thrilled when the ride started. after about 20 seconds she just started shaking her head and saying "no, no".
of course as soon as the ride ended, she wanted to go back and visit with the nay nays.
evie dug the horsies, or "nay nays" as she calls them. i should say she enjoyed them when they weren't moving. she wasn't nearly as thrilled when the ride started. after about 20 seconds she just started shaking her head and saying "no, no".
of course as soon as the ride ended, she wanted to go back and visit with the nay nays.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
unbreaking the language barrier
so all last weekend evie was running around saying "unkie, unkie, unkie". i was at a loss for what it meant, then on sunday i realized that "unkie" sound really close to "aqui" which is spanish for "here".
oh, my brilliant little bilingual daughter, she picked up aqui from gladys. isn't that cute. isn't she smart.
i labored under this delusion for three whole days, then last night dan, claire and camille came for dinner. afterwards we pulled out some of the ice cream that i've made recently. the "unkie's" started full throttle. oh, she meant "ice cream" not "aqui". so much for that healthy diet i've been feeding her... at least it was all organic...
i've created an ice cream monster.
oh, my brilliant little bilingual daughter, she picked up aqui from gladys. isn't that cute. isn't she smart.
i labored under this delusion for three whole days, then last night dan, claire and camille came for dinner. afterwards we pulled out some of the ice cream that i've made recently. the "unkie's" started full throttle. oh, she meant "ice cream" not "aqui". so much for that healthy diet i've been feeding her... at least it was all organic...
i've created an ice cream monster.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
for grandma and old man
mom, this one's for you. this is a pic that i took while evie was talking to you on the phone today. as you can see, she was indeed talking on the phone and driving her car at the same time. i'll work on teaching her better road etiquette...
she enjoyed talking to you so much that she had to give the phone a kiss.
here's a pic for dad too. i made his sausage today and then put some of it into a spaghetti sauce. i'm thinking evie approved, but check out the picture and let me know what you think.
she enjoyed talking to you so much that she had to give the phone a kiss.
here's a pic for dad too. i made his sausage today and then put some of it into a spaghetti sauce. i'm thinking evie approved, but check out the picture and let me know what you think.
thinking of ray
mike's dad, ray, is on my mind a lot, especially this past week that marked the one year anniversary of his passing. he was such a big part of our lives for 18 months, that it's still hard to believe that he's gone. i miss the guy.
in some ways he was our first run at parenthood. it sounds crazy, but spending all that time with him really helped me understand that there was room in my life for different responsibilities, and that that effort could be rewarded with love. i will always be grateful that he helped me understand that caring for another person didn't mean that you divided up the love you had to give between them, but that it meant that you just had more love to give.
i'm absolutely certain that the moment i realized that i was finally ready to become a mom. so that cranky, picky, goofy old man will always have a very special place in my heart. and his granddaughter will know all about it.
in some ways he was our first run at parenthood. it sounds crazy, but spending all that time with him really helped me understand that there was room in my life for different responsibilities, and that that effort could be rewarded with love. i will always be grateful that he helped me understand that caring for another person didn't mean that you divided up the love you had to give between them, but that it meant that you just had more love to give.
i'm absolutely certain that the moment i realized that i was finally ready to become a mom. so that cranky, picky, goofy old man will always have a very special place in my heart. and his granddaughter will know all about it.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
sushi no mas
we went out to hamano sushi for dinner tonight. it seemed like such a nice idea. we had a great day with evie at the museum and then the park, it seemed like the perfect end to the evening. it was our first night of sushi since sushi night at the library in houghton (menu pictured).
against all odds, this was actually worse. i mean sushi night in houghton was a lot of fun - family, drinks, a lot of fun. the sushi may not have been so great. but evie wasn't there.
now i love my girl to death, but it seems to me that she and sushi do not mix. the last time we took her to hamano was probably more than a year ago. she was still very small and started crying during dinner. finally to calm her, i decided to nurse her at the restaurant.
i'm going to go out on a limb and say that the japanese don't really care for that.
not that they cared for her behavior tonight any better. there was standing in her chair, and banging chop sticks, and trying to get down, and spilling miso soup on mommy. and it all cost $100.
next time i want sushi, i think i'll wait till a lunch at work.
against all odds, this was actually worse. i mean sushi night in houghton was a lot of fun - family, drinks, a lot of fun. the sushi may not have been so great. but evie wasn't there.
now i love my girl to death, but it seems to me that she and sushi do not mix. the last time we took her to hamano was probably more than a year ago. she was still very small and started crying during dinner. finally to calm her, i decided to nurse her at the restaurant.
i'm going to go out on a limb and say that the japanese don't really care for that.
not that they cared for her behavior tonight any better. there was standing in her chair, and banging chop sticks, and trying to get down, and spilling miso soup on mommy. and it all cost $100.
next time i want sushi, i think i'll wait till a lunch at work.
holy chihuly batman
we decided to get a little culture this morning and went over to the deyoung museum (in golden gate park) to see the chihuly exhibit.
dale chihuly is a glass artist up in seattle, and he has some really impressive work. if you've ever been to the lobby of the bellagio in las vegas, you've seen his handiwork.
evie seemed to enjoy the exhibit. lots of pretty colors and lights to look at. it also seemed to wear her out, as she fell asleep on our way over to get chinese food afterwards. must have stoked her appetite, though, cuz when she woke up she ate 10 dumplings.
click on any of the pictures to see more shots from the exhibit.
dale chihuly is a glass artist up in seattle, and he has some really impressive work. if you've ever been to the lobby of the bellagio in las vegas, you've seen his handiwork.
evie seemed to enjoy the exhibit. lots of pretty colors and lights to look at. it also seemed to wear her out, as she fell asleep on our way over to get chinese food afterwards. must have stoked her appetite, though, cuz when she woke up she ate 10 dumplings.
click on any of the pictures to see more shots from the exhibit.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
three little words, sort of
so yesterday morning i was leaving for work and gave evie a kiss good-bye and told her i loved her. standard stuff. as i turned to go, i swear i heard her say "love you". mike heard it too. heart melting.
but now, there is a problem. i am acting like a trained seal doing tricks to try to get her to say it again. no luck so far, but i will soldier on. the kid controls me.
but now, there is a problem. i am acting like a trained seal doing tricks to try to get her to say it again. no luck so far, but i will soldier on. the kid controls me.
my new obsession
the ice cream maker attachment for my kitchen aid has arrived (thanks mom!). it got here on monday after a weekend when i found a ton of fresh berries, so so far i've made chocolate-raspberry ice cream and strawberry frozen yogurt.
pretty darned delicious.
if you don't believe me, check out evie's reaction.
pretty darned delicious.
if you don't believe me, check out evie's reaction.
Monday, August 4, 2008
childish
well, sadly, that would be me acting childish, not evie. this morning she was still happily sleeping when i was ready to leave for work. presented with the possibility of leaving the house without any evie-love this morning was just too much for me. i went in to give her a kiss good-bye. is it my fault that that woke her up?
um, well, yeah, i suppose it is. it was worth it, though. she was very warm and cuddly and i started my monday out right.
um, well, yeah, i suppose it is. it was worth it, though. she was very warm and cuddly and i started my monday out right.
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