Monday, January 25, 2016

Quick Fire

Speaking of Quick Fires, Top Chef is back! I always miss it when it's away. But here, the title is because I need to go to bed because my throat is hurting again (what is WITH me and my throat this season? very irritating) and I'm presenting a case to the Commission to approve a new action on Thursday (basically the pinnacle/purpose of my whole job) so I need to have a voice and not be sickly.

So, let's hit it!

I had a cup of Potato Leek soup at lunch on Sunday and it's all I've thought about since we left the restaurant. I looked up a recipe as I was leaving work and actually stopped - WITH CORA - on my way home, something I don't do except in life or death emergencies and maybe not even then, just to buy the requisite leeks and potatoes. It was delicious and everything I hoped it would be. I need to incorporate more leeks into my life.


This is the vigil Cora keeps on Monday and Wednesday nights when her big people are at swim practice and she is an only child for 60 whole minutes. She checks on them constantly and LOSES HER MIND when they walk in the door. The screams of joy are deafening. She hugs and hops and squeezes and SCREAMS and hugs some more. It is my favorite thing in the whole world and it happens every Monday and Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. As James and I remark to each other almost every day, "she just loves us SO MUCH." It's a wonder her body doesn't burst from it.



We took our long family walk in the gorgeous 60-degree weather yesterday. The Northeast is buried in snow and we're cruising for 3 miles in long sleeves and no jackets. Such a disconnect. Claire did the whole thing on her newly mastered 2-wheel bicycle (and in style, obviously, in her pink furry vest) and Landon ran because his bicycle has a flat. Though given his nonstop eating and energy lately, I think maybe sending him out on a few 3-mile runs throughout the day might just be proper maintenance. He's sweet and awesome, but omg he's a mini James and he is essentially impossible to make full or tired. Ever.


the original party pack

James and I went out on a date night Saturday. We didn't use our wonderful nanny for school pickup a couple days since Claire was sick and I was home, and since I try to keep her pay consistent, this means James and I get "free" date nights a few times a month to make up for missed days. We've probably gone out more in the last 4 months than the last 5 years combined and it is awesome. This time we headed to our favorite Mexican place and ordered everything on the menu.


There were no leftovers.

And then of course, we topped it off with some dessert at a new bakery down the street. A dessert that included maybe the best dessert I've ever had in my WHOLE lie - a oatmeal cream pie, with thick soft chewy cinnamony oatmeal cookies and a cinnamon cream cheese buttercream icing... oh. my. god. I was stuffed, but after I had a bite of James's, I needed my own. Then as we were leaving, we bought the last two, just because they were so good we couldn't bear the idea that any existed in the universe that weren't in our possession. Seriously, they were that good. Stir Crazy Bakery, my love, we will be back.


I went to hot yoga Sunday morning just to detox. And then I came home and ate the other oatmeal cream pie for breakfast with my tea. I have no regrets.

Cora woke up crying this morning around 3 a.m., which is highly unusual (no one loves sleep like Cora loves sleep). James tucked her back under her blanket and figured the matter was resolved, but then she was crying again at 4. I went in and for the first time ever, she communicated to me in a time of need (Cora is generally disinterested in learning English; she knows some, she just finds pointing more effective, plus she has two big sibling servants who coo over her and give her everything she wants before she wants it; it's a system that's working for her and she finds James and my insistence on words to be eye roll inducing at best). So amidst the wimpers she said "ear. hurts, mama." and after I snuggled her and said we could get some medicine she sighed and said "Shu shu mama." which is "thank you" and it was all beautifully and calmly resolved and she went back to sleep about 5 minutes later. Communication! The key to any relationship. I immediately woke James up when I got back in bed to tell him all about it.


James just got interviewed by a local business magazine to talk about his swim products company, his swim school, and his work on the Board of the Fort Worth Drowning Prevention Coalition non-profit. We realized he didn't have any pictures alone (except the few I've taken where he's mostly naked on the pool deck, but he nixed those), so he stopped by his warehouse this morning to get a few pics. How adorable is he with his baby?


Somewhat similarly, I am in the "teacher spotlight" for my studio and I also realized I didn't have many pictures of me without a child or husband in the frame, so I had to throw back to a pic from my 30th birthday when I had a Lili's burger with Gorgonzola fries for the very first time and my smile is the biggest its ever been. Except maybe at my wedding. Like James, Gorgonzola fries were love at first sight for me.

[I feel like a kissy face emoticon would be appropriate here, but I don't have one, so we'll have to xoxo the old fashioned way.]

Night!

8 comments:

  1. I love a lot of things about your writing but one I think I appreciate most is how you show zero shame for your love and ENJOYMENT of food. I think it's inspiring and beautiful! As a mama trying to help my 14 year old girl through the trenches of middle school and how her friends relate to food, you encourage me. Thank you!

    I'm sorry about your throat. Hope you feel better asap!

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    1. This made me smile, and then I re-read the post and realized wow, I really did blog 50% about food! I do simply adore food, and as I've gotten older and my relationship with it has gotten healthier, I've developed a general rule of only eating what I truly love. If I don't love it, I don't eat much of it (no mindless snacking, no just eating what's in front of me because it's an appropriate time to eat even though I'm not hungry). Applied genuinely and consistently, it's been revolutionary for me.

      But mostly, I just love that I in no way set out to blog about food, but totally did so anyway :). Great to hear from you Misha!

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  2. Love the write up! Want the fries!

    I'm doing yoga teacher training right now, and I hope I can bring the same enthusiasm to my classes that you seem to bring to yours. And I hope to one day be able to look as good in my yoga pants while eating as many fries. ;-)

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    1. Meegs, that's so awesome! Teaching is one of the most beautiful, wonderful, energy-creating things to ever happen to me. I leave a good class feeling high for hours, it's just so wonderful to share your joy in something with others. Best of luck!

      (And yes, you want the fries, they're glorious. All you need are some waffle fries, crumbled gorgonzola, chopped green onion, and cracked black pepper. And a Blue Moon. Burger completely optional.)

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  3. I'm looking for a nanny. Is there a company you guys used to find your nanny?

    It sucks to have a sore throat but it's the season. My kids allergies are crazy. Hope you feel better soon.

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    1. We didn't use a company. We just used word of mouth through James's instructor network (largely TCU students) and their sorority message boards. With the big kids being big I felt more comfortable going about it a little less formally- it's just 2 hours a day and they can talk to us and give their own review of their caregiver. If I was looking for Cora, I totally would have wanted a more involved and formal process, likely through an agency. But for L&C, sorority message boards worked out great and netted us a FABULOUS 20-year-old we just love.

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  4. I have loved Stir Crazy Bakery ever since they opened their first shop just south of downtown. Their sugar cookies are great because they aren't too sweet. I've only been to their new location once.

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    1. I had never been and didn't realize they had more than one location! I still think about that oatmeal cream pie every day. It's all I can do not to stop by on my way home from work because I drive right through Magnolia and it's 5:00 and I'm probably starving and really, I can't believe made it three whole days without one.

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