A few final thoughts

If anyone has a random $7,500 and wants to treat Ms. Em-i-lis to a holiday treat, I'll take these stunners! Seriously, I saw these in the Times a couple weeks back and have been in full-scale lust ever since.

And, I was really jazzed by this article in today's NYTimes. It discusses the ways in which the federal government is helping curb the obesity epidemic in the US by making stores who accept WIC vouchers MUST stock whole grain breads and cereals, fresh produce, reduced fat dairy products and so forth. As 50% of all infants and 25% of kids under 5 will be on the WIC rolls at some point in their lives, access to healthier food that is also affordable is critically important.

A veritable cooking marathon!

We got home, grabbed lunch and parted ways; Tom went to get the boys, while I ran to the market. I wanted to cook for our new parent friends and also whip up some more ricotta. In short order I made: a large batch of John's Jambalaya (such a good, good Louisiana recipe!); a pot of ribollita; a batch of ricotta; and two turkey sandwiches. I still want to finish things off with some cocoa and brown butter brownies for our friends, and T and I plan to keep things simple with a grilled pizza (and Friday's Real Time) for our Sunday meal. Jack recalled that he had a homework assignment due so started in on compiling lists of attributes that characterize him as well as things in the natural world that might also be described by his traits. After some explaining of all that, he had to craft a name for himself. We brainstormed and came up with Voluble Eagle based on the fact that his primary attributes were loving to talk, loving to run and go fast, and loving to eat. T thought Chatty Hyena might also work but J didn't want to associate with a carrion eater. I get it.

It really is stunning how whiplashy is my settling back in after time away from the boys. Slow -> full speed. Quiet -> non-stop talking and noise. Bedtimes a'comin soon!

Babies, weddings, Philly, oh my!

I arrived in Philly with the most random assortment of things: hirsute legs; four pairs of shoes (why??); letters that I'd tried to mail since leaving DC (where are all the mailboxes, folks?); a new haircut but no styling products; and so forth. I'm just glad I have the dress I'm wearing to the wedding this evening. During a marvelous dinner out with friends last night, I heard that one my dear pals had had her baby girl. Welcome to the world, sweet Siena! And in just an hour, T and I head off to see a wonderful couple get hitched. Cheers to you, Christine and Jake!

The boys went on a museum crawl -American Indian, Air & Space, Natural History- with my in-laws this morning and really enjoyed themselves. It is exceedingly rare that I take the kids to museums which makes me feel like a really lame parent, but I'm glad for grandparents. Hear, hear T's parents, hear, hear!

What happy occasions, and I'm in a hotel room. It's clean, it's quiet, there are no pets in sight, there is always enough hot water. Heavenly.