Pizza, sex-ed, bumper sticker fail

Let's make a long story short by simply saying that by the time I dropped the boys off this morning I was mad. Real mad. And in possession of new rules and a strict plan for the afternoon. After a meeting, I took an extremely necessary nap, read some of my new Sherlock Holmes, seriously questioned the "sport" of curling, still do not understand its why, went to the market and saw this TMI bumper sticker (really, does this person want a reward? why broadcast this?), picked the boys up and have since felt like an extremely good mother. What a delight!

Their rooms are clean, the class Valentines mostly done (well, all done for Ol; he is definitely an over-achieving Valentine maker), homework completed, pen pal letter #1 written (my mom and Jack have just established their formal pen pal relationship which is adorable), dinner eaten, sex-ed talk (just with Jack) successfully had.

It was really nothing big at all- I bought several good books and started with What's the Big Secret? Talking About Sex with Girls and Boys, the one that seemed simplest and most accessible to me. The illustrations are by Marc Brown, of Arthur fame, and the text is mostly comprehensive in an age-appropriate way. Jack could not have been more darling and dear: curious, interested, he asked good questions and there was no uncomfortable or silly giggling. Halfway through, Tom came home and joined right in. Honestly, it was a lovely, nice conversation, and we felt totally bonded afterwards.

I suspect quite a few questions will emerge the more he thinks about everything. ;)

Speed skating is fabulous. This pizza, pretty as it was, was not. I had no crusts, no time to make more and so used an older, brought from the depths of my deep freezer focaccia dough. No dice. You win some, you lose some. At least I was Mama Buena!

Best of Em-i-lis 2013: May

It is Monday, and it is very cold, but I am excited because V-day is Friday. My heart-shaped bundt pan is on its way to me now, but more on that later. To keep the Year in Review ball a'rolling, I give you:

The Best of Em-i-lis: May 2013

As May usually is for my family, last May was a month of celebrations. Tom and I celebrated 9 years of marriage, and my sister and I threw a big party for my parents' 40th! Mother's Day meant I got to sleep in, go to the farmers market and be showered with love by my sweet boys. May was the month in which I made The Best Granola In The World for the first time; since then, it's been a constant presence in our pantry. I dreamed about a cocktail, The Lidocaine, that actually turned out to be quite good, and I realized anew how terribly smitten I am with spring. The boys made me laugh (and, on occasion, cry!), the flowers emerged resplendently from the gardens, and another school year neared its end.

In this post, I've just made jam and offer some good tips about how you know when it's reached the critically important set-point.

In this bit of hilarity, you see -in full pictorial- the essence of my funny Oliver.

I love this piece about stasis and feeling in love with my kids.

I was glad I brought my camera to the farmers market on Mother's Day because the flowers were incredible. As were these strawberries!

Crying over sausages at 4:45am? Chess Club? Dinner? Check!

Friends, it was with some dismay that after a lengthy morning snuggle visit with Ol earlier (much!) today, I thought to ask him the time and found out it was nearing 4:45. A!M! I strongly suggested he take his cute bum back to bed at which point he started crying hysterically about being starving. I said, "Well, Ol, you can go get a banana or some cereal, but I am definitely not getting out of this bed." "BUT I WANT BREAKFAST SAUSAGES RIGHT NOW. I AM STARVING. BREAKFAST SAUSAGES. SAUSAGES. BREAKFAST. STARVING."

Truly, it was absurd but he literally would not leave and I was equally committed to staying in bed. Finally, Tom huffed up and out and marched Ol back to his room. He sobbed for precisely 2.4 seconds before falling back asleep. I have felt rather like cat puke since.

Then, awesomeness continued when Tom had to go back to work. Until 1:15. Now, at 1:30 was Session 1 of the weekend chess club the boys created last weekend. Jack and Tom would teach Oliver and three friends chess. It commenced today. At 1:30. T suggested I stick around. I politely declined, set out the snacks I'd prepared, took one cute pic of the sweeties hovering over chess boards and hauled ass to bed, stopping only for earplugs along the way. Then I had my writing class. Then I managed to get out of 50% of bathtime by "preparing at length for dinner" (not really), made my whole wheat spaghetti with roasted chicken, currants, fennel and mascarpone, and watched some figure skating. The Canadian man-elf was too much for me, but Gracie Gold and Yulia the 15 year old Russian phenom were great.

Off to bed with the paper, my Sherlock Holmes compilation and no real belief that I'll get through much of either.