Valentine's Day is nearly a wrap

Yesterday's snow meant another school cancellation today. The boys and I read their new V-day gift books, putzed around, bought two yards of black felt for continued Jedi cloak making, went out to lunch and then moseyed over to T's parents' house. There we dug a "luge" run in the front yard and after a long and nice visit, I left to pick up Valentines dinner fixings while my sweets stayed for a sleepover. Such a gift to T and me.

Once home, I cleaned and decorated (it's really too bad that if you look underneath those heart balloons there appear to be nipples), paid bills, shoveled more snow (I actually really enjoy shoveling snow; it's winter raking), and got started on the bolognese sauce for our meal. T brought roses, we exchanged cards, I changed into my pajamas and while the ragu stewed, we finished Part 1 of Harry Potter #7, a very well done film. Quick break for dinner which also included a fennel, blood orange, pomegranate and pecorino salad + champagne, and back to the couch for Part 2. Very plain, very basic, very nice.

Now it is most surely time for bed though I did sneak a peak at Facebook before calling it a day. I smiled and loved what I saw. So many of my friends doing things equally unfancy- one couple is at their sons' hockey tournament; another at California Pizza Kitchen with their kids; one couple in an airport; another at home like us. There are times when I look around at where I am in life, and I think, "Jesus, when and how did I get here? Tired, nearing 40, PTA member, PJs 75% of every day." It's such a surprise to me sometimes, as if I don't recall the decade that's passed since my mid-20s which was, indeed, a less tired, no PTA in sight, much freer era. Yet I wouldn't trade any of this for that even though the changes can still blindside or simply surprise.

Tonight I find myself missing my little boys, those sweet munchkins that can drive me to the brink of both insanity and unbelievable in-loveness. I will be so happy when they don't wake me up in the morning but I'll also be so happy to feel their arms wrap around me in a hello embrace tomorrow afternoon.

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you're feeling loved!

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!