Fantastic shrimp-n-grits dinner

I woke up with a real yen for shrimp and grits today. I love grits, like really love them. Must be my Louisiana upbringing, but I just think they are fantastic in pretty much every form: plain, buttered, cheesed, fried. Mmm! At the market this afternoon, I spied some fresh corn from FL, the first I've seen this season. At once, a vision of a dish coalesced in my mind: grits with a corn/scallion/green garlic sauté topped with some slightly spicy sherried shrimp. Y'all, this was fantastic, and I'm not going to tell you just how much of this enormous bowl I ate.

What I will tell you is how much I needed something good and successful. What a freaking tough week this has been. Shit is what I have to say, shit. Overextended, underslept, overtalked, overcold.

Failed plan

The nap/stories in Jack's room did not work, and poor Ol (and mommy, frankly) ended up with a giant poop and pee in his underpants. Oh lordy. DisGUSTing. Ah well. Say it with me: It's always something!

Ricotta, zoo, nap inspo

I finally got the ricotta made and feel comforted just looking at it. :) Ol and I spent the morning at the zoo as it's finally a beautiful day. At one point, while passing the elephant house which is under construction, we got seriously hung up -like, had to stop, sit on the ground and watch- when O spied an excavator at work. I finally lured him away with the promise of lions. We also visited the reptile house which is not my favorite but Oliver wet bananas for it. It must be molting season because snakes and lizards were shedding their skins to beat 60; this fascinated Ol to no end.

When we got home, I could tell he was pooped. God, so was I! Anyway, I knew he would refuse a nap is his crib, but hark, a light went on and I suggested his crawling into Jack's bed with some milk and listening to stories on tape. He agreed and I got to eat lunch by myself.

Will it work?