Feliz Cuatro de Mayo

The flowers from our cherry tree have migrated to the ground. The sea of pink was kind of pretty, but it has been raining non stop for two days and it's a mess now. I'm looking forward to seeing what blooms next. My money's on the peonies. It can't be much longer.

Meanwhile, we had the neighborhood Cinco de Mayo party on Saturday. We got lucky and the rain stopped for the party, so the kids were able to smash a pinata. It was really cute, and they all had a great time. Daphne got a Ring Pop, and you can imagine the aftermath of that.

Her corn syrup high lasted a couple hours. Then she crashed and had a nightmare about my sister-in-law's cat ("Jasmine was biting me in my crib."), and now she is afraid to be in her bed. I had to stay in her room until she was asleep at naptime yesterday and again last night, and this morning I got to her room just in time to stop her from climbing out her crib. She NEVER tries to climb out. So, I don't know what to do. I know she's really really scared and not just trying to stall or be naughty. Poor kid. I'm hoping that if I don't mention it today, she'll just forget about it, but I think I'm in for another difficult bedtime ordeal.

Someone brought this pig to the party:

Conspiracy Theory: I think maybe Swine Flu was created by the surgical mask industry. My neighbor who owns the local pharmacy said people are buying them like crazy, and the funny thing is, they don't really work. If I had one, I think I'd draw the big Rolling Stones mouth on it.

Time to switch out the laundry. Hasta luego, amigos.

Breakfast PSA

It is my opinion that Eggo Cinnamon French Toast Sticks are better than Aunt Jemima Frozen Cinnamon French Toast. I had to put my Aunt Jemima ones through 2 toaster cycles to get them warm all the way through (they are thick!), and once they were done, the insides were sort of mushy, like the egg still wasn't totally cooked. Of course, nothing beats real French Toast, but the Eggo stuff is pretty tasty if you're in a hurry.

Kevin has found Trader Joe's instant oatmeal packets to be way better than anything we've tried from the regular grocery stores. I am going there today (hooray!), so if they have frozen French Toast, I will try it and report on my findings.

Leaves of Three, Let Them Be

While we have many lovely surprises popping up in the yard like these climatis vines (above) and these lilacs (below),

We also have a ton of this:

Poison ivy. Yuck. I have been doing some research today, and it seems like you pretty much need to get a Haz-Mat team out to your house to get rid of the stuff. OK, that's exaggerating a little. But it's quite an elaborate process, and I'm not sure I'm up to the task. I don't want Kev to have to deal with it either, after everything he went through with the ginko berries last fall. But this stuff is BAD. At least it isn't IN the yard...it is out front between our fence and the stone wall that was put up by the town. I wonder if the town would send someone out to get rid of it for us. For as much as we pay in taxes, they certainly should. But it seems unlikely.

Speaking of things that are pesky, yesterday Daphne accidentally let a wasp into the house. I had it trapped behind the blinds this morning, but it found a way out and escaped into the cabinet above the fridge where we keep all the snack foods. I guess that's one way to keep me out of the chips! But I don't know what to do. What is it doing in there, do you think? Probably helping itself to some of the boxes of truffles left over from Christmas. These are the dilemmas of the stay-at-home mom, I guess.

AHA! Victory is mine! As I was typing that last sentence, my tiny be-stingered nemesis emerged from the snack cabinet and got itself caught behind the sheers on the back door. After some mustering up of courage, which I'll admit took longer than it should have, I took a few good whacks at him with a rolled-up copy of the Leesburg Today and that is that. Try to take MY chocolate, will you?!

It sounds like Daphne is waking up from her nap. Time to stop fighting evil-doers and get upstairs.

Please advise about the poison ivy if you know any tricks...

Dinner and a Movie

It was a pretty big weekend for a small weekend. Friday, Kev came home early from work, so we had dinner on the porch. I do not know exactly why food tastes better outside, but it does.

Saturday, we went to the farmer's market and the library. We got books, while Kev got tomato and cucumber plants, and then we all came home to do some planting. I worked on my herb container, while Daphne "helped" Kev with the vegetable garden. Actually, she was a pretty good little helper. It was HOT though. We had to turn on the AC for the first time yesterday. I think we have a couple more days of hot before we get back to the 70s again. At least there aren't mosquitos.

After nap time, the babysitter arrived, and Kev and I headed out to Angeethi for dinner. Angeethi is an Indian place a couple blocks from the house. I am telling you, as I told the waiter, this was the BEST restaurant meal I've had since moving to Virginia. I had Murg Makhini, which is chicken in a creamy buttery tomato-based curry, and it was DElicious. Very flavorful. And I was able to eat dinner slowly and enjoy my food without having to supervise anyone. A nice treat. Then, we drove the the next town to see the Soloist, which was very good, if a little disturbing. It was great to spend some time with Kev and get out for the evening. Daphne got a good report from the sitter, which meant I, um, I mean we got to go to Dairy Queen for lunch and ice cream today.

The guy next door came over while Kev was gardening and let him know they got our message about Snoopy and wanted me to know he is in a better place. YIKES! But it turns out that what he meant by that was that they DID in fact drive him out to the country and let him go. So, that's good news, although it still would have been nice for them to call us back so we didn't have to spend the whole two weeks thinking Snoopy was no more. I really hope Snoopy is happy in his better place and doesn't suffer the same fate as the poor flat groundhog we saw on Kinks Street the other day.

And in other neighbor news, our other next door neighbor, who is an amazing gardener, came over and gave me some advice today, as well as pointed out the poison ivy we hadn't noticed by the front gate. Then she told me that the developer who built all the houses in our cul de sac and did the addition on our house almost cut down the beautiful tree I've been going on and on about lately! Can you belive that!? She said that another neighbor from across the street came over and really let him have it, and thus saved the tree. Thank goodness for that! What a tragedy that would have been!

So, add to all that another Mavericks victory over the dreaded Spurs, and another good weekend is in the books. Pictures of various things are on flickr for those who want to see. I am tired, but in a good way. Next weekend, I am in charge of dessert at the neighborhood Cinco de Mayo party. Please feel free to make suggestions. I was thinking about trying to make a tres leches cake, but that may be too ambitious. Maybe I'll just go to the Mexican bakery up the street...

New Career Goal

Daphne woke up in an unusually good mood today. Then she started singing this song. Kev could not have been prouder. I am just glad she isn't singing "I wish to be an astronaut."

I feel a new PPHPHB project is in the future...

Spring is Good

This morning, I went into my back yard and cut these lilacs off the tree. I wish you could smell them. I know they won't last long. There are all kinds of surprises popping up in the yard and the weather is delightful. Spring is taking a pretty good stab at overtaking fall as my favorite season.

This tree, which I think is a late blooming cherry of some kind, is hands down the most beautiful tree I have ever seen. I can't believe it's in my yard. It is peaking now, and the flowers will be gone soon. I have taken way too many pictures of it, but I just can't get enough. Every time I see it, I'm shocked.

So, Spring is good. It's making me really really congested, but it's good.

Today was Take Your Kids to Work Day, so Daphne and I went to Kev's office to see some model rockets and go to lunch. Daphne was very enthusiastic. Everything she saw was "COOL!" She keeps saying she wants to be an astronaut. I keep telling myself this will pass.

This weekend, Kev and I are going out to see an actual real movie at a movie theater. Since Star Trek isn't out yet, we are going to see The Soloist. I am looking forward to it very much. If Daphne is good for the babysitter, we may get to go to Dairy Queen.

I am hoping for another Mavs victory over the Spurs tomorrow. Last night's game wasn't on here, and I'm really sorry I missed it. I know they really don't have a snowball's chance, but I'm glad they're in the play-offs anyway. I miss the Mavericks.

OK, it's spaghetti and meatballs night, so I better get cooking.

Every Day Should Be Earth Day

Having a Conversation about Rain

Daphne: I want to be the rain so I can triple down from the sky.

Me: Triple?

Daphne: Yeah, triple down from the sky.

Me: I think you mean trickle.

Daphne: Triple.

Me: Or maybe you mean sprinkle.

Daphne: Sprinkle?! Sprinkles are what you put on ice cream. Silly Mommy.

Bubbles Are Fun

Thanks, Kimmie and Marty!

Our weekend revolved around beautiful weather and the Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival. They closed off all the streets downtown and filled them with booths and food and music and flowers and things for kids to do. There are tons of pictures on Flickr if you're interested. Daphne had a great time. She got to ride in the wagon, paint, play with stickers, get a "tattoo," run around and play ball, and eat popcorn and a strawberry smoothie. Such a cool thing. I went back on Sunday with a neighbor to buy some herbs and get lunch. If they only had a fun slide...

Saturday night, we took Daphne to a Big Rock Show. Her favorite band, Rocknoceros, had a CD release party, and we decided to go and reward Daphne for GREAT success on the potty. It was crowded, but fun. Daphne got to go give Coach his post-show high five, and he remembered her name. She was pretty star struck.

Next weekend, we have no plans for the first time in a LONG time. I am kinda looking forward to doing nothing. Chances are, we'll end up doing something, though. It's too nice outside to sit around the house.

Hope you all had a good weekend.

Go Mavs!

Good Times, Bad Times

It was not your typical Easter weekend, that's for sure. It started off on a rather bad note, actually. Friday afternoon, Daphne and I were outside enjoying the sunny day and waiting for Kev to get home when our next door neighbor came outside and announced he saw the groundhog. I said, "Yeah, he stays under our shed (above)." And he said, "Yeah, I just bought this trap," pointing to a cage on his deck. WHAT?! So I said, "What will you do if you catch him?" And he informed me that it is illegal to remove trapped animals from your property, so you either have to put them down yourself, or call someone who will come and put them down. Then he went inside. I was in shock. He was talking about SNOOPY, for crying out loud. Now, I know groundhogs are pesky and eat everything in sight, but why not just drop him off in the woods? So after losing a lot of sleep, Kev and I decided that I should call and volunteer us to do just that. Early Saturday morning, I called and left a message letting our neighbor know we'd be happy to take full responsibility for the illegal removal of Snoopy from their property if they indeed caught him. But they have not returned our call, and we haven't seen them outside since. Nor have we seen Snoopy, so I fear we are too late. I even left him a carrot by his hole, and it's still there two days later. The whole situation kinda left a black cloud hanging over us all weekend. Poor Snoopy. He never hurt anybody.

Meanwhile, we tried to keep things normal for the sake of the Peanut, who has no idea that Snoopy might be gone. We colored eggs, which was fun but required a lot of patience. We made Easter milkshakes and watched the Muppets Take Manhattan. And we put out carrots and drew a picture for the Easter Bunny. And in the middle of all this, we took the diapers away. Forever. We spent the weekend dealing with big kid underpants and pull-ups and accidents and so forth. Easter morning, we got up and Daphne got all her cool Easter goodies and treats. At first, she was only interested in candy, but eventually, she started playing with her new toys and had a big time. At one point, she went into the playroom, did a quick survey, and said very matter-of-factly, "There's all my old stuff." But the majority of the morning was spent in our very small downstairs bathroom, waiting for the inevitable to happen:

It had been two days since, well, you know, and we knew she was scared and holding it in. I will spare you the details, but after a lot of jumping and crying with fear, there was finally jumping and crying with joy. Daphne ran around the house singing, "I did it, I did it, I really really did it!" We had the Official Big Kid Underpants Celebration with fried bananas and ice cream at the gas station Thai place down the street. Quite a treat for all of us.

So, overall it was a bittersweet, and definitely memorable Easter weekend. Kev and I were worn out last night. I think we went to bed at about 8:45. Hopefully, Snoopy got away somehow. I'd like to think so.

Next weekend is the Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival. The thing I am most looking forward to doing is going to the new Cajun restaurant that just opened up the street for beignets and chicory coffee. We stopped by on Friday and grabbed menues. It looks SO good. And the owner informed me that soon they will be serving cheese grits for breakfast there. Hallelujah!

And one more quick thing, speaking of grits. We were eating shrimp and grits for dinner on Saturday night, and Daphne out of nowhere said, "Hey guys. Little tiny baby grits are called 'Gritlets.' " She always makes us laugh just when we need it most.

Off to Trader Joe's!

The Real World

When you are a Speech Pathologist, you have to get 10 hours of Continuing Education yearly to maintain your license. So, yesterday, I ventured forth into the Real World to attend a seminar worth 6 of those hours. These seminars are always exactly the same. First of all, they are always held in a too-small meeting room at a generic hotel. This one was at the Reston Sheraton, which was about 30 minutes or so from where I live. So, I got up early and joined the morning commute. I actually saw the sun come up, so that was kind of nice. Anyway, when you arrive, you sign in and get your handouts, and then find a place to sit at one of the long skinny tables with the hotel pens and notepads and ugly tablecloths. Then it's time for the "breakfast," which is always croissants and muffins and bad coffee. During the morning session, it is always too cold in the room, so bad coffee will do just fine. Once the seminar starts, there is always the awkward introduction of the speaker and lots of courtesy laughter by the audience, and then 10 to 15 minutes of difficulty with the AV equipment (mic feedback, frozen computer screen, etc) before the actual seminar begins. I always sit in the back row on the end by the door, because I have to get up and leave a lot due to the bad coffee. This seminar was no different. If I didn't know better, I could have been at the Dallas Marriot or the Baltimore Residence Inn or anywhere else. Inside those walls, it's all the same.

That being said, the morning part of the seminar was actually pretty interesting. But as the morning progressed, I became (literally) painfully aware that the tailbone injury I sustained when I fell down the steps has not healed completely. I was ecstatic when lunchtime came.

The best part about the seminars, for me, is lunch. It is one of the few opportunities I get to spend a whole hour completely alone. Sometimes, I bring a magazine and eat at the hotel, but yesterday, I decided to leave and find a Five Guys. I have been wanting to go there, but we don't have any out by us. I plugged it into my GPS just to see if there was one near the hotel. SWEET! 1.9 miles later, I was eating possibly the best cheeseburger I have ever had. And the fries were awesome too. All they are lacking are milkshakes. Why don't they have milkshakes?! I am planning my campaign to get a Five Guys (with milkshakes) in Leesburg as soon as possible. In fact, maybe I should just open one myself. Then I wouldn't have to go to any more seminars!

After lunch, I headed back to the hotel. The afternoons are always difficult. By the time lunch is done, enough people have complained about being cold that the hotel staff over-compensates and makes the room into a sauna. So, we're all in there, hot and stuffed full of food and bored out of our minds. And there are still three hours to go. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

But, I made it through and got my certificate, and enjoyed doing something different for a change. Kevin stayed home and worked while Daphne spent the morning at a neighbor's house having a great time. It all worked out well, and I just have to get four more hours before my birthday. Which is August 11th, by the way. I noticed they had gift cards by the register at Five Guys...

Come on Everybody, Get Your Rollerskates Today

Today, my neighbor invited us to join them at the Toddler Time Tuesday at Purcellville Skate Rink. You can go there with your toddler and whatever bike/skate/scooter toys you want to bring. We took Daphne's Dora skates (Thanks, Kimmy!) and the Big Wheel, and had a very big time. Perfect for a cold cloudy day like today. There was actually SNOW falling when we left the rink. Good grief. Anyway, I wish I woulda known about this place during the winter. It's great.

Yesterday, Daphne did not take a nap. Not good. If she is going to start stopping taking naps, I am in big trouble. Today, she is all tired out from skating, so I am hopeful.

By the way, I wanted to skate SO bad, but none of the mommies were skating. There were disco lights and everything!

Sometimes, you can imagine doing something and you get this idea in your head of just how it's supposed to be. For example, I had this image of spending my anniversary leisurely strolling around the tidal basin with Kev, enjoying the peaceful surroundings and the cherry trees gently blowing in the breeze. Aaaahhhh.

Yeah. Not quite.

Here's what really happened. Yesterday was our anniversary. It was also a Sunday and the prettiest day of the spring so far. The babysitter arrived at 11:00 and needed us back by about 5:00 because she had to work at the Old Navy at 6:00. No problem. So, we left for the train station and made good time. Then we saw the parking lot. Not a space to be had. We finally found a parking gargage and an empty space, but we blew about 20 minutes in the process. Then it was another 10 minutes or so on the platform before the train arrived. Vienna Metro is the end of the line, so when you get on there, you start with an empty train. This train filled up immediately and we were lucky to get a seat. But at least we were on our way. The plan was brunch at this Belgian Waffle place on Capitol Hill and then, the TREES! Then, I started doing the math. This was going to have to be a fast-paced outing, but we decided to stick to the plan.

Things were looking up when we arrived at Eastern Market and found the waffle place easily. Then we found out it was reservations only, and we could "maybe try back in a couple hours." OK. On to Plan B. So, we wandered around and found a Greek place that had a free table. Aaah. Still plenty of time. Unless of course you are at the world's slowest Greek place. The upside is that the food was good. But we really had to book it to the Tidal Basin. By the time we got there, about 2 million other people were there as well, and we only had about 10 minutes to take a couple of quick pictures and admire the trees before going back to the underground cattle-drive that was Smithsonian Station. Not the best place to be if you are claustrophobic, like me. But finally, we were back on the train and headed to Vienna Station with time to spare.

Unfortunately, it took every second of that spare time to find our car in the parking garage. We wandered around for at least 15 minutes, beeping the lock and trying to follow the sound. By this time, DC headache had set in and we were both exhausted. We made it home at 5:02. Daphne was napping and so was the sitter.

But, if I may quote the noted A.I. judge Kara DioGuardi, here's the thing. It was a crazy trip, and not what we planned exactly, but I got to see the trees, which were beautiful. There WAS a gentle breeze, which was blowing the blossoms and they were falling like snow. I got to spend the whole day with Kev. Daphne had a great time with the sitter and we didn't have to drag her and the stroller on the crowded train. The sitter seemed to like Daphne and is willing to come back. And it is probably the most memorable of our anniversarys so far. So it's all good.

Happy Anniversay, Kev. Thanks for a fun day. And now I can check "seeing the trees" off my list.

Saturday was the big Easter Egg Hunt at our local rec center. We signed up the Peanut and arrived for the hunt on probably the windiest day of the year. But we had a great time, and Daphne was happy with her haul, which included a few pieces of candy and some cheap plastic toys. Please visit flickr if you'd like to see, among other things, me wearing Daphne's new pirate eye-patch. A very Eastery toy, huh?



It was all fun, but I think Kev and I are getting too old for all this non-stop activity. We're tired. Next weekend is Easter, and the one after that is the Flower and Garden festival in our little town, plus the Rocknoceros CD release party at Jammin Java, which I think we are going to take Daphne to.

Maybe I need a clone.

Daphne is in the next room singing "Jimmy crack corn but I don't care, Jimmy crack corn but I don't care, Jimmy crack corn but I don't caaaaaaare, doo doo doo, the blue tail fly" over and over and over. It's time for her bath. I never know how this is gonna go...wish me luck! Off to the tubby...

Four

Thing that Makes Me Happy number four is the view from my kitchen window, especially when there are birds in it, which is usually.

Full Throttle Thursday

When you are two and a half, this is one of those days that could be ranked among Best Days Ever. We went to the mall because on the first Thursday of the month, Daphne's new favorite band, Rocknoceros, plays for free on the lower level by Macy's. Armed with a cup of coffee, apple juice, and a shaker, we parked the stroller by the escalators and took a seat on the floor to watch the band set up. We sat on the left, Coach's side. Daphne is afraid of Williebob (which by the way would have been a great name for the groundhog) because of his beard, so we can't sit on the right without creating some stress. Daphne is very serious about her rock. While the other kids pogo and dance around, Daphne stands to the side with a very serious look on her face, nodding her head to the beat. It's funny to see. At the end, she refused to go get a handstamp from Williebob, even though we practiced it yesterday (I was Williebob). But she did go get a high-five from Coach, who remembered her from last time and gave her a little flyer, which she clutched as if it was from a Beatle or something. Rocknomania.

As if that wasn't enough, the Easter Bunny was at the mall, and Daphne actually wanted to go sit on his lap. This was shocking, as she absolutely refused to have anything to do with Santa. And believe me, the bunny is much creepier. He doesn't talk, and you can see his human face through the mesh air hole which is his mouth. But she was willing, so I let her do it and we got the obligatory overpriced photo to remember it by (above). Then, she got a lollipop and a coloring book. Could the day get any better?

It was time for lunch, and the line at Chick Fil a was about a mile long with other Rocknoceros moms and strollers, so we went to Taco Bell. I know. Yuck. But Daphne loved it, and she got a toy in her kid's meal. And the adult lady sitting next to us, who was eating a kid's meal herself, gave Daphne her toy too.

So, a rock show, a high-five from Coach, the Easter Bunny, a lollipop, a coloring book, and two toys, all in the span of about 2 hours. It was such a great day already that she didn't even ask to ride the carousel. She always asks to ride the carousel.

Now we are home, and she is upstairs in bed, not taking a nap. She is talking to herself about something. I think she is too wound up to sleep. This is very very bad, because I need a nap desperately. I am too old for Full Throttle Thursday.

Update: Sure enough, no nap. As I was typing that last sentence, I heard, "MOMMMMMYYYYYYY. I can't sleeeeeeeeep!" I attempted to get her to sleep by resting with me in my bed, but she was too squirmy, so I put her on the couch and demanded some quiet time. Curse you and your sugary lollipops, Easter Bunny.

Is it Monday Already?

Never a dull moment. I am starting to wonder if things will really ever start to "settle down" around here. I kinda doubt it, at least for the short term. Now that it looks like spring is really here, it's all Go Go Go.

Thursday night, I went to dinner with a couple of the other neighborhood moms. It was a really good night out, and I am starting to feel less like an outsider, so that's definitely a good thing. Friday, I made sure Daphne took an early nap so she could finally play in the cul de sac with the other kids after school. I took her down there and her little Peanut eyes got huge when she saw all the kids with their scooters and sidewalk chalk and bubble machines. Then her friend Lauren, a big kindergartener, came running up going, "Daphne! Daphne!" and that made me almost cry. We spent a good hour and a half outside, with kids for her to play with and grown-ups for me to talk to. I actually know every neighbor on my block, except for one, by name. It took years to meet just a handful of people in my old neighborhood.

Speaking of neighbors, below is a picture of someone who actually lives in my back yard under our potting shed:

So cute, huh? It is a groundhog (which, by the way, I found out is the same thing as a woodchuck). At first we thought we had a skunk living there, so this was a very pleasant surprise. Since I am the one who saw it first, I get to think of the name. Daphne wants to name it Snoopy. Kev and Jeff want to call it "Chickens" (long story). I would prefer something that sorta goes with Pancho, like maybe Lefty or Cisco or Consuela, but I have a feeling Snoopy is gonna stick. You learn to pick your battles with the Peanut. Anyway, you should see this little guy run. He (she?) is really fast! I will try to get it on video sometime if I can.

Jeff was here over the weekend, and treated us to a Hibachi dinner Friday night. Those guys are so impressive. And the food was really tasty. Saturday, we all went to lunch at the Hamburg Doner (aka the Mighty Midget), which was having a one-year anniversary celebration. The best part about that was the free delicious split pea soup they were giving away on the patio. Their regular house-band, Dave Pepper, was playing, and Daphne did her best to request a Kinks song, but they couldn't hear her tiny voice. Oddly enough, they played a Kinks song anyway. Not the one she asked for, but it worked. It would have been more fun if it hadn't been raining.

Sunday, we went on a breakfast adventure that involved a long long drive, but ended up about a block from home. Another long story. After that, Kev went to buy his new birthday bike while the rest of us napped.



Cool bike, isn't it? Not quite as cool as mine, but pretty dang close. Of course, Kev was excited when he brought it home, and wanted to go for a family bike ride. But as he was hooking up the Burley, it started to rain. The bad news is, it was a pretty short and unpleasant ride. The good news is, I finally heard thunder in Virginia. We sat on the porch and enjoyed the storm, which was very short, and then it was puddle jumping time for Daphne, while I took some post-storm pictures of the increasingly pretty things blooming in the yard. I am glad that Snoopy/Chickens/Lefty had a safe place to ride out the storm.

This morning, Kev went to work and Jeff left for Baltimore and Daphne and I went to Wegman's. It's pretty quiet around here, but I don't expect it to last. You should see the calendar for April. Stay tuned...

Jazz in the Evening and Rock in the Morn

Last night, after dinner, Kev suggested a stroll. So, we strolled. On the way back home, we happened to walk past the King's Court Tavern (home of GREAT fish and chips), and noticed that Al and the Arcadians (above - photo from the Loudoun Times) were setting up. So, we decided to go in for a while and get a little dose of New Orleans. There were six guys in the group, and I'll betcha their collective age was pushing 550. But they were great. And Daphne loved it. They play Dixieland Jazz like nobody's business. Kev said this is what he wants to do when he's old. I am all in favor of that, but he better get to work. He hasn't played his trumpet in months, and I don't think he's gonna get very far on Pop Goes the Weasel.

This morning, Daphne and I met a neighbor and her kids at Jammin Java, a really cool coffee shop in Vienna, to see Rocknoceros (above). Rocknoceros (not to be confused with the Rhyme-noceros and the Hip-hop-opotomus) is really big with the hip toddler set of Northern Virginia. And they really were a lot of fun. They are a little like They Might Be Giants, so their music is catchy and kid-oriented, but adult-friendly enough to sit through and enjoy. Daphne was a little hesitant, and didn't join the throng of dancing kids at the front of the stage, but she did clap and dance in her seat, and at the end of the show, she met the singer ("Coach" - the guy on the left) and gave him five. I think next time she'll feel more comfortable and have a little more fun. Anyway, it's a really cool thing for kids, and they play there every Wednesday morning. It's hard to beat coffee and rock on a Wednesday morning. Tons better than storytime at the library.

Jammin Java, by the way, has real grown-up shows in the evenings, and I am excited to say that the Asylum Street Spankers, one of our favorite bands from Texas, are playing there sometime in May.

Tomorrow we are just staying home to do laundry, so it is going to be a real let-down. I'll guess have to get out my melodica and make up some Doin' the Laundy polkas.

Garden State

This morning, Daphne was eating breakfast. She suddenly started talking about some place that has "...orange carousels, and blue carousels, and green carousels, and it's aMAZing!" So I asked her, "Where is this place?" And without even a second's pause, she said, "New Jersey." Hmm.

We decided she should paint it. Please press "play."

Now, I have only been on the Jersey turnpike, so I can't really say for sure, but I don't think anywhere in New Jersey could possibly be this beautiful. I think I may write the Governer and see if he'd like to hire Daphne for a little PR work.

Butter-Making, Mystery Trees, DC, and a Dog Named Steve

See, I told ya I was gonna make butter. There it is, all fluffy and delicious. I highly recommend this activity, especially if you have kids. All you have to do is get some heavy cream, let it get to room temperature, put it in some kind of sealed container (mason jar), and shake the aiche out of it until it turns to butter (it only take about 10 minutes if the cream isn't too cold). Pour off the liquid (which you can keep and use to make buttermilk biscuits or pancakes), and spread it onto whatever you have handy: bread, crackers, your fingers...

I actually did use the buttermilk to make biscuits, but they weren't really that great. Just a vehicle for the butter, really. I whipped some honey into the butter, which was good. Next time I will probably put in some honey and cinnamon and make pop-overs to put it on. Mmmmm...

(Hint: Just make a little bit and use it up quickly. If you plan to make a lot and keep it, you have to get all the water out or it will turn rancid. Loads of info on butter-making on the internet if you Google).



One of the nice things about moving to a new house in the winter is that your yard in the spring is a total surprise. This tree is growing in my front yard. I have no idea what it is. It has just been sitting there since we moved in, completely bare, and then suddenly THIS happened. It's so pretty. I feel kinda dumb not knowing what it is. I have been seeing these trees everywhere, so it must be pretty common. So let me know if you know what it is. There might even be a prize.

Yesterday, we loaded up the car and went into DC to hang out with Jeff. It was a beautiful day - sunny and in the 60s. Just perfect. We went to the Smithsonian Museum of American History, which has a lot of cool stuff including the Puffy Shirt:

We also got to see Abe Lincoln's hat and the Star Spangled Banner flag, which is HUGE and very cool. Daphne didn't last very long in the museum, so we took her to the carousel on the mall and let her run around a little. Then we went to Eastern Market, which is a weekend flea market in a really cool neighborhood near the Capitol. We got some good food at Mr. Henry's, walked around a little, and then headed back because we were WAY past naptime and some of the group was cranky. On the way to the metro, we met a really good Mastiff puppy named Steve. You should have seen the size of Steve's feet. His owner really knows how to name dogs!

In all, it was a good day out. I really love Washington DC. We will never ever run out of stuff to do. And it's so pretty in the spring. Thanks to Jeff for taking us all around. Hope y'all had a good weekend.

Public Service Announcement (or Soapbox Alert)

As someone who has worked with kids with various special needs for a long time, maybe I am a little sensitive. But I really don't like the word "retarded." I especially don't like it when people call someone a "REtard." Even if it's just a joke. It just gets casually thrown around without a lot of thought. Some may argue "it's just a word," but words can have a pretty big impact. Special Olympics has started a campaign to get people to maybe re-think using the "R-Word." I just thought I'd mention it.

On a personal note, I could also do without stupid, hate, and shut up.

And now, back to your regularly scheduled blog...

Please Enjoy Some Absolute Genius.

This is so true. Every single bit. Thanks, Brad. Thanks, The Sneeze. And thanks, guy who composed and filmed this greatness.

It's the small plastic tub
of good lobster bisque
It's the milk that won't froth
no matter how hard you whisk...

I'm gonna be stuck on this all day.

(PS. You might not like this if you've never actually been to Trader Joe's).

Number Three

Goat cheese is definitely a Thing That Makes Me Happy. It is so creamy and delicious. If you have an especially good recipe using goat cheese as an ingredient, please pass it my way. I am always looking for new ways to use it. This particular goat cheese came from Trader Joe's, which also makes me happy. Every time I go to there, I find some kind of new good thing. Like yesterday, I was there and saw among the soups a small container of Trader Joe's Lobster Bisque. So, we had it as part of our dinner last night, and it was great. They also have awesome chocolate chip cookies. But here's something weird. Yesterday, I got some milk at Trader Joe's. I usually buy Horizon Organic 2% milk, but this time I got the Trader's Joe's brand (also organic 2%). And for some reason, it won't froth! This morning when I made my daily latte, I went to froth my milk as usual, and the bubbles just disappeared! A quick internet search told me I am not the only one who can't get Trader Joe's milk to froth, so this made me feel better. But I couldn't find a reason WHY. If you know any dairy farmers, please ask them. Speaking of dairy farmers, I am on the lookout for local fresh cream next time I go to the farmer's market because I have some pretty big butter-making plans. I'll keep you posted on all that.

Yesterday started off with extremely dense fog, but when it lifted, we were left with a beautiful sunny and warm day. Daphne and I met some friends down in Herndon at Frying Pan Farm for a playdate. It's a cute little farm with a playground and farm animals, and it's free. The kids got filthy and had a great time, and I enjoyed seeing all the baby animals. There were lambs and calves and piglets. So dang cute.

On the way home from the farm, Daphne got really sneezy. She seems better today, but she was pretty pitiful yesterday. It is not clear whether this is allergies or sickness. I sure hope she isn't going to be allergic to springtime in Virginia. That would be really really bad.

Anyway, I better get on with my day. I think I will have a bagel with delicious goat cheese to go along with my froth-free latte....

Happy Patrick's Day!

New Attitude

Daphne finally quit pouting about Patrick's Day. See, doesn't she look pretty in green?

The Second One

Here is another Thing That Makes Me Happy: My coffee-making ensemble. From left to right, it includes a large french press, a small french press, a milk-frother, decaf beans, regular beans (for Kev and guests), and grinder, and in front is my favorite coffee cup (a Christmas gift from Kev). This may seem elaborate, but it's really very simple, and it all gets used first thing every single day. I drink coffee because I love it. Not for the caffeine jolt. I have been officially decafinated for at least 6 months, probably more. I can't remember when I quit, but I had to because I was having terrible caffeine-related headaches.

A really good side effect of having all this coffee-making stuff is that I don't go out and spend money at the coffee shop. Every little money-saving bit helps in these difficult times. Not that I was going to Starbucks every day like many people seem to do, but I did get a fancy coffee once a week or so back when I was in Texas.

Perhaps I'll do a blog about "things I am doing to try to save money in these difficult times."

But now, I should go watch Charlie and Lola with Daphne. She is very grumpy because she has decided she doesn't like "Patrick's Day." First, I tried to be all fun and make her milk green in the cheerios this morning. Total failure. "I don't like green milk, Mommy." "But you've never had green milk, Peanut." "When I was at Lauren's house, when those teenagers were there, and you and daddy went to that grown-up party, there was green milk and I tried it and I didn't like it." OK, fair enough. So, I failed at being fun AND at being original. Next, after bath time, I almost caused a major meltdown trying to get her to put on a green shirt. It has butterflies on it. Daphne doesn't like butterflies. Why? They are "too exciting." I finally told her she was going to get pinched if she didn't wear the shirt, so she put it on but has been pouting ever since, sitting on the kitchen floor with her arms crossed saying, "I don't like Patrick's day." I feel kinda bad, but it looks really pretty on her with her orange hair and all.

Sigh. I wish it was Lantern Day instead.

Lantern Day

Another big weekend at Casa de Housepants. Saturday night, we co-hosted a progressive wine-tasting/appetizer party with the people on our cul-de-sac. Hosting parties makes me nervous, but it all turned out fine and everybody had a great time. Daphne got to go to a neighbor's house to hang out with her little friends and a babysitter. She had a blast and cried when she had to come back home.

Then yesterday, Daphne suddenly declared it to be "Lantern Day" (see above, Daphne in her Lantern Day outfit). She gave all her guys pretend baths, and then put teacups on all their heads (below - don't know why the photo is rotated that way, sorry):

She said it was their Lantern Day hats. Then she started singing, "It's Lantern Daaaayyy, it's lantern daaaayyy, we get to eat really good food on lantern daaaaayyy." At first I thought this all came from her crazy imagination, but I am starting to think it was based on something she saw on Ni Hao Kai Lan. For those of you who don't know, Kai Lan is like the Chinese Dora the Explorer. If you don't know who Dora is, then you must not have kids or ever go to Target or other places with toys. Anyway, I think they once had a lantern festival on Ni Hao Kai Lan, so that's probably where this all started.

Meanwhile, Kev and I decided to attempt the rare and difficult feat of cooking together. Kev was the Gumbo Meister and I was the sous chef. In order to get Daphne excited, we called it Special Lantern Day Gumbo, and told her that if she ate it all, she could have Delicious Lantern Day Strawberry Shortcake. And guess what. It worked! She ate all of her gumbo*, which was delicious:

and after a short break for Family Band Time, we all watched Dumbo and ate strawberry shortcake. I am really hoping that we can make Lantern Day a yearly tradition. It was fun. Everybody was in a good mood. And we got to have really good food on Lantern Daaaayyy.

*chicken and andouille gumbo - the final "Winter of Soup" soup.

Feel Free...

...to play along and do Things That Make You Happy on your own blog. Or, if you are one of the crankier readers, you could do Things That Make You Mad. That would be really easy for me. But in my case, that would defeat the purpose.

By the way, I just found out that Domino magazine is no more. March is the last issue. Boo hoo.

The First One

OK, here is the first Thing That Makes Me Happy: my spirally scarf. It makes me happy for several reasons, including:

• I love the color,
• I made (knit) it myself,
• it represents Fall,
• it reminds me of my good friend Emily who helped me with the pattern,
• it is made from alpaca (soft and not too itchy), and
• it is generally groovy.

It may not be Prada, but it's good enough for me. It will never go out of fashion because it was never actually IN fashion. It is timeless, if you will. I love my spirally scarf.

Here is last night's 70's "casserole concoction" as Kevin decided to call it.
I called it "Chicken Surprise." It wasn't very good, but it wasn't awful. The best part was the bread crumbs. There were a few moments of kitchen panic when I realized I was out of breadcrumbs (this is almost unheard of), but I happened to have a little left-over sourdough loaf, so I made my own in my very under-used food processor. Problem solved! I am sad to say that there is more Chicken Surprise in the fridge, so somebody's going to have to eat it.

Um...Not it!

Sorry, Kev.

Thursday Afternoon Blog

Winter isn't going to go down without a fight. Yesterday, it was about 68 degrees, but today was cold and windy, and there is a possibility of a light dusting of snow overnight. I am putting my money on Spring, though. As you can see, our cherry trees are starting to bloom,

and the birds have discovered the feeders. I am a little disappointed that, at least so far, the birds here are the same ones we had in Texas (with the possible exception of one brown creeper, which I am only about 90% sure I identified correctly). So far, we've had cardinals, blue jays, juncos, robins, wrens, house finches (above), mockingbirds (yay!), chickadees, and titmouses. We also have a lot of turkey vultures and Canada geese doing fly-overs, and one day there was briefly a hawk (probably red-tailed) in the back yard. But, perhaps as spring migration continues and the weather gets warmer, some new birds will appear.

Yesterday was so nice that we spent the morning outside blowing bubbles and digging in the dirt. Look how happy Daphne is about that bubble.

I think I remember blogging once about how I don't like Domino magazine because I get mad every time I flip through it. They have a regular feature on the last page called "Ten Things that Make Me Happy." It is always some socialite I've never heard of, and photos of their "ten things," which usually includes items like their Prada handbag that cost more than my car, and their super-ugly designer diamond studded toilet seat cover and so forth. You know what I mean. Over-expensive stuff that nobody really needs. All Daphne needs is a bubble.

So, I've decided that I am going to do some blogs about (Simple) Things that Make Me Happy to help me keep my perspective and not get so caught up in always wishing I could buy new furniture and shoes.

That will have to wait until later though, as it's almost time to make dinner. Tonight, I am going all 70's on my family by throwing a bunch of left-over pasta and chicken in a casserole dish, mixing in some cream of mushroom soup, and putting bread crumbs all over the top. Everything's better with bread crumbs. See, it's the simple things.

And Just for Fun, Here's This:

I like how she is really into it, and then gets distracted at the end.

No Mo' Snow

One week ago, it was freezing and snowing. Two days ago, we ate breakfast on the porch. It was in the 70s over the weekend, and I loved every minute of it. We spent nearly the entire weekend outside, starting Friday night when we took a walk downtown for First Friday. There wasn't a lot going on. We saw a lady playing a harp and singing, and another duo playing Irish music. We went into the bank to see some opera singers, but Daphne couldn't take it. She made an awful face and put her hands over her ears, so we had to get her out of there. Not her cup of tea, I guess. She's more of a Kinks fan. We went in because there were supposed to be free snacks, but Jeff said it was "just a bunch of carrots and stuff." Anyway, we went home and had ice cream cake on the porch and let the Peanut stay up late. Big fun.

Saturday after breakfast, we went to the farmer's market to get eggs, meat, and cheese, and some apple cherry cider. Banjer-Dan was there again with his banjo, playing whatever anyone might ask him to play. Then Jeff headed back to DC and the rest of us went to a craft fair at the rec center.

Sunday we spent the morning outside. Daphne just wanted to dig in the dirt. At least she didn't try to eat any. Then we hooked up the Burley -

- and went for a short bike ride -

- and picnic on a park bench. Daphne is shouting "hooray" for picnics. Do you see my cool bike? I love it. I was riding it around and I felt like I was 12. So much fun.

So, it was another busy weekend, packed with activity. I am exhausted, but it was fun. So great to spend some time outside.

Today has been busy as well. I took Daphne to the mall to get her first haircut:

She was nervous at first, but she did it! A couple weeks ago, she would start crying at the mere mention of getting a haircut, but we read her a book from a series called "It's OK" about a cat named Tom Cat who gets a haircut and has fun. Tom Cat has sort of become her imaginary friend, which is fine by me because he talked her into it being OK to get a haircut. I wish Tom Cat had a book about how its OK to go poop on the potty. That would solve a lot of problems around here. Anyway, I took her to this place at the mall called "Cartoon Cuts," and Daphne had a great time, although I'm not convinced she got much of a haircut. She did get a "First Haircut" certificate. And now she's not scared of it anymore, so next time will be a breeze.

After the haircut, I took her to the soft playground in the mall, and we had lunch and rode the carousel. She let me shop a little bit, so I got a couple things for spring.

Now she's asleep, and I need a nap, but I think I better tend to the messes in the playroom and the kitchen first.

I did get my bird feeders hung this weekend, but they haven't been discovered yet.

And one more thing: I discovered this cool blog, so if any of you plan to come visit us, you can use it for research.

A Slight Improvement

A Slight Improvement
Originally uploaded by Tara H.

But I'm still pretty cranky. I coulda used the Cat in the Hat today.