The highlight of my day is when Ash and Sadie play tag after dinner...
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Dinner with my Dad... I wish!
It was that time again... when the sun begins to drop in the sky, and all the shadows and colors make that "pre-sunset" shift, bellies start to growl, and little boys and little schnauzers start to get twitchy and a little jumpy. Yep, dinner time.
I walked into the kitchen tonight, wondering what I could whip up fast. Ash was getting sleepy, and much earlier that his normal bedtime. You see, it has been a fun day. Ash and I went to Sea World to join a friend of ours and give the kiddos a play date. It was a blast. But our morning started about an hour earlier than we are used to and the sun was super warm (and oddly draining). The car ride back wasn't quite long enough so the usual nap was shorter. And we had to run an errand... we added some fish to our pond today. A 6 inch white goldfish, a 5 inch red goldfish and a 4 inch koi. But I'll tell you about that later, in another entry.
Back to the task at hand, as I started looking in the cupboards to get some inspiration for dinner, I saw the bag of loose chai tea Rich got me while we were in Australia. OOOOOhhhh how I LOVE Chai and all the spices in this delicious little drink. And, cooking is more fun when you are sipping on a lovely beverage, so I nuked a quick cup of hot water for the tea leaves and spices to infuse while I prepared the meal. I had put a few chicken breasts in the fridge to thaw before we left this morning, in case I got the cooking bug tonight. Good thing too!
So, there I was, salivating waiting for my tea and it hit me. Chai Chicken! Is there such a thing? I'm not sure... but I was about to find out. Into the spice cupboard I went and out came: extra virgin olive oil, whole black peppercorns, coconut milk, whole nutmeg, red curry from Cambodia, coriander, ginger, ground nutmeg, Jamaican Allspice, Cloves, Cinnamon, Himalayan Pink Salt Crystals, Tri-colored peppercorns, mint flakes, fennel seed, thyme, rosemary, aniseed, and orange blossom honey.
I looked at my counter, and it hit me. This was a meal my Dad would love. For just a moment it felt like he was right there with me, experimenting with all these yummy flavors, and not 943 miles away. My heart tugged a bit.
When I was little, I LOVED going to the grocery store with my Dad. And honestly, I still do today. Going with Dad is fun. You see, he's quiet... but adventurous. I really cannot remember a single time when he didn't get something new. He is good like that, to try new foods, new flavors, new brands, and new treats. Don't get me wrong. Mom was always fun to be with too, especially when she'd bust out a HUGE brick of cheese and whack Nikki and Oliver upside the head with it for not minding her. I mean, she was raising 4 kids, and running a house. The woman was busy! (Thanks Mom for always making Dad take one of us with him. It was so much more than just giving you a much needed break, it was an opportunity to make memories I absolutely cherish!)
While Ash munched on a banana, I got the jasmine rice started on one burner. On another burner I poured a little oil into the pan and dropped in about 8 whole peppercorns. There's just something fun about hearing peppercorns pop when the oil gets warm and knowing how delicious their flavor is making that oil. I added a can of coconut milk. Then threw in a few nubs of nutmeg. You know what a nub is right? Those little chunks that you end up when you've grated the nut as far as you can but just can't bear to throw it away, even though it is too small to keep rubbing on the grater without leaving a piece of your fingers with it. I've always just thrown them back into the jar, hoping one day I'd know what to do with them. Well, today was that day. YAY! So, as the oil, milk, pepper, and nutmeg started to simmer and blend and fuse and transform into a magical base, I went to town on the other spices. They all went into my mortar and pestle to be ground up into little bursts of an amazing scent. Once finely ground, into the milk base they went. Mmmmmmmmmmm, it was smelling soooooooooo delicious! The chicken was chopped into 1 inch cubes and added to the base. As the sauce began to reduce, I added the honey. And I wondered which kind of honey it was again that my Dad liked. I know he has a favorite... but I can't remember what it is. Clover? Mesquite? Orange Blossom? Cactus? Can you even make a cactus honey? Ack. I'll have to ask him which one his favorite is again. I have 3 different kinds in my cupboard. They're from The Honey Stand in Pine, Arizona and SOOOOO good.
It was just about done, but needed something else. Yeah, I know, as if 14 spices was not enough. It needed something more to the texture. Something crisp, yet softened. Like... AN APPLE! After a quick dice of the fruit, and a fast simmer with another douse of honey, it was ready. My kitchen smelled absolutely Divine.
It tasted even better than I had imagined and hoped it would!!! And the chicken was perfect! It was so moist and not overdone - which is a TOTAL rarity for me, unfortunately! (Click on the pic below and you can see the whole, but shriveled peppercorn. Soooo yum!)
Ash liked it too. He had THREE servings!
Eating with both hands, he piled in that rice and apple and chai chicken creation and devoured it!
It was super easy, super fast, and super delicious. And clean up was pretty quick too! Although, if you're not careful, the longest part can be putting all the caps back on the spices.
But this can be avoided if you have a good kitchen partner... like a spouse, or a roommate, or a boyfriend/girlfriend. Or, you can do a little wiggly jig to the Toddler Tunes playing on Pandora to entertain a little person and still make clean up fun.
Come visit us Dad. I'll make this for you. You'll love it.
And I love you.
I walked into the kitchen tonight, wondering what I could whip up fast. Ash was getting sleepy, and much earlier that his normal bedtime. You see, it has been a fun day. Ash and I went to Sea World to join a friend of ours and give the kiddos a play date. It was a blast. But our morning started about an hour earlier than we are used to and the sun was super warm (and oddly draining). The car ride back wasn't quite long enough so the usual nap was shorter. And we had to run an errand... we added some fish to our pond today. A 6 inch white goldfish, a 5 inch red goldfish and a 4 inch koi. But I'll tell you about that later, in another entry.
Back to the task at hand, as I started looking in the cupboards to get some inspiration for dinner, I saw the bag of loose chai tea Rich got me while we were in Australia. OOOOOhhhh how I LOVE Chai and all the spices in this delicious little drink. And, cooking is more fun when you are sipping on a lovely beverage, so I nuked a quick cup of hot water for the tea leaves and spices to infuse while I prepared the meal. I had put a few chicken breasts in the fridge to thaw before we left this morning, in case I got the cooking bug tonight. Good thing too!
So, there I was, salivating waiting for my tea and it hit me. Chai Chicken! Is there such a thing? I'm not sure... but I was about to find out. Into the spice cupboard I went and out came: extra virgin olive oil, whole black peppercorns, coconut milk, whole nutmeg, red curry from Cambodia, coriander, ginger, ground nutmeg, Jamaican Allspice, Cloves, Cinnamon, Himalayan Pink Salt Crystals, Tri-colored peppercorns, mint flakes, fennel seed, thyme, rosemary, aniseed, and orange blossom honey.
I looked at my counter, and it hit me. This was a meal my Dad would love. For just a moment it felt like he was right there with me, experimenting with all these yummy flavors, and not 943 miles away. My heart tugged a bit.
When I was little, I LOVED going to the grocery store with my Dad. And honestly, I still do today. Going with Dad is fun. You see, he's quiet... but adventurous. I really cannot remember a single time when he didn't get something new. He is good like that, to try new foods, new flavors, new brands, and new treats. Don't get me wrong. Mom was always fun to be with too, especially when she'd bust out a HUGE brick of cheese and whack Nikki and Oliver upside the head with it for not minding her. I mean, she was raising 4 kids, and running a house. The woman was busy! (Thanks Mom for always making Dad take one of us with him. It was so much more than just giving you a much needed break, it was an opportunity to make memories I absolutely cherish!)
While Ash munched on a banana, I got the jasmine rice started on one burner. On another burner I poured a little oil into the pan and dropped in about 8 whole peppercorns. There's just something fun about hearing peppercorns pop when the oil gets warm and knowing how delicious their flavor is making that oil. I added a can of coconut milk. Then threw in a few nubs of nutmeg. You know what a nub is right? Those little chunks that you end up when you've grated the nut as far as you can but just can't bear to throw it away, even though it is too small to keep rubbing on the grater without leaving a piece of your fingers with it. I've always just thrown them back into the jar, hoping one day I'd know what to do with them. Well, today was that day. YAY! So, as the oil, milk, pepper, and nutmeg started to simmer and blend and fuse and transform into a magical base, I went to town on the other spices. They all went into my mortar and pestle to be ground up into little bursts of an amazing scent. Once finely ground, into the milk base they went. Mmmmmmmmmmm, it was smelling soooooooooo delicious! The chicken was chopped into 1 inch cubes and added to the base. As the sauce began to reduce, I added the honey. And I wondered which kind of honey it was again that my Dad liked. I know he has a favorite... but I can't remember what it is. Clover? Mesquite? Orange Blossom? Cactus? Can you even make a cactus honey? Ack. I'll have to ask him which one his favorite is again. I have 3 different kinds in my cupboard. They're from The Honey Stand in Pine, Arizona and SOOOOO good.
It was just about done, but needed something else. Yeah, I know, as if 14 spices was not enough. It needed something more to the texture. Something crisp, yet softened. Like... AN APPLE! After a quick dice of the fruit, and a fast simmer with another douse of honey, it was ready. My kitchen smelled absolutely Divine.
It tasted even better than I had imagined and hoped it would!!! And the chicken was perfect! It was so moist and not overdone - which is a TOTAL rarity for me, unfortunately! (Click on the pic below and you can see the whole, but shriveled peppercorn. Soooo yum!)
Ash liked it too. He had THREE servings!
Eating with both hands, he piled in that rice and apple and chai chicken creation and devoured it!
It was super easy, super fast, and super delicious. And clean up was pretty quick too! Although, if you're not careful, the longest part can be putting all the caps back on the spices.
But this can be avoided if you have a good kitchen partner... like a spouse, or a roommate, or a boyfriend/girlfriend. Or, you can do a little wiggly jig to the Toddler Tunes playing on Pandora to entertain a little person and still make clean up fun.
Come visit us Dad. I'll make this for you. You'll love it.
And I love you.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Saturday, August 06, 2011
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Naptime Buddies
It's not uncommon for Ash to join me in the kitchen while I'm preparing a meal, eating, and then cleaning up after it. Or cleaning out the fridge, or cupboards, or scrubbing the oven and stove. It's a pretty familiar room to him, and one we spend a lot of time in.
Lots of the time, he sits in his highchair and munches on little puffs. They're awesome treats. They're easy on his sore and teething gums, full of nutrition, and easy for his little fingers to grasp. Sometimes he just plays with his trucks until they find their way over the edge (which usually doesn't take very long, remember that whole dropping phase I mentioned...). But he's also got his trusty little buddies in the room with him. When he was about 6 months old, Ash was introduced to his new Friends - the Monkey, the Rhino, the Wheel, the Spinner, and all the fun musical noises that come with them when they bounce. This chair is worth far more that we paid (which at the time I thought was outrageous). He has spent HOURS in this, very happy, and very entertained. It's been used in the bathroom while I showered, in the living room while I folded laundry, upstairs while I worked (a life that seems so foreign now), but is usually in the kitchen - right smack in the middle of the floor. This way, we can still talk to each other and make eye contact, and sing, and all that good stuff.
Today, he was bouncing along - hard as usual - to where the sounds of the springs are actually louder than the music. I took advantage and slipped into the living room to get the front entry swept and change over the loads of laundry. Then suddenly, it was silent. All I could hear was the hum of the dishwasher. This seemed very odd. Extremely odd. So I quickly, but calmly and quietly, walked into the kitchen to find Ash face down and out cold. Taken completely by surprise I laughed out loud and he didn't even flinch! Luckily, my camera was still laying on the kitchen table and I captured a few shots.
Just as I was putting the camera down, with a jolt, he threw his head back and began jumping again - but with his eyes still closed! I gasped. Back forward his head went, legs still jumping, and finally it rested on the side. With just little twitching legs.
You know, I've read in books and online that a child is like a light switch - when they wake up they go right back to what they were doing. After witnessing this, there is no question! I contemplated just leaving him there, to sleep so peacefully with his naptime buddies but it looked so uncomfortable (I was having flashbacks of falling asleep in my desk at school). I figured I'd spare him from waking up to a kinked neck and puddle of drool. I gently slid my hands down under his arms and as I began to lift him up his legs started to jump again - at the same time his little head laid down on my shoulder. These are one of those moments when your heart skips a beat and you loose your breath. I softly started up the stairs - and his little legs just kept on bouncing! When I gently laid him down in his crib, to get a good nice nap in a cool and dark room, I just stood over him to soak it in... and just as I was turning to walk away, I got one last frog kick.
Ash, I could have never in a million years imagined just how much I would love you. Sweet dreams lil man.
Lots of the time, he sits in his highchair and munches on little puffs. They're awesome treats. They're easy on his sore and teething gums, full of nutrition, and easy for his little fingers to grasp. Sometimes he just plays with his trucks until they find their way over the edge (which usually doesn't take very long, remember that whole dropping phase I mentioned...). But he's also got his trusty little buddies in the room with him. When he was about 6 months old, Ash was introduced to his new Friends - the Monkey, the Rhino, the Wheel, the Spinner, and all the fun musical noises that come with them when they bounce. This chair is worth far more that we paid (which at the time I thought was outrageous). He has spent HOURS in this, very happy, and very entertained. It's been used in the bathroom while I showered, in the living room while I folded laundry, upstairs while I worked (a life that seems so foreign now), but is usually in the kitchen - right smack in the middle of the floor. This way, we can still talk to each other and make eye contact, and sing, and all that good stuff.
Today, he was bouncing along - hard as usual - to where the sounds of the springs are actually louder than the music. I took advantage and slipped into the living room to get the front entry swept and change over the loads of laundry. Then suddenly, it was silent. All I could hear was the hum of the dishwasher. This seemed very odd. Extremely odd. So I quickly, but calmly and quietly, walked into the kitchen to find Ash face down and out cold. Taken completely by surprise I laughed out loud and he didn't even flinch! Luckily, my camera was still laying on the kitchen table and I captured a few shots.
Just as I was putting the camera down, with a jolt, he threw his head back and began jumping again - but with his eyes still closed! I gasped. Back forward his head went, legs still jumping, and finally it rested on the side. With just little twitching legs.
You know, I've read in books and online that a child is like a light switch - when they wake up they go right back to what they were doing. After witnessing this, there is no question! I contemplated just leaving him there, to sleep so peacefully with his naptime buddies but it looked so uncomfortable (I was having flashbacks of falling asleep in my desk at school). I figured I'd spare him from waking up to a kinked neck and puddle of drool. I gently slid my hands down under his arms and as I began to lift him up his legs started to jump again - at the same time his little head laid down on my shoulder. These are one of those moments when your heart skips a beat and you loose your breath. I softly started up the stairs - and his little legs just kept on bouncing! When I gently laid him down in his crib, to get a good nice nap in a cool and dark room, I just stood over him to soak it in... and just as I was turning to walk away, I got one last frog kick.
Ash, I could have never in a million years imagined just how much I would love you. Sweet dreams lil man.
Hazzard Zone, Hard Hats Required
I've been on a cleaning spree lately - and a deep clean. Now that I'm home from Australia and Idaho, and will be in my own home for a while as we just renewed our lease, I've got the nesting bug.
I know I'm lucky, because my little man doesn't mind playing with his toys and entertaining himself while I'm going to and fro from room to room doing little projects. He's watched me the last few days use the vacuum to its fullest - including every attachment on every surface both vertical and horizontal. He's watched me sweeping and mopping and shaking rugs and scrubbing every surface in this home.
Depending on what project I'm working on kinda dictates what room and toys he'll be playing with. Upstairs is pretty much free game. I close the doors to the "non-baby-proofed" rooms and set up a barricade in front of the TV and all the electronics (it's not pretty, but it's functional). Using the coffee table, sofa cushions, and the protective clock (it's a singing, moving, waving arms clock. And it kinda spooks him. I'm taking advantage of this to keep him away from the DVR and Stereo), and so far it's working. Pretty soon he's going to figure out how to knock cushions down, that the clock is actually a fun toy, and that the table is thin. But today, the fort is solid and I can buy a little free time where only one eye is on him.
Today I got the scenting bug. So, I busted out my essential oils and baking soda and let the magic begin. I created a mattress / bedroom scent using only lavender. Then I created an upstairs scent for a gentle freshness using the Body Shop's Tobacco Flower (don't be fooled by the name, it is scrumptious!). And for the front room and stairs, I got creative using coconut, lemongrass, grapefruit, and spearmint. I think it is divine! While Ash took his first nap, I dusted the rugs and carpets below and let the aroma sink in while the laundry got done and Sadie's kennel and corner were cleaned.
Rather excited with my accomplishments, once Ash woke up I was still on the scrubbing mission. Now, when the little man wakes up, he likes to be able to move around. Once the barricade was assembled, I went to work on the stairs to suck up that heavenly white powder concoction. Just as I made it to the last of the stairs, I felt a kerPLUNK and a stunned sensation. And it hit me, I HAD JUST BEEN HIT! By one of Sadie's bones - the big hard ones! You see, Ash has recently developed quite a fascination of dropping things - from his highchair, from his crib, from his playpen, from his car seat, and most assuredly from the balcony of the loft. It's a daily activity to watch each of Sadie's toys, and raw hides, and Ash's cars and blocks and pretty much anything that will fit between the banisters fall all the way to the bottom and make a loud noise. This makes Ash laugh and squeal. He absolutely loves it. And until this moment, I thought it was funny. Sure, there has been a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that something is going to get broke, but he's been pretty good to only throw from one corner and it's pretty safe - even within bouncing distance. But today, I just happened to be in the perfect spot. When I looked up, so dazed and confused, he wasn't even looking - he had no idea he'd just dropped a bomb on my noggin. He was already loading up for the next round. By the time I made it back up the stairs and around the landing two more objects had joined the bone (and my pride).
Poor Ash and Sadie. Changes are sometimes difficult. They are both getting used to the new locations of these little toys... on the first floor.
I know I'm lucky, because my little man doesn't mind playing with his toys and entertaining himself while I'm going to and fro from room to room doing little projects. He's watched me the last few days use the vacuum to its fullest - including every attachment on every surface both vertical and horizontal. He's watched me sweeping and mopping and shaking rugs and scrubbing every surface in this home.
Depending on what project I'm working on kinda dictates what room and toys he'll be playing with. Upstairs is pretty much free game. I close the doors to the "non-baby-proofed" rooms and set up a barricade in front of the TV and all the electronics (it's not pretty, but it's functional). Using the coffee table, sofa cushions, and the protective clock (it's a singing, moving, waving arms clock. And it kinda spooks him. I'm taking advantage of this to keep him away from the DVR and Stereo), and so far it's working. Pretty soon he's going to figure out how to knock cushions down, that the clock is actually a fun toy, and that the table is thin. But today, the fort is solid and I can buy a little free time where only one eye is on him.
Today I got the scenting bug. So, I busted out my essential oils and baking soda and let the magic begin. I created a mattress / bedroom scent using only lavender. Then I created an upstairs scent for a gentle freshness using the Body Shop's Tobacco Flower (don't be fooled by the name, it is scrumptious!). And for the front room and stairs, I got creative using coconut, lemongrass, grapefruit, and spearmint. I think it is divine! While Ash took his first nap, I dusted the rugs and carpets below and let the aroma sink in while the laundry got done and Sadie's kennel and corner were cleaned.
Rather excited with my accomplishments, once Ash woke up I was still on the scrubbing mission. Now, when the little man wakes up, he likes to be able to move around. Once the barricade was assembled, I went to work on the stairs to suck up that heavenly white powder concoction. Just as I made it to the last of the stairs, I felt a kerPLUNK and a stunned sensation. And it hit me, I HAD JUST BEEN HIT! By one of Sadie's bones - the big hard ones! You see, Ash has recently developed quite a fascination of dropping things - from his highchair, from his crib, from his playpen, from his car seat, and most assuredly from the balcony of the loft. It's a daily activity to watch each of Sadie's toys, and raw hides, and Ash's cars and blocks and pretty much anything that will fit between the banisters fall all the way to the bottom and make a loud noise. This makes Ash laugh and squeal. He absolutely loves it. And until this moment, I thought it was funny. Sure, there has been a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that something is going to get broke, but he's been pretty good to only throw from one corner and it's pretty safe - even within bouncing distance. But today, I just happened to be in the perfect spot. When I looked up, so dazed and confused, he wasn't even looking - he had no idea he'd just dropped a bomb on my noggin. He was already loading up for the next round. By the time I made it back up the stairs and around the landing two more objects had joined the bone (and my pride).
Poor Ash and Sadie. Changes are sometimes difficult. They are both getting used to the new locations of these little toys... on the first floor.
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Our backyard paradise!
This is exciting. It has been a fantastic day in every way imaginable. It started out as a gorgeous morning. An orchid I've kept on the patio that has been dormant for almost a year suddenly came to life. Three flowers are blooming and there are still two more buds!
I was going to water the plants and flowers while Ash splashed in his watertable. As I opened the gate to get to the hose on the side run, the momma dove that has been sitting on her eggs shrieked and darted off.
Sadie chased the poor bird and I felt so bad for her! When I turned around to see her nest, there was a baby dove freshly hatched, as it sat all nice and wet next to its sibling, still in the shell. Instant awe. This little mama has had quite a few babies born here and it is so amazing each time.
As we played in the water, enjoying our backyard, I went to inspect... wait, I should catch you up first. When we moved into this house, it was just after the owners had purchased it. They're a great couple who secured this little spot as their retirement home (luckies!) and after a grueling and very popular open house, selected us as the tenants. (I'm not sure if me being 7 months pregnant, arriving 20 minutes before it was supposed to start, securing a "private viewing" haha, and then parking it out in the backyard for the entire open house had anything to do with it, heh). One of the charms was the backyard. It was landscaped tropical, with super low (pretty much non-existent) maintenance, and a pond. Well, the remains of an old dried up pond with the potential to be an amazing pond. :) One of the conversations with our landlord was to get it back up and running, if possible.
It started out looking like this:
Lemme tell you, this has not been one of the simpler tasks. The pond that stands today is the third pond that was installed. The first two leaked. Over a period of about 6 months, we finally have our little waterworks! And it is beautiful.
That is, until it started to grow little critters that are multiplying like there is no tomorrow! At first (being the naive pondy person), I thought they might have been tadpoles. But they don't just appear out of nowhere, right? So a few days went by, and each morning and evening I would go out to assess our little water critters and see their condition.
Ok, so back to the story. On this particular day I took one look into the water and panicked - what was only 25-50 yesterday was about 200 today! Not knowing what these things were, I knew I had to find out before we had some kind of amphibian takeover.
Using an empty baby food jar (I kept these, knowing they'd be great for some craft project - but never imagined they'd be used as scientific swamp sample devices), I dipped it into the water and had a much better viewpoint of the little swimmers. They are bizarre! With giant round heads that taper into a slimy slender body that ends with a little point and have these feathery white wispy arms all the way from the neck to the tail waving the entire time. And they move so oddly too. Kinda like a jumping bean - it jerks from each spot with a propelling type result. Sorry, I have no idea how to describe it. You'll just have to watch for yourself:
Anyhoo, after I finished the head shot session of our newest little residents, I knew something had to be done. Partly fascinated, and partly petrified, I loaded Ash into the car and headed to a local pond specialist. Sure enough, she confirmed they were indeed not tadpoles, but mosquitoes. ACK!!! For about 2 seconds I was starting a mini heart attack as I imagined how infested our little paradise was going to be and there would be no more water playing sessions with Ash in his pool, or BBQs for dinner, or star and moon gazing at night, or bird watching, or.... and then she kindly said "that's ok, I give out mosquito eating fish for free" and started walking over to a gorgeous little tub filled with water lilies and water hyacinths. As she opened a bag and started to pour in the water and little fish, instantly, a sense of relief poured over me. Ash and I hung out for a bit longer to learn about the water plants and how easy they were to take care of : Per my new heroine, you just "drop them in the water, let them get sun". That's it. Seriously. We learned about adding goldfish too. Pretty much the same as the plants. God knew what he was doing when he made his little water gardens. It wasn't going to be so difficult after all to create our own little ecosystem in our pond. Air, Sun, Water, Fish, Plants, and Algae.
As soon as we arrived home, we made the quick introduction of our new friends and gave them a little house warming party. It was thrilling. :)
They immediately went to town chowing down on the little skeets.
About an hour later, a little bird was chirping like crazy, hoping from rock to rock on the waterfall and what seamed like almost bird-screaming was looking into the water. Could it be? Could that little bird possibly have already noticed the changes? Yep... it dove into the water and tried to get a little snack! I ran out the door and just as it flew away, there was definitely something in its beak, I'm just not sure if it was successful in getting a fish or not.
A little while later, I went out again - you know, just keeping a close eye to be sure everyone is adjusting ok. Are they eating enough? Is there chlorine in the water that can make them ill, or worse? Are they in shock? Are they still alive? Do they have their sunscreen on? You know... thoughts that a mother has.
Much to my delight, there were itty bitty mosquito fish! They must have been in the roots of the plants! I counted 9 babies, and 7 adults. I was giddy.
Sadie must have wondered what the big fascination was, and had to check it out for herself. I was in the kitchen, making dinner, and all the sudden heard a bark fest going on outside. When I looked out the window, there she was crouched down head right on top of the water barking. I laughed, hard. Then she started to drink the water. *GAG*
Over the next few days we watched as the plants got settled and found their groove with the ebb and flow of the waterfall cycles. We've marveled at the fish and how comfy they are as they've settled into their new little rock crevices. And I was ecstatic at the new dragonfly that comes to visit! It is bright red, almost orange red, and likes to sunbathe on the chain of the bird feeder.
(Click on the pic to see it in big screen. Seriously!)
I am loving this. And so are Ash and Sadie, each in our own little ways. It'll be fun to show Rich our little aquatic zoo and new life in our yard as soon as he's home. :)
I was going to water the plants and flowers while Ash splashed in his watertable. As I opened the gate to get to the hose on the side run, the momma dove that has been sitting on her eggs shrieked and darted off.
Sadie chased the poor bird and I felt so bad for her! When I turned around to see her nest, there was a baby dove freshly hatched, as it sat all nice and wet next to its sibling, still in the shell. Instant awe. This little mama has had quite a few babies born here and it is so amazing each time.
As we played in the water, enjoying our backyard, I went to inspect... wait, I should catch you up first. When we moved into this house, it was just after the owners had purchased it. They're a great couple who secured this little spot as their retirement home (luckies!) and after a grueling and very popular open house, selected us as the tenants. (I'm not sure if me being 7 months pregnant, arriving 20 minutes before it was supposed to start, securing a "private viewing" haha, and then parking it out in the backyard for the entire open house had anything to do with it, heh). One of the charms was the backyard. It was landscaped tropical, with super low (pretty much non-existent) maintenance, and a pond. Well, the remains of an old dried up pond with the potential to be an amazing pond. :) One of the conversations with our landlord was to get it back up and running, if possible.
It started out looking like this:
Lemme tell you, this has not been one of the simpler tasks. The pond that stands today is the third pond that was installed. The first two leaked. Over a period of about 6 months, we finally have our little waterworks! And it is beautiful.
That is, until it started to grow little critters that are multiplying like there is no tomorrow! At first (being the naive pondy person), I thought they might have been tadpoles. But they don't just appear out of nowhere, right? So a few days went by, and each morning and evening I would go out to assess our little water critters and see their condition.
Ok, so back to the story. On this particular day I took one look into the water and panicked - what was only 25-50 yesterday was about 200 today! Not knowing what these things were, I knew I had to find out before we had some kind of amphibian takeover.
Using an empty baby food jar (I kept these, knowing they'd be great for some craft project - but never imagined they'd be used as scientific swamp sample devices), I dipped it into the water and had a much better viewpoint of the little swimmers. They are bizarre! With giant round heads that taper into a slimy slender body that ends with a little point and have these feathery white wispy arms all the way from the neck to the tail waving the entire time. And they move so oddly too. Kinda like a jumping bean - it jerks from each spot with a propelling type result. Sorry, I have no idea how to describe it. You'll just have to watch for yourself:
Anyhoo, after I finished the head shot session of our newest little residents, I knew something had to be done. Partly fascinated, and partly petrified, I loaded Ash into the car and headed to a local pond specialist. Sure enough, she confirmed they were indeed not tadpoles, but mosquitoes. ACK!!! For about 2 seconds I was starting a mini heart attack as I imagined how infested our little paradise was going to be and there would be no more water playing sessions with Ash in his pool, or BBQs for dinner, or star and moon gazing at night, or bird watching, or.... and then she kindly said "that's ok, I give out mosquito eating fish for free" and started walking over to a gorgeous little tub filled with water lilies and water hyacinths. As she opened a bag and started to pour in the water and little fish, instantly, a sense of relief poured over me. Ash and I hung out for a bit longer to learn about the water plants and how easy they were to take care of : Per my new heroine, you just "drop them in the water, let them get sun". That's it. Seriously. We learned about adding goldfish too. Pretty much the same as the plants. God knew what he was doing when he made his little water gardens. It wasn't going to be so difficult after all to create our own little ecosystem in our pond. Air, Sun, Water, Fish, Plants, and Algae.
As soon as we arrived home, we made the quick introduction of our new friends and gave them a little house warming party. It was thrilling. :)
They immediately went to town chowing down on the little skeets.
About an hour later, a little bird was chirping like crazy, hoping from rock to rock on the waterfall and what seamed like almost bird-screaming was looking into the water. Could it be? Could that little bird possibly have already noticed the changes? Yep... it dove into the water and tried to get a little snack! I ran out the door and just as it flew away, there was definitely something in its beak, I'm just not sure if it was successful in getting a fish or not.
A little while later, I went out again - you know, just keeping a close eye to be sure everyone is adjusting ok. Are they eating enough? Is there chlorine in the water that can make them ill, or worse? Are they in shock? Are they still alive? Do they have their sunscreen on? You know... thoughts that a mother has.
Much to my delight, there were itty bitty mosquito fish! They must have been in the roots of the plants! I counted 9 babies, and 7 adults. I was giddy.
Over the next few days we watched as the plants got settled and found their groove with the ebb and flow of the waterfall cycles. We've marveled at the fish and how comfy they are as they've settled into their new little rock crevices. And I was ecstatic at the new dragonfly that comes to visit! It is bright red, almost orange red, and likes to sunbathe on the chain of the bird feeder.
(Click on the pic to see it in big screen. Seriously!)
I am loving this. And so are Ash and Sadie, each in our own little ways. It'll be fun to show Rich our little aquatic zoo and new life in our yard as soon as he's home. :)
Friday, July 22, 2011
Splishity Splashity!!!
Aunt Deanna, Uncle Robin, and Cousin Jaren sent Ash the greatest toy for his 1st birthday!!! Ash LOVES to splash... in dog water bowls, in tubs, in sinks, in dishwashers... and now, in his very own waterfall pool!!!
So far, we've logged about 6 hours in this magical toy. :) Thanks to the Colorado peeps!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
12 month vaccines = Bandaid flags
Ash got his 12 month check up and vaccines today, plus 3 dinosour bandaids.
On our way home, he ripped off two of them, ate one, and proudly
showed me the other as he waived it like a flag.
This was probably the only time I had ever actually wished for a red light :)
Thursday, July 14, 2011
More baby birdies are coming...
They're at it again. The little love doves.
This little couple have created quite a few lives in the 1.5 years we've lived here. The nest is nuzzled perfectly under the boganveia and stays pretty protected, since we rarely access the side yard. I love thier sounds in the morning. And the momma is always so patient with me. I try to talk softly as I approach the gate, to not startle her. I can't wait to see her new little batch of babies. :)
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Asher's FIRST Birthday!!!
A momentous occasion for every first time parent (and I'm pretty sure second, and third, and fourth, and well... you get the picture). Finally, I had the absolute and most anticipated pleasure to experience throwing a birthday party, for my own offspring. I have thought about it for months now. Secretly, when no one was looking I would pour over pages and pages of Mommy blogs and birthday party supply pages searching for what represented Asher the best. Not what represented me, or Rich, but what Asher was drawn to. I watched him as we were in stores and would pass by children's toys. I watched him as we went through gift shops of aquariums, and zoos, and pretty much any entertainment shop. I watched him as he played with his toys at home, or Nana's, or cousins houses. And every time, he is drawn to animals. Especially Jungle and Safari animals. (Secretly, I high five him in my mind every time, because these are my spirit animals too. Good on ya Ash!!!). And even more specifically, giraffes. I wonder if it has anything to do with how many giraffes he has accumulated in this short and extremely fast first year of his life. (Sidetrack: a few months ago, as I started to clean up the kitchen, I realised how many giraffes were in that room alone and put them all together with him. I chuckled. Out loud too. I have a picture of it somewhere... and when I find it, I'll edit this post and insert it. It's funny, at least I think it's funny.)
So, the guests for our first party was decided - and jungle safaris buddies it was. I spent a good solid week trying to see which theme he would love best. I narrowed it down to 5-6 choices and got Rich's take. It was pretty easy actually. Not quite as overwhelming as pouring over a baby name book. Once we selected the perfect friends, the fun really began. There a a gazillion items out there - seriously! Pages and pages of decorations and games and toys and goodie bags to share with guests, to express our gratitude in them taking the time out of their busy lives to help us celebrate one of our most precious little lives. I kept the shopping cart full for a day, and slept on it. Since I resigned from my career, I'm learning how to be more frugal. It's not been easy, but it's totally worth it and a new sort of challenge. And I always like a good challenge. Anyhoo... the next morning, I removed a few of the over exuberant items and clicked the magic button that would make it all come true. Luckily for us, we spent the weekend in the majestic mountains of Mackay, Idaho where we were distracted by fantastic wildlife and the company of really amazing relatives so I wasn't pacing by the front door waiting for the four insane dogs to go ballistic when the poor UPS guy walked up to the door to bring us the box of magic goodies.
It did arrive, and while Ash was taking a nap. I opened the box and was completely delighted with all the funness inside! It was perfect!!! Although this box was for the party to be held this weekend, it arrived in time for his REAL birthday, which made it really nice. And I got to go through the box and see if I had missed anything. I always like to do a dress-rehearsal in my mind to help ensure things go smoothly on the day of. No matter the occasion. :) It also allowed me to free my mind and just soak in Ash, and let my emotions be celebrated too as his birthday approached.
The morning of his birthday, we woke up and did the usual morning routine. Feed, play, and fall back asleep for another half hour. When we came out of the room, we were greeted by his Auntie Nikki with her always smiling eyes and super excited and animated face with lots of birthday wishes and hugs and kisses. As we climbed up the stairs, his Auntie Ty had a fabulous surprise... Yellow streamers were all across the dining and kitchen rooms. Half way up the stairs Ash noticed it (even before me!) and did his famous howl and point of "ooooohhhhh". It was perfect. A perfect start to this day of ridiculous celebrations. :)
Right away, Ty had him open his first gift before she had to run to work - a blue and yellow sippy cup with a straw. Ty, the genius, had found a replacement to his favorite cup that was eaten and destroyed by the evil four leggeds just a few days before. YAY! She encouraged him to stay hydrated so he was in good shape for the festivities that awaited him that night. I loved it.
Off to work Nikki and Ty went, on came Bob Marley, and the preparations for his birthday breakfast feast began. Scrambled eggs and biscuits! I've held out, much to the advice of our pediatrician and all the books and blogs and websites, to not give a baby eggs until they reach the ripe age of one. Today was the day. Nana has tried, and been kindly rejected, in the attempt to share her eggs. But today, it was legal. Three egg whites and one yolk, oregano, basil, tomatoes, and cheese. And the delicious little Pillsbury country style biscuits were presented. He ate them with gusto! Yay. Because we LOVE this meal. After we ate, we danced and bounced, and twirled all over the kitchen and dining room and living room to the roots, rock, reggae. We love dancing to his tunes!
After a bit of playtime, and watering of the the herbs in the backyard, the guest of honor went down for the first morning nap. While he slept, I finished watering the side and front yard plants and flowers and reflected on what we were doing one year ago. Thinking to myself, "Right about now I was saying to bring on the drugs..." and remembering the shamoo-esque episode of my water breaking as they gave me that WONDERFUL epidural... and I also thought of all the amazing moments we've had over this last year. I also allowed a very brief moment to recall the not fun times at the hospitals. Respect must be paid to those days as well, and pay gratitude to the skills of the doctors and nurses. My love for these teams grows in my heart and mind and entire being every time those scary days reenter my mind. Tears still find their way down my cheeks and I have to force myself to think of other happy thoughts. With Asher, it's easy. Once the yard was hydrated, I got myself showered and ready for the day too. At home in San Diego, this isn't so easy. His room is pretty well, illuminated. But here at Nana and Poppy's house in Idaho, our room in the basement stays dark and cool, and Ash sleeps longer than his usual 20 minutes - he sleeps for 2-3 HOURS! And he falls asleep within 10 minutes, not they typical 1-2 HOURS it takes me to get him to finally shut off at home. I've told Rich a few times now, in our next home, besides the big tub and a pantry and a fireplace, we need to add basement to the list. :) After getting me ready, I started to add on to Tyia's decor. I hadn't planned to do this, as the box of goodies was meant for the official birthday party with family this weekend. But I couldn't resist. So, up went the banner declaring the message of the day: Happy 1st Birthday. Up went the mylar balloons of a giant zebra and giant lion. Up went the other party balloons. Up went the blue beads and lanterns. It was so festive! I couldn't wait to see Ash's face as he discovered all the new additions.
With him still sleeping, I took advantage of the time and got started on the cupcakes. Being a first time Mom, and a little ambitious to have a super cool treat, I tried my skills at baking the cupcakes not in the usual paper cups, but in ice cream cones! The yummy Betty Crocker birthday cake with sprinkles of color in the mix emptied into the bowl. The vegetable oil measured so precisely as to ensure they would be perfect. The fresh eggs cracked into the mound of powder. And a long, and luckily successful, hunt trying to find where Nana keeps her hand mixer, the transformation began.
Excitedly, I poured the mixture into the cones. Half full at first. Then I remembered a cousin saying to fill them to the top. Or was that 2/3 full? Oh crap. I didn't remember. Better safe than sorry and have too short of cupcakes, I added more and filled them to the top. (Lesson one of birthday treat baking, consider yourself learned.)
Into the preheated oven they went. And almost as if on cue, I began to hear the playful sounds of a little birthday boy come across the monitor. Once again, Ash's timing was perfect. According to the box, I had 15-17 minutes of play time before the treats needed my attention. So downstairs I went to get my little buddy.
We played and talked and sang Happy Birthday and clapped our hands for about 10 minutes. I knew I had to get him into his chair and his favorite star puffs sprinkled out in front of him so I could finish with the hot oven. Excited to show him all the fun new things to look at, up the stairs we went... But, halfway up the stairs my nose twitched. Something was not right. I could smell the sweet batter, but something dark and grey and not welcomed in a kitchen, especially when the house would be full of celebrations that evening. Oh no, they are burning. I am burning CUPCAKES! The easiest treat to make, and even worse, MY SON'S BIRTHDAY CUPCAKES!
They had overflowed and were bubbling on the bottom of the oven, and in the little holes in the bottoms of the oven. ALL of them. Even the little side cake in the mini bread pan. Smoke was coming up and out of the stove burners. The room was hazy, and stinky.
After the situation was under control, I made a quick call to the local Albertson's and was delighted to learn they had undecorated cupcakes so I could still kinda make the little yummies.
While I opened all the windows on this very hot and windy day, he quickly ate his favorite lunch - swirly pastas with chunks of cheese and turkey. Although the house was airing out (luckily), it was also heating up fast. We had a few errands to run before Nana and Poppy came down from Girls Camp, so we loaded up and escaped the scene.
At the local dollar store, Honks, (which becomes the $.88 store on Tuesdays, so once again, nice timing Ash - High Five!) we picked out some festive Fourth of July items for the weekend, got bubbles for the party, some tub toys and cars to take off-roading in the garden dirt, and balloons... Helium Balloons. Ash LOVES balloons. We got nine. Three blue, three yellow, and three orange. The man who filled the balloons handed Ash the bouquet and he giddily yanked them up and down and up and down and "ooooohhhhhh'd" so excitedly. I though my heart was going to burst with warm gooeyness! There is no feeling like that of seeing your child entirely happy. Feeling pretty excited myself about how fun Ash's first birthday was going and how fun the evening gathering was going to be, we headed for the car.
We took the first step outside the door and WHAM, we were quickly reminded that we're in Idaho. Where the wind is CRAZY. Always. I was parked only a few spots away, but between us and the car was a vicious challenge of wind dodging. Let's just cut to the chase - despite my silent pleas to successfully get the balloons and Ash and our bags of goodies into the car, calmly, and with dignity, the wind won. As we left the shelter of building and were in the fully exposed path of that violent wind, Ash's fascination of the balloons was quickly turning into mortification. His face quickly turned into a concerned and nervous expression as the balloons whipped all around us. Fearing he was going to get caught up in all the strings I tried to wrestle them out of his hands. But by this time, panic had set in and his grip was solid. Thinking the other side of the truck might give us protection I whirled the cart around. No luck. I don't know who the kind old lady was that came to our rescue, but I will forever be grateful for her fast offering to help us. We must have looked like a spectacle. For sure. As she held Ash, I batted and poked and pushed and punched the balloons to get them to fit into the car. Surprisingly, we only had one casualty. A dark blue balloon found itself on my ring and, well... at least it was a quick and painless death. I think.
Once we were all loaded up, and driving down the road, poor Ash was a trooper to share his airspace with his both beloved, and feared balloon friends. A quick run into the grocery store, passing the floral department which of course had more balloons and resulted in more pointing and ooohhhhing, we made a hard line for the bakery. With the plain cupcakes in one hand, and an almost toddler in the other hand munching away on his first very crumbly chocolate chip cookie, we braved the Idaho wind again.
Once home, Nana and Poppy where there to great us and give the little man his birthday cheers. I love his smiles and laughter. And I love how much he loves his grandparents, and how much they love him. Sometimes I just fade back into the walls so I can observe and take it all in. Moments like these, are what we call "life's precious moments".
Back to the cupcake disaster. I had to keep the evidence. No one would believe how distorted the little suckers were! Then I realized, if we had done the Dr. Seuss theme, they would have been PERFECT!
While Nana sang and played with Ash, I whipped out the decorating station and went to work.
I gotta admit, I was pretty happy with how they turned out. Pretty dang happy indeed!
Ash received another gift from Nana. A big boy pair of the softest flannel pajamas. (As I touched the fabric, I have to admit, I imagined him being in them and how soft and cuddly it will be to hold him on my lap, and secretly wish I had a pair too). She also gave him an interactive clock that waves his arms and his nose lights up and plays music at each hour and says "bye bye" once the session is over. If it moves, if it lights up, and if it talks, Ash is all over it... when he's not sleepy. Down for his afternoon nap he went. Which was cool, it gave me some downtime to relax and chat with Mom and take more walks with her down memory lane. I love those walks with her.
When Ash awoke, he was in awe of how the upstairs had magically transitioned - but went straitaway to his beloved balloons. He quickly picked out two orange ones. With a string in each fist, he crawled all over, expecting his playground.
Our little impromptu "practice" party began just as Poppy showed up with the Five Guys burgers (All black = Drool. Theses burgers are what In-And-Out used to be 20 years ago) and Idaho potato fries with that salmon colored delicious fry dipping sauce. Grams and Papa arrived with their little puppy which of course made all our dogs go bazerk. Yep, the party was getting started. :) A very drowsy and still not quite with it Ash participated like a champ with a bubble blowing festival. Everyone had wands and blowing guns in their hands and the backyard turned into something that reminded me of the scene in original Willy Wonka, when they were in the bubble room. He was amazed. So were the dogs. And so were we. I think the adults had just as much fun playing with the bubbles as any 4 year old. heehee.
Then, the moment arrived. Time for his first candle to be blown out, and taste of pure sugar. We got Rich on skype (he's on a business trip in Virginia, but we weren't letting that get in the way of him being at Ash's first birthday bash) and lit the candle.
True to his pyro nature, Ash just wanted to touch the flame and watch it dance.
We sang the traditional birthday song and made multiple attempts for him to blow it out. But, it just wasn't going to happen, so I gave a little help.
With a poof, it was out and left only a line of smoke floating up in the air, Ash wasn't quite sure what had happened and seemed a little overwhelmed at all this strangeness.
We quickly got him in his chair so he could explore his little cake topped with animals and icing. And explore he did...
And did...
And did...
Until he finally figured out that it was to eat. :)
I think it was perfect. I couldn't have been happier, or prouder, or more excited for how his little adventure of the first taste of cake went. Still covered in green icing and crumbs, we were racing the clock of bedtime and opened a few more gifts. Brilliant Auntie Nikki gave him the cutest little Cars. They drove them all over the now green highchair, and up his arms, and over his belly, and over his head, and he laughed and laughed!
He opened another package from Auntie Tyia and gained two very stylish red Whale shirts - one being his first tank. We laughed as we imagined how big they will be on his skinny little arms and how his little nipples will poke out of the arm holes.
We called Uncle Oliver and Camila and got them on skype too while we opened their gift. A Go Diego Go trike! With a secret compartment under the seat to stash all his toys, and a key, and real pedals! For an instant, it hit me, that he was getting bigger. There was a spark of "Oh no!" but was quickly replaced with "Oh man, this is just getting funner and funner!!!"
With frosting drying all over him, and his clothes, just doing a simple wash with a cloth was never going to get him clean, so his aunties stripped him right there in the high chair and in the tub he went...
Covered in green frosting and with his new cars in hand, it was the perfect ending: Splish Splash we had a rocking Birthday Bash. In the water, he drove his little cars all over the tub. Under the water, over the bubbles, up the walls, over bellies and arms and drains. And the whole time he made little humming sounds of cars driving. It was awesome!
Out of the tub, and in his warm jammies, was the final event of the night - an impression of his now One year old hand and foot. Nikki, being experienced with this skill was a total helper. We successfully captured his hand, and grip, as well as his foot, and grip of his toes.
A reading of "Goodnight moon" and song of Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars, and he was out cold. I just stood over him as he drifted into sleep. He would smile and make a laugh gasp, eyes closed. I couldn't help but think he was dreaming and replaying all the fun he had on this day, his first birthday.
Asher, I love you more than I ever thought possible. You bring me more joy than I could have ever imagined. You compliment each of us in ways that we may never fully understand. And you teach me more than all the masters combined. Thank you for being so wonderful. I love you with everything I have, little man. Happy First Birthday!!!
(pic found!!!)
This game of observation gave me pleasure on so many levels. I love watching him. I love watching him explore anything and everything. A string. A box. A beveled edge of a coffee table. A cover to a DVD (it helps when it is the National Geographic Ocean, heheh). A bird sitting on a fence. A tree blowing in the wind. Sadie. A stuffed toy. A laptop (ok, actually this is hard because usually it is when Rich or I are on it and Ash wants it, BAD). The list can go on and on. Not only was I able to sit back and watch him grow and develop and improve his motor skills, but I was able to watch his little personality really come to life. And in doing this, I am learning who he is, what he likes, what catches his eye, and well, what doesn't. So, the guests for our first party was decided - and jungle safaris buddies it was. I spent a good solid week trying to see which theme he would love best. I narrowed it down to 5-6 choices and got Rich's take. It was pretty easy actually. Not quite as overwhelming as pouring over a baby name book. Once we selected the perfect friends, the fun really began. There a a gazillion items out there - seriously! Pages and pages of decorations and games and toys and goodie bags to share with guests, to express our gratitude in them taking the time out of their busy lives to help us celebrate one of our most precious little lives. I kept the shopping cart full for a day, and slept on it. Since I resigned from my career, I'm learning how to be more frugal. It's not been easy, but it's totally worth it and a new sort of challenge. And I always like a good challenge. Anyhoo... the next morning, I removed a few of the over exuberant items and clicked the magic button that would make it all come true. Luckily for us, we spent the weekend in the majestic mountains of Mackay, Idaho where we were distracted by fantastic wildlife and the company of really amazing relatives so I wasn't pacing by the front door waiting for the four insane dogs to go ballistic when the poor UPS guy walked up to the door to bring us the box of magic goodies.
It did arrive, and while Ash was taking a nap. I opened the box and was completely delighted with all the funness inside! It was perfect!!! Although this box was for the party to be held this weekend, it arrived in time for his REAL birthday, which made it really nice. And I got to go through the box and see if I had missed anything. I always like to do a dress-rehearsal in my mind to help ensure things go smoothly on the day of. No matter the occasion. :) It also allowed me to free my mind and just soak in Ash, and let my emotions be celebrated too as his birthday approached.
The morning of his birthday, we woke up and did the usual morning routine. Feed, play, and fall back asleep for another half hour. When we came out of the room, we were greeted by his Auntie Nikki with her always smiling eyes and super excited and animated face with lots of birthday wishes and hugs and kisses. As we climbed up the stairs, his Auntie Ty had a fabulous surprise... Yellow streamers were all across the dining and kitchen rooms. Half way up the stairs Ash noticed it (even before me!) and did his famous howl and point of "ooooohhhhh". It was perfect. A perfect start to this day of ridiculous celebrations. :)
Right away, Ty had him open his first gift before she had to run to work - a blue and yellow sippy cup with a straw. Ty, the genius, had found a replacement to his favorite cup that was eaten and destroyed by the evil four leggeds just a few days before. YAY! She encouraged him to stay hydrated so he was in good shape for the festivities that awaited him that night. I loved it.
Off to work Nikki and Ty went, on came Bob Marley, and the preparations for his birthday breakfast feast began. Scrambled eggs and biscuits! I've held out, much to the advice of our pediatrician and all the books and blogs and websites, to not give a baby eggs until they reach the ripe age of one. Today was the day. Nana has tried, and been kindly rejected, in the attempt to share her eggs. But today, it was legal. Three egg whites and one yolk, oregano, basil, tomatoes, and cheese. And the delicious little Pillsbury country style biscuits were presented. He ate them with gusto! Yay. Because we LOVE this meal. After we ate, we danced and bounced, and twirled all over the kitchen and dining room and living room to the roots, rock, reggae. We love dancing to his tunes!
After a bit of playtime, and watering of the the herbs in the backyard, the guest of honor went down for the first morning nap. While he slept, I finished watering the side and front yard plants and flowers and reflected on what we were doing one year ago. Thinking to myself, "Right about now I was saying to bring on the drugs..." and remembering the shamoo-esque episode of my water breaking as they gave me that WONDERFUL epidural... and I also thought of all the amazing moments we've had over this last year. I also allowed a very brief moment to recall the not fun times at the hospitals. Respect must be paid to those days as well, and pay gratitude to the skills of the doctors and nurses. My love for these teams grows in my heart and mind and entire being every time those scary days reenter my mind. Tears still find their way down my cheeks and I have to force myself to think of other happy thoughts. With Asher, it's easy. Once the yard was hydrated, I got myself showered and ready for the day too. At home in San Diego, this isn't so easy. His room is pretty well, illuminated. But here at Nana and Poppy's house in Idaho, our room in the basement stays dark and cool, and Ash sleeps longer than his usual 20 minutes - he sleeps for 2-3 HOURS! And he falls asleep within 10 minutes, not they typical 1-2 HOURS it takes me to get him to finally shut off at home. I've told Rich a few times now, in our next home, besides the big tub and a pantry and a fireplace, we need to add basement to the list. :) After getting me ready, I started to add on to Tyia's decor. I hadn't planned to do this, as the box of goodies was meant for the official birthday party with family this weekend. But I couldn't resist. So, up went the banner declaring the message of the day: Happy 1st Birthday. Up went the mylar balloons of a giant zebra and giant lion. Up went the other party balloons. Up went the blue beads and lanterns. It was so festive! I couldn't wait to see Ash's face as he discovered all the new additions.
With him still sleeping, I took advantage of the time and got started on the cupcakes. Being a first time Mom, and a little ambitious to have a super cool treat, I tried my skills at baking the cupcakes not in the usual paper cups, but in ice cream cones! The yummy Betty Crocker birthday cake with sprinkles of color in the mix emptied into the bowl. The vegetable oil measured so precisely as to ensure they would be perfect. The fresh eggs cracked into the mound of powder. And a long, and luckily successful, hunt trying to find where Nana keeps her hand mixer, the transformation began.
Excitedly, I poured the mixture into the cones. Half full at first. Then I remembered a cousin saying to fill them to the top. Or was that 2/3 full? Oh crap. I didn't remember. Better safe than sorry and have too short of cupcakes, I added more and filled them to the top. (Lesson one of birthday treat baking, consider yourself learned.)
Into the preheated oven they went. And almost as if on cue, I began to hear the playful sounds of a little birthday boy come across the monitor. Once again, Ash's timing was perfect. According to the box, I had 15-17 minutes of play time before the treats needed my attention. So downstairs I went to get my little buddy.
We played and talked and sang Happy Birthday and clapped our hands for about 10 minutes. I knew I had to get him into his chair and his favorite star puffs sprinkled out in front of him so I could finish with the hot oven. Excited to show him all the fun new things to look at, up the stairs we went... But, halfway up the stairs my nose twitched. Something was not right. I could smell the sweet batter, but something dark and grey and not welcomed in a kitchen, especially when the house would be full of celebrations that evening. Oh no, they are burning. I am burning CUPCAKES! The easiest treat to make, and even worse, MY SON'S BIRTHDAY CUPCAKES!
They had overflowed and were bubbling on the bottom of the oven, and in the little holes in the bottoms of the oven. ALL of them. Even the little side cake in the mini bread pan. Smoke was coming up and out of the stove burners. The room was hazy, and stinky.
After the situation was under control, I made a quick call to the local Albertson's and was delighted to learn they had undecorated cupcakes so I could still kinda make the little yummies.
While I opened all the windows on this very hot and windy day, he quickly ate his favorite lunch - swirly pastas with chunks of cheese and turkey. Although the house was airing out (luckily), it was also heating up fast. We had a few errands to run before Nana and Poppy came down from Girls Camp, so we loaded up and escaped the scene.
At the local dollar store, Honks, (which becomes the $.88 store on Tuesdays, so once again, nice timing Ash - High Five!) we picked out some festive Fourth of July items for the weekend, got bubbles for the party, some tub toys and cars to take off-roading in the garden dirt, and balloons... Helium Balloons. Ash LOVES balloons. We got nine. Three blue, three yellow, and three orange. The man who filled the balloons handed Ash the bouquet and he giddily yanked them up and down and up and down and "ooooohhhhhh'd" so excitedly. I though my heart was going to burst with warm gooeyness! There is no feeling like that of seeing your child entirely happy. Feeling pretty excited myself about how fun Ash's first birthday was going and how fun the evening gathering was going to be, we headed for the car.
We took the first step outside the door and WHAM, we were quickly reminded that we're in Idaho. Where the wind is CRAZY. Always. I was parked only a few spots away, but between us and the car was a vicious challenge of wind dodging. Let's just cut to the chase - despite my silent pleas to successfully get the balloons and Ash and our bags of goodies into the car, calmly, and with dignity, the wind won. As we left the shelter of building and were in the fully exposed path of that violent wind, Ash's fascination of the balloons was quickly turning into mortification. His face quickly turned into a concerned and nervous expression as the balloons whipped all around us. Fearing he was going to get caught up in all the strings I tried to wrestle them out of his hands. But by this time, panic had set in and his grip was solid. Thinking the other side of the truck might give us protection I whirled the cart around. No luck. I don't know who the kind old lady was that came to our rescue, but I will forever be grateful for her fast offering to help us. We must have looked like a spectacle. For sure. As she held Ash, I batted and poked and pushed and punched the balloons to get them to fit into the car. Surprisingly, we only had one casualty. A dark blue balloon found itself on my ring and, well... at least it was a quick and painless death. I think.
Once we were all loaded up, and driving down the road, poor Ash was a trooper to share his airspace with his both beloved, and feared balloon friends. A quick run into the grocery store, passing the floral department which of course had more balloons and resulted in more pointing and ooohhhhing, we made a hard line for the bakery. With the plain cupcakes in one hand, and an almost toddler in the other hand munching away on his first very crumbly chocolate chip cookie, we braved the Idaho wind again.
Once home, Nana and Poppy where there to great us and give the little man his birthday cheers. I love his smiles and laughter. And I love how much he loves his grandparents, and how much they love him. Sometimes I just fade back into the walls so I can observe and take it all in. Moments like these, are what we call "life's precious moments".
Back to the cupcake disaster. I had to keep the evidence. No one would believe how distorted the little suckers were! Then I realized, if we had done the Dr. Seuss theme, they would have been PERFECT!
While Nana sang and played with Ash, I whipped out the decorating station and went to work.
I gotta admit, I was pretty happy with how they turned out. Pretty dang happy indeed!
Ash received another gift from Nana. A big boy pair of the softest flannel pajamas. (As I touched the fabric, I have to admit, I imagined him being in them and how soft and cuddly it will be to hold him on my lap, and secretly wish I had a pair too). She also gave him an interactive clock that waves his arms and his nose lights up and plays music at each hour and says "bye bye" once the session is over. If it moves, if it lights up, and if it talks, Ash is all over it... when he's not sleepy. Down for his afternoon nap he went. Which was cool, it gave me some downtime to relax and chat with Mom and take more walks with her down memory lane. I love those walks with her.
When Ash awoke, he was in awe of how the upstairs had magically transitioned - but went straitaway to his beloved balloons. He quickly picked out two orange ones. With a string in each fist, he crawled all over, expecting his playground.
Our little impromptu "practice" party began just as Poppy showed up with the Five Guys burgers (All black = Drool. Theses burgers are what In-And-Out used to be 20 years ago) and Idaho potato fries with that salmon colored delicious fry dipping sauce. Grams and Papa arrived with their little puppy which of course made all our dogs go bazerk. Yep, the party was getting started. :) A very drowsy and still not quite with it Ash participated like a champ with a bubble blowing festival. Everyone had wands and blowing guns in their hands and the backyard turned into something that reminded me of the scene in original Willy Wonka, when they were in the bubble room. He was amazed. So were the dogs. And so were we. I think the adults had just as much fun playing with the bubbles as any 4 year old. heehee.
Then, the moment arrived. Time for his first candle to be blown out, and taste of pure sugar. We got Rich on skype (he's on a business trip in Virginia, but we weren't letting that get in the way of him being at Ash's first birthday bash) and lit the candle.
True to his pyro nature, Ash just wanted to touch the flame and watch it dance.
We sang the traditional birthday song and made multiple attempts for him to blow it out. But, it just wasn't going to happen, so I gave a little help.
With a poof, it was out and left only a line of smoke floating up in the air, Ash wasn't quite sure what had happened and seemed a little overwhelmed at all this strangeness.
We quickly got him in his chair so he could explore his little cake topped with animals and icing. And explore he did...
And did...
And did...
Until he finally figured out that it was to eat. :)
I think it was perfect. I couldn't have been happier, or prouder, or more excited for how his little adventure of the first taste of cake went. Still covered in green icing and crumbs, we were racing the clock of bedtime and opened a few more gifts. Brilliant Auntie Nikki gave him the cutest little Cars. They drove them all over the now green highchair, and up his arms, and over his belly, and over his head, and he laughed and laughed!
He opened another package from Auntie Tyia and gained two very stylish red Whale shirts - one being his first tank. We laughed as we imagined how big they will be on his skinny little arms and how his little nipples will poke out of the arm holes.
We called Uncle Oliver and Camila and got them on skype too while we opened their gift. A Go Diego Go trike! With a secret compartment under the seat to stash all his toys, and a key, and real pedals! For an instant, it hit me, that he was getting bigger. There was a spark of "Oh no!" but was quickly replaced with "Oh man, this is just getting funner and funner!!!"
With frosting drying all over him, and his clothes, just doing a simple wash with a cloth was never going to get him clean, so his aunties stripped him right there in the high chair and in the tub he went...
Covered in green frosting and with his new cars in hand, it was the perfect ending: Splish Splash we had a rocking Birthday Bash. In the water, he drove his little cars all over the tub. Under the water, over the bubbles, up the walls, over bellies and arms and drains. And the whole time he made little humming sounds of cars driving. It was awesome!
Out of the tub, and in his warm jammies, was the final event of the night - an impression of his now One year old hand and foot. Nikki, being experienced with this skill was a total helper. We successfully captured his hand, and grip, as well as his foot, and grip of his toes.
A reading of "Goodnight moon" and song of Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars, and he was out cold. I just stood over him as he drifted into sleep. He would smile and make a laugh gasp, eyes closed. I couldn't help but think he was dreaming and replaying all the fun he had on this day, his first birthday.
Asher, I love you more than I ever thought possible. You bring me more joy than I could have ever imagined. You compliment each of us in ways that we may never fully understand. And you teach me more than all the masters combined. Thank you for being so wonderful. I love you with everything I have, little man. Happy First Birthday!!!
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